Gluten Free Nanaimo Bars

Some holiday traditions should really be done all year round. The Nanaimo bar is always around the house at the holidays. Normally made with graham cracker crumbs, I had to make a change this year and there's no difference whatsoever. Other than no tummy ache!!


From Wiki: "The Nanaimo bar is a dessert of Canadian origin popular across North America. A type of chocolate no-bake square, it is named after the West-Coast city of Nanaimo, British Columbia. It consists of a wafer crumb-based layer, topped by a layer of light vanilla or custard flavoured butter icing, which is covered in chocolate made from melted chocolate squares.[1] Many varieties are possible by using different types of crumb, flavours of icing (e.g. mint, peanut butter), and types of chocolate. Two popular variations on the traditional Nanaimo bar involve mint flavoured icing or mocha flavoured icing."


I used Josef's graham crackers:


They worked fantastic but are slightly difficult to find. Kinnikinnick Graham Crumbs are becoming more widely available though.
Since my Sugar Cookies turned out so well last time, I think I might bake a few a little bit more and then crush them. I'm sure I will find a place for the rest of the cookies that are made. The first batch didn't last long at all!




Nanaimo Bars


Base

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
4 Tbsp cocoa
2 cups graham wafer crumbs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans


Custard

1/4 cup butter
3 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp vanilla custard powder or pudding powder
2 cups sifted icing sugar
Add peppermint extract to taste and green food colouring to tint to your preference

Topping

4 squares semi-sweet chocolate
1 tsp butter


For base:
Mix 1/2 cup butter, white sugar, egg and cocoa in top of double boiler and set over boiling water. Stir until mixture resembles a custard. Combine crumbs and nuts and mix into cocoa mixture. Spread and press tightly into a 9x9 pan. Chill while preparing custard.

For custard:
Cream 1/4 butter, milk, custard powder and icing sugar, peppermint and food colouring together and spread over mixture in pan. Chill while preparing topping.

Topping:
Melt chocolate over hot water and add butter and blend well. Spread over custard filling. Let set and chill.*
If you like, when the chocolate has set slightly you can score the chocolate so that it won't break when it's firmly set.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!

Gluten Free Cinnamon Bun Cake

Remember when Cinnabon first appeared in malls? The smell overtook the nearby area and you just had to buy some to take home. You know, back when your hips and butt were a whole lot smaller?

Well anyways, Cinnamon buns have always been a Christmas tradition at my house. Used to just go with the easy Pillsbury Pop-open packs and then last year I made my own using a recipe I found on the celiac forums. They were quite good and I thought about making them again but then somewhere in my constant browsing of food sites, I saw it.


CINNAMON BUN CAKE

I planned on making it and just converting it to Gluten Free but I could not find the same page again.

So I made my own.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Bun Cake

How easy does that look? It's quick,it's convenient, it's easy. No kneading or rolling, just scooping and smoothing.

Cinnamon Bun Cake


Cake

• 1/2 c. butter ( melted will make the batter easier to spread but softened is also fine)
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. gluten free flour ( I use 2 parts brown/white rice, 2/3 part potato starch, 1/3 part tapioca)
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Cinnamon Mix

• 1/4 c.brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Icing

• 1.5 - 3 ounces of a package cream cheese, softened ( I prefer 1.5-2 myself for less cream cheese taste)
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract ( I use clear vanilla extract)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Grease 9 x 9 inch pan or line with parchment paper

Mix well butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Add eggs. Mix in flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt and vanilla extract. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together. Spoon 1/2 of the batter in the pan and spread batter over pan and sprinkle with 1/2 of the Cinnamon Mix. Top with remaining batter and cinnamon mix.  Bake 350°F. for 30-35minutes or until cake tests done.

 

For icing, using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, vanilla and salt together until icing is smooth and fluffy, approx 5 minutes.

 

Pour icing over warm cake and let sit to cool.

** If you are making this with regular flour, use 1 cup of all-purpose flour and omit xanthan gum**

I used my Peach Cake recipe for the base cake mix.

 

First layer of batter and cinnamon

2nd layer

Looks perfect to me!

You're covering it in cinnamon and icing anyway so it doesn't have to be beautiful

Fresh out of the oven

How do I not own a square 9 x9 pan anymore?

Every bite has cinnamon and icing

Hello there....

 

Chocolate Temptation Chocolate Cake

This is the greatest chocolate cake that I've ever had, hands down. This includes my pre-Gluten Free days. I was never one to make my own cake from scratch since the boxed mixes always turned out so well and were so moist. Rather than using boxed GF cake mixes that fall apart, taste flat and only make 1 layer, why not try a real cake?

This comes from Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman and truly is a great recipe.

I've made it before but posting this time with my own alterations making it easier than ever!

 

 

My very first attempt at this cake last year. I've made it many times since then.

