Pumpkin Ginger Snaps

Um, yeah, anything with pumpkin (except pumpkin pie but that's a texture issue) usually tastes pretty darn good to me.  Andrew actually liked these because he couldn't taste the pumpkin...go figure!

Pumpkin Ginger Snaps

2 T butter, softened

2 T pumpkin, or pureed squash

1 egg

1/3 c brown sugar

1/4 c molasses

1/2 tsp baking soda + 2 tsp water

1 tsp each cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, salt

2 c gluten-free flour blend

1. Combine the butter, pumpkin, egg, brown sugar, and molasses in your mixer.  Mix until smooth and creamy.

2. Dissolve the baking soda in the water and then add to the butter mixture.

3. Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.  

4. Roll out as thin as possible.  I divide the dough up into about thirds and roll out between gallon Ziplocs.  Transfer to greased cookie sheet.  Use a pizza cutter to cut to the desired size.  

5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.  Be sure to do them thin and they will crisp up quite nicely when you remove them from the oven.

Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes

Andrew's comment was "Me Likey" so I guess these are okay :) Adapted from Gina's Skinny Recipes.

Banana Pancakes

1 c. easy gluten-free flour blend

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 large banana

1 c. milk (may need up to 1/2 c more)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Puree banana in food processor; add eggs, milk and vanilla.  Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until there are no more dry spots.  Use extra milk to thin if necessary.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Spray oil to lightly coat and pour 1/4 cup of pancake batter. When the pancake starts to bubble and the edges begin to set, flip the pancakes. Repeat with the remainder of the batter.

See more yummies at Slightly Indulgent Tuesday or Pennywise Platter Thursday!

Easy Gluten-free Flour Blend

Another gluten-free flour blend.  This one uses mostly readily available flours.  So far it has worked well in a chocolate cake and pancakes.

6 c. white rice flour 

3 c. tapioca flour

1.5 c. cornstarch 

1 T salt 

2 T xanthan gum

Chocolate Honey Beet Cake (GF)

This is the year to conquer some of those harder to eat vegetables in our community supported agriculture (CSA) box.  And, by harder to eat, I mean those that I can't stand like swiss chard (will cover in another post) and beets.  The fennel still hasn't been conquered.  Now, it's probably not too kosher to cover up taste with chocolate but hey, it worked!  This cake is moist and yummy and I can't taste the beets.  Better than putting them in the compost.  Since we have a bit of honey around here I adapted it to use that in place of sugar (original recipe).  Andrew didn't think it was sweet enough.  I liked it.  A compromise would be frosting or a glaze instead of just the powered sugar.  

Chocolate Honey Beet Cake

3/4 c. butter, divided (or use melted coconut oil if you want it dairy-free)

1 c. honey (spray the measuring cup with a little non-stick, makes it a lot easier to pour out) (or 1 1/2 c brown sugar + 2 T water)

3 eggs

3 oz. baking chocolate (or 1/2 cocoa + 3 T butter/coconut oil)

5 medium beets (2 c. pureed)

1 T vanilla

2 c. gluten-free flour blend (mine was 3 c. white rice flour, 1.5 c. tapioca flour, 3/4 c. cornstarch, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 T xanthan gum)

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

powdered sugar for dusting

To make beet puree, trim stems and roots off beets and quarter them.  Place in heavy sauce pan filled with water.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 50 mins or until the beets are tender.  Drain off remaining liquid and rinse beets in cold water as they’ll be too hot to handle otherwise.  Slide skins off and place beets in blender.  Process until a smooth puree forms.  Let cool slightly before using in cake.  

In a mixing bowl, mix 1/2 c. butter and honey (this is where you use 1/2 c coconut oil plus the brown sugar and water if you don't use the butter and/or don't have the honey). Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Melt chocolate with remaining butter in the microwave on high in 20 second intervals, stirring each time until smooth. (Or use the melted butter/coconut oil and cocoa powder here).  Cool slightly. Blend chocolate mixture, beets and vanilla into the creamed mixture.  

Combine flour, baking soda , salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to the above mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes  or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Cool completely and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Favorite All Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend

Wow, is that a mouthful or what.  Anyway, I love the bread from The Whole Life Nutrition (I add eggs  and end up making three loaves) and have found that making up a huge batch of the flour mix that she uses works just about right for many of the everyday things I like to do.  I do exchange cornstarch for the potato starch.  Works and that's what I have.

All Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend

2 c millet flour

3 c sorghum flour

1 c sweet rice flour

2 c cornstarch

1 c tapioca starch

1 T xanthan gum

Sift all ingredients together and then whisk like crazy until they are throughly combined.  Put it in a zip lock in the cupboard for whenever you need the mix.