Pie Crust with butter, cinnamon, and sugar!!!

I struggled with what to call these. Growing up my mom used to take the scraps from the pastry dough and roll it thin, place it on a cookie sheet and top it with softened butter and cinnamon & sugar. She would then bake it for about 10 minutes.

It was so a nice treat and a way to enjoy a little piece of dessert long before the pie would be ready. If you have kids, it is a fun thing to do with any leftover pieces of pie dough that you would otherwise just throw out.

Do you make something similar with pasty dough? And if so what do you call it?

Flora Cooking With Kids, Desserts pie crust cinnamon and sugar

I know a lot of people dread making pie crust. It has a reputation for being rather difficult to master. But a homemade pie is so delicious you really should give pastry making a try.

Really, I think the hardest part is knowing how much liquid or flour is enough. The weather can effect your baking and pie crust recipes may need adapted slightly in order to make them easier to handle. If you have never made one, this can be frustrating. But after a little practice, you’ll know what the dough should feel like and add more flour or liquid as required.

I have heard there are some gluten free pre-made pie crusts available now, but I haven’t tried any of them so I can’t tell you if they are worth eating.

What I can tell you is homemade gluten free pie crust is doable. I posted a recipe for my first successful attempt at one. And guess what? I have yet another gluten free pie crust recipe worth making.

Why do we need another one you might ask? Well, although the previous recipe tasted great I felt like the dough was a bit hard to handle. It didn’t roll out the way I would have liked and it required refrigeration, making the process lengthy.

Sometimes I don’t have a lot of time to prepare a pie, I just want to whip up a crust and filling and get it in the oven. And of course have it taste fabulous. No weird gluten free taste or texture.

This recipe is adapted from the pie crust recipe found in Gluten-Free Baking Classics by Annalise Roberts. It’s a great cookbook by the way. I did change a few things, but overall her recipes are a great starting place for gluten free baking successes.

If you need an easy gluten free pie crust, give this one a try. And if you are completely new to making pie crusts, don’t despair. They don’t have to look perfect and they do patch easily (just use your hands to mend any torn areas). And pie crusts don’t require fancy fluted edges. If you don’t want to hassle with the fluting, don’t. I gave up fluting pies perfectly years ago. And you know what? No one has ever turned down a piece of pie. Seriously, pies are supposed to by homey, comfort food, not too pretty to eat.

Unbaked pie crust, you can see where I patched it in several spots.

An apple pie with a crumb topping.

Easy Gluten Free Pie Crust

Personally, I don’t like my pie crusts sweet. But if you do, add 1 TB white sugar to the dry ingredients.

This recipe is a bit unconventional in that you partially pre-bake the shell before adding the fruit filling.

• 3/4 cup brown rice flour (I use Authentic Foods Superfine)
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• 2 TB tapioca flour
• 2 TB sweet rice flour
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 TB Butter, chilled and cut into pieces
• 1 large egg
• 2-4 tsp orange or lemon juice

1. Spray 9-inch pie pan or tart pan with cooking spray and dust with cornstarch or white rice flour.
2. Mix flours, xanthan gum, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add butter and mix until crumbly.
3. Add egg and 2 tsp of juice. Mix on low speed until dough holds together easily, but isn’t sticky; if it does not hold hold together add the remaining 2 tsp of juice and mix again. Using your hands, form dough into a ball. Place ball on a sheet of parchment or waxed paper and  flatten dough to about 1 inch thickness.
4. Dust rolling pin with rice flour or cornstarch and roll out dough. Holding the sheet of parchment/wax paper, invert the dough into the pie pan. If the dough tears you can mend it (press another piece of dough with your fingertips until it is blended together well). Trim the crust around edge of pie and flute if desired (I just press a fork around the edges).
5. If you need to prebake the crust entirely (for a pudding pie), prick the crust several times with a fork and bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden in a preheated 375 oven. Let cool on a wire rack before filling.
6. To use in all other recipes, it is suggested to partially bake the bottom crust for 10 minutes in a preheated 375 oven. Allow to cool and then fill with desired filling (I used apples) and return to the oven to finish baking (for apple pie I baked it an additional 50 minutes at 375). The crust turned out delcious and flaky this way so I highly suggest the pre-bake step!

Flora Desserts gluten free pie crust

Oh, pepperoni pizza. So full of flavor, so full of spice, so full of grease.

A great cooking tip I read years ago in a cooking magazine was to place your pepperoni on a paper towel-lined plate and microwave it for a minute or two. ( I have a high powered microwave so mine takes 45 seconds-1 minute. You might want to start on the conservative side so you don’t have dry, overcooked pepperoni.) This heats the pepperoni and much of the fat is released and absorbed by the paper towel. Gross I know.

It is amazing how much grease is removed from the pepperoni.

However, it does really work. And no more greasy puddles on your pepperoni pizza. It’s a simple step that really is worth the trouble.