Chocolate Temptation Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1 Cup Butter
• 2 cups Sugar

• 2 cups all-purpose Gluten-Free Flour*
• 2 tsp xanthan gum
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• 4  Heaping Tablespoons  Cocoa
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder

 

• ½ cup Buttermilk ( use 1 /2 cup milk plus 2 tsp of cider vinegar if you do not have buttermilk)
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 cup Hot Water

For the Icing:

• ½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
• 3/4 cup Butter
• 4 Heaping Tablespoons Cocoa
• 6 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 pound  Powdered Sugar (approx 1/2 bag of a 1 kg bag)

*also use an additional  small amount  of butter and 2 Tablespoons of flour for flouring cake pan

Note: I have used a general all purpose GF flour mixture from Bulk Barn as well as my standard baking mix of 2 parts rice flour, 2/3 part potato starch and 1/3 part tapioca starch.

Preparation Instructions

Prepare 9 x 13 pan by greasing with butter and sprinkle in 2 Tablespoons of gluten free flour. Shake flour around pan until lightly covered and discard remaining flour.
Heat oven to 350F.

 

In mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy and add sugar. Mix until well combined.
Add flour, xanthan gum, salt, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder. Mix well.
Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
Carefully add 1 cup hot water and gently stir until water is incorporated.
Pour into prepared cake pan.

 

Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes until tester comes out clean.

 

While cake is baking, make the icing.

 

 Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Before baking

 

Poured warm icing over warm cake

 

For my birthday, I made small squares of cake and then poured the icing over top.

Stays nice and moist for over 1 week if it lasts that long. Keep a fork nearby and sneak some everytime you go in the kitchen and it'll be gone sooner.  I know from experience

 

 

I plan on making this into a layer cake, into small cakes, cupcakes etc and just change up the icing. It's just a great recipe.

Adopt a GF Blogger - Ellen from I Am Gluten Free

For this month's Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger hosted by Seamaiden at the Book of Yum, I chose a blogger whose blog I have visited from the early days of going gluten free. I often visited the post about wontons however I have never made them. I visited the posts about bagels and breadsticks and wraps, oh my.
Then I saw this recipe for cookies.

Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies.

I'm not a huge chocolate chip cookie fan. I can take them or leave them.

What I can't resist, is White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies. When people used to go to Subway for lunch and they would bring back a pile of cookies, I chose that one. When we would bake cookies at a bakery I used to work at, those were the ones I would sneak or buy a package to take home.

So when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make them. Unfortunately, I don't have macadamias in my pantry nor do I live on the macadamia-carrying-grocery-store side of town. What I did have was almonds: whole, sliced or slivered. I chose sliced.

This is my new cookie recipe. I'm sure I can make anything with this. Cranberry orange, dried cherry/pistachio, butterscotch pecan, double chocolate etc.
I haven't made a lot of gluten free cookies. I have made my  Rolled Sugar Cookies and some oatmeal butterscotch pecan cookies, peanut butter chocolate and I think that's it.
It just seemed like a lot of people weren't having any luck with GF cookies - they would spread or not hold their shape etc. So I didn't really work on them.

However, cookies are back!

White Chocolate Almond Cookies

Hello........



I love white chocolate.

 I can't wait to try more of Ellen's recipes. They are so organized. Mexican, Indian, Pasta, Vegetarian, she's got it all. She's also got a fantastic blog roll on the side which leads you to some absolutely fantastic blogs plus a bunch of links to celiac info. I Am Gluten Free is a fantastic resource for someone just starting out like I was a couple years ago. I hope you take a look.

Gluten Free Caramel Apple Pie

Back in the day, I used to bake a lot of pies. A LOT. Hundreds per day. Of course, they were frozen at the bakery I worked at, so we egg-washed and sugared the top and then baked until golden brown. I never really liked pie then though. I enjoyed pecan pie and pie crust but I was never big on fruit fillings.

A couple of years ago, I wanted some apple pie and found a really well-reviewed recipe on All Recipes. I picked up some Pillsbury rollout pie crust dough which was fairly new to us and went for it. It was unbelievable. Probably because it was more of a caramel version than cinnamon and nutmeg and if you've read any of my other posts, you know I love caramel.

The recipe is fairly simple to change over, but I had to make some pie dough.
Thankfully, I found Donna Jo's Dream Pastry from Bette Hagman online.
You can find it by a quick search but I find that a few of them either omit the water or have very little or just have the wrong ingredients.

I do not use shortening or butter substitutes because well, butter's better and I can't do soy without a lot of pain. You could also use 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup butter flavoured shortening.

Gluten Free Pie Pastry

 Adapted from Donna Jo's Dream Pastry which lacks the sweet rice flour  and Donna Jo's Dream Pastry from here.

• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• 1 cup sweet rice flour
• 1 rounded tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp salt
• dash sugar optional
• 1 cup butter
• 1 egg cold
• 1 Tbsp. GF vinegar
• 2 - 4 Tbsp cold water

 sweet rice flour for rolling

  

Blend together the flours, xanthan gum, salt, and sugar. Cut in the butter in small dabs until you have pieces the size of lima beans (not cornmeal).

Beat the egg using a fork; add the vinegar and ice water. Stir into the flour mixture, forming a ball. You may knead this a bit, since rice flour crusts can stand handling. Refrigerate the dough for an hour or more to chill.

Divide dough and roll out on a sweet rice-floured board (or on floured plastic wrap, for easier handling). Place in a pie tin. If using plastic wrap, remove it to the pie tin and invert the dough into the pan. Shape before removing the plastic. Bake as directed for the filling used.

For a baked crust, prick the pastry with a fork on sides and bottom. Bake the crust in a pre-heated 450 oven for 10 - 12 minutes, or until slightly browned. Cool before filling. Makes enough pastry for a 2-crust 9" pie plus 1 pie shell.

Well, now that that is over with.

Let's make pie!

Caramel Apple Pie

Adapted from Apple Pie by Grandma Ople

 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie- unbaked

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons gluten free flour mix
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 Golden Delicious and 3 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced and placed in separate bowl

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Place the bottom crust in your pan.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in gluten free flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.

Pour half of caramel mixture over apples and toss gently. Return caramel to stove.
 Fill pie crust with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven on a cookie sheet to catch any drips. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

So it's not a perfect lattice but it was getting a wee bit warm. This is before I added the last half of the caramel

Mid way through baking. Definitely need a tray underneath.

Mmmm pie. I may or may not have pulled off pieces of crust to munch on.

Just as good as my old version

This post is linked to Gluten Free Wednesdays at The Gluten Free Homemaker and also to A Gluten-Free Holiday, hosted by Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free with this week's event Thanksgiving Favorites being hosted by Shirley of Gluten-Free Easily.

xo

Kathleen

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Peanut Butter Squares

I wanted chocolate. I wanted peanut butter. I bought some Erewhon Gluten Free Organic Brown Rice Crisp Cereal today.

Which means, one of my old stand-bys from back in the gluten-filled day from my handwritten cookbook of all my favourites. Rather than Rice Krispies, this rice crisp cereal works out wonderful in a simple change to Gluten Free.

Peanut Butter Squares
 Line a 8x8 square pan with parchment paper

• 6 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 2 cups rice crisp cereal
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter

In medium saucepan, melt butter, 1/2 cup of peanut butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Stir until smooth.
Pour in the cereal and nuts and stir until coated.  
Pour into prepared pan. 
Melt chocolate chips and 1/3 cup peanut butter together in small saucepan or melt in microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each interval until melted. 
Pour over cereal, spreading evenly. 
Chill until firm and cut into whatever size pieces you wish. 

This is the  "I can't wait for it to properly set before I have one" look.

This is always a Christmas party classic square which is when we usually have this. I think I might make it more often now.  

Ahhh, much better!

This post is linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays

xo

Kathleen

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Caramel Meringue Cake

Well this is not exactly a recipe, first of all.

There is a bakery who does a lot of wholesale orders to local restaurants and grocery stores and I have always loved their cakes. They do one in particular which is a pecan and hazelnut meringue, whipped cream and caramel sauce. 2 layers of each. Of course, somewhere in their ingredients list is wheat. My ingredients list for the same cake? Egg whites, brown sugar, pecans/almonds, Sugar, butter, whipping cream, more whipping cream, gelatin, sugar.

I wanted to make one earlier this year so I set out searching for recipes. I found a meringue/pavlova recipe that I split into two rounds. I found a caramel sauce and then I found a whipped cream that called for some gelatin to stabilize it a little and that's all I needed.

The pavlova/meringue had ground pecans and almonds and some brown sugar added to it.
The whipped cream had the gelatin added and the next time I make it, I'll let it rest a while first so it changes consistency to a thicker more stable cream.
The caramel sauce, although incredibly delicious was still a little too thin and was a little runny.

Check out more Whipped Cream recipes  at The W.H.O.L.E Gang's Friday Foodie Fix 

Old Fashioned Peach Cake

Last fall, one of my first attempts at altering a recipe came from a recipe in one of the local newspapers that was taken from Cooks.com. It turned out to be a wonderful plum cake. It would also turn out really nicely with any mix of berries on top as well.

