Piping heart-shaped bagels is so much fun and brings such silliness into our lives. My youngest prefers when we make the chocolate chip bagel sticks into heart-shaped bagels, but I love these garlic-onion bagels, which are so versatile for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks! She was so excited I made heart bagels again this week, until she realized I'd made the savory ones... again. Ha! Enjoy!

Toasted and filled for a scrumptious breakfast!

Another pan of tasty heart bagels, fresh from the oven. My daughter was SO excited until she realized they didn't have mini chocolate chips in them... 

Heart shaped Garlic-Onion Bagels

Preheat oven to 350 - 375 F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. 

Mix gently together, then set aside to rest/rise 5-10 minutes: 

1 1/4 cup warm water

4 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp rapid-rise/quick yeast

In a mixer, combine: 

2 cup tapioca starch/flour

1 1/2 cup brown rice flour

6 Tbsp potato starch

1 Tbsp xanthan gum

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp dried onion flakes OR dried garlic flakes

1 - 2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 - 2 tsp freeze dried (or dried) chives (optional)

Add to the flour mixture: 

6 Tbsp oil 

3 eggs

yeast mixture, from above

(you can add 1/2 - 1 cup cottage cheese to the bagels at this point, if you're looking to add a bit of extra protein)

Beat together on medium to medium-high for 3-4 minutes, scraping occasionally. 

Put dough into a large freezer ziploc. Snip a small 1/2" hole off the end.  Pipe heart shaped bagels onto the pans. I find you can fit 9 - 12 bagels per pan.  You can always use a third pan, if you prefer, but I find I can comfortably fit all the bagels onto two pans with the dough mix here. 

Spray the tops of the hearts with water. Or you can gently wet the tops of them with your hands.  Let rise 25 - 30 minutes in a warm location until nicely puffed up (they won't fully double in size).  

Piped and then spritzed with some water.

Let them sit until they puff up - they won't fully double.

Fitting 12 slightly smaller bagels on the pans for this batch. Either way works great!

Bake at 350 - 375 F for 20 - 25 minutes, until a dark golden brown.  Slice and top with toppings of your choice!  You can eat them with bagel toppings or use them for sandwich rolls.  Slice and freeze leftovers, and they reheat perfectly in the toaster oven.  Enjoy!

A batch of tasty heart bagels, fresh from the oven - nine to a tray for this batch.

Another batch of bagel hearts fresh from the oven - cute little ones made 12 to a tray for this batch. 

Heart shaped Garlic-Onion Bagels Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

Baked Risotto with Chicken and Veggies

 Typically, Risotto is a labor of love, involving regular stirring as it simmers on the stovetop. It's one of favorites, and I'm always playing around with what I add and how I season it.  This yummy baked risotto recipe is perfect for a meal when you don't have as much time to spare at the stove. You'll want to use a large pan with lid that can go from the stovetop to oven for this recipe. Enjoy! 

A fun way to serve the baked chicken risotto.

A nice all-in-one dish with chicken and vegetables and risotto rice - just stirring in the parmesan before serving. Yum!

Baked Risotto with Chicken and Vegetables

Cook the following recipe in a large pan with lid, that can be used both on the stovetop and in the oven.  I have one nice large dutch oven-type dish that I like to use for recipes that go from stovetop to oven. 

Over medium heat, cook the following 4-5 minutes: 

1/4 cup butter

1/2 onion, diced

1 cup mushroom, sliced

1/2 fennel bulb, diced/sliced

Veggies just starting to soften - ready to add the chicken to cook.

Add and cook, stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked: 

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into small bite-size pieces

Add and cook 1 minute: 

2 cups arborio risotto rice (I like to give mine a rinse before using)

Add into the pan: 

6 cups chicken broth/stock (homemade or GF bouillon and water)

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 - 2 tsp freeze-dried thyme or 1-2 tsp fresh thyme

1 - 2 tsp freeze-dried parsley or 1 Tbsp fresh parsley

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 - 1 tsp salt (if your broth is salt-free, otherwise, you can wait and season later)

1 tsp pepper

Cover with the heavy lid and bake at 300 F for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through baking.  

Stirring halfway through baking.

