Kristin's Low-Sugar and Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies/Muffin Tops

These yummy cookies/muffin tops turned out puffy and chewy and were gobbled up by everyone, without anyone seeming to notice they were a low-sugar experiment.  They seem an appropriate 'New Year's' cookie recipe to post.  But really, I'll eat them anytime.  They're a fun, quick cookie to whip up and I love that they taste like muffin tops! Enjoy!

Kristin’s Low Sugar and Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies/Muffin Tops

Makes ~30-36 cookies

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line cookie sheets with silicon mat or parchment paper.

Mix in a mixer:

¾ cup white rice flour (OR 1/2 cup brown rice flour + 1/4 cup white rice flour - I found they spread a little bit more, but were just as tasty, and add a bit of extra fiber)

¾ cup whole oats (gluten-free if celiac or sensitive)

¼ cup brown sugar                                            

½ tsp xanthan gum

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

Add and mix in at medium speed, just until blended:

¼ cup oil

¼ cup butter, softened

¼ cup honey

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Add and mix in:

½ - 1 cup dried cranberries (or raisins)

Drop by 1 Tbsp amounts onto prepared cookie sheets.  Bake 8-9 minutes, until lightly browned.   

Remove onto a cooling rack to cool.  Enjoy!

Delicious Italian Meatballs

One of our favorite family recipes to make is Swedish Meatballs, which I regularly make and then freeze for delicious leftovers.  I wanted to create a similarly tasty and easy Italian-style meatball that could be baked and eaten fresh or frozen for meals at a later time.  This version of Italian meatballs is quick to mix up, and you can use a cookie scoop to pop onto your baking tray.  They're packed with plenty of herbs, so they're nice and flavorful and are great with pasta or used in meatball subs.  Enjoy!

Delicious Italian Meatballs
Makes ~20-24 meatballs

Preheat oven to 375F.  Cover a cookie sheet with foil, lightly oil.

Mix in a large bowl, until evenly combined:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs OR Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1/4 cup milk (lactose-free works great)
1 small onion, finely diced
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 - 3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 - 1 tsp dried basil
3/4 - 1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 - 3/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Scoop 2 Tbsp sized balls onto prepared pan using medium-sized cookie scoop OR roll 2 Tbsp meat into a ball in your hands for nicer shaped meatballs.

These were just scooped on using a medium cookie scoop. 

Bake 25 minutes, until fully cooked.

Note: the finer you dice your onions, the neater your resulting meatballs will look - I'm never very patient with finely dicing my onion, so my meatballs are never quite perfectly round.

Meal options:
1. Serve meatballs with GF pasta, spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese.
2. Use these meatballs in meatball subs - make my homemade gluten-free hot dog bun recipe, and fill with warm spaghetti sauce, meatballs and mozzarella cheese.  You can toast these in the oven briefly before serving to help melt the cheese.

Any extra cooked meatballs freeze really well!  You can reheat directly in your spaghetti sauce in a pan over medium heat.  Once the sauce is simmering, your meatballs should be all warmed up.
Enjoy!

Gingerbread House Recipe & Frosting - Gluten-Free!

Making homemade gingerbread houses lathered with frosting and an excessive amount of candy has been a family tradition for years.  It turned out to be one of those really easy recipe conversions - and I find I don't even need to bother chilling the dough to press it out in a buttered cookie sheet.  It is easier to work with if I chill the dough first, but I'm generally looking for ways to cut corners.  Either way you do it, this cooks up wonderfully tasty and nice and firm. Perfect for making sturdy gingerbread houses that can hold a great quantity of candy. There's always little extra bits that we snack on.  You can even chill, roll and cut for shaped gingerbread cookies.  I've posted my instructions for gingerbread cookies here.  Same batter, just cooked for less time.  Have fun and enjoy! 

The instructions here make mini gingerbread houses, but you can easily scale up the measurements and make one big house instead.  We love making little houses since it means everyone gets to decorate their own gingerbread house.  

