Rachel’s Recipe Box

My family has been loving the Impossible Quiche Pie variations, and while I was Googling for more ideas, I found an apple pie variation. My oldest and youngest daughters love almost any dessert, but my middle daughter loves apple pie and chocolate only. It was lovely to find an easy workaround for the hassle of making gluten-free apple pie! As a bonus, it tasted delicious!

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, and vegetarian recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 large apples, peeled and sliced

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• several grates fresh, or 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup gf biscuit mix – we like Bob’s Red Mill Biscuit mix or Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix
  • 1/2 cup all purpose gf flour mix (or 1/4 cup rice or sorghum flour & 1/4 cup tapioca or corn starch)

  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp canola oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk or milk substitute (cow, coconut, or soy work the best, rice is a bit too thin)
• 1 tablespoon margarine or butter, melted, or oil (Fleishmann’s unsalted is dairy & gluten free, Earth Balance has a dairy, soy, & gluten-free tub)
• 2 eggs (these are necessary, don’t try to substitute)

Topping Ingredients

• 1/2 cup gf flour or baking mix

• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3-4 TBS cold margarine, butter, or shortening (for shortening, we like Spectrum)
• 1/2 tsp allspice

Method:
Oil a 9″ pie pan with deep sides, and preheat oven to 350.

Peel and slice apples, and set in a medium-sized bowl. Add cinnamon and nutmeg, stir, and let sit.

In another medium-sized bowl, whisk together the biscuit mix, sugar, eggs, milk/milk substitute, and melted margarine/butter.

In a third bowl, combine the dry topping ingredients. Cut the fat into small pieces, and cut into the flour mixture into it using a pastry blender or two knives. Mix together until it becomes crumbly, as you would with a fruit crisp topping.

Pour the apples into the pie pan, and cover with the egg mixture. Sprinkle topping on top.

Slide into the oven, and bake for 30-45 minutes, until it becomes browned. Touch the top of the pie to make sure it’s firm and set.

Let cool and serve, with or without whipped topping or ice cream. Don’t expect there to be many leftovers!

This year was our first year making a gluten-free gingerbread house. It’s one of those things I had always intended to do, but never quite gotten around to doing.

This year we had a collaborative effort – I made the gluten-free gingerbread cookie batter, my mother cut out pieces according to a template and made the frosting “glue”, then my three daughters decorated.

My daughters are now able to have dairy, which meant we had more variety available for our decorations, but there are a lot of gluten-free and dairy-free candies that make great decorations – gumdrops, sour watermelons, and mints were some of the favorites here. Candy canes would’ve been a good addition, too.

The best part, though, is that the gluten-free gingerbread cookie recipe makes delicious cookies, so after we smashed the house for the New Year, we all dove in and started munching on the pieces of house. Yum!

This recipe contains peanut butter! (I do think that sunbutter or another peanut butter substitute would work well, but that hasn’t been fully tested as of yet)

A friend of mine linked me to a similar recipe, and I’ve adapted a bit and made it safe for our allergies. This is delicious, and much less work than one would think. I’ve been craving Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for years now, and this hits the spot. It’s also a great recipe to use to wow friends who think that folks with dietary restrictions don’t eat well!

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, tree nut free, fish free, shellfish free, and vegetarian recipe. Unfortunately, my brownie recipe doesn’t work well without eggs, so this is not vegan or egg-free.

Ingredients

• 1 batch Super-Easy Brownies, or another brownie recipe that makes a 9×13 pan of brownies

Filling

• 1/2 cup dairy-free margarine or shortening, softened

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (we like Jif Natural), OR sunbutter or another peanut butter substitute should be fine too
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons milk substitute (soy, rice, almond, hemp)

Topping

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods have their own brands of dairy-free chocolate chips, and Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips are dairy/soy/nut free)

• 1/4 cup margarine or shortening (half a stick)

Method:
Make super-easy brownies according to recipe instructions. Let cool in the pan.

In medium bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Spread the peanut butter mix evenly over the cooled brownies.

In small bowl, microwave the topping ingredients for 60 seconds; stir well with a whisk until smooth. You may need to microwave an additional 30 seconds if your chocolate was cold (we keep chocolate chips in the freezer so they don’t melt)

Spread gently and evenly over peanut butter filling. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set.

