Snowball Cookies

The secret ingredient in this cookie is ricotta cheese! This is a wonderful, slightly crunchy on the outside, moist and chewy on the inside cookie.

2 cups GF flour blend
1 t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
Pinch of salt
½ cup butter (one stick)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 t. GF vanilla or maple extract

 Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar, 2 T. milk
1cup coconut flakes for garnish

Heat oven to 350˚F. Coat 2 baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray or parchment.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together until blended; set aside. Beat butter and sugar together until blended. Add egg, ricotta and vanilla and beat until combined.

Mix flour mixture into liquid mixture until blended. Chill dough for one hour, if desired.

With oiled hands, roll dough into rough one inch balls OR just scoop out portions with a teaspoon. Place onto cookie sheets two inches apart. Bake at 350˚F for 15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges of cookies. Cool on a rack.

Glaze
Beat powdered sugar and milk until well blended. Dip tops of cookies into glaze and sprinkle with coconut. Set aside on waxed paper until glaze has hardened.

Makes: Three dozen cookies.

This recipe is available in my first cookbook: 
"Delicious! The Very Best of Gluten Free and Wheat Free Cooking" www.celiacdiseaseinfo.org

 

Simple Cranberry-Orange Scones

So simple, moist and  full of flavor! A wonderful holiday meal accompaniment.

2 cups GF flour blend
1/3 cup  coconut (or regular) sugar
1 T. grated orange (or lemon) peel (zest)
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup dried or fresh cranberries
1/2 cup almond slivers, optional

Preheat oven to 425˚F.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, orange peel, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.

Stir in the buttermilk just until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Fold in the cranberries and almonds, if using.

Drop dough by 1/3 cups onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until light brown. Immediately remove scones from the cookie sheet.

Serve warm.

Makes: Ten scones. 

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

 To view a slide show "tour" of The Farmer's Daughter Cooks Gluten Free,
click this link...

 

 

Autumn Pumpkin Dip

Dip apples and crunchy GF ginger snaps in this creamy dip for a memorable Fall treat! Great served with my ginger cookie recipe in this blog.

8 ounce package LF cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup GF powdered sugar (or substitute stevia to taste)

15 ounce can pumpkin (or less)

1 T. ground cinnamon

1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 t. ground ginger

1 T. Grand Marnier, optional
1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
Ground cinnamon for dusting

In food processor, blend cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Blend in the pumpkin, spices, and liquor. Fold in the yogurt.

Chill until ready to serve. Dust top of dip with cinnamon. 

Serve on a platter with apples and gluten free ginger snaps*; Enjoy!

Makes: About four cups of dip. 

Notes: *Mi-del Ginger Snaps are also great if you don't have time to bake a cookie. 

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:

 

Pork Carnitas Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa

What do you do with tomatillos, or those ugly little green tomato-looking things with husks on them? You make a wonderful tart and savory green salsa that is great with pork carnitas.

This is classic Mexican food at its best. And also my favorite go-to taco recipe. Enjoy!

Carnitas

2 1/2 pound organic pork shoulder, cut into chunks

3 t. dried oregano

2 t. fresh ground pepper

1 t. sea salt

1 t. ground cumin

1 onion, cut into chunks

3 whole garlic cloves

Juice of three limes

12-16 GF, organic corn tortillas

2 ripe avocados, sliced

Fresh cilantro

Fresh cabbage, finely shredded

Rub all spices on the outside of the pork and place seasoned pork in the bottom of a slow cooker.  Toss the onion and garlic on top of the pork. Squeeze the lime juice over the top.

Slow cook about 8 hours until meat is falling apart.  Drain the meat and shred the pork with a fork.

Serve with warm corn tortillas, tomatillo salsa, avocados and garnish with cilantro and cabbage.

Tomatillo Salsa

1 pound tomatillos, husked, halved, broiled/grilled until soft (5-10 minutes)

1/2 cup onion

1 large clove garlic, optional

1 cup cilantro leaves, loosely packed

1 T. fresh lime juice

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

Puree the broiled/grilled tomatillos and the remaining ingredients in the food processor until smooth. Cool in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Makes: Entire recipe of tacos and salsa makes enough for 8-10.

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:

Lamb Shank and Bacon Stew with Root Vegetables

My favorite hearty lamb stew with rich, earthy flavors is made in the crock pot. The perfect dish for a cool Fall or Winter day!

½ pound of bacon

2 lamb shanks

2 T. GF flour

1-2 large onions, thinly sliced

2 t. garlic, mashed

1 t.salt 

½ t. pepper

Root veggies options

6 red potatoes, chopped

2 turnips, chopped

2 beets, chopped

4 carrots, slices

2 parsnips, chopped

1 T. fresh thyme or 1 t. dried thyme

2 cups GF broth

1 cup semi dry red or blush wine*

4 t. GF soy sauce or 3 T. Braggs Liquid Aminos

½ pound mushrooms, chopped (optional)

4 T. fresh parsley, minced (as garnish)

Fry the bacon until almost crisp. Drain off all but around 3 T. grease and set aside the bacon. Dust the shanks with the 2 T. flour, saute the shanks in the remaining grease, browning on all sides. Place the shanks in the bottom of the warm crock pot with the bacon.

Saute the garlic in the remaining fat. Remove and set aside. Saute the onions in the remaining bacon grease until brown and caramelized. Add the garlic and onions to the crock pot with the lamb. Add salt and pepper.

Now add the chopped root vegetables and thyme to crock pot. Mix together the liquid ingredients and pour over the top of the crock pot ingredients. Let the crock pot simmer on low for 8-10 hours, or until the meat falls from the bone. The last hour you may choose to remove the bones, throw in the mushrooms and adjust seasonings.

Garnish with parsley and serve in crocks or bowls with GF bread or baguettes.

Makes: Ten servings.

*Notes: I used our home made cranberry wine, which was a semi dry, amber-colored wine.

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:

 

Artichoke-Olive Tapenade or Pesto

Very tasty multi-use tapenade with an earthy Mediterranean flair.

6.5 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped*

3 ripe tomatoes, chopped (or ½ cup sundried tomatoes)

2 T. red onion, chopped

6 ounce can pitted black olives, chopped

2-3 t. chopped garlic

½ cup roasted red peppers, chopped (optional)

2 T. olive oil, optional

Salt & pepper to taste

2 T. (or more) fresh basil, chopped

Fresh grated Parmesan, optional

In medium bowl, mix together the artichoke hearts, tomatoes, onion, olives, garlic, red peppers if using, olive oil, salt and pepper and basil.

As a spread, serve chilled, or at room temperature with GF crackers or rice chips. Spread on toasted GF muffins or bread as a brochette.

As a pasta sauce, serve over warm pasta, then grate fresh Parmesan over the dish.

Notes: *Use Costco’s giant jar for best value if making a large amount of this recipe.

Makes: Approximately two cups of spread.

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

http://www.celiacdiseaseinfo.org