Gingerbread House Recipe & Frosting (another family recipe)

Makes 3-4 small gingerbread houses - yes, you can make larger houses with this recipe.  Give the dough an extra 5 minutes of baking if you're going to make larger houses.

Gingerbread:

Butter a cookie sheet OR line it with parchment paper and butter the edges (MY Favorite way).  Preheat oven to 300F/130C.  (If you'd rather chill your dough, you can wait and preheat your oven later)

Prepare the dough as followings and chill for an hour or two (chilling dough is optional!)  I find if I work quickly I can just press it in the pan and cook right away, which saves me time - but it is easier to work with and not as sticky if you chill it first)

In a mixer, combine with a paddle attachment (not a whisk attachment!): 
2 3/4 c Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix (OR  1 ½ cup brown rice flour, ½ cup corn starch, ½ cup tapioca starch, ¼ cup potato starch + 1 tsp xanthan gum – OR your favorite GF flour mix (provided it contains some xanthan gum))
1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/8 tsp cloves

Add and mix in until nicely combined: 

1/2 cup oil

2/3 cup molasses

1 egg:

Press out dough on greased cookie sheet (no thicker than ½ inch) and bake for 25-30 minutes.  (You can use buttered hands to help press down if you find it sticky)

After removing the pan from the oven, place house patterns on hot gingerbread and cut immediately!  (House pattern below)

Carefully lift out pieces and cool on cake rack.   The gingerbread will be very hard when cool (if not, the pieces can be put back on the cookie sheet and baked another 5-10 minutes).  Note: the roof sections can break off if the dough is not thoroughly baked.

House pattern: make out of card stock or cardboard (I usually just cut apart a cereal box)

Roof: 3 x 2 ½ inches (cut 2)

Front: 3 x 2 ½ inches (cut roofline and door)

Back: same as front but without door

Sides: 2 x 2 ½ inches (cut 2)

Royal Icing:

Beat the following in a grease-free bowl until stiff: (If needed, add a bit more confectioner’s sugar (very slowly) until desired thickness)

3 egg whites (make sure NO yolk is in whites)

1 lb. confectioner’s sugar

½ tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla

Keep bowl covered at all times with damp cloth because this icing dries fast and becomes hard (the better to hold houses covered in candy together!)  You can pipe this frosting on, or you can just use a knife to apply (which we tend to do since we're working with little kids). Enjoy!

Candy ready for decorating!

Eating is the best part.

We love making tiny houses so everyone gets to decorate their own mini gingerbread house!

Gingerbread House Recipe & Frosting - Gluten Free! By Successfully Gluten Free!

Fabulous Sourdough Waffles - Gluten-Free!

These are delicious - really really delicious.  And so easy, too!!!  It seems common to recommend making pancakes to use up excess sourdough starter, but I have found I prefer these light and crispy waffles.  I find that whereas the pancakes have more of a whole-wheat taste to them, these just taste like wonderfully crispy and flavorful waffles.  We have loved them!  They're great, too, because I freeze any extras, and they can be re-heated in the toaster oven anytime! Enjoy!

Light and fluffy gluten-free sourdough waffles with maple syrup. Yum!

Fabulous Sourdough Waffles - Gluten-Free!
Makes 15-18 waffles
(My waffle iron makes 6 waffles at a time, and I can fill it almost 3x)

Mix in a 4 cup tupperware the night before you want your waffles:
1 cup white rice flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum

Add and mix in, just until combined:
1 cup water (filtered, if your water contains chlorine)
1 cup gluten-free sourdough starter

Put the tupperware lid on tightly, and let rest overnight at room temperature. This mixture will grow naturally overnight due to the yeast, so make sure your container is at least a 4 cup container and can be fully closed.

I find the mixture tends to look like this in the morning - nicely filled with air pockets.

