Recently, I discovered a new-to-me gluten-free blog, The Baking Beauties. I immediately loved the site and felt that I somehow knew Jeanine! Her down-to-earth recipes and commentary, I found engaging, and I knew that I would adopt The Baking Beauties for this month's Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger, graciously hosted by Sea of The Book of Yum.

There were several recipes of Jeanine's that I wanted to try (her Snickerdoodles, Cinnamon Sticky Buns, Hamburger Buns, ... and the list goes on), but in the interest of time during this holiday season that is flying by me like tiny reindeer, I decided to select a single recipe to try. I enlisted the help of my younger daughter in the decision-making process. It took about 30 seconds to decide that we would make Oreo Cookies. Gluten-free Oreo Cookies (find the recipe on Jeanine's site by clicking the link).

The recipe was simple to make, lots of fun, and it really delivered on taste! I cannot remember what a "real" Oreo tastes like - it's been over a decade since I've eaten one; however, my kiddos can remember, and these cookies of Jeanine's have their seal of approval in the "tastes like a real Oreo" department. And Mr. Gluten Free Gigi? Perhaps he paid the highest compliment of all by saying, "these are better than real Oreos - a truer chocolate flavor". Need I say more? Well, I will...these are SO good! I'm talkin' break out the rice milk good!

And speaking of my non-dairy milk beverage of choice, in the interest of full disclosure, I need to tell you that I used Earth Balance soy-free buttery spread in this recipe instead of butter in the cookies and in place of shortening in the filling.

Go check out Jeanine's site, and make a batch of these cookies for your holiday cookie tray. I love that the dough logs go into the freezer
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Ambrosia, in its purity, contains only oranges, coconut, and confectioner's sugar. There are pineapple-spiked versions, adaptations with half lemons and half oranges, and even some variations that call for sliced bananas. 
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Have you heard of Earth Balance® buttery spreads? Although I was certain, when I recently eliminated dairy from my diet, that I was very likely the last person to discover this gluten-free vegan butter alternative, it seems I was not. As a matter of fact, I’ve had several people ask me “just what is Earth Balance®?”, so it seemed like a good time for a product review. To that end, I have been busy in the kitchen this week “researching” – not only with buttery spread, but with other Earth Balance® products as well. Tasty task! 

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll tell you that the kind folks at Earth Balance supplied me with lots of yummy product with which to conduct my review (thank you!). But I'll also tell you that I was already a huge fan of Earth Balance buttery spread (soy-free version). The taste-testing for any nut and/or soy containing products was carried out by those other than myself due to my soy and nut allergies, but not to worry - like many of you, I have a team of seasoned in-house taste-testers!

My goal was to use Earth Balance® products in simple, every day recipes to determine whether or not they perform as well as their traditional “mainstream” counterparts. I tried several different recipes using the buttery spread (soy-free version), as well as the nut butters and soy milks, and not once was I disappointed with my results. I tried a savory recipe (Crispy Veggie Fritters with Sweet Chipotle Tomato Sauce), and a couple of sweet treats (Champagne Pie and Honey Wafers) in order to see how Earth Balance® performs in a variety of cooking methods. I even made "buttercream" frosting (my 9 year-0ld deems it better than the "real deal")! I also tested the soy milk products and the no-stir nut butters in baked goods (Oatmeal Almond Drop Cookies and Simple Peanut Butter Cookies), as well as in smoothies (Choco-Banana Smoothie, Strawberry Dream Smoothie, and Honey Almond Smoothie), and for healthy afternoon snacks (try the almond butter on pear slices!). Great results time after time! 

If you haven’t tried this line of products, check them out, and keep checking back here to see all the recipes (listed above) that I tried using Earth Balance® products!
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Little Pumpkins

Gluten-dairy-egg-soy-nut-free mini muffins 

Rich tasting, lightly sweet, spiced mini muffins with a dense, near custard-like texture and a tiny cranberry jewel sitting on top. Serve them with a warm latte for a mid-morning snack or with ginger tea for a pick-me-up in the afternoon. Enjoy!

1 c. pureed pumpkin (canned is fine; I used mashed roasted pumpkin that I prepared)

Egg replacer (prepared according to package directions) to equal 1 egg

¼ t. mace (you could sub cinnamon here if you do not care for the rather strong flavor of mace)

¼ t. salt

2 T. very light olive oil

¼ c. firmly packed light brown sugar

½ c. white rice flour

¼ c. sorghum flour

2 T. potato starch

2 t. baking powder

Juice from ½ lemon plus rice milk (or other plant milk) to equal ½ c.

24 dried cranberries

Prepare a mini muffin pan (24 sections) by lightly greasing sections. Preheat oven to 350.

In a small mixing bowl, combine flours, starch, and baking powder. Stir with a whisk until blended. Set aside.

In a ½ cup measure, squeeze the juice from one-half a lemon, then fill cup with enough plant milk to equal ½ cup total liquid. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, egg replacer, mace, salt, olive oil, and brown sugar. Stir until well-combined. Add milk mixture and stir. Add dry ingredients, stirring just until all dry ingredients are incorporated.

Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of batter into each section of the muffin tin. Top each muffin with a dried cranberry. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until tops appear dry and spring back when lightly touched (be careful to avoid a burn!).  Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing to serving platter. Serve warm and freeze leftovers (tightly wrapped!) for up to 1 month.
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Growing sweet potatoes is so simple - no maintenance, beautiful (if aggressive) vines to fill a barren area of my garden, and an amazing harvest to keep me thinking of soufflés, casseroles, breakfast breads, and of course, biscuits. 

These are outstanding and no one will ever, ever guess they are gluten free (or free from so many other allergens). 

