German Pancakes

German Pancakes with Caramel Syrup

This many not be a new concept to many of you, but I had not heard of German Pancakes until very recently.  So, as I look at different recipes and combine the things that sound good and get rid of things that don't this is what I found that works and is wonderful.

German Pancakes

6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup Gluten Free Flour blend
2 Tablespoons coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Towards the end of when the oven is heating, put 2 Tablespoons of butter into your 9X13 baking dish (or whatever baking pan you are using).  Put it in the oven to heat up.  **Don't put it in for the whole preheat or your butter will brown.  Pull out pan when heated and turn the pan to spread the butter around.  (You can push it around with a kitchen utensil too.)

In a blender blend the eggs well.  Add the milk and blend it again.  Add the salt and flours and blend just until blended.  You can also do this in a mixing bowl.  Pour the batter into your HEATED and buttered baking dish.

Bake in your 450 degree oven for 15 minutes.  (This is going to puff up initially while cooking.  It will fall at some point in the center.  Don't worry, that is normal.)

Serve immediately with caramel syrup.  Or you can serve with fruit, maple syrup, or whatever sounds good.

Caramel Syrup

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk or soured milk*
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, corn syrup and soda.  Bring to a boil and boil it for 7 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.  Pour over individual servings of German Pancakes.

We have also discovered that this is wonderful syrup to use on the Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes found in this blog.

*To sour milk:  1 Tablespoon lemon juice plus enough milk to make 1 cup.

Teriyaki Chicken

Teriyaki Chicken

Dairy and Gluten free

Ingredients:

1/4 cup GF soy sauce

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 tablespoon honey

3 cups Foster Farms grilled chicken, precooked (or other favorite brand)

(last two ingredients are to thicken sauce after chicken cooks)

1-2 tablespoons potato starch (or cornstarch)

1/4 cup cold water

Directions:

Step 1-Mix together GF soy sauce, water, ginger, sesame oil, brown sugar, honey in large skillet.  Place chicken in pan with mixed sauce. Step 2-Cook chicken in sauce until chicken softenes and chicken turns a little brown, about 20 minutes.

3-In a small bowl mix the last two ingredients, potato starch and cold water. 

Heat until sauce thickens to desired thickness.

4-Pour potato starch, water mixer into the soy sauce stirring constantly it will start to thicken.

5-Heat until sauce thickens to desired thickness.

Serve over already cooked rice.  I prefer Jasmine rice, YUM!

Chocolate Thin Mint Cookies

I was sitting around one Sunday afternoon feeling sorry for myself that I missed out on the Girls Scout cookie season.  I love the Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies but of course they are 
not Gluten Free! So of course what do I do?  Come up with my own gluten free Thin Mint cookies, yea!!!

Chocolate Thin Mint cookies

Gluten Free/Dairy Free

Ingredients:

1 - package Betty Crocker GF yellow cake mix 


1/2 cup Dark Chocolate cocoa powder

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 - eggs 


1/4 cup Vegetable shortening, non-hydrogenated

1/4 cup + 2 tsp non dairy butter, Earth Balance

2 tsp vanilla 

2 tsp vanilla coconut milk

Instructions:

Step 1:Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Step 2:Add all the above ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix together until soft dough ball forms.  

Step 3:Spoon dough into balls (a little larger than a quarter) and spoon onto cookie sheet. I like to use parchment paper on my cookie sheets.

Step 3:Bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on sheet (until warm).  Then remove cookies from pans and cool on cooling rack.

Step 4:While cookies are cooling make frosting. See below.

Thin mint frosting

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder
2 to 3 tsp Vanilla Coconut Milk, Silk
1/2 tsp Peppermint Extract
1/4 cup Vegetable Shortenting, non-hydrogentated
1/4 cup non dairy butter, Earth Balance
Instructions:Cream all the frosting ingredients together until creamy.  Lightly frost cooled cookies.

