Nutlove: Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

It's getting close to Christmas and the end of the year, so I wanted to share another #nutlove recipe before the end of the month that's great to share with the family. I adapted it from a Cinnabon clone recipe on that I found on +Allrecipes.com. The original recipe can be found at: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/clone-of-a-cinnabon/. I adapted it in two ways, I made it gluten free, and changed the directions to not use a bread machine. It's easy, and super delicious!

Check out our pinterest board for all of the nut related recipes this month: http://pinterest.com/bdgergrl/love-bloghop/. If you'd be interested in joining our food love blog hop, then let me know via th Contact Page, or contact me on Google+ +T.R. Crumbley.

Active Prep Time 30 minutes
Inactive Prep Time 1 1/2 hour
Bake Time  15 minutes

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup warm milk

½ cup sugar

2 ¼ teaspoon quick active yeast

2 room temperature eggs

1/3 cup melted butter

4 tsp xantham gum

½ cup brown rice flour

1 cup potato starch

1 1/3 cup tapioca flour

1 2/3 cup sweet rice flour

Filling

1 cup light brown sugar

2 ¼ tbsp. cinnamon 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup soft butter

Frosting

3 oz soft cream cheese

¼ cup soft butter

1 ¼ cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Steps
In a large bowl, add the milk, sugar, and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes. Stir in the butter and eggs to the milk mixture. In a medium bowl, stir the gum and flours together. Slowly add to the milk mixture. Once the dough becomes hard to mix by spoon, knead the dough by hand until the dough is well combined. Cover with a cloth and store in a warm place for half an hour.

In a small bowl, mix the butter, cinnamon, nuts, and sugar together. Remove the dough from the bowl and roll out to a rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the filling on the dough, and roll into a log. Cut into 3/4 inch thick rolls, and place into a greased rectangular pan. Cover with a cloth and let sit for 30 minutes.

Once they have risen more, bake them in a 400F preheated oven. While the rolls bake, stir the frosting ingredients together. Once the rolls are slightly golden brown, remove from the oven and frost while warm.  

Fancy Santa Hat Brownies

Last Saturday night we were invited to a neighborhood holiday party.  I wanted to bring a gluten-free dessert but wanted something different, yet festive, creative, colorful but it had to be gluten-free.  I turned to Pinterest to get my creative juices flowing.  Many of you, I am sure, are familiar with Pinterest. The creativity on this social media platform is astounding and is a must to at the very least explore.  This is where I found the Fancy Santa Hat Brownie!  So festive, creative, colorful, everything I was looking for.  I am excited to say this went over very well at the party and at home.  Of course, I kept some for my GF kids!  I mixed up my recipe for GF fudge brownies and violá!

GF Fancy Santa Hat Brownies

This is definitely a must for this holiday season. Oh, by the way, this is the actual picture I took in my kitchen to show off these cute little guys!

Santa Hat Brownies
Yields 12-16 brownies

Ingredients:
1 pan of your favorite gluten-free brownies, cooled and cut into desired size and shape (I used a round cutter approximately 2" in diameter).  

12-16 small strawberries, cleaned and hulled
vanilla-mascarpone buttercream (recipe below)--Yes, mascarpone is GF.
 (I used Bel Gioioso www.belgioioso.com/Mascarpone.htm brand mascarpone cheese found in the specialty cheese section of most supermarkets).

Mascarpone Buttercream
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2-1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Method:
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and mascarpone cheese until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.  Add vanilla extract and salt.  Add 2-1/2 cups of sugar, half a cup at a time and continue beating until smooth.  Add more sugar, if needed to reach desired consistency and sweetness. I did end up adding a total of 3 cups of powdered sugar for a thicker consistency.

To assemble, pipe a ring of vanilla buttercream on top of each brownie.  Cut off the base of a strawberry so it is flat and place it upside down on each brownie, pushing slightly to secure in place.  Top the tip of the strawberry with a dot of buttercream to finish the santa hat. 

Enjoy this great holiday treat. Send us picture of your Fancy Santa Hat Brownies!
Happy Holidays &a very healthyNew Year.

Traveling Coast to Coast Gluten Free

Hey everyone, for the next few days I'm on travel for work. I live and work in Virginia and am traveling to San Diego for a few days for work. I've talked with others about how they maintain their diet while on travel,Any so I figured I would share my food experiences on this adventure I'm having this week. I hope you enjoy, and find some of it useful. Also, if you know of any awesome gluten free restaurants in San Diego, message me and let me know, I'd definitely appreciate.

