the BEST apple cinnamon muffins

1 cup rice flour (brown or white)
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup brown sugar (or less if you don't want them as sweet)
2 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t xanthan gum
1/4 t salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup milk
1 apple, peeled & diced

Combine eggs, milk, and butter, then add dry & mix. Mix in apple. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 12 regular-sized muffins.

The BEST peanut butter cookies

I forgot I had this recipe, but I love this one, and it turns out great every time. Very available ingredients too!

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
3/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch

Cream butter, pb, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Then add rice flour, cornstarch, baking powder and soda.
If I'm in the mood for chocolate chip cookies, I add chocolate chips. You can use creamy or crunchy pb depending on your preference.
Bake 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes. I take them out while they're still soft (in my oven that's 9 minutes) and let them cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. They're perfect!

the BEST bread I have made from scratch - my own recipe

Having failed miserably at several gf experiments lately, I've been considering just buying mixes for a while. It's just so frustrating when you find a recipe you like, make it again, and it doesn't come out the same or even edible. Ugh! And the wasted ingredients sometimes make me want to cry! My baby is also mobile now so I find myself getting distracted while I'm baking and losing my concentration while I'm trying to rescue her from whatever....also not good for results.

Today makes up for all the recent frustration. While the baby was sleeping, I decided to try my own recipe for rice bread. I combined a couple of recipes that I like pretty well and made my own. It wasn't perfect, but it's pretty close! The taste is better than either of the original recipes I was pulling from. The texture was very good, there was just a bit too much chew at the end, so I'm going to work on this a little more, but this bread is not only edible, it is really good!

Andrea's Rice Bread (I doubled this today)

1 3/4 c white rice flour (I grind my own super fine)

3/4 c tapioca starch

1/4 c corn starch

2 T sugar

2 1/2 t xanthan gum

2 t yeast

1 c warm water

1 1/4 t salt

2 t apple cider vinegar

2 T vegetable oil

3 eggs

Combine the yeast & warm water in a bowl with a sprinkle of sugar to proof it. In your mixing bowl (I use a Kitchen Aid to mix the bread), combine the vinegar, oil, & eggs. Then add all the dry ingredients. I added the yeast mixture last to make sure it was foaming. Mix until well blended.

Let rise for 1 hour. Mine doubled. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Cover with foil after 30 minutes to prevent it from getting too brown.

This makes 1 large loaf.

I think that next time, I'll use 1/2 c tapioca & 1/2 c corn starch and see if that makes it less chewy. Also, I wonder if I mixed it a little too long?

This bread is soft, not gritty, not bitter (sometimes I taste a bitter aftertaste with certain flours), slightly sweet in a white bread way, and not gummy! I'm so excited to have yummy bread to eat!

The BEST white bread

The Blue Chip Baker Gluten-Free French Bread/Pizza Crust Mix.

If you liked white bread prior to being gluten free, this is a great one to try! It has a very smooth soft texture like white bread, not quite as airy, but not gummy either.

The only difference is that, to me, this bread didn't have any flavor, which works ok if you're putting tasty topping on it or making a sandwich. What is the flavor of white bread? I'm just wondering if would taste better with a little salt or sugar or something added.

Either way, this is very edible. It's the least crumbly of any gf bread that I've tried without being gummy or too heavy.

My mom found this mix at Macey's. I couldn't find a picture of the package online, but it comes in a dark ziploc-type bag. One bag makes two medium-sized loaves.

The BEST "scratch" pizza crust

This pizza crust earned the word "indulge" from my husband. I don't think he's ever used the word indulge with anything he's eaten that's gluten free....
I found the recipe online and changed it to suit the ingredients I had. I'll list it as I made it...

