Peanut Butter Muffins (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)

It is a Peanut Butter Friday!!

The following is a Peanut Butter Muffin recipe that I found online and tweaked to make Gluten Free and Dairy Free. I think it has a better flavor and is moister than the original recipe. I commonly use Brown Sugar in place of White Sugar and find that the texture is sooo much smoother and they don’t turn out sugar sweet, more of a maple sweet.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I (and my co-workers) did!

Peanut Butter Muffins (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)

Adapted from: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/peanut-butter-muffins-10000000780326/index.html

Ingredients

• 2 cups Brown Rice Flour
• ¼ teaspoon Xanthan Gum
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons GF Baking Powder
• Nutmeg and Cinnamon (to taste)
• 1/3 cup Peanut Butter (crunchy or smooth)
• 1 cup Rice or Coconut Milk
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons Earth Balance (non-dairy) butter
• 1/3 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Cream together the peanut butter, brown sugar, and butter. In a separate bowl combine the flour, Xanthan gum, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add to the butter and sugar mixture and combine with a pastry cutter or 2 forks until it has reached a coarse, crumbly texture. Stir in the milk and egg until fully combined.
3. Grease a muffin pan or insert paper cupcake liners. Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full with batter. Sprinkle some chopped peanuts over each if desired.
4. Bake until golden brown; approximately 15-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes approximately 1 dozen muffins.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Happy Friday readers!

I am feeling a little bloggy today so you might get a few recipes from my stash :D

If you like Peanut Butter (and Peanut Butter cookies) this is a MUST have. It is simple and bursting with full Peanut Butter flavor. Use crunchy or creamy peanut butter, whichever suits your fancy. And it is so easy you kids will be able to help!

This recipe is Dairy Free, Gluten Free, and Corn Free (if it matters). One of my co-workers brought up an easy flourless Peanut Butter cookie recipe that used white sugar; I experimented and found that I liked the slight maple flavor that the Brown Sugar added. It also provided a more "fluffy, cracked" appearance than the version with white sugar.

Now, this recipe only makes about a dozen cookies, but it is simple to double!

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup Peanut Butter (crunchy or creamy)

1 cup Brown Sugar

1 egg

Nutmeg and Cinnamon to taste

1)    Preheat oven to 350°.

2)    Cream together Peanut Butter and Brown Sugar until fully combined. Add your egg and spices.

3)    Drop spoonfuls onto a cookies sheet; bake for 8 minutes. Pull them out before they are completely done, they will cook the rest of the way on the cookie sheet. Let cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer onto wire racks to complete cooling. I personally love these warm, so try one once it cools down enough to pallet :D

Yield: approximately a dozen

I sprinkled some freshly ground Cinnamon and Sugar on top while they were cooling :)

Happy Eating!!

Heat's Versatile Vegetable Curry Soup (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)

I have made this soup on several occasions. It is very versatile and easy to make for a group of people. I usually make it at work for my co-workers (5-10 people normally) and still have enough to bring home for 2-3 meals.

This versatile soup is perfect for people who require Gluten Free or Dairy Free as well as many other dietary restrictions. It is also a good soup to make ahead of time to freeze or refrigerate. I personally like to make this the day prior and heat it up the next day so it has time to absorb the flavor of the spices. I find that using coconut milk helps give it a creamy texture, and in most cases I don’t add salt due to the broth.

Heat’s Versatile Vegetable Curry Soup

1 box - Beef, Chicken, or Vegetable broth

1 box - Coconut Milk

Water (see recipe for amount)

1-2 tbsp Thai Kitchen Green Curry paste (to taste; if you want some spice)

Pepper and Salt (to taste)

3 large Carrots; cut up

3 Celery stalks; cut up

1 large Sweet Potato (or 3-4 regular potatoes); cut up

1 Eggplant; cut up

1 Zucchini or other Summer Squash; cut up

(All vegetables are optional and can be used in any combination or amount)

*As with any Gluten Free recipe make sure to check all ingredients to certify it is Gluten free*

Turn stove onto medium heat. In a large soup pot combine 1 box of Broth, coconut milk, water (fill both boxes with water), Green Curry paste, salt and pepper. Combine the vegetables with the broth mixture and bring to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender to your liking. Serve warm with a side of rice.

Makes approximately 10 servings.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free White Cupcakes and Chocolate Frosting

For my son’s 4^th birthday I decided to make cupcakes instead of a cake (cupcakes are sooo much easier for toddlers!!); and since he has a Dairy Sensitivity and I have Gluten Sensitivity (hey, since I am making it I want to enjoy it too!) I had to find a recipe that would fit both of our needs but still be tasty for all the other folk without special eating needs. I found the following recipes online and tweaked them to fit our needs. (And I didn’t get a single complaint about the “special” cupcakes, even from the pickiest boy in the group!)

