Chocolate-Coconut Truffles

Gooey balls of nuts, coconut and sweetened milk and coated with an outside shell of Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate... makes these candies irresistable!

Quick and easy and they taste like Almond Joy candy bars!

1 cup pecans or macadamia nuts, toasted

8 ounces sweetened condensed milk*

1 t. GF almond extract

7 ounce bag sweetened shredded coconut

12 ounce bag bittersweet chocolate morsels, melted*

In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients except chocolate. Mush together into one inch balls. Place on wax paper lined cookie sheet and allow to set up. (You will need to re-roll into firmer balls as the mixture sets up more.) Refrigerate for one hour.

*Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave for about one minute, stirring every 30 seconds. Lightly dip the balls into the chocolate, covering the entire ball. Allow to set up on the cookie sheet or in the refrigerator. 

Makes: About 24 balls.

*This would be a liquid measure. Use approximately 2/3 of a 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk.

This recipe is from my cookbook: "Delicious! The Very Best of Gluten Free and Wheat Free Cooking. It is available at:   

http://www.celiacdiseaseinfo.org

http://www.amazon.com/Delicious-Cooking-Collection-Celiacs-Sensitive/dp/0615305709/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282852260&sr=1-

Flour Tortillas

Yes, it’s true; you can make easy gluten free flour tortillas! These are yummy and stay moist and pliable.

4 cups GF flour blend, sifted

8 T. butter

1¼ t. salt

1¼+ cup hot water

Sift together the dry ingredients. Work in the butter with a pastry cutter or large fork. Trickle in the water, a little at a time, until the dough is a workable ball.

Divide the dough into 16 fairly equal balls. Cover and set aside for 20-30 minutes. Heat a griddle (prefer using a countertop electric one for getting the job done quickly). Roll out the discs on a tea towel or pastry cloth with a rolling pin, making them as thin as they can be and still be handled. Cook each tortilla for a few seconds, until the bubble slightly; then turn. Wrap in a tea towel and cover to help keep moist.

Makes: 16 flour tortillas.

This recipe is from my cookbook: "The Farmer's Daughter Cooks Gluten Free."

To watch a slide show "tour" of the cookbook, click this link:

Youtube slide show "tour" of book here:

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Adapted from Country Living Magazine, this cake really hits the spot for anyone’s serious chocolate “fix”… without any GF worries.

Cake:
5 large eggs
8-1 ounce bittersweet chocolate squares
⅔ cup almonds, finely ground
½ cup unsalted butter
⅔ cup cane sugar
Chocolate Sauce (optional):
6-1 ounce bittersweet chocolate squares
½ cup heavy GF cream

 
Heat oven to 350°F. Oil an 8 inch spring form pan.

Separate eggs*, placing whites in a medium bowl, and yolks in a large bowl. Bring to room temperature.

In top of double boiler, over hot but not boiling water, heat chocolate and butter, stirring constantly, until melted. Set aside to cool.

With electric mixer on high speed, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set egg whites aside. Using same beaters, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Stir almonds and chocolate mixture into yolk mixture. Then gently fold this mixture into the egg whites. Pour batter evenly into pan. Bake until cake springs back when gently touched with fingertip: 25-30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on wire rack.
Remove ring from spring form pan and let cake cool 10 minutes more on wire rack.

Chocolate Sauce: In top of double boiler, over hot, not boiling, water, heat chocolate and heavy cream, stirring constantly, until melted and well combined. (Any pastry glaze will work also) Let cool slightly, then frost cake with this mixture, after placing it onto serving plate. Let cool.

Notes: * I also prepared this recipe without separating the eggs. Omit this step and it works just fine.

Makes: One layer cake that serves approximately eight. 

This recipe is from my cookbook: "Delicious! The Very Best of Gluten Free and Wheat Free Cooking. For other wonderful recipes, my cookbook is available at:   

http://www.celiacdiseaseinfo.org

http://www.amazon.com/Delicious-Cooking-Collection-Celiacs-Sensitive/dp/0615305709/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282852260&sr=1-

Cinnamon Bread in the Bread Machine!

My easy bread machine sweet bread. Full of cinnamon flavor; a moist and tender loaf that is wonderful for breakfast or brunch.

