Rachel’s Recipe Box

This is a wonderfully easy and delicious dessert that looks trickier than it is.

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 vegan/vegetarian recipe.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup GF flour mix (or a nut meal works well here too)
1/2 cup cold butter substitute, Spectrum Shortening, or lard
3/4 cup sugar (brown, white, maple, whatever)
a little cinnamon/nutmeg to taste
4-6+ cups fruit chopped into 1″ cubes (approximately) (if using rhubarb, toss some extra sugar in there)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350

Put fruit in pie plate (glass works well) or another oven-safe container

mix sugar, flour, fat, spices together with a pastry blender so it is like little pieces of cornmeal pour that on top.

Bake for 45min-1 hour, until crispy on top

Good Flavors

* 8 apples or pears
* Peaches or plums
* 2 lbs Rhubarb
* mixed berries
* whatever your imagination lets you think of

I didn’t have the patience/time to scoop individual cookies, so I adapted my peanut butter cookie recipe into bars.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup peanut butter, sunbutter, peabutter, or another nut/seed butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup gf flour
1/2 cup oil
1/2 tsp xanthan gum (omit if using a gluten-full flour for the 1 cup flour)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup chocolate or white chips (or a combo)

Method:

cream peanut butter, oil, sugar together. add eggs. mix in flour, xg, salt, baking powder. mix until well combined. add chocolate chips. mix until just combined.

press into a greased 9×13 pan (I coat with Reynolds Release foil or just greased foil).

Bake at 350 for 30 min. wait for them to cool, and cut. yum!

Coconut milk has a fat content (the good fats, according to scientists) that gives coconut milk ice cream a mouth feel that is very similar to dairy ice cream.

The flavors other than vanilla or plain chocolate chip don’t taste coconuty. It is MUCH better than any commercial nondairy ice cream I have found. And sooo easy!

The Basics:

* 2 14oz cans coconut milk
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 1/4 tsp xanthan or guar gum
* 3/4 cup sugar

Add-ins

* 1/4 cup cocoa
* 1/4 cup instant coffee, add 1/4 cup sugar to a total of 1c sugar
* 1/2-1 cup fruit - peaches work really well
* 1/2 cup coconut
* 1/2+ cup chocolate chips

Mix in blender, add to ice cream maker, follow directions. (for coconut or chocolate chips, add at end of ice cream maker mixing)

Adapted from The 125 Best Gluten-Free Recipes

Preheat oven to 350

Ingredients:

1 cup sorghum
1 1/4 cup bean flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch (or starch mix)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup coconut milk with a little lemon juice/vinegar to sour
3/4 cup applesauce or crushed pineapple with juice
2 cups shredded carrots (I suggest a food processor for this)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or dried coconut

Method:

Whisk or sift together flours, spices, and other dry ingredients.

Use an electric mixer in another bowl to beat eggs, brown sugar, coconut milk, and applesauce/pineapple until well blended. Slowly add dry ingredients. Stir in carrots and coconut/walnuts.

Spoon into greased & floured pan (bundt, 2 layer cakes, or 13×9? pan or cupcakes).

Bake for 40-60 min until cake tester comes out clean. Time will depend on what cake pan you use. Let cool in pan for 10 min, and then remove from pan and let cool. I don’t suggest using a rack, as GF cakes tend to stick to the rack. I put foil or wax paper on top of a platter or cardboard and turn the cake onto that.

Frost with a buttercream frosting or faux-cream cheese frosting.

This has been adapted without eggs here

This is more a descriptive essay than a real recipe. No exact amounts.

You need:
mini-muffin liners
coconut
cane syrup (or corn syrup, if you do corn syrup)
vanilla
chocolate chips
almonds

On a cookie sheet or plate, put mini-muffin liners.

In a medium-sized bowl, warm some sweetened coconut. Add a little vanilla, and then while stirring drizzle Cane Syrup on top, until the mixture has a bit of a yellowish tinge and it sticks together (usually about 1 soup spoon-full).

Melt chocolate chips in a medium-sized bowl (microwave for 1 minute, stir, microwave 1 more minute)

Spoon 1 teaspoon of coconut into each muffin-liner. put 2-3 almonds on top, then glop chocolate on top of that. Put the plate/cookie sheet into the freezer, and about five min later, eat.

Yum!

This is one of those recipes where I’m not sure where the original came from, but here’s my current version - many, many, many adaptations from the original.

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 vegan/vegetarian recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin/sweet potato/butternut squash puree
• 3 t ground flax seeds mixed with 1/2 c water (or 2 eggs if not egg-sensitive)
• 3/4 c canola or other oil
• 2 t vanilla
• 1 1/3 c gf flour (amaranth/bean mix or any other nutrient-rich flours)
• 2/3 c starch (all of one or a mix)
• 1 t XG or guar gum (if using “regular” flour, omit this and just use 2 cups flour)
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1 t nutmeg
• 1 t allspice
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 cups brown or cane sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 350.

In mixer, blend wet ingredients. In bowl, mix dry. Slowly blend dry into wet ingredients for two minutes. Spread into 9×13 baking pan and bake for 20-30, until it passes toothpick test.

frost or not as desired

Pumpkin Frosting

• 2 T spectrum shortening
• 1-2 T pumpkin
• 1 T Water
• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar

melt shortening and pumpkin in saucepan. remove from heat. Add water and sugar. Beat until smooth, thinning if necessary. Spread immediately, it will form a thin, orange glaze. Yum.

This is adapted from a recipe in Cooking Free by Carol Fenster, cobbling a few recipes together with memories of bundt cakes from my teenage-hood and yummy filled cupcakes.

