Grain Free Peppermint Cookies!

Grain-Free Peppermint Cookies

I am so excited to have this recipe turn out so well. It was a total experiment! Wanted something pepperminty and had a dinner coming up, so I took a break from studying to play and success!

Pre-heat oven to 350. Line one large or two medium cookie sheets with parchment paper.



The cookies (put all in a food processor):

1 cup whole pecan halves
1 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
1  tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup palm kernal shortening
1 tsp oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp crushed peppermint candies (Cracker Barrel sells corn-free ones-yay)

Once everything is in the processory bowl, pulse until all ingredients are mixed together and resemble fine crumbs.  After all is mixed, take teaspoon sized portions and roll into balls.  Coat in grain-free peppermint powdered sugar (recipe below), place on cookie sheet about 1-1/2 inches apart.
Bake for 11-13 minutes.

Allow to cool (or eat warm, they're still good!); they'll be crunchy and melt in your mouth at the same time!

Grain-free powdered sugar:

1/2 stick peppermint cane or 1-1/2 Tbsp crushed peppermint candy 
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp tapioca flour

I put it all in my Vita-Mix blender and ground until a very fine texture.


Experiment!! But most of all - HAVE FUN!!  Merry Christmas!!!

Fabulous Lemon-Pecan Meringue Cookies

It's been far too long since my last post as life has been very crazy, I started going to school full-time heading toward Nursing and now also work part time. However, I am going to make an effort to post more recipes, so let's being with this:

Not getting to eat grains, hence no pies or cakes in the traditional sense, I am always looking for new dessert recipes. One day I had lemons that needed to be used and found something that sounded very yummy - Lemon Pecan Meringue Cookies - courtesy of Panera.  I did make one change (as I usually do). Hope you enjoy them, too! Be very careful, though, they are very addicting!

Ingredients (I usually double the recipe)

• ½ cup pecans, measure first, then chop 
• 3 egg whites, at room temperature
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• ½ cup sugar
• 1½ teaspoon tapioca starch
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Set oven to 350º.  While the oven is heating up, zest the lemon and mix the tapioca with the sugar and line 2 medium baking sheets with parchment paper 

2.  If the pecans are not already toasted, place unchopped pecans on baking sheet and toast for 5 minutes.  After toasting pecans, reduce oven temperature to 200ºF. When the pecans are cooled, chop finely.

2.  Put egg whites and cream of tartar in a clean bowl. I used a hand mixer, so if you use a standing electric mixer, place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl.  If using a hand mixer, use highest speed, with stand mixer beat on medium speed until whites form soft peaks when beaters are lifted, 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually add sugar mixture, beating until whites hold stiff peaks when beaters are lifted, 3 to 4 minutes more. Fold in toasted nuts, lemon zest, and vanilla.

3. Spoon meringue into a large ziplock bag, cut off a 1/4" - 1/2" piece of a corner, and squeeze meringue into 1- 1 1/2 inch rounds on the baking sheets.  The cookies can be placed close together as they don't rise.

4. Bake without opening the oven door for at least 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off oven and let meringues sit in the oven until cool, at least 1 hour or as long as overnight (you can turn off the oven just before going to bed and let the cookies cool in there until morning).

5. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for about a day. The cookies will keep longest if the humidity is low. They also freeze wonderfully!

Makes about 40 cookies (the original recipe states it should make 60 cookies, but 40 is the most I've been able to get).

---

TIP: Avoid making meringue cookies on a humid or wet day because the moisture in the air will be absorbed by the meringue and make the cookies sticky.

Experiment, but most of all - Have Fun!

Phyllis' Wonderful Artichoke Dip

This dish is the specialty of my new friend from Hawaii, Phyllis Kam Young (she really lives there). It is the hit of the meal (I have been told it's great!) and there is rarely any left over.

2 canned artichoke hearts (drained) or 2 boxes frozen
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese (can also use jalapeno jack cheese)
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder

1) chop artichoke hearts into bite size pieces
2) mix all ingredients and evenly spread into 9x14 baking dish
3) bake at 300* for 30-35 minutes until a golden brown crust forms on the top.

Serve with tortilla chips, sourdough bread or small bruschettas.

Yummy Grain Free Dinner Rolls

After years of not having bread, I had a special dinner planned and wanted something "bready". I found a recipe at http://www.grainfreeliving.com/ for "white dinner rolls" but the recipe contained a few ingredients that I couldn't use so I played with the recipe and - IT WORKED!! So excited! I have posted my revised recipe and as soon as I get a cinnamon loaf perfected, will post it, too. Super Easy Grain Free Dinner Rolls 1 cup Tapioca flour 1/4 cup Almond flour 1/4 cup Fava/Garbanzo bean flour 1 tsp Cream of Tartar 1/2 tsp Baking Soda 1/2 tsp Salt 1 tsp Xanthan Gum 1/2 tsp Sugar 1 egg white, whipped until fluffy 2 Tbsp Oil 3/4 cup Water Preheat oven to 355*. Line large cooking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside. In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, beat egg white until fluffy then beat in oil and water. Still using the hand mixer, mix the liquid ingredients with the dry until all are mixed, then continue to whip for approx. 2-3 minutes. Place blobs of mixture on cooking sheet, making sure to leave room for expansion of the dough. Bake for approx. 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool. They look and taste just like white bread! I used mine for sandwiches and they were good (now remember I haven't eaten bread for a very long time...) Enjoy! Experiment, but most of all, HAVE FUN!

Stephen's Almost Gluten Free Cookies

My son, Stephen, is supposed to be on a gluten-free diet so when he was home for Summer Break we looked up recipes for him to have something sweet without wheat. We found a recipe on the food network and made several changes to it, which turned out (according to Stephen) really good!


• 8 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• 11 ounces rice flour, approximately 2 cups
• 1 1/4 ounces tapioca flour, approximately 1/4 cup +
• 1/2-ounce tapioca flour, approximately 2 tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup
• 10 ounces light brown sugar, approximately 1 1/4 cups
• ½ cup brown rice syrup
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups oatmeal
• 2/3 cup raisins
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Once melted, pour into the bowl of a stand mixer.
In a medium bowl, sift together the rice flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Set aside.
Add both of the sugars and the brown rice syrup to the bowl with the butter and using the paddle attachment, cream together on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Add oatmeal and raisins, then stir to combine. (A hand mixer will work fine if a stand mixer isn’t available).
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and place dough by tablespoon at least 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating the pans after 5 minutes for even baking. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on the pans for 2 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Store cooked cookies in an airtight container.