When you make them, you'll end up with 12-15 biscuits. You'll probably wish you'd doubled the recipe when you taste them! Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Biscuits      
Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Nut Free, Egg Free, Vegan

2 cups Gluten Free flour blend #1 or #2 (or your favorite gum-free gluten free flour blend)
3 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
5 Tablespoons Earth Balance® soy-free buttery spread (if you eat dairy, you may use an equal amount of butter)
Egg replacer for 1 egg (if you eat eggs, use a real one)
¾ cup rice milk (or other milk of your choice)
½ Tablespoon white vinegar
1 cup mashed sweet potato, preferably fresh roasted or boiled

For topping:
3 Tablespoons Earth Balance®, melted (or butter if not dairy free)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Small amount of coarse sea salt 
 
Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking pan with parchment or spray with cooking spray. 

Combine milk and vinegar; set aside. 

Stir together melted Earth Balance, brown sugar, and cinnamon for topping; set aside. Reserve additional sea salt.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine first 7 ingredients (flour through ¼ cup brown sugar) and whisk until blended. 

Cut in Earth Balance with a fork or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 

In a separate mixing bowl, combine prepared egg replacer, milk/vinegar mixture, and sweet potato, stirring until mixed well. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. 

Place ¼ cup scoops of dough 2-3 inches apart on prepared pan and lightly flatten into biscuit shape. Do not over-shape dough or press too hard – it is delicate and the texture will be affected if you overwork the dough. 

With a pastry brush, gently brush on Earth Balance topping mixture, dividing evenly among biscuits until all topping mixture is used. 

Lightly sprinkle the top of each biscuit with coarse sea salt – a small pinch is all you need here. 

Bake biscuits for 12-15 minutes, or until edges brown and tops are bubbly. Serve warm and enjoy the smiles all around.
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Remember these? Quick and easy homemade cookies from a recipe that existed for many years before "gluten free" was an everyday term. With only 3 ingredients, these cookies make a super simple treat to whip up for the holiday weekend! Enjoy!

3/4 c Sunbutter sunflower seed spread
1 c. sugar
1 egg (or egg replacer to equal 1 egg)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 T. additional sugar

Preheat your oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or spray with cooking spray.
 
Mix these 3 ingredients together until smooth. Place tablespoons of batter 3 inches apart on cookie sheet. Dip a fork in sugar and cross-hatch the tops of cookies to flatter slightly. Sprinkle additional sugar on tops of cookies.
 
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges turn golden. Cool on the pan for a few minutes before serving.
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These hearty muffins are packed full of healthy ingredients, have low added sugar, and no added fats! In addition, they are free of gluten, dairy, egg, and nuts, so are allergy-friendly. Bake a pan, eat a few, and freeze the rest for super-healthy energy-packed breakfasts on the go! If you can eat nuts, you could add ¼ cup of walnuts or pecans to these, and I imagine the taste would only improve (wishing I had no nut allergy!). Enjoy!

1 ½ c. GF flour blend
½ c. quinoa flakes
2 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
¼ c. firmly packed light brown sugar
½ c. cooked butternut squash, mashed (you could sub cooked sweet potato or pumpkin here)
1/3 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 t. vanilla extract
Egg replacer to equal 1 egg
½ c. rice milk (or milk of your choice)
2/3 c. dried cranberries (or get creative with an equal amount of your favorite dried fruit)
¼ c. unsweetened finely grated coconut 

Preheat oven to 400. Line a 12-section muffin tin with papers or spray with cooking spray or oil.
Combine ingredients in order given and stir until mixture is thoroughly blended and all dry ingredients are incorporated.
Spoon into prepared muffin tin and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until tops appear dry and muffins pass the “toothpick test”.
Serve warm! Freeze leftovers for up to 1 month by cooling to room temperature, wrapping in wax paper, then in a layer of clear wrap.
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These are incredibly easy to make and are an amazing cool fruity treat that is nearly ice cream like without the dairy and without all the added sugar and fat. Dates provide added sweetness and lend a slightly chewy texture to the base. I’m thinking this is a cool make-ahead treat for after that big Labor Day barbeque! I’ll make mine the night before and store them in an airtight freezer container, ready to whip them out when the post-bbq sweet tooth sets in! You can change up the fruit in these and make them your own. I’m thinking mango may be next! Enjoy!
Base:
½ c. chopped dates
¼ c. GF oats
2 T. unsweetened grated coconut
1 t. orange zest
½ t. ground cinnamon
¼ t. ground ginger
2 to 4 T. freshly squeezed orange juice

Fruit Filling:
2 medium bananas, frozen and cut into 3 chunks each
1 c. frozen whole strawberries
¼ c. rice milk (or milk of your choice)
¼ c. freshly squeezed orange juice
½ t. ground cinnamon
1 t. vanilla extract

Line the sections of a 12-section muffin tin with paper liners. 
Place all base ingredients except orange juice in the bowl of your food processor. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the juice over other ingredients and process until the mixture begins to come together – 10 to 12 pulses. If the mixture seems too crumbly, add the remaining juice, 1 tablespoon at a time. You should end up with a somewhat sticky mixture that stays together when pressed between your fingers. 


Scrape your processor bowl clean and divide the mixture evenly among the lined sections of your muffin tin. I find this is approximately 1 ½ teaspoons per section. Press mixture evenly around bottom of paper liner to cover. Lightly oiled fingertips make this easier.

 

Add filling ingredients to the processor bowl, pulsing several times to break down the fruit a bit, and then process just until smooth. Spoon the fruit mixture over base in muffin tin, dividing evenly and spreading smooth on top.

 

Cover the muffin pan with clear wrap and freeze until fruit filling is firm. Allow to sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 minutes prior to serving.
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