Sunday, Day I:
To start off, I definitely woke up way too early for my flight. Before leaving the house, I had a standard breakfast of some yogurt and gluten free granola. And way way too much coffee...

On my first flight of the day, I had soda and peanuts, the one gluten free option on any flight I've ever been on.  In between flights, I only had a little bit of time, so I purchased a few kind brand granola bars (gluten free) and ate them on the flight west.

Once I touched down, I went to a San Diego restaurant called Alchemy, where I had brunch after already being awake for 10 hours! They had a delicious gluten free basil, bacon, and mushroom frittata,and some super tasty coffee!

After visiting the San Diego Zoo, I went to a local grocery store to stock up on gluten free breakfast items such as yogurt and gluten free granola in case the free breakfast was filled with gluten.

Monday, Day 2:
For breakfast, I headed to the hotel's restaurant for breakfast. They had a wide range of typical breakfast foods, such as bacon, eggs, oatmeal, cereal, and fruit. I steered clear of the oatmeal, cereal, and eggs. Even though oats are naturally free of gluten, most plants process them with wheat and other gluten free grains. I normally don't eat oatmeal, but if I do, I make sure its processed correctly.  I grabbed some fresh fruit, bacon, and milk and consumed that with the groceries I bought the night before.

Holiday Recipe Exchange & Giveaway

Hey everyone! To celebrate the holidays, I'm hosting a recipe exchange until January 4th! Please come by and add your favorite holiday recipes to the list below!To do so, just click the "Click here to enter" link and fill in the link to your recipe and information!

And be sure to like your favorite holiday recipes in the list, because as added incentive, I'll be giving away kitchen tools and gluten free cookbooks to the people who send the recipes with the greatest amount of Likes! I'm still getting the gifts together, so I'll update this page with the gifts for the giveaway!

Thus far I have two gifts I'll be presenting,

Fast and Simple Gluten Free by  Gretchen Brown
and
a Kitchenaid Immersion Blender

Happy Holidays!

Holiday Recipe Exchange Links!

GFRR: Gluten Free Cheesy Herb Focaccia

This month I'm very excited to participate in the Ratio Rally again! The past few months have been super busy, but this month I got to participate in the Ratio Rally for focaccia bread! For those who haven't had it before, focaccia is a flat bread that is normally topped with herbs and other savory ingredients. I like to mix mine into the dough, and serve it with cheese and tomatoes as an alternative to pizza.

The ratio for focaccia that I used is:

1:4:10

oil : water : flour

Its very similar to the ratio for bread, which is 5 flour : 3 water. For focaccia bread I like to substitute some of the water with olive oil for some additional flavor and color. 

Thank you to Heather for hosting! Check her post here. Thank you to everyone else who participated as well!

Carol | Goodness Gluten Free made Gluten Free Garlic and Parmesan Focaccia
Morri | Meals with Morri made Sweet Cinnamon Raisin Focaccia Bread
mary fran | frannycakes made Gluten Free Sage Foccacia
~Aunt Mae (aka ~Mrs. R) made Focaccia Bread
Silvana | Silvana’s Kitchen made Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Focaccia
Shauna | Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef made Gluten Free Cherry and Almond Focaccia

Ingredients
8 oz warm water
2 tbsp sugar
1 pkg yeast
2 oz olive oil
20 oz gluten free flour blend
1/2 cup shredded mozarella
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper

Steps
Preheat an oven to 400F. In a large bowl, add the yeast and sugar to the water. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Add the oil. and then gradually blend in the flour. Once completely combined, stir in the cheese, herbs, salt and pepper. Cover, and set it on top of the warm oven for about 25 minutes.

After the 25 minutes are over, grease either the inside of a round baking pan. Transfer the dough to the pan, and press into the space of the pan. Drizzle some more olive oil on top of the bread, and place in the oven. Bake for about 25 minutes, and then remove from the oven once baked.

Serve with tomatoes and cheese, and enjoy!