Gluten Free Pizza Crust
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1/3 c white rice flour
1/3 c millet flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 T sweet rice flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
2/3 cup water (110 degrees F)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
This is the best part - just mix all the ingredients at the same time in a mixing bowl & mix for 3 minutes. Then spread onto a sprayed pizza pan dusting the top liberally with rice flour so it's not too sticky to spread. I use my fingers to spread it. Cook for 8 minutes. Then flip it over and cook for 4 more minutes (believe it or not, this is what keeps it from being gummy & if you've ever had gf pizza crust, you probably know what I mean). Take it out, flip it back, & put your toppings on. Cook for 8-10 more minutes and take it out.
I hope you love this as much as we did! This is a little bit of a thin crispy crust type of thing. But, it's not gummy, gooey, eggy or spongey. It's de-lish!
This makes what I would call a medium pizza. I doubled the recipe and made breadsticks too. YUM!
Here is the original recipe from recipezaar if you want to experiment.
http://www.recipezaar.com/Gluten-Free-Pizza-Crust-44487

The BEST brownie mix

The Blue Chip Group Double Fudge Brownie Mix
My mom spoils me with gluten-free mixes. She bought this one and Grove & I both really enjoyed it. Grove, my husband, is not gluten free so it's really a good recommendation when he likes something that is gluten free.
These brownies were different from any other mix brownies I've had. They rose higher than other brownies & aren't so dense and fudgy. So they're between brownies & cake in texture. My husband commented that they're not gritty at all.
The chocolate flavor is very mild - not strong at all. I put about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in them & it really added to the flavor. I also think these are also a great start for making fancier brownies - with frosting, caramel & nuts, cheesecake, etc.
Maceys sells lots of The Blue Chip Group mixes. They also sell their mixes and gluten free flours online at http://www.bluechipgroup.net/GlutenFreeProducts.html.

The BEST BBQ chicken salad

I had this at Zupas, but it's not so complicated to make at home.
The ingredients at Zupas were: Chicken, BBQ Sauce, Tomatoes, Black Beans, Corn, Black Olives, Tortilla Strips, Red Onions, Mixed Greens, and Ranch Dressing.
They make the salad, toss it with Ranch, then put chicken on top and squirt BBQ sauce on top of that. It's so YUMMY!
At home, I mixed the salad with Ranch and coated the chicken in bbq sauce before I put it on the salad.
Check this link out for lots of fun salad ideas. Also, if you go to Zupas, they have a list of which ingredients have gluten so you can ask them for that & be sure you're safe!
http://www.zupas.com/index.php

the BEST peanut butter waffles

Ok, these may be the only peanut butter waffles. These have a really good texture - they cook up perfectly and they are easy to make. This recipe makes about 20 square waffles (about 5 batches on my waffle iron). These freeze really well & you can put them in the toaster to use on a daily basis.
I found this recipe online a few years back and have adjusted it to work with the ingredients I keep on hand.
2 eggs
2/3 c peanut butter
1 T brown sugar
4 T butter or marg, melted
2 c milk (skim, rice, soy all work fine)
2 c gf flour - I usually use 1 1/2 c white rice flour and 1/2 c cornstarch, but this recipe is pretty flexible
2 T baking powder
1/4 t salt (optional)
Mix eggs, pb, brown sugar and melted butter together. Add milk a little at a time. Then add dry ingedients. Mix until blended.
Cook in waffle iron until done to your liking.

The BEST porcupine meatballs

This is a variation on my Aunt LuAnn's recipe. We LOVE these! Who doesn't love meatballs???

1 beaten egg
1 T snipped parsley or 1 t dried parsley
1 1/2 c spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce
1 pound ground beef (the leaner the better, IMO)
1/4 c instant rice (brown or white)
1 t worcestershire sauce
2 T finely chopped onion
1/2 c water
Optional: 1 T parmesan cheese or 1 T Montreal steak seasoning
Try spaghetti sauce with the parm cheese for Italian flavor or use tomato sauce with steak seasoning for a zesty flavor.

In a bowl, combine egg and 1/4 c of tomato or spaghetti sauce. Stir in uncooked rice, onion, parsley, and seasoning. Add beef & mix well. Shape meat mixture into 20 small balls. Place in a 10 inch skillet. Mix remaining sauce with worcestershire and water, pour over meatballs. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer til meat is cooked through - about 15 minutes. Makes 4-6 servings. Serve over cooked rice.
There will be sauce left in the pan that tastes delicious over the rice. You can add more sauce than the recipe calls for if you want these saucier. I like to use the leanest ground beef possible so that the sauce isn't greasy.

