Simple Fudge

            Butter

            1 ½ c. sugar

            2/3 c. half-and-half or light cream

            ½ c. butter

            6 oz. 60-percent-cocoa chocolate,

            chopped or 6 oz. (1 cup) semisweet chocolate pieces

            ½ c. silvered almonds, or chopped walnuts toasted (optional)

            1 tsp. vanilla

           

1.      Line an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan.  Butter foil; set aside.

2.      Butter sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan. (Without a heavy pan, the mixture will overcook and separate.)  In saucepan medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until mixture boils.  Reduce heat to medium; continue cooking for 10 minutes.  Boil slowly and stir constantly (mixture should not brown).

3.      Remove pan from heat.  Add chocolate and nuts (if desired) and vanilla. Stir until mixture is melted and combined.  Beat by hand for 1 minute.

4.      Spread fudge evenly in prepared pan.  Score into squares while warm.  Cover and chill for 3-4 hours or until firm.  When firm, use foil to lift from pan.  Cut fudge into squares, than cut each in half to make triangles.  Store tightly covered in the refrigerator before serving.  Makes about 2 pounds (64 pieces.)       

Original Recipe Credit:  Better HOmes and Gardens Annual Recipes 2003 pg. 22 

                                                                                             Thank you for reading,

                                                                                                                 Marriah N.

  

Chocolate Cake

1 c. Pamela’s Mix (or all-purpose flour)

            1 c. sugar (xylitol, coconut sugar, or organic dehydrated cane juice)

            ½ c. unsweetened cocoa powder

            ½ tsp. baking soda

            ¼ tsp. baking powder

            ¼ tsp. salt

            ¾ c. milk

1/3 c. cooking oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg

Sifted powdered sugar (optional)

           

1.                            Preheat oven to 350° F.  Grease and lightly flour a 9x1 ½ - inch round or 8x8x2-inch baking pan.

2.                            In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Add milk, oil, and vanilla.  Beat with an electric mixer on low speed just until combined.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Add egg and beat 2 minutes more.  Pour batter into prepared pan.

3.                             Baking four 30-35 minutes or until a wooden tooth pick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove cake from pan.  Cool thoroughly on wire rack. To serve, sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Makes 8 servings.

            ORIGINAL RECIPE CREDIT: Better Homes and Gardens Annual Recipes 2004 pg. 79.


                                                                                                  Thank you for reading,
                                                                                                                      Marriah N.

Butterscotch Pudding

            2/3 c. coconut sugar

            ¼ c. cornstarch

            ¼ tsp. salt

            2 ½ c. milk

            4 large egg yolks

            2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

            1 tsp. vanilla extract

           

1.      Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl; set aside.  In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt.  Very gradually (a few tablespoons at a time) whisk in milk, taking care to dissolve cornstarch.  Whisk in egg yolks.

2.      Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until the first large bubble forms and sputters.  Reduce heat to low; still whisking, cook 1 minute.  Remove from heat; immediately pour through sieve into bowl.  Stir butter and vanilla into hot pudding.

3.      Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding (to prevent skin from forming); chill at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.  Before serving, whisk pudding until smooth; divide among four serving dishes.

NOTE:  If you want to make plain vanilla just use regular sugar instead of coconut sugar, and if you want chocolate pudding add 1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder to the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Also as a side note, the coconut sugar is what makes this pudding taste like butterscotch.

ORIGINAL RECIPE CREDIT:  Martha Stewart.

                                                                                       Thank you for reading,

                                                                                                               Marriah N.

Cinnamon- Raisin Mini Muffins

            1 ¾ c. Pamela’s Mix

            ½ c. sugar (remember add a bit extra if baking with coconut sugar.)

            1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon, divided

            ¾ c. chopped raisins

            1 ¼ plus 2 – 3 tbsp. whole milk, divided.

            ½ c. butter, melted

            1 large egg, lightly beaten

            1 c. confectioner’s sugar

            NOTE: The confectioner’s sugar is for the glaze which is optional.

