Choclate cake, with hiden fruit

 Chocolate Cake, with hidden fruit

1/4 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup coco
1 Cup boiling water
-Mix until butter is melted.
-In a separate bowl:
1/4 Cup banana
1/4 Cup Apple sauce
1/4 cup Avacado (yes it's a fruit)
-Mash until smooth.
-Then add
1/2 cup yogurt, vanilla, full fat
1 egg
-Beat fruits unto wet until incorporated.
-Add
2 Cups flour, Bob's red mill
1 tsp gar Gum
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp Baking powder
-Beat until smooth
Pour into greased bunt pan. Let lest while you preheat the oven.
Bake at 350 for 50 min.
Let cool before inverting, and removing from pan. Keep in airtight container at room temp.

I might be the first to admit that I am not the best mother. I try my best, but it's not always what I hoped it would be. Especially when it comes to Squeaker, and his eating habits.
He had to be induced early, and he never learned to nurse, was failure to thrive, and aspirated often. Put simply, His eating has been an issue since the moment he was born. He is now three and a half, and basically on a food strike, refusing everything. And I mean everything, was crying in a restaurant because I offered to get him ice-cream. He wants "noting"
So if I can get food into him, I try to make it calorically dense. Nutrient dense is a bonus.
I had read that you could use avocado instead of butter, and I thought, well butter has it's benefits as well, so what if I use both in this cake. And because there is some protein with bean flour, vitamins in apple sauce, and banana. I think it worked. It tasted like chocolate cake.
And it's not like I hid it. He helped me make the cake, mashed the avocado with the banana, measured the apple sauce. So he knew it was in there.
He ate two slices the first day, and one more the next day; then he lost interest.

Moon Rabit Pie Crust Mix, review, and tips

 

 First of all, the Moon rabbit bag of mix, is enough to make 3 crust. But the package recipe is for one crust. So it you want an bottom and an top crust you have to make it twice.

But for this pot pie I just did a top.

 

I flowed the directions on the bag, and the dough rolled out nicely, but was too fragile to move tot he pie. So I added a little extra water, and a spoon full of Avocado (for a butter like substitute.) That is want give the crust a slightly green tint, if you notice it.  But most people would not.
Overall not my favorite pie crust.
My favorite pie crust is the Gluten Free Pantry Mix.

Pork Roast Apple

5  lb pork roast
1/4 of a medium apple, in 6 slices
1/3 Cup Cutup
1/4 Cup Apple Cider vinegar
1/4 Cup Water
1 packet (single serving) Apple cider drink mix
1 Tb soy sauce
1 Tb Worcestershire sauce
1 Tb apple sauce
1 Tb grated Onion
1 tsp Brown mustard

Poor just enough into the pot to cove the bottom. Then place the roast in. Make a slit in the roast 6 times, and insert apples slices into those slits. Pour the sauce over it.
Low for 4 hours, then high for 2 hours.

Betty crocker, Gluten free sugar cookie mix

Betty Crocker, Gluten free sugar cookie mix

I used the box directions.

The cookies were alright. A till fragile, but not bad.

I thought they needed something.

And some lemon frosting did the trick.

Franz Bakery now has Gluten free Snickerdoodle

These were EXCELENT!
Good texture: moist, slightly chewy
Good flavor: vanilla with a cinnamon sugar crust

It's a test batch
That means that if they sell well, from the outlet locations, then Franz will keep making them.
I hope they do!
I already wrote corporate an e-mail.

So I recommend that you find your self a box, and tell Franz what you think.

PS  the chocolate chip is not as good. Snickerdoodle is the way to go!

Sponge cake, Gluten free recipie, Easy, Fast, Small batch.