Gluten-free Betty Crocker and the BEST mint brownie topping

No, I didn't come up with a new nickname for myself...

My sister found this at Macey's in the cake section....the chocolate cake variety.

She made this chocolate cake & honestly I was thinking, "Are you sure this is gluten free????" This cake does not taste gluten free, has a very smooth texture (not grainy) and isn't super heavy or dense like most gf products. How does Betty Crocker do it?

To make this even better, my sister added my mom's mint brownie topping on top of the cake. It was super yummy....

Here's the recipe for the mint brownie topping:

Mint Cream Center:

2 cups powdered sugar

1 T water

3 drops green food coloring (optional)

1/2 c butter

1/2 t mint extract

Combine all ingredients. Beat until smooth.

Chocolate Topping:

6 T butter or margarine

1 c chocolate chips

Melt over slow heat. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly before spreading over mint cream.

Thanks, Natalie, for introducing me to a fun new dessert!

The BEST Summer Trifle

This is what I made for 4th of July dessert. It's red white & blue and cold & fresh.

This recipe is one of the winning entries from the2006 Pamela's Products Gluten-free Recipe Contest. The picture is from the Pamela's site.

Summer TrifleBy Susan B.

2-7.25 oz boxes Pamela's Lemon Shortbread Cookies

1 pint fresh blueberries or raspberries, 1 tablespoon reserved

1 pint heavy cream, whipped with 1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup gluten-free wild blueberry syrup

Lemon Curd ingredients:1 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

juice of two lemons

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1/2 stick butter
Prepare Lemon Curd by stirring lemon curd ingredients constantly in heavy saucepan over low heat, until thickened. Cool.
Crumble 1 box Pamela's Lemon Shortbread Cookies into medium-sized chunks. Place half of crumbles in bottom of glass trifle dish. Spoon half of whipped cream to bottom layer. Place half of berries upon whipped cream. Place the second (uncrumbled) box of Pamela's Lemon Shortbread Cookies on their sides encircling the trifle dish. Drizzle layers with half of wild blueberry syrup. Spoon Lemon Curd carefully upon layers. Place remaining crumbles on curd layer. Place remaining berries (excluding 1 tablespoon reserved) on crumble layer. Spoon remaining whipped cream on berry layer. Sprinkle reserved blueberries on whipped cream. Drizzle remaining wild blueberry syrup on top. Refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours; preferably overnight.

The changes I make to the recipe are using light cool whip instead of heavy whipping cream - it's not as natural but not nearly as fattening either.

For 4th of July, I used strawberries & blueberries so it would be red & blue.

Personally, I love the lemon curd (it tastes like the top of lemon bars) but it's too sweet for my taste. My question is - if I add less sugar, will it still set up like it's supposed to? I think it will, but I haven't tried it yet.

Either way, this dessert is so yummy & cold & fresh - perfect for a summer dessert!

the BEST stir fry

Since we had stir fry tonight, I thought I'd post my favorite recipe while I'm thinking about it.
This recipe uses a mild Thai-inspired peanut sauce similar to satay. For that reason, I usually make this with chicken.

First saute the meat of your choice (about a pound) in a deep nonstick pan or a wok. You can use spray or a little oil if you want. Or leave the meat out to make it vegetarian.
Add stir fry vegetables of your choice. I love Kirkland (Costco) frozen stir fry vegetables. It's a high quality mix with baby corn, pea pods, edamame, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, etc. Saute until the veggies are not frozen.
For the sauce, combine:
5 teaspoons cornstarch
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth or beef, depending on what kind of meat you're using.
Mix a little broth into the cornstarch at a time so it doesn't get clumpy. Then add the other ingredients.
2 tablespoons gf soy sauce
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Dash pepper
Add this to the meat & veggies and cook until thickened.
My favorite way to serve this is over organic brown rice (yes, the really slow-cooking stuff but the flavor is so delicious!) with a few peanuts sprinkled on top for some crunch.
This serves 5-6 people but it really depends on serving size & quantity of meat/veggies used.

