Thursday, March 27, 2014

Gluten-free Waffles - KAF Recipe Review

Hey there folks, how are you doing out there in GF world?

I know.  Homemade GF Waffles.  Why make something GF when they really aren't that expensive out there in the "real" world.  Well, convenience aside, I do like being in control of the ingredients that go into my food, and with all the "styrofoam in our food" scares lately, I thought I'd give waffles a try.  That and my amazing husband, who gave me a Cuisinart 5-in-1 Griddler for Christmas,  also got me the waffle plates, and quite frankly, I was DYING to try them out!!!

Since re-entering the GF world, I've gotten a little braver again.  Decided to make my own flour blend. Grateful for a local store that does bulk foods, I was able to spend about $20 and make a HUGE batch of gluten free flour.  Here's my breakdown, and so far, it's worked very nicely in all my recipes:

EQUAL PARTS
White Rice Flour (I got one that was extra milled, so less gritty)
Brown Rice Flour
Sweet White Sorghum Flour
Tapioca Starch

I did 6 cups of each and mixed well.

Some of the recipes out there added Xanthan Gum, I prefer to add mine per recipe, when mixed in a flour like this, you can never really be sure that you getting the correct amount.  I follow the rule of thumb of 1/2 tsp per cup in a "breadier" or "cakier" type recipe.

Armed with my new flour, my Griddler fitted with waffle plates, and my whisk, I set out to make the perfect waffle.  Ooooops, I need a recipe!!!!  In comes King Arthur Flour - you know, the flour people who now sell a GF flour??? - they had one!  The  KAF GF Pancake & Waffle Recipe was easy to follow and worked like a charm! Thanks KAF!!!

I doubled their recipe for them so that I would have some to freeze.  In my Griddler "waffle iron" it made 5 4-waffle flats.  So, basically, 20 individual waffles.  I did freeze them flat after cutting apart and I warm them up in my toaster.  They are SO, SO, SO good, and so much better than store bought!

The were light and fluffy in all the right places, crispy and crunch in all the right places, and doused with a good syrup OR slathered in crunchy peanut butter, they just satisfy that waffle urge.

Give them a try, I believe you won't be disappointed!

Monday, March 10, 2014

Triple Decker Brownies - AKA Devil Bombs



Okay, so it's floating around Pinterest, FB and the general internet world.  This picture of an individual brownie pan, layers of chocolate chip cookie dough, a Reese's Peanut Butter cup and covered in brownie batter.  All set to bake for 18 minutes at 350.  It looks delicious.

But, when you're gluten-free, a recipe that is made of all pre-made foods is hard to just make.  I've heard that there is a Pillsbury version of a pre-made gluten-free cookie dough, I have only seen this one place, and I didn't feel like running out to get just one ingredient.  And you COULD use a pre made brownie mix, though, I suspect you would have some leftover (gee, leftover brownie batter is a BAD thing????)  So, this is what I did to make mine.

FIRST, I used a muffin pan instead of a special unitasker (thank you, AB for such an amazing word). SECOND, I made a half batch of my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (which happens to be the one on the back of the Baker's Corner Semi-sweet Mini Chocolate Chips (Aldi brand, gluten-free, it's awesome and inexpensive).  Then I made a half batch of the King Arthur's Gluten-Free Brownies.  I made the pan easy to clean up by using the Reynold's Wrap Aluminum Foil Baking Liners.  (I removed the white paper liner and used ONLY the aluminum foil liner).  I also sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  I unwrapped my 6 packages of Reese's and began my layers:

1 Scoop Cookie Dough, pressed flat
1 Reese's PB cup, lightly pressed into the cookie dough
Cover with brownie batter

I did end up with some leftover cookie batter.  And brownie batter, too.  Oh, for shame.  LOL :)  Of course, I baked it.  LOL :)

I made the pan easy to clean up by using the Reynold's Wrap Aluminum Foil Baking Liners.  (I removed the white paper liner and used ONLY the aluminum foil liner).  I also sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

I try to be honest in advertising, the brownie did "sink" in the middle, which I kind of expected.  Truly, this effects appearance and not taste. :)

I also needed to bake a bit longer, not sure if it was the pan or the fact that it was gluten-free.  So, go for about 23-25 minutes vs. the 18 minutes.

Allow to cool completely.  This, I believe, is the hardest step in the entire process.  Waiting for these to cool is torture.  This is why I have renamed them Devil Bombs.  Only the Devil would make you wait for these.  Only the Devil.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Mama F's Mega Slaw


I found some in the fridge and was able to take a picture! I thought it was all gone,  in my house, I actually take that as high flattery.  My kids, especially, love my coleslaw.  In fact, they measure all coleslaws on a scale from 1 to Mom's.  I decided to shake it up a bit this time and make it a little differently.  The sauce was the same, but what I put in was different.  It was a big hit, as shown by the near empty container.

Mama F's Mega Slaw

1 16 oz Bag Coleslaw Mix
1 12 oz Bag Broccoli Slaw Mix
1/8-1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Sugar
Ground Black Pepper, to taste
1/2-1 Tsp Celery Seed, to taste

In a very large bowl, add 1/8 Cup red wine vinegar.  Dissolve salt and sugar into the vinegar.  Add the Mayonnaise.  This is where you adjust the vinegar, if it's not tart enough, add 1 Tbs at a time to desired tartness.  Mix in slaw mixes.  Add pepper & celery seed to taste.  Allow to marinate in fridge at least 1 hour before serving.

Oh, and don't expect leftovers. :)