Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Gluten Free Caramel Chex Mix

Pin It                               Caramel Chex Mix



     Caramel Chex Mix; well, what can I say about this DELICIOUS, ADDICTING treat, except that every time I make it I lose all my will power and want to eat the ENTIRE bowl all by myself!!!  Yikes, it is sooo bad, this is just like my cookie problem!  Now, if only I had a house cleaning problem, that would be awesome!  This is one of my favorite things to make, it's super easy and I can feed a crowd, plus most people have these ingredients in their pantries all the time.  Also, I gave the recipe to my friend Janey, her son has a dairy allergy, so she made this with margarine and said it turned out just fantastic too!   I was so happy to hear, it was something her whole family could enjoy too!     
    It is just amazing, every person I talk to, whether it be someone I already know, or a person I've just met, because they all seem to know at LEAST 1 PERSON who has some kind of food allergy.  I am so glad that it is more common to hear Restaurants, Cruise Lines, Airports, Hotels and Theme Parks(Disney) trying to accommodate those of us with these food allergies and allowing us to feel  NORMAL like everyone else.  I hope you make this recipe and share it with your friends and family too! Natalie


Ingredients:
-2 cups butter
-2 cups brown sugar
-1 cup light corn syrup
-1 box Corn Chex (14oz)
-1 box Rice Chex  (12oz)

Put the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in a pan on med-low to medium heat.  It takes about 10 total minutes to cook, I cook it, stirring frequently, with a plastic spoon or spatula, only until all of the brown sugar has dissolved.  Once the brown sugar has dissolved let it boil about 2 minutes, then turn it off, and cool for a couple of minutes before you pour it over all of the cereal.   USE A VERY LARGE BOWL FOR ALL OF THE CEREAL, SO YOU CAN MIX IT TOGETHER.    I like to put M&M's in mine, but don't put the M&M's in until it has cooled for a few minutes or it will melt them.  Stir, as it cools to keep the caramel off the bottom

 

These are just three of my favorite taste testers, my nephew Hudson, my son Brayden and my daughter Alex.  They are brutally honest about about whether they like my treats or not!  Love you! 
   

This is about the quantity, between all these pictures I can personally eat(so now you know my dirty little secrets, I love treats!) IT'S SO SAD!!  Thank goodness others like my food, so I won't eat it all!






Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Gluten Free Super Delicious Banana Cake

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                  Super Delicious Banana Cake

 



     I have been on a Banana kick lately, I want to make everything I can Gluten Free, and FANTASTIC tasting!!   I have been looking at cakes, muffins, doughnuts and breads; it might be because it's the only fruit my son will eat so I use Bananas any chance I get!  Funny thing, I have converted my kids so well, they prefer Gluten Free treats to regular ones( my son will eat whatever he can get his hands on, my daughter will not! )  I have apparently SPOILED my kids, and my sister, they did NOT  like the Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting I used!  I was informed, that I should use ONLY regular Cream Cheese Frosting or Chocolate....WELL THEN, these people are not into trying new things! ( And I thought I was boring!)  Everyone has their opinion, but I have the last say, since I have to bake it. :) Natalie


     


Ingredients:

-1 1/2 sticks butter(slightly melted)

-1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed(it called for light, I only had dark, worked great)  -3 large eggs

-4 very ripe bananas or 2 cups

-3/4 cup Buttermilk

-1 tsp pure vanilla extract 

 -3 cups Pamela's Bread flour( plus 6TB corn starch, sift them all together) this makes it like cake flour

-2tsp baking soda

-1tsp baking powder

-1/2 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp cinnamon 





Mix: First mix together the butter and the brown sugar until they are nice and creamed, about 2 minutes.  Then add the bananas, the salt, the soda, baking powder, cinnamon and vanilla, mix them all tell they are combined and scrape the sides.  Next, add the buttermilk and mix, then add 1 cup of flour at a time, then 1 egg, and mix, repeat until all three are combined, make sure and scrape the sides down, MIX UNTIL ALL OF THE DRY INGREDIENTS ARE COMBINED. 
Bake at 350 degrees, for 25 minutes in a 13x18 inch sheet cake pan, sprayed with Pam cooking spray.


Caramel  Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 package room temperature cream cheese

- 1 cube butter(softened)
 -1/4 cup (gf) caramel topping
- 1 tsp real vanilla
- 4 1/2 - 5 cups powdered sugar( depending on how sweet you like it)
 -1 dash salt
 - milk as needed

      Beat together the cream cheese and butter until creamy, then add vanilla, and salt.  Next add powdered sugar and mix together, add milk if it gets too thick.  Beat well.   I make this recipe, it makes a lot, if I don't use it all I put it in a sealed container in the freezer and get it out for the next time I need to frost something, it works great when your in a hurry.   



 















So easy to make..
Easy to decorate..
Feeds a crowd...
Looks like a 
"Regular" cake!   








 

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake Balls

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     Red Velvet Cake Balls

 



Oh my gosh, what  can I say about Cake Balls, I LOVE  them!! Here are a couple of reasons why: they are pop-able, they freeze, so I can have treats for a month, they are portable, my 16 year old can and WILL make them!!! (she doesn't cook!) portion control, they look soooo FANCY when you take them to places.  You can dress up the outside and make it look festive for any Holiday.  I personally love having cake balls in my freezer, instant treat and chocolate to boot.  My favorite, and my families is still The Nutella Cake Balls, but these are a pretty Stinking good, they only lasted a week!  I really hope you like them, no one will EVER know they are GF, so don't tell until they are GONE!  Natalie



Ingredients:

 -1 Gluten Free Betty Crocker, Devils Food (chocolate) cake mix
-1cube melted butter (not bubbly,just barely)
-1 cup buttermilk
-3 large eggs
-red food coloring(I use food gels, they do richer better colors, I think, especially for frostings)
-1 cube of cream cheese
-1/4 powdered sugar
-white chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate, or whatever you want to dip with.  I used the Wilton white candy coating this time, just to see how it would work, I personally DID NOT like it, it was way too sweet.  I like regular chocolate, I won't be using it again. 
-Crisco, which you use a teaspoon at a time to thin down the chocolate.   



Cooking directions-
Use a 9x13 pan, sprayed with Pam, Bake for 25-27 min, check with a toothpick.  Cool the cake completely, then crumble the cake up.   Use a room temperature cream cheese brick ,and the powdered sugar  and combine them with a big spoon (I use my hands) and the cake crumbles, and combine them together until it all is all stuck together.  It's a little messy, but kinda fun!  Then roll those babies into balls, between 30-40. Place them on a sprayed pan, then into the freezer for at least 2 hrs or over night.(put the toothpicks in before you freeze them).  If you don't have time to dip them soon, put them in a freezer bag and do it at your leisure.
    Dipping, I just put the chocolate into a microwave safe bowl, heating 30 seconds at a time.  Thick chocolate is hard to dip, so I always end up using some Crisco, to thin it down.  My tip is to put toothpicks in the top of the cake balls, before you freeze them, then while they are frozen, use it to hold onto while you dip!