Sponge Cake, *Inspired by Betty Hagmen's Fast and healthy sponge cake

4    T Tapioca flour
1/2 C rice flour
2    T potato starch
1    T milk powder
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
Pinch Salt
2 eggs
1/4 C Applesauce
1/3 C sugar

1. Wisk the dry together ( Or can sub for 3/4 cup of Bob's Red Mill pancake mix)
2. Beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy, 4 min or so.
3. Add dry to wet, mix until just combined. Don't over mix
4. Pour into cake pan lined with parchment. Or muffin tin with liners.
5.  Bake at 400 for 8-10 min
_ makes 6-8 muffins, or a thin layer of cake, great for wiped cream and fresh berries. This is my "GO-TO" for Strawberry short cake.


Since going gluten free in 2001 (nearly 15 years ago) one of my favorite cook books is Betty Hagmen.

     The biggest issue I have with Betty Hagman's recipes, is that her books are based of the idea that you create your own mixes/flour blends, and then use those in a given recipe. I don't have the cupboard space to keep multiple containers, that take me months to use up (or that turn rancid before I use them). So I end up trying to guess - estimate the blend to only make the portion that a recipe requires. 
     For example, This cake recipe called for 1/2 cup of the pancake mix, plus two tablespoons tapioca flour.
So I turn to the page for the pancake mix, and find it would yield about 6 cups of mix. That's 12 times more then I need! AND the first ingredient in the pancake mix is 4 cups of her flour blend.
So then I turn to the page with the flour bland instructions, which includes Tapioca flour, and divide the flours by 12.
Then turn back to the pancake page, and figure out 1/12 of the additional components are to add them. 
Then turn back to the cake page, but by then I had wasted the time I has set aside for baking.

oatmeal cookies, the ugly sister of the cookie world

I have see this around:

And My Hubby feels the same way. And I guess, I agree, if I'm looking for a cookie, then raisin is not what I'm looking for.

But I think Oatmeal cookies have their place: It's Breakfast.

So I have the recipe in The How Can it be gluten free cookbook, from America's test Kitchen a try. Seeing as I Love their chocolate chip recipe, I though this might be good.
I was disappointed with their recipe, but came away with a few tips that I will be applying to my future oatmeal cookie recipes.

#1: Soak a portion f the oats in a portion of the liquid, before incorporating into the batter. (softened the oats)
#2. Use Butter and Oil (or in my opinion: Butter and shortening) That way you get the lift and the browning from butter, and the higher smoke point of the oil gives us sustained chewiness. I had heard this logic applied to pie crust, and it works when applies to this kind of cookie as well.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust, Easy, Gluten free

I keep hearing about "Cauliflower Pizza Crust" on the internet, so after some research, I gave it a try.

Not being worried about it being Paleo, I did it an easy way:

4 cups grated cauliflower
1 egg
.25 cups Parmesan, Pre grated, from the Tub
.25 cup shredded Colby Jack blend
Pinch salt and a dash of Italian seasonings

*Preheat oven to 400 WITH pizza stone inside.
1. Put cauliflower in a microwavable dish, cover, and cook for 3 min.
2. Put the cauliflower into mesh strainer, and drain off the water
3. Mix the cauliflower with the rest of the ingredients.
4. On a piece of parchment paper, press the mixture out into a crust shape.
5. Slide the parchment and crust on the stone in the oven and Bake 35 min.
6. Pull the Crust out (still on the parchment) onto a cutting board or cookie sheet, and put your toppings on
7. Beck on the Stone for another 5-10 min to finish the toppings.

The crust did hold up well, a little floppy. But it was not crumbly! So it was good for us.
It would not say that "you can't tell" Because you can tell its not regular crust. But Since My family is already fan of cheesy cauliflower, it was good..

Sabatasso's Gluten free frozen pizza

Our Local Costco has Sabatasso's Pizzeria. Gluten free Pizza. Two per box.

 

Both cooked up nicely, on two different occasions.

 Crust is a thin crust, with good flavor and texture. Not exceptional, but good.

 



Cupboard cookies, Gluten free bar cookies

I pulled out my Grandmother's Bar cookie recipe, and thought I would try modifying it.
I call them Cupboard cookies, because she would put in whatever nuts and chocolate she happened to have. I took the idea one step further, and used a variety of flours I happened to have in the cupboard.

