Double Chocolate Brownies

So, I discovered last week why you should always make brownies from a packaged mix. (Sounds like the start of a joke doesn’t it. I wish!) It allows you to remain in the delusion that brownies do not have just as much sugar as flour! And a whole entire cup of oil!

I had lost almost all of my baby weight before I made these brownies and the Hershey Pie that I posted last week. But after eating 95% of the pie, and at least half of the brownies, I gained 5 lbs. back. That’s what happens when  you reward yourself with dessert every time you have to get up with the baby! I’ve been eating salads like crazy this week trying to get over my sweet tooth.

It finally was beginning to work when a coworker was able to get me samples of the new Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devil’s Food Cake and Chocolate Chip cookies mixes (in stores this summer).I’m sure that I’ll break down and bake the cake and cookies this weekend, so I’ll write a review of both of those next week. In the meantime, these brownies should keep you high on sugar =)

I started working on this recipe after a friend raved about her grandmother’s brownies. Unfortunately, her grandmother makes the brownies without the aid of a recipe or measuring tools, so the written recipe that they did have doesn’t taste exactly like the real thing.  Knowing this, I felt free to adjust the recipe a bit once I’d made it a few times. I’ve replaced some of the oil with water, added chocolate chips (because you always need more chocolate) and made the recipe gluten free. I think you’ll really enjoy these brownies, especially if you like your brownies to have a really deep chocolaty taste. But beware feeding them to your children – my sweet boy is now addicted to brownies (or “yannis” as he pronounces it) which makes it very difficult to go down the baking aisle of the grocery store now!

Double Chocolate Brownies

2 c.  gluten free all purpose flour mix
2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. xanthan gum
6 Tbsp. cocoa
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

4 eggs
1 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cooking Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
3. Beat the eggs thorougly and then add the eggs and other liquid ingredients to your dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
4. Pour the batter into a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. You can also use a couple of smaller baking tins if you wish. Cook for approximately 55 minutes, or until the brownies do not wiggle in the middle and a toothpick or fork inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Related Posts:

• 10 Ways to Accidentally Gluten Yourself at Thanksgiving
• Gluten Free Desserts
• Hershey Pie with a Rice Cereal Crust
• For Midnight Snacking: Rice Chex Treats
• Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake

What do you get when you cross Rice Krispies Treats with Rice Chex? A gluten free snack that is even better than the original!

I made Rice Chex Treats when we were visiting my parents over Labor Day. My dad wanted to make Rice Krispies Treats for David . . . and then remembered that Rice Krispies are not gluten free. Luckly the small town grocery store stocked the new Gluten Free Rice Chex cereal and we decided to try that as a substitute.

Were we ever surprised!  Not only did the Rice Chex Treats tast just like Rice Krispies Treats, they were easier to eat.  Do you remember how Rice Krispies Treats can get hard after they sit a while? So that you almost break your teach trying to bite throught them? The shape of the Rice Chex cereal makes it impossible to packthem into  a tight layer so the treats never  get as hard as Rice Krispies Treats. Even after they sit on the counter all day, you can cut a square and bite into without any difficulty.

P.S. I made this photo sometime around midnight last night while in the midst of a most trying tax calculation. The photo didn’t turn out well….and John said that I should be embarrassed to post it. So we’ll be making another batch this weekend and try to make these Treats look as yummy as they really are.

Rice Chex Krispies

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1 package (10 oz.) miniature marshmallows*
6 cups Rice Chex

Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium low heat.
2. Add the marshmallows and stir frequently until they have melted.
3. Add the Rice Chex and stir until all of the Chex are throughly coated.
4. Spread the Rice Chex mixture into a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish and set aside to cool.
5. To serve, cut into squares or just let everybody grab a handful.

*make sure the marshmallows are gluten free

Related Posts:

• Double Chocolate Brownies
• Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake
• Egg Series No. 1: How to Beat Egg Yolks & Crème Brûlée Recipe

There are so many things that I should tell you about this gluten free Red Velvet Cake.  I should tell you about how I baked it this morning while wearing a wrap dress, floral apron, high heels and pearls and looked like I had stepped right out of the 1950s. I should tell you how much my co-workers enjoyed this third cake that I could not bring myself to eat even though it is so delicious. (I am sugared out!). I should tell you how tender, moist and perfect this cake was and how no one could tell that it was gluten free.  I should…but it’s 11:00 PM and it’s time for this gluten free cook to head to bed.  Enjoy the recipe, especially those of you who are planning on making it for your birthdays!

For more yummy gluten free recipes like this, check out my ebook, The Gluten Free Survival Guide. I’ve packed it full with all of my favorite GF recipes, like waffles, pancakes, scones, tortillas and bread. I know you’ll love the recipes as much as we do!

