The "As Is" Recipe

I have a rule about trying out a new gluten free recipe. If the recipe is already written by someone and I'm giving it a try, I always make the recipe exactly the way the original recipe is written first. Usually, I end up tweaking ingredients to improve taste or texture the second time around.

You see... I have this thing about texture. Always have. Too gritty? Yuck. Too dry? Blech. And let's not even discuss pastiness. *shudder*

So when I cook or bake gluten free, my goal is always a good texture. The best part is, if I am able to achieve a good texture, I can happily share my gf goodies with my non-gf friends because they usually don't know they are eating something sans gluten!

Once in a while, I stumble across a recipe that doesn't require tweaking. Oh, the joy! I can enjoy the labors of my work without my thoughts wandering to my next attempt at it.

This recipe is one of those wonderful non-tweakers. I whipped up a small batch (this recipe only makes about 16 cookies) and was quite skeptical, honestly. The cookie dough is... odd. Wet, dense, shiny... not very cookie dough-ish. I even mentioned in passing to my husband that I was pretty sure I had a impending disaster on my hands.

I was so very wrong.

So. Very. Wrong.

The odd cookie dough transformed in my oven into moist, chewy deliciousness. There is a gentleness about this cookie... the almond butter is a mild flavor against the burst of chocolate. Both of my kids - even my 8-year-old who doesn't care for almond butter or oats - loved them.

Below is my shortened version of the recipe with a couple of steps combined. But if you would rather just use the original recipe I worked from, here it is! http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/03/peanut-butter-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies-flourless-no-butter/

A great big "thank you" to Monique over at the Ambitious Kitchen blog... your recipe was such a fun surprise!

Gluten Free Almond Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (Dairy Free!)

1 cup creamy almond butter
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
2/3 cup rolled oats (I used Bob's Red Mill Certified Gluten Free Oats)
1 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together almond butter, packed dark brown sugar, eggs and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the oats and baking soda and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Fold in chocolate chips.

With a medium cookie scoop, place dough on non-stick cookie sheet or a sheet covered with a silpat. Bake for 9-11 minutes (I baked them for the full 11 minutes) until the edges are lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool for 3 minutes before removing from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Makes about 1.5 dozen cookies.

Pinterest, I Thank You!

Oh, Pinterest... how I love thee. I mean loathe thee. No, I love thee... loathe, love, loathe, love.......

How is it possible that one website can simultaneously inspire me to new heights of baking, decorating, exercising and fashion (ok, maybe not so much on the fashion part) while reminding me that I'm just not very creative, my house isn't quite organized, my dinners are getting redundant and my exercising has taken a back seat?

Love and loathe, loathe and love. Such is the life of a Pinterester. (Just me?)

Today is one example. During our homeschooling time, I had a few moments to relax as I waited for my daughter to do some independent work. Rather than do the dishes, throw that load of laundry in, work on my photography projects, finish creating the end-of-year portfolio for homeschooling or price items for our upcoming neighborhood yard sale, I choose the most logical and efficient use of my time: Pinterest.

And what does that short time on Pinterest do? Amidst my attempts to not look at the perfectly decorated homes and neat-as-a-pin landscape ideas, I zoned in on a recipe for peanut butter chocolate chip muffins. Apparently, a side effect of being on Pinterest is all other things on the current "to do" list go right out the window and an all-consuming need to bake overtakes. (Again, just me?)

30 minutes later, I had warm Almond Butter Chocolate Chip muffins cooling on the counter... and not an ounce of guilt to be found.

Tried a muffin... it tastes like an almond butter chocolate chip cookie in muffin form. Basically, it's ridiculously yummy.

Still have that "to do" list to do.... maybe after another muffin.

Still looking for that guilt, too. Huh.

Gluten Free Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 1/4 cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
6 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup almond butter (I used smooth)
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup mini-chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin pans with non-stick spray or line with paper liners.

In a large bowl, mix together the Pamela's, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the almond butter and melted butter until smooth. Add the eggs and milk and combine thoroughly.

Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until completely combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Scoop into muffin tins and bake for 17-20 minutes until completely set and golden around edges. Allow muffins to cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to finish cooling.

Makes 14-18 muffins, depending on size.

Living with a Picky Eater

When my oldest child was little, she was quite the picky eater. Certain textures would cause her to literally gag and spit out food. We trudged through those years, creating a mealtime rule that stated she must try one bite of whatever is being served. If she didn't like it, she didn't need to to eat it. If she did, great! Fill 'er plate up and on we go.

In the end, it worked out well. Our daughter is now a great eater who enjoys foods from all areas of the food pyramid (or is it the food dinner plate now?) and is practically a fruit addict. We had conquered the battle of the picky eater! We were seasoned veterans now. We could handle whatever came next.