Nutlove bloghop: Gluten Free Cinnamon Pecan Muffins

Hi everyone, I hope that everyone's December has gone to a great start! This month's lovehop bloghop theme is #nutlove, so join us in sharing nut-themed recipes. This recipe is great for breakfast brunches, and has a great texture to it. I love grinding fresh cinnamon for this recipe, it adds such an aroma.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Pecan Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Batter
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 2/3 cup gluten free flour blend
1/4 tsp xantham gum
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 stick butter, melted

Filling
3 tbsp butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 tbsp cinnamon

Topping
1/4 cup Kind gluten free granola
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 tbsp butter, room temperature

Steps
Preheat the oven to 375F. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk the milk and eggs together. Set aside. Mix all of the dry ingredients together, and stir into the milk and eggs. Once combined, stir in the butter until combined. Fill the muffin tins halfway up in all 12 tins.

To make the filling, mix the filling ingredients together, until the cinnamon butter forms small pea-sized balls. Top all the muffin halves with the filling, and press the tops of the muffin filling down. Top all of the muffin cups with the remaining batter.

In a small bowl, mix the topping ingredients together. Top the muffin batter with the streusel topping. Place in the oven, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

#Nutlove bloghop - Other Co-hosts

Below are all of the other co-hosts for #nutlove, be sure to check them out!


Badger Girl Learns to Cook ~ Kimberly
Cheap Ethnic Eatz ~ Evelyne
No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ T.R.
Rico sin Azúcar ~ Helena
Teaspoon of Spice ~ Serena
The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen ~ Susan Palmer
The Spicy RD ~ EA Stewart
Vegan Yack Attack ~ Jackie S.

Please join in on the #cranberrylove fun by linking up any cranberry recipe from the month of December 2012. Don't forget to link back to this post, so that your readers know to come stop by the #nutlove event! The twitter hashtag is #nutlove :).

#SundaySupper, #HelpingHands - Gluten Free Spaghetti Squash with Pancetta

Hey everyone, I hope everyone had an enjoyable time for their Thanksgiving. I'm happy to participate in this week's Sunday Supper. With what has happened recently with Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast United States, the Sunday Supper team wanted to team together to share some charitable organizations that are doing good work to help the families of New Jersey and New York. If you would like to donate, please click the two images below.

Please join us on Twitter for #SundaySupper today to check out all of the recipes posted. Check out the #SundaySupper hashtag at 7pm for our weekly twitter chat! Please check out everyone else's posts below, then check out my recipe!

Breakfast and Brunch:

• Orange Rolls from That Skinny Chick Can Bake!!!
• 12-Grain Buttermilk Pancake Mix from What Smells So Good   
• Cranberry Bread from Home Cooking Memories

Comforting Casseroles and Entrées:

• Pork Chop Casserole from In the Kitchen with Audrey
• Basic Lasagna from Fast Food 2 Fresh Food
• Italian Sausage and White Bean Bake from Girlichef
• Spanish Chicken with Chorizo and Potatoes from Crispy Bits n Burnt Ends
• Turkey and Vegetable Pasta Bake from Gotta Get Baked
• Baked Salmon with Cucumber Salad from The Urban Mrs.
• Enchilada Pasta Casserole from Dinners Dishes and Desserts
• Spaghetti Pizza Bake from Small Wallet Big Appetite
• Gluten Free Spaghetti Squash with Pancetta from No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
• Cabbage Koftas from Soni's Food
• Bowtie Marinara with Goat Cheese from Family Foodie

Warming Soups and Sides:

• New England Clam Chowder from The Meltaways
• 3-Bean Chili Borracho from La Cocina de Leslie
• Italian Wedding Soup from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Soul Warming Butternut Squash Soup from Cupcakes and Kale Chips
• Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese "Croutons" from Damn Delicious
• Corn Basil Handpies from Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Manhattan Clam Chowder from Noshing with the Nolands
• Comforting Broccoli Cheese Soup from Juanita's Cocina 
• San Antonio Chicken Tortilla Bake from The Weekend Gourmet
• Peruvian Steak and Potato Stir-fry from Hip Foodie Mom 
• Simple Southern Red Potato Salad from Mama Mommy Mom
• Homemade Chicken Soup from Daddy Knows Less
• New Orleans Red Beans and Rice for Those in Need from The Catholic Foodie
• Bread in a Jar from Pippi's in the Kitchen
• Sweet and Sassy Pineapple Stuffing from In the Kitchen with KP

Sweet Endings:

• Pound Cake Loaf from Magnolia Days
• Fall Apple Pie from Cravings of a Lunatic
• Dairy-free Marble Cake {Marmorkuchen} from Galactopdx
• Mini Dark Chocolate Cakes with Mint Chocolate Chip Icing from The Realistic Nutritionist
• Orange Pound Cake from Basic n Delicious
• Spicy Gingerbread with a Mocha Glaze from Daily Dish Recipes

I enjoy making this spaghetti squash dish for friends when they come over in the fall or early winter. It's full of flavor and an enjoyable dish to sit down and relax while eating.