Remove from oven and stir in: 

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt & pepper, to taste

Adding parmesan cheese!

Ready to eat!

Serve and enjoy!  Leftovers can be put into the refrigerator and reheated to enjoy later. 

Baked Risotto with Chicken and Vegetables Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

This tasty orange raisin bread whips up quickly.  I recently had some gluten-free orange raisin buns while visiting England, and while I loved the flavor, the texture wasn't my favorite. I prefer the texture of these yummy and easy to whip together loaves. This recipe is based off another favorite - the cinnamon raisin bread I posted a few years ago. Enjoy!

Fresh, yummy orange raisin bread

Orange Raisin Bread

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Line 3 mini loaf pans with parchment paper or one large loaf pan with parchment paper.

In a mixer combine:

1 cups brown rice flour

1/2 cup white rice flour

1/2 cup potato starch

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp tapioca starch

2 1/2 Tbsp sugar (This bread is not very sweet, but you can double the sugar if you'd like a sweeter bread)

2 tsp rapid-rise/quick yeast

2 tsp xanthan gum

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 - 2 Tbsp orange zest

Add, and let beat 3-4 minutes:

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup fresh orange juice, RT (you can use half mango juice, if you'd like a slightly more orange color to your final bread)

3 eggs

2 Tbsp butter, softened

1 Tbsp oil 

Fold in: 

1/2 cup raisins 

Orange bread dough with the raisins folded in.

Scoop into prepared baking pans, filling about 2/3 full.  Smooth the tops with wet hands, or just spray the top of the loaves with water after smoothing them with the spatula.  Let rise in a warm location until the dough has puffed up just above the sides of the pan.  ~30-40 minutes.

Pans filled with the orange raisin bread dough, ready to wet the tops and let rise.

Dough is risen and ready for baking!

Bake the loaves at 375 F.  Mini loaves will bake for ~30 minutes.  Large loaf will bake for ~45-50 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Slice and enjoy! These slice reasonably well even while still a bit warm.  We prefer this bread with a dollop of butter. This bread will slice and toast nicely.  Delicious used in French toast, too.  Leftovers can be sliced and frozen.  Enjoy! 

Fresh from the oven!

Moved onto wire racks for cooling.

This bread slices nicely while still warm. 

Orange Raisin Bread Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

 I saw this idea for making candy cane sugar cookies that were rolled in sugar before baking, and I  wanted to adjust it to work with a delicious gluten-free sugar cookie dough. I really love how this particular sugar cookie dough ends up tasting - and it worked even better than I had anticipated with this dough. You can easily pipe the dough, chill just a bit, then twist the dough colors together and dip in sugar. Then you just shape it into the cute candy cane shapes as you pop it on the pan. So easy and festive! Enjoy! 

Candy Cane Vanilla Sugar Cookies - just out of the oven! 

Cute Candy Cane Vanilla Sugar Cookies

Makes several dozen candy cane cookies, or 2-4 dozen small circle cookies and ~2-4 dozen candy cane cookies

In a large bowl, whisk together: (it's important to mix dry ingredients separately in GF baking to avoid lumps)
2 cups Kristin's Gluten Free Flour Mix
3/4 cup white rice flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

In a mixer, cream together:
1 cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cup white sugar

Add and mix in, scraping down a few times:
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

Add the dry ingredients in, and mix just until combined.  

If making some round cookies, do the following: 

Scoop 1 Tbsp scoops for round cookies onto parchment-lined pans.  Use a flat glass, wrapped in plastic wrap.  Dip it briefly in water and flatten each cookie.  Dip between every 1-2 cookies to keep it from sticking to the dough. These do spread just a bit, but not too much, so if I keep the cookies small, I find I can just fit 24 to a tray. Make one or two trays of round cookies. Bake each tray of flattened cookies at 350 F for 7-9 minutes, until light browned on edges. Remove from oven and let rest a few minutes before moving the cookies to a wire rack to fully cool. You can frost with my favorite marshmallow frosting recipe - which works great for coloring and piping or spread with the recipe on this other gluten-free sugar cookies recipe. 

Flattened round cookies, ready for baking.

Round cookies, out of the oven. For a crispier cookie, let them get a bit more browned than these ones were. Just depends on personal preference. 

