Brown Butter Coconut Blossoms

Leap day.   It seems like such an odd concept no?  I  was curious as to why it exists,  this is what wiki tells me..
"A leap year..contains one extra day... in order to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year. Because seasons and astronomical events do not repeat in a whole number of days, a calendar that had the same number of days in each year would, over time, drift with respect to the event it was supposed to track. By occasionally inserting an additional day or month into the year, the drift can be corrected."

Hmmm..  Interesting stuff.   Maybe I will only make these cookies every four year.   BAHAHA.  Probably not.  Happy Birthday to all those who are much younger than they are.

My husband got me Hershey's kisses for Valentine's Day.  I am however not a fan of Hershey's kisses to eat. I might have mentioned this before but when I eat chocolates I need to have an additional crunch or texture change.  Which is probably why I am obsessed with Mini Eggs, M&M Pretzels and dark chocolate almonds. Luckily my hubby was smart enough to also get me Mini Eggs so I ate those and threw the kisses in the freezer for future baking.  The future is now.

Brown Butter Coconut Blossoms
(Adapted from Anna Olson)

Makes 24 cookies
INGREDIENTS: 

• 3/4 cup butter, unsalted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut, shredded
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 24 Hershey's Kisses, frozen

INSTRUCTIONS:
1) In a small skillet, heat butter on mediium heat until butter begins to slightly brown,  Remove from heat and let cool.  Preheat oven to 350F.
2) In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.
3) Place coconut in mini processor and run until it becomes fine.

4) Add browned butter and sugar in a large bowl or your mixer bowl and beat on medium until well combined.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix again to combine.

5) Add the processed coconut and mix to combine.   Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

6) Using a small scoop place the little cookie rounds on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake the cookies 8-10 minutes, cookies will be golden.   While the cookies are baking unwrap the Hershey's kisses. As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven gently press the kiss into the cookie.   Let cool a few minutes and then place on a wire rack to cool completely.   Store in a air tight container.

Is everything with brown butter better?  Say that 5 times fast.  I think it might be, the nutty flavour is so unique and tempting.    It is a great combination with the coconut as well, neither overpowers each other.  A new favorite to the blossom cookie category.  

MEG's RATING : D-EEEEE-LICIOUS!

Chocolate Caramel Mars Bar Rice Krispies (Gluten Free)

So I think I have picked a place for the trip.   Just need to get the hubby completely on board but Barbados is where I am hoping.   Do you know sold me on Barbados, swimming with turtles!  I love turtles.   I am not sure why but they are just so cute and curious.   When we went away last year I never for a chance to see them so this year, I have to!

Now that I don't have to spend my time searching out my vacation spots I can bake and blog.  I could have gotten this post out last night but I decided to spend my night curled up in a blanket, watching tv half asleep on the couch.

I was walking through the grocery store the other day in my usual search for new products and saw Gluten Free Brown Rice Krispies.   I haven't made some rice krispie squares in quite some time and since they are always such an easy fun treat I couldn't resist. Easy, delicious and easy to transform.  

Chocolate Caramel Mars Bar Rice Krispies

INGREDIENTS: 

• 4 cups brown rice gluten free rice krispies
• 2 1/2 cups marshmallows
• 2 tbsp margarine
• 2 dark mars bars, chopped

Caramel & Chocolate Topping

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 150 grams dark chocolate

INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Melt butter and marshmallows in a large sauce pan on medium-low  Continue until marshmallows are almost completely melted.

3) Add the chopped mars bars,  occasionally stirring to combine.
4) Once chocolate is melted, remove from heat and add rice krispies.  Stir to combine and coat all krispies.
5) Press into a 9 inch square pan, dampening your hands lightly with water if too sticky.
6) Make the caramel : add sugar and water to a small sauce pan.  Heat on medium-high heat.  Mixture will begin to boil and darken.  Brush the sides of the pan with water to prevent crystallizing.  Gently swirl in pan as it begins to darken.
7) When is starts to become a medium caramel colour, add the cream.  Stirring with a spatula to combine.
8) Pour the caramel sauce over the rice krispies, using  mini spatula to spread evenly, working quickly.   Sprinkle the caramel with sea salt.

