Chocolate Chip Cookies: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free

Chocolate chip cookies was one of the very first things I wanted to try to make gluten, dairy and egg free, when we found out that my son would have to go without these things for a long time. I love making cookies with my kids, especially chocolate chip cookies! Chocolatey, buttery, with the sweet smoothness of brown sugar is what I desire in a chocolate chip cookie. They are what I crave to make on a cold, blustery day. Come to think of it, they are what I crave to make on a warm spring day. Chocolate chip cookies are my anytime baking project that my kids love to help me with. I never tire from baking these little bits of chocolatey goodness. Which probably explains why I've been working so darn hard on this gluten, dairy, soy, nut free recipe for so darn long. I swear that It's been well over a year. I can't even begin to tell you how many flops and throw away batches that I have had. Many were good but not good enough. For a while, the cookies were just too dry. I thought maybe add more oil, but that didn't work. It turned out that I was adding too much flour. Don't expect doughs to look the same as you were used to before baking gluten free. This is a whole new ballgame. I think this version of the recipe is a nice one worth posting. I'm not saying this is my final version. I'm sure there will be more to come. I still have a few ideas to try.

Chocolate Chip Cookies: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free

Ingredients:

2 cups sorghum flour, 1/2 cup tapioca flour, and 1/2 cup potato starch

            (or use 3 cups all purpouse gluten free flour mix.)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tbsp flax meal plus 3 tbsp water (If you can't have flax, use 3 more tbsp apple sauce or adding 1 tbsp Sunbutter.)

2 tbsp Vanilla

1/4 - 1/2 Earth Balance Soy Free, canola oil, or other oil of your choice.

1 cup organic unrefined sugar

1/2 - 1 tbsp molasses (instead of sugar and molasses you can use 1 cup of brown sugar instead.)

1/4 cup apple sauce

1/4 cup rice milk

1 1/2 - 2 cups chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life or Guittard Extra Dark, which contains some soy lethicin.)

Directions:

1. In a bowl combine all dry ingredients and wisk to combine.

2. In a small seperate bowl, combine flax and water and let sit.

3. In a seperate bowl or Kitchenaid mixer, combine Earth Balance and sugar, molasses, apple sauce, and flax and water mixture on medium to high for 2 - 4 minutes to cream the ingredients together.

4. Add dry ingredients to wet in the mixer until well combined, 5-7 minutes.

5. Fold in chocolate chips.

6. Spoon the dough onto baking sheet, form into a ball and sprinkle with sugar.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 – 18 minutes.

8. Allow to cool on a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

The Completely GREEN Dinner. Pea and Basil Soup: gluten free and dairy free

We had a completely GREEN dinner that was first and formost quick, free of gluten, cows milk, eggs, soy, and vegetarian this evening and the kids were thrilled!

One of my most favorite things to cook with and eat is basil. Naturally, one of my favorite recipes is one by Giada De Laurentis that I link to below. It contains olive oil, onion, peas, chicken broth, cream (which I replace with almond or rice milk), salt and pepper. I replaced the butter with olive oil and pecorino romano instead of mozzerella. I mixed some pecorino in the soup as well as put it on top. It's like pesto soup really. It tastes very fresh, clean, and yummy. I've used dried peas and frozen peas with this recipe. I served it up with Asparagus with Shallots (see below).

All very healthy, and very green.

Pea and Basil Soup linked here.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
I top the soup with Pecorino Romano, sheeps milk cheese.

Asparagus with Shallots

by Kendra Hubbell

Ingredients:

a bunch of asparagus

a shallot

olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions: 

Wash your asparagus. Cut your asparagus in little circles and cut up your shallot. Put some olive oil in a saute pan on your stove on medium - high heat. Add your shallot to the pan and cook a bit, then add in your asparagus and sautee until just slightly crispy still.