Divide remaining cookie batter and put 1/2 the white batter into a medium freezer ziploc.  Mix in red food coloring paste to desired red color.  Place the red batter into a separate medium freezer ziploc. 

Snip a small corner ~1/4" of each ziploc bag.  On a parchment-lined baking pan, pipe thin stripes of one color lines on the pan. This is the lenght of your candy cane cookie, so keep in mind how large or small you'll want the candy cane cookie once you bend it to make it into the proper shape. Pipe the other color on top of the first color, so you have a large pan covered with red and white sticks of cookie batter.  Place in the refrigerator for ~20 minutes to chill. 

Thin strips of red and white piped together, then chilled. This method was easy and quick! No rolling needed.

On a large plate, place: 

~3-4 Tbsp granulated sugar, add more, as needed

Pick up each candy cane stick and twist to combine the colors. Gently roll in the sugar.  Place on a fresh baking tray lined with parchment paper, curving into the candy cane shape.  Repeat until you have a tray of candy cane cookies, ready for baking.  Bake at 350 for 7-9 minutes.  Baking until lightly browned edges will give you a more crispy cookie, which we love, but you can choose how soft/crispy you prefer.    Repeat with your dough until you have all your cookies prepared and rolled and baked!  

Let any baked cookies rest at least 5 minutes on the pan before removing to wire rack to fully cool.  

You can see the stripes have been picked up, twisted, dipped in sugar, then placed in shape on the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Ready for baking! Make sure to leave a bit of room for them to spread.

Fresh from the oven!

If you have extra batter, you can pipe it onto a parchment-lined pan and bake. We made hearts with the extra colored batter - which were then eaten immediately. 

Hearts haphazardly piped with the leftover cookie batter. They baked quickly, but with the nicely browned edges they were flaky and crispy to eat fresh from the oven.

Store candy canes in a well-sealed tupperware or similar container at room temperature for up to a few days. ***Store the frosted sugar cookies separately from the candy canes, or the candy cane biscuits will lose their crispness.*** 

For the round sugar cookies, my girls and I decorated them with my favorite marshmallow frosting recipe - which works great for coloring and piping. I think my favorite were the gnomes! 

We just popped the different colors of frosting into medium freezer ziplocs and snipped tiny corners. Then piped and added sprinkles when we were inspired.

My favorites are definitely the gnomes. Will make those again. 

They had SO much fun. 

Gluten Free Candy Cane Vanilla Sugar Cookies Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

 I have so many different sandwich breads, and really I like them all, but I'm constantly tweaking and adjusting things to change textures, simplify the baking process, and play around with how the bread turns out.  This variation on a white loaf is a lovely addition to my bread repertoire. One batch makes three large loaves, which means there's plenty to cool, slice and freeze to eat later. This bread is versatile and works well for things like grilled cheese. Combine with an easy tomato soup for a quick meal. It will work well for a baked french toast, too, which is perfect over the holidays for a crowd. Enjoy!

A yummy slice of the white sandwich bread. 

Lovely White Sandwich Bread

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line 3 large bread pans with parchment paper. Set aside. 

In a large mixer combine: 

2 1/2 cup brown rice flour

3/4 cup sorghum flour (or extra brown rice flour)

2/3 cup arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1/2 cup white rice flour

1/2 cup potato starch

1 1/2 Tbsp xanthan gum

2 Tbsp rapid/quick-rise yeast

2 tsp salt

Add and mix in: 

2 cups warm water

6 eggs

1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 cup oil (I usually use olive oil)

1/4 cup honey

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 cup cottage cheese (optional, but you can add if you'd like to add a bit of extra protein. I find it works well and doesn't affect the texture negatively)

Beat for ~ 4 minutes, scraping occasionally until nice and light and fluffy.  Divide into the three parchment paper-lined bread pans (usually end up being filled ~2/3 each).  Set under an inverted cookie sheet (I usually play around until I can balance the pan on a couple of the bread pan handles).  Let rise in a warm location about 45 minutes, until nicely risen/nearly doubled. 

I forgot to snap a before photo, but here the loaves are risen and ready to bake!

