Chocolate Ripple SquareBase and Topping 1 Cup butter softened2

Chocolate Ripple Square

Base and Topping 

1 Cup butter softened

2 Cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla

2 Cups flour

(2/3 tapioca, 1/3 millet, 1 sorghum)

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. salt

4 Cups oatmeal (quick type)

 

Cream butter and brown sugar.  Add eggs, beat till smooth.  Add vanilla. Beat in flour, soda and salt.  Add oatmeal and mix till well distributed.  Might have to stir oatmeal in by hand. Set aside.

 

Chocolate Filling

 

12 oz. chocolate chips semi-sweet

14 oz.can (1 cup) Sweetened condensed Milk

1 ½ cups nuts, chopped

2 Tablsp. Butter

2 tsp. vanilla

 

Place all ingredients for filling in heavy saucepan and place over low heat.  Cook till chocolate is melted.  Stir till all is smooth.

In a big pan 12 x 18 x ¾” lay out 2/3 of dough mixture or a little more, patting into place evenly with floured fingers.  Spread chocolate filling over this and dot rest of flour mixture over the chocolate filling.  Press down firmly with hands or spatula.  Bake in 350 oven for 20 -23 minutes.  Cut while still warm  Makes about 3 ½ dozen. 1 ½” squares.

These keep well and really freeze well too.

 

 

In which I praise the goodness of my friends at Franz

Just when I had lied to myself long enough that I’d convinced myself that Udi’s was just as good as normal bread, my world was rocked.

Enter Franz.

My buddies at Franz bread (Portland based) even have a separate gluten free facility (!) where they make the magic.

It seriously tastes like sourdough bread. Really.

Fred Meyer has it for $5.99 a loaf. Costco has the seedy version (I didn’t like at all but have had friends rave about it) for $4.39. The Franz factory (Des Moines, WA) has it for $3 a loaf.

Best news for me about all this…my incredible husband takes the bus to north Seattle. The Franz factory is feet from the park-n-ride where his bus departs. Cheap, fresh, delicious, and safely gluten free bread for me!

Tent it (or, I’m a genius)

Gluten free bread isn’t always bad. There are some really good commercial options (Franz and Udi’s are our favorites) and some good recipes for homemade bread too.  Nearly all gluten free bread improves with toasting.

BUT.

After toasting most bread (and for some reason this is especially true for gluten free bread) and placing it on a plate, you will end up with two soggy pieces of bread.

Not anymore, my friends.  Enter: the tent solution.

Now that I’ve rocked your world, go out and enjoy your gluten free bread!

Ravioli Goodness

FINALLY!

FINALLY!

(don’t be alarmed by the unappetizing photo…it’s actually delicious.)

Costco used to sell gluten free raviolis when we lived in California.  We would find them about every other Costco trip we made.  One day, they were gone.  When we moved to Washington, I checked.  And they were there!  Until they weren’t.

In my devastation at the raviolis’ disappearance from our new Costco location, I wrote to the company that sells the GF ravioli to beg them to bring them back.  I received a lovely letter and a few coupons in the mail but still have not seen them at our Costco.

BUT. Our Safeway knows what’s up.  Thank you, Safeways of Washington state for joining together and with your collective bargaining, bringing delicious GF ravioli to our lovely evergreen state.

Matcha Green Tea Muffins

Many many moons ago, I made Trader Joe’s matcha green tea muffins once a week. I would eat two every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning as I took the bus from the campus parking lot up to my 8am early American lit class.

Then one day they were gone. I checked my regular Trader Joe’s and after asking a manager about it and hearing they weren’t stocking the muffin mix anymore, I determinedly hopped in my car and drove down Highway 1 to see if the Capitola TJ’s had any left in stock. I was met with another grim faced manager who told me (and two other people who had the same sadness in their eyes) that the muffins really were discontinued and he’d already sold the last case to an awfully distraught woman.

That’s how good those muffins were.

I’ve searched since then for a recipe that could replicate the original ones and have been sorely disappointed.

Until now.

Without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to our version of

Trader Joe’s Matcha Green Tea Muffins

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
2 tablespoons Matcha green tea powder (so very expensive! Much cheaper at our local Asian market than at the overpriced health food store)
1 1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 brown sugar
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 eggs
1/3 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cup almond milk (add more if batter is too thick)

Preheat oven to 375.

Beat eggs, butter, milk, brown sugar, and agave nectar together.

In a separate bowl, combine flours, Matcha, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix well. Add more almond milk if it’s too thick.

Spoon into muffin cups, bake for 25-30 minutes, and enjoy!!

Lately…

Who needs dinner when you have this for dessert?!

Yum. Yum. Yum.

My father-in-law is a masterful cook. Truly inspired in the kitchen. But better than his delicious foods is his desire to serve people with that very delicious food he makes.

As a celiac, I’m used to having to check all labels and often refrain from eating something that’s yummy simply because it might make me sick. But Bob has refused for that to happen during this past year that we’ve lived with them. He goes out of his way to find gluten free foods for me to enjoy. He experiments and experiments, using his expertise to create delicious foods that I can eat. I appreciate it more than he will ever understand.

It’s not (always) about the food. Not really. It’s more than simply tastes and flavor combinations and textures. I’m not much of a foodie so it’s not any of that. It’s the expression of love that gets me.

But sometimes it is about the food. And last weekend it certainly was about the dessert.

Sure, the tamale pie and gluten free cornbread (he experimented with oat flour for this batch) were delicious. But they simply cannot compare to the dessert.

His recipe came from Roy’s in Maui. Yum. Thanks, Bob, for taking such an interest in gluten free baking and cooking. You love and feed us well!