Gluten Free Rocky Road Brownies

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Rocky Road Brownies

     I have to start out this post by apologizing, I have been baking, but the last month has just been a tough one. I don't know about all of you, but I don't just have one Autoimmune disease, most people I know don't. I think the last 8 months finally caught up to me all at once, I had my third Brain surgery in March, finally fixed all the problems I needed fixing... I feel amazing (finally 7 years later) but I didn't take the time I needed to heal, I'm a goer!! After I got diagnosed with Celiacs, a year later I got a Fibromyalgia and Raynauds diagnosis punch to the stomach, how fun!! My list of medical issues is longer, but I'll save you the drama.:) So, about once a year I get into a funk, and I have zero energy to do anything extra, except work and take care of my family...sometimes barely those.  Hence the no posting of new recipes, I'm really sorry, and hope you will all understand.  Sometimes life just gives you a swift kick, I'm just sad it chose to do it during the Holidays. 

      I hope you all have a Wonderful Holiday Season! Happy Baking, Natalie   

These brownies are so delicious, and definitely worth the effort to make, just make sure they have some cooling time before you serve them, so the brownie can set.

Ingredients:
adapted from Six Sisters
-1 cup butter melted
-2 cups sugar
-8 TB cocoa
-2 1/2 cups Pamela's bread flour mix
-4 large eggs
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 cup nuts (optional) I didn't use
-1 cup chocolate chips
Rocky road topping:
-3/4 cup chocolate chips
-1/2-3/4 cup nuts
-1 bag marshmallows (10oz)
Drizzle:
-1/4 cup butter softened
-1 cup powdered sugar
-1 TB cocoa
- milk as needed

How to:
-First if you don't want to make these from scratch, then use your favorite boxed brownie, they will taste great!
-Now melt the butter, you can do it in the microwave. Then add in the sugar, in a bowl and stir. 
-Next add in the cocoa, vanilla and the eggs and mix well. 
-Then add in the flour and stir until all the flour in mixed in, add in the nuts and chocolate chips after the flour is all in cooperated.
**-You will need a 325* degree oven and a 9x13 inch pan, I use a glass pan. Spray it with Pam or line it with parchment paper. Now spread your brownie evenly into the pan and bake.
-Bake for 30 min total, the last 5 min add the chocolate chips, then  marshmallows onto the top, they will double in size, then take out and cool.  For at least 2 hours or they fall apart.**

Now that it is cool, you can add your nuts and the Drizzle!
-Drizzle:
-1/4 cup butter softened
-1 cup powdered sugar
-1 TB cocoa
- milk as needed
Mix in a bowl with a mixer, or I just used a fork.  If it's too thick add more milk, or too thin add more powdered sugar. 
*Now here a tip for putting the drizzle on your brownie, or anything that needs drizzle!  Get a ziplock bag, put the chocolate into the bag, then cut the end off, go back and forth with the chocolate,  you will have no mess, and a beautifully decorated brownie!! *  I however made a huge mess, and figured this out, after I made my brownies! YIKES! :(

These are some of my VERY favorite things!!!! Dang I could eat the whole can myself, if you haven't tried them, you must!!!

Dang Tasty Pumpkin Cookies, Gluten Free

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Dang Tasty Pumpkin Cookies

     I made these delicious cookies weeks ago, however my blog hasn't been working properly so I couldn't put them up...super annoying!! The Pin button still isn't working properly, but we're working on that, it will pin for you at least(thank goodness).  

    When I first saw this recipe I thought hey, why not, it has cream cheese frosting on them, lets try!  I can honestly say my family is very tired of Pumpkin treats at my house, there is actual complaining going on...Seriously, who complains about a dessert??!!  So firstly, let me say these are probably some of THE BEST COOKIES I've eaten in an age!!  I don't like Pumpkin cookies, so this is saying a lot...it's not my recipe, so I can say this, and not be bragging!  I might have eaten about 6 or 8 I stopped counting, they are small and just so easy to eat.  

     So, if your family doesn't love Pumpkin Pie, then why not try Pumpkin cookies, these cookies are a winner!! I hope you have a great Holiday Season, and Happy Baking, Natalie

     If you want you cookies to be perfectly round, and the exact same size, buy a cookie scoop.  Mine are not perfect, nor are they round, it was messy to make, but possible.  I did however run out and buy a cookie scoop right after.  Much of our dough is very sticky, and I was tired of having sticky hands all of the time!!

