Blog - Gluten-Free Baking

5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Pie

I love low-work desserts. And this one is really, really low work. You only need five ingredients and a few minutes. The ingredients: gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies, peanut butter, cream cheese, whipped topping, and powdered sugar. That’s it!

Let’s make the pie!

For the crust, use gluten-free sandwich cookies. I really like the ones by Glutino or Trader Joe’s.

Grind until the cookies are fine and start to hold together.

Thanks to the creme filling, you don’t need to add butter to the cookie crust. (Which is something you often need to do with cookie crusts.)

Give the crumbs a squeeze. You want them to hold together.

Press the crumbs into a nine-inch pie pan. My pan is really deep; so the crumbs didn’t go all the way up the sides.

Throw the crust into a preheated 350 degree oven. This makes the crust crisp. If you don’t feel like turning on the oven, you can skip this step. The crust will be a little more crumbly but it will still taste good. If you bake the crust, allow it to cool.

Start the crust when the filling is cool. You don’t want to put the filling into a warm crust.

Mix together peanut butter and cream cheese. I used neufchatel cheese, which is like cream cheese but with less fat.

Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

Add one container of Cool Whip. (I used reduced fat Cool Whip.) If you don’t like to use cool whip, use 3 cups of whipped heavy cream.

Whip filling until smooth.

Pour into the prepared crust.

Smooth and chill for two hours. Serve to someone you love.

Recipe Notes

Think about the fat. This is rich pie! And while I’m not fat-phobic (evidence: this entire blog and my books), I found this dessert too rich when made with regular cream cheese and cool whip. When you make this pie with reduced fat cream cheese and Cool Whip it’s still rich. That said, I wouldn’t use fat-free cream cheese or Cool whip. Those ingredients won’t make a great pie. Also, share this pie in thin slices. Trust me.

Make it peanut-free. A peanut-free peanut butter pie? Yup! Replace the peanut butter with almond butter, sunflower butter, or pea butter. All of these make a wonderful pie.

Serve it cool, not cold. You need to keep this pie in the refrigerator but you don’t want to serve it cold. It tastes better cool—almost room temperature—than it does cold. So take it out of the refrigerator about 40 minutes before you plan on serving it.

Classic Peanut Butter Pie

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 8 -12

Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

For the Crust

1 package 10.6 ounces gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies

For the Filling

1 cup creamy peanut butter (9 1/2 ounces; 269 grams)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar (5 ounces; 142 grams)
1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip, regular or reduced fat OR 3 cups whipped heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. In bowl of food processor, grind cookies (including filling) until fine. Crumbs should hold together when pressed or squeezed.
Press cookie crumbs into the bottom and side of a 9-inch pie pan.
Bake until aromatic and firm, about ten minutes. Remove crust from oven. Place on a rack to cool. Turn off oven. You are done with it.
When the crust is cool, prepare the filling. In bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl, whip together peanut butter and cream cheese until smooth.
Add powdered sugar. Whip until combined. Mixture will be thick.
Turn off mixer. Add Cool Whip. Turn mixer on to medium-high. Whip until smooth.
Spread filling into prepared crust. Chill for two hours or overnight.

5 Minute Pretzel Cream Cheese Peanut Butter Bars

Oh, where do I begin? I feel like the name of these bars tells you everything you need to know: No Bake. Cream Cheese. Peanut Butter. Pretzel. Bars. Is your mouth watering yet? Yeah, mine too!

Thanks to the fact that these are truly no-bake, these bars come together in about five minutes. (I hate “no bake” recipes that make you turn on the oven to bake the crust. That’s not “no bake!”) But they aren’t ready to eat in five minutes. You need to chill them so the chocolate sets. Then, believe it or not, they need to come to room temperature before you cut them.

Why?

Well, the chocolate gets cold and hard. And the base, while crunchy, is soft compared to cold chocolate. If you go to cut them while cold, the chocolate shatters. (You can see this in the photo above. I didn’t let those bars sit out long enough before cutting.) Allowing the bars to come to room temperature prevents this problem.

And then, well, then you get to enjoy! Just be sure to cut these small. I get about 20 bars from the 8×8-inch pan. These aren’t cookie bars as much as they are candy-like bars. Perfect for picnics and bbqs but, really, a little goes a long way!

Five Minute Cheesecake Pretzel Bars cut into squares.

5 Minute Pretzel Cream Cheese Peanut Butter Bars

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 20 bars

Ingredients

1 cup smooth peanut butter, regular or reduced fat (9 1/2 ounces; 270 grams)
3 ounces cream cheese, softened (regular, reduced fat or fat free)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (6 ounces; 170 grams)
4 cups Corn Chex, crushed
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup confectionery coating or chocolate chips, melted
20 gluten-free mini-pretzels
Kosher salt optional

Instructions

Line 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper. The paper should overhang the edges of the pan, this makes it easy to remove the bars from the pan.
In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together peanut butter and cream cheese on medium speed. Stop mixer. Scrape down bottom and sides of the bowl. Add powdered sugar. Mix until blended. Add the crushed corn chex. Mix to combine. Dough will be stiff. Add melted butter. Blend to combine.
Press dough evenly into prepared baking pan. Spread melted chocolate evenly over the top of the pans. Press mini-pretzels into the melted chocolate. If the pretzels aren't coated with a lot of salt (gluten-free pretzels are usually light on the salt), sprinkle a little kosher salt evenly over the bars. The salty-sweet mix really makes these bars yummy.
Chill bars for 45 minutes. Remove the bars from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Lift bars out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into pieces with a sharp knife. Serve. Store leftover bars in the refrigerator.
Note: Cutting the bars while cold causes the chocolate to break apart. It's important to allow them to come to room temperate before cutting.

Flourless Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

The other day when I made peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, I was reminded of how easy and good flourless peanut butter cookies can be. Ok, the peanut butter chocolate chip cookie contained a smidgen of flour but it was based on my flourless cookie recipe, hence the inspiration.

So when I wanted to make a batch of oatmeal cookies, I thought, “Why not peanut butter oatmeal cookies?” And then, “Why not peanut butter oatmeal cookies with lots of stuff in them?” Lots of stuff in cookies is always a good thing, right?

I ended up making (takes deep breath) Peanut Butter-Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Chip-Coconut-Almond cookies. (catches breath)

Yeah, it’s a mouthful. A delicious, delicious mouthful.

The best part? These cookies are so ridiculously easy-to-make that I didn’t even mind turning on the oven during the summer. I mean, the cookies are practically power bars, right? (I know. Wrong. But let’s go with it.) The cookies make great treats for hiking, days at the beach, camping, or laying on the couch mainlining episodes of Orange in the New Black.

To make them, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, and peanut butter. Then add all the other good stuff. That’s it. Seriously. That’s it. I like to chill the dough for about fifteen minutes before baking. (I do this as the oven preheats.) Then drop the cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about fifteen minutes.

When the cookies cool, thanks to the oatmeal, they’re soft and chewy. Oh, and about that oatmeal, use instant oatmeal in this recipe. I found that old-fashioned oats are too tough for the recipe.

And, of course, my “add-in” ingredients are just suggestions. Add some dried fruit, M&Ms (be sure they’re gluten-free), or anything else you love.

Kitchen Sink Oatmeal Peanut Butter cookies on wood cutting board.

