Gluten Free Cooking School » Mary Frances

Gluten Free Chocolate Eclairs Recipe

Mary Frances — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:05:37 +0000

A couple of months ago I woke up at 3 in the morning and couldn’t go back to sleep. I was in the mood to bake, so I went into the kitchen and whipped up these beauties – gluten free chocolate eclairs. We had company that weekend, but John and I kept this gluten free dessert hidden in the refrigerator because they were just too good to share.

Eclairs are made from pate a choux. Making gluten free pate a choux is really no different than making it with wheat flour, if you use the right gluten free flour mix. Luckily, my gluten free flour mix worked just fine and didn’t need any xanthan gum.

If you’ve never made pate a choux or eclairs – go ahead and try this. It’s an easy dessert recipe and it’s fun to make. And….there’s always the added benefit of getting to eat all of the wonderfully delicious gluten free eclairs when you’re done =)

Gluten Free Chocolate Eclairs

Gluten Free Chocolate Eclair Recipe

8 oz. water
1 stick butter (or dairy-free baking stick)
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 c. (4 oz.) Mary’s gluten free flour mix
4 large eggs

1 c. whipping cream
1/4 c. sugar
cocoa powder to taste (Yes, I forgot to measure. It was 4 a.m for goodness sake!)

Combine the water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat. Turn the heat back to medium and stir in the flour; be sure to stir rapidly. The liquids and flour will turn into a dough rather quickly; keep stirring over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and run cold water over the base of the pan to cool the pan off (don’t get the dough wet). Add one egg at a time, stirring each one into the dough quickly. As you add each egg you’ll probably notice that the dough doesn’t want to accept the egg easily; keep stirring and the egg will work its way into the dough – then add the next egg.

Scoop the paste into a zip-top bag with one corner snipped off. Pipe out 4 – 5 inch logs onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 425 F oven for 10 minutes, then turn the heat back to 350 and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Take the puffs out and let them cool. While they cool, you can whip up the filling. Pour the whipping cream into a chilled bowl. With a whisk or mixer, whip the cream until the cream begins to thicken and lose some of it’s shininess. Then gradually add in the sugar while you continue to beat the cream. Stop beating when you can pull the whisk or beaters straight up out of the cream and the cream forms a small mountain with a bent tip.

Pinch off the tip of the eclairs and pipe in the whipped cream using the same pastry bag technique as before. Depending on who evenly you piped out the dough, the hollows in your eclairs may not go all the way through. This problem can easily be solved by wiggling your finger into the hollow through one or both ends. Eat the eclairs right away, or chill in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve them.

**While this recipe is for chocolate eclairs, feel free to use this as a base recipe for other flavors of gluten free eclairs

Gluten Free Desserts

Gluten Free Sausage Balls

Mary Frances — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 23:19:58 +0000

One of my absolute favorite recipes to make with my grandmother was Sausage Balls. I loved to grate the cheese with her Mouli grater, and then mix, and mix, and mix the dough to get all of the flour worked it. A few sausage ball sculpture appeared along the way too.

I finally got around to de-glutening this recipe a few weeks ago and made them for my family for the first time. The gluten free sausage balls were a hit with everyone. If you’ve never had sausage balls (I’m not sure how widespread this recipe is outside of the Deep South), you must try them. Heaven in your mouth!

Gluten Free Sausage Ball Recipe

9 oz. (2 c.) Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose GF flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

16 oz. ground sausage

10 oz. Cracker Barrel Sharp or Extra Sharp Cheddar

Instructions:

1. Let the cheese come to room temperature and then grate it using a Mouli grater, or the small holes on a handheld grater.

2. Mix the grated cheese and the sausage together with your hands until it is very well combined.

3. Mix the flour and baking powder together, and then gradually work all of the flour into the sausage and cheese mixture. Use your hands again.

4. Form the dough into small balls – approximately golf ball size. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees (pre-heated oven) for 25 minutes.