1 cup water, warmed to 125-130˚

4 T. butter, room temperature

2 t. cider vinegar

2 large eggs, room temperature

½  cup granulated sugar

1 t. GF vanilla extract

½ cup cooked rice*, room temperature

2½ cups (light) GF flour blend + ½ t. extra xanthan gum

¼ cup milk powder

1 T. active dry yeast

1¼ t. salt

1 T. ground cinnamon

¾ cup raisins

½ cup nuts, chopped

Whisk liquid ingredients and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl. Fold in cooked rice.

In separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, ending with cinnamon.

Pour the liquid ingredients into your bread pan, followed by the dry ingredients. Set your bread machine to the Quick Bread /2 hour or Gluten Free cycle. Allow bread machine to mix the batter thoroughly for 3-5 minutes, by you assisting this process with a rubber spatula if necessary. Add the raisins and the nuts.

Now, before the oven begins heating up, pull the paddle out of the bread pan and smooth over the top of the dough. This will avoid the paddle sticking in this sweeter-than-usual loaf at the end of the baking time and will help maintain the integrity of the loaf.

Pastry Glaze:  

1 cup GF powdered sugar

1 T. butter

1 T. GF vanilla or GF almond extract

Add milk to moisten.

Mix together and drizzle over pastry.

Notes: *Japanese studies have shown that the addition of cooked rice in baking rice flour-based GF breads (adding 30% cooked rice to the total flour amount) helps to create a natural humectant or moisture-retaining quality to the bread.

This recipe is from my cookbook: "Delicious! The Very Best of Gluten Free and Wheat Free Cooking. It is available at:   

http://www.celiacdiseaseinfo.org

http://www.amazon.com/Delicious-Cooking-Collection-Celiacs-Sensitive/dp/0615305709/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282852260&sr=1-

Mediterranean Chicken

Ounce for ounce, sun dried tomatoes have about twelve times the amount of lycopene, a proven anti-oxidant, as raw tomato. Enjoy this simple recipe with a touch of Mediterranean flavors.

2 whole, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

¾ cup GF flour blend

Fresh ground pepper

2 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

1½ cups dry white wine or champagne

1 cup heavy cream (or reduced fat half and half)

1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, julienned

1 cup Mozarella cheese, grated

2 T. Parmesan, grated (optional)

2 T. parsley and basil, finely chopped

Split breasts to make a total of four. Combine flour and pepper in a zip lock bag and toss chicken in the mixture until coated. Set aside. Heat the oil and butter over medium high heat. Add chicken and brown on both sides; about 4 minutes total. Add wine. Increase heat quickly to boil until mixture begins to thicken. Reduce to simmer and poach chicken for about 4 more minutes. Remove chicken to a platter and cover to keep warm.

Raise heat in skillet and continue to cook the wine sauce, reducing amount to one half. Add cream or half and half to mixture and cook through; do not overcook. Add tomatoes and heat through. Plate the chicken and pour sauce over the top. Garnish with the cheese,  parsley and fresh basil.

Serve over gluten free pasta.

Makes: Two to four servings.

St. Pat’s Chocolate Mint Chip Cupcakes

Deep, rich chocolate cake and creamy (green) mint butter cream frosting topped with Belgium chocolate shavings.

1 cup GF flour blend
½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa
¾ t. baking soda
¼ t. baking powder
Pinch of salt
½ cup butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
½ cup buttermilk
½ t. GF vanilla

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups GF powdered sugar

8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup (one half of a stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 t. GF peppermint extract

2 drops of green food coloring

Garnish: chocolate shavings

Preheat over to 350˚F. Line muffin pan with paper liners.

Thoroughly combine dry ingredients for cupcakes. In a larger bowl, cream butter and sugar, then beat in eggs, buttermilk and vanilla, using an electric mixer. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake 15- 20 minutes until test toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Blend together frosting ingredients. Allow to chill to firm up. Pour into a pastry piping tool with star tip. Frost as shown in photo and sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

Makes: Twelve cupcakes.

For more recipes, check out my cookbook: "Delicious! The Very Best of Gluten Free and Wheat Free Cooking. It is available at:   

http://www.celiacdiseaseinfo.org

http://www.amazon.com/Delicious-Cooking-Collection-Celiacs-Sensitive/dp/0615305709/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282852260&sr=1-