Flourless Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Made without flour, these oatmeal peanut butter cookies bake up soft and chewy. The add-ins, like coconut, chocolate chips, and almonds, are just suggestions. Use whatever dried fruits, nuts, and chocolate that you enjoy!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter (9 1/2 ounces; 270 grams)
3 large eggs (about 5 1/4 ounces; 150 grams)
1 cup packed dark brown sugar (7 1/2 ounces; 212 grams)
2 1/2 cups quick cook gluten-free oats (8 3/4 ounces; 248 grams)
1/2 cup sweetened coconut (1 1/2 ounces; 45 grams)
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (3 ounces; 100 grams)
1/2 cup peanut butter chips (3 ounces; 100 grams)
1/2 cup chopped almonds for a sweet-salty flavor, use salted almonds

Instructions

In large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, eggs, and dark brown sugar until smooth. Switch to a wooden spoon and add oats, coconut, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and chopped almonds. Stir until well combined. Chill for 15 minutes.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop dough, about one tablespoon each onto prepared cookie sheet, spacing dough about an inch apart.
Bake until set, about 15 minutes.Allow cookies to cool on the pan for five minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with cool baking sheet until all dough is used.
Store cookies in a covered container on the counter for up to four days.

Gluten-Free Corn Dogs

What’s your favorite fair/carnival food? I loved corn dogs. LOVED THEM. While everyone in my family ate delicious barbecued chicken dinners (made by the local volunteer firemen), I held out. I wanted a corn dog. My mother hated this! Chicken was healthy. Corn dogs….weren’t. Since it was once a year, she didn’t argue with me. But, each year she attempted to get me to try the chicken. I never budged. I wanted a corn dog.

Today, of course, I can eat the barbecued chicken. Surprisingly it’s gluten-free. The corn dogs are not. Boo! So I have to make them myself. Over the years, I’ve learned some tips for making the best corn dogs at home.

Use Great Hot Dogs

I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that the corn dogs I ate at the Washington County Fair weren’t made from the finest of ingredients. I know, I know! That’s a wild guess. 🙂 AnyHOO, you can select whatever hot dogs you like. I usually use Applegate Farms hot dogs. And if you have a local producer that makes good hot dogs, use those.

Dry the dogs.

Before coating the hot dogs, dry them. It doesn’t matter if you use natural casing dogs or gluten-free veggie dogs, they need to be dry. Remove them from the refrigerator, allow them to come to room temperature and then roll them in a towel to dry. Remember to dry the ends.

Coat them in flour.

While researching how to make corn dogs at home, I noticed one compliant coming up again and again: the batter slides off the dog. To keep the batter on the hot dogs, roll them in white rice flour before coating with the cornmeal batter. Again, remember to coat the ends.

Use a tall glass.

Evenly coating the corn dogs with batter can be the toughest part of making corn dogs. To make it easy, fill a tall drinking glass with batter and dip the dogs, one at a time, in the cup.

Work quickly.

While the white rice flour helps the batter to adhere to the hot dog, some batter still drips off the dog after coating. Set your batter-filled drinking class next to your deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot. Dip the dog in batter, taking care to cover the end of the dog that meets the stick. Lift the dog out of the batter, allow it to “drip” for a second, swirling or shaking it lightly and place it right into the deep fryer. Remember, don’t drop the corn dog into the fryer. Lay it in the fryer gently, tip first. This helps to prevent splattering.

Wrap the stick after frying.

When I fried my first corn dog, I got excited! It was so pretty and corn dog-y. After allowing it to drain for a second or two on a paper towel-lined plate, I picked it up. And…I dropped it down. That stick was HOT. Before serving, wrap the stick in a paper-towel.

Enjoy!

Making homemade corn dogs isn’t as easy as stepping up to a booth and buying one but the work is worth it. These are some seriously good corn dogs!

5 from 2 votes

Gluten-Free Corn Dogs

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 8 hot dogs

Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups gluten-free cornflour (finely ground cornmeal) (6 1/4 ounces; 178 grams)
3/4 cup white rice flour, plus additional for coating hot dogs (3 ounces; 85 grams)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 cup milk (8 ounces; 226 grams)
2 large eggs (about 3 1/2 ounces; 100 grams)
3 tablespoons honey (2 1/4 ounces; 65 grams)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (3/4 ounce; 22 grams)
8 gluten-free hot dogs
8 skewers, about 6-inches long
Vegetable Oil for frying

Instructions

In small bowl, whisk together gluten-free cornflour, 3/4 cup white rice flour, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. Add milk, eggs, honey, and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Mix together until smooth. Allow batter to stand for ten minutes.
Fill a large heavy pot, Dutch oven, or deep fryer with enough oil to submerge hot dogs. Heat oil until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 365 degrees.
Dry hot dogs with a paper towel, including ends, and slide sticks into hot dogs. You want to slide sticks about halfway into the hot dog. Dry hot dogs with a paper towel. Don't forget the ends! Roll hot dogs, one at a time, in white rice flour. Place hot dogs on dry plate. Set aside.
Line a plate or baking pan with a few paper towels. Place near the fryer. (Be sure plate is a safe distance from the fryer.)
Select a glass that's tall enough to dip the entire hot dog into. Pour batter into drinking glass. Dip hot dogs, one at a time, into glass. Lift hot dog from batter and swirl lightly. Quickly transfer coated hot dog into the hot oil, gently placing the hot dog into the oil. Fry one or two corn dogs at a time. After about one minute of frying, gently "roll" the corn dog in the oil using a pair of metal tongs. (Often they roll themselves.) Remove corn dogs from oil. Drain on paper towel lined plate and serve. Wrap the stick in a paper towel before serving.
Corn Fritters
Drop leftover batter, about two teaspoons each, into the oil and cook until golden brown. Remove from oil with a metal skimmer.

How to Cook Gluten-Free Pasta

Cooked gluten-free pasta in a strainer. — pictured: gluten-free Ronzoni pasta. (Pasta pictured in post is Tinkyada.)

Yesterday I posted a picture on Facebook of my pasta dinner. One of my friends asked about how I cooked the pasta. Since she was the second person to ask me in a week, I felt a post was in order.

Here’s how to perfectly cook gluten-free pasta every time:

Use a large pot!

You’ll need about 6 quarts of water for 1 pound of gluten-free pasta. Gluten-free pasta would love nothing better than to stick together. A large pot with lots of water gives the pasta enough room to boil and not stick.

Use LOTS of salt.

There is an old Italian cooking adage about how pasta water should be as salty as the sea. Isn’t that a lovely? If you’ve ever gotten a mouthful of seawater, you know how salty it is! Adding salt to the cooking liquid helps to boost the flavor of pasta. On its own, gluten-free pasta is pretty boring. Salting the water really makes a difference to its flavor profile. You’ll want to use about 1 to 1 1/2 Tablespoons of salt per pound of pasta. I bring my water to a boil, add the salt, return it to a boil, and then I add the pasta. Which brings me to…

Cook your pasta in boiling water!

I know. I know. On the back of bag it states that you can “cook” your pasta in a covered pot of hot water. Hrmp! If you want a pot of sticky, yucky pasta you can do it. If, however, you want lovely, silky pasta, you need to cook it in boiling water. Be sure your water is a boil when you add the pasta and returns to a bubbling boil while the pasta cooks.

Don’t add oil!

There is this cooking myth that adding oil will prevent your pasta from sticking together. Not true! (To prevent pasta from sticking, see #5). Oil in pasta water floats to the top of the pot. When you drain the pasta, it will stick to your lovely cooked noodles. And you know what this means? It means the sauce won’t stick to it! You’ll end up with noodles that can’t hold sauce and, when chilled, will take on a weird crunchy texture. Ew! So no oil in the cooking water! Thank you!

Stir!

Gluten-free pasta will stick to itself if you don’t prevent it. How to prevent this from happening? Stir it! As soon as you drop the pasta into the boiling water, begin to stir it. Keep doing this for about 30 seconds. Then, continue to stir occasionally while it cooks. The first 3-5 minutes are the most important for stirring. This when your pasta is stickiest.

Taste.

