Gluten Free Dairy Free Biscuits

Ingredients:
6 T Earth Balance Spread
⅓ c brown rice flour
⅓ c white rice flour
½ c tapioca flour
½ c cornstarch
1 t potato starch
1 t xanthan gum
3 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
3 t granulated sugar
1 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 c almond milk

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut in earth balance spread. Add wet ingredients (milk). Drop biscuits onto greased baking sheet (or use silpat sheet) and bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes.

I adapted this recipe from Life Changing Gluten Free Biscuits to be dairy free. They are so yummy and fluffy! Great for Bill’s Chicken & Biscuits.

Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup buttermilk (I use almond milk with 1 t of vinegar)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted and cooled
1 cup flour (I use gluten free flour)
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 cup dried currants or other dried fruit (or choc. chips!)

Directions:
In bowl, combine oats and milk and let stand for up to 1 hour (or long enough for oats to soften and absorb the milk. Add eggs, sugar, and butter to oats, then add dry ingredients. Fold in currants. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

I found this recipe on Epicurious. You can also add cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice if you want to give it more of a kick. You can also add flax seed or walnuts for omega-3s.

Morning Glory Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups flour (either white, whole wheat, or gluten-free all purpose)
1/2 cup sugar
2 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 apple, peeled and shredded
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 t vanilla

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Next mix in the carrots, raisins, nuts, and coconut. Then stir in the eggs, oil, and vanilla. Scoop into 12 muffin tins and bake at 350 for ~20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

With carrots, raisins, apples, and nuts, these muffins are backed with fiber and make a filling on-the-go breakfast. But they also taste delicious! I was introduced to these muffins by my mom. This recipe is from All-Recipes, except I halved the sugar. These can also be made gluten free using all-purpose GF flour and they don’t lose their taste!

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
3 bananas, beaten
1 3/4 c flour
1 t vanilla

Directions:

Mix in order given. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes. Makes one loaf.

Here’s the thing. I hate over-ripe (or maybe even ripe) bananas. I blame it on one too many pre-race bananas followed by post-race hurling (negative associations). In any case, once a banana has reached that ripe stage, its too far gone for me. Consequently, I end up with a lot of bananas in the freezer, and a lot of banana bread. There are a lot of banana bread recipes. This one comes from my college cookbook.

 

Simple Scones

Ingredients:
2 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c sugar
1 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
8 TBS butter
1/2 c raisins, currants, dried cranberries or other dried fruit
1/2 c sour cream
1 large egg

Directions:
Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl. Cut in butter in small pieces using a pastry knife, fork, or even with your hands. Mix until dough is crumbly mixture. Add raisins, sour cream, and egg. Stir until blended. Knead with hands until dough is evenly mixed.
Grease a round 8×8 or 9×9 pan and spread dough evenly on bottom. Cut into 8 slices. Sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

Another All-Recipes find with great reviews. These scones were moist and delicious and not too sweet. Another hit at Jaclyn’s baby shower!

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:
2 packages active dry yeast (I used 2 TBS from a jar of yeast)
1/4 warm water
1 1/2 c warm buttermilk (I used regular milk, but buttermilk will obviously taste better)
1/2 c vegetable oil
4 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 t salt
1/2 t baking soda

Filling:
1/2 c butter, melted
1 1/4 c brown sugar
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon

Directions:
Mix yeast and warm water and set until yeast is activated (will be frothy — about 10 minutes). Add warmed milk, oil, salt, and baking soda. Stir. Add flour 1 c at a time, stirring until blended. Knead dough about 20 times to make a nice ball. Let rise about 15 minutes.

Roll dough out onto floured surface. Roll into large rectangle between 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick. Spread filling mixture evenly over dough. Roll lengthwise into log. Cut into 1 inch pieces and place cut side up in dish. Can let rise an additional 20 minutes or bake immediately.

Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.

I recently made these for the first time for a baby shower for our friend Jaclyn. Unlike many cinnamon roll recipes, these were not too sweet — just sweet enough. And fairly easy to make also! Another great All-Recipes find!

Quick & Easy Pizza Crust

Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
1 t white sugar
1 c warm water
2 1/2 c bread flour (I use whole wheat)
2 Tbs olive oil
1 t salt

Directions:
Dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Let yeast activate for 5 – 10 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Roll onto pizza stone or baking sheet. Top as desired and bake 15 – 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Brian and I love pizza. And we especially love homemade pizza because we can make it without the cheese, or half with cheese for Brian and half cheese-free for me. Plus we can make all kinds of weird and unique combination of toppings. The process of making pizza and waiting for it to cook also becomes a fun night in. We love doing pizza night with friends. This pizza dough from Allrecipes is great because you don’t have to plan ahead and can make it last minute without compromising any of the flavor.

Pumpkin Scones

Ingredients:
2 c. flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
6 Tbs. butter, cold
1/2 c. pumpkin puree (or squash, sweet potato, carrot or other random ECHO vegetable that slightly resembles pumpkin)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. cream or milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Mix pumpkin, sugar, egg, cream and vanilla in separate bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Pour dough onto floured surface and pat into a 1/2″ thick round. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.

This recipe was introduced to us by Joy Longfellow (yes, relation to Henry Wadsworth) during our ECHO days. With so much tropical pumpkin growing on the farm, we enjoyed entirely too many of these delicious treats! There was also a wonderful icing on top that made these absolutely wonderful. I’ll have to discover that recipe as well. The pumpkin makes these very moist.

Classic Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 c oil
2 c sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
2 c grated zucchini
3 c flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1 c nuts or craisins or raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add oil, sugar and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and nuts or craisins or raisins.

Pour into 2 loaf pans. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until done. Test with toothpick. Let cool at least 10 mins before removing from pans. Sides will have loosened from pans.

Balboni Biscotti

Ingredients: (makes approx. 3 doz)

2/3 C sugar
1/2 C veg. oil (Ed prefers corn oil)
1 T grated orange peel
1 1/2 t vanilla
2 eggs

2 1/2 C flour
3/4 C craisins
some nuts (almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts)
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put craisins and nuts in food processor and pulse to fine consistency.

Cream sugar, oil, orange peel, vanilla and eggs together.

In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt.  Add chopped craisins and nuts.  Blend well.

With mixer on STIR — gradually add dry ingredients to wet.  Blend just until combined.

Lightly dust counter surface with flour.  Place dough on surface and gently knead until dough is smooth.  Cut dough in half.

Place each half on UNGREASED cookie sheet.  Spread each section 3 in. wide and whatever length.  Bake 17 min or until a golden brown.

Remove from oven and place each section on smooth cutting surface.  Use a VERY sharp knife to cut 1/2 inch bars.  Place cut side down onto cookie sheet and return to oven for 6 mins.  Remove from oven and turn each bar onto other side.  Bake another 6 mins.  Bars should be crisp and lightly browned.  Store in airtight container.

This recipe came from my good friend Emily George. Works great for dessert, coffee break, snacks…whatever your little heart desires!