Gluten Free Almond Joys (no chemicals)

CORN SYRUP; SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE ( CHOCOLATE; SUGAR; COCOA; MILK FAT; COCOA BUTTER; SOY LECITHIN; PGPR, EMULSIFIER) ; COCONUT; SUGAR; SALT; NATURAL & ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR; HYDROLYZED MILK PROTEIN; SODIUM METABISULFITE, TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS; SULFUR DIOXIDE, TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS; CARAMEL COLOR; MILK   That's what is in a Mounds Candy Bar you buy at the store.  This is all you need for the home made Mounds: 6 ounces of coconut flakes (about 1 1/2 packages) 1 can of sweetened condensed milk  (4.9 oz) 2-3 teaspoons of coconut oil as needed 1 bag of dark chocolate chips (7.5 oz) 1/2 bag of semi sweet chips (3.5 oz) sea salt if desired To start put your coconut in a medium bowl and add the sweetened condensed milk.  Combine.  Using two teaspoons place coconut on a cookie sheet.  These will not be bite sized - they are honestly enough for a person to have one as a complete "pick up and walk around dessert".  Make them smaller if you want.  Once these are put on the cookie sheet, freeze for about 1 hour.  No need to cover.    Place your chocolates in a double boiler along with the coconut oil a teaspoon at a time to keep it shiny and smooth as you use it to cover y our coconut bites.  As your chocolate melts, take the coconut out of the freezer (and with moist/clean hands) roll the coconut into balls.  Roll in chocolate and top with an almond.  I did not buy salted almonds.  But feel free to sprinkle a little sea salt on top if you so choose, it will give a little extra flavor.

This recipe will make about 30 good sized "bars", not bites.  When they begin to harden feel free to put them in the freezer and keep them there until ready to serve.  These were even great days later and they will not freeze completely.  I'm not certain how long you can keep them in the freezer because they don't last more than a weekend in THIS HOUSE!
 

Now, you are bound to have some chocolate left over and (let me school you a little) it is a sin to let it go to waste.  I just scrape it out on some wax paper, toss some almonds on top, sprinkle with sea salt and enjoy! 
I'm not certain there are even calories in this little extra....just sayin

Clementine Cake - Gluten Free

There are a lot of great things about this cake.  1.  It is Nigella Lawson's recipe  2.  It is easy as can be and

3.  It is gluten free 

 

Here is all you need:

3 medium sized clementine, 1 -1/4 cups granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder (make sure this is gluten free), 6 eggs and

2- 1/4 cup almond meal, if you want topping you need 1 additional fresh clementine juiced and 1 cup powdered sugar

 

NOTE:  you have to boil your clementine for 2 hours before you can make the cake but once that is complete you are ready to go! 

 

Place your clementine in cold water and bring to a boil, once they are boiling turn down to a medium to medium high heat and cook for two hours uncovered.

 

                You can find almond meal at most health food stores or in your regular grocery store on the gluten free isle.  I prefer Red Mill.



After your clementine are finished boiling, peel 2 and leave the skin on one.
Place in a blender with your eggs and sugar. Blend to combine.



 

       Once the clementine juice, (including the rind of one), eggs and sugar are combined and smooth add the flour and the baking powder.  This flour is really light and not heavy at all. so tap it down into your measuring cup but you do not pack it.

 Once you have blended the ingredients, remove blender top and pour it into a well greased spring form pan.  TIP:  Spray your spring form pan without the bottom in it and then put it together, also spraying the bottom.  This will get the edge where the cake may seep and keep  it from sticking.

Place cake into a preheated 375 degree oven, and place a piece of foil over the top to keep it from browning too quickly. Bake for about an hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

 

For removing: run a butter knife around the edges when cool.  Flip over on to a platter, and remove the spring form.  Take a sharp knife, if the bottom of the pan does not release, and run it between the cake and the base.  If you want to make a 'frosting' take the juice of one clementine and add 1 cup of powdered sugar, whisk, and drizzle on top.   Garnish with clementine slices.  If you don't want a glaze, it is certainly moist enough alone and you can serve with whipped cream and zest.

 

 

 

Elisabeth Hasselbeck's Orange Cupcakes

 

Elisabeth Hasselbeck is a Christian wife and mother, talk show host, and health nut that happens to have Celiac Disease.  Because she does you can find many Gluten Free Recipes on her website www.elisabethhasselbeck.com.  Tonight I made her Orange Cupcakes and they were very easy to put together.  I did notice they needed cooking a few minutes longer than she said, maybe it's the altitude.  Either way, I was pleased with being able to use some of my coconut flour so I doubled the batch.  I will give you the recipe for one batch of about 12-16 cupcakes.

Here is what you need:

1 cup brown rice flour, 1/2 cup coconut flour, 1/3 cup tapioca starch, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup canola oil, 2 eggs, zest to taste of 1 orange, juice of 1 orange, 1/2 teaspoon orange extract, 1/2 cup 2% milk, 1= 8 ounce cream cheese at room temp. 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 cup gluten free light sour cream.

In a medium bowl, combine the flours, starch, baking powder and xanthan gum and salt.  In a separate small bowl add your milk, orange zest, juice and extract.

In yet another bowl add granulated sugar, oil and eggs one at a time while beating together.  Add half of the milk mixture and mix together slowly, then add the remaining milk mixture to complete.

Now to your wet mixture, add your flour mixture one spoonful at a time, slowly, until it forms a beautiful batter.  Mine was a little thick and I turned out not adding one or two spoons.

Add batter to cupcake tins and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

While cupcakes are in the oven make the frosting by beating the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Then gradually beat in the sour cream and chill until all cake are cooled.  

 

 

Once they cooled I piped my frosting on with a baggie snipped from the corner.

 *Sarcasm Note:   The remaining of the batter in the baggie did NOT get squeezed into my mouth like a 2nd grader.

Peanut Butter Brownie Triffle

Ingredients

• 1 fudge brownie mix (13-inch x 9-inch pan size)
• 1 package (10 ounces) peanut butter chips
• 2 packages (13 ounces each) miniature peanut butter cups
• 4 cups cold 2% milk
• 2 packages (5.1 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cartons (8 ounces each) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

• Prepare brownie batter according to package directions; stir in peanut butter chips. Bake in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs (do not overbake). Cool on a wire rack; cut into 3/4-in. pieces.
• Cut peanut butter cups in half; set aside 1/3 cup for garnish. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Add peanut butter and vanilla; mix well. Fold in 1-1/2 cartons whipped topping.
• Place a third of the brownies in a 5-qt. glass bowl; top with a third of the remaining peanut butter cups. Spoon a third of the pudding mixture over the top. Repeat layers twice. Cover with remaining whipped topping; garnish with reserved peanut butter cups. Refrigerate until chilled. Yield: 20 servings (1 cup each).

Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 680 calories, 38 g fat (15 g saturated fat), 28 mg cholesterol, 547 mg sodium, 73 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 13 g protein.

Sarcasm Note:  I feel like I don't have to even do this because as you have read the "nutrition facts"  you said it..."Oh, well this is certainly LOW FAT!"