9) Melt the dark chocolate using a double boiler and pour the melted chocolate over the caramel.   Also using a mini spatula  to spread evenly.
10) Place in fridge to cool and set up.   Slice into squares and serve.

I may double the caramel layer in the future as I think it was pretty thin. Even with the thin layer every now and then you would get a bite that had a little hint of the salt with the caramel and the crunchiness and sweetness of the rice krispie.  It was heaven!   I haven't done too much with salted caramel but I fear an obsession coming on.

MEG's RATING : D-EEEEE-LICIOUS!

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Blackberry Coconut Ice Cream (dairy free) & Cookbook Winner

So my blogging has been getting side tracked as I write this by trip searching. Although this has been a mild winter,  there is always still a craving for more sun, warmth and a getaway.  There are several ideas in our travel list this year,  some where with a beach , NYC (so I can go see Jimmy Fallon) and then potential a TBD location, which may end up just being the cottage.  So I am here.. I start typing and then go back to searching hot spots and then back to blogging and then back to trip advisor.  I think I need to start making a spreadsheet.  That's the true accountant in me. Sometimes I am not sure if trip advisor is helpful or not.  You can read thousands of reviews and still not know what to do and what resort to pick.   uughh.  I am so confused.  Maybe I will just make my list and let the hubby do the final decision.   I like that idea!

Just because I am not on the beach doesn't mean I can't enjoy some ice cream.  It has been a while since I made some and store bought just wasn't doing it for me. I have been craving something new.

Blackberry Coconut Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 tbsp glucose
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp Xylitol (you can use granulated sugar)
• 2 cups blackberries
• 1/4 cup honey

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 375F. Place blackberries on stone wear or silpat on baking sheet. Drizzle honey over blackberries. Bake for 15 minutes and let cool.
2) Combine coconut milk, glucose, vanilla and 1 tbsp Xylitol in a medium sauce pan. On medium heat,  bring to a boil
3) In a medium bowl whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch and 2 tbsp Xylitol
4) While whisking,  slowly pour in approximately 1/2 cup of the liquid, then add approximately 1 more cup to continuing to temper the eggs. Continue to whisk to prevent curdling
5) Add the milk/egg mixture into the saucepan with remaining milk and return to medium heat. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens, do not let mixture boil.
6) Run thickened mixture through a strainer into a medium bowl, cover the liquid directly with saran wrap. Place this bowl into a bowl filled with ice water and place in the fridge to cool completely.
7) Once the mixture is cool, run through your ice cream machine following machine instructions. My kitchen aid was approximately 25 minutes. Add half the blackberries in the last 5 minutes.
8) Fold in the remaining blackberries by hand, then place the mixture in a freezer proof container.

I don't think I have ever made home made ice cream I didn't like and this was no exception.   I did try and keep this one healthier by keep the sugar low so you may not find it sweet enough but I was okay with it.  It does become quite hard so I found I had to let it sit a bit before eating it, so I recommend eating it within the first two days.   Day 1 after just a few hours of freezing is the best.

Back to trip searching....

MEG's RATING : D-EEEE-LICIOUS!

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Lynn Crawford Cookbook Winner

Thanks for all the great comments, using random generator the winner is....

Natalie from Once Upon a Cutting Board.  

Five Friday Pin up - Feb 17

This Friday is exceptionally better than other Friday's.  Why?   This Monday is a holiday which means a long weekend!   A well needed long weekend I might add.  Work has been exhausting the last several weeks and I am going to enjoy every minutes of my extra day off.

This also  happens to be a weekend where I have very little planned, a very refreshing thought in deed.  Saturday night will be spent baby sitting my niece (who just turned 3).   That always tends to be an adventure or at least several hours of  keeping me on my toes.   Luckily the hubby seems to have a "kids love me magnet" built into him.   They are always all over him like Winnie the Pooh on honey.   He plays hide and seek and I bake and tuck her in (she is also staying over).     I am sure the rest of the weekend plan will be to bake, clean, work out, catch a movie, maybe do a little shopping, figure out our trips for 2012, start my taxes and above all - relax.  Yikes - seems like a long list already but other than the taxes and the cleaning the rest is FUN

I love long weekends.  We need more of them.