            1.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Spray a 24-cup mini muffin pan with nonstick baking spray; set aside.

            2.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, and 1 tsp. cinnamon.  Stir in raisins to coat.

            3. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 ¼ cup. milk, melted butter, and egg.   Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.

 Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in a pan for 10 minutes; remove to wire rack and cool completely.

            4.  In a small bowl, combine confectioner’s sugar, remaining ½ tsp. cinnamon, and remaining 2 tbsp. milk.  Add addition 1 tbsp. milk, if needed.  Spoon icing into a squeeze bottle; Drizzle on tops of muffins.

          Original recipe credit goes to Southern Lady magazine.

                                                                                                             Thank you for reading,

                                                                                                                                  Marriah N.

 P.S. If you cannot have milk try using unsweetened almond milk, or unsweetened rice milk, in your baking, you cannot taste it and it really makes some recipes richer in flavor.

Great Gluten-Free Products

     These products are absolutely amazing!  That sandwich bread takes a bit of getting used to but the taste is spectacular and it is at it's peak when toasted with a bit of strawberry jam on it!  You can buy these products, and a whole lot more, at Kroger, Publix, Whole Food Market, or online at,                                                                  

                                                                      amazon.com,

http://udisglutenfree.com/

http://www.pamelasproducts.com/

!!Enjoy!!

Substitute Sugar

     I am going to be completly honest here, baking sugar-free is a bit trying at first, mostly because of the color and taste difference, but just stick with it, some things are even better than the orginal recipe.  
      My family and I recently started baking sugar-free and it was quite a change. We use coconut sugar which actually is not from the coconut, it is from tree itself!  So it does not taste like coconut...more like a light brown sugar.  And we use xylitol to sweeten our tea and coffee, which we do drink a lot of.
     The first most important thing if you are a diabetic looking for a sugar substitute is to find one that does not effect your blood sugar right?  Yes...but, you should also look for a substitute that actually has beneficial qualities.  Like coconut sugar and xylitol or something like that, that actually is good for you.  Stevia is also another great sugar substitute, but it does take some getting used too. I don't use it because...well I think it is nasty but some people (my Dad for one) love it immensely!
     When baking with coconut sugar, again, just substitute it for the regular sugar.  Granted it won't taste the same, and it cannot be used in some things, but it is quite good.  And also when baking with coconut sugar you will want to add at least a quarter of a cup more then what the actual recipe calls for, it is not as sweet as regular sugar.
     I believe that is all I have to say on the subject of Gluten-Free and Sugar-Free baking, so I will soon start posting recipes!


     - Marriah

  

The Change

     Okay, you just got the news that you have to go Gluten-Free or sugar free and now is the time to panic, right? Wrong!  Gluten-Free baking is a blast and it is super easy!  My family had to go Gluten-Free about a year ago and at first I was very unhappy, to put it lightly. Come on, I LOVE baking.  It is a passion of mine, and I thought I would never make anything wonderful tasting again. Baking with bean flour was definitely not what I saw in a good muffin recipe.  But then my older sister (who is also Gluten-Free) discovered Pamela's Gluten-Free Pancake and Baking Mix!  And I have to say, I now like it better than all-purpose flour. All you have to do is just substitute it for flour!
     A while ago I helped teach a Gluten-Free baking class, and everybody was saying how someone they had known said that baking Gluten-Free was a nightmare!  It really is not!  In some ways it seems easier than useing all-purpose flour.   But a small thing you have to remember when baking Gluten-Free is that you can't let your batter sit out, because it will attract moisture from the air and change the consistency of the batter. Not much, but it won't be as good as it could have been.
    Now if you don't know where you can buy Pamela's Gluten-Free Pancake and Baking mix you can buy it at Kroger, Publix, or online at Amazon.com.  
    I hope you enjoyed the post and I will try and do one about Sugar-Free baking soon!


   - Marriah

Hello

Welcome! To a blog where Gluten-Free treats abound!!
I hope you will enjoy this blog as much as I will enjoy doing it. 
And have a very Merry Christmas one and all!! :)