Gluten Free Carmelita Bars

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                                                       Carmelita Bars

  I had a chance recently to remake this recipe, and I've made a few changes that I think are much better!! This is one of my husbands very favorite desserts, he would love it if I made this once a month, however; my butt and waist cannot eat this that often!!!  Oh man I did absolutely love this, the caramel was gooey and the oatmeal was chewy, which was exactly what I wanted!  Every once and awhile you need to tweak a recipe and make it a little bit better.
     I've been trying to re-do a peanut butter cake, and man, so far it has been failing like crazy; the taste is DELICIOUS, but I've got to get the texture and boil over factor under control....my husband just came home to the burn smell again, and said he was banning me from cooking! Ya, Right!!  
     I'm so happy school is out, it's been a nightmare trying to bake, post and help kids get their end of School things done! YAAAAAAYYY!!!! This is one happy mom!  
Happy Baking, Natalie

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup butter softened

3  cups Whole Oats GF 

2 1/2 cups Pamela's Bread

1/2 tsp. salt

1 bag and half chocolate chips

To Make:
  1-Mix together sugar,butter, oatmeal, salt, Pamela's Bread mix, and eggs. When it's done, press half of the dough into the cookie sheet, (13 x18 inch greased sheet pan) cook the first portion for 10 min, then add the chocolate chips, when the caramel is done, pour the caramel over the chocolate chips and dough.  Sprinkle the rest of the dough on top.

2-Bake at 350 degrees for 25-27 minutes. Then cool on cooling rack and place in a fridge for 20 min to set the caramel.  They will be golden color, on the top.

  Caramel Topping:

-1 1/2 cups brown sugar

-1/4 tsp. salt

-1/3 cup butter

-3/4 cup light corn syrup

-1/2 cup heavy cream( I actually did not have whipped cream when I remade this, only sour cream and it worked just great!)

   Add the brown sugar, salt, butter and corn syrup in a large sauce pan. On a medium heat cook until all of the sugar crystals are dissolved, stir frequently. Then slowly add then cream and cook until caramelized, or if you have a candy thermometer soft ball stage.  This will take about 20 min, but it is so worth it!


One of my very Favorite things is Angie's Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn, it is Fantastic!!! I could eat the whole bag!

Gluten Free Nutella Brownie Trifle

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                         Nutella Brownie Trifle

      In case I have never mentioned, I absolutely love Chocolate and Dark Chocolate is EVEN better!  Anytime I go somewhere, they offer something Chocolate, it never has enough chocolate in it...ever!  Plus, I'm having my family over for dinner in a couple of weeks, so I thought I would make a quick, make ahead dessert that would satisfy the chocolate lovers of my family!  My one sister in law, informed me recently she hates all my Gluten Free treats, and if she had to go GF she would just starve...I know she won't read this, so I hope it never happens.  I'm pretty sure she hasn't tried 99% of my desserts, the rest of the family, friends and neighbors really like them, she just doesn't want to give them a chance.  
     These look pretty and taste great too, so if you want to make something that looks great and is easy to make, this is a HIT!
Happy Baking, Natalie

Ingredients:
 Adapted slightly from, On Sugar Mountain
-1 cup Pamela's Bread Flour
-3/4 cocoa powder(I use dark /regular mix) 
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-2 cups sugar
-1 cup butter (melted)
-2 tsp Pure Vanilla extract
-4 large eggs
-1cup Nutella (heated in the microwave 45 seconds)
-1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
-1 (1oz) Sugar free Chocolate instant pudding (or any flavor you want)
-Whipping cream or the whipped cream in a can if you prefer. (this is supposed to be easy)

