Gluten Free Nutella No Bake Cookies

These are pretty great cookies.  Not only do they have Nutella, which is the spread of happiness, but they also have peanut butter!  (plus sugar and butter-so you can eat all you want)  I am not certain if it is the peanut butter or not, but these cookies are almost ready to eat as soon as you drop them on the wax paper.  Let's get going on this!

Here is what you will need:

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup Nutella

3 cup quick oats

Sea salt for topping if you like the sweet/salty taste ( I do this on about 1/2 of the cookies)

 

Over a medium heat melt butter, add milk, then sugar and cocoa. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and salt.  Pour hot mixture over peanut butter, Nutella and oats. Stir until combined. Drop by teaspoon on wax paper and cool. When the cookies are hardened eat and repeat! 

Melting the butter on a medium heat...adding milk

Adding sugar and coco and bringing to a boil...

Added vanilla and poured hot mixture over the Nutella and peanut butter, then added oats
to make this:

Dropped by the spoonful on to wax paper to cool. 
If you want you can
add sea salt for a twist on the flavor.

These are heavenly...

 

Pumpkin Spice No-bake Cookies

       So,  this was my first try at the fall favorite, Pumpkin Spice No-Bake Cookies.  I am going to be honest with you because it's the only way I know how to be....they are good but not greatest thing I've ever put in my mouth.  If you LOVE the taste of pumpkin more than chocolate then these are for you! Many teenagers at my house devoured and LOVED them.  But if the no-bake chocolate cookies are your favorite...stick with them by all means.  The next time I attempt these, and they are good enough to make again, I will add chocolate chips accordingly. What can it hurt? 

Here is what you will need:   1 can of pumpkin, 1 t. nutmeg, 3 t. cinnamon, 1/4 t. cloves, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup dulce de leche (which can be found in the Hispanic foods in your local grocery store), 6 T butter, 3 t. of vanilla 1 cup of milk, 6 cups of oats 

  Melt 6 T of butter in a saucepan with pumpkin and spices over medium heat.  

Add sugars, dulce de leche, butter and milk and cook until mixture comes to a boil, bring back to a low heat. Stir until smooth, making sure sugars are fully dissolved. Add vanilla extract and mix until combined. Place oats in a large bowl and add heated pumpkin mixture.

Combine well and place tablespoon-sized balls onto parchment paper and sprinkle with sea salt if you desire that added taste. Let come to room temperature for about an hour before serving or place in refrigerator or freezer until cool.

                                                                          

If you are a brave soul and would like to make your OWN Dulce de Leche here are the instructions: 

This is a traditional Argentinian dessert made by caramelizing sugar in milk. And to save time, the easiest measure (other than buying it) is to start with Eagle Brand sweetened-condensed milk.

Place it in a small glass dish, cover tightly with foil.  Take a larger oven safe container and place your condensed milk dish inside it.  SLOWLY add water.  If you get water in your milk, it will ruin the entire process!  Heat at 425 degrees for about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours.  You may need to add water to your bottom container every now and then.  Whisk every 30 minutes and when it is the beautiful golden brown, thick consistency remove and cool!  YUM

 

I should have added more water just to keep my pans cleaner, but the result was the same. 

  

In Argentina, dulce de leche, is spread on toast and other pastries,or used as a dip for fruits such as apples and pears, and a real favorite is to roast apricots or apples and top with ducle de leche and toasted nuts.  But it makes a wonderful addition to the pumpkin cookies in this recipe.  Don't worry if you have to cook it longer, it is my opinion that your climate may a factor.

Gluten Free Banana Oat Muffins

These muffins are so quick and if you have ripe bananas can be made in about 3 minutes! 

 As I have stated before, I have Celiac Disease and am now eating Gluten Free.  My family is mostly eating gluten free; because I have chosen to continue to make their favorite recipes and alter what I can for myself.  I have had a great deal of difficulty learning about this "thing" called GLUTEN and this is actually a recipe that worked the FIRST time I tried it. 

Every ingredient I use is labeled gluten free and mostly purchased at our local Sprouts and health food stores.  Bob's Red Mill has been a literal life saver for me!  So enough jabber, let's get going:  

2 1/2 cups of oats
1 cup of plain low fat greek yogurt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 ripe bananas 
1/2 tsp of vanilla  and a dash of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400, spray muffin tin with non stick spray, put all ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth.  Pour into tins and bake until golden brown on the top.  Makes about 18 muffins.  Told you it was easy!

 My daughter was dying to     have another bite!

I'm fat enough but I'm certain this would be great with frosting!  Let me know if you do that :)