And if you are new to gluten free pizza crusts, or just looking for one that tastes good, I posted a thick crust pizza and an easy pizza sauce. Even if you aren’t an accomplished gluten free baker, do try pizza with your kids. It isn’t as hard as it sounds and it’s loads of fun for them.

Flora Cooking With Kids, Kitchen Tips

I am becoming a huge fan of the flank steak. Seriously, they cook up in virtually no time and when cut thinly against the grain they are very tender and juicy.

I typically do a lime juice and cumin type marinade for beef fajitas but I am a little bored with that version, so I adapted an allrecipes marinated flank steak recipe. It had great flavor and although we loved it with some onions and bell peppers, served fajita style, I think it would be equally good on a salad or with some rice and vegetables.

Since it is a marinade you do have to plan ahead. But the flank steak cooks so fast, you’ll have dinner on the table in no time. And it’s perfect this time of year when you don’t want to heat the oven. Enjoy!

Marinated Flank Steak in a fajita.

Marinated Flank Steak

Although I used lemon juice, I think lime juice would be a great alternative.

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup soy sauce (SanJ makes a gf one)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• juice of 1 lemon (about 2 TB)
• 1 1/2 TB Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrin’s is gf)
• 1 TB Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• dash cumin, optional
• 1- 1 1/2 lbs flank steak

1. In a glass 9×13 pan mix all ingredients except steak. Place meat in the pan and turn to coat. Cover and allow to marinate at room temperature for about an hour or refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
3. Remove steak from pan and discard marinade (or bring marinade to a boil and serve with meat if desired).
4. Grill steak for approximately 5 minutes per side, or until desired doneness. Allow steak to rest five minutes before slicing against the grain.

Flora BBQ, Main Dishes, quick and easy gluten free beef fajita, marinated beef for fajitas

Buckles, crumbles, cobblers, crisps….so many fruit desserts, so many names. They all begin with a fruit or berry and the rest is just topping.

They truly are some of the least complicated desserts you can makes, so a great choice for a child wanting to experiment in the kitchen or anyone new to baking. Just make sure and choose really fresh, ripe fruit and all other mistakes will most likely go unnoticed. They are very forgiving, making them the perfect recipe to adapt to be gluten free.

With loads of fruit and a topping of choice, they are always delicious. They are old-fashioned American comfort food at it’s best; usually messy, not always pretty, always delicious.

I pulled out one of my baking books to find a quick definition of each.

Crisps: The easiest to make, consisting of fruit mixed with sugar and often spice, placed in a pan and topped with butter, sugar, flour & often oatmeal.

Crumbles: Really a crisp with a slightly different texture. The fruit is topped with a streusel consisting of butter, sugar, flour, and chopped nuts.

Shortcake and Cobblers: Fruit covered in a sweet biscuit topping. As the fruit bakes and bubbles it softens the baking powder biscuits, which will rise impressively.

Buckles: It’s basically a berry-laden coffee cake with a crunchy-sweet streusel topping. Blueberries appear to be the traditional berry used in these cakes, sometimes called crumb cakes.

Growing up ate a lot of these dishes. My mom would typically use peaches or apples, but really, nearly any fruit or berry will work. They are very simple, yet smell and taste amazing. These are great choices from an impromptu treat or a summertime dessert for company.

For several years I have been making a blueberry buckle. My whole family enjoys it, especially the topping. It is a really simple, from scratch cake. I got around to making it gluten free and I was quite pleased with the results.

I know you are supposed to use fresh blueberries, but I couldn’t wait for them to be in season, so I used frozen. I think frozen berries make the cake more dense, but it is very good still.

With all the summertime fruit in season I am sure you can find a fruit and topping combination that your family will enjoy. Happy Gluten free baking!

A piece of Blueberry Buckle.

Gluten Free Blueberry Buckle

for the cake:

• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sweet rice flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup white rice flour
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

for the topping:

1/2 cup sugar ( I use white or a combination of white/brown)

1/3 cup white rice flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, softened

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8×8 pan.
2. For cake: cream together sugar, butter, and egg; about 30 seconds.
3. In a separate bowl mix together all dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients, alternating with milk, to the creamed mixture (dry ingredients, milk, dry ingredients).
4. Stir in blueberries and vanilla. The batter will be very thick; spoon it into the prepared pan.
5. For topping: In a small bowl combine all topping ingredients and using a fork blend. Sprinkle over the cake batter and bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Flora Breakfast, Cooking With Kids, Desserts gluten free blueberry cake, gluten free coffee cake

Strawberry season is in full swing here so I have been making quite a few strawberry goodies. Shortcakes, freezer jam, but perhaps the easiest of all, strawberry syrup.

I like to make the syrup really simple and uncomplicated, without too much sugar. I think the flavor of the berries should really be the main focus. We have really sweet berries here, but if your berries are tart, you might want to add extra sugar.