Cut into 1-2 inch cubes, and serve to much applause.

This recipe is fine on a counter unless the weather is hot, in which case I suggest refrigerating. So, they were fine on the counter for most of the 2009 “summer” in New England!

My daughter heard that her friend’s mom made brownies with fluff on top, and had to have them right away. We came up with this recipe, which is delicious. When we told her friend about it, it turned out that my daughter had misunderstood, and her friend’s mom doesn’t make these, so it’s now our special recipe. They are gooey and good, but they need to stay chilled or they get very, very sticky!

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, and shellfish free recipe. Unfortunately, my brownie recipe doesn’t work well without eggs, so this is not vegan or egg-free.

Ingredients:

• 1 batch super-easy brownies

• 7 oz Marshmallow Fluff or similar product
• 1 cup chocolate chips (we like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods’ store brands, and also Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips)
• 1/4 cup dairy-free margarine

Method:
Follow the recipe for the super-easy brownies. Let them cool completely

Spread Marshmallow Fluff over cooled brownies, making an even layer.

Mix together margarine and chocolate chips in a bowl, then microwave in 60 second intervals, stirring until well combined.

Pour chocolate mixture over fluff, and spread with a spatula until you have an even layer of chocolate.

Place the entire pan into the refrigerator for at least an hour to chill.

Slice into 1 1/2 inch squares. Serve chilled.

My dear friend Nanny Ogg had an overflowing zucchini crop last year, and every time I sent her an instant message, her status had something to do with making, serving, or eating Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread. It does taste every bit as good as I thought it would, too!

This makes 2 loaves. This doubles wonderfully, too!

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, and vegetarian recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs

• 2 cup sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 2 cups gf flour (sorghum, rice, brown rice, millet, or another mild flour)
• 1 cup starch (tapioca, arrowroot, or corn)
• 1 TBS xanthan gum
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips (the miniature Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips are perfect here if you have them!)

Method:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour or use parchment to line 2 loaf pans

In a stand mixer or medium bowl, combine eggs, oil, and sugar. Beat well. (Since this recipe has 3 eggs, it is not easily changed to an egg free recipe)

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, starch, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

Add zucchini and vanilla, and combine well. Stir in flour mix, and mix well.

Add chocolate chips and stir just until they are distributed well.

Divide batter into two loaf pans, then bake for approximately 1 hour. Start testing with a toothpick after 45 minutes – when the toothpick comes out clean, it’s done.

Cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack in the pans, then knock out of pans and cool completely. Slice and serve. While it’s delicious hot, it might be better to wait for it to cool – it’s only somewhat crumbly after it’s cooled, but quite crumbly when hot.

This recipe freezes well if your freezer isn’t already crammed with zucchini and the bread isn’t inhaled by your family!

One of my friends on Facebook posted her variation of the Chewy Chocolate Raspberry Cookies in Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook. This is my adaptation of her adaptation.

I’ve now made this with 3 types of preserves – Lingonberry, blueberry, and raspberry (a special sneaky batch while the berry-allergic child was out of the house). Of the three, I have to say that the Lingonberry preserve version was the best, hands down. We used the preserves from Ikea, but you can buy 2 brands of lingonberry preserves them through Amazon if you don’t find any in the international section of your grocery store. This is a wonderfully easy and adaptable recipe, so I’m sure I’ll be trying more flavors soon!

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, top 8 allergen free, and vegan/vegetarian recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup preserves. Great flavors which work with chocolate include lingonberry, blueberry, pomegranate, cherry, or orange marmalade. (For those who can tolerate seeded berries, the original recipe called for raspberry preserves, and strawberry would likely taste good too)

• 1 cup sugar if using a sweet jam, 1 1/2 cups if using a tarter preserve such as Lingonberry
• 1/3 cup melted margarine, or canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cup GF flour (my current favorite is sorghum, but millet, bean, pea, or brown rice would also work well) Reserve the 1/4 cup, that might not be needed.
• 1/2 cup starch (I prefer tapioca or arrowroot starch, but corn starch is acceptable if you aren’t sensitive to corn)
• 1 tsp xanthan gum or guar gum
• (if you can eat gluten, use 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus an extra 1/4 cup reserved, and omit the xanthan gum)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips – (we usually use Trader Joe’s semi-sweet chocolate chips, but Enjoy Life Baking Chips, Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips are allergy-friendly and also soy free)

Method:
Note: each brand and variation of preserves/jam is different. Just as we need to add more sugar if using lingonberry preserves, sometimes more flour is needed when the preserves are quite liquidy, and sometimes a bit more sugar is needed if the preserves are tart. Be patient with this recipe, as the results are well worth it!