Ingredients-
adapted from, The Girl Who ate Everything
-1 cup softened butter
-1 cup sugar
-1 cup pumpkin puree
-1 1/2 tsp baking soda
-1 1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp ginger
-1 large egg
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-2 1/4 cups Pamela's bread flour mix
For  cream cheese frosting-
-4 oz cream cheese (room temp)
-1/4 cup butter
-I think I used 2 cups powdered sugar ( so do it to your taste)
-1/2 tsp vanilla 

How to-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, spray the pan with Pam spray.  Bake for 15-17 minutes.  Cool, then remove from the pan.
-First beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then add the pumpkin and mix in.
-Next add the soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla and mix well.
-Then add in your egg and beat in.
-Lastly add in your flour a little at a time, until combined.  Make sure and scrape the sides down.  
-Now make your cookies, try and make them small and roundish, then bake. 

After your cookies cool, then frost them with the cream cheese frosting, a nice thick layer and enjoy!!

     This is one of my new favorite things, a cookie scoop...they come in all different sizes and they are not created equal.  Some are much better quality then others, try one, you may never go back to sticky fingers either! :)

Gluten Free Pumpkin Roll Bars

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Pumpkin Roll Bars

     I have decided to make an entire months worth of posts, all about Pumpkin.  I honestly don't know of anyone who doesn't love the smell of a pumpkin dessert baking in their home, the combination of smells are fantastic...Ginger, Cinnamon, Pumpkin and Cloves, I can smell it now. 

      The greatest thing about Fall season means Apples are coming off the trees, so no more nasty store bought apples, the weeds are slowing down in my yard (except this year,it's not cold enough yet!) I get to go pick my pumpkins and decorate ASAP for Halloween!!!! I love Halloween, seeing the kids in costumes, the Fall food and I get to crack out my cuter clothes.......the neighbors I'm sure are tired of my t-shirts, shorts and flip flops EVERYDAY!!! 

     My husband calls Fall, butter season, because when I'm stuck in the house I bake 10 times more and blow through the butter(we all know how cheap being GF is to start with! NOT).  I love to try new soup recipes and desserts,I can share with my friends and family.  I hope you all enjoy my month of Pumpkin.

 Happy Baking, Natalie 

Ingredients-
Adapted from The Recipe Critic
-6 TB butter melted (not bubbly)
-1 1/2 cups sugar
-2 cups Pumpkin
-2 large eggs
-1 tsp vanilla
-1/2 tsp Ginger
-1 tsp Cinnamon (1/2 tsp more if you love it)
-2 tsp Baking Soda
-1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
-2 cups Pamela's bread flour mix
For filling-
-8 oz. cream cheese softened(room temp)
-1/4 c. sugar
-1/2 tsp vanilla
-1 large egg

How to-
Use a 9x13 inch glass pan, spray it with Pam spray.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees, bake for 50-55 min, check the cake with a toothpick all the way in.  Also, if you press on the cake and it springs back you should be good.
-First add the wet ingredients and mix until they are all smooth, about 2 minutes.
-Next put all of your dry ingredients into a separate bowl and mix together, then slowly add into the wet ingredients and mix well.
-Then in a separate bowl, mix together your filling with a hand mixer and set aside.
*-Now that  you have everything made SPREAD 2/3* of the batter into the pan, save the rest, then spread your cream layer as evenly as possible on the batter layer.
*-Lastly use the rest of your batter and in spoonfuls, plop the pumpkin batter over the cream cheese randomly, then run a butter knife through the top to make swirls. 
-Cool these bars, then put in the fridge. Mine lasted 5 days in the fridge covered.

This company is one of my Favorite!!! Boomchickapop
http://angiespopcorn.com/ They have the greatest varieties of popcorn and I especially love the Peppermint, with chocolate drizzle it is to die for!!  Try it, you'll love her popcorn!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Buttermilk Bundt Cake

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             Pumpkin Buttermilk Bundt Cake
    