Here's some of my favorite pins for the week - five food and one that is just adorable.

1) Butterfinger Nutter Butter Cheesecake Bars by Laurens Lately : http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756330024717/

2) Caramel Apple Cookie Bars by Picky Palate : http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756330024702/

3) Carob Covered Coconut Protein Bars/Energy Squares by Natural Noshing : http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756329989829/

4) Hot Quinoa Cereal by Mama Me Gluten Free : http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756329978567/

5) Chickpea and Cucumber Salad by Green Lite Bites :    http://pinterest.com/pin/162059286561086315/

CUTE : Baby and Bulldog -  http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756330024746/

Have a extra long  Sweet Weekend. (if you have one)

Red Velvet White Chocolate Cupcakes, Lynn Crawford and a Giveaway

Two weeks ago my mom and sister and I braved a Canadian snow storm to go see Lynn Crawford speak at George Brown College.   If you happen to not know who Lynn Crawford is here is the run down....

• Worked at the Four Seasons Hotels for over 20 years
• One of Canada's Top Chefs
• Appeared on Restaurant Makeover
• Now appears on Pitchin' In on the Food Network
• Has her own Cookbook called Pitchin' In
• Co-owner of the restaurant Ruby Watchco in Toronto
• Co-owner of Ruby Eats - Gourmet Food Store  - which I need to check out ASAP.   The downside of living in the suburbs.  :-(

She is very cool and down to earth.  Very inspiring and and listening to her makes me want to cook more, cook local and appreciate the food we have available to us.   I actually recorded 90% of her talk before my playbook ran out of entire memory.   It will be a great reference when I need a little kick in the pants.   I will try and edit some clips and post on her for you ( once I figure it out )

Me and Chef Lynn

The other bonus of going to she her speak is you get her cookbook - Pitchin In (signed and personalized).  The cookbook is full of over 100 fantastic recipes.  She has one or two recipes focusing on key ingredients, similar to how the show is set up.  There is a lot of seafood and shellfish (which I don't eat) but the rest of the book makes up for it,  Especially the desserts - WOW!  I literally can't wait to bake them all, especially the bacon caramel sauce.

The first recipe I decided to try was her Red Velvet Cupcakes but with a Sweet Twist spin, of course.  We had a dinner to go to last weekend and I offered to bring dessert, thinking cupcakes are always a good choice.  Is it me or has Red Velvet desserts exploded lately?   Maybe it is just Valentines day but they are everywhere and spun in every fashion.  Cookies, crepes, ice cream, brownies, there are a lot of pretty cool ideas out there. 2012 is the year of Red Velvet.   Who can blame us, Red Velvet desserts are tangy and sweet with nice sublte chocolate undertones.  
Here is my easy spin.

Red Velvet White Chocolate Cupcakes

(Adapted from Lynn Crawford - Pitchin In)

Makes 9 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

Cupcakes

• 1 1/4 cup sifted cake and pastry flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp red food paste
• 9 white chocolate Lindt balls, unwrapped and frozen

Icing

• 1 - 8 oz package light cream cheese
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• 3 oz white chocolate, melted

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a muffin tin with 9 liners ( recipe called for 12, but I guess I made them bigger).
2) In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt.

3) In a measuring cup combine buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla and food paste and whisk together.

4) In a large bowl or with your mixer, beat together butter and sugar until creamed.  Add egg and beat to combine.

5) Alternate adding the dry ingredients (3 additions)  and buttermilk (2 additions)

6) Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.  Add one Lindt ball to the center of each cupcake, pressing down, then use a spatula or spoon to just cover the Lindt ball with the mixture.

