A delicious mix of apple pie, apple crisp, and a crispy base in these yummy apple crumble pie bars. It's the season when apples are ready for U-pick here, and we love taking advantage of the beautiful weather to pick up scrumptious apples! I've made this now with Cortlands, Ginger Golds, and Gravensteins so far this season. ;) This recipe was inspired by one of our favorite fall treats, the pumpkin pie bars, and uses a similar bottom crust.  And yes, we've already had some of that this fall, too. Yum! 

Chilled and slices so neatly. Mmmm... 

Fresh from the oven - a tray of GF Apple Crumble Pie Bars!

Apple Crumble Pie Bars

Prepare the apple pie filling: (Filling is based off my apple pie filling recipe)

In a large saucepan, cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring regularly for about 20-25 minutes, until apples nicely soften: 

8 apples, peeled and dice (Honeycrisp apples, or similar, are one my favorite types for this sort of recipe - make sure they are apples that will hold their shape while cooking)

1/2 cup brown sugar (or regular sugar, if you don't want as caramel-y a flavor)

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp cinnamon OR 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp allspice

Once your apples are softened, mix together in a small bowl: 

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp cold water

Add the cornstarch mixture, stirring and cooking for 1-2 minutes to thicken.  Remove from heat and set aside until your bottom crust has been made and baked 15 minutes. 

Prepare the bottom layer:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Line a 9 x 13 baking dish with parchment paper OR butter the baking dish.

 

Put in bowl and mix gently:

1 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix (OR ½ cup brown rice flour + ¼ cup potato starch + ¼ tapioca starch)

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup GF steel cut oats (OR GF quick oats or GF regular oats, but I like the extra crunch from the steel cut oats)

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

 

Add and chop in w/ a pastry cutter:

½ cup butter (chilled, not softened)

 

*I like to re-use the bowl to make the crumble topping, so just aside the bowl and pastry cutter after you put it into a pan.

Press the bottom layer into the baking dish. Bake 15 min. Remove from oven and set aside while you prepare the crumble topping.  Increase oven temperature to 375 - 400 F.

Ready to pop into the oven - and yes, I did make a double batch recipe - I wanted to bring a tray to share at a church event, but we really wanted to have a tray at home for us to enjoy. ;) 

Crust out of the oven after 15 minutes. Ready to top with apples and crumble topping!

Prepare crumble topping:(can be prepped while the crust is baking)

In a bowl, mix together with a pastry cutter until nice and crumbly. Don't overmix, as you want a nice, light crumble to sprinkle overtop: 

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

1/3 cup GF oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 - 1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

3 Tbsp butter, chilled

Top the bottom crust with the apple pie filling.  Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the apple pie filling.  Bake at 375 - 400 F for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned on top and crisped up a bit.

Topped with apple pie filling and crumble topping, ready to bake!

Fresh from the oven! 

These are lovely warm from the oven, but I love eating leftovers chilled from the refrigerator.  I like to use a flat square cutter/spatula to serve nice, neat pieces. Wonderful plain, or add a dollop or ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy! 

Warm and fresh from the oven! Still slices up so nicely. 

Chilled and enjoyed the next day.

Apple Crumble Pie Bars Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

 This is a delicious flavorful mac & cheese, inspired by the glutenous one at Trader Joe's. You can also make this with acorn squash or similar type fall squash that can be baked. You could even use a pie pumpkin!  I give a range of amount of squash to be used, and you can adjust it based on your personal preference, though I always prefer more squash. Enjoy! 

With the number of times I've eaten this, you'd think I'd have managed to take a better photo, but nope. ;) 

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

To make the butternut squash puree:

Preheat oven to 375.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  

Slice in half: 

1 butternut squash (or similar squash, like acorn squash) *I don't bother removing the seeds. These can be quickly and easily scooped out after baking.

Brush with some olive oil OR put a bit on your foil to spread around. 

Place the squash halves facedown on your foil lined sheet.  Bake at 375 F for about 45 - 60 minutes (depends on the size of your squash and oven), until your squash is softened, and can squish a bit when you press into it.  Remove from oven and place pan on a cooling rack.  Once cool enough to handle, you can scoop and discard the seeds. Use a spoon to scoop out your butternut squash - it should scoop out nice and smooth like a puree. 

If you want to prep your squash puree in advanced, let cool most of the way, then scoop out the seeds to discard.  Scoop the cooked flesh into a container to store in the refrigerator. I find it lasts several days in the refrigerator. You can also place cooked squash into freezer ziplocs. I make sure to measure and note the amount on the bag before freezing. 

To make the pasta & butternut squash cheese sauce:

I make the noodles and sauce simultaneously.

Noodles:

Cook GF pasta noodles of your choice in salted water, rinse and set aside.  Make sure to taste the noodles before draining to make sure it's cooked enough. I find most GF noodles require an extra 2-3 minutes of boiling.

Sauce:

In a large pot, combine over medium heat:

1/4 cup butter

1 3/4 cup milk

1 tsp mustard (from the squeeze bottle, not dried powder)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 - 1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/8 - 1/4 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp freeze dried thyme OR 1/8 - 1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Add, bring to a simmer, cooking for ~10 minutes: 

1 - 2 cups squash puree (I like more squash, but if you prefer a lighter squash flavor, you can use less. If you use less squash, make sure to thicken the sauce, as described next.)