3/4 C butter
3/4 C Sugar
3/4 C brown Sugar
-Creamed.
-Then add to
 1/2 tsp Vanilla
3 eggs
-Beat well
-In a separate bowl, wish together:
1/2 C Tapioca flour
1/2 C Sorgum Flour
1/2 C Sweet rice
1/2 C Potato starch
1/2 C Oat flour
1 C Brown rice flour
1/4 C Coco powder
1  tsp. Salt
1  tsp. Baking soda
1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum
-Mix dry and wet.
-Stir in
1/2 C Peanut butter chips
1/2 C toffee bits
1  C Dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup Minnie Chocolate chips
1/2 C Walnuts, chopped
1/4 C Pecans, chopped
-Line a 9X13 with Parchment paper
-Bake at 350 for 20 min.

Gluten free Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe

So, I didn't have any Gluten free condensed soup on hand, so I googled a recipe for tuna noodle from scratch, and came up with this one.
I made a few modifications, to make it Gluten free, and less hassle.
And It occurred to me, that all of the ingredients are from Costco.

One Package noodles, Goldbaum's Brown Rice, Penne, Gluten free, from Costco
4 oz butter
1/4 cup Flour, Bob's red mill, from Costco
1 1/2 cups milk
12 oz of tuna
2 slices, bread, heal pieces, Udi's from Costco
1 cup shredded cheese

-Cook noodles, per package.
-In medium saucepan, melt butter, over low heat, then whisk in flour, one Tablespoon at a time. Then whisk in Milk, slowly. Keep whisking for 4 min. Then add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, to taste.
-Mix sauce, noodles, and tuna together. Pour into 9X13 baking pan.
-Top with bread crumbs, and cheese.
-Bake ay 375, for 8-10 min.

New ETSY Shop

etsy.com/shop/MFromOrdinary

I'm working for an Etsy shop.

I have designed several images we have turned into pendants

 

And I have embroidered some burp cloths and Bibs with geeky decorations.

Mi-Del Premade chocolate Cookie Crust, product review.

Overall, decent texture, a little grainy. Not very chocolaty.

I think its too dry to fill with anything other then a pudding or cream based pie.



Here

 

We got these at the local grocery store, and thought I would gave them a try.
I got two.
The first I made a Turtle pie, chocolate pudding, with caramel and pecans on top. I let my toddler help me prepare the pie. It was a special treat, for after dinner, because Grandpa was visiting. He spent ALL afternoon asking if it was time for the chocolate pie yet, and when I said it was, he rushed to the fridge, thru open the door, and pulled out the pie, one handed. Well, it being a flimsy, foil, pie pan, the whole thing ended up all over him and the floor. We both cried.

But eh second time around, I used the "cheese cake" flavored Jell-O, and toped it with Strawberries.

This one made it to the table.

Blood test: Advances and undermines?

When I was diagnosed, in 2001. They called what I had "gluten-sensitive enteropathy; coeliac disease".
Why the long name? Because the term "Celiac disease" was the name of a category of  "autoimmune digestive disorders"
From the Latin  "koiliakos," which meant "suffering in the bowels."

Under this umbrella were things like "Hirschprung disease" or "Granuloma"  or "Churg-Strauss". Crohn's Disease is part of this group too.
 But somewhere in the last few years it went from being one of the " top 10 most misdiagnosed diseased" (readers digest *2002*) to being "one of the most commonly occurring genetic diseases in the world" (everyday Health Media 2014)
And so since this " immunologically mediated attack of the intestinal lining which occurs in certain people with a genetic predisposition to have their immune systems identify gliadin as a 'foreign' molecule." Is being commonly called "Celiac disease"
Personally I wish we had gone with " Gee's disease" after ; Samuel Gee MD, the first to recognize a change in diet as the main part of treatment.

So some doctors hand out orders for the blood test like candy.
Some doctors refer to the category as a whole as "diseases of the Coeli"
And They might both be right.