In the morning, preheat your waffle iron.
Mix together in a large bowl:
2 eggs
5 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Mixture from last night (starter/flour/water)

Here's the batter, ready for cooking.  If desired, you can add finely diced apples (option below).

Apple-Cinnamon Waffle Option: 
After mixing, fold in:
1-2 apples, peeled and finely diced

Butter waffle iron lightly each time you use it.  Cook batter in pre-heated waffle iron until nicely browned and crispy.  Remove from waffle iron and place on cooling rack (I do this even when making my favorite plain or apple-cinnamon waffles, because it keeps them from ever getting soggy on the bottom, especially if I make extras to freeze).

My waffle iron makes 6 waffles at a time, and I find I fill the waffle iron almost 3x for this recipe.  The waffles on the right are apple-cinnamon waffles on the cooling rack.

Best served fresh with maple syrup, or jam, or any topping you enjoy on your waffles!
Once cooled, you can freeze these in a ziploc bag and re-heat in a toaster oven for quick breakfasts.
Enjoy!!!

Apple-cinnamon waffles with syrup. Yum!

Crumble Topped Apple Pie

This is a fun alternative to the normal apple pie that has a top crust.  The crust is simply replaced with a crumble-topping.  For me, this pie is a mix of the apple crumble I ate in England and an apple pie - which really does sound like a tasty combination for an apple pie alternative! Enjoy!

The pie pictured here was 50% larger than normal since I was using a big, deep-dish pie pan. But, the recipe below is for a normal pie dish and normal baking time. 

French Apple Pie

Preheat oven to 425F.

Make 1/2 recipe of my Buttermilk Pie Pastry (or make whole recipe and use the other half for another pie or quiche). Press into pie dish.  Set aside while you prepare the filling.

Roll out your dough between two sheets of plastic wrap into a circle-like shape. You can easily fix up the crust once it's in your dish.

I made a 1 1/2 recipe for a deep-dish pie in these pictures since I had already used up my normal pie dishes, so this pie was a bit bigger than my normal pie.

Mix in a large bowl:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt

Peel and slice 8 medium apples.  Toss in sugar mixture.  Pour into prepared pie shell. *Note: I tend to forget this, but it's best to create a flat layer of apples rather than a mound of apples for a nicer looking pie at the end.

The apples should be evenly coated.

I left these apples in a bit of a mound, flatten them out in the pan for a nicer looking pie since the apples sink a bit during cooking.

Mix in a bowl:
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup white rice flour 
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon

Chop in with pastry cutter, until you have fine crumbs:
1/2 cup butter

Sprinkle over apples.  

Bake pie ~20 minutes at 425F.  Remove from oven and cover edges of crust with foil. 
Bake another 10-15 minutes, and loosely cover entire pie with foil. 
Bake a final 10-15 minutes. 
(You want to aim for a total cooking time of ~ 45 minutes).

Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.  This pie is best served warm, and will reheat nicely in the oven.

Enjoy!

This pie was a bit more browned than normal because it was 50% larger than my normal pies, so it required a bit more baking time. 

Gluten-Free Sourdough Brown Bread

Breads labelled as 'brown bread' often get their color from the molasses used as a sweetener.  I find brown bread has a richer, sweeter taste and is better suited to eating with savory sandwiches or toasted with butter.   This sourdough brown bread recipe is nice and airy.  It's got a thin crust and isn't a loaf of thick-crusted rustic sourdough bread (although that's on my to-do list).  It works wonderfully for slicing very thin, or slicing thickly.  The one thing I've tried to do while cooking with GF sourdough starter is to find ways to use the sourdough starter as the only method for the dough-rising.  In other words, I don't want to be adding any extra yeast to help the dough rise.  This does mean a longer rise-time, but other than the wait-time, this recipe is a cinch!  I used it in a brunch casserole and it was absolutely delicious - I'll be posting that soon. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Sourdough Brown Bread
Based off a recipe from Cultures for Health

Butter 2 bread pans. 