Notes:

If you don’t have a grater with small holes, you can use a larger holed grater. It will just take you longer to work the sausage and cheese into a homogenous mixture.
If you opt for a less expensive cheese, do go for the Extra Sharp. My grandmother always insisted on Cracker Barrel cheddar for Sausage Balls and Cheese Straws so I’ve kept up the tradition here.
I weigh my flours on a digital scale instead of using measuring cups. If you do the same, use 9 oz. of the specified flour. If you prefer measuring cups, then you’ll use 2 c. of the flour.
If you’ve never made sausage balls before, you’ll probably think that you’ll never get all of the flour worked in. Keep working at it. It takes a lot of hand power. I have a feeling my Grandmother only made these when the kids were around so that she could spare her arthritic hands.
The sausage balls are the best when you cook them long enough to so that the tops start to brown. (The ones in the picture above were from my first batch and they could have used another 5 minutes in the oven). You want there to be a slight crunch to the outside to that there are two distinct textures when you bite it. A crunch on the outside and then soft on the inside.
Always cut a few in half to make sure that they are completely cooked through.
I tested this recipe in our RV’s oven. I have no idea how closely it’s heating to the correct temperature. There was an unfortunate accident with my oven thermometer involving a certain curious 2 yr old. Thankfully, only the oven thermometer suffered harm. So, following the baking instructions, but do keep an eye on things and use the tips in the cooking notes to verify that the baking process is complete.

An Amazing Brined Gluten Free Turkey Recipe for Thanksgiving

Mary Frances — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:32:06 +0000

Here’s the last Thanksgiving recipe for this year….and it’s possible that I have left the best for last. This was the absolute best turkey John and I have ever eaten. Hands down, no contest, BEST TURKEY EVER. Now, this turkey does take a little more planning to pull-off, but it’s so very much worth it. Please do try it this Thanksgiving!

By the way, be sure to get a gluten free turkey. And, remember to put it into the refrigerator to thaw in plenty of time. When we made this recipe we used an 18 lb turkey (HUGE!) and if we had been making it for Thanskgiving we would have had to put it into the refrigerator to thaw on the Friday before Thanksgiving. Yes, that’s right. Thanksgiving is only eight days away, so stop now and figure out when that turkey needs to go into the oven!

Roasted Brined Turkey

1 turkey (10 – 25 lbs)
2 c. table salt or 4 c. kosher salt
2 gallons water
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1 carrot, cut into 1 in. pieces
1 celery stalk, cut into 1 in. pieces
1 orange, halved
6 – 8 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
large Ziplock roasting bag

Line your largest stock pot with a Ziplock roasting bag. Make the brine by combining the salt and water in a pitcher(s) and stirring until the salt has dissolved. Place the turkey (fresh or thawed, not frozen) into the lined stock pot and pour the brine in until the bag is full. Tie off the bag and refrigerate the turkey for 12 – 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and move the bottom oven rack to the lowest setting. Remove the turkey from the brine; wash and dry the inside and outside of the bird. Place the onion, celery, carrots, and orange in the cavity and brush the outside with 4 – 6 Tbsp of olive oil.
Place the turkey breast-side down on a roasting pan and pour ¾ c. water into the pan. Roast according to the following schedule and baste the back and legs with oil at least twice during the first roasting period.

If turkey weighs x: roast for y -
21 lbs: 3 hours

Take the turkey out of the oven, and using something to protect your hands, flip the turkey onto it’s back (watch out for hot juices!) Return the turkey to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F. The 2nd roasting period will take 30 – 90 minutes depending on the size of the turkey. Baste the turkey with pan drippings once or twice during this final roasting. If the turkey is getting close to being done, but is not nicely browned turn the oven up to 400 for the last 5 – 10 minutes. Remove the turkey from the oven, place it on the serving platter and let is rest for 20 – 40 minutes before carving.

Gluten Free, Casein Free Bread Stuffing for Thanksgiving

Mary Frances — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:24:14 +0000

Having grown up on Cornbread Dressing, I had quite a mental block about making Bread Dressing. However, I have to say ,this recipe is quite good and it’s easy to make. So, if you’re still looking for a GF Thanskgiving stuffing/dressing recipe, this is a great option. If you need to be gluten free and corn free, then just make this dressing with your favorite GF/corn free bread.