Squash sauce, getting ready to thicken a bit and add cheese.

Optional to thicken the sauce a bit: 

Mix together in a small bowl: 

1/4 cup cold milk

1 Tbsp cornstarch

Stir the cornstarch mixer into the sauce, stirring constantly, until mixture returns to a simmer for 1-2 minutes.

Remove the sauce from heat and add: 

3/4 cup gouda, grated

3/4 cup medium or old cheddar, grated

1/3 cup parmesan regianno, grated

Once your sauce is ready, stir in your noodles and serve!!! Enjoy! 

Sauce is thickened and ready to mix in the cheese!

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

 Leek and potato soup is a lovely dish as the days start to turn chilly. It's hearty and filling.  It's also easy to make - you just have to be patient with allowing the various simmering times listed below. Enjoy! 

I'm not sure how anyone takes a good photo of leek and potato soup, but this was delicious. I ate every bite. And the leftovers. 

Leek & Potato Soup

Serves around 8, depending on size of soup bowls

Melt over medium heat: 

1/4 cup butter

Add and toss to cover well with the butter: 

3 leeks, sliced, cleaned, drained (and patted dry)

1 onion, sliced

3-4 small/medium size Russet potatoes, peeled and diced

Cover your pot. Lower the heat to low/low-med heat and let the vegetables cook for 15 minutes. No need to stir. 

Remove the lid and add: 

1 liter/4 cups chicken broth (if you use salt-free, then use less salt to season at the end)

2-3 tsp mushroom seasoning (or 2 tsp GF chicken bouillon)

1 tsp pepper

Raise the heat to medium heat, and let the soup return to a boil.  Once the soup is bubbling nicely, cover the pot, lower the heat to low/med-low heat and let cook 20 minutes. 

Remove the lid. With a potato masher, mash the soup thoroughly. Do NOT use a stick blender, or your soup will end up too gloopy (sort of sticky and not a great texture). 

Add: 

1 - 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp freeze dried thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)

Allow soup to continue cooking uncovered an additional 5-10 minutes (raise the heat so it keeps simmering, if needed).  Mash with your potato masher a bit more every so often. 

After this additional simmer, add: 

1/4 - 1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper, to taste.

Remove from the heat and serve! This is lovely with homemade fresh GF baguettes.  Enjoy!

Leek & Potato Soup Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

 This recipe really is very similar to my favorite peach cobbler and blueberry cobbler recipes, but I find this particular size and combination of fruit is just so lovely. It needed it's own recipe. ;)  Enjoy!

Fresh from the oven! Yum!

Peach & Blueberry Cobbler

Preheat oven to 350 F.  

In a 9 x 13 pan, add the following: 

~3 cups sliced peaches, fresh OR ~two 790 ml/26 oz jars peaches, drained 

~3 cups wild blueberries (fresh or frozen work great - I don't find it affects the baking time)

1/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix

2 - 4 Tbsp sugar (I leave this out if the canned peaches were in a light syrup)

1 tsp cinnamon (optional - I sometimes leave this out if I'm not in the mood for cinnamon)

*A couple notes about the fruit: You want your 9 x 13 pan to be at least 1/2 full of fruit, but you can add a bit extra to 2/3 full of fruit, if desired. If you use fresh peaches, you don't have to peel them unless you prefer it. 

Mix together in a large bowl:
1 cup Kristin's Gluten-free Flour Mix
3/4 - 1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Add, chopping in with a pastry cutter until you have a crumbly topping:
3 Tbsp butter, chilled
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Sprinkle the crumb topping over the prepared fruit.  Bake at 350 F for ~50 minutes, until topping is nicely browned.  Great served hot or warm.  The cobbler can be served alone - but we love it with a tiny dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream needed! We enjoy leftovers chilled or reheated. Enjoy!

Peach & Blueberry Cobbler Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

 A pretty, and delicious quiche! You can easily halve this and make just one quiche, but this recipe is for two, so you can eat one and have leftovers! This yummy quiche is similar to the lovely savory tart I've made before, with the pretty pieces of zucchini throughout.  The recipe is also similar to the buttermilk biscuit quiche with bacon, broccoli and cheddar - which includes more photos of making and filling the quiche. :) 

Quiche made the evening before - cooling here. While I love them fresh from the oven, you can make it in advance and refrigerate. Cover with foil and put in a 300-325 F oven for ~40-45 minutes to heat. 

Vegetable Quiche with Buttermilk Biscuit Crust

Makes 2 quiche

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Have two pie dishes ready. 

Make the biscuit crust: 

First, make your buttermilk (or just use 1/2 cup buttermilk)

In a measuring cup place:

1 Tbsp lemon juice OR white vinegar

Fill so you have total of:

1/2 cup milk

 

Mix in a bowl:

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup potato starch

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

1 1/2 tsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of baking soda

 

Add and dice in with a pastry cutter:

5 Tbsp butter

 

Add and mix with a spoon, just until combined:

1/2 cup buttermilk (from above)

 

Press biscuit dough gently into pie pan.