Banana-Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Banana-Chocolate Chip Pancakes

This morning my kids wanted pancakes--again.  I just wanted something different for breakfast.  So, I mixed these up.  This is a combination of all sorts of ideas in my head, but they turned out good.  My 9 year old said they were the best pancakes she has ever had.  However, my son thought they were just okay.  You decide.

2 cups brown rice flour
1 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups milk
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Add the eggs, milk, vanilla, bananas, melted butter, and mix thoroughly.  Fold in the mini chocolate chips.

Cook on a hot griddle.  About 1/4 cup of batter per pancake.

Serve with maple syrup or whatever sounds good.

**If you want, you can make these with blueberries instead of chocolate chips.  I'm sure they would be totally awesome.  I will definitely try them with blueberries.

Twix Bars

Twix Bars

Shortbread Layer

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
3 cups Gluten Free Flour mix
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp xanthan gum

Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Add vanilla.  Combine flour, xanthan gum and salt and mix it into the butter mixture until it is all smooth and combined.  Press the dough into a 9X13 baking dish.  Poke the dough with a fork.

Bake in a 325 degree oven for 25-45 minutes or until a light golden brown color.  This would depend on how thick your layer is.  For my thick layer in a 9X13 pan, I cooked it for about 45 minutes.

Set baked cookie aside to cool completely

**I did my bars in a 9X13 pan and the layers were really thick.  You could do this in a larger pan and get shorter layers.

Caramel Layer

1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk
2 cups brown sugar
6 Tablespoons corn syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

In a saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in the milk, brown sugar, and corn syrup.  Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce the heat and continue stirring.  Cook the mixture at a low boil for about 7 minutes.  Turn off the heat and add the vanilla.

Pour the caramel over the shortbread layer.  This layer now needs to set up for a while.  You can allow it to set up overnight or you can put it in the refrigerator for fast cooling.  (I always put mine in the refrigerator.)

Chocolate Layer

3-4 cups chocolate chips
2-3 Tablespoons butter

Melt the butter and chocolate chips together in a microwaveable bowl.  This could take 2-4 minutes depending on your microwave.  Stir the chocolate chips after every 30-45 seconds.

Spread the chocolate layer over the already set caramel layer.  Allow the chocolate to set (again, this is a faster process if you put it in the refrigerator.)

Cut into bars and enjoy.  This is a rich dessert.  I would recommend cutting them into smaller bars.

Coconut Cake, Gluten free

Coconut Cake

Gluten Free/Dairy Free

Ingredients:

1 box Betty Crocker GF Yellow Cake Mix

1 cup Vanilla Coconut Milk, Silk

1/3 cup melted Earth Balance butter

3 eggs whites

¾ cup shredded coconut

Cake instructions:

Step 1: Mix all ingredients in a mixer until well combined and creamy.

Step 2: Pour into 9X13 glass cake pan.

Step 3: Cook at 325 degrees for 17 to 18 minutes.

Step 4:While cake is cooking make sugar pour over filling. See recipe below.

Step 5: Remove cake when done and let cool while you poke holes all over the top.

Step: Pour the filling made below all over the top of the hot cake.  Smooth over top.  The filling will go down into the cake.  Let cake cool completely while you make the frosting.  See below.

Coconut Pour over Filling

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons powdered sugar

1/3 cup Vanilla Coconut milk, Silk

2 Tablespoons melted Earth Balance butter

2 teaspoons Vanilla

Instructions:

Step 1: Wisk all the above ingredients together until smooth.  Set aside until cake is cooked and out of oven.

Coconut Frosting

2 cups Powdered Sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 Tablespoons Vanilla Coconut Milk, Silk

½ cup Earth Balance Butter

½ cup Non-Hydrogenated Vegetable Shortening

Instructions for Frosting:

Step 1:  Put all the above ingredients into a mixer and whip until frosting is nice and creamy.

Step 2:  Frost the cake once the cake has cooled completely.