Cook Time 45 minutes
Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp butter
4 oz pancetta, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
5 porcini mushrooms, chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp mustard
1 tsp thyme
1/2 bottle of white wine

Steps
Preheat an oven to 375F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut the squash in half, and scoop out all the seeds and stringy parts. Lightly dress with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and place the cut sides down on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces the squash.

While the squash cooks, brown the pancetta in the butter over medium heat. After about 5 minutes, once the pancetta has browned, add the onions and mushrooms. Cook until the onions are tender, and about to caramelize. This will take between 5-10 minutes. Add the cinnamon, powders, mustard and thyme. Stir until combined. Over the course of about 20 minutes, slowly add the white wine to the mix to create a sauce, stirring occasionally. Reduce to low heat.

Once the squash is done, remove it from the oven. Use a fork to shred the insides into spaghetti strands, and add to the sauce. Gently toss the squash in the sauce, and serve while it is hot.

Thankful for a Generation of Tolerance

On October 26 my daughter Rachel (9 years old) had 6 of her closest friends over for a "craft night."  They have been taking turns each month and now it was our turn to make the crafts, eat dinner and of course have some crazy fun.   What made this gathering of friends unique was that 4 out of the 6 girls had some sort of food allergy/intolerance.  Rachel has celiac disease and has been GF for 3 years.  But, her older brother Josh has been GF for 10 years. Rachel has lived her life knowing about the in's and out's of a GF lifestyle.

In our eclectic group we had a friend who is a Type 1 diabetic and celiac, another who has a severe peanut/tree nut allergy and one who is lactose intolerant along with Rachel (celiac).  Oh, and another friend was not celiac but had 2 siblings and a mother that are.  All of this was unheard of a generation ago, but now it is common place.  The UCLA Food and Drug Allergy Care Center has this to say:
The occurrence of allergic disease is skyrocketing, and some estimates are that as many as one-in-five Americans have an allergic condition. http://fooddrugallergy.ucla.edu
  
One of the many hypotheses out there on why this is occurring is that there is a heightened awareness among doctors, parents, teachers and the general public about the symptoms and potential consequences of food allergies.  This may contribute to the reason why we are meeting more people with food allergy.

So, what is happening to this young generation with all of these food allergies/diseases? The answer is that they are becoming more thoughtful, empathetic, selfless, generous people.  My experience with our "craft" night had left me with such an enormous amount of pride for these girls.  With a bit of planning  and open communication with their parents, we were able to have a wildly successful night.  Each one of the girls were more concerned about their friend's dietary restrictions than their own.  They wanted to make sure that their friends were safe and cared for- that was priority #1!  Dancing to Gangnam Style was 2nd-sorry PSY!!

I have seen this time and time again not only in my home but in the schools as well.  This younger generation is so accepting and tolerant to the differences in each other.  No one is "weird" because they can't eat peanut butter or regular pizza!  They just  accept one another for who they are not what they eat.

For all of this I am incredibly thankful and wildly proud.

3 GF Questions to ask your Thanksgiving Host

Going in conjunction with my post from a few days ago about how to host a gluten free Thanksgiving, here are 5 helpful questions you can ask as a guest to start the conversation to ensure a gluten free meal.

1. What dishes are you planning on making? This seems like quite the simple question, but it not only starts the dialogue, but gives you a good idea of what you can recommend to make a Thanksgiving meal gluten free.
2. What side dishes can I bring? Sometimes, bringing a dish you've cooked can ensure one of the sides is gluten free.
3. Are there any ingredients I can bring? I find for things such as pies or breads, it's easy to bring gluten free ingredients such as the flour or graham cracker crumbs. It can really help out the host if they are unfamiliar with purchasing gluten free items.