But the down side to this readily available blood test is so clear:

"I went to the doctor yesterday to find out why I can't digest a lot of food. He thinks that I might have celiac disease and did the blood work. I can eat gluten without any problems though and told him that. He still thinks that I have it. I think that he is wrong .... "

Or

"My doctor did a blood test and said I have Celiac disease. But I feel fine when I eat gluten so I'm not going to stop"

 

So, back in 2000, I would NEVER have thought it was bread that was making me sick. If anything I thought the sateen crackers, or plain toast helped me feel better. Something like 80% of the people with gluten issues don't see a direct correlations between what they eat, and their gastrointestinal symptoms. It's because of that Immune system getting involved, that it was so imposable to diagnose for like 100 years. But that blood test is super accurate. I would believe what it says, even if you don't want to.
And Just food for thought: People who smoke feel fine most of the time too, that does not mean they are not damaging their lungs with each cigarette...Just saying

UP-cycling leftover Pasta. #4 Penne4 your thoughts

This is a "fancy" sort of "Italian" baked pasta

4 cups left over pasta (this time it was 360 brand)
1/2 LB cooked ground beef
1 cup prepared Tomato based pasta sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan, romaine blend
8oz mozzarella cheese

Oil a 9x13 pan
Mix the meat, sauce and cheese
Pore in a single layer of the noodles. Spoon on half of the mixture. Top with rest of noodles, and rest of mix.
Cover with foil, bake 30 min at 225.

Gluten free Potato Casserole

Potato Casserole (similar to scalloped potatoes)

lb Ground beef, browned

5 Potatoes, medium baking

2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cup Monterey jack, shredded

8 oz Velveta cheese

1 packet GF brown gravy

1 c water

1/4 cup milk

 

PREP

- Mix the Gravy packet with the water, and microwave for 30 sec, whisk, then 30 sec, then whisk. Repeating for about 2 minutes, or until gravy begins to thicken. Then add the milk.

-In-between whisking the gravy, use your hand and a knife to brake the brick of velvets into small pieces.

-Potato should be slices about 1/4 of an inch thick.

 

Assemble

-Spoon a few scoops of the gravy. onto the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Then place potato slices in a single layer. Then a few spoons of gravy, then a second layer of potatoes.

-Next layer about half of each kind of cheese.

-Then a layer of potato. Then gravy. Then potato. Then rest of gravy, rest of cheese. 

-Cover with foil.

 

Bake

350 for 45 to 55 minutes. 

 

 

Variations 

I have used a packaged cheddar Jack blend.

I have used sliced Pepper Jack for the middle layer of cheese, giving the potatoes a texMex flair.
I have used leftover Han instead of beef as well.
 

Choclate cake, levels and definitions.

I consider chocolate cake to be an umbrella under which the categories of things like Devil's-food, red-velvet, and German-chocolate cake reside.

So, for a few years now, "Red velvet" cake has been a hip, in, and trendy thing. And I have to say, some people , who should know better, Should know better.

So Let me Ed-U-Cate

I have a few old cookbooks:
Between that, and my knowledgeable grandmothers, I give you the definitions of chocolate cake.

Red Velvet:
Red velvet is set apart ingredient wise with buttermilk and a little bit of Choco powder in the batter. Back in the day, before the recipe called for a TON of red food coloring, the color of the cake was NATURALLY occurring. It was before the chocolate was processed in a our modern "Dutch" processing ways. The chocolate would react with the buttermilk, and the reaction would cause the brown coco to look red. And the cream cheese frosting is a must. I would say this is the least chocolaty of the cakes.

Chocolate spoon cake:
This is the chocolate version of the classic pound cake. Also called Dump cake because you only use one bowl, and then dump it in the baking pan. This is the style most often found in cake mixes. Usually Eggs, milk and butter. It is chocolaty in a shallow way.

