Gluten Free Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I came across this recipe a few weeks ago for THE BEST gluten free chocolate chip cookies made with gluten free oat flour. Since oat flour is so similar to regular flour it makes the perfect gluten free substitution.




These cookies are THE BEST gluten free cookies I have made to date. They're chewy, yet slightly crispy on the outside, and the brown butter makes them out of this world. And on top of that, they're free of white sugar, and the oat flour makes me feel a little better about eating them. Seriously, make these cookies. You will not be disappointed.








Ingredients:

1 stick of butter
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cup gf oat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped gluten free chocolate chips

In a small saucepan melt the butter on medium low heat, swirling around every once in a while for about 5 minutes, or until the butter browns. Immediately remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl to cool.

Add palm sugar and brown sugar to brown butter and mix gently. Set aside to cool. Once cool, whisk in egg and vanilla to brown butter/sugar mixture.

In another bowl mix together oat flour, salt, and baking soda. Combine wet and dry ingredients, then add in chopped chocolate chips. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in fridge for 15 minutes while oven is preheating.

Scoop dough into mounds with an ice-cream scoop, or roll into 1 1/2 inch mounds. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until they just start to brown. (I personally think they're better under-baked)

Gluten Free Blueberry Scones

I saw a picture of someone eating scones the other day, and I could not get them out of my head.



But when I think of scones, I think of butter and cream. And sugar. And deliciously crumbly little morsels of sugary crust with a soft and fluffy center.




Then I decided I should make them. But the thought of all that cream and butter going straight to my thighs was a little off-putting. So I came up with this recipe that would make me feel a little less guilty about stuffing my face with one, or five, of these babies.





The result was amazing. Slightly sweet, crusty outside, and soft pillowy goodness on the inside. I made half the batch and put the others in the freezer for later consumption…which means tomorrow. But due to the gluten-free nature and the lack of starches/weird gluten free ingredients, they can tend to be a little crumbly. So handle with care.

The best part about these is that they have only 215 calories, 3 grams of fiber and 4.5 grams of protein per serving.  AND there is only four tablespoons of butter in the entire recipe. That means there's about half a tablespoon of butter in each scone, so eat up!









Ingredients: (makes 8-10 round scones)

2 cups gf oat flour
1/2 cup almond flour/meal
1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons psyllium seed husks
3 packets of stevia (or you can just do three more tablespoons of coconut sugar)
4 tablespoons extra cold butter
3/4 cup almond milk
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 cup blueberries


Begin by adding 1/2 tsp vinegar to the almond milk and set aside for 5 minutes. This is to make a dairy free 'buttermilk'.

Whisk almond 'buttermilk' with the egg and vanilla.

In a bowl mix together oat flour and almond meal with baking soda, salt, stevia, psyllium seed husks, and sugar.  Cut in cold butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Pour liquid ingredients into bowl of flour  and gently mix until there are no more flour streaks. Be very careful not to over mix! Fold in blueberries and place bowl in fridge for 15-20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Scoop batter with a large ice cream scooper (or roll into 2 inch balls, but batter will be a bit wet) onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. You can brush them with a bit of almond milk and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if you'd like. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until scones begin to brown.

You can also scoop out batter into scone shape and freeze for later baking. Simply bake at 375 and extend the baking time to 20-25 minutes.

Grilled Zucchini and Squash Salad (GF)

Who says you can't pretend it's summer in the middle of winter?

Well, it feels somewhat like summer here in Los Angeles right now, which is why I decided this salad was such a good idea. Grilled zucchini and squash on top of fresh baby romaine lettuce, with a sprinkle of feta, basil, and marcona almonds.  For the dressing I just squeezed a bit of lemon juice along side a drizzle of really good olive oil. This salad is so amazing.

So if you're in need of a little taste of summer this winter, go ahead and try this. You won't regret it.




Ingredients: (serves two)

1 large zucchini
1 large yellow squash
4 cups of baby romaine (roughly)
1/4 cup marcona almonds
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
crumbled feta
2 slices of lemon
2 tablespoons good olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Thinly slice zucchini and squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill on an indoor (or outdoor) grill, only about 30 seconds on each side (you don't want the veggies to be soggy, just have nice grill marks).

Once grilled, set aside to cool.

Meanwhile put romaine in a bowl along with feta, basil, and marcona almonds. Squeeze lemons on top of romaine, along with olive oil, seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add grilled veggies and toss everything together. Serve immediately.

Guilt Free Banana Muffins (GF)

I needed to use up an avocado one day before it went bad, and came across a banana bread recipe that uses avocado in place of butter! Yes, avocado. Sounds disgusting you might say, but honestly you cannot even taste the avocado. In fact, when combined with coconut palm sugar, it tastes like butter.

These muffins are absolutely delicious and taste like they are chalk-full of butter, when really, they're guilt free! I also used a technique I came across to help the muffins get more of a 'rise', which is often hard to find in gluten free baked goods. The trick is to bake the muffins at 400 degrees, which allows them to have more of a dome look.


These muffins are absolutely delicious and taste like they are chalk-full of butter, when really, they're guilt free!




I apologize for the horribly lit images, I made these one evening and my wonderful daylight was gone. On top of that, these muffins were practically gone by morning and I didn't have a chance to re-shoot.




Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup mashed/pureed avocado
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 eggs (room temp)
1 cup coconut palm sugar
6 tablespoons room temp almond milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, mash/mix together bananas, honey, vanilla, avocado, and coconut oil until mixed well. Whisk in eggs, coconut palm sugar, and almond milk and set aside.

In a separate bowl combine brown rice flour, almond meal, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.

Pour wet ingredients over dry and mix until just combined, do not over mix.

Pour into greased muffin tins and bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick once inserted comes out clean.

Blueberry Crisp Bars (GF)

I apologize for the severe lack of postings lately. I've been a combination of lazy and busy. But here's a delicious recipe for blueberry pie bars, which are surprisingly gluten free and almost guilt free! A slightly gooey and creamy interior sandwiched in between crispy cinnamon-y crumble. It tastes exactly like blueberry crisp…but in bar form!





These bars are great for breakfast, or even dessert with a healthy scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top. There is very little sugar in them, because I sweetened them with stevia as well.



My husband loved them. They're best in the first day or two, but my husband ate them for breakfast all week. I'd recommend storing them in an airtight container in the fridge and reheating prior to eating. But to be honest, they're best straight out of the oven, still warm, and crispy on top.

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup gluten free oat flour
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar (you can use regular sugar if you do not have coconut)
2 packets of stevia
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon psyllium seed husks
8 tablespoons cold butter, cubed

 Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons honey
1 packet of stevia
juice of half a lime
5 tablespoons oat flour
1 cup fresh blueberries

 Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients and cut in cold butter, until it forms into small balls and set in the fridge. In a separate bowl mix together yogurt, egg white, vanilla, honey, stevia, lime juice, and oat flour until well combined. Fold in blueberries and set aside.

Remove crumble mixture from fridge. Using an 8 x 8 pan, line the bottom with wax paper, leaving enough wax paper showing on the sides to help you take out the crumble once it's baked. Take half of the crumble mixture and evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Press down the crumble to form a thin layer on the bottom of the pan. You want to make it as uniform as possible.

Then add the wet ingredients and spread into a thin layer. Top off with remaining crumble, scattering on top of batter as evenly as possible. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until top is crispy and batter is set. (My oven is broken and is way too hot, which is why the cook time in this recipe is so broad).

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Simple Red Sangria

This sangria recipe is super simple and super delicious. I'm not a huge fan of sweet drinks, but I love this sangria.



It's the perfect combination of sweet and tart, with deep red wine and vanilla notes. You can choose to add club soda or sparkling water if you prefer a fizzy drink, I personally do not.

I promise that this sangria will please any crowd.




Ingredients:

1 bottle of red wine, I used a Cabernet Sauvignon
1/4 cup brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 oranges
2 limes
1 apple
1-3 tablespoons agave, depending on how sweet you like it

In a pitcher combine wine, brandy, vanilla and agave (1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches desired sweetness) and stir until the agave is dissolved.

Cut the orange in half and squeeze all the juice into the pitcher. Do the same with one of the limes.

Cut the remaining orange and lime into thin slices and add to pitcher. Chop up the apple into chunks and add to pitcher as well. Allow mixture to sit in the fridge at least 8 hours and up to 36. Serve chilled, with or without ice, and with or without club soda.

Vanilla Bean Donut Muffins with Peanut Butter Glaze

Sometimes you just crave things that are really bad for you. For instance, donuts. I've tried to make baked donuts at home, they're just not that great. I mean, compared to fluffy, fried donuts.




There are just some things that aren't okay baked.



Which brings me to this post. I wanted donuts. My husband needed breakfast for the week. So I made donut muffins.

When these muffins came out of the oven, I decided I needed a glaze for them. I quickly threw together some powdered sugar, vanilla, and almond milk...but it just wasn't great, so I threw it out. I opened the fridge and looked around, trying to decide what I could put on top of these muffins. Maple syrup? Meh. Butter and honey? Maybe, but no.




Then it hit me; peanut butter and honey. I mixed together a small bowl, drizzled it on top of a warm muffin and took a bite.

HOLY CRAP. These were good.

They're best straight out of the oven, though my husband ate them all week.

They're borderline cupcakes, that's how delicious and sweet they are. That's why I consider them a mix between a donut and a muffin.




Slightly crisp on the outside, warm and fluffy on the inside, like an old fashioned donut. They really have little to no nutritional value, but nothing wrong with that! I did use spelt flour and coconut sugar instead of white flour and white sugar, so that helps.

I sprinkled them with extra coconut sugar before baking, to enhance the crispy, sweet outer layer.

Ingredients: Makes 6-8 muffins

1 1/2 cups spelt flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut sugar
6 tablespoons butter, room temp
1 egg, room temp
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup soy or almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Peanut Butter Glaze:

1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1-2 teaspoons milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together and set aside. In a standard mixer, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy, then add egg and cream for another 30 seconds or so. Add in yogurt, milk, and vanilla bean paste and mix until incorporated.

Gradually fold in the flour mixture, about a half cup at a time. Divide the batter into six paper lined muffin tins and bake 12-15 minutes, making sure not to over bake.

Remove muffins from sheet and allow to cool for 5 minutes. While muffins are cooling, mix together glaze ingredients. With a spoon, carefully scoop a small spoonful of glaze on top of each muffin, spreading it around the tops so the entire muffin is covered. Serve warm!