I hope you find these questions as useful brainstorming ideas for the upcoming holiday!

Gluten Free Stuffing

Hey everyone, here's a simple and tasty gluten free stuffing recipe that's perfect for Thanksgiving. This recipe calls to bake it in the oven, but you can also cook it the traditional way in a turkey.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients
1 box Glutino corn bread stuffing
1 tsp minced parsley
1 tsp minced thyme
1 tsp minced rosemary
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, diced
4 cremini mushrooms, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 fuji apple, cored and cubed
1 handful dried cranberries
1 1/2 cup turkey or chicken stock (or vegetable if you want to make the dish vegetarian)
salt and pepper

Steps
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a round 9" baking dish.

In a medium bowl, toss the stuffing and herbs together. Set aside.

In a medium pan over medium heat, add the butter and sautee the onion, mushrooms, and celery until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Pour into the bowl of stuffing. Add the apple pieces and dried cranberries.

Pour the stock over the stuffing, and let it sit for a minute. Stir the stuffing together until all the stock is absorbed. Pour the stuffing into the greased baking dish, and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes, and then remove the foil and bake for another 10.

Serve and enjoy!

How to Host a Gluten Free Thanksgiving

Hello everyone! I hope that you're all having a good weekend so far. Thanksgiving can be a stressful holiday for a whole variety of situations. For those with Celiac or gluten sensitivity, it can be a stressful food event filled with concerns of gluten filled food or food contamination. I’ve hosted a Thanksgiving dinner the past few years, and have learned how to provide safe, gluten free alternatives to the traditional foods.

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year, and have any guests who request gluten free food, here are a few useful tips to ensure a stress-free, happy Thanksgiving:

Talk to your guest a couple days beforehand. Starting a dialogue can help you understand their needs for food safety. And speaking from experience, your guest will definitely appreciate it and stress out less over consuming food.

Use gluten-free ingredients as substitutes for traditional gluten-filled ingredients. The best example of this is stuffing. Stuffing is a scary food Thanksgiving item, so go the route of using gluten free stuffing cubes. When you purchase them from the store, check to see if they have been processed in a facility that also handles wheat. Best place to verify is looking under the ingredients. If it has been, there’s a good chance that you’ll see something along the lines of “May contain wheat.” You’ll want to steer away from ingredients such as these.

Provide food that doesn’t need gluten substitutes. This is an easy, and more often than not, healthy decision. Provide side dishes that are naturally gluten free, such as fresh vegetables, potatoes, and fruits.

Those are just a few tips, I hope you’re looking forward to the holidays as much as I am! 

Also, if you've ever prepared a gluten free Thanksgiving and have tips of your own, add them to the comments in this post!

Gluten Free Thanksgiving Week

Hey everyone!

It's a week away from Thanksgiving, and therefore time to prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday. Thanksgiving can be difficult for those with Celiac or Gluten Intolerance, so this next week all my posts will feature tips and recipes to have a gluten-free Thanksgiving with friends and family. Feel free to share any of your favorite gluten free Thanksgiving tips and recipes with us over the next week. Post them in the comments, or share them on twitter!

Here's what's to come this week:

Tomorrow: How to Host a Gluten Free Thanksgiving
Saturday: Gluten Free Stuffing Recipe
Sunday: Questions to Ask before going to Thanksgiving
Monday: Gluten Free Cranberry Biscuits
Tuesday: Gluten Free Dessert Recipes

#Cranberrylove: Gluten Free Cranberry Chicken

Hey everyone! This month is #cranberrylove, so this month I decided to start my cranberry recipes off with a chicken recipe. This is a really easy recipe, and has a great blend of flavors in it. One of my favorite salads is a cranberry apple chicken salad (I'll add it to the bloghop below so you can find it). I don't know if its because of Thanksgiving and associating cranberry sauce with turkey, but I love combining chicken and cranberries in recipes. You can serve this chicken with your favorite rice recipe and vegetables for a complete meal!

Be sure to check out the recipes for all the other co-hosts this month, and all of the shared recipes in the blog hop. If you'd like to add your favorite cranberry recipe, add it to the blog hop. Also, come join us on twitter and just search for #cranberrylove for this month's recipes. Enjoy!