     -In a microwave safe bowl melt the butter(not scorching,just melted) then add the sugar and whisk, cool for a minute, move onto the flour mixture.
-In another bowl (mixer) add flour, cocoa and baking powder and mix together for 30 seconds or so.  Now leave it, go back to the butter.
-Now add the eggs, 1 at a time to the butter and sugar and whisk them in completely, then add vanilla.
-Next,On low, add the butter mix to the flour and mix, combine it, then add the Nutella, mix it again and scrape the sides....until combined then gently add the chocolate chips.  Now pour it into the pan and smooth.
To Bake:
 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, line a 8x8 square pan with parchment paper( I sprayed the bottom to make it stay down) Bake for 55-57 minutes, it will still be jiggly, but it is done.  Cool completely before you take it out of the pan, or it will fall apart. I was impatient, and mine did fall apart.  I put mine in the fridge over night then cut it apart in the morning. 
-I made my brownies, then threw them in the freezer, about a half hour after they were out, to rush the process, also it makes them easy to cut! 

To assemble:

  

-Now onto the Pudding, make it while the brownies are cooling.
-Then make your whipped cream or don't and use the Real Whip Cream in a can, I love it, I use it sometimes too!
-Now that the Brownies are cool, cut them into bite size pieces, layer it on the bottom of whatever container you wish.
-Next Whipped Cream, then pudding and a few more Brownie chunks.
-Lastly Whipped Cream and chunk of Brownie, put in the fridge and serve when ready!  This is for Chocolate Lovers!

One of my favorite things is- The Real Whipped Cream in a can; it really does have it's uses, especially if you are in a hurry!

Soft and Chewy Gluten Free Cookie Bars

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                          Soft and Chewy Cookie Bars


     Let me just start off by saying it has been a tough week in the kitchen at my house!!!  Firstly, I was trying to redo a Peanut Butter Cake so it would have a little more lift and volume; well, I ran out of Buttermilk and tried to make my own.  I learned not to use Vinegar with our flour a long time ago, but I thought I should be able to use lemon juice.  That was a big fat NO!!  I had cake overflowing like crazy in the oven, I haven't had that problem since I first started baking Gluten Free.  My entire house reeked of smoke, all week. The cake did taste delicious though!
      Then I decided to make a new cookie bar, for my nieces Blessing.  So I had everything all mixed up and added Toffee bits in, then baked a cookie to see how they would bake up.  I had my husband taste it, he said,"the cookie tastes kinda stale"  I freaked, are you kidding me, I just opened up brand new EVERYTHING!!  So then I started sniffing the marshmallows, the chocolate chips, the toffee bits..... oh my heck, the Toffee smelled stale and Disgusting!  There goes a whole batch of cookie dough in the TRASH!  It's been an expensive week!!  
     The moral of this story is, just keep trying, and always look at the expiration date on the food, even if it is new.  The Cookie Bars were a HIT, and so easy to make, no babysitting of the oven!! YAY! 
Happy Baking, Natalie

Ingredients:
-1 1/4 cups sugar
-1 1/4 cups brown sugar
-1 1/2 cups butter (softened)
-2 tsp vanilla
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1 1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-3 large eggs
-4 1/4 cups Pamela's Bread Flour  
-2 cups marshmallows
-1 cup Butterscotch Chips
-2 cups Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Add whatever flavor chips you would like, they marshmallows really make it chewy. We just love lots of chips!

  
 How to:
-First beat your butter, sugar and brown sugar together until soft and fluffy.
-Next add your vanilla, salt,sodas and eggs then mix until combined and scrape sides.
-Then add your flour a cup at a time, scraping and mixing.
-Lastly add the Chocolate chips, Butterscotch Chips and Marshmallows and mix.
-Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then Spray with Pam and spread into a 13x18 inch sheet cake Pan. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, bake for 25 min, it will be a nice golden brown.  Cool, cut and eat.

 This is my Favorite thing this week-   Royal Caribbean Cruise lines, they are the first to be Autism Trained, I have many Autistic friends, so this means a lot to me!!
Read the article, it's great.


http://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2014/02/20/autistic-child-autism-friendly-cruise/5640629/