7) Bake 20 minutes, turning the pan half way through.   Obviously you can not stick a tooth pick in because of the Lindt ball, the top will look set when done.   Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then cool on a wire rack
8) Make the icing - In a large bowl or mixer bowl beat together butter and cream cheese until creamy and smooth.  Add icing sugar and vanilla starting on low, gently moving to high as icing sugar is incorporated.
Add cooled melted white chocolate and beat to combine.
9) Place into a large piping bag with a star tip and swirl on cupcakes.  If the icing is to soft place in fridge to cool for 10-15 minutes,

I also made a peanut butter chocolate filled Lindt using these chocolate cupcakes and this peanut butter icing

Red velvet white chocolate is a great combination.   I am not sure what it is but cupcakes with a creamy chocolate center are oh soooo good.

MEG's RATING : D-EEEEE-LICIOUS!

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COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY!!

Lucky for my readers when I was at the event I picked up an extra signed Pitchin' In cookbook from Lynn.  Leave me a comment with one of your favorite ingredients to cook or bake with.

For 4 more additional entries do the following and come back and let me know

1) Follow me on Facebook
2) Follow me on Twitter
3) Tweet - I want the @CHEF_LYNN Pitchin' In cookbook for more than 100 great recipes, Thanks to @Sweettwist_Meg
4) Follow the blog off to the right -->
5) Pin it

Giveaway open to residents of Canada and the U.S.  Contest open until noon on Feb 18th.

Gluten Free Pear Bread & The Liebster Award

Thank you Thank you to the wonderful ladies who nominated me.  On Sunday I received two Liebster blog awards.    It was such a pleasant and encouraging surprise.    Blogging is a lot more fun and creative than my daily grind and it makes me happy to do.   It is exciting to see my readers grow and have people anxious to make what I have blogged about.    This award is just another example of how amazing the blogging community is.   I actually didn't even know what this award was and had to look it up.

Here is the run down: (Thanks to the Ditch the Wheat)

The Liebster Award is a chain letter among bloggers that’s intended to showcase talented up-and-coming blogs (typically, those with 200 or fewer followers). It is based on the recognition that a peer has noticed and appreciated your hard work.

The rules for accepting the Liebster Blog Award are:

• Thank your Liebster Award presenter on your blog.
• Link back to the blogger who presented you with the award.
• Copy and paste the blog award to your own page.
• Award the Liebster to five deserving blogs, like yours, that have 200 followers or less and that deserve recognition.
• Leave a comment on each blog to notify the awardees and let them know the rules for bestowing the Liebster Award to other bloggers.

Thank you to the follow amazing bloggers you awarded me: 

• Anna & Chelsea from Hidden Ponies.  I love how they are sisters working together to put together their amazing blog.  Great recipes, great stories.  I want to make everything they blog about!
• Carol from Ditch the Wheat.  I came across her in my new efforts to experiment with gluten free and I am glad I did.   She made her own Doritos people, how awesome is that. 

If I could nominate you ladies back I would.   I am glad you were both awarded with this as well.

Now I need to pick 5 blogs who also deserve this.  Do you realize how hard this is?

1) K&K Test Kitchen - Like the ladies of Hidden Ponies found me through the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, that is how I found the K&K Test Kitchen.  If I make a trip to Ottawa I might just have to crash their house and cook with them.  I love finding wonderful Canadian Bloggers.

2) Girl Who Bakes - Similar to me she likes to try and make dessert a little less guilty.   As someone who can't break her addiction to treats, this is key.

3) It all Taste Greek to Me - She creates fantastic dishes, opening my eyes to the world of Greek cuisine.  So many cool things to re-create.

4) Queen of Quinoa - I pinned her Raw & Vegan Carrot Cake balls and I have been hooked since.  I always get the urge to be healthy when I read her blog.

5) Easy Baked - I recently just found this blog and loved it.   All her recipes and photographs just make me drool.  Check out the gender reveal fudge.   I am going to use that one day.

That was tough to narrow down.  Ugh.