     So, this last weekend I attended the Gluten Free Expo in our area, it's always great to see and taste the new products that are being developed each year.  This year was a bonus, I was able to take my newly diagnosed niece with myself, and my good sport of a daughter.  Some things are still super nasty tasting, and others just get better tasting all the time; I really do feel bad for the poor people who were diagnosed years and years ago! Thank goodness(and sadly)  Celiacs and gluten intolerance have become much more common and talked about!!  If you are able to attend a Gluten Free Expo in your area, go, you'll be happy you did!
     Now onto this most delicious cake...so I was scouring Pinterest as usual, and I decided it was time to master a Bundt Cake!  Thanksgiving and Christmas are both coming up soon, and I know a lot of people really don't like Pumpkin Pie (also not my favorite) and we GF must supply desserts for these up coming Holiday events; who said you have to have a pie?!  If you are like me and don't love pie, try this cake, IT IS TO DIE FOR!!!! I took it to my Bunko group, and didn't tell anyone I made it, everyone asked who made the DELICIOUS cake!  I was so excited when I got to tell everyone it was me!!   Try this the Brown Butter Icing, it will have you licking the plate!! 
              Happy Baking, Natalie

Ingredients:
Adapted from The Baker Chick
-3/4 softened butter
-3/4 sugar
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1 tsp vanilla
-3 large eggs
-1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
-3/4 cup Buttermilk
-1/4 tsp Cloves
-2 tsp Cinnamon ( I used 1 1/2 tsp)
-2 1/4 cups Pamela's Bread Flour mix
-2 tsp Baking soda
-2 tsp Baking powder

Browned Butter Icing ingredients-
-1/2 cup butter
-2 cups powdered sugar
-2 tsp vanilla
-2-4 tsp milk


How to:
-First mix all of the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside.
-Next in a mixer or large bowl, add your butter, sugar and brown sugar and beat until fluffy. 
-Then add your vanilla, eggs, pumpkin, buttermilk and mix on medium until they are all incorporated and smooth, then scrape the sides .
-Lastly add in the dry mixture slowly until it is all mixed in, and the flour is not visible. 
For the icing-
-In a sauce pan add the butter and turn it to medium, stir until it starts to lightly brown. Turn off the heat.
- Next add the vanilla, stir in the powdered sugar, then add milk as needed. 
-Now add to the cake while the icing is WARM, then serve and enjoy!!!

     Preheat oven 350 degrees, spray with Pam, then I dusted mine with flour too. Use a 10 inch Bundt pan. Spread it out evenly in the pan. Bake on the center rack for 60-63 min, or until a toothpick comes out clean. I cooled mine on a cooling rack for a hour, then tipped it out. 

***These are some of my VERY favorite treats in the world!!! I know shocking, I don't just eat dessert...I eat savory foods too!! Asian food is my most favorite of any food, and these are so good, I have to fight my 14 yr. old Gluten eating son for these!!! ***

Gluten Free Moist Banana Muffins

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Moist Banana Muffins

    Do you ever have a really bad several few weeks, well the last few weeks have not been the greatest! I lost my recipe note book, that I use to keep all of my recipes of the new tweaked Desserts, somehow in the midst of the construction of my house it got misplaced! I just found it 5 minutes ago and I did the HAPPY DANCE  all over the house!!!! I have baked, I have pictures, but what good are pictures without any instructions?! 

     I searched the house high and low, I was about to have a nervous break down, over a note pad......SERIOUSLY....I think there might be something wrong with me!  So here I am back posting again, and now I won't be so negligent with my precious notebook, ever again! 

I love muffins, so do my kids; I tried to make my son's favorite Almond Poppy Seed, they did not turn out too well.  I have to quit trying to make everything so healthy and minimal sugar.  These Banana muffins are moist, and taste honestly just like Gluten Full muffins...I could not have been happier!  I froze them and they came out fantastic too!  I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!
 Happy Baking, Natalie



Ingredients:
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens
New Cook Book
-1 3/4 cups Pamela's Bread Flour mix
-2 tsp baking powder
-3/4 sugar
-1 cup Buttermilk
-1 large egg slightly beaten
-1/3 cup oil
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 cup mashed ripened banana 

How to-
Preheat the oven to 400* degrees, bake for 18 minutes or until  a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Use muffins cups or spray your pan, I used 1/4 cup measuring cup to fill, don't over fill.  It should make about 20.
-First add the flour, baking powder and sugar, mix together.
-Next add the egg, oil, vanilla and banana and mix until everything is combined.  Don't over mix or it will be stiff and not fluffy.
-Last measure into your cups and bake.  Cool and enjoy!

This is one of my new favorite things, oh my gosh, what a tasty treat!!!  You can get them at the grocery store, or on Amazon.


Also, if you would like to, you can follow me on Facebook on  Easy Gluten Free Travels, for tips and deals.