The BEST substitutes for condensed soup

I don't know about your family, but many of the recipes that my family has passed down have condensed soup in them - cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, condensed tomato, etc. Well, all of these have flour in them, and it has taken me a while to come up with subs for them.

Condensed cream soups add creaminess so think of the things you can eat that are creamy.
When I was first gluten free, I was also lactose intolerant, as many people are, so I couldn't have dairy either. At the time, I was having a hard time maintaining my weight so I actually substituted mayonnaise in a few recipes. This works surprisingly well in things like chicken broccoli casserole. If you're thinking this is gross, maybe it is healthwise, but I had to get creative.
Because my body is tolerating dairy pretty well these days, I've experimented with some healthier alternatives to creaminess.
The healthiest is nonfat plain yogurt. It's not sweet and it has a little tang to it. Just season it to compliment the flavors of whatever you're making. This is really delish on chicken broccoli casserole with some curry powder and salt and pepper added to it. I'll post a recipe later - it's a family favorite! Off topic a little, this also works in potato salad & other recipes that call for mayo - you may not want to completely take out the mayo but try using half mayo & half yogurt to start.
Another great sub is sour cream. I use light sour cream when I sub. I already posted my improved recipe for gf Christmas potatoes. If your family makes creamy chicken enchiladas like mine, you can sub it in those too. You'll probably want to add some seasonings - for example, mix the sour cream with some cheese and a little bit of salsa or add some chili powder & cumin or something....you get the idea.
If you want to lighten up the sour cream or mayo option, I've added skim milk to thin it out and make it go further with less calories. Really, I can't tell the difference.

So what about condensed tomato?
Here are a few ideas:
I use tomato sauce instead of condensed tomato soup on pot roast (that's how my family makes it). I also add some seasoning salt or grill seasoning (McCormick Montreal steak seasoning) for more flavor.
To make my aunt's porcupine meatballs, I use spaghetti sauce instead of condensed tomato soup. I'll post this recipe later too - they're really delicious & the kids love them too.
Basically, think of anything tomato and use the one that goes best with the flavors of what you are making - salsa, diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce could all work in place of condensed tomato soup & they're all better for you too - whether you're gf or not!
Just make sure you check the ingredients on the substitute to make sure it's gluten free!!! Don't dump out your family favorites just because they have gluten in them - just freshen them up a little!

The BEST cold cereal

There are several gluten-free cereals on the grocery store shelves, but most of them are kid cereals.

Included (last time I checked) are: cocoa pebbles, fruity pebbles, trix, rice chex, honey nut chex, corn chex (the last two are newly gluten free so check the box to make sure).

If you eat oats, Kix, Honey Kix, Honeycombs, Cap'n Crunch are wheat & barley free.
I react very noticeably to gluten & I don't react to these cereals. This is just my experience.
Honey Nut Chex is my new favorite, but it's pretty sweet so usually I mix it with Rice Chex.

As far as cereals that you can buy at the health food store, this is my all-time favorite - Nature's Path Organic Mesa Sunrise flakes. It has flax, corn & amaranth in it. You can buy it in larger bags too or order it online in bulk. It is expensive, especially compared to grocery store cereal so I don't buy it very often, but I do like it the best of what I have tried.

I also like Enjoy Life granola mix. It's free of all common allergens. I wouldn't want to eat a whole bowl of it though - it just adds a nice crunch and flavor on top of a plain cereal.

Erewohn cripsy brown rice is also tasty and makes it easy to make rice krispie treats if you like those.

Before I was gluten free, I was not really a kid cereal person. I really enjoy multigrain type of flavors so keep that in mind...I'm not a white bread kind of person, normally.