Old Fashioned Peach Cake 


Cake

• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. gluten free flour ( I use 2 parts brown/white rice, 2/3 part potato starch, 1/3 part tapioca)
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla or 1-2 TBSP Amaretto (why not?)
• 3 peaches, sliced or enough to cover the top of the cake ( toss in lemon juice to keep from browning)

`Topping

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix well butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Add eggs. Mix in flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt and vanilla extract or Amaretto. Grease  9 x 9 inch pan or line with parchment paper. Press peach slices into top of batter that has been spread in pan. Sprinkle topping over peaches.
Bake 375°F. for 40 to 45 minutes or until cake tests done.

** If you are making this with regular flour, use 1 cup of all-purpose flour and omit xanthan gum**

Must buy more peaches!!!
Check out more Peach recipes  at The W.H.O.L.E Gang's Friday Foodie Fix

Strawberry Shortcake

It's that time of year again. Strawberry time. It's almost over and I still hadn't either picked or bought any.

We went out searching for some today and found some great looking berries.

I used to make Grandma's Tea biscuits but have since settled for Pamela's Baking Mix since I've been gluten-free.

I wanted to make some jam even though I've never really even used jam. Ever since "I Made Toast" I wanted to make some toast with jam.

I also saw some recipes in a Mexican magazine for Agua Fresa or Strawberry Water.

Plus some pureed strawberries frozen for future use.

So I made all of that. 





I didn't want regular biscuits for shortcake. I wanted those little sponge cakes that you get in 6-packs in the store.

So I found a recipe on Recipezaar and went to work on it. I had to make a few changes because I was out of icing sugar and I didn't want it to turn out eggy as some of the reviews said.

Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake Recipe 

30 min | 15 min prep

SERVES 12 -15 , 12 -15 Little cakes

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup icing sugar - I used white granulated sugar
• 4 eggs - I used 3 whole eggs and 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12-muffin pan. I used cupcake liners but I'd grease next time.
2. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar, using electric mixer.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.
4. In a small bowl mix the cornstarch and baking powder together and add slowly to the creamed mixture. (If added too quickly, it will fly about the kitchen.).
5. Mix until well blended.
6. Fill the greased muffin tins half full.Use a second muffin tray if you need it, filling empty ones with a little water. 
7. Bake for 15 minutes. (Test with a toothpick, after 15 minutes, even if the top looks shiny).
8. Remove from the pan while still warm. (They will look like little cupcakes.But trust me they will taste just like little shortcakes).

Serve topped with strawberries, and whipped cream.

 How good does that look? 

Now, the part where it says grease the pan and only fill halfway? That is the part you need to pay attention to. 

Otherwise...

It's okay. You can laugh. I did.  


I remade them another day since they were all gone.
With this batch, I mixed by hand so they didn't get incredibly aerated and they all did fit in one tray, that I greased rather than using cupcake liners. 

With the new " dessert shells" as they are called in the store officially, I made some peach shortcake if you want to call it that. 

Wild blueberries and Peach Shortcake with Ice cream, Whipped Cream and Caramel Sauce

Check out more Peach recipes  at The W.H.O.L.E Gang's Friday Foodie Fix 

 

Gluten Free Rhubarb Coffee Cake

One of the best parts of spring. We transplanted some when we moved and it's not quite ready yet but happily, someone brought about a dozen stalks to us.

I've found some jams and other uses for it but I always loved Rhubarb Cake from Best of Bridge cookbook.

I can never admit the most common way I eat rhubarb though.

I've had a few good successes with a general gluten free flour mixture so it's time to give the cake another go. It's a very forgiving recipe since I was short on eggs and forgot the vanilla and it still turned out wonderful.

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs - I only had 1 so I used it and then 1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup sour milk ( 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 cup milk)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups gluten free flour( I used 2 parts brown, 2/3 part potato starch, 1/3 part tapioca starch)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp vanilla - oops, I forgot this
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped fine

Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Cream brown sugar and butter, add eggs and beat well. Add sour milk, soda,salt and flour.
Mix well and add vanilla and rhubarb.
Pour into 9x13 greased and floured pan.
Mix brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on batter.

Bake at 350F for 45 minutes.

DO NOT ADD CARAMEL SAUCE.


It makes it utterly amazing. I'm sure you don't want that. Ick....Ughh, No thank you!

Okay, I lied.


Add the caramel sauce.

This post is linked to Simply Gluten Free's Gluten Free Photo Contest.

Check out some other cake recipes on Gluten Free Homemaker Gluten Free Wednesday - Cake Recipes

Gluten Free Chocolate Mint Brownies

St Patrick's Day. Day of the Sugar Cookie with Green Icing. Or not.

I wasn't sure I would have time to make them and then I spotted Chocolate
Mint Brownies on the homepage of  www.allrecipes.com

Hmmmm. Could I? 

I've been meaning to make Gluten Free Turtle Brownies from The Baking Beauties for a while now.
Even bought the caramels but not the pecans.

Her brownies, my mint nanaimo custard/icing filling and chocolate topping.

Nanaimo???
What's that?

Happy St Patrick's Day!!