Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup real butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/4 cup gluten-free baking mix
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt, optional
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease two large cookie sheets. Blend butter and sugar in a bowl until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. In a large mixing bowl, blend remaining dry ingredients; slowly fold in sugar mixture. Spoon in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired. Drop by the teaspoonful onto cookie sheet. Bake 7-10 minutes. Cool and serve. Yield: 2 dozen large cookies or 3 dozen small cookies.

Sounds yummy, right?  If you have a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie that you think can beat this one, please email it to me!  I’d love to try it!

Here is the recipe for this amazing soup:

VEGAN CREAMY TOMATO SOUP               * Serves 4 in 45 minutes

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 14.5 oz. can unsalted white beans, rinse and drain
1/4 cup onion, ,finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried tarragon crushed
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 14.5 oz. cans unsalted, diced tomatoes, undrained

Tip: If you do not have lemon on hand, use 1 teaspoon distilled vinegar or rice vinegar.

HEAT oil in large stock pot on medium high heat.

SAUTE onion with 1/8 teaspoon of salt until tender, but not brown; for 1-2 minutes.

STIR in garlic.

ADD carrots.  Sauté vegetables until tender for 1-2 minutes; stirring occasionally.

STIR in tomatoes, beans, and tarragon; bring to boil.

TURN heat to low and simmer for ½ hour; stirring occasionally.

ADD lemon juice, zest, cracked black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt.

PUREE until smooth.

ENJOY soup hot or cold!

Serving suggestions: Try this with a pinch of cayenne and stir in some fresh finely chopped spinach or watercress before serving.

This recipe is free from: Gluten  Wheat  Lactose  Casein  Dairy  Soy  Yeast  Corn  Egg  Nuts  Seafood and  Shellfish.  Also is low in sodium and no add sugar.

1 c. oil
3 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. GF All purpose flour mix
1 3/4 tsp. xanthum gum
2/3 c. water
2 c. pumpkin
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda

2 c. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. softened butter
4-6 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

• Do not make too thin or most of the glaze will end up on the cake plate.

Let cake cool for about 30 – 45 minutes before removing from pan then drizzle the glaze over the cake.

Thanks, Rachelle, for sharing this family favorite!

Thanks Bridget!

The other “experiment” that I tried turned out really well. I used a packet of the cream soup and a packet of the cheese sauce together. Here’s the recipe:

Chicken Spaghetti Pie

• Cut up cooked chicken breasts into small cubes
• Cook Tinkyada rice penne, per directions, and drain
• Prepare FFF Cheese Sauce and Cream Soup mixes together, as directed

Mix penne, sauce mixes, and chicken together. Add shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar and mozzarella) and stir. Put in baking dish/pan and cover top with more cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is thoroughly melted (we even like ours a little browned on top), approximately 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

I think this has been the biggest GF hit that I’ve made yet. My husband and teenage boys are anxious to have me make this again!

There are more tips and ideas for FFF mixes on their website.  You can purchase these mixes at Otto’s Turkey Store and they are coming soon to Meijer!  We are anxious to have Paul Swanson (owner of FFF) with us in January!

 We sampled some Miss Roben’s Soft Pretzels that the Allergy Grocer was so nice to supply for us.  Susan, who was not able to attend the meeting, was nice enough to prepare these for the group. [Thanks, Susan!]  Some preparation notes that she sent along:

These were prepared with yeast, olive oil, and vinegar.  I used warm water.

• Way too thick & sticky for a hand mixer.  Use a heavy duty stand mixer.
• Takes 15 min. (at least ) to brown on bottom before you turn them.
• Pretty much have to make “sticks” because dough is very difficult to work with.  I attempted a “pretzel shape” & it did not work.
• I baked these on a silicon baking sheet instead of greasing a pan–this may have affected browning.

We were also treated to some donut holes from Celiac Specialties in Chesterfield Township, near Detroit.  These were pretty much amazing!  They sent us glazed and cinnamon sugar.  They were a cake-like donut, not fluffy, like a Krispy Kreme style. 

 Allison was also nice enought to make us some really, really good peanut-butter, chocolate chip cookies from a recipe found on the All Recipes website.  [Thanks, Allison!]  For convenience, I will reprint the recipe here, but be sure to visit the site for a LOT of really great recipes!

Gluten-free Peanut Butter Cookies

Submitted by: Jackie Rated: 5 out of 5 by 29 members

Yields: 15 servings

“This recipe is gluten-free and delicious! Pecans are great in these, but feel free to use peanuts or any other nut you choose.”

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups peanut butter 2 cups white sugar 4 eggs, beaten

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheet.
2.	Combine peanut butter, eggs, and sugar and mix until smooth. Mix in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired. Spoon dough by tablespoons onto a cookie sheet.
3.	Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for 5 to 10 minutes before removing.

Everyone who attended received a bag full of sample products from various gluten-free vendors.  We will be posting reveiws of these products in the near future.  If you would like to add your comments about the pretzels, donut holes or cookies, please do so by leaving a comment.

It’s free to sign up.  Once you sign up, you can save recipes in your very own online recipe book for future reference. 

Here’s one of the GF recipes that looked pretty good to me:

Delicious Gluten-Free Pancakes SUBMITTED BY: Joe Oliver
“Makes fluffy pancakes with a consistency and taste comparable to those made with wheat flour. Serve with your choice of condiments.”

PREP TIME 20 Min
COOK TIME 15 Min
READY IN 35 Min
SERVINGS & SCALING
Original recipe yield: 10 pancakes

INGREDIENTS
1 cup rice flour
3 tablespoons tapioca flour
1/3 cup potato starch
4 tablespoons dry buttermilk powder
1 packet sugar substitute
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 eggs
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups water

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, mix or sift together the rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, dry buttermilk powder, sugar substitute, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum. Stir in eggs, water, and oil until well blended and few lumps remain.
2. Heat a large, well-oiled skillet or griddle over medium high heat. Spoon batter onto skillet and cook until bubbles begin to form. Flip, and continue cooking until golden brown on bottom. Serve immediately with condiments of your choice.

I’ll also add the Daily GF Recipe RSS Feed to our website (on the Resource page), so it will be easy for everyone to find.