Devils food cake:
This cake in identified by the methods of using boiling water and coco powder. Sour cream and baking soda makes the cake a deeper brown and also a slightly different flavor. More "complex" flavor, because of the extra fat and acidity in the sour cream.  It has a more "coffee cake" texture from the cream and soda, which often leads to the appearance of coffee in the recipe. Back in the day, this cake was also red in color, and that is there it got the Devil name. But because of the other flavors, it's not that chocolaty.

German chocolate:
Using BROWN sugar, and the boiling water method with chunks of chocolate instead of coco. This makes the cake darker, and a richer flavor. The German part came form the origin of the chocolate; the original recipes called for a specific kind of sweet chocolate brick, that as imported from Germany, that the baker would then chop up and melt with hot water. The arrival of the coconut pecan frosting was closely after, but is still a good way to identify it.

"Brownies"
This cake is characterized by less flour, more coco and more liquid, as melting the butter is a must. Basically if a Brownie recipe calls for a leavening agent, then its actually a cake. Legend says that brownies were invented when someone left out the baking powder out of a chocolate cake by accident.

Betty crocker Gluten free "Cookies n Cream" frosting

My MIL gave me a cake mix and a tub of frosting. Not sure why... But It was a flavor of frosting I had not tried.

And it's gluten free.
Have to say, it's been a LONG time (almost 15 years) since I had cookies and cream anything.
So, I tried it out.

Betty Crocker Yellow cake mix. (better then any recipe I have)

It was very yummy and a fun change from my normal frosting.

America's Test Kitchen: Birthday Cake recipe review.

I already mentioned my opionion of the cookbook in general, but I thought I would give more indepth of the cake recipie itself

 

The "birthday cupcake" which they brag about on the cover, was a disappointment. They had better structure then the chocolate, but felt dry. After a bite or two you felt like you needed a glass of milk. And all the crumbs make you feel like you need to vacuum. The top crust was nice, and took the frosting well, but trying to remove the cupcake wrapper revealed that the rest of the cake was extremely fragile.

And the flavor was ... odd. It calls for melted white chocolate and sour cream.
The first time I attempted the recipe, I followed it to a T.

 

The second time I made it I changes a few things. I used regular chocolate chips, because I was out of white chocolate, and since the recipe was a disappointment I did not want to make a trip to the store to get more. (White chocolate is in effect: oil, butter and milk.) And I thought the actual chocolate might improve the flavor. It was not notable for the flavor, but it did change the color.
The recipe has no butter, it calls for oil. The book explained that because they used the sour cream you would not "miss the buttery flavor". I disagree. I thought the exchange was not an improvement in flavor. And since the first time I felt the cake was dry, I increased the sour cream by a spoonful the second time, but it did not help. I have had decent sour cream coffee cakes, but this should have been a birthday cake. So I felt like it was not a good match. And this was not even a decent coffee cake.

I felt that, after a few more attempts, I might be able to to adjust the recipe into something I like, but I am not going to bother. For me; the store bought Betty Crocker cake mix is a better choice.

Ameria's Test Kitchen "The How can it be Gluten free cookbook" review

For my birthday My Sister in law gave me this cookbook.

It can be purchased at Costco, or Amazon or here.

When I read the concept, I was floored. It's the SAME premise behind THIS blog. Bu then I tried some recipes.
The chocolate cake was extremely fragile. The first 6 I cooked in foil liners, and the process of removing the liner caused the cupcake to disintegrate in my hand. I tried the second 6 in a silicon pan, thinking that might produce a crust to aid the structural integrity. But those would not even come out of the pan. Cake crumbs everywhere.

The "birthday cupcake" which they brag about on the cover, was also a disappointment. They had better structure then the chocolate, but felt dry. After a bite or two you felt like you needed a glass of milk. And the flavor was ... odd. It calls for melted white chocolate and sour cream. White chocolate is in effect: oil, butter and milk. The recipe calls for more oil, but this 4 oz of white chocolate is the only butter. This seamed odd.  The book explained that because there was no butter, they used the sour cream. But I thought the exchange was not an improvement in flavor. I have had decent sour cream coffee cakes, but this should have been a birthday cake. So I felt like it was not a good match.