The cooking time printed on the back of the bag never, ever seems to be right. After about 6 minutes, check your pasta. Some pastas cook in under ten minutes, other take about 12. For gluten-free pasta, you want it to be cooked thoroughly but not mushy. When you bite into the pasta, look at it. If there is a dark spot in the center it is not done. The texture and color should be the same all the way through.

Check it.

When overcooked, gluten-free pasta becomes mushy. After the initial tasting, check it every minute. This will ensure that you don’t overcook it.

Reserve some cooking liquid.

Right before you drain the pasta, ladle out about 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Gluten-free pasta really soaks up sauce. To loosen your sauce, add a bit of the cooking liquid to your pasta when you add the sauce. In fact, you want enough sauce and liquid so that it looks like too much. This will prevent your pasta from becoming dry.

Drain

Use a large strainer to drain your pasta. Don’t rinse the pasta in cold water. All that does is cool down the pasta. You don’t want cold pasta.

Return Pasta to the Pot

After draining, return the pasta to the pot to add the sauce. Trying to sauce the pasta in the serving bowl is messy. Topping pasta on individual plates leaves some pasta dry.

Sauce

Add your favorite sauce. If you make homemade sauce, awesome. If you buy pre-made sauce, awesome! Just be sure it’s gluten-free. And read labels each time. Ingredients change.

Reserve a little of the sauce to top each plate. This also makes it easy to adjust the amount of sauce. Some folks like a little. Some a lot.

Stir

Give it a good stir. You want to coat each noodle with sauce.

Serve!

Pasta is best served right after it’s made. Gluten-free pasta doesn’t taste great cold. Nor does it make a good pasta salad. If you have leftovers, reheat before you eat.

And most important of all…

Enjoy!

How to Make the Best Gluten-Free Flour Tortillas

I’m so excited about this one! Finally, gluten-free flour tortillas!

Really, I don’t need to tell you why flour tortillas are awesome. You either love ’em or you don’t. Me? I’m in the love camp. So it thrilled me (thrilled, thrilled, THRILLED me) when this recipe finally came together.

This recipe makes a chewy, flexible wrap. Ready to begin?

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Be sure to select a bowl with an opening large enough to reach into. This is important.

Add shortening or lard. While this recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free, it isn’t fat-free. And that’s a good thing! The fat adds a pleasant flavor and texture to the wraps. Don’t skip it!

It’s best to do this recipe by hand. Reach right into the bowl and work the shortening into the flour with your hands. A snapping motion of your fingers accomplishes this task quickly. You don’t want any large pieces of shortening to remaining.

Add the water. At first, just half a cup cold water. Stir it into the flour mixture.

The flour mixture will be dry. VERY dry. This is normal.

Add 1/4 cup additional water. Stir. If the dough just begins to hold together, stop adding water! If the dough remains dry, add another tablespoon or two of water.

You want to add the water slowly. If this dough gets too wet, it’s impossible to work with. Don’t let that scare you! Just be cautious when adding the water and the dough will be fine.

Generously white rice flour your counter. Turn the dough and any dry ingredients that are clinging to the bottom of the bowl onto the counter. Dust your hands with flour and begin to knead the dough.

You want the dough to be smooth. If at any point during kneading the dough is wet, knead in more flour. If the dough doesn’t come together, add a splash more water. During this step you really want to feel the dough. The texture you’re looking for is similar to play-doh: damp but not wet.

Once you think you’ve got it, pinch off a piece of the dough. Roll it between your palms. It should be easy to handle. You don’t want the dough to stick to your hands or fall apart. Again, think clay or play-doh.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap. This prevents a skin from forming.

Cut open a plastic bag and place it on a tortilla press. Dust the bag with flour. Don’t skip this or the tortilla will stick to the plastic.

Pinch dough, you want about two tablespoons, and roll into a ball. The dough should not stick to your hands. Place dough into tortilla press. It’s a good idea to place the dough ball closer to the hinge than right in the center. Then simply close the press. The dough flattens under the pressure.

Don’t have a tortilla press? They are worth the investment. But, until you get one, you can make this recipe. Simply slip the dough ball between two pieces of floured parchment paper. Then use a heavy skillet and “squish” down the dough ball.

Slide the tortilla–still in the bag– off the press. Gently pull the plastic bag off the tortilla. Go slow. If the dough rips, don’t worry. You can re-roll the dough.

Hold the tortilla in your hand. Pull away the bag. You don’t want to pull the tortilla or it could rip.

If your tortilla isn’t as thin as you’d like, re-flour your bag and return the tortilla to the bag. Gently roll out the tortilla.

Heat your cast iron skillet until it smokes lightly. Add the tortilla. Cook the first side for about three minutes.

Flip! The second side doesn’t cook as long nor will it get as dark.

As soon as the tortilla comes out of the pan, place it on a plate under a clean, dry towel. Cover. The steam will soften the tortilla. This is a good thing.

The tortilla shown in the pan above is just a wee bit dark. That’s ok! Adjusting the heat takes some practice. The tortilla above, however, is pretty perfect.

Same tortilla. Different side. As you can see, the second side isn’t as dark. If we cook the second side too much, the tortilla might tip into the “too crisp” stage. At that point, even placing the tortilla under a towel to steam for a minute won’t soften it.

Here’s what you want to avoid. Learn from my mistake! The pan was too hot when I put the tortilla in it. The resulting tortilla almost burnt. If you get a tortilla or two like this, reduce both the heat under the pan and your cooking time.

And here the pan was too cold. The tortilla did cook but it’s anemic. If your tortilla looks like this, increase the heat under the pan.

If you are new to making tortillas, you might have a few that aren’t “just right.” That’s ok. (Well, it’s a bummer in the moment.) With practice, you’ll get the hang of it. In fact, try making a “play” batch first. You don’t want a wonderful meal waiting for your first batch of homemade flour tortillas.

If you make a play batch, you could throw in, say, some lettuce, turkey, and lettuce. And you will LOVE it. I promise.

Or you could just stare at the plate of tortillas you made and beam with pride. That’s a good option too!

4.8 from 20 votes

How to Make Gluten-Free Flour Tortillas

Soft Gluten-Free Flour Tortillas

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 12

Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups white rice flour (6 ounces; 170 grams)
1/2 cup tapioca starch (2 ounces; 57 grams)
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening or lard (1 ounce; 28 grams)
3/4 cup ice water, plus more as needed (6 ounces; 170 grams)

Instructions

In medium bowl, whisk together white rice flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt.
Using your hands, cut in the shortening. Do this by using a snapping-like motion with your fingers. No large pieces of shortening or lard should remain.
Add 1/2 cup cold water. Stir with a wooden spoon. Dough will be dry. Add another 1/4 cup water. Stir. Feel the dough. If it starts to hold together and feels damp, stop adding water. If the dough feels dry, add another two tablespoons water. Repeat until dough is moist but not wet.
Generously white rice flour your countertop. Turn dough out onto counter. Flour your hands lightly with white rice flour. Gather dough into a ball. Knead the dough until smooth. If the dough is too wet, knead additional white rice flour into it; if the dough feels dry, knead a splash more water into it. You want the dough to be easy to work with. Pull off a little. Roll it between your palms. It should not stick or fall apart. The dough's texture should be similar to clay or play-doh.
Cover dough with plastic wrap. This prevents a skin from forming.
Heat 10-inch cast iron skillet (non-stick pans don't work well. They don't get hot enough.) over medium heat. While skillet heats, line a tortilla press with a cut open plastic bag. (Only cut open the bag on two sides. The "hinge" of the bag should line up with the hinge of the press.) Dust the bag with white rice flour. Pinch off a dough ball, about two tablespoons. Roll dough into a ball.
Place the dough ball into the press and close to flatten. Slide the bag off the tortilla press. Gently pull the bag away from the tortilla. Lift the tortilla into your hand. Pull away the second piece of plastic. If the tortilla seems thick (which doesn't happen too often), dust the bag with flour, return the tortilla to the bag. Dust the top of the tortilla, cover, and roll out a little.
Increase the heat under the skillet to medium-high if the skillet isn't smoking lightly. Place the tortilla into the skillet. Cook, about three minutes, until the tortilla is golden brown.(As your first tortilla cooks, begin pressing out the next tortilla.) Flip. Cook an additional minute. Remove and place hot tortilla onto a plate. Cover with a clean, dry towel.
Repeat. Tortillas are best enjoyed right away. You can store them overnight in a sealed bag. Reheat by placing into a warm skillet.