The key to good stuffing/dressing is to cut the bread cubes to the right size and toast them well. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a soggy mess. If you’ve not done much cooking and would like to see how it’s done, a video demonstration is included in my Gluten Free Thanksgiving Made Easy Kit.

Gluten Free Bread Stuffing

10 c. gluten free bread, cut into ½” cubes
8 Tbsp. butter (use Earth Balance for casein free)
2 c. chopped onions
1 c. chopped celery
¼ – ½ c. minced parsley
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. thyme
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1/3 to 1 c. chicken stock
2 large eggs (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast for 5 – 10 minutes, stirring every 2 – 3 minutes. Pour the bread into a large bowl. Melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and spices. Add this to the toasted bread and toss until well combined.

Stir in the stock until the stuffing is lightly moist but not packed together. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired. For a firm stuffing, stir in 2 beaten eggs and the more stock if needed to get to the desired consistency. Bake until the stuffing reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.

10 Ways to Accidentally Gluten Yourself at Thanksgiving

Mary Frances — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:51:43 +0000

Thanksgiving is full of gluten-filled landmines. If this is your first Thanksgiving on a gluten free diet, you might not realize the challenge that awaits you. Read this list and make sure you’re ready to stay gluten free this Thanksgiving.

Even if you’re not new to the gluten free diet, a refresher of the potential pitfalls is valuable. How do you think I came up with this list anyway?

10. Eat a turkey that’s been shot up with gluten filled flavorings. Make sure that your turkey is gluten free.

9. Eat cornbread dressing that was made with non-GF cornmeal. Go the extra step and buy certified GF cornmeal to make sure that you’re not getting cornmeal that was processed in a facility that also processes wheat.

8. Attempt to scrape the pie filling out of the pie without catching any crumbs. I’ve tried it – many times. I dare say that it’s not possible.

7. Eating vegetable dishes without asking about the ingredients. Creamed corn is a great example – sometimes it’s made with cornstarch, but it’s often thickened with wheat flour.

6. Let someone use the same spoon to serve the GF and non-GF stuffings. Big no-no. Even little bits of gluten cause damage.

5. Eat a creamy casserole that you didn’t make yourself. Chances are overwhelming that a can of Campbell’s soup was included.

4. Not having a back-up plan for overwhelming temptation, e.g., a can of chocolate icing in your purse.

3. Pouring gravy over your stuffing without checking ingredients. You know gravy is often thickened with wheat flour, right? And that not all cornstarch is GF?

2. Nosh on the veggie dip appetizers that your aunt set out for the early arrivers. Salad dressings and spinach dips seem so innocuous, but read the label before dipping.

1. Getting overwhelmed before you even get to Turkey Day and deciding that you’ll just cheat so that you can enjoy the day. I know some of you are thinking that, so STOP IT! Get busy and figure out what you can cook so that your Thanksgiving meal will be enjoyable.

Green Bean Casserole (Gluten Free & Casein Free)

Mary Frances — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:01:35 +0000

There’s a reason that Green Bean Casserole is on every Thanksgiving table. It’s so easy! It’s not quite as easy when you can’t open up a can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, but it’s still not hard.

I’ve used toasted pecans as the crunchy topping for my casserole. If you’re really yearning for gluten free fried onions on top, you can make my gluten free fried onion rings ahead of time and use them as a topping. Just be sure to cut the onion rings very thin and hide these from anyone who might eat them before Thanksgiving. I think crushed potato chips would also be really good. I mean, can you really go wrong with cream soup and potato chips? No way.

Green Bean Casserole

20 oz. (4 c.) Green beans
1 recipe of Mary’s Condensed Cream of Soup with Mushroom
½ c. milk (non-dairy milk is fine)
2 c. toasted pecans, chopped

If you’re using fresh or frozen green beans, cook them in water in a large saucepan until they are tender. Then drain them and combine the green beans , the cream of mushroom soup, and milk in a large mixing bowl. Pour this into a casserole dish and bake at 350 F until the sauce is bubbly around the edges (approx. 25 minutes). Sprinkle the toasted pecans on top and bake for a few more minutes .