Mix in a large bowl:
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup potato starch
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt

In a mixer, combine:
1/2 cup gluten-free sourdough starter
1 cup lukewarm water
3 eggs, room temperature
1 Tbsp molasses
1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup
4 Tbsp oil

Add in dry ingredients and beat 1-2 minutes, until nice and smooth.   Divide dough into two buttered loaf pans.  The pans should each be 1/2 full.  Cover with plastic wrap.

Fill 1/2 full, then cover completely with plastic wrap

Set in a warm location to rise 4 hours (yes, 4 hours).  You won't see much evidence of rising until at least 2 hours have passed. 

After rising.  Because the rise is so slow, I find whether you wait 4, 5 or 6 hours, it won't be a problem, which is nice if you leave it to rise while you go out somewhere. 

Once dough has risen (it won't quite double in size, as you can see in the pictures), bake at 350F for ~ 45 minutes. 

Bread hot from the oven.

Remove from pans and cool on cooling rack.  Slice and enjoy!
We like it best warmed or toasted.  It's great used for sandwiches!

Kristin's Gluten-Free Chewy Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies (or Raisin or Chocolate Chip)

I really enjoy a good, chewy oatmeal cookie.  After a great deal of trial and error, I came up with this recipe for chewy oatmeal-cranberry cookies.  We like these best with dried cranberries, but you can easily use raisins or chocolate chips instead.  We enjoy those, too.  Using oil and butter keeps these cookies moist and with that nice chewy texture that's so desirous in an oatmeal cookie.  They've been gobbled up quickly in this house. Enjoy!!!

This batch I made half oatmeal-cranberry and half oatmeal-chocolate chip

Kristin’s Gluten-Free Chewy Oatmeal Cranberry (or Raisin or Chocolate Chip) Cookies

Makes 36 cookies

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line cookie sheets with silicon mat or parchment paper.

Mix in a mixer:

¾ cup white rice flour

¾ cup whole oats (gluten-free if celiac or sensitive)

½ tsp xanthan gum

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup white sugar                                              

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)

Add and mix in at medium speed, just until blended:

¼ cup oil

¼ cup butter, softened

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Add and mix in:

½ - 1 cup dried cranberries OR raisins OR chocolate chips!

Drop by 1 Tbsp amounts onto prepared cookie sheets.  Bake 8-9 minutes, until lightly browned.   

Remove onto a cooling rack to cool.  Enjoy!

Delicious Sourdough Dinner Rolls

There are beginning to be more and more sourdough recipes available for the gluten-free cook, but many of the recipes want you to add dry yeast to your dough mixture.  Since the sourdough starter is a natural yeast, my goal has been to work to create delicious breads and rolls using only the sourdough starter.  This method does require more patience, in the sense that your rising time will be longer, but I love knowing that I've created something from scratch - making it rise naturally.  It's a cinch to mix up, pop into pans, and tastes absolutely wonderful.  These rolls are light and airy, with a wonderfully chewy texture.  These have gotten rave reviews from non-gluten-free eating friends, too!  Enjoy!

Large gluten-free sourdough rolls with flaxseed, made in a 9x13 pan.

Small gluten-free sourdough rolls, made in muffin tins.

Delicious Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Makes 12-24 rolls

Butter 24 muffin tins for smaller rolls OR butter 9x13 pan for larger rolls.

Mix in a large bowl:
3/4 cup white rice flour
3/4 cup potato starch
3/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup brown rice flour
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt

In a mixer, combine:
1/2 cup gluten-free sourdough starter
1 cup lukewarm water
3 eggs, room temperature
1 Tbsp honey
1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup
4 Tbsp oil

Add in dry ingredients and beat 1-2 minutes, until nice and smooth.

For small rolls: Divide dough among 24 muffin tins.  Each muffin tin should be 1/2 full.
For larger rolls: Scoop dough into 12-15 large mounds in the 9x13 pan.  (I use a very large cookie scoop)

Rolls should have enough space to rise/double when covered with plastic wrap.

