Chocolate Crackle Cookies

These cookies are soft and pillowy with a crunchy, sweet exterior. I like using flavored chocolates in baking and here I used Ghiradelli's Cabaret Matinee which has notes of grapes and blackberries. It gives the cookies that extra mysterious flavor that no one can guess. 

Wet:

100g bittersweet chocolate – melted (I used Cabarnet Matinee by Ghirardelli)

½ stick of butter

½ cup light brown sugar

1 egg

vanilla

4 tbsp milk or brewed coffee (or 1 tsp of instant coffee mixed with 4 tbsp of hot water)

Dry:

¼ cup cocoa powder  

1 tsp baking powder

½ cup rice flour

¼ cup tapioca

Regualr and powder sugar for rolling

- Heat the oven to 350F

- Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave

- Mix dry ingredients

- Beat butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla

- Add chocolate, then dry ingredients alternating with milk/coffee

- Chill for 1 hour. Cooling the dough allows for easier scooping and rolling.

- Put granulated sugar in a plate and the powdered sugar in a different plate.

- Scoop balls into granulated sugar, roll them to coat and then roll in powder sugar.

- Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes

Devour with much pleasure!

Mixed Nuts and Seeds Lace Cookies

Whenever I want to ask something from my in-laws I make a big batch of these cookies and I bring
them over as a sweet bribe. It works every time! I even gave these cookies as party favors on my daughter's 2nd birthday. Just put them in a cute treat bag and you have an elegant gift.  Just in case you care, they are also healthy and good for you.

2 cups sliced almonds

1 cup pumpkin seeds, unroasted and unsalted    

1 cup sunflower seeds unroasted and unsalted

½ cup sugar

2 egg whites

zest from ½ lemon

1 tsp vanilla paste/extract

Preheat oven to 335F

- In a large bowl, put egg whites, zest, vanilla and sugar and mix with a fork until just slightly frothy. 

- Add seeds and almonds and stir.

- Drop spoonfuls on lined baking sheet and slightly flatten them.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown.

- Let them cool completely before eating or storing, at least 30 minutes.

They freeze very well but hold up nicely outside for more than a week.

* Make sure the nuts and seeds are well coated and that there is not any egg whites left at the bottom, otherwise the cookies will be chewy instead of crunchy.

* Feel free to play around with different nuts and seeds. Also, it works well with dried fruit such as cranberries, apricots and cherries. Chocolate chips worked well too.

* If you don't feel like creating mounds of cookies, spread the entire mixture on the baking sheet in a thin, even layer and bake it for 10-15 minutes.

Gluten Free Citrus Sponge Cake

A simple sponge cake with hot tea has always been my guilty pleasure. Since my diagnosis, I have been trying to find the recipe that will allow me to indulge and reminisce the gluten filled days. I finally got it right! The cake is moist, fluffy and full of citrus goodness. Give it a try, it is worth every second of your time.

Dry ingredients:

3/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp guar or xantham gum
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp orange zest

Wet ingredients:

4 eggs separated
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup thick Greek yogurt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F

Butter an 11x10 baking pan. Pour sugar over the butter and shake it until evenly covered.

Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl, including zests.

In your mixer bowl, put egg yolks, sugar and vanilla and mix until light in color and fluffy.

Add yogurt, oil, orange juice and mix again. Add the dry ingredients slowly while mixing.

Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

Fold the egg whites into the egg yolks mixture in 3 additions.

Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the center of the cake is dry (check with toothpick).

Let it cool for 15 minutes. Now you can either glaze it with apricot glaze (warm 2 tbsp of apricot preserves in the microwave for a few seconds), or pour simple syrup over it. I put 1/4 cup of sugar with 1/4 cup water and a few mint leaves in a small pot until the sugar dissolved, about 5 minutes. Put the glaze/syrup while the cake is still warm so it will absorb the goodness.

Enjoy!

Gluten free peanut butter and apple french toast

I discovered the sublime combination of peanut butter and apples when I stumbled upon a popcorn snack that combined the two. I am not sure why, but the first thing that came to my mind was making a french toast with it. It turned out to be a success. I also did a ricotta-nutella-strawberry french toast which was also fabulous. As always, when it comes to food the options are endless and all you have to do is take a look in the fridge and decide.