 Divide between the two pans and press the buttermilk biscuit dough gently into pie pan with the back of a spoon to spread and flatten.  

On the bottom of each crust, top with:

slices of cheese or grated cheese (cheddar, Monterey jack, gouda, Swiss - about 1 - 1 1/2 cups grated cheese) 

 

Top with fresh vegetables: 

1/2 - 1 cup bell pepper, diced

1 - 1 1/2 cup broccoli tops, chopped into small pieces

1 zucchini, thinly sliced the long way (I like to slice those thin slices long-wise again so they aren't sticking up too tall when you drape them throughout the broccoli and bell peppers)

Mix in a bowl: 

12 eggs

2/3 - 1 cup milk 

1/2 - 1 tsp garlic powder

1 - 2 tsp chives

1/2 - 1 tsp parsley

1/2 - 1 tsp pepper

1/2 - 1 tsp salt

Carefully pour the egg mixture over the vegetables, dividing between the two pie dishes. 

Carefully place around the top of each quiche, with the part cut open facing upwards: 

1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced the long way

Bake 10 min at 425F. Lower heat to 350F and cook 20-25 minutes more, until centre is set (doesn’t jiggle when you gently shake the pan).

Remove from oven. Let cool 10-15 minutes before cutting.  Great warm or cold!   Enjoy! 

Vegetable Quiche with Buttermilk Biscuit Crust Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free! 

 These are SO delicious, plus they're easy to whip together. I've even doubled this recipe while we had family visiting and I think between the 7 of us, they were gone in two days. 

These yummy GF lemon blueberry pancakes came about because I have a big batch of lemon sugar hanging out in my kitchen this summer. We had a bunch of lemons we zested since my youngest was making lemon popsicles, and I have been using it to create fun lemon-y recipes ever since.  

How to make Lemon sugar: 1 cup sugar + zest of 2 well-scrubbed lemons (~2 Tbsp), mix well and store in an airtight container for several months at room temperature.  Easy peasy!

Mmm... ready for a drizzle of maple syrup and eating!

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes!

Makes 18-24 pancakes 

Mix dry ingredients a bowl: (You WANT to mix dry ingredients first in gluten-free baking/cooking or things lump and aren't evenly distributed in your batter)
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 Tbsp lemon sugar (make lemon sugar using 1 cup sugar + zest of 2 lemons, let sit a few days - or use 2 Tbsp sugar + zest of 1/2 - 1 lemon directly in the batter)
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 drops lemon essential oil

Add and mix gently until it's all combined: 

2 eggs
1 3/4 cup milk (lactose-free or dairy-free works great)
1/4 cup olive oil 

1-2 tsp vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract, or vanilla sugar

Add to batter:
2 cups blueberries, rinsed and drained

It's good to let your batter sit and rest for 5 minutes, so mix first and THEN heat your skillet over medium-low to medium heat. I like to butter each time while cooking these pancakes. 

If you find the batter is too thick, just add a little milk until you reach your desired consistency. (I find I like the batter a bit thicker with larger blueberries, but I can go a bit thinner for the tiny, wild blueberries) For each pancake, use a large spoon to spoon batter (by approx 1/4 cup amount) onto the pan. You have to help spread it out each pancake a bit, since it's packed with blueberries.

Cook the pancake until you can see it's a bit dry around the edges. Flip and cook the other side until a nice golden brown, and the blueberries are bubbling a bit, and perhaps one or two is oozing juice down the pancake. Perfect!

Why yes, I do have two identical griddles I now use when I'm trying to make lots of pancakes. We make a lot of pancakes. They're a favorite. 

Yum yum yum!

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

Cast-iron Chocolate Chip Pancakes

 I made these yummy pancakes using a self-rising GF flour blend a couple times while travelling abroad. They were a huge hit, so I've re-created them at home. If you have a self-rising GF flour mix that includes buckwheat and xanthan gum, use 2 cups of that GF flour blend in this recipe in place of the flours and leave out the baking powder. Enjoy!

A full plate of cast-iron cooked chocolate chip pancakes - this particular batch was whipped up in England. Ready to eat!

Some delicious berries and banana on the side. These ones were served with a maple butter. Yum!

Recreated at home, with classic Canadian maple syrup. 

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Heat a cast iron pan over medium-low heat, allowing time to come to a steady-state temperature. 

In a large bowl, mix together: 

1 3/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix (*see note at the top if you have a self-rising flour mix)

1/4 cup buckwheat flour (or extra flour mix)

2 1/4 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Add and whisk in: 

3 eggs

1 1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

Stir in: 

1/2 cup chocolate chunks or chips

Cook large spoonfuls of batter in a well buttered cast-iron skillet or pan. I find a medium-low heat works well, so they don't cook too quickly.  Delicious served with maple syrup. Leftovers store well in the refrigerator, or you can freeze to reheat later for breakfasts. Enjoy!

Cooking on a nicely buttered cast iron.

Almost ready!

Properly plated for the happiest time eating by my youngest. 

Chocolate Chip Pancakes Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!