Cover each pan with plastic wrap. Set in a warm location to rise 4-5 hours, until doubled. *You won't see much evidence of rising until at least 2 hours have passed.

Once dough has doubled in size, bake at 350F for ~ 20-25 minutes for small rolls and 25-30 minutes for larger rolls, until a nice light brown.

Small rolls fresh from the oven.

Remove from pans and let cool on cooling rack. These rolls are best served warm.  They reheat wonderfully, and freeze well, too.   Slice, butter and enjoy!

Mmm.. Look at the soft, airy texture.  

Gluten-Free Sourdough Pancakes

I find these pancakes taste like a light, delicious whole wheat pancake.  They're very flavorful and we've been enjoying them regularly.  They're a great way to use up extra sourdough starter if you're not in the mood for making breads, which require a lenghty rise time.   We pop extras in the refrigerator and the kids like re-heating them for breakfast.  My favorite pancakes are still either my fluffy pumpkin pancakes or my regular pancakes (with either apple or blueberries added), but these are a nice pancake alternative, and you get a bit of extra sourdough starter goodness, too! Enjoy!

GF sourdough pancakes with butter and maple syrup. 

Gluten-Free Sourdough Pancakes
Makes ~ 15 pancakes

The night before (aka, before you go to bed), mix in a 4-cup tupperware:
1 cup white rice flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum

Then add, not mixing too much:
1 cup gluten-free sourdough starter
1 cup water

Fully cover your tupperware with a lid and place in a warm(ish) place overnight.  I just leave mine on the stovetop, and it seems to do just fine at room temperature.

In the morning, add the following to your mixture:
1 egg
3-4 Tbsp light olive oil
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Pancake batter ready to cook!

Cook over medium-low heat in a buttered frying pan. 
Enjoy with butter and maple syrup!  Enjoy! 

They're nice and fluffy!

Easy Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter

This method for creating a gluten-free sourdough starter is for the home cook that isn't looking to have some gargantuan starter growing on their counter.  I have been shocked that it doesn't have much of a smell, either!  It is also so amazingly easy to make and maintain, I still find myself baffled that it actually works and makes bread rise using only starter as the source of yeast!  I find for our family of four, having a little starter ( I use a 4 cup container) is a perfect size.  If anything, I still have too much starter! I have had great success with recipes thus far, and plan to keep playing around with recipes that use up my starter in a way that makes everyone happy.  I'll try to keep updating recipes here that use GF sourdough starter as I post them! Enjoy!

My Sourdough Starter Recipes:
Delicious Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Fabulous Sourdough Waffles - Gluten Free!
Lemon-Blueberry Sourdough Waffles
Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter Pancakes
Gluten-Free Sourdough Brown Bread
Gluten-Free White Sourdough Bread
Spinach, Ham & Cheese Brunch Casserole
Easy Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Rolls
Our Favorite White GF Sourdough Bread and Rolls
Fabulous Thin & Crispy Sourdough Pizza Crust
Chocolate Chip Sourdough Waffles

This is the starter in a glass jar.  I found it was a bit more temperamental over the long-term than using a tupperware.

This is the starter in a tupperware.  I've stuck with using tupperware for weeks now, transferring the starter to a clean one every week. 

Easy Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter

Use a container (I find something around 4 cup/1 liter size to be perfect) that can breath. 
*I've used both a 4 cup tupperware that I can leave one corner of the lid up and I've used a 1-liter glass jar with cheesecloth on top (using the screw-lid to hold the cheese-cloth down).   I've thus far had better luck with my starter being happy using the tupperware vs. glass jar. 

To start:
Every morning and night (before bed), mix/add into the container:
1/4 cup lukewarm water (without chlorine - so use filtered if you're not on well-water)
1/4 cup brown rice flour OR sorghum flour (you want something with fibre/protein/substance so your yeast will be happy).