Preheat oven to 350, and line a cookie sheet with silpat, Reynolds non-stick foil or parchment paper. Or you could grease a cookie sheet, if you don’t have any of the above.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), stir together preserves of choice, sugar, oil/melted margarine & vanilla in one bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine dry ingredients and whisk together well. (this replaces sifting in this recipe)

Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing well with a whisk or fork between additions (or using the paddle of your stand mixer). If the dough becomes quite stiff, doing the final integration of the flour with clean hands works very well. If the dough does not become stiff, add the reserved 1/4 cup flour and incorporate it into the dough.

Mix in the chocolate chips after the wet and dry ingredients are well combined.

Use an 18/8 cookie scoop (or roll walnut-sized balls of dough) flatten to make a cookie about 2″ diameter. Drop the balls of dough and gently push them down, leaving about 2″ apart on cookie sheet (they can spread out a bit as they bake). This makes 24 cookies

Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to let them cool completely. Eat and enjoy!

This is a wonderfully easy treat tip for those of you who like chocolate-mint! This reminds me of the Mint Chocolate Brownies I remember from volunteering at the nearby folk music coffeehouse as a teenager.

Allergy note: my brownie recipe contains eggs, but is gfcf, gluten free, and dairy free. Junior Mints have soy in the ingredients, and a “may contain” warning for dairy and egg. We have a dairy intolerance rather than allergy, so we have been Ok eating foods that “may contain” dairy, and have had no issues with Junior Mints. However, contact the manufacturer yourself before you introduce Junior Mints!

First, make a batch of Super Easy Brownies.

Once the brownies are done, shake a regular sized box of Junior Mints over the brownies, then gently press them into the cooked brownies.

Place the pan of brownies back in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and use a spatula or butter knife to spread the Junior Mints over the brownies. Gooey minty goodness, and so, so easy!

This also works fine over half the brownies, if you want to keep some of them uncontaminated for those of us who don’t like mint.

Variation: Try this with other chocolate-based candies, you may end up with a new favorite flavor combination!

There is nothing quite like the smell of a freshly baked apple pie – it brings back wonderful childhood memories of moms and grandmothers baking. If you’ve been living gluten-free, pies can seem unattainable. However, this is an easy and wonderful pie that is allergy-friendly and delicious. Show someone you love them with an apple pie that will wow allergic folks and their non-allergic family and friends.
This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, top 8 allergen free, and a vegan/vegetarian recipe.

Ingredients:

• top and bottom pie crust, from our full 6 pie crust recipe or the half recipe for 3 pie crusts

• 4 medium Granny Smith apples
• 3 medium Gala or Fuji apples (or another red eating apple)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 TBS quick cooking tapioca
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg (freshly ground if possible)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• sprinkling of cinnamon sugar

Method:

Prepare top and bottom pie crust, from our full 6 pie crust recipe or the half recipe for 3 pie crusts

Peel and quarter the apples, removing the core. Slice the apples thinly across the width of the apples, and combine in a large bowl.

Add sugar, tapioca, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice to the bowl of apples. Stir gently but combine well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350, and grease a 9-10″ pie pan.

Roll out bottom crust between two pieces of plastic wrap, and place in the greased pie pan. Mix apples again, then pour over the pie crust.

Roll out top crust, and tent it over the apples. Use a fork to press the edges of the top crust and bottom crust together. Use a fork or knife to make a few venting holes (making the vent holes in the shape of the mathematical symbol for pi is purely optional).

Lightly sprinkle top of the pie with cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes, until the crust has turned golden brown. Eat while it’s still a bit warm, or cooled for breakfast the next morning. Yummm…

If you don’t need to make the full 6 pie crust recipe, this version makes a top crust, bottom crust, and a spare crust to freeze for later.