How to Steam Potatoes

Steamed potatoes. Don’t they sound…kind of boring? I’d never really thought about steamed potatoes.

For my friend’s birthday party, her husband made an incredible clam steam. Along with the clams, sausages, and corn, there were, you guessed it, steamed potatoes. At first I thought I’d give the steamed potatoes a pass. I mean, they were just potatoes! Better to save tummy room for those clams, right?

Well, after I’d eaten my share of clams, I still had a wee bit of room–perfect for half a potato. Since these were large white potatoes, I asked my husband to share with me. (Spoiler: This does not end well for Greg.) I cut the potato in half, poured some melted butter on it and gave it a generous sprinkle of salt.

Oh my! This potato was so good! It’s flesh was creamy while the skin remained almost “snappy” without being tough. When Greg decided to nab his share of the potato, I, um, decided I didn’t feel like sharing!

I wondered if I loved the potatoes so much because they steamed above clams and sausages or if perhaps steamed potatoes were just that good. After making several batches this summer, I can affirm: they are just that good.

Here’s how to make them. (You’ll need a steamer basket to make the potatoes. That’s it!)

Wash potatoes. You can steam any size potato but I think small ones are best. I picked these up at the farmers’ market.

Add about one-inch of water to the bottom of a large pot.

Look for the smiling potato. (Okay, you don’t have to do this. But, seriously, how cute is that potato?!?)

Place potatoes in the steamer basket. Arrange the largest potatoes on the bottom of the basket and the tiny guys on top.

Cover. This is important! You can’t steam potatoes in an open pot!

After about 30 minutes of cooking over medium heat, it’s time to check the potatoes. If you really tiny potatoes, check them after 20 minutes. For big potatoes, wait 40 minutes.

You want your knife to slide easily into the potatoes. (I always check a few just to be sure they are all ready.)

Melt two tablespoons of butter.

Pour over potatoes.

Stir.

Add a generous sprinkling of kosher salt.

And herbs. You can use dried or fresh. I love (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE) Penzey’s Parisien Bonnes Herbes. But use whatever you love. Dill, basil, and chives are especially nice.

Stir.

And serve. The finished potatoes are creamy with an intense and lovely potato flavor.

5 from 5 votes

How to Steam Potatoes

Steamed potatoes are easy, quick, and best of all, delicious.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 6

Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

28-32 ounces small baby potatoes, such as baby Yukon gold or red potatoes
2 tablespoons butter, melted (1 ounce; 28 grams)
Kosher Salt
Fresh or dried herbs

Instructions

Wash potatoes. Add about one-inch of water to a pot that has a fitted steamer basket or can hold a steamer insert.
Place potatoes into steamer basket. Cover pot. Turn pot to high. When steam starts to escape from the lid, reduce heat to medium, about ten minutes.
Steam until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Time varies depending on the size of the potatoes.
Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl. Pour melted butter over potatoes. Stir. Season with kosher salt and herbs to taste.

Travel: Disney Dole Whip (Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free)

It took three visits to Walt Disney World before I tried a Dole Whip. After one spoonful, I wanted to run into the past and tell past-Elizabeth, “Get a Dole Whip on your Disney trips. Trust me on this. TRUST ME.”

A quick internet search tells me that Dole Whip, in fact, refers to any soft serve ice cream made by Dole. But at Walt Disney World and Disneyland “Dole Whip” equals pineapple soft serve. Sure, they sell it in orange, vanilla, chocolate, and “swirled” but most folks mean pineapple when they talk about Dole Whip.

One of the reasons it took me so long to try a Dole Whip was because it’s not an easy treat to find! While ice cream carts are a ubiquitous sight in all four Disney parks, Dole Whips are only available at two places: at Aloha Isle in the Magic Kingdom and at Captian Cook’s at Disney’s Polynesian hotel. If you want a Dole Whip, you need to search for it. And, trust me, you want a Dole Whip.

On the last day of our Disney vacation, as we sat on a curb waiting for the nighttime parade to begin, I turned to Greg and said, “I’m getting a Dole Whip. Want one?” He declined. (Remember this.)

I left him in Frontierland and headed to Adventureland for a Dole Whip. A long line snaked in front of Aloha Isle, the counter that sells Dole Whips.

Lots of people left with floats, pineapple juice topped with ice cream, but I wanted my Dole Whip straight. When I finally reached the counter, I ordered a “plain” pineapple Dole Whip in a bowl.

Dole whip ice cream in small bowl. — notice: Greg is eating his Dole Whip in the background. This photo was taken on a recent trip.

Then I embarked on the longest walk of my life. Ok, maybe it wasn’t the longest but it felt like it. Since I didn’t want to miss the parade, I hotfooted back to Greg, bringing two spoons with me, in case he wanted to taste the Dole Whip.

This was a mistake.

I made it back to Frontierland right before the parade and took my long awaited first bite of pineapple Dole Whip. Somehow it tasted even better than I’d hoped. And I don’t really love ice cream. So that’s high praise. Sweet and creamy, the Dole Whip reminded me of sherbert but better. It was like creamy soft serve and icy sherbert got together and produced Dole Whip. The best part was the pineapple flavor. It didn’t seem fake or cloying. It tasted just right. I offered Greg a taste.

Again. A mistake.

Greg, who up to this point expressed less than zero interest in Dole Whip, suddenly turned into a Dole Whip vacuum. Now, what you might not know is that my husband is really low-key and almost always relaxed. Inhaling food isn’t a trait he’d ever exhibited before.

I watched as his spoon hit my bowl of Dole Whip again and again. Then I started laughing. “Dude! What the heck? You just ate 75% of my ice cream.”

His response? “Oh. Sorry. That was good. I’ll buy you another bowl.”

We watched the parade and–woe–when we arrived back at Aloha Isle, we found it closed for the night. No more Dole Whips for us.

Of course, I retold the story, compete with Greg stealing my ice cream, to everyone. So when my mom and I went to Disney, she wanted to try a Dole Whip for herself.

Our trip happened before Christmas and several nights during our trip the Magic Kingdom closed early for a Christmas party. Thankfully a friend told me that “Captain Cook’s” at the Polynesian hotel sold Dole Whip—and it was self serve. (update: Dole Whip is still sold at the Polynesian but it is no longer self serve.)

Off to the Polynesian we went! I used our snack credits for two bowls of Dole Whip. After paying, the cashier handed me two empty bowls. Here’s where culinary training really comes in handy. I can pull a good bowl of soft serve, complete with a pointy top. (thank you. bows) For her first Dole Whip, my mom wanted it swirled with vanilla ice cream.

We headed outside to eat our ice cream and then magic happened. And it had nothing to do with the Dole Whip. Fireworks starting going off at the Magic Kingdom and we had a perfect view! We noticed folks walking down to the beach. So we followed, kicked off our shoes, and watched the lovely holiday-themed fireworks. I loved it! In fact, we enjoyed watching the fireworks so much from the beach at the Polynesian (while eating a Dole Whip) that we did it almost every night of our trip.