If desired, you can add in a pinch of dry yeast to help things get going.  You can do this anytime, if you notice your starter not bubbling as much.

Store in a warm(ish) location.  Within 2-3 days, you should see bubbling beginning.  This is the yeast at work!  If there is any liquid film on top, just mix it in.  This is called 'hooch' and is a natural part of the process.  Mix the hooch in before you remove starter for recipes. You can now use your starter for any recipes calling for gluten-free sourdough starter!

To keep it going:
A few notes to help keep things going:
- Once your sourdough starter is going along fine, I would recommend transferring it to a clean container every week, just to avoid any mold that may want to grow along the top of your container off the drips from your mixings. 

- If you're worried about how your starter is looking, you can always scoop out 1/4 - 1/2 cup and pop it in a clean container, and start again, adding a pinch of dry yeast.  I've found this perks things right back up.  I've only ever had to do this once, and haven't had to do it again since using tupperware containers for my starter.

- After 4-5 days, you can start feeding your starter 1x a day, using 1/4-1/2 cup flour and 1/4-1/2 cup water (use even amounts of flour to water).  I have found my starter to be perfectly happy being fed 1x a day using 1/4 cup flour/1/4 cup water - alternating between sorghum and brown rice flours randomly.  The starter seems happiest being fed 2x a day using only 1/4 cup flour/1/4 cup water.  Although it's been perfectly OK being fed once every 2 days when I've forgotten.  In other words, it's very forgiving!

- From my experience, YES, you can pop your starter in the refrigerator and ignore it for a week. Feed the starter prior to putting it in the refrigerator, and feed it again once you remove it from the refrigerator.  It will pick right back up where you left off.

- The recommendations for sourdough starter are to keep in a warm area.  I find room temperature (and it's not a very warm room temperature, generally around 17-18C/65-67F has been perfectly adequate, although nights when it's really cooled down here (I am in Canada) it doesn't seem as bubbly in the morning.  If it's really cold, I'll keep mine on top of the stove, so it gets a bit of extra warmth anytime I bake or cook (Just don't leave it ON the stove during baking/cooking or it will bubble too much from the heat and your starter will die - Yes, I've done this a couple times. No worries, the starter is easy to restart).  It definitely will be more bubbly at warmer temperatures, and you will want to make sure you have a properly warm location for any rising that you're doing (except for the overnight pancakes or waffles - they are fine at RT).  

Good luck!

Latkes - Potato Pancakes

It was a tradition in my home as a child to make potato latkes during Hanukkah, and it's something I've carried with me now that I have a home of my own.  We all love to make (and eat!) latkes, also called potato pancakes, during this time of year.  Growing up, there were some years where they tasted divine and others where they weren't so good.  As I've gotten older, I've been working to modify the latke recipe so it always turns out well for us.  This version is my favorite - you get a crispy outside with a slightly softer inside.  They're nice and flavorful.  It always seems like I'm making a massive amount when I peel and grate 5 lbs of potatoes. But, trust me, they go fast!   In fact, I often feel like I'm not actually getting any cooked because they seem to disappear off the cookie sheet next to my frying pan by the time the next batch has been fried.  I've been asked for this recipe by a number of people, so it seemed time to get it posted.  Enjoy!!!

The latkes that finally made it to the table.

Latkes - Potato Pancakes
Serves ~ 6
Makes ~ 50-60 (by my estimate - these go so fast it's hard to keep track!)

Peel & grate (I like to peel by hand, placing them in a bowl of cold water until I'm done to keep them from turning brown, and then grate using a food processor):
5 lbs russet potatoes

Start heating 1/2" canola oil OR avocado oil (yum!) over medium-high heat in a large frying pan with high sides.