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, could be egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, top 8 allergen free, vegetarian, and potentially vegan recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening (I use Spectrum)

• 1 cup margarine, or two sticks (I use Fleishmann’s unsalted, but you could also use an additional 1 cup shortening)
• 3 cups gf flour mix – 2 cups flour, 1 cup starch

• 1 TBS xanthan gum (if not GF, just use 6 cups flour and omit this)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (optional, omit if corn-free)
• 1 TBS sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large egg white (or egg replacer of your choice)
• 1 TBS cider vinegar
• ice cold water

Method

Combine flours, xanthan gum, baking powder (if using), sugar, & salt in a large bowl. Add shortening & margarine and cut in using a pastry blender or 2 knives until it begins to resemble coarse meal.

In a measuring cup with a spout, beat the egg, vinegar, and enough water to equal 1 cup. Gradually add the liquid to the flour, tossing with a fork, until the pastry gathers into a mass.

If the dough needs more water, add 1/4 cup iced water at a time, until sticks together.

Divide the pastry into 3 portions and form each into a patty-like disk. Each patty makes 1 crust. Put each in a small ziploc and freeze, or, if you are using now, chill for at least an hour. If you freeze, the dough must be completely thawed before rolling.

For easier handling, roll out between two sheets of plastic wrap. Peel off top piece of plastic wrap, position dough in greased pie pan, then remove bottom piece of plastic wrap.

This makes 3 single pie crusts, perfect for making a double-crusted pie and setting one crust aside in the freezer for a rainy pie day.

Originally inspired by a mango-passionfruit pound cake, this Mango Poundcake is divine. It is amazingly delicious and moist, and has just the right level of sweetness. By adding more mango puree, the mango flavor really permeates the cake, adding another level of deliciousness.

The only complaint we have heard is that it is a smidge high in calories, so you may want to cut and eat small slices, put a few slices in the freezer for later, and give a couple pieces away to your friends!

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, and vegetarian recipe.
Additional allergy notes: the cake could easily be made corn-free, but the icing would require finding corn-free powdered sugar; I am working on a mango bar recipe which would be egg-free, as recipes with 3 or more eggs don’t work well egg-free.

Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons dairy-free margarine, softened

• 1 TBS lemon juice & 1 Cup coconut milk
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 2 cups gluten-free flour (sorghum, millet, or rice work well)
• 1 cup starch (tapioca, arrowroot, potato, or corn); (or use 3 cups premixed gluten-free flour)
• 1 TBS xanthan gum or guar gum (if not gluten-free, replace the flour, starch, and xanthan gum with 3 cups all-purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mango puree (if you have frozen mango chunks, thaw them and then blender-ize them into a pulp)

For the Syrup:

• 1/2 cup orange mango juice

• 1 cup sugar

For the Glaze:

• 2 cups confectioners sugar

• 1/4 cup orange mango juice

Method:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 10-cup bundt pan, preferably a silicone bundt pan. If not using silicone, be careful to grease the pan well and dust it with flour.

Cream the butter in a stand mixer, and then add the soured coconut milk. Gradually add the sugar and beat well (about 3 minutes).

Mix in the eggs, 1 by 1. Continue to mix until they are well-combined.

Whisk flour, starch, salt, and xanthan gum/guar gum. Slowly add the flour into the batter, alternate adding flour with adding the mango purée.

Pour batter into the bundt pan and bake for 50 minutes. Check after 50 minutes, the cake should feel springy when you touch it, and a tooth pick inserted into the middle should come out with only a few crumbs of batter. Put the cake back in the oven if necessary and check again in 10 minutes.

When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Wait for the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan.

Syrup
While the cake is cooling, make the syrup. Mix orange-mango juice and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 1 minute, then take the pan off the heat.

Poke holes in the bottom of the cake with a wooden skewer, while it’s still in the pan. Brush half of the syrup onto the bottom of cake with a pastry brush and let it soak in.

After the cake has completely cooled, flip it out of the pan onto a serving plate. Use a skewer to poke more holes in the top of the cake, and then brush the rest of the syrup onto the top and sides.

Icing:
Whisk or sift the confectioners sugar into a bowl. Whisk in the orange-mango juice. Drizzle the icing/glaze over the top and sides of the cake.

Store cake well wrapped, or in an airtight container. Cake can be kept at room temperature, but will stay fresh longer in the refrigerator.