The BEST store-bought bread

I'd love to hear what you have tried. Here are some that I find edible.
For sandwiches:
I prefer to use ENER-G light brown rice bread. It's thin & not too dense so I can actually chew & swallow the sandwich without gagging! :) It's also available at the grocery store when I don't have time to make a trip. This bread MUST be toasted...The un-light version of this bread is ok when nothing else is available, but it's a lot denser.
For toast:
Food for Life Millet Bread - in the freezer section. I love the flavor of this bread. It is very moist, dense, and filling.

I haven't found anything that, in my opinion, comes close to storebought gluten bread. Have you?
When I was first gluten free, I thought ENER-G bread was the grossest thing ever. I guess it's an acquired taste, but also a convenient necessity with 4 very young kids.
Also, I've learned that open-faced sandwiches are sometimes tastier when using gf bread so it's more about the toppings and less about the bread.
I'd love to hear that there's some delicious store-bought gf bread that I haven't tried yet!

The BEST healthier & gf Christmas potatoes

I don't know what other people call this, but it's that cheesy hashbrown casserole that's usually not only glutenous (due to using cream soup) but also very fattening & unhealthy. We call them Christmas potatoes because we used to make them at Christmas to go with the ham. Heart attack waiting to happen...

Here is my basic version - healthified (or at least less fattening) and gluten free
1 bag of hash brown potatoes (I buy Kroger brand - they flash freeze them & don't use any oil or fat so they're fat free)
1 carton of light sour cream (16 oz) or use 1/2 of a carton and some skim milk
1 1/2 cups of 2% shredded cheese
Salt & pepper to your taste

Mix half of the shredded cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper together. Mix this with the hash browns. I think this is easier if you add the hash browns a little at a time. If you like the topping cheese golden & a little crispy, put the cheese on top now. Otherwise, bake at 400 deg. for 45 minutes. You can put the remaining cheese on the last few minutes if you like it softer.
I know this recipe isn't super specific, but it's really hard to get these wrong in my opinion...you can also add some diced ham if you want to serve this as a main dish. Add onion if you like onion, etc.

The BEST noodles/pasta

By far the best noodles I've tried are Tinkyada brown rice pasta. They have all of the pasta varieties - from spaghetti to elbow to ziti, etc. and they are available a lot of places. Our WalMart carries these in the pasta aisle. I also like that they are made from brown rice & many have rice bran so they're not just refined carbs.
If you like white rice noodles, I like Notta Pasta but have a hard time finding it in my area.
I also like Thai Kitchen white rice noodles (in the Asian food aisle), especially for stir fry but they're surprisingly passable (in a pinch) in place of spaghetti.
I've used DeBoles lasagna noodles for (obviously) lasagna with great results. They're the kind that you don't boil first - just bake it all together. Just make sure you bake the lasagna long enough so they're not crunchy. I've also frozen the unbaked lasagna and they work great that way too.
I don't like DeBoles noodles that you have to boil though. The boiling water turns to sludge & it's really hard to get the noodles cooked just right without having them disintegrate in the pan.
For Mac & Cheese (this is especially important if you have kids that like it!), I've decided that buying Tinkyada brown rice pasta and cheese sauce mix separate is the way to go. I bought bulk cheese powder at WalMart & cook Tinkyada brown rice elbows. This is very tasty, healthier, and much cheaper (in the long run) than buying a tiny box of gf mac n cheese for $3.
Annie's gf mac n cheese is actually pretty good for a one time thing though.
That's my take on noodles. Let me know if you've tried anything you love!

The BEST easiest all purpose baking mix

My friend Michelle Pack told me about Pamela's Baking & Pancake mix. It really has great results. It does have almonds & dairy in it so if you have multiple allergies/sensitivities beware! What I like about this is that it's so easy - it's like gourmet bisquik, honestly. Everything's already in it including the leavening.

I've made scones, muffins, pancakes, waffles, cookies, and quick bread with this and all were very delicious.

I ordered it online through amazon.com & it ends up being $3 per pound which really isn't too bad for something that delivers pretty much instant success.

If you don't want to buy a million ingredients and embark on a science experiment to bake gluten free, this is a great one to try!