Today, my six year old son and I made my Pumpkin Muffins: Gluten, dairy, egg, soy, citrus and nut free. together. I read him the ingredients and he measured, poured, and mixed the ingredients together. He really did most of it himself. I am so proud. They turned out so good. This time we used Bob's All-purpose gluten free flour instead of what I usually use and they turned out great!



Valentines Day Cupcakes and Heart Sugar Cookies: gluten free, egg free, dairy free, nut free

I can definately call Valentines Day a success! The Kindergarten class, with every allergy known to us, were able to enjoy a special treat. Check out the gluten, dairy, soy, nut, citrus free cupcakes and frosting that I made. I used Gluten Free Pantry's Chocolate Cake Mix simply because I found it on sale for $1 box and I couldn't make my regular recipe for that price. I used 3 tbsp apple sauce plus one tsp baking powder per egg, to replace each egg. I made frosting myself.

Frosting: Gluten, dairy, egg, soy free

Ingredients:

2 cups powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp earth balance

1 tbsp vanilla

1/4 cup of a liquid such as rice milk, coffee, lemon or orange juice (if citrus is tolerated), apple juice, or tea.

You can add food coloring if you wish. I recommend a natural coloring like India Tree Natural Coloring.

Directions:

Start with Earth Balance and vanilla in the mixer and combine. Add in powdered sugar. Then add the liquid as needed until you are at your desired consistency.

After a few failures, I figured out that putting the frosting into a baggie, cutting of a tip and pipping the frosting on the cupcake in a swirl and then dipping it into the various sprinkles did the trick and it did it quite nicely I must say! Take a look!

The Kindergarteners were so sweet, as I walked around refilling waters, many of them said, unprompted by their teacher, "Thank you so much, these are so good, or these are the best cupcakes ever." One of the parents thought I bought them at the store because I brought them in a plastic container. I went to the bakery at Safeway and asked to buy two of the cupcake containers. They sold them to me for .50 cents each. That sure make it easier to carry them to class.

I also made my gluten, dairy, soy, nut free sugar cookies, from a previous post, for a few of the students in my daughter's second grade class. She's dairy free and there were other with gluten and dairy issues.



They were the perfect texture. Many people said they tasted just like sugar cookies. Well, that's what they are!  I hope your Valentines Day was enjoyable!

Sandwich Bread for Pullman Loaf Pan: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Soy Free

I make this bread once a week for my son. Having bread the correct size for his reusable sandwiche boxes for school lead me to the discovery of the Pullman Loaf Pan, which I bought off Amazon.com. This pan also has a lid that you can get to go with it to make a perfectly square bread. I don't use the lid since I like the top of my bread to be allowed to rise. The even greater part about this recipe is that my daughter actually loves it too, even though she can have wheat.

Allergy Friendly Sandwich Bread: No gluten, dairy, eggs, soy or nuts.

by: Kendra Hubbell

Ingredients:

• 2 cup Gluten Free Oat flour
• 2 cup millet flour  
• 1 cup tapioca starch
• 4 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 3 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 packets instant dry rapid yeast
• 2 1/2 cups warm water (at 110 - 111 degrees, using a thermometer .)
• 2 tablespoon flax meal added to 8 tablespoons warm water.
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 - 6 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

Directions:

 

1. In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients and sift. If you are feeling too lazy to sift, you can mix the ingredients using a wisk. I usually opt for the wisk.

2. In the Kitchenaid mixer (using paddle attachment) combine the flax meal and warm water for 3 minutes. Let sit for a bit to allow the mixture to thicken.

3. Add the honey, lemon juice (or vinegar), olive oil and mix until well combined, about 3 - 5 minutes. This creates an emolsion with the oil.

4. In a Pyrex measuring cup, heat water to 110 - 111 degrees. Once you've confirmed the water is 110-111, add the yeast in the cup. Stir and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
Caution: If your water is too hot, you will kill the yeast. This can happen very easily and your bread will flop.