This month's co-hosts:
Deanna @ Teaspoon of Spice | @tspbasil
Kimberly @ Badger Girl Learns To Cook | @bdgergrl
Evelyne @ Cheap Ethic Eatz |  @cethniceatz
EA @ The Spicy RD | @thespicyrd
Sheila @ Pippi’s In the Kitchen Again | @shlylais
T.R. @ No One Likes Crumbley Cookies | @TRCrumbley
Shulie @ Food Wanderings | @foodwanderings
Becky @ Baking and Cooking: The Tale of Two Loves

Join our bloghop below!




Cranberry Chicken with Gorgonzola

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings 3-4

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
3-4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp chopped oregano
1/4 tsp chopped basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp garlic powder
crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Steps
Preheat a pan over medium heat, and add the oil and butter. Dust both sides of the chicken with the salt, pepper, mustard, and herbs. Once the butter has melted and coated the pan, add the chicken. Cook on each side for about 15 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, combine the wine, cranberries, and powder in a bowl, and let it sit.

Once the internal temperature of the chicken is 165F, remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest. Add the soaked cranberries and wine to the pan, and use a spoon to scrape the browned bits of the bottom of the pan, creating a sauce. Cook over medium low heat for about 5-10 minutes.

Serve the chicken on a pan, topped with the cranberry sauce and crumbled Gorgonzola.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Cupcakes

Hey everyone! This past Halloween I dressed up as the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland, and decided to bring some pumpkin cupcakes to a party that I went to. I stylized it with words from the Alice in Wonderland treats such as "Try me," "Eat me," or "Take one." Its a simple gluten free pumpkin cupcake with a buttercream frosting. I hope you enjoy, and take advantage of it in the fall season!

Servings 18 cupcakes

Prep Time 25 minutes

Bake Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups of gluten free flour blend (recommended blend includes white rice flour, tapioca flour, and potato starch)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp all spice

2 tsp xantham gum

1 cup melted butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs, room temperature

15 oz pumpkin puree

1 stick butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp milk

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Steps

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake linings.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour blend, soda, powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, gum together. Set aside. In a large bowl, stir the butter, sugars, and vanilla until blended together. Stir in one egg at a time until all the eggs are combined. Fold in the flour by the half cup into the wet mix, adding more dry mix when blended into the wet mix. Once all the flour is added, stir in the puree until well combined.

Pour the batter into the lined tins, filling in each tin 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

While the cupcakes cool, whip the butter and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add the sugar by the half cup, only adding the next half cup after the previous is blended in the butter. Add the milk after all the sugar is blended in. Once the cupcakes are cool, frost and serve!

Store them in an air tight container, they will keep at room temperature for a week.

Gluten Free Basil Tomato Risotto

Hi everyone! Here's a tasty and easy recipe for risotto! For those who don't know, risotto is a rice dish where rice has been cooked slowly over time in a stock. This creates a wonderfully creamy sauce that is served with the cooked rice. Risotto is a great delivery device for other food flavors, so I wanted to infuse basil and sun dried tomatoes into this risotto.

This recipe calls for chicken stock, but you can substitute with vegetable stock if you prefer.

Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter
1 chopped yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 oz sun dried tomatoes, chopped

12 oz Arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
4 cups warm chicken stock
2 tbsp basil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Steps
In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter and sautee the onion and garlic until tender. Add the tomatoes and rice, and cook until the rice is coated in butter and translucent.

Add the wine and cook until evaporated.

Stir in 1 cup of stock, and stir. After the stock has been absorbed, add another cup and repeat until all the stock is gone.

Stir in the basil and cheese, and add the salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy!

Gluten-free Chicken Milanese

#Gluten-Free Chicken Milanese

I want to share a GLUTEN-FREE family favorite with all of you.  This is a recipe from one of my most favorite restaurants here in Buffalo, NY--800 Maple. This one though has been re-created with a gluten-free twist. I love this dish for many reasons, for one thing it is a total crowd pleaser--adults, kids, they all love it. Make a little for a week night dinner or a ton for a Sunday afternoon football game!  Either way it will please the whole family and then some!  Oh, one more thing, it can be prepared ahead of time for those days that are crazy busy during the dinner hour! 

