Cheddar-Bay My Way

I think we all remember those wonderful biscuits from Red Lobster, Mmmmm Cheddar Bay. In this recipe, I've actually managed to make it both Lactose Free, and Gluten Free.  This is a recipe I'm still working with, as different dairy-free milks have different consistencies.  These biscuits were made with rice milk.  I will be updating the recipe once I find the perfect milk to use.  My suspicions are that goats milk would work quite well next time.  

2 baking sheets, oiled with vegetable oil
6 or so cloves of garlic, unpeeled
2 cups "All Purpose GF" (found on blog page 1)
6 tablespoons of margarine or butter
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons of xanthan gum
1 tablespoon of baking powder
2 large eggs, beaten, at room temp
2 teaspoons of sage (I prefer fresh, but dried is fine)
1/2 cup dairy free cheese (I used goat cheddar cheese) grated
1/2 cup dairy free milk, warmed (unsweetened preferably)
cornstarch, for dusting
dairy free milk for dusting


Preheat oven to 400º.  Wrap the garlic cloves in tinfoil, and put in the oven for 20 mins.
Remove the skins and crush the roasted garlic, set aside.  Reduce oven temperature to 350º.
Place the flour, margarine, salt, and xanthan gum in a bowl, and mix together until it resembles a fine bread crumb mixture.  Add the baking powder, eggs, sage, cheese, milk and roasted garlic.  Mix together to form a dough.  
Dust your work surface with cornstarch and roll the dough out to just under an inch thick.  Using a 2 inch plain cookie cutter, stamp out your biscuits.  Place on the oiled baking sheets, brush with milk, and bake for 10 - 15 mins (or until golden).  Remove from oven , and cool on a wire rack, or plate.

Quinoa Veggie Soup

Quinoa, (ki:nwa) a gluten friendly alternative to other cereal grains.

Jamie Oliver has an excellent recipe for "Astoria Soup" in his Jamie's America cookbook.
Unfortunately for anyone who can't have gluten, it does have Bulgar Wheat in it, which although tasty, can illicit that nasty gluten response.  I've tweaked the recipe a bit to make it both gluten free, and easy to find the ingredients.  Jamie's recipe calls for Sumac or Za'atar, or both (although not necessary for full flavor experience).  I've scoured a few local grocery stores, and even a few health food stores and have come up with nothing, so I'm omitting it.  
I've made the soup before without either Sumac, or Za'atar, and it was very yummy, and daughter approved.


1/3 cup quinoa cooked to specifications on the box or bag.  
1 red onion diced
1 yellow pepper diced
1 red pepper diced
4 or so cloves of garlic minced
Sea salt or kosher salt and pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika (La Chinata Sweet smoked paprika is yummy if you can find it)
10-12 grape or cherry tomatoes halved
1 can diced tomatoes
1 box chicken or veggie broth
1 lime cut into wedges 

Pour a bit of olive oil into a large pot on medium heat.  Add the red onion, peppers, and garlic with a few pinches of salt and some fresh ground pepper.  Cook on medium/high heat for about 3 - 5 minutes until the veggies get a bit soft.  Add the cumin and paprika, and cook for another few minutes.  The bottom of the pot will get a bit sticky which is a nice time to add the canned and halved tomatoes, quinoa, and the broth.  Bring up to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 or so minutes.  Serve with a slice of lime for garnish. 

Shortbread!

Shortbread: a true classic.  Not just for Christmas time, a versatile and not too sweet cookie.  I love me some shortbread.  It works as a base for some sweet treats, it works as a crumbly topping for others, and of course it makes cutout cookies. Today it's going to make some yumtastic filler to another treat I'll be making on the weekend. 


This was a super simple recipe, with quick and easy cleanup.


3/4 Cup cornstarch
3/4 Cup rice flour
1/4 Cup superfine sugar
2 TBSP brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
Oven preheated to 375º


I put all the dry ingredients into my mixer, used the stir setting with a paddle for about 2 mins.  Scraped down the edges once or twice to ensure proper mixing.  It would have been perfect, but I got over zealous with the switch and ended up with a flour puff.  A wet cloth saved the day though - and I cut my butter stick into cubes, and put them in once my dry ingredients were mixed together.  I let that mix with the paddle for about 3 mins or so, until crumbly.


I then lined an 8x8 pan with parchment, and dumped the mixture onto the paper.  Just a quick and gentle pat down, and it's ready to bake!  15 mins does the trick, or until just golden.


To make cut out cookies, you'll want to squish your mixture together into a dough ball, and roll out on a cornstarch covered surface (rice flour is a bit too gritty, cornstarch is nice and fluffy).  I have not used this recipe for cutout cookies yet, just a shortbread base.  

Post Mess Om Noms.

Blog Numero Uno: The Importance of Consistency 


So my first gluten free sugar cookie recipe turned out to taste quite delicious, however, it was a little over cooked around the edges.  Most likely due to the mixture of flour, and their different burning temperatures.  


Today's flour mix is what I like to call "All Purpose GF"  

• 5 1/4 (or so) cups of white or brown rice flour (I usually use white)
• 1 cup Tapioca Flour
• 1 cup Potato Flour

Put all the flours into an airtight container, and shake shake shake shake shake whatever goods your mother may have bestowed upon you.  Once they are all mixed up, you are set to start baking whatever your heart desires. WARNING: your kitchen and clothing will most likely get floury, so you might not want to wear black.


This first "baking/icing cookies with flooding in glorious colours", experience was great.  Nothing turned out the way I wanted it to, and I went to bed far too late.  "Why would this be great", you may ask - but imparting my new found knowledge is the key here.


I highly recommend making your icing before you even conceive the notion of baking cookies to put it on.  Far more work goes in to Royal Icing making, than cookie concocting.  Plus, it gives you a chance to get your consistency to the ideal.  This time around, my piping and flooding icing was just a titch too thick, making it incredibly difficult to squish out of either my piping bag, or icing bottle.  This brings me to my second point - it might be a good idea to practice squishing some icing out of the piping bag onto some wax paper first (don't worry about waste, there will ALWAYS be someone to eat the benefits of your practice rounds).  


To thin out my icing, I just used a few teaspoons of warmish water, and mixed into a Ziplock container (this goes for flooding as well).  My flooding could have even stood to be a bit more loose, but this will come with practice.  

A bit too cooked around the ears, but certainly daughter and hubby approved.

***Flooding - when you thin icing out enough to fill in outlined spaces.  It's how they get that icing so darned smooth!