Oh right.. I also baked something.   So how often do you clean out your fridge?    I tend to do it when I realize I might be running out of space.  Then I go in and find lunches my husband doesn't it or food he forgets.  I also have an addiction to buy unique sauces and spreads I find at the grocery store or market.    My latest favorites bacon jam and pomegranate roobious jam/spread.  So my fridge builds up with these, half used because I frankly forget.   This past weekend, I cleaned the fridge and found a pear puree I bought and never really used.   I figured I should use this up and fast.  A few weeks bake I made a Gluten Free Banana Bread,  that I loved.   I was so happy with how this recipe that I decide to turn this banana bread into a pear bread. 

Gluten Free Pear Bread

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups almond meal 
• 3/4 cup arrowroot powder 
• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal 
• 2 tbsp chia seeds 
• 1/4 cup chocolate protein powder  (you don't need to add this)
• 3 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp baking soda 
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted 
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 large eggs + 2 egg whites 
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 
• 1 tbsp vanilla 
• 1 cup pear puree 
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a loaf or tube pan with non stick spray.
2) In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients.

4) In another large bowl or mixer bowl, add all remaining ingredients and mix to combine.

5) Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low until almost combined.
6) Fold in chopped chocolate and mix on low until just incorporated.

7) Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 40 -45 minutes - until a toothpick comes out clean.
8) Let loaf cool in pan for an hour before trying to remove from pan.

 Just as good with pear as bananas.  Perfect for breakfast, brunch, snack, anytime.   Love it!!

MEG's RATING : D-EEEEE-LICIOUS

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Nutella Nanaimo Bars

Superbowl and National Nutella Day all in one day.     This might be the biggest day of indulgence yet!

I am going out to a bar for the Superbowl.  Do I care who wins, not really.  I like football, but I don't watch it often.   I just randomly follow my team and pay attention if they do well.   Since my team is not in the Superbowl, it is just a fun evening out.   Today also happens to be the day before my Sister's birthday so it's a chance to spend the evening with her and some friends and family.

I was trying to think of a recipe I would make with Nutella, that at least I haven't seen before.    I have been flipping through my cookbooks for some random ideas of what could be spun to use Nutella. I was eyeing a peanut butter Nanaimo recipe for the last few months and thought how about Nutella instead of peanut butter?  Let's just see...

Nutella Nanaimo Bars
(Adapted from Anna Olson- Back to Baking)

INGREDIENTS:


Base

• 2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Filling

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Topping

• 5 oz dark chocolate (72%)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 8 inch square pan with parchment and spray with non-stick spray. 

2) Make the base : In a large bowl combine cookie crumbs, sugar, cocoa and coconut and mix together. 

3) Stir in the melted butter, egg and vanilla, mix all together until damp. 

4)  Press the crumbs flat into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.    Let cool while preparing the filling. 

5) Make the filling :  In a medium bowl , add butter and icing sugar and beat together to form a thick paste.  Add the Nutella, cream and vanilla and beat until smooth.    

6) Using an offset spatula spread the filling on to the crust.  Cover with plastic wrap, directly on the filling pressing flat and let chill until firm.  

7) When firm make the topping.   Melt chocolate and butter over a double boiler.   When completely melted let cool slightly and spread over the filling layer.    Chill again to completely set.   Slice in to bars and store in the refrigerator. 

Dreamy.    Next time I might add some finely chopped hazelnuts to the base and increase the Nutella layer to be a bit thicker, just to kick up the Nutella a bit more. 

P.S - How are Nutella and Nanaimo not considered words spelled correctly?

MEG's RATING : D-EEEE-LICIOUS

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Five Friday Pin Up - Feb 3

And January is done, time to move on to the month of  love, a few birthdays and family day.   This was a busy work week. Month end (blah) and a visit to a poultry plant.   Yikes in deed, I will spare you all the details on that but I even spared myself from certain areas because I would still like to eat chicken in the future.   Certain aspects of the tour were very cool.