I tried these recipes TWO times each. Just to be sure it was not an error on my part. Same results.

Basically, the Betty Crocker cake mixes are better tasting, better structure, easier, faster and cheaper then either of these recipes.

I was about to toss the cookbook into a box with my other disappointing cookbooks, and then I tried the chocolate chip cookie recipe.
It was perfect.
So I might give a few other recipes form the book a try.

Gluten free Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies recipie

I though I should post the recipe used in last weeks baking sheet comparison.
I'ts adapted from America's test Kitchen "how can it be gluten free"
More on that later.

These cookies are rich, crisp exterior and chewy center.

Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies
1 3/4 cup Pamela's artisan flour blend
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp Xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
--- Put these in a quart sized zip lock bag, and shake it well. (the original recipe said to whisk it together, but I felt I lost a lot of flour into the air, made me cough)
4 TB (half a stick) MELTED butter
4 TB Bacon fat (left over from cooking bacon)
3/4 cup Brown sugar (I prefer dark brown in this cookie)
1/3 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 Tb whole milk
1 TB vanilla extract
-- Blend these well.
---Then, add the dry to the wet, using a big rubber spatula. Stir until a consistent texture.
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup cooked bacon, crumbled.
-- Folded in.
-- Let the dough sit the int fridge, for a least 30 min. It HAS to chill!! or the cookies will be one big puddle.
--Pre heat oven to 340. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
-- Ping pong sized balls. about 8 on a sheet.
-- Bake one sheet for about 12 min. (the centers should be a little soft still)
-- Let the cookies cool on the first pan while you cook the second pan. Too finish firming the exterior.
-- Put the dough BACK in the fridge when not in oven.
-- It's about 2 dozen cookies.

nuttie cookies

I though I should post the recipe used in last weeks baking sheet comparison.
I'ts adapted from America's test Kitchen "how can it be gluten free"
More on that later.

These cookies are rich, crisp exterior and chewy center.

Nuttie Cookies

1 3/4 cup Pamela's artisan flour blend
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp Xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
--- Put these in a quart sized zip lock bag, and shake it well. (the original recipe said to whisk it together, but I felt I lost a lot of flour into the air, made me cough)
8 TB (a stick) MELTED butter
3/4 cup Brown sugar (I prefer dark brown in this cookie)
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 smashed ripe Banana
1 egg
2 Tb whole milk
1 TB vanilla extract
-- Blend these well.
---Then, add the dry to the wet, using a big rubber spatula. Stir until a consistent texture.
1 cup peanut butter chips
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
-- Folded in.
-- Let the dough sit the int fridge, for a least 30 min. It HAS to chill!! or the cookies will be one big puddle.
--Pre heat oven to 340. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
-- Ping pong sized balls. about 8 on a sheet.
-- Bake one sheet for about 12 min. (the centers should be a little soft still)
-- Let the cookies cool on the first pan while you cook the second pan. Too finish firming the exterior.
-- Put the dough BACK in the fridge when not in oven.
-- It's about 2 dozen cookies.

Taco Chowder

Taco Chowder (thicker then soup, but thinner then a dip)

1 Lb ground beef, cooked

1 Can (28 diced tomatoes

1 Can re-fried beans

1 Can black beans

1 Can mexi corn

1 can (10 oz) tomato soup

1 package Taco seasoning

crockpot, high, 4 hours

Serve with

cheese

corn chips

Sour cream

Ranch dressing

Cookie Sheet

This is the same cookie recipe, same temperature, on three different pans.

               A.                              B.                    C.

         Light mettle                Light mettle          Dark mettle

    Parchment paper           Silicone mat        Parchment paper

I think the light pan with the parchment paper works best. 

polynesian Pork Chops. Glunten free slow cooker.

The original recipe is here. She calls it Soy sauce and mushroom soup pork chops But I modified it to be GF, and gave it a shorter name.