5. Back to the Kitchenaid mixer, I added a bit of the dry ingredients and a bit of the water and yeast combination, from the Pyrex cup, to the wet ingredients in the mixer, using the paddle attachment, a bit at a time until all ingredients were combined, for approximately 5 - 7 minutes in the mixer.

Here is what to expect the dough to look like. It doesn't look at all like bread dough made with wheat.

6. I then put the bread into a Pullman Bread pan, which is double the size of a standard bread pan, sprayed with canola oil non-stick spray. The dough will be very sticky and it will look like you don't have enough dough to accomidate the pan. Trust me, you do. I just smear the dough into the bottom of the pan with a kitchen scraper and cover it with plastic wrap.

Let it rise for 45 - 60 minutes (or more, until the bread is at the top of the pan) in the microwave or other warm place.

Reminder: don't turn the microwave on. ;-) I may occasionally take the bread out, re-heat the water in the Pyrex, then put the bread back in to rise some more.

7. Cut a few diagnal slits on top of the bread. Sprinkle a few sea salt flakes on top. 

8. Bake it in the oven on 350 degrees for 1 hour. Aften 10 - 15 minutes, you may want to add a tent of aluminum foil so the top doesn't burn.

9. The bread is done when you can tap on the top and it "feels" done. I'm having trouble explaining that one but you'll know what I mean. If you stick a toothpick in part of it, it should come out clean. Remove the bread immediately from the pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack for 20-30 minutes.

You can make this into Rosemary bread by adding 1 1/2 -2 cups fresh rosemary leaves when mixing your dough.

There you go, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soy free sandwich bread! Sounds impossible, but clearly it's not.

 

Enjoy!

Basic Bread, Rosemary Bread, and Bread Rolls: Gluten, dairy, egg, soy, nut free

When someone tells you that you or someone you love can no longer have bread, the first thing most people tend to do is freak out! Then they search for a replacement to fill that huge, annoying void. They try pre-made bread made solely of rice flour that's bland and pasty.

The big surprise is that bread actually doesn't have to be made with just wheat or with just rice flour! There are SO many other flours out there. I found that part of the secret and the trick, is to come up with flour combinations that you like. Many companies make gluten free all purpose flour mixtures. I've found it easier and more affordable to make my own. I'll post more specifically on flour combinations soon.

After trying many recipes and Frankensteining them into a new one, this is the "food issue free" recipe that I came up with for basic bread and rolls. I designed this recipe to be used with a standard bread pan or a muffin tin for the rolls. I have a version to be use the a Pullman Loaf pan for sandwich bread sized bread. That will be in a post to come.

Basic Bread without gluten, dairy, eggs, soy
by: Kendra (Mrs. Substitution)

(Revised 3/1 to add more detail.)


Ingredients:

• 1 cup Gluten Free Oat flour
• 1 cup tapioca starch
• 1/2 cup millet flour
• 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 tablespoon or packet instant dry rapid yeast (Red Star Quick Rising)
• 1 and ¼ - 1 and 1/3 cup warm water (at 110 degrees for disolving the yeast into.
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 4 tablespoons rice milk or water. (Instead of egg replacer, you can use 1 tablespoon flax meal to 4 tablespoons rice milk or water or 2 chicken or duck eggs.)

milk.Directions: 

1. In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients, including the yeast and sift. If you are feeling too lazy to sift, you can mix the ingredients using a wisk.

2. In the Kitchenaid mixer (using paddle attachment) combined the

flax meal and warm water for 3 minutes or until it thickens.

3. In the mixer, add the honey, lemon juice (or vinegar), olive oil and mixed until well combined.

4. In a Pyrex measuring cup, heat water to 110 - 111 degrees. Once you've confirmed the temp with a thromometer, add the yeast in the cup, stir and allowed to sit for 5 minutes.
Caution: If your water is too hot, you will kill the yeast. This can happen very easily and your bread will flop.