Gluten Free White Cupcakes

(Dairy Free as well!)

Adapted from: amandainpitt.livejournal.com/6935.html

• 1 cup Brown Rice Flour
• 2/3 cup Tapioca Starch
• 1/3 cup Potato Starch
• 1 cup White Sugar
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Xanthan gum
• ¾ c softened Earth Balance (dairy-free butter)
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ tsp Vanilla
• ½ cup Rice Milk

1)    Yield: 16-18 cupcakes, (2) 6” Round Layers, 9” Round pan, or 10” Square pan

2)    Pre-Heat your oven to 350°

3)    Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl until completely combined.

4)    Place softened Earth Balance in mixer bowl; blend until fluffy. Add flour mix to Earth Balance, blend on lowest setting until fully combined. Change setting to the next highest setting and continue to blend until mix is crumbly (about 1 min).

5)    In a small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla together. Add egg to flour mixture and blend until smooth and thick, about 1 minute. Add Rice Milk and blend for another minute

6)    Pour into prepared pan and bake until toothpick pulls out clean. Baking time will vary depending on what pan you use, typically start at 24 minutes for cupcakes and 45 minutes for a loaf pan.

*Personally I have only tried these as cupcakes and they baked for approximately 25 minutes. They did not rise like cakes and cupcakes normally do, but they were very moist and soft.*

Vegan Chocolate Frosting

(Dairy free and Gluten Free)

Adapted from: dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/sweetsaucesfrostings/r/chocfrost.htm

2 cups powdered sugar

¼ cup softened Earth Balance (dairy-free butter)

¼ cup Rice Milk

¾ cup unsweetened Cocoa Powder

½ tsp Vanilla

Makes approximately 2 cups

1)    Cream together Powdered Sugar and Earth Balance in a bowl with hand mixer; Add Rice Milk, Cocoa Powder, and vanilla, blend until smooth.

2)    Spread on cooled cupcakes or cake; store any unused portions in a refrigerator in an airtight container.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Paisley Brownie

Before I was Gluten Free I used to bake these brownies on a weekly basis and eat half the tray myself. Once I realized I could no longer eat Gluten (and feel well enough to talk about it the next day) I was devastated to think about loosing my favorite treat. But with some experimenting I have made it into a delicious Gluten Free treat that even Gluten lovers can't resist :)

(The original recipe was adapted from: http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/32/Double-Peanut-Butter-Paisley-Brownies.aspx)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) Earth Balance (or other Dairy Free butter)
• 1/4 cup Peanut Butter (it calls for creamy, but I prefer Crunchy)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups Brown Rice flour 
• 1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum
• 2 teaspoons Gluten Free baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) Peanut Butter Chips (you can substitute with any other baking chip, Peanut Butter or Chocolate work the best I find)
• 1/2 cup Chocolate Syrup (you can substitute with Caramel or Butterscotch syrup)

(Be sure all ingredients you use are Gluten Free and/or Dairy Free)

Directions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan. You can also line the pan with Parchment Paper (this makes clean up MUCH easier).
2. Mix butter and peanut butter in large bowl. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar; cream together well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in vanilla.
3. Stir together flour, Xanthan gum, baking powder and salt; pour into peanut butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in peanut butter chips. Spread half of batter in prepared pan; spoon or drizzle syrup over top. Carefully top with remaining batter; the batter will be very think and sticky (due to the Xanthan gum); swirl and evenly distribute the batter with metal spatula or knife to create a marbled effect.
4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares. If you are using Parchment Paper you can simply lift the cut brownies out by the paper.

Yield: Approximately 36 brownies.

Enjoy! Please let me know how it works for you and what you favorite varation is!

Be Well and Happy Eating!

Welcome to my Kitchen!

Hi and welcome to my kitchen! 

I would like to share some wonderful Gluten Free recipes that I have personally tried (over and over again). 

A year ago I started experimenting with my diet and came to the realization that I have a Gluten Sensitivity. Along with my sensitivity, my son has a Diary Sensitivity, so cutting out both Gluten and Dairy has been a bit challenging, but with a lot of experimenting, research, and testing I think I have gotten a pretty good handle on substitutions and adaptable recipes. Now I would like to begin sharing my tasty meals and desserts with you. 

Living Gluten Free isn't hard, it just takes time, patience, and the willingness to experiment. 

I am working on adding photos as well as YouTube videos in the future so please feel free to continue checking back!

Be Well and Happy Eating!