Ingredients:

4 slices of your favorite gluten free bread

2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup peanut butter, slightly warmed in the microwave
1 granny smith apple cored and sliced to thin slices
2 tbsp honey

Butter

Core the apple and slice it thin with a mandolin (or a knife if you don't have one). Spread on a plate and sprinkle with a little lemon juice.

Mix the eggs, milk and vanilla extract in a container that will be flat and big enough for the whole sandwich to fit.

Spread warmed peanut butter over both slices of bread. Spread a thin layer of honey over the peanut butter. Put a few slices of apple and a second drizzle of honey.

Heat about 1/2 tbsp of butter in a non-stick pan.

Dip the sandwich in the egg mixture and carefully put in pan. Cook until golden brown, turn over with spatula and cook for a few more minutes.

Serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and enjoy.

Options: add cinnamon, dates or banana instead of apple.

Gluten free Tahini Cookies

I adore Tahini in savory and in sweet dishes. When I was diagnosed with Celiac, my husband's friend suddenly told me one day that he is sorry he will not be able to eat those delish tahini cookies I always make. So I took on the challenge and started altering my regular, full of gluten recipe. The tahini and the honey give the cookies a surprisingly chewy texture, which I love. The first batch I made was finished on the same night I made them. Yes, they are that good!

Tahini Cookies - (makes about 25)

Dry ingredients:
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour (or cornstarch)
3/4 cup sweet rice flour (you can use regular rice flour too)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp lemon zest

Wet Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter, room temp.
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup tahini paste
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

mix in a small bowl the dry ingredients

in a larger bowl mix the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients slowly while mixing with an electric mixer.

If the dough is too wet add more rice flour. Pinch a small part of the dough and roll to circles. Put on a cookie sheet, about an inch apart. You can put an almond or pine nuts on top.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until just golden on the bottom and the edges but the cookies should stay fair. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy.

Gluten free mixed Berries Marshmallows

For marshmallows:

2 1/2 packs of gelatin (21g)
1 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water, divided in half

1/2 cup powdered sugar mixed with 2 tbsp cornstarch (for dusting pan and marshmallows)


For mixed berry sauce:

150g of mixed berries ( strawberries, blueberries, blackberries) fresh or frozen
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp lemon zest

Make sauce:

Pour berries in a small sauce pan with the lemon zest and sugar. Cook on low heat until berries soften.
Pour mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Run it through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds.

Prepare Marshmallows:

Grease and sprinkle with powdered sugar a 13x9 (33x22) baking pan.



In a mixer ball, with a whisk attachment pour 1/2 cup of cold water and sprinkle gelatin over it.
In a medium pot, mix sugar, corn syrup and water and cook over low heat with a candy thermometer until it reaches 240F (115C) (soft ball stage- which means that if you drop a small piece of sugar into a cup of water it form a soft ball).

Put the mixer on low speed and slowly pour the sugar mixture (it’s easier if transferred into a vessel with spout).
Mix until mixture is shiny white and tripled in volume, about 5 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup of the berry sauce and mix until blended.
Transfer mixture into pan and smooth with a spatula that was sprayed with cooking spray.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and allow to dry, uncovered over night.

Cut marshmallows with a knife and roll in powdered sugar.

*** To make the shapes on my marshmallows, I poured a little left over berry sauce on top and used a tooth pick to make random strokes. The problem was that the sauce made the marshmallows sticky and the powdered sugar kept disappearing. So... it looks nice but I would not do it next time.

Gluten free bluberry - ricotta pancakes

These are quite awesome! Enjoy.

Dry:
1 cup rice flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Wet:
1 egg
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup of milk + 1 tbsp
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup blueberries (or what ever you like throwing into your pancakes)

mix dry ingredients in a small bowl.

mix wet ingredients in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients slowly and whisk until combined. If the batter is too thick to pour, slowly add a bit more milk, one teaspoon at a time until you have achieved the desired consistency.

Lightly butter a non-stick frying pan and pour batter, I used a ladle (you choose the size of the pancake). Sprinkle with blueberries, add a tiny more batter on top and cook over medium heat until bubbles form on the edges. Flip the pancakes with a spatula and cook for a few more seconds.

I serve it with a compound butter that I make by mixing soft butter with some orange zest and a tablespoon or two of honey. I put a dab on hot pancake and pour hot maple syrup over it... yum!