Enter our son.

He has made our daughter look like an adventurous eater. He decided, right after baby food (which, by the way, he loved tremendously, except baby peas... gag) that all green food was evil. We had many battles at the dinner table as we tried to enforce the "one bite" rule. In the end, he would try it... with the end result usually being a "not liking it" vote. Once in while, however, we'd get a winner!

In general, he likes healthy foods. He loves fresh fruit (except kiwi, it's green!), yogurt, dried fruits, oats, eggs, etc... so we supplement with V-8's V-Fusion juice (it's got fruit AND veggie juice in it... shhhh, don't tell him) and he'll eat broccoli if it's hidden in a quiche. Just recently, he decided he likes cucumber, so things are looking up! Perhaps he is finally emerging from his picky eating phase?

One can only hope. And pray. And plead with the Lord that it is.

I decided to come up with a healthy homemade snack for him using foods I know he loves. I try to give the kids snacks that have a little protein in them, to hold them over until a meal. This time around, I came up with a homemade granola recipe that was PERFECT for him. It consisted of just 5 ingredients, all of which he loves: honey, almond butter, cinnamon, vanilla and oats.

I could just picture his chubby little fingers grabbing some crunchy granola as he played with his construction trucks.

I whipped up a batch in no time, allowed it to cool, gave it a try (YUM!) and called him over. I found the perfect little bunch of granola and handed it to my boy, waiting hopefully to see the look of enjoyment on his sweet little face.

I waited.

It never came.

Instead, he screwed up his little features into a grimace and said, through the granola he was chewing, "I don't like it". Then walked away.

Perhaps it's time to spend more time in prayer, pleading with the Lord.

The phase continues.

(By the way, my boy is completely nuts. The granola is amazing. My hubby doesn't even like oats and he was munching away on it last night. My mom was proclaiming its deliciousness all over the house, then ran downstairs to get a yogurt in which to add the granola. Add whatever you like to it once it cools... chocolate chips, craisins, nuts, etc... the sky is the limit!)

Gluten Free Almond Butter Granola

1/4 cup creamy almond butter (or peanut butter)
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups oats (not quick cooking)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, combine the honey and almond butter. Microwave on high for about 20 seconds until the almond butter is slightly melted. Stir to combine.

Add the cinnamon and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Add the oats and stir until they are completely coated in the honey/almond butter mixture. Spread out in a thin layer on the cookie sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes, stirring once until the granola is slightly browned.

Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheet until crunchy.

Will Work For... Cookies?

Currently, I’m having some work done on my house. Nothing crazy, just some new windows and doors. I would venture to say the one perk of having home improvements done in the dead of winter is not having to wait very long to get it done. The schedule is light for them… and now I understand why.


Go right now… open your windows, turn off the heat and sit in the living room. Now just wait. The cold will creep in slowly, starting with your nose and toes. The next thing you know, you are bundled in a blanket with a cup of tea, trying not to let them hear your teeth chattering.


Fun times.

We are in the second and final day of work here… and it just occurred to me now that these poor guys do this every day. In the cold, in the rain, in the snow. Sure, I’m mildly inconvenienced with the chill in the air… but in a few hours I’ll bid them adieu, close everything up and flick my heat back on. They will move on to another house and more hours of working in the cold.

I had a moment of sympathy for these guys and decided to bake them some warm cookies. So I fired up the oven (for those of you wondering… NO… making the cookies was not an excuse to warm up my kitchen by turning on the oven, though it was a bonus!) and got to work on some flourless, dairy-free almond butter chocolate chunk cookies. Gutsy, considering it’s a new recipe. Would the guys finish my windows if my cookies taste like paste?

Well, dear friends, they were grand! (The cookies, not the guys… though they are all very nice. Grand would be stretching it, though.)

Whip up a batch to share with neighbors… or the mail man, or your child’s bus driver. Spread some warm cookie love today!

You’ll be glad you did.

Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1 cup almond butter

1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2 cookies sheets with either parchment paper or a silpat.

In a bowl, stir almond butter and sugars together until well combined. Add egg, baking soda, maple syrup, vanilla; mix well. Stir in the chocolate chunks.

Using a small scooper, drop walnut-sized amounts of dough about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake 12 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before attempting to remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Kiss Peanut Butter Goodbye??