The BEST "graham" crackers

Did you know you can make these? Well, I don't know why you would unless you're gluten free, but for a little effort, these are so delicious! This is another recipe from Ebay seller kurlykurly1 that I've tweaked a little.

Just Like Graham Crackers
1 c brown rice flour
1 c cornstarch
1 c sorghum flour
1 T baking powder
1 t xanthan gum
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t cinnamon
3/4 c margarine
3 T honey
1 c brown sugar
1 t vanilla
1/2 to 3/4 c water

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate 3-4 hours. Roll to 1/8 to 1/4" thick. You can cut these into sticks or cut them into shapes - whatever you want. You can prick them with a fork too so they look like real graham crackers.
Bake at 325 deg. on a greased cookie sheet. 15-20 minutes. If you cook them less time, you have soft graham cookies - so yummy! Cook them longer and they're really like graham crackers.
This makes a lot of cookies/crackers.

The BEST pizza crust

In general, I don't love Bob's Red Mill mixes because most of them have garbanzo bean flour. However, my friend Michelle Gillespie recommended this pizza crust mix to me and I love it! It doesn't have bean flour. This makes great pizza crust - 2 medium pizzas, or 1 large plus breadsticks, or 1 large plus a personal pizza for the next day's lunch! This mix is about $4 at the grocery store.
If you want a ready-made pizza crust, Kinnick Kinnick makes a frozen pizza crust that comes in a 6-pack of personal-sized pizzas for about $7. This is delicious.
I've also used Van's frozen gluten-free waffles for pizzas. I know this sounds weird, but they're not sweet. Most grocery stores carry these so they're easy to find and easy to toast & use. I toast them, then top them, then bake them for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. These are not my favorite, but they're an easy standby to keep in the freezer.

The BEST "scratch" brownies

I got this recipe from Ebay seller kurlykurly1 in a collection of recipes. Last time I checked, she doesn't sell her recipe collection any longer on Ebay, but it had a lot of great recipes in it.

Can't Eat Just One Brownies
1/4 c rice flour
1/4 c cornstarch
1/3 c cocoa powder
1/2 t xanthan gum
1/4 t salt
3/4 t baking powder
1/2 c margarine, melted
1 c white sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla

Mix wet & dry ingredients separately, then combine. Pour into an 8x8 pan. I usually double it and make a 9x13 pan. Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
You can add chocolate chips or other chips if you want.

Here's the best part!
Frosting
3T margarine, soft
3T cocoa powder
1 c powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla
2 t water or milk
Combine margarine and cocoa powder. Add powdered sugar. Then add the powdered sugar & water/milk until you get a good consistency. Spread on warm brownies.

The BEST "scratch" bread

This is from Rachel's Recipe Box. Her link is on my blog links.
This bread is so EASY! I used a combination of sorghum, millet, and corn starch since it's what I had in the pantry.

Delicious Gluten Free Bread
Ingredients
1 3/4 cup gf flour (amaranth, sorghum, and millet all work well here)
1 cup arrowroot, tapioca, or corn starch (potato starch tends to make it fall)
2 TBS sugar
2 1/2 tsp xanthan gum or guar gum
2 tsp yeast
1 cup water (110 degrees)
1 1/4 t salt
2 t apple cider vinegar
2 T olive oil
3 eggs
parchment paper or Reynolds Release foil
Method

Whip together the 3 eggs in your stand mixer.
While they are whipping, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, and whisk together.

Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the eggs, mix together. Slowly add the dry ingredients, beating together on low. “Knead” for 4 minutes. The dough will be very wet, almost like cake batter.

Line a 9×5 (or so) bread pan with parchment or Reynolds Release (or grease your hamburger pan). Use a spatula to fill the bread pan with the dough/batter.

Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from pan and cool (it cuts much better cooled if you can wait that long).
If you are going to save the bread, slice it once it is cooled, then place a piece of wax paper between the slices and freeze. Toast it straight from the freezer to warm it up.