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.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease & flour a 10 inch bundt pan (silicone works fabulously) or prepare 18 cupcake holders

Ganache Ingredients

• 12 oz chocolate chips

• 1/2 cup coconut milk (or cream or other creamy substance)
• 1 TBS margarine/shortening/butter
• 1 TBS decaf instant coffee

Melt chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave. Check and stir every minute so you don’t burn them. Warm milk, margarine, and coffee crystals in microwave. Add milk mixture to chocolate and stir until well combined. Set aside.

Chocolate Tunnel Cake Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups gf flour mix (I used 1 1/4 cup bean or millet flour, 1 cup starch)

• 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (you all know this is 1/2 a TBS, so if you have a 1/2 TBS spoon, you only need to use one spoon)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 TBS vanilla
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, or 1 TBS vinegar or lemon juice mixed with enough milk sub to make 3/4 cup - I use coconut milk here
• 1/4 cup warmed coffee & 1/2 cup warm water (to make 3/4 cup liquid)

Method

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together ingredients from flour to cocoa powder. Set aside.

2. In your mixer bowl, mix sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla until well blended.
3. Add buttermilk and dry ingredients, alternating beginning and ending with buttermilk. Add warm water/coffee mixture and mix until well combined.
4. Pour 1/2 the mixture into the bundt pan (or fill each cupcake halfway. Use a spoon to put a dollop of ganache in the middle of each cupcake OR make a tunnel through the bundt pan. Be careful that the ganache doesn’t bleed to the edges, it will make the cake/cupcake unstable. You won’t use anywhere close to all the ganache. Save the remainder for frosting.
5. Carefully pour/spoon the remainder of the batter on top. Be careful not to disturb the ganache tunnel, and gently spread batter to the sides of the pan as evenly as possible.
6. Bake 20-25m for cupcakes, 40-45 for bundt cake. Cool 10 m in pan, then cool completely on wire rack or a plate on wire rack (my cakes never move right from the wire rack to a plate after cooling).

Frosting
Take remaining ganache, and either use as is, or for a stiffer and slightly sweeter frosting beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. spread on cake/cupcake. It will cool to a delicious hardened frosting. mmmmm….. People love the surprise in the middle!

This is one of our all time favorites, because this is a super-easy, super-adaptable recipe. It doubles quite well, too. If you can’t use peanuts, other nut and seed butters work fine. And if you can’t do eggs, egg substitutes have worked well here too.

This recipe is gluten & dairy free and can be corn & soy free. I have made these as brownies as well.

Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut butter (generic store brand works great)

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method
Preheat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper or silpat.

Use a stand mixer or strong arm and medium sized bowl to cream peanut butter and sugar and egg together. Add salt & baking soda. Mix until well combined. Add the chocolate chips, and mix well.

Use a cookie-scoop or tablespoon to scoop small balls of dough out. Flatten on the cookie sheet. The dough is not really easy to handle, but it will taste great once it’s cooked.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until puffy and golden brown. Let sit on the sheet for a few minutes before (carefully!) removing to cool. These cookies are delicate at first, but as they cool they become more sturdy. yum.

This one is adapted from a recipe by Joanne Fluke.

Ingredients

• 1 cup margarine/shortening (softened or melted)

• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs replaced by 1 TBS egg replacer mixed with 2 TBS warm water plus 1/4 cup applesauce
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups gf flour (I used a mix of bean & amaranth)
• 1 cup starch (arrowroot/tapioca - but can use corn/potato or any mix of those)
• 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 small, 10oz jar stemless marachino cherries
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream fat and sugar. Beat in egg replacers. Mix in vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together baking powder through xanthan gum. Add flour mix slowly until combined. Add chocolate chips and mix until just combined. Dough will be stiff and a bit crumbly.

Drain cherries and reserve the juice (when I’m really good I use the cherry juice instead of water for the egg replacer).

In the microwave combine the chocolate chips and the coconut milk. Heat in 30 second intervals and stir until just melted. Add about 2 TBS cherry juice. You want the chocolate mixture to spoon easily - you might need a little more or less juice.

Use a cookie scooper or pat dough into walnut-sized balls with your fingers. Place on parchment paper/silpat covered cookie sheets (12-13/sheet). Press down center with thumb to make a deep indentation. Put cherry in the little hole.

Spoon chocolate sauce over cherries - make sure not to drip it down the sides.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet a couple minutes, then move to cooling rack.

If you’re feeling really decadent, drizzle with more chocolate sauce after baking.

These are simply amazing. And no one will ever guess that they are “special”. In fact, my grandmother (who dislikes “special” foods) asked for the recipe!

These are a big favorite here, and frequently requested, and they are eaten very quickly by visitors, too.

These are dairy & gluten free. They could also be egg, corn, and soy free with ingredient adjustments. I have made them with egg substitutes, and they were tasty.

Ingredients

• 1 stick (8 oz) margarine or shortening, softened
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs (or equivalent Egg Replacer)
• 1 1/4 cup sorghum flour (or amaranth, or bean, or pea)
• 1 cup rice flour or starch (arrowroot, corn, tapioca)
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. line baking sheets with parchment paper/Silpat or oil well.

Cream butter and sugar. Add salt & vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until well combined.

Combine both flours, cocoa, and baking soda. Add the flour mixture and beat on low. Stop a few times to scrape sides with rubber spatula

Fold in chocolate chips. The dough will be very stiff.

Chill mixture for 2 hours (this is the hardest part)

Scoop into heaping tablespoon -size balls (or use a cookie scooper) and set 2 inches apart on baking sheets

Flatten dough to about 1/2 inch thickness and bake 12-14 minutes or until browned (these cookies should be relatively crisp, do not under bake)

Let baked cookies stand a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.