5. Back to the Kitchenaid mixer, add a bit of the dry ingredients and a bit of the water and yeast combination, from the Pyrex cup, to the wet ingredients in the mixer, using the paddle attachment, a bit at a time until all ingredients were combined, for approximately 5 - 7 minutes or more in the mixer. I've actually mixed for 8-10 minutes before and it turned out great.

6. I then put the bread into a standard bread pan, sprayed with olive oil non-stick spray and let it rise for 30 - 45 minutes in the microwave or other warm place. Reminder: don't turn the microwave on. ;-)

7. Cut a few diagnal slits on top of the bread. Sprinkle a few sea salt flakes on top. 

8. Bake it in the oven on 350 degrees for 1 hour.

9. The bread is done when you can tap on the top and it "feels" done. I'm having trouble explaining that one but you'll know what I mean. If you stick a toothpick in part of it, it should come out clean. Remove the bread immediately from the pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack for 20-30 minutes.

You can make this into Rosemary bread by adding 1 1/2 -2 cups fresh rosemary leaves when mixing your dough.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Muffins and Pumpkin Bread: Gluten, dairy, egg, soy, citrus and nut free.

Our kids have always loved baking Pumpkin Bread with us, even before we knew about Little D's food sensitivities. I'm happy we didn't have to give that up! Fruit purees, like pumpkin, make baking for people with food sensitive and food allergies much easier.
To make a gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soy free version, I started with a recipe from myrecipes.com for Pecan Topped Pumpkin Bread and made many, many alterations and embellishments from there.
You can also substitue the pumpkin for any pureed fruit or vegetable to make Banana Bread, Zucchini Bread or even Sweet Potato Bread with this recipe.
Most, if not all the ingredients that I used were organic. The flours and flax meal were by Bob's Redmill. These muffins make for a quick and delicious breakfast paired with fruit or a hearty snack.

Pumpkin Muffins or Bread
by Kendra (Mrs. Substitution)


Tools:

• Kitchen aid Mixer (or mix by hand in a bowl)
• Mixing bowl for dry ingredients.
• Sifter, I like to use my stainless steal mesh strainer to sift my dry ingredients.
• scraper
• measuring cups and spoons

Dry ingredients:

• 1 3/4 Sorghum Flour
• 1 1/2 Brown Rice Flour
• 1/2 c Garbanzo Bean Flour
• 1 tsp. xanthan gum 
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• dark chocolate chips, dairy, soy and nut free (optional) "Enjoy Life" is brand to try.

Wet Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp. Flax Meal mixed with 1/2 c warm water or 4 tbsp. Energ Egg Replacer mixed with 1/2 c warm water.
• 2 cup organic granulated sugar (you can also use honey or stevia)
• 3/4 c oil ( I used Canola. You could also use 1/2 c applesauce or Earth Balance.)
• 2/3 c apple juice or water
• 1 15 oz can of Pumpkin (or other fruit or vegetable puree such as banana, sweet potato, zucchini or squash.
• Cooking Spray (check ingredients list.)

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350.
2. Combine all dry ingredients into a bowl. Sift dry ingredients into another bowl.
3. Start out the wet ingredients by mixing the flax meal with 1/2c warm water or Energ Egg Replacer mixed with 1/2 c warm water, in the mixer for one minute. This allows it time to thicken.
4. Add sugar, and oil or applesauce and mix.
5. Add apple juice or water and the pumpkin (or other fruit or vegetable puree) and mix until well combined.
6. Mix in dry ingredients with the wet and mix for 3 minutes.
7. Hand stir in chocolate chips if desired.
8. Scoop batter into muffin tins or a bread pan that you've sprayed with the cooking spray.
9. You can sprinkle sugar on top for added pizazz.
10. Bake on 350 for 10 - 15 minutes for muffins, (20 - 30  minutes for bread) or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
11. Remove muffins from tin and cool on a wire rack.
12. Store in a reusable container on the counter or in the fridge. These will also freeze well.

Enjoy!