poptarts, etc.....

poptart #1

I make these poptarts using glutenfree pantry's sugar cookie mix. I have tried other gluten free sugar cookie recipes and they will work as well. They fun to make and time consuming...but a labor of love (or the labor of a masochist!) after the dough is rolled out (between two pieces of parchment paper)  use a square shaped cookie cutter and fill the popatarts with either raspberry preserves or melted chocolate. This kid is a chocolate lover....he doesn't really like the jam filled! Once he bit into a jam filled poptart and the screams could be heard for miles...

this cookie dough is very versatile. i make hamentashen, mini croissants and pin wheel cookies all using the same sugar cookie mix.  sometime the wheat free boy will ask, "why do the poptarts, hamentashen and pin wheel cookies all taste the same?"

just wait until he tries the all new and improved chocolate version.  he will ask,  "why do the chocolate poptarts, thin mint cookies and mallomars all taste the same?"

beggers can't be choosers, baby! 

poptart #2

chocolate chocolate poptarts...these are made using the same cause you're special sugar cookie mix.  i add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder and 1 extra tablespoon white sugar to the butter as i cream it.

these poptarts bake for 10 minutes in a 350 oven.  the chocolate topping is made from melted chocolate chips and finished with a sprinkling of gluten free white nonpareils.

next up, poptart #3 cinnamon frosted! 

gluten free foccaccia with garlic, rosemary and balsamic glaze...mmmmmm!

Gluten free foccaccia two ways:

to make thin foccaccia and pizza i use the pizza mix from cause you're special.   i use water instead of milk (the milk grosses me out!)  the finished product is indistinguishable from wheat foccaccia or pizza.  i make these doughs by the dozen, pre-cook them and put them in the freezer for easy pizza!

if you follow the directions exactly as i write them, you will have complete pizza crust success!  the below recipe makes three 8" thin crusts.

preheat oven to 425, place flat baking sheet in oven to get real hot ( or use pizza stone)

-dissolve the yeast packet into 2/3 cup warm water, stir to dissolve yeast
-in mixing bowl add flour mix, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
-pour water/yeast into flour mixture; beat with hand mixer or standing mixer for 3 minutes.
-depending on the climate, the dough may be very sticky or not at all sticky!
-set aside three pieces parchment paper to work the pizzas on
-pour about 2 tablespoons olive oil on your hands (you might need to add more), grab a third of the dough and throw back and forth in your two hands until a ball is formed.  the ball will be a loose ball
-put one ball at a time on the parchment paper.  with well oiled hands start to form the crust into the 8' circle.  flatten with the palms of your hands.
-pre- cook crust before adding sauce and cheese for pizza according to directions on the bag
-for foccaccia; after the crust is formed, sprinkle with sea salt, fresh cracked pepper and fresh rosemary.  bake the foccaccia for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.  rub finished crust with fresh garlic and sprinkle additional olive oil and drizzle with gluten free balsamic glaze.

  

 Thick foccaccia bread!

(like Piccolo Sogno restaurant in chicago!)

for thicker foccaccia bread i use gluten free pantry homestyle bread mix or cause you're special white bread mix.   follow the instructions exactly on the bag and add fresh rosemary, salt, pepper and drizzle olive oil to the dough before rising.  place dough into a 9x13 2"deep oiled baking pan .  bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  cut into 2" squares of ling rectangular pieces.  freezes and defrosts well.

obsession #1: finding the perfect chocolate chip cookie (gluten free of course!)

Soft and gooey chocolate chip cookies...just like mom used to make (if she were a good baker!)

These cookies are like the "real" thing! warm and gooey...especially right from the oven. eat the dough by the spoonful (not too much though because of the raw egg thing!)
wheat free/gluten free

I make three varieties of gluten free chocolate chip cookies.  It depends on my mood if I want a perfectly round and soft, classic Mrs. Wakefield or brown sugar rush (thin and chewy)!

#1: The classic Mrs. Wakefield.
This means I follow the Tollhouse recipe, exactly... substituting Beth's All Purpose Flour mix or the Gluten free flour mix from Whole Foods.  Fresh from the oven and even the next day these cookies are DIVINE!!!!! These freeze well and make great ice cream sandwiches!

#2: Perfectly round and soft : After googling hundreds of chocolate chip cookie images for the past four years and after trying dozens of recipes, I think I have finally come up with a gluten free winner!  These are soft in the center and crispy on the outside.  These cookies hold their shape while baking.  The entire family will beg for more! This recipe is adapted from the now famous New York Times July 2008 "best chocolate chip cookie."

The one annoying thing about these cookies is the instruction to refrigerate the dough for 24 to 36 hours!  Doing this supposedly gives the finished cookie a deeper carmelized brown sugar taste.
Refrigerating the dough in this recipe help the cookies to hold their shape and not become a flat praline mess!

• 3 cups minus 2 tablespoons glutenfeee flour mix
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (recipe calls for more but I omit some due to the salt added to the flour mix) 
• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups chocolate chips or chunks 

1. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt set aside.

2.using a standing mixer with a paddle attachment cream butter and both sugars until light and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time until blended, add vanilla. With speed on ow add flour mixture in small intervals until just mixed thru. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. refrigerate the dough overnight.

4. bake at 350 (non-convection) for 10 minutes.

5. Since this is such a large batch I often make the dough and freeze 1" dough balls to make instant homemade chocolate chip cookies!  They are soft in the middle and crispy on the edge.  No gritty after taste!

#3: Brown sugar rush: thin, soft and chewy!
Oh my, these are amazing!  my husband thinks they are too brown sugarish.  My kids love them!  This recipe is adapted from Rachel Rays every day cooking.

• 1 stick unsalted butter, chilled 
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup gluten free flour mix
• 1/2 tea spoon vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips 
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

1.preheat oven to 350, non convection

2.using an electric mixer beat the butter and both sugars until just crumbly, do not over mix.

3.mix in the egg until just combined. add vanilla.

4.add the flour, baking soda and salt and then chocolate chips.

5. on a parchment lined cookie sheet place 1 1/2 inch mounds of dough.

6.bake 9-11 minutes.  These cookies will spread very thin almost like praline cookies!

High altitude cookies:  

adapted from Deer Valley, Utah!

At Silver Lake Lodge in Deer Valley, Utah there are THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!!!  They are big, soft and chewy! I was determined to make cookies as good for the wheat free boy!  I called the bakers at Silver Lake Lodge and they told me the secret to making successful cookies at a high altitude. 

• 1 stick butter, melted and cooled
• 3/4 cup (less 2 tablespoons mixed white and packed brown sugar)
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla 
• 1 1/4 cup gluten free flour mix 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• (to make chocolate chocolate cookies, add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and omit 1/4 cup of the flour)
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
•   mix both sugars into butter-stir until mixed thru 

1. add egg and vanilla-
2. add flour, baking soda and salt.
3. mix until just blended-add chocoalte chips
4. drop 3 heaping tablespoons onto parchment paper to make 4" giant cookies!
5.  5.bake for 20 minutes at 270 on parchment paper. turn tray after the first 10 minutes.