The BEST CCCs

CCC=chocolate chip cookie

This is the mix I like most for making cookies - Namaste Perfect Flour Blend. There is a recipe on the side of the bag for GF Oatmeal cookies. Try it if you eat oatmeal. If not, skip it! I don't react to oatmeal & I really love these cookies!

For traditional chocolate chip cookies, my favorite is to use this recipe from Land O Lakes for gluten free CCCs, but instead of using the flour blend they suggest, I use Namaste Perfect Flour Blend instead.

This recipe

http://www.landolakes.com/mealideas/ViewRecipe.cfm?RecipeID=13588&from=rss

Just substitute 2 1/4 cups of Namaste Perfect Flour Blend for the blend that they suggest.

Awesome chocolate chip cookies - the best I've had!

The BEST Bagels

This recipe uses the same Pamela's mix as the cinnamon rolls. These bagels are so delicious - the are dense with a whole-grain-ish flavor. Again, they are a little time-consuming. I make about 8-9 bagels with this recipe and freeze most of them. The flavor is really great.
http://pamelasproducts.com/recipe_frames.html

The BEST Cinnamon Rolls

These cinnamon rolls (swirls) are really delicious. Try not to get bothered by the cottage cheese in the recipe. I'm pretty sure it's just for texture. There aren't any eggs in this recipe so think of it as a substitute.
The only change I made to this recipe is I used a maple glaze on top instead of vanilla frosting. I just mixed milk, powdered sugar, & maple extract til it looked right and poured (oops! I mean drizzled) it on top.
If you want to fake someone out, no one would know that these are gluten free!
Here is the link to the recipe. Try them! They're awesome!
http://pamelasproducts.com/recipe_frames.html

The BEST pie crust

This was one of the first & best recipes I found. True story about this recipe - a family friend in Connecticut won a Crisco pie crust contest with her pie crust recipe and got to be on a Crisco commercial. I brought pie with this pie crust to a church potluck, she tried it, and said it is better than hers. I don't know if she was just being nice because I can't try her pie crust (gluten), but it was a really nice compliment!
This recipe requires some work and some time so I save it for special occasions but it's nice to have. It works equally great for fruit, pumpkin & pot pie too!
I found this recipe in Special Diet Solutions by Carol Fenster so it's really her recipe, not mine, and I make it just as written by her.
Pie Crust
1 1/4 cups white rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Spectrum organic shortening or shortening of choice (I use Crisco)
1/4 cup butter or margarine (cold, not diet margarine)
1/4 cup milk (cow, rice, soy) I've tried cow & rice with good results
Place dry ingredients in food processor and process until texture of large bread crumbs. Add milk and process until mixture forms ball. If not, add water - 1 tablespoon at a time - until mixture forms ball. Remove from food processor.
Crust may or may not be ready to shape at this point, depending on type of shortening used. If too soft, cover and chill until dough is firm enough to handle easily, about 1 hour. (I definitely have to chill mine!)
Roll half of dough between two rice-floured pieces of plastic wrap. To place in 8-inch pie plate, remove one piece of plastic wrap and invert carefully onto plate, centering dough over plate. Remove remaining plastic wrap and press into place, making sure that dough edges cover rim of pie plate. If dough is difficult to handle, press entire bottom curst in place with your fingers. Fill crust with filling of your choice.
Roll remaining dough between floured sheets of plastic wrap. Invert onto filled crust, centering crust on pie plate. Push and pinch dough (rather than roll or fold) to form ridge around rim of pie plate. Decoratively shape rim. (Optional: Brush top crust with milk or combination of 1 beaten egg while and 1 tablespoon water. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.)
Bake as your pie recipe directs - but watch to avoid burning. Chilling shaped crust before baking is recommended.
If you have a delicious recipe for chicken pot pie filling, please send it to me! I don't do gluten-free gravy very well.

Welcome!

I hope you'll find lots of great information on my new blog! If you're not gluten free, please recommend this blog to your friends! I'd love feedback on the recipes if you try them. I'd also love to have your great recipes. If I want to post them, I'll only post with your permission and credit to you.

Buen provecho!