Then when Greg and I returned to Disney a few weeks ago for the Food Blog Forum conference, I introduced him to this tradition. This time, of course, we got separate bowls of Dole Whip because, come on, steal my Dole Whip once, shame on you. Steal my Dole Whip twice, shame on me.

Obviously, I adore the Dole Whip. However, I’ve talked to folks about this treat and have noticed a trend. People either love pineapple Dole Whip or they can’t stand it. Have you tried a Dole Whip? Do you love it or loathe it?

Oh, and one more thing. Disney put this on their Facebook a few months ago:

Loaded Summer Gluten-Free Pasta

My love for pasta knows no limit. Even in the heat of summer, I bring a pot of water to a boil to cook pasta for dinner. This recipe, which highlights fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden, comes together quickly, making it a nice dinner for busy nights.

For this pasta, I use ricotta salata. Unlike the more commonly used ricotta, which is soft and creamy, this version of ricotta is firm, almost like feta. It’s a mild cheese and while it’s great sliced and eaten with some bread or vegetables, I prefer it in hot dishes. For this pasta, I shred the ricotta salata and toss it together with the hot pasta. Unlike other cheeses, it doesn’t really melt. Rather, it just softens, adding salty-cheesy bites that surprise you while eating. Remember the delight in getting bits of marshmallows in your cereal as a kid? The cheese is like that. Bits of goodness sprinkled throughout your serving!

If you can’t find blocks of ricotta salata, use the crumbled version. If, however, you can’t find it at all, replace it with either feta or fresh mozzarella. Either cheeses work well in this dish. And, if you are dairy-free, simply omit the cheese completely. The pasta tastes great with or without it.

Pasta with Ricotta Salata, Spinach, Tomatoes, and Olives.

Gluten-Free Pasta with Ricotta Salata, Garlicky Spinach, Tomatoes, and Olives

Ricotta salata adds a mild cheese flavor to this dish. If you are unable to find it, replace it with feta or fresh mozzarella. To make the pasta dairy-free, simply omit the cheese.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4 to 6

Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

1 pound gluten-free penne pasta
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons olive oil divided
4 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
10 ounces baby spinach
1 pint grape tomatoes, washed and halved
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olive, halved sliced
3 ounces ricotta salata, grated, divided (about 1 cup)
Freshly ground black pepper
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and return to cooking pot, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.
While pasta cooks, in a large skillet, heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half the garlic and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the garlic is soft and lightly brown, about 2 minutes. Add half the spinach and cook until tender, about 1 minute. Transfer the cooked spinach to a bowl. Repeat with another tablespoon of olive oil, remaining garlic, and spinach.
Add the spinach, tomatoes, olives, and remaining olive oil to the pasta and stir to combine. If the sauce seems too thick, loosen it by adding pasta water a little at a time until desired consistency is reached. Add three-quarters of the grated ricotta salata. Stir to combine.
Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour pasta into a large serving bowl or spoon onto individual plates. Top pasta with remaining ricotta salata and basil.

How to Make the Best Homemade Special Burger Sauce

It seems I’ve lied to myself for several years. I thought I knew how to make a mock “special sauce*” at home–yes that special sauce sauce made famous by McDonald’s Big Macs. Turns out, I was wrong. Really wrong.

*It’s not even called “special sauce”. On McDonald’s site, they refer to it as “Big Mac Sauce.” My world just flipped upside down.

The other night, as Greg cooked burgers on the grill, I whipped up a batch of “special sauce”, snapping pictures for you as I went along. Before writing up my recipe, I did a quick search for special sauce. A video from McDonald’s popped up. I watched it. And what I saw shocked me.

McDonald’s special sauce contains no ketchup.

Let me say that again: there’s no ketchup or tomatoes, in special sauce.

Huh?

Over the years all the “copycat” recipes I saw mixed mayonnaise with thousand island dressing. Since I don’t keep thousand island dressing in the house, I swapped it for ketchup. The combo makes a rich, sweet sauce that I love.

It seems, however, that my sauce wasn’t a copy of the special sauce you’d find on a Big Mac. Boo! Turns out, mayonnaise and mustard make up the special sauce.

Oh well. Can’t win ‘em all. I still think my burger sauce is pretty special.

Here’s how I make it:

See. No mustard!

I use canola-based mayo. Use whatever mayo you love–even Miracle Whip*.
*Miracle Whip is NOT my favorite. But, dude, if you love it, use it.

Ketchup! Ketchup! Ketchup! For me, the ketchup transforms the sauce. I love it. LOVE IT.

Dill relish!

Sweet pickles. I don’t keep sweet relish in the house. So I chop up about three bread and butter pickles. If you don’t have dill relish in the house, chop up three dill slices. Easy peasy.

(Sweet pickles! Speaking of…does anyone remember the “Sweet Pickles” commercials from the 1980s? (Here it is!) I was TOTALLY bummed when a busload of characters in a small green bus didn’t arrive at my house along with my books. SO BUMMED. And now that you ask, I still don’t think I’m over it.)

Add about a generous teaspoon of chopped sweet pickles or sweet pickle relish.

See the brown liquid? That’s a dash of Worcestershire sauce.

And that red liquid? Hot sauce! Stir it all together.

Taste. Add a bit of freshly ground black pepper, if needed.

Done!

Go ahead and slather it on your burger.

5 from 1 vote

How to Make the Best Homemade Special Burger Sauce

This easy sauce makes any burger, from veggie to turkey to traditional, shine.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 1 /2 cup

Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayo (4 ounces; 113 grams)
2 tablespoons ketchup (about 1 ounce; 28 grams)
1 teaspoon dill relish (or three dill pickle slices, chopped)
1 teaspoon sweet relish (or three dill pickle slices, chopped)
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1 dash hot sauce
pinch garlic powder, optional
pinch onion powder, optional optional
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Combine ingredients except freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Stir. Taste. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Store leftover sauce, covered, in the refrigerator.

Gluten-Free BLT Pasta

On my list of favorite summer foods, BLTs are right at the top. This easy weeknight pasta came about when I wanted a BLT but (gasp) I didn’t have any gluten-free bread in the house. For once, it was a good thing that I was out of bread because this recipe is awesome.

To make, simply boil a pound of pasta. Toss it with a pint of halved grape tomatoes, sauteed baby spinach (the stand-in for the “L” in the BLT”), and crumbled bacon. If you’re feeling frisky, add some chopped basil or a generous shake of Parmesan cheese. That’s it.

Oh, and as for that baby spinach. That’s what I use. Any green leafy vegetable works (and tastes great!) in this pasta. Use what you love and then tell me about.

Gluten-Free BLT Pasta

For this pasta, I love the flavor of uncooked tomatoes. To heat them up just a little, I place the tomatoes in a medium bowl. After I cook the spinach, I place the hot spinach into the bowl on top of the sliced tomatoes. It warms the tomatoes just enough to help them release their juices. For the “lettuce” part of the BLT, I use baby spinach. Any leafy green vegetable works well and tastes great in the recipe. Use whatever you fits your diet.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4 -6

Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
4 pieces bacon
1 pound gluten-free spaghetti
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or put through a garlic press
5 ounces baby spinach
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, washed and halved.
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Fill a large (5 1/2 quart) pot three-quarters with water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Set a colander in the sink for draining the pasta.
While waiting for the pasta to reach a boil, cook the bacon. Heat one teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until oil begins to shimmer but not smoke. Add bacon and cook, turning occasionally, until crisp. Place bacon on a paper towel-lined plate. Carefully discard bacon grease (don't pour it down the drain) and wipe out skillet.
Check pasta water. As soon as it reaches a boil, add 1 tablespoon kosher salt and the pasta. Stir for the first 30 seconds to prevent the pasta from sticking. Then stir pasta occasionally. Cook until pasta is tender, about 11 minutes.
While pasta boils, cook the spinach. In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat until oil shimmers but doesn't smoke. Add garlic. Cook until garlic is soft, about 30 seconds. Add spinach. Cook until wilted, about 45 seconds. Place hot spinach in bowl with tomatoes.
Before draining pasta, reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water. (Ladle carefully into a heatproof bowl or measuring cup.) Drain pasta and return to pasta cooking pot. Toss pasta with remaining olive oil. Add cooked spinach and halved tomatoes. Crumble crisp bacon over pasta. Toss to combine. (If you prefer, chop the bacon with a knife.) Season pasta to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. If pasta seems dry, add a generous splash of pasta cooking water. Transfer pasta to serving bowl. Enjoy!