As I’ve mentioned before, on top of the gluten intolerance we also have a potato intolerance and peanut allergy in our house. My poor husband is the only one left in our little family that doesn’t have a food allergy. We are pretty sure he’ll end up with something like… an allergy to all things dairy… so that we are left to nibble on dry rice cakes for the rest of our lives. J

But back to our current issue, the peanut allergy. Giving up peanut butter wasn’t that tough. I like it, but I don’t love it. My mom…. she loves it. Peanut Butter Cups, Peanut Butter Swirl ice cream, Buckeyes… you name it, she loves it. Since she lives in the same house, she has graciously rid her home of all things peanut. She does, however, jump at the opportunity to sneak a little while out with friends. We can’t expect her to completely give it up, can we??

I, personally, am a chocolate chip girl. Take the example above of my mom, cross out peanut butter and replace it with “chocolate chip” and you have me. There’s nothing better than the smell of warm chocolate chip cookies. There are times, though, that I want to make something a little different. In the past, I would make something like a peanut butter cookie. They were my dad’s favorite, and I learned at an early age to master the peanut butter cookie.

Enter almond butter. Oh yes, my friends. If you have a peanut allergy in your home… or if you just love almond butter… TRY THESE.

At this very moment, my mom is munching on a little cookie experiment. She spread just a little Nutella (drooling yet?) between two of these almond butter cookies and is now simultaneously crunching and “Oooooo”-ing and “Ahhhhh”-ing over her creation. So, I think it’s safe to say that it might be worth picking up a jar of Nutella (it’s peanut free!) and be prepared to spend some time ooooo-ing and ahhhhh-ing over your creation!

Giving up peanut butter isn’t that hard. May I suggest some almond butter instead? Friends, I must end this post. There is an almond butter cookie with a little Nutella on it calling my name.

Happy munching!

Gluten Free Almond Butter Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup almond butter (I used Barney Butter)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup potato starch

1/4 cup tapioca starch

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars. Add the egg and almond butter, completely combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, baking soda, potato starch and tapioca starch. Add in two parts to the wet ingredients, beating to completely combine.

Roll into 1-inch balls, place on cookie sheet. Using a fork coated in sugar, press the traditional criss-cross pattern in the top of the cookies.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown on the edges. Cool for 3 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling racks.

Makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

The Challenge

What is it about a challenge that causes us to do things we wouldn’t usually do under normal circumstances? In most cases it’s not a competition, since someone is daring you to try something you’ve never done. So with whom would you be competing against? Just yourself, really.

I l-o-v-e a culinary challenge. Whether the challenge is given to me by me or by someone else, I cannot wait to start and see what happens! My friend, Becca, asked me to attempt a gluten free version of Kandy Kakes. Remember those? Those sinfully delicious little cakes with a strip of peanut butter on top, coated in chocolate? Yes, those.

It’s hard to say, really, if I lived up to the challenge. I took some liberties, you see. First, I can’t use peanut butter because of my son’s peanut allergy. So, instead, I used almond butter. Also, not only did I swap milk chocolate for dark chocolate, but I used much more than you ever get on a pre-packaged Kandy Kake! Seriously, though, how many people do you know of would complain about more chocolate? Yeah, that’s what I thought, too.

So, here it is. Moist cake (no grit!), creamy almond butter, and twice as much chocolate. Oh, yes.

Thanks, Becca, for the challenge! (By the way, I have a lovely Katie’s Kandy Kake sitting here with your name on it. Claim it quickly… I can only keep little hands off of them for so long!)

Anyone else have one more for me? Bring. It. On. ;)

Katie’s Kandy Kakes (GF version!)

4 eggs, beaten to a lemon color

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp veggie or canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups sugar

2 cups Pamela’s Baking Mix

1 ½ cups peanut or almond butter

2 cups dark chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake in a greased 10x15 jelly roll or baking pan.

Combine the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla in a large bowl using a hand mixer on medium. Add the sugar and beat to thoroughly combine. Add the Pamela’s Baking Mix and beat until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20-30 minutes until set in the middle. Remove from the oven and immediately drop spoonfuls of peanut (or almond) butter over the cake. Once melted, spread evenly over the entire top of cake. Freeze, in the pan, for 1 hour. Once frozen, use a biscuit cutter (or whatever shaped cutter you choose) to cut out the cakes. Place the cake cut-outs on a cooling rack placed over a cookie sheet.

In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream on low. Place chocolate chips in a small bowl. Once the cream is hot (but not boiling), pour over the chips. Wait one minute, then stir until the cream is completely incorporated into the chocolate. Balance one cake on a fork or spatula. Keeping the cake over the bowl of chocolate, spoon the chocolate over the cake to coat. Return the cake to the cooling rack to set. Repeat until all are coated. Allow cakes to rest for about 30-45 minutes to set.

(Don’t worry if they don’t look perfectly smooth, they will taste amazing!)