Would your Thanksgiving be less overwhelming if you knew the gluten free recipes that you’re planning would turn out wonderfully? Would it help to have a shopping list and cooking timeline to follow? Would you like to have someone to go to when you have questions? If so, then my Gluten Free Thanksgiving Made Easy Kit may be just what you need.

Mixed Green Salad with Apples & Pecans, Buttermilk Honey Dressing

Mary Frances — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:49:22 +0000

Turkey, stuffing and pie may be the stars of the Thanksgiving meal, but you have to get some greens and veggies on the table too. This salad is easy and delicious.

For those of you who are gluten free and casein free and have been missing creamy dressings, you’ll love this. Most of the GFCF dressings in the stores are NOT GOOD. Make your own and you’ll be much happier =) I learned to make dairy-free buttermilk when we were on a vegetarian diet. You mix 1 Tbsp of vinegar with 1 c. of non-dairy milk, and - voila! – you have buttermilk. This dressing is on the thin side – if you want it to be thicker then increase the mayo and reduce the olive oil.

Mixed Green Salad with Apples & Pecans, Buttermilk Honey Dressing

Salad:
8 c. mixed salad greens
2 Granny Smith apples
1 c. toasted pecans
1/2 c. dried cranberries

Dressing:
¼ c. rice vinegar
¼ c. mayonnaise
¼ c non-dairy milk
1 tsp. cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 green onion, minced
pinch of ground black pepper
1/2 c. olive oil

Wash and dry the greens. Core the apples and slice them very thinly. To make the dressing, whisk all ingredients except the olive oil in a small bowl. Then add the olive oil slowly, and steadily, while you continue to whisk the dressing. Toss the greens in enough dressing to lightly coat all the leaves. For buffet style, serve the greens in a large salad bowl, layering the apples over the top, and then sprinkling the pecans over the apples slices.

*This recipe was inspired by a recipe in Joy of Cooking. I’ve made some ingredient alterations and additions and rewritten the preparation instructions.

Would your Thanksgiving be less overwhelming if you knew the gluten free recipes that you’re planning would turn out wonderfully? Would it help to have a shopping list and cooking timeline to follow? Would you like to have someone to go to when you have questions? If so, then my Gluten Free Thanksgiving Made Easy Kit may be just what you need.

Gluten Free, Casein Free Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

Mary Frances — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:29:11 +0000

There is much to be said for comfort food. While generally not healthy, sometimes you just need your favorite comfort food to make you feel better. Unfortunately for us gluten-free eaters, many not comfort foods depend on a can of condensed cream soup. While it’s not impossible to find a gluten free condensed cream soup, it’s not necessarily easy. (Hint: Campbell’s is NOT gluten free).

However, it is easy to make your own condensed cream soup at home. It’s actually very easy! Here is my recipe for condensed cream of mushroom soup, just in time for your Thanksgiving favorites.

Mary’s Condensed Cream Of Mushroom Soup

2 Tbsp. non-dairy butter (like Earthbalance) or oil
1/4 cup gluten free flour*
1/2 cup stock-veggie or chicken
1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup of mushrooms, finely chopped

This recipe equals 1 can of Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Soup

Melt butter in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft, not just tender. Add flour and butter and whisk together. Slowly add stock while stirring or whisking. Bring to a simmer and cook a few minutes until thickened. Add milk and salt and pepper and stir until combined and thick.

*Rice flour or a gluten free flour mix that does not contain xanthan gum.

Would your Thanksgiving be less overwhelming if you knew the gluten free recipes that you’re planning would turn out wonderfully? Would it help to have a shopping list and cooking timeline to follow? Would you like to have someone to go to when you have questions? If so, then my Gluten Free Thanksgiving Made Easy Kit may be just what you need.

Hot, Steamy, Wonderful Gluten Free Yeast Rolls

Mary Frances — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:20:56 +0000

Learning to make really good gluten free yeast rolls was a huge challenge for me. I wanted yeast rolls that made you sing when you took you first bit. I wanted them to be hot and light and fluffy. And, I even wanted them to reheat well the next day.