Outside of work I was on my own as the hubby was in Ottawa for business.    I took this opportunity to do some more baking, have dinner with a friend, skip cooking class and on Monday I went to see Lynn Crawford speak.  I added another personalized cookbook to my collection and picked up another signed book for my readers. She was great.   I recorded pretty much the entire talk (which I thought was lost on my playbook but I found it last night).    A recipe post from the book and wrap up to come in the next few weeks - with the additional cookbook giveaway.

This weekend involves dinner with friends on Saturday (which I need to make dessert for)  and the Superbowl on Sunday, also the day before my sister's b-day (which I should make a dessert for).  So as always,  busy, busy.


Pinterest was going crazy this week.    I pinned some Raw Carrot Cake balls last week and my email hasn't stopped.   It has been repinned over 400 times!   Needless to say I will have to try these.    Here are some other amazing things I pinned that deserve just as many re-pins.

1) Gluten free Peanut Butter Cookies by Oh Lady Cakes : http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756329953178/

2) Healthy Lasagna w Turkey and Pesto by Cookin' Canuck : http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756329934674/

3) Bacon guacamole grilled cheese by Closet Cooking: http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756329944665/

4) Asiago Cheese Bagels by How Sweet Eats : http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756329953101/

5) Red Velvet Crepes by Taste and Tell Blog : http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756329948040/


Have a Sweet Weekend

Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Cranberry Biscotti

I don't drink coffee.   I don't drink tea.   I don't drink hot chocolate.  Why? I don't like hot drinks.  Is that weird?  Mind you I don't really like them when they are cold but I don't think anyone does.   For some reason I just can't do it.  Maybe I was burned when I was young and the fear is sitting in my subconscious.  I just can't seem to actually put the liquid to my lips.   I have tried many times and the odd day I will actually have some tea, on those days I just can't warm up or if I feel I need some healthy green tea.  I found this great apple cranberry tea when I was on my honeymoon cruise but I haven't found it here and the few packs I stole off the boat didn't last long.

I can however drink hot chocolate with a spoon if the craving suits me.  Which is also why I have no problems with soup.  I am however a huge fan of coffee in desserts,  I will put espresso powder in anything I am baking.  Case in point: the recipe below.

My lack of drinking tea or coffee however has not stopped my love for biscotti.  I like my biscotti slightly under baked so that it is not so hard.  Could be because I have no hot liquid, could be because I love soft cookies.  Either way biscotti can be a justification to eat a cookie in the morning with or with out coffee/tea.  I could drink coffee by sucking it out of the biscotti?  Uh, maybe not.

So in my continued quest to play around with gluten free, here goes nothing.   This biscotti uses a gluten free flour mixture from Gluten free for Dummies.

Gluten Free Biscotti with Dark Chocolate Covered Cranberries
(Adapted from Gluten Free for Dummies)


INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour mixture
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp espresso powder
• 1 cup chocolate covered cranberries, chopped.

Gluten Free Flour Mixture - makes 5 cups

• 2 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1 cup potato starch flour
• 1 cup tapioca flour
• 1/4 cup chickpea flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 1/2 tbsp guar gum

To make flour mixture combine all ingredients together in a container and whisk or shake together. 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or silpats. 

2) Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a saute pan, add almonds and toast until golden.  Stirring as needed to prevent burning.  Remove from heat and let cool. 

3) In your mixer bowl or large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla on medium until mixture is well combined and fluffy. 

4) In a small bowl whisk together the flour mixture, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder.  Add this mixture to the wet mixture, beating until just combined.  

5) Fold in chocolate covered cranberries and almonds. 

6) Transfer the dough to the prepared sheet and form dough into a log about 2 1/2 wide.   If the dough is too sticky lightly dampen your hands. 

7) Bake the dough for 20-25 minutes, or until is lightly golden on the outside.    Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes. 

8) Slice the log into 1/2 slices.   Place the slices side down, back on the baking sheet and bake another 15-20 minutes, flipping half way through.  Remove from oven and cool.  Store in an airtight container. 

Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside.    Who needs coffee or tea, I could eat this any time of day.  (P.S - the coffee in the picture is not for me)

MEG's RATING : D-EEEE-LICIOUS!

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