Gluten Free Orange Muffins - THESE ARE DIVINE! :-)

Mmm... Best Orange Muffins on Planet Earth... No one would guess they are gluten free!

Gluten Free Orange Muffins

These little babies are sooooooooo yummy. They will make you want to open your own gluten free bakery after you taste them.  You'll think, "People will pay me to bake these for them!" Then you'll think about how much work opening a gluten free bakery would be, and how complicated owning a business and doing taxes and hiring employees and paying for advertising would be... so you decide to just make these for your family and friends, who will forever consider themselves lucky to know you, the MasterBaker.  :-)

Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup melted butter (use organic... please... it's better for you)  :-)
1/2 cup sugar (use cane sugar... please... it's better for you than beet sugar)  :-)
zest of 1 whole orange (use organic because you don't want pesitcide-laden zest)
1/3 cup fresh pressed orange juice (I've been using mandarin oranges and wow... so yummy)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk or non-dairy substitute
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all these together then add:

2 cups Gluten Free Bisquick (or 2 cups of equivalent gluten free flour blend - include 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder and a little bit of xanthan gum if not using Bisquick)

Stir until combined.  Butter up a muffin tin or use little muffin paper thingies.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the tops begin to get a little brown.

You will love these.  I promise.  Enjoy.  :-)  



Tags: Gluten-free orange muffins, gluten free orange muffins, orange cupcakes, Bisquick, masterbaker, mandarin orange, delicious

Gluten Free Homemade Pasta - So delicious you won't believe it's gluten free!

The Best Gluten Free Homemade Pasta Ever!

(This is from the epicuriuos site)

• 2/3 cup corn flour
• 1/2 cup quinoa flour
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon guar gum
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 large eggs
• 4 egg yolks from large eggs

Combining the Flours
Sift the corn flour, quinoa flour, and potato starch into a large bowl. Add the xanthan gum, guar gum, and salt and stir. Sift the entire mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer.

Forming the Pasta Dough
Put the eggs and egg yolks into the bowl of dry ingredients. Run the stand mixer on medium speed with a paddle attachment until the dough feels fully formed, about 3 minutes. The final dough should feel firm yet still pliable, a little like playdough.

Making the Pasta
If you are using a pasta machine, cut the ball of dough into quarters and roll out each piece of dough to about a 1/2-inch thickness. We like to roll out each piece between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Lightly flour both sides of the dough with a bit more potato starch. Run the dough through the machine, increasing the setting each time, until the dough is paper-thin and long. If the pasta sheet starts to break, it is thin enough.

If you are making the dough by hand, we suggest you cut the ball of dough into 8 pieces, and then cut each of those pieces in half, so they are about the size of golf balls. Roll out each piece of dough as thin as you possibly can.

For fettuccine, use the fettuccine setting on the pasta machine. If you are cutting the dough by hand, you want ribbons of pasta, about 1/4-inch wide. For spaghetti, use the spaghetti setting on the pasta machine. If you are cutting the dough by hand, you want thin strings of pasta.

For ravioli, cut the rolled-out pasta into 2-inch-square pieces. Dollop the filling in the middle of a square of pasta. Brush the edges of the pasta with an egg wash. Place another pasta square on top and press down, crimping the edges. (Having a ravioli cutter on hand helps with this process.)

For lasagna, leave the pasta in long sheets.

To cook the pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Put the pasta shape of your choice into the boiling water. When the pasta rises to the surface, take a little piece and taste it. You should be able to bite into it without it falling apart. (With gluten-free pasta, it's a fine line. One moment it's al dente, and the next it's one big ball of mush, so watch the pot.) Cooking times will vary for the different shapes. Fettuccine generally takes 4 to 5 minutes, spaghetti 3 to 4 minutes. Ravioli takes a little longer, about 5 to 6 minutes. The cooking times will differ in each kitchen, depending on how thin you were able to roll out the dough. Let your taste be the judge.

variations:

You have some wiggle room with different flours here. Tapioca flour works as a replacement for the potato starch, as does cornstarch. You might try sorghum or brown rice if you cannot eat corn. However, be sure to substitute by weight instead of volume.

(Editor's note: Yum!)

Creamy Fettucine with lemon, pepper and yumminess

Creamy Fettucine with lemon, pepper and yumminess

This was A-MAZ-ING!  Yum!

Ingredients
Kosher salt
12 ounces pasta (for gluten free eaters I recommend Deboles Gluten Free pasta)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large shallot, minced
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 large egg yolk
1 to 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/3 cup grated pecorino cheese, plus more for garnish
Freshly ground pepper
Crusty bread, for serving (optional)
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook as the label directs. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup cooking water.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Whisk the cream, egg yolk and lemon zest in a bowl. Reduce the heat to low and add the cream mixture and cheese to the skillet. Cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and 2 to 3 teaspoons pepper.

Add the pasta to the skillet and toss, adding enough of the reserved cooking water to loosen the sauce. Divide among bowls and garnish with more pecorino. Serve with crusty bread, if desired.

A Clock for Hobbits and Hobbit-Lovers! Second breakfast, Elevesies, Luncheon, Afternoon Tea...

Finally... a clock for Hobbit-lovers!  Lord of the Rings peeps, check this out:

http://www.zazzle.com/cute_wall_clock_second_breakfast_elevensies-256761752556460248

How cute is this?  It's $24.95 on zazzle.com and you can get 20% off if you use 

the code  AXRFG951UWQ4 when you check out!

Tags: Elevensies, Elevenses, Second Breakfast, Luncheon, Afternoon Tea, It's five o'clock somewhere...

Gluten Free Gingerbread Men AND WOMEN Cookies - So yummy! The Best!

Gluten Free Gingerbread Men AND WOMEN  :-)

These are every bit as yummy... or more yummy than gluten filled cookies!  :-)

What you need:
1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons molasses

1 egg

1 3/4 cups Gluten Free Bisquick*

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Quick instructions: Mix the dry ingredients, add the wet.  Mix well.  Refridgerate for a bit.  Roll out using a bit of gluten free flour or Bisquick to keep it from sticking to the board or the rolling pin.  Cut your cute shapes.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  Frost with a simple buttercream frosting.  Eat.  Repeat.  ;-)

*If using a gluten free flour blend rather than Bisquick, add 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon xanthan gum and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies... that taste AMAZING!!!

Bron's Famous Chocolate Cake

Derwyn's sister Bronwyn Hanney Grissom makes the best chocolate cake ever.  She is a a wonderful and kind person, so she shared her recipe with me.  :-)  I made this with regular flour before I went gluten free, and I've made it with gluten free flour since... and it's still AMAZING.  Recipes for the cake and frosting are found on the below photos.  :-)  (Thank you, Bron!)

Sorry it's sideways!  I don't know why it loaded like this!  :-}

Gluten Free Zucchini Bread - THE MOST AMAZING RECIPE! You won't miss the gluten at all!

Gluten Free Zucchini Bread

You seriously will fall in love with this zucchini bread.  My husband can eat gluten yet he loooooooves this recipe.  :-)

2 cups Gluten Free Bisquick
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini 
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:Heat oven to 350°F and grease the bottom of 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Stir first three ingredients in a bowl.  Add oil, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and walnuts and stir to combine.  (Don't stir too much.)  Pour into loaf pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Loosen sides of pan and remove and place on wire rack top side up.

Spread with butter and enjoy!!!