#Gluten-free Chicken Milanese

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:  Makes 6-7 servings at least
1. 6 boneless/skinless chicken breast- trimmed and butterflied.
2. 2 cups of your favorite GF Italian style breadcrumbs.  I personally make my own from ends & crusts of bread (see recipe below).
3. 3 eggs + 1/2 tsp water for egg-wash.
4. 3/4 cup GF flour blend-this is used for a light dusting on the chicken prior to egg wash.
5. 2 Tablespoons olive oil- used in pan to brown each chicken cutlet.
6. 1 bag of Italian style salad blend
7. 1 tomato- cut up into 1"size pieces.
8. medium red onion
9. 1-2 containers of "Simply Garlic Mashed' potatoes. If you choose you can absolutely make your own garlic mashed potatoes.
10. Balsamic vinaigrette dressing; I like to use Good Seasons Italian mix and use a good balsamic vinegar.

 What's Next??  Now that you have all of your ingredients all set follow these steps-it may seem like a lot but it truly is not and well worth it!

•  use 3 shallow containers: Put the gluten-free flour blend in the 1st container; in the 2nd container crack the eggs and lightly beat;  the 3rd container is used for the Italian-style breadcrumbs.
• grab a large pan and drizzle 1 tbs of olive oil and heat on medium heat.
• while pan is heating take each chicken breast and 1st lightly dust in GF flour blend, next dip in egg-wash and lastly coat with GF Italian breadcrumbs; repeat until all of the chicken is coated.
• pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.
• place 3-4 breasts in pan and cook until golden brown on each side (chicken does not need to be cooked all of the way through at this point.) You may need to add a bit more olive oil during this stage- the breadcrumbs soak it up while browning. When each piece is browned on both sides place on baking sheet.  When all of the chicken has been browned on both sides put all of the chicken on the baking sheet and place in pre-heated oven at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
• Now, while the chicken is in the oven finishing, is the time to make your salad and heat the garlic mashed.  In a large salad bowl place mixed greens, chopped onion and tomato and gently toss.
• Heat garlic mashed potatoes through thoroughly.
• Almost there!! Time to plate the food!
• On each plate place a serving of garlic mashed, next place the chicken breast directly on top of the potatoes and finally place the salad on top of the chicken.
• drizzle the balsamic dressing on the salad and ENJOY!!!!

Homemade Italian GF breadcrumbs:
It took me several years before the proverbial light bulb went off in my head, "I should make my own breadcrumbs from the crusts of bread, ends and overdone toast!"  Below is what I mix to make my own Italian-style breadcrumbs:

• take several chunks of GF bread, lightly toast in oven and cool
• place in food processor and grind to a fine consistency- make enough for 3 cups of fine breadcrumbs.
• add: 2 tsp each of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, dried parsley. Add more seasonings if you desire.
• mix together well with breadcrumbs
• place unused breadcrumbs in a Ziploc bag and freeze for future use

We'd love to hear from you! Let us know what you think of this recipe.  Be creative too-- use the chicken cutlet portion of this recipe to make GF chicken Parmesan or cut chicken into chunks for a chicken nugget! 

#SundaySupper Comfort Food: Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake

Hey everybody, it's Sunday and time for another #SundaySupper! Today's theme is comfort food, and features special guest is Lee Woodruff. She's a mother, author, and CBS This Morning contributor. Check out her latest book Those We Love Most, and join us in our twitter discussion this evening! Join our chat tonight 7pm by searching for the #SundaySupper hashtag on Twitter. My recipe for today is a gluten free pumpkin cheesecake. It's filled with pumpkin and fall spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and all spice. This recipe includes a higher ratio of spices than most other recipes, but I enjoy adding extra spice to cheesecake. I feel like it balances well with the cool richness of the cream cheese. Also, be sure to check out all the other #SundaySupper Recipes!