In a large bowl, mix together:
4 eggs
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
4-5 Tbsp Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix (*see note below)
1 Tbsp dried chives (or 5-6 fresh scallions, diced)
1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
2-3 tsp salt
Dash of pepper

Squeeze as much liquid out of your grated potato as you can and add to your large bowl. 
You can do this one handful at a time - I tend to just squeeze the liquid out of one handful at a time OR you can put the grated potato in a kitchen towel and twist to squeeze out the liquid - you'll want to rinse out your towel after this, or it can turn a bit brown from the potato juice.

Mix potatoes into egg mixture until thoroughly mixed/coated. Now you're ready to fry!

Make a small latke in your hand (a little smaller than palm-size), flattening and squeezing out any excess juice.  Place latke carefully in your oil and fry on each side, approx 4-6 minutes per side, until a nice light brown.   Turn carefully with a slotted spatula.   Don't overfill your frying pan, cooking 5-8 latkes at a time seems to work well.  

Watch for the edges of the latkes to turn brown before flipping over. 

Remove from oil and place on a baking sheet lined with a few layers of paper towel.  Best served warm.  Leftovers reheat nicely in an oven or toaster oven.

Latkes out of the fryer.  I tend to fill a cookie sheet 3 times with fried latkes (really I'm re-filling since the first tray of latkes seems to disappear, so I just fill the tray again)

Serve with applesauce or sour cream.  Enjoy!!!

* Flour note: If you're not gluten-free, you can make this recipe using regular flour.  If you don't want to make up a whole batch of my gluten-free flour mix, mix together 4-5 Tbsp GF flour and a pinch of xanthan gum for this recipe. 

Kristin's Fabulous Coconut Cream Pie

This is my absolute favorite pie recipe.  It came about after experimenting with a number of coconut cream pie recipes, and eventually led to this easy-to-make and deliciously light coconut cream pie.  I've made this many times now, and it's always the first request from my friend Julie if I ask her what sort of pie I should bring to her house for Canadian Thanksgiving.  I made this for the recent American Thanksgiving at my friend Lisa's hosue (Yes, we celebrate both Canadian and US Thanksgivings - I'm not sure there can be too many Thanksgivings in a year), and my friend Marti's comment was that it was "like it's dancing in my mouth."  I have to agree. I find it's a light, creamy pie which is perfectly complimented by the crunchy toasted coconut topping. Yum!  Enjoy!

The fabulous Thanksgiving pie - ready to be served!

Kristin's Fabulous Coconut Cream Pie

Prepare 1 baked pie shell:
Make 1/2 recipe of my Buttermilk Pie Pastry (or make whole recipe and use the other half for another pie or quiche).  Press into pie dish and bake until light brown, as directed.  Let cool.

Pre- and post-cooked pie shell.  I used a bit less crust than normal in this particular pie b/c I was making a deep-dish pie with the rest of the pastry dough - hence a few cracks in the final cooked product.  Luckily, it gets covered so no worries!

To prepare filling, place in a saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat:
2 1/2 cups milk (lactose-free works great)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Meanwhile, mix and whisk in a small bowl:
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 egg yolks

Once your milk/sugar/salt is boiling, whisk in egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly.  Let boil ~1 minute, until thickened. 

Remove from heat and immediately add:
2 tsp vanilla extract (not bean paste)
3/4 cup flaked coconut
2 Tbsp butter, chopped

Mix well, and pour into prepared pie shell.  Cover the top with plastic wrap and let chill completely in the refrigerator. 

Try to top with as few air bubbles as possible when you put plastic wrap on the top.

To serve, prepare toasted coconut, below, to top the pie.  Remove plastic wrap and top with toasted coconut.

Toasted Coconut
Place on a baking sheet in a 350-375F oven:
1/4 - 1/3 cup flaked coconut

Watch VERY closely, and let cook just until it is lightly browned (don't worry if it's not all lightly browned - it's nice with a mixture and it will all be nice and crispy). 

Remove from oven, let cool and top pie just before serving.  Serve with whipped cream, if desired (although I never find it needs anything extra).

Enjoy!!!