That’s asking a lot from a gluten free yeast roll!

But finally, after numerous iterations of this recipe, I figured it out. The secret is adding just a bit of potato starch. These yeast rolls will make you very, very happy. And very very full. Ration them out carefully, or you might just find a two year old sitting in the pots and pans cabinet having a little feast. I’m not going to name names, but you’ve been warned =)

Mary’s Yeast Rolls (1 ½ dozen rolls)

2 c. brown rice flour
1 ¼ c.cornstarch or tapioca starch
1/4 c. potato starch
1 Tbsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
3 large eggs, beaten
¼ cup butter, melted
1/8 cup sugar (2 Tbsp)
1 ¼ cup milk (non-dairy works fine)
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast

Heat the milk in a saucepan until it is scalded (heated to 180 degrees F). Let the milk cool to 110 degrees F and add the sugar and yeast and stir gently until combined. Set the milk mixture aside until the yeast has proofed.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown rice flour, starches, xanthan gum and salt. Add the milk/yeast mixture and the beaten eggs to the flour and beat for 3 -4 minutes. Cover the dough and allow it to rise until doubled in size.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead it gently a few times. Separate the dough into 18 even pieces. Roll each piece of dough between your floured hands until it forms a ball. Then lightly coat the roll with flour and set aside on your baking pan.

Repeat for each piece of dough. Cover the rolls with a lightly floured towel and let them rise for thirty minutes. Brush melted butter over the tops of the rolls and bake at 425 degrees F for 20 – 25 minutes, or until the top of the rolls are golden brown and crispy.

Would your Thanksgiving be less overwhelming if you knew the gluten free recipes that you’re planning would turn out wonderfully? Would you like to actually see what these rolls are supposed to look like as you make them? Would you like to have someone to go to when you have questions? If so, then my Gluten Free Thanksgiving Made Easy Kit may be just what you need.

Impossibly Easy Sweet Potato Pie

Mary Frances — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:05:01 +0000

A sweet potato pie beats a pumpkin pie any day! My grandmother used to make me sweet potato pie tartlets every time I got A’s on my report card. It was a strong incentive!

Because we no longer live near Whole Foods (much harder on me than I thought it would be) and their wonderful frozen GF pie crusts, I’ve tweaked the recipe to use GF Bisquick so that it will make it’s own little pie crust. It’s not really the same as a pie crust….but it’s better than nothing. And, this recipe works especially well for Thanksgiving dessert, because I’d really rather not fool around with making GF pie crusts right before Thanksgiving.

If you do have pie crust on hand, just leave out the Bisquick and pour the pie filling into a pre-baked pie crust. Oh and really do try this without adding any spices to the recipe. I promise, it’s delicious just as it is =)

Impossibly Easy Sweet Potato Pie

2 c. cooked sweet potato
½ c. Gluten Free Bisquick® mix
1 c. sugar
1 c. milk (non-dairy is fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a mixer or food processor to “mash” the sweet potatoes until a smooth consistency is obtained. Mix the remaining ingredients into the sweet potato and pour the pie filling into a greased 9” pie plate. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes, until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool the pie on the counter for 30 minutes, and then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Would your Thanksgiving be less overwhelming if you knew the gluten free recipes that you’re planning would turn out wonderfully? Would it help to have a shopping list and cooking timeline to follow? Would you like to have someone to go to when you have questions? If so, then my Gluten Free Thanksgiving Made Easy Kit may be just what you need.

Gluten Free Cooking School » Mary Frances

Gluten Free Chocolate Eclairs Recipe

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Gluten Free Sausage Balls

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An Amazing Brined Gluten Free Turkey Recipe for Thanksgiving

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Gluten Free, Casein Free Bread Stuffing for Thanksgiving

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10 Ways to Accidentally Gluten Yourself at Thanksgiving

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Green Bean Casserole (Gluten Free & Casein Free)

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Mixed Green Salad with Apples & Pecans, Buttermilk Honey Dressing

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Gluten Free, Casein Free Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

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