Southern Red Velvet Cake

Cake Ingredients:
1 3/4 c. canola oil
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten (room temp)

1 c. brown rice flour
3/4 c. sorghum flour
3/4 c. tapioca starch
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. buttermilk (or 1 Tbsp cider vinegar and 1 c. milk substitute)

1 tsp. vanilla
1 oz. red food coloring (this is one of the McCormick’s bottles)
1 Tbsp. cocoa

Frosting Ingredients:
1 box confectioner’s sugar
8 oz. cream cheese (can sub vegan cream cheese)
1 stick butter (room temp)
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1 tsp vanilla

Cake Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Use a mixer to cream oil and sugar. With the mixer still going, add one egg at a time and beat until the eggs are thoroughly incorporated. (This step creates an emulsion that holds the batter together)

3. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Make sure they are well mixed, either by sifting the flours or whisking them.

4. Add the flour to the oil and sugar mixture in four parts. Alternate the flour with the buttermilk. You should begin and end with dry ingredients and each part should be mixed in completely before you add the next. (If you were to start with the liquids the emulsion would break.)

5. Make a paste of the cocoa, red food coloring, and vanilla and gently stir it into the batter.

6. Pour the batter into two greased and floured round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 25 minutes. (A toothpick stuck into the middle of the cake should come out clean when the cake is done)

7. When the cakes have completely cooled, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Frosting Instructions:
1. Cream the confectioner’s sugar, cream cheese, and butter.

2. Mix in the vanilla and chopped nuts.

3. Spread over cooled cake.

P.S. For more ideas on how to serve red velvet cake, check out this red velvet cupcakes recipe. It’s not gluten free, but you could use my ingredients above without too much trouble.

Related Posts:

• Gluten Free Sausage Balls
• An Amazing Brined Gluten Free Turkey Recipe for Thanksgiving
• Gluten Free, Casein Free Bread Stuffing for Thanksgiving
• Green Bean Casserole (Gluten Free & Casein Free)
• Mixed Green Salad with Apples & Pecans, Buttermilk Honey Dressing

If you’ve been missing desserts since you went gluten free, then you’ve come to the right place. This is the last in a three-part series on eggs, and we’ve been learning how to crack and separate an egg, beat egg whites, and beat egg yolks. All three of these skill are used in gluten free baking, especially in desserts like meringues, crème brûlée, mousses, and Pavlovas.

In this post we’ll learn how to beat egg yolks to the ribbon stage, and then we’ll make some yummy crème brûlée.

How to Beat Egg Yolks

Beating egg yolks is much simpler than beating egg whites. Your goal is for the color of the yolks to change from bright yellow-orange to a pale, pale yellow and for the yolks to thicken to the point that they fall from the beaters in a ribbon.

1. Place chilled egg yolks in a mixing bowl and begin to beat them with a mixer or whisk.

2. After beating the yolks a few times, gradually begin adding sugar, if the recipes calls for it.

3. Continue beating the yolk until they thicken and the color of the yolks is pale yellow, like this.

When you pull the beaters or whisk from the yolks, the yolks should fall from the beaters in a ribbon.

When the ribbons hit the surface of the yolks, they should stay on top for a moment and then dissipate.

Classic Crème Brûlée Recipe

(Yield: 6 servings)

6 egg yolks
6 Tbsp. sugar
1 c. whipping cream
1/2 c. soy milk (or whatever you use for drinking)
Additional sugar for topping

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease 6 ramekins and place them in a large glass casserole dish. Put a pot of water on to boil for the water bath.

2. Beat the egg yolks, gradually adding the sugar, until the yolks are a pale yellow and fall from the beater in a ribbon.

3. Gently whisk or stir in the whipping cream and soy milk. (Try to avoid creating air bubbles during this step.)

4. Pour the mixture into the ramekins. Open your oven and pull the top rack of your oven out. Place the casserole dish on the rack, and then slowly pour the boiling water into the casserole dish. Gently push the rack back into the oven so that the water does not splash onto your crème brûlée.

If you’re unfamiliar with preparing a water bath for custards, this is what it will look like once you get it all in the oven.

5. Cook for approximately 45 minutes. The crème brûlée will still be a little wiggly in the middle, but it will firm up as it cools. Place the ramekins on a wire rack until they are cool enough to put in the refrigerator. Allow the crème brûlée to chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours (if you can wait that long!)

6. Sprinkle 2 tsp. of sugar on each crème brûlée, and then either use a torch to melt the sugar, or put the ramekins in the oven under the broiler until the sugar liquefies and browns. Wait just a moment to let the sugar harden, and then enjoy!

Related Posts:

• Egg Series No. 1: How to Beat Egg Whites
• Getting Started on a Gluten Free Diet
• Double Chocolate Brownies
• For Midnight Snacking: Rice Chex Treats
• Two Minutes to Homemade Bread