A final picture, just because... Yum!

 

Homemade marshmallows are wonderfully delicious.  The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it is so versatile. You can make big fat marshmallows, or smaller marshmallows, or cut marshmallows into festive shapes.  You can decorate the tops with colored swirls or sprinkles.  And, you can even flavor the marshmallows!  My favorite part is ending up with scraps of marshmallows, which are fun to eat, pop in hot chocolate, AND work perfectly in recipes calling for marshmallows, like my amazing marshmallow brownies.  Yum!  You will need a mixer with a whisk attachment and a candy thermometer for this recipe.  Enjoy!

Marshmallows cut in shapes in hot chocolate. You can just make square marshmallows, too.

Homemade Marshmallows

 

Butter 9x13 glass pan for larger square marshmallows OR butter cookie sheet for thinner marshmallows to cut into fancier shapes OR butter 9x13 pan and an 8x8 pan to make half thick, half thin marshmallows.

 

Combine in a mixer with whisk attachment:

½ cup cool water

3 pkg. (1/4 oz each) unflavored gelatin

 

In a small, deep saucepan, combine the following over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until syrup reaches 240F on a candy thermometer:

½ cup cool water

1 ½ cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/8 tsp. salt

 

I find heating to 240F takes ~20-30 minutes, and will go in phases of seeming not to increase in temperature to suddenly jump up 5-10 degrees.  So, make sure you’re paying attention, particularly at the end.

 

Showing the progression of sugar boiling.  It does bubble up a bit, but not too much.  Even so, I recommend using a pot that it the liquid will fill no more than halfway.

 

Remove from heat.  With mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the softened gelatin.  Increase speed to high and whip until closer to room temperature, about 8-10 minutes. 

This is how the gelatin and boil-sugar mixture will look initially.

Keep whisking and it will fluff up and look like delicious marshmallow fluff.

 

Towards the end, add flavorings, such as:

Add:

1 tsp vanilla

Or (other options):

Peppermint candies, a few drops peppermint oil or peppermint extract, a few drops other flavoring, food coloring (if you want a different color), a few drops fruit-flavored oils (the kind used to flavor candy) or flavored extracts

 

Use wet hands to smooth and flatten marshmallow into greased pan or pans.  You can use food coloring (optional) on wet top, swirling around for decoration.  If you want to add decorative sprinkles (optional), add them at this point.  Sprinkle top with powdered sugar.  Let sit several hours before cutting with a greased knife or cookie cutter.  I find I need to re-butter the cookie cutters every 3-4 cuts or they start to stick. 

You’ll want to toss your marshmallows in powdered sugar to keep them from sticking together. You can either: 1. Place cut marshmallows aside on a piece of parchment paper sprinkled with powdered sugar, then toss in a large Ziploc with some powdered sugar; or 2. Place directly into a large Ziploc with powdered sugar once cut, and toss occasionally while you're cutting so marshmallows don’t stick together.    

In this batch, I made one 9x13 pan and one 8x8 pan, so I could cut thinner, shaped marshmallows (pictured below) and cut some larger square marshmallows (which I later dipped in chocolate).

Using a buttered cookie cutter, it's easy to cut marshmallows into fun shapes.

I cut stars, gingerbread men, and candy-cane shapes and packaged them up for the school's Christmas bake sale.  There is, of course, some extra marshmallow in the pan after cutting out the shapes.  I chopped it up into hap-hazardly shaped pieces and used it in one of our favorite recipes - my amazing marshmallow brownies!

 

These are some square-cut marshmallows I made at a different time.  I put on a bit of red food coloring after flattening the marshmallows with wet hands, and swirled it around.  I then put on colored sprinkles.  Finally, I sprinkled the top with powdered sugar and let sit a few hours before cutting, tossing in a bit more powdered sugar, and popping into bags.

 

Enjoy!!!

Another picture of our hot chocolate fun!

 Homemade Marshmallows Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!