Bake at 375 F for 50-60 minutes.  Let cool a few minutes before removing from pans to fully cool on a wire rack.  Once cool, slice and enjoy!  I have found if you've let it cool at least 20-30 minutes, you can usually slice it pretty decently to use right away.  The best is if you can let it fully cool, then you can get more accurate slicing.  Slice and freeze any leftovers in a ziploc. Pop them in a toaster to reheat. Enjoy! 

Fresh from the oven. Resting a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Yum! Makes the house smell so good.

Lovely White Sandwich Bread Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

 Yep, we eat a lot of pumpkin and squash around here in the fall. And these delicious pumpkin oatmeal sandwich cookies (whoopie-pie like) are a delicious treat to make with fresh pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin. Enjoy!

Delicious, fresh pumpkin oatmeal sandwich cookies!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line pans with parchment paper. 

Makes ~24 small sized sandwiched cookies, or fewer if you make larger sandwiched cookies.

Mix together in a large bowl, and set aside: 

1 cup gluten-free oats

1 1/2 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 - 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice blend

1/2 tsp salt

Cream together in a mixer: 

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 brown sugar

Add in: 

2/3 cup pumpkin puree

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Scoop 1 or 2 Tbsp scoops onto a parchment lined pan. Flatten gently with fingers. (you can dip them in a small bowl of water to help avoid sticking, if you prefer)

Bake at 350 F for 10 - 11 minutes for the 1 Tbsp scoops and 13 - 14 minutes for the 2 Tbsp scoops.  

Let rest a few minutes before removing to cooling racks to fully cool. 

Prepare the cream cheese frosting filling.  

Mix or beat together (beating til fluffy makes for a lighter overall frosting, which I prefer): 

2 Tbsp butter, softened

3 oz cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

2-3 tsp milk, add 1 tsp at a time and beat, then add more to desired consistency

Pipe from a ziploc bag or scoop frosting onto cookies and sandwich. These sandwich cookies freeze well, too! Enjoy!

I like to use about this much cream cheese frosting in each sandwich cookie.

A mixture of large and smaller pumpkin oatmeal sandwich cookies. Yum!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

A delicious pumpkin cake, with low refined-sugar and some extra eggs and cottage cheese (or sour cream) for a bit of extra protein. Is it still a cake? Yes. But it's less sweet than my usual pumpkin spice layer cake. We like having a slice for breakfast, too.  Enjoy! 

A yummy slice of pumpkin cake

Low Refined-Sugar Pumpkin Cake!

Preheat oven to 350 F. If desired, line 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper. Or butter lightly. 

Note* You can halve this recipe and still bake in a 9 x 13 pan. It works perfectly, and just bakes in about 30-35 minutes instead of 50.

In a bowl, whisk the dry ingredients: 

3 cups Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix

1 - 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

In a large bowl, mix together or blend to smooth it out a bit (you can use a stick blender to smooth, or mix the wet ingredients together in a blender):

2 cups pumpkin puree (homemade or canned 100% pumpkin)

6 eggs

1 cup cottage cheese OR 1 cup sour cream

2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup maple syrup OR agave syrup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

Mix together the dry and wet ingredients, just until combined.  Spread in a 9" x 13" pan lined with parchment paper.  

Batter, ready to pop in the pan.

Ready to bake!

Bake at 350 F for ~50 minutes, until nicely browned.  (If you've halved the recipe - or want divide this and to bake two thinner pans of cake, bake for ~30-35 minutes)

Cool on cooling rack. You can remove from the pan using the parchment paper to support once it's cooled 15-20 minutes.  Let the cake fully cool before frosting.  If you're impatient, you can eat it while warm and just add a dollop of frosting onto each piece before serving.

Beat the following by hand OR in a mixer until nice and smooth:
2 Tbsp butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 - 2 cups powdered sugar  (I find you can just adjust how much milk is added depending on the amount of powdered sugar being used, and it ends up being quite nice either way)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract
1-2 tsp milk, added slowly, until desired thickness

Spread the top with the cream cheese frosting. Serve and enjoy!  Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator. 

A yummy healthy pumpkin cake, ready to eat!

Healthy-style Pumpkin Cake Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!