Comfort Food |Soups

• Cream of Broccoli Cheese Soup by Damn Delicious
• Loaded Baked Potato Soup by Supper for a Steal
• Kalbi Tang or Korean Short Rib Soup by Kimchi MOM
• Korean mandoo (dumpling) soup by Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
• Chicken Noodle Soup by My Catholic Kitchen
• Thai’d up chicken noodle soup by I Run For Wine
• Ditalini Italian Soup by Mangiamo!
• Spicy Black Bean Soup by Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Chicken Chowder by Pippis in the Kitchen Again

Comfort Food  | Main Dish

• Sausage Gravy and Biscuits by Big Bears Wife
• Comforting Down-Home Shrimp and Grits by The Weekend Gourmet
• Pumpkin Alfredo Tortellini Bake by The Meltaways
• Old Fashioned Mac and Cheese by Flour on My Face
• Lasagna Roll Ups by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Green Plantain Hash by Basic n Delicious
• Venison Chili by The Messy Baker Blog
• Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells by That Skinny Chick can Bake
• Winter Chicken Stew by Mrs. Mama Hen
• Quinoa, Spinach, and Kale Lasagna by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Baked Oysters and Apples by Pescetarian Journal
• Individual Chicken Pot Pies by Noshing With The Nolands
• Kaesespaetzle {Baked Cheese Spaetzle} by Galactosemia in PDX
• Jalapeno and Bacon Mac N’ Cheese by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• Quiche aux Champignons {Mushroom Quiche} by An Appealing Plan
• Mini Mac n Cheese Cups with Pork Shoulder Ragù by Hip Foodie Mom
• Chicken a la King by Girlichef
• Creamy Chicken & Dumplings by La Cocina de Leslie
• Spaghetti Squash Gratins by She likes ruffles, he likes truffles
• Hot Dr. Pepper with Lemon by Kwistins Favorites
• Creamy Chicken Enchiladas by Home Cooking Memories
• Savory Slow-Cooked Pork Stew by Daddy Knows Less
• Chicken Roasted with White Wine and Garlic by Webicurean
• Shepherd’s Pie by Small Wallet Big Appetite
• One Skillet Pumpkin Lasagna by The Realistic Nutritionist
• Chicken “Pot Pie” by Diabetic Foodie
• Gluten Free Cornish Pasty by Maroc Mama
• Warm Oven Baked Samosas Stuffed With Sweet Potato & Peas by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Caramelized Onion-Challah Stuffing Muffins by Comfy Cuisine
• Comforting Mashed Potatoes by Momma’s Meals
• Chunky Chili Beans by Mama Mommy Mom
• Rustic Cauliflower and Tomato Gratin by The Wimpy Vegetarian 
• Basmati Rice with Saffron by Family Spice
• Feijoada ~ Portuguese Bean Stew by Family Foodie

Comfort Food | Desserts

• Biscuits and Chocolate Gravy by Juanita’s Cocina
• Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Sour Cream Pound Cake by Mom’s Test Kitchen
• Chocolate Layer Cake by Magnolia Days
• Cinnamon Rice Pudding by Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Smores Hot Cocoa by Chocolate Moosey
• Sweet Red Bean Pie by What Smells So Good
• Pistachio Cake Cookies by The Cookie A Day Challenge
• Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake by No One Likes Crumbly Cookies
• Dark Chocolate Caramel Brownies by Daily Dish Recipes
• Nutella Shortbread Bars by Baker Street

Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake

Prep Time 20 minutes
Bake Time 50 minutes
Inactive Prep Time 4 hours or overnight
Requires: A springform pan, and a 3" deep baking pan the springform can rest in

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 cup powdered sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter
16 oz cream cheese
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp all spice
1 tsp gluten free vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree

Steps
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the sides of the springform pan with aluminum foil, and wrap tightly.

In a small bowl, mix the crumbs, sugar and butter together. Pour into the springform pan, and flatten into a crust on the bottom of the pan. Set the pan aside.

In a large bowl, whip the cheese until it is fluffy. Whip in the brown sugar and spices into the cream cheese until well distributed. Add the vanilla, and each egg one at a time, waiting to add the next egg until the previous is well mixed into the batter. Once all the eggs are added, pour the puree into the bowl and stir until the batter is consistently mixed.

Pour the batter into the springform pan, and then place the springform pan into the large baking dish. Fill the baking dish with water until it comes halfway up the side of the springform. This will create a water bath for the cake, and helps it cook evenly. Carefully place the pan in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes at 350F, then turn the oven down to 325F and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the cake slightly jiggles when agitated.

When removing the cake from the oven, be very careful. Not only are you removing a cake from the oven, but you're also removing a large pan filled with 300F water. Take your time and be sure to use proper protection when handling. Once the cake is out of the oven, remove from the water bath and place on a cooling rack. Do not remove it from the springform. Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, place it in the refrigerator, and let it chill for 4 hours or overnight. Remove from the pan and serve!