We think strawberry syrup is perfect on pancakes, waffles, ice cream (especially homemade sour cream ice cream) and chocolate desserts. But I also think it could be stirred into fresh lemonade.

Strawberry Syrup with ice cream.

Strawberry Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups crushed strawberries
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in about 1 tablespoon water

1. Place water and sugar in a small saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved; stirring constantly. Add berries, lemon juice and cornstarch slurry. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly. Reduce heat and simmer to blend flavors, about 10 minutes.

Flora Breakfast, Desserts, Sauces & Dressings Stawberry Syrup

If you spent any part of your childhood in America, I bet you ate a rice crispy treat. They are crunchy, sweet, and gooey all in one bite. What kid could resist?

Well, as soon as you go gluten free you realize Kellogg’s Rice Crispies are off limits. For whatever reason though, many people believe they are gluten free, but they contain malt. Here is a direct quote form Kellogg’s FAQ At this time, we do not offer products suitable for consumers on a gluten- or wheat-free diet.

Like everything else gluten free, cereal does come with a bit of sticker shock. Gone are the days when you can get a box for $1 using coupons and a sale. A box of gluten free cereal seems to run in the $4-5 range.

We really like Erewhon brand cereals and they make several suitable rice crispy alternatives that are in fact gluten free. They taste great and are fairly healthy.

I haven’t had a lot of luck using all puffed rice cereal, which is significantly cheaper. It just doesn’t have the same crunch. However I have used a cup or two in the bars and it works fine. So if you are trying to stretch you dollar, this might be an option.

So, the original Rice Crispy Treat recipe is fine. Nothing wrong with it at all. However, I wanted to make a slightly more creative batch so I added some vanilla and peanut butter and then coated them with melted chocolate. That idea I get from my mom. Growing up she always coated bars and brownies with melted chocolate. Mom was right, everything is better with chocolate.

I also reduce the cereal by one cup, I like the treats to be a little more marshmallowy. Okay, so that is probably not a real adjective, but you know what I mean. And not that they weren’t great before, but I think the minor changes I made make them a little more grown up.

I did store these in the refrigerator because we are having a heat wave. Okay, so probably not really a heat wave, but for Oregon, it is really hot. Like above 70 degrees. I wasn’t sure the chocolate would set at room temperature.

So these were really great tasting. The peanut butter/chocolate combination is classic and oh so good. And even if you decide to omit the peanut butter, do try the melted chocolate on top. It is very good.

Any child eating gluten free will be thrilled that they can eat rice crispy treats again. They so quick and easy, not to mention utterly delicious, there really is no excuse not to make them.

I used 1 cup puffed rice cereal; they are the lighter pieces.

Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats

I like to make these bars really thick, so I use an 8×8 square glass pan, but you could also use a 9×13 if you prefer. However, you’ll have to melt more chocolate to cover the top entirely.

• 3 Tb butter
• 1 (10 oz) bag marshmallows
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 5 cups  gluten free crispy rice cereal (we really like Erewhon brand) or a combination of crispy rice/puffed rice cereals
• 1 cup chocolate chips

1. Grease an 8×8 square pan or line with foil.
2. Melt the butter in a large pan or dutch oven over low heat. Add the marshmallows, vanilla, salt and peanut butter, stirring constantly until melted and smooth; this takes several minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add cereal, stirring until well mixed. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and press it into the pan with a greased spatula (or you can place a piece of waxed paper over it and press down, this prevents you from burning your hands).
4. Place chocolate chips in small, microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals until melted; stirring as needed. Spread melted chocolate over the bars and allow to set completely, about 2 hours at room temperature (or you can place them in the refrigerator or freezer to speed up this process).
5. Cut bars into squares and serve.

Flora Cooking With Kids, Desserts, Snacks gluten free rice crispy treats, peanut butter rice crispy treats

Homemade BBQ Sauce on a burger.

With the Fourth of July just around, I thought I would mention some of my favorite summertime foods, all perfect for a gathering or backyard BBQ. And best of all, these are great tasting dishes. They may be gluten free, but everyone will enjoy them.

Entertaining gluten free does seem daunting, but it can be done. And it doesn’t have to be super expensive. I try to prepare dishes that are naturally gluten free, thus avoiding all the expensive flours and gums that are typically required for gluten free baking.

Think fresh, simple, and delicious. Make a great main dish, a side or two, and serve some really fresh fruits and vegetables and everyone will be well fed and happy to eat gluten free.

And most of the recipes I am suggesting are family friendly; and I think there is no better time than summer to get the kids in the kitchen helping prepare food. A couple of the recipes even include the word Easy in the title. Cooking great tasting gluten free food can be easy and fun.

Happy Fourth of July and happy gluten free cooking.

Lemonade anyone?

Some great sides: Grilled Corn, 4th Of July Beans, Bacon Potato Salad, Homemade BBQ Sauce, Easy Fruit Salad, Creamy Fruit Salad, and Chunky Guacamole.

Main dishes: Tequila