1. Marinade pork chops in Soy sauce and brown sugar for one hour.
2. Put soup in slow cooker. Add can of mushrooms.
3. Put pork on top of soup.
4. Cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 4).

Super moist, and chops fall apart with fork. I would not have thought that soup and soy sauce go together, But I think the brown sugar makes it more a teriyaki sauce, and then the mushrooms and cream lend it an almost Polynesian flavor.

Pumpkin cookies. Gluten and dairy free

2 1/2  cups flour blend 1  tsp  baking soda 1  tsp  baking powder 1  tsp  cinnamon (next time some nutmeg and ginger too) 1/2  cup  shortening 1 1/2  cups  sugar 1 small can pumpkin

Instructions In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir until completely mixed. (I had to use hand mixer to get all the shortening lumps out) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place spoonfuls of batter on ungreased cookie sheet, Bake 18-20 minutes

All but gluten, Vanilla Snack cakes review

Next I tried the All But Gluten brand Vanilla Snack cakes.

"Vanilla cake with a vanilla crème filling and covered in chocolatey coating"

 

I thought the cake was a little dry and the chocolaty coating a little thin. When you bite in; the cream squirts out as the top and bottom pieces of cake slide in different directions. Very messy and sticky. But overall a good flavor.



Honestly, not sure what this is a gluten free version of.
A google search got us: Tastykake

 "a snack-sized circle of delicious vanilla or chocolate sponge cake, lined with a thick stripe of peanut butter or vanilla créme, and then coated in delicious chocolate "
never has a Tastykake so can't comparer.

All But Gluten, Sliced white loaf review

Our Safeway has started caring a new line of gluten free products.
all but gluten
So lets start with the bread

I tried it along with a loaf od UDIs and it was just as good.
Decent texture, flavor and appearance.
Made a sandwich and it held up very well.
Future purchase depends on price.

Chili corn dog casserole, gluten free. With Moon rabbit foods corn bread mix

Recipe for gluten free
Chili corn dog casserole
two can Chili (Hormel is labeled GF)
Package hot dogs (Hebrew national Beef Franks are labeled GF)
Cornbread mix (Moon Rabbit foods)
shredded cheddar cheese

instructions:
Make corn bred batter per packaging.
Pore chili into pan.
Place hot dogs on top of chili
Layer with cheese
Spoon Cornbread batter on top.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake per the corn bread package instructions, plus an extra 10 min or so. The chili under the bread adds extra moisture making the bread take longer.

We liked it. The moon rabbit corn bread is a little bland on it's own, so it was a nice balance to the chili. I could have even gone with a spicier chili. I could have added some diced bell peppers to the chili, or even some caned corn.

Super fast assembly, of things that you can have around. Open a couple of cans, mix up some cornbread, and into the oven.

Moon Rabbit Foods, Gluten free Corn bread mix, review

So, what goes better with Chili then cornbread. And since I had not made the Moon rabbit Foods, Gluten free Corn bread mix yet, I gave it a try.

First of all, one bag makes two 913 pans. That's a lot of cornbread. So as instructed on the back, I made half of the bag.

The instructions are to use soft butter, and cream it into the mix using an electric mixer.

For the first few seconds, even on low, it shot the mix into the air, and made me cough. I would say cut the butter in first, then move on to mixing. I would say use a STAND mixer, as it was very stiff and difficult for my hand mixer.

The package recommended folding in shredded cheese.

This caused pockets of cheese that were melted, and gave a false reading of "done-ness" when I checked the bread. Leading to overcooking.

 

The results were very dry and fragile. Making them imposable to remove form the pan.

 

The second half of the bag went a little better: I mixed up the batter using margarine. And did not add anything to the mix. I then spooned half of the batter into a parchment paper lines pan. 

This made it a  breeze to remove. We however found the flavor rather bland. A little honey butter helped, but not much.



 

 

What did I do with the other half of the batter? Tune in next week.