Marcella Hazan’s Roast Chicken with Lemons

Legendary cookbook author Marcella Hazan passed away on September 29, 2013. On a recent episode of my podcast, Cook Bliss, I chatted with three women whose lives were touched by Marcella. One guest, cookbook publicist, Carrie Bachman, shared a few of her favorite “Marcella recipes”. One really grabbed me: Roast Chicken with Lemons.

Carrie said that the recipe included chicken, salt, pepper, and lemons. That’s it! You don’t even need to use olive oil.

I needed to make this chicken.

Here’s how it went. (Spoiler alert: By the end, you’ll want to make this chicken too!)

See how the recipe states, “2 rather small lemons.” Yeah….I kind of missed “rather small” part when I went shopping, as you’ll see in a second!

Wash the chicken. Yes, I know that washing chicken is no longer recommended. But for this, I wanted to fully follow the recipe. (And then, like a maniac, I scrubbed down everything afterward.) So feel free to skip this step. In fact, it’s probably better if you do.

Marcella tells us to place the bird on a titled plate to drain. My plates don’t really have a ridge. So I used a cutting board with a reservoir and stuck a wooden spoon under it to angle the board.

After ten minutes, I dried it.

Then, salt!

And pepper, inside and out.

Now, the lemons.

Wash ’em.

Roll ’em.

Poke ’em (through with a skewer.) You want about 20 pokes. My lemons were so juicy that when I pierced the skin, juice flew out of them!

And this is where I ran into trouble. My lemons were big. One lemon filled the cavity. There was no way two lemons were going inside of this 4.5 pound chicken. No way. Now I was making Roast Chicken with One Lemon. Oh well.

Then, use two sturdy toothpicks or wooden skewers and close up the cavity. I have to say, this was way harder to do than I thought. That chicken skin was tough. Really tough.

Marcella advises not to close the cavity too tight or ” the chicken may burst”. Let me repeat that: “the chicken may burst”. I think this is the first time I’ve followed a recipe that included a note on dinner exploding. I LOVE IT! Danger.

Then lightly tie the legs together with kitchen twine. (Does this remind anyone else of that moment in “Bridget Jones’ Diary” where Bridget uses blue ribbon to tie vegetables together for her soup and then the soup turns blue? Lesson I: don’t use blue twine here. Lesson II: Bridget Jones is amazeballs.)

And then, Marcella has us turn the chicken upside down! Yup! For the first 30 minutes, you roast the chicken breast-side down.

So pretty!

After 30 minutes, you take it out of the oven and turn it. Fun! (Really, it’s pretty easy. A pair of kitchen tongs makes this a snap.)

Hee. I just flipped the bird.

During the final 20 minutes of roasting, you increase the oven temperature to 400°F. This gives the chicken a nice golden color. I must say, this step surprised me. I’ve roasted chicken where you start in a hot oven and then decrease but not the other way around.

After following the recipe, you’re rewarded with an incredibly moist chicken with a pleasant lemon flavor. This recipe is a total keeper! And I would not have expected anything less from the late Marcella Hazan.

Roast chicken with Lemons cookbook page.

4.67 from 3 votes

Marcella Hazan's Roast Chicken With Lemons

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings 4

Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

3- to 4 pound chicken
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 small lemons

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash the chicken thoroughly in cold water, both inside and out. Remove all the bits of fat hanging loose. Let the bird sit for about 10 minutes on a slightly tilted plate to let all the water drain out of it. Pat it thoroughly dry all over with cloth or paper towels.
Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and black pepper on the chicken, rubbing it with your fingers over all its body and into its cavity.
Wash the lemons in cold water and dry them with a towel. Soften each lemon by placing it on a counter and rolling it back and forth as you put firm downward pressure on it with the palm of your hand. Puncture the lemons in at least 20 places each, using a sturdy round toothpick, a trussing needle, a sharp-pointed fork, or similar implement.
Place both lemons in the bird's cavity. Close up the opening with toothpicks or with trussing needle and string. Close it well, but don't make an absolutely airtight job of it because the chicken may burst. Run kitchen string from one leg to the other, tying it at both knuckle ends. Leave the legs in their natural position without pulling them tight. If the skin is unbroken, the chicken will puff up as it cooks, and the string serves only to keep the thighs from spreading apart and splitting the skin.
Put the chicken into a roasting pan, breast facing down. Do not add cooking fat of any kind. This bird is self-basting, so you need not fear it will stick to the pan. Place it in the upper third of the preheated oven. After 30 minutes, turn the chicken over to have the breast face up. When turning it, try not to puncture the skin. If kept intact, the chicken will swell like a balloon, which makes for an arresting presentation at the table later. Do not worry too much about it, however, because even if it fails to swell, the flavor will not be affected.
Cook for another 30 to 35 minutes, then turn the oven thermostat up to 400 degrees, and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Calculate between 20 and 25 minutes total cooking time for each pound. There is no need to turn the chicken again.
Whether your bird has puffed up or not, bring it to the table whole and leave the lemons inside until it is carved and opened. The juices that run out are perfectly delicious. Be sure to spoon them over the chicken slices. The lemons will have shriveled up, but they still contain some juice; do not squeeze them, they may squirt.
Ahead-of-time note:
If you want to eat it while it is warm, plan to have it the moment it comes out of the oven. If there are leftovers, they will be very tasty cold, kept moist with some of the cooking juices and eaten not straight out of the refrigerator, but at room temperature.

Review: Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Joe-Joe’s

Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Joe-Joe’s Review

Ah, Oreos. I miss them! Honestly, if Nabisco made a gluten-free version, I would push you out of the way to get my hands on a box. #sorry. #notsorry.

When Trader Joe’s introduced a gluten-free variety of “Joe-Joe’s”, their awkwardly named chocolate sandwich cookie, I HAD to try them.

As I picked up the box, I noticed that the gluten-free Joe Joe’s are more expensive than the traditional Joe Joe’s. A box of gluten-free Joe Joe’s cost $3.99 for 12.5 ounces, compared to $2.99 for 20 ounces for the regular cookies. While I don’t mind that because I know that the demand for gluten-free foods aren’t the same as traditional, I just wanted to mention it.

That breaks down to about $0.32 per ounce. Not bad for gluten-free sandwich cookies! The size of the package beats out other competitors by at least two ounces. Until now, the largest package offered was Glutino‘s cookies weighing in at 10.5 ounces per box.

As soon as I got home, I broke into the package. (Self restraint when it comes to sandwich cookies? What’s that??)

Cookie

Nicely “sandy” but not crumbly. Similar to the classic Nabisco “Oreo” texture. The cookie isn’t too sweet. In fact, at first it surprised me by how NOT sweet it was. Really strong chocolate flavor from black cocoa.

Filling

Here’s where the cookie lost me a little. The filling wasn’t soft and creamy. It was dry and kind of gritty. It bordered on the waxy. On its own, the filling was sweet but when eaten eaten with the cookie it contained just the right amount of sweetness.

I twisted the cookie apart and licked the filling. It was hard to lick. The disk of filling remained perfectly round after a few licks. At that point, I gave up and just bit into it. The filling broke apart and fell off the cookie when I bit into.

And finally, the box says, “Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies with Real Vanilla Bean Speckles.” I peered at the filling to find them and, sure enough, the filling contained little black dots. I don’t think the vanilla beans added much flavor because the waxy-shortening “flavor” really overpowered everything else.

Overall

Gluten-Free Joe-Joe’s are a tasty sandwich cookies at a really reasonable price.

Would I buy them again? Hmm…that’s tough. Sandwich cookies are a “once in awhile” treat for me. Why? They seem to disappear really fast—which is a problem because I’m the only one eating them. 😉 So when I’m in the mood for these cookies, I think I’d buy the Glutino cookies. BUT I think these cookies would make a great base for a cookie pie crust.

Reminder–No need to be perfect.

Elizabeth Gilbert says that perfection is “the haute couture, high-end version of fear.” Many of us strive to appear perfect. So it’s always fun–and loving–to remind ourselves that perfectionism isn’t worth striving for.

I found a fun reminder in the box of Joe Joe’s.

Take a look at this cookie.

See the bottom cookie. It’s upside down. It’s not (gasp) perfect. And you know what? It’s just fine.

Gluten-Free Ricotta Cheesecake

Sure, classic New York cheesecake, made with cream cheese is great. But I have a soft-spot for ricotta cheesecake. It’s tangier than New York cheesecake and, dare I say it, lighter. If you’ve never had one before, you might be surprised by the texture. It’s slightly “gritty”. But not in a bad way, I promise! It’s just different.

I like to flavor this cheesecake with lemon. It hightlights the slightly tangy flavor of ricotta. You could use orange juice instead of lemon. That’s lovely too!

By the way, occasionally this cheesecake cracks when cooled. Don’t worry about it. Just sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over the top to hide the cracks!

5 from 1 vote

Classic Ricotta Cheesecake

Ricotta adds a tangy flavor to this cheesecake.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

For the Crust

1/2 cup white rice flour (2 ounces; 56 grams)
1/3 cup sweet rice flour (1 1/3 ounces; 38 grams)
1/3 cup tapioca starch (1 1/3 ounces; 38 grams)
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar (1 1/3 ounces; 38 grams)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 stick butter, cold, cut into small pieces (1/2 cup; 4 ounces; 113 grams)
1 large egg (about 1 3/4 ounces; 50 grams, out of shell)

For the Filling

4 cups whole milk ricotta cheese (2 pounds; 1.8 kilos)
1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces; 198 grams)
1/3 cup white rice flour (1 1/3 ounces; 38 grams)
5 large eggs (8 3/4 ounces; 150 grams)
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice (2 ounces; 56 grams)

Instructions

For the Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degress F.
In bowl of food processor, combine white rice flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca starch, confectioners' sugar, baking powder, and xanthan gum. Pulse to combine.
Add butter. Pulse until no large pieces of butter remain. Add egg. Pulse until dough forms, about one minute.
Press dough into bottom and up 1/3 of the side of 9-inch springform pan. Chill for 15 minutes.
Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
For the Filling: While crust bakes, prepare the filling. In bowl of stand mixer, cream ricotta cheese and granulated sugar together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well between each addition. Stop mixer and scrape down bottom and sides of the bowl.
Add white rice flour and lemon juice and zest. Mix until smooth. Pour cheesecake batter into baked crust. Bake until filling does not jiggle, about one hour to one hour and 15 minutes.
Remove pan from oven. Cool on wire rack for two hours. Chill overnight before cutting.

Spicy Paleo Sweet Potato Soup

Years ago, I ordered a bowl of sweet potato soup in a small bistro in Burlington, Vermont. I expected a sweet, creamy soup. What I got was a sweet, creamy soup with a noticeable spicy kick. I loved it! At home, I recreated the soup and included the recipe in my second cookbook, How to Cook Gluten-Free . That recipe, like the one served at the bistro, contained dairy. Several readers asked for a dairy-free variation of the recipe. So I created one.

It’s a remarkable simple soup to make. Start by “sweating” onions, celery, and garlic in a little olive oil. Then add cubed sweet potatoes, chicken (or vegetable) broth, and spices. That’s it! The soup cooks for about 40 minutes. You want the sweet potato pieces to almost fall apart when pierced with a fork. Then blend the soup until smooth. If you own an immersion blender, use it. If not, process the soup in batches in a traditional blender. You don’t want to overfill the blender or the soup could erupt from the blender and burn you. Trust me, you don’t want that to happen.

At this point you could just enjoy the soup. Or you could spice it up! I highly recommended adding a spicy kick to the soup. Smoky chipotle compliments the sweet potato flavor really well. I add ground chipotle powder. If you don’t have chipotle powder on hand, use chipotle hot sauce or regular hot sauce. Around our house, we like the soup with an almost aggressive kick. To achieve this, I add about two teaspoons of ground chipotle powder. Start by adding a half teaspoon and go from there. The heat level of chipotle powders varies from brand to brand. It’s better to start with a little and add more as needed.

To serve, I usually just throw together a simple spinach salad and call it a day. However, it we’re feeling hungry, I brown some ham or sausage as the soup cooks. A link of sausage, a spinach salad, and this soup make for a tasty–and hearty–winter meal. Enjoy the recipe!

Spicy Paleo Sweet Potato Soup

This sweet potato soup comes together in about one hour. To save time, peel and cube the sweet potatoes the night before you plan on making the soup. To save even *more* time, prep all of your vegetables. I like to do this before I go to bed, when the house is quiet. By prepping your vegetables in advance, you save about a half an hour of prep time. While this soup makes a great meal on its own, it's also great with ham or a link or two of browned sausage. Cook the ham or sausage as the soup bubbles away. Then serve with a big salad--I really like spinach salad with this soup.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 6

Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 stalks celery thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
5 cups homemade chicken stock or store-bought reduced-sodium broth
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 2 teaspoons ground chipotle pepper optional

Instructions

In a large soup pot (5 quart), heat olive oil over medium heat, until it shimmers but doesn't smoke. Add the onion, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, for 7 to 9 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft but not brown. If they begin to brown, lower the heat.
Add the sweet potatoes, chicken stock, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer (look for occasional gentle bubbles) for 35 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are very tender. (Test the sweet potatoes with a fork. They should break apart easily when pierced by the tines of a fork.)
Place a large bowl next to the blender. Purée the soup in batches, never filling the blender more than half full, until the soup is smooth.) Pour each puréed batch into the waiting bowl. Repeat until all the soup has been puréed.
Return the soup to the pot. Stir with a wooden spoon. Reheat over medium-low heat but don't bring soup to a boil. Taste and add more salt if you think it needs it. Add 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle, taste. Adjust heat level by adding more chipotle as desired. Ladle the soup into individual bowls and serve hot. Store leftover soup in a covered container in the refrigerator for four days.

Going Gluten-Free in 8 Simple Steps

You found out that you have celiac disease, huh? That’s a pretty big deal! After more than ten years of working with gluten-free folks, and being gluten-free myself, I’ve noticed some steps of going gluten-free. For fun, I jotted down the list.

The Eight Fun Stages of a Celiac Diagnosis

1. I don’t even like bread or pasta! This diet will be a breeze for me. A breeze.

2. I got this.

3. Wait…there’s gluten in what? WHY is there gluten in that? I see no reason for it.

4. No seriously, you’ve got to be kidding me. There’s gluten in THAT?

5. Why am I sick after ordering a plain steak and potatoes? Why? (Alternately: this product was marked gluten-free and I swear I’m reacting. Am I crazy? I think I might be either glutened or crazy. Perhaps both. Does gluten make one crazy? Eff you, gluten!)

6. Ok. That’s it! I’m now bringing food everywhere. Getting sick isn’t worth it. I don’t care if I get the side eye from my mother/sister/co-worker. I’m gonna sit here with my gluten-free meal and enjoy it, damnit!

7. A restaurant that understands cross-contact? And they said dedicated fryer? I’m in love! (Also: an entire aisle filled with gluten-free foods from trusted manufacturers? AMAZING.)

8. You know what, I got this!

What’s the difference between #2 and #8?

Experience. Learning the diet. Healing. Making mistakes. Realizing that oh my god, you poured gravy all over your dinner. Ate it. LOVED it. And only then remembered that your mom thickens her gravy with “Wondra” wheat flour.

Like most things in life, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Honestly, I’m someone who much prefers a sprint. My attitude too often is, “Let’s tackle this thing! Quickly! And then get back to our regularly scheduled life.”

But, as I need to learn again and again, most of life requires marathon-like patience and endurance. Right now, a celiac diagnosis means a lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet. No cheating. No “days off.” So while you do need to eat gluten-free, not gluten-light, as soon as you’re diagnosed, remember to remain open. There’s a lot to learn and, luckily, a great gluten-free community happy to share the ins and outs with you.

What was going gluten-free like for you?

How to Make Homemade Spinach Dip

Time for another round of culinary confessions! Today’s topic: spinach dip. Before going gluten-free, I loved spinach dip. Not high-class spinach dip, mind you. The kind you make from a packet of Lipton soup mix. I added sour cream, mayo, and a little parmesan and called it a day. I didn’t even bother adding water chestnuts or green onions.

Since going gluten-free, I haven’t eaten this dip because (at the time of this piece 1/31/2014), Lipton soup mix contains wheat. Boo!

So when a reader asked about a spinach dip, I headed into the kitchen to get reacquainted with an old friend. And I am so glad I did. Folks, creamy, wonderful spinach dip is back in my life.

Here’s how to make it!

Shred a carrot. Remember to peel it before you shred it!

Chop it. This sounds like a silly step but, trust me, you want small pieces of carrots, not long shreds. You want fine pieces, not a mush.

Then chop an onion. You want that puppy finely chopped! (I, um, forgot that photo.)

Next cook ’em. Why? Well, cooking not only softens the vegetables, it also takes the bite off the onions. This is key. You don’t want the raw onion and carrot to compete with the other flavors. First cook the carrots.

Then cook the onions. You only need to cook the onions for about two minutes. That’s it! Use the same frying pan. If some of the carrots hang around the pan, that’s fine. No need to spend time and energy getting each bit of carrot out of the pan.

While you wait for the onions and carrots to cool, it’s time to deal with the spinach. You want chopped, frozen spinach for this. If you don’t like frozen spinach. Cook fresh spinach, cool it, and then chop.

We need to squeeze the water from the spinach. You can do this by hand. However, I find it easier to put the spinach in a colander and press it with the back of a ladle. Try to get the spinach as dry as possible. Spinach loves to hold onto water.

Stir the onions and carrots together with the spinach.

Add chopped green onions, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and gluten-free soy sauce. Stir.

Plop in mayo and sour cream. Add parmesan if you want. And not fancy parm. The canned kind. Trust me

Spread on a cracker. Die of bliss.

5 from 2 votes

Homemade Spinach Dip

Ditch the mix and make this homemade spinach dip. You'll be so glad you did!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 2 cups of dip

Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil divided
1/2 cup shredded carrot (about 1 medium carrot), finely chopped
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 ten-ounce box chopped spinach, thawed
2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 cup mayonnaise, regular or low fat
1/2 cup sour cream, regular or low fat
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon gluten-free soy sauce
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, preferably the canned kind

Instructions

Heat 1/2 teaspoon olive oil in small nonstick frying pan over medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the carrots. Cook for two minutes or until carrots just begin to softer. Transfer carrots to a plate. Heat remaining olive oil. Cook onions for two minutes or until onions just begin to soften. Place on the plate with the carrots. Allow to cool for five minutes.
While the carrots and onions cool, squeeze the water out of the spinach. I do this by placing the spinach in a colander and pressing on it with the back of a spoon.
In a large bowl, stir together the carrots, onions, and drained spinach. Add the scallions (green onions) and garlic. Stir until combined. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, and gluten-free soy sauce. Stir. If desired, add the Parmesan cheese. Serve. Store leftover dip in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Gluten-Free BCT (Bacon, Cheddar, and Tomato Sandwich)

What’s better in the summer than a BLT? Nothing right? Right! But a BCT (Bacon, Cheddar, Tomato) gives the classic BLT some pretty stiff competition. The reason I love it so much? Grilled.Melty.Cheese. And it’s so easy to make, you don’t really need a recipe. Since this is a recipe-site, however, imma give you one. 🙂

For sandwich perfection, you need two things: smoked bacon and ripe tomatoes. Without these ingredients, the sandwich tastes good but not great. We want GREAT.

First up, let’s talk about bacon. Get good bacon. Really good bacon. The kind of bacon that makes your jaw unhinge a little because it’s so expensive. We’re talking smoked bacon here. I like Dakin Farms from Vermont or Nueskes from WI. Both brands are heavily smoked, thick-cut, and taste like something other than salt. That’s what we want. Flavorful, meaty bacon.

Next up, tomatoes. You want really ripe, really fresh tomatoes. If you don’t grow tomatoes, go to the farmer’s market. (which is what I need to do this year. Why? The %^&$ deer ate all my tomato plants. I’m SO MAD at them.)

As for Cheddar. Use whatever you love. Got an aged Cheddar? Use it. Have a cheapo Cheddar on hand? It’s good! It’ll melt nice and stringy. YUM. Just use Cheddar. No American cheese on this sandwich, please! And if you are dairy-free: Daiya.

Start the sandwich by…not sandwiching it. Butter some bread, heat up your skillet (non-stick, please), and then place the bread, butter side down, on the pan. On one half, put cheese. Then, throw the tomato slices down on the hot skillet for a few seconds, just long enough to warm them. This makes a big difference. Trust me. After the tomatoes have warmed up a smidge, put the tomato slices on top of the cheese, add the bacon, and, finally, sandwich the thing. Then with a firm metal spatula (like this one) press the sandwich down. Wait a few minutes, then flip. Done. Grill until the bread turns golden brown. That’s it.

Of course, with a sandwich, that’s never really it. if you want to add some basil, I’d encourage that! Or make a BMT by swapping the Cheddar for some fresh mozzarella. That would be amazing too. The formula for sandwich success is cheese, bacon, and tomato. And it really doesn’t get any better than that, does it?

Bacon, Cheddar, Tomato Sandwich on white platter.

Gluten-Free BCT (Bacon, Cheddar, and Tomato Sandwich)

This recipe is a guide. Adjust it to make as many sandwiches as you need.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

butter
gluten-free bread for as many sandwiches as you want to make. You need two slices of bread per sandwich
cheddar, about one ounces per sandwich
smoked bacon, two slices per sandwich, cooked
thin tomato slices, about two per sandwich

Instructions

Butter two slices of bread generously. Heat nonstick griddle pan (or large nonstick skillet) over medium heat. Place the bread, butter side down, onto the pan. On one of the slices of bread, sprinkle the cheese. Place the tomato slices directly onto the pan for about 20 seconds. Just long enough to warm the tomatoes. Transfer the warm tomatoes directly on top of the cheese. Top with bacon. Peek under the bread, using a spatula to lift. When it just begins to brown, top with the second slice of bread. Flip the sandwich. Press down firmly with a large metal spatula. Cook until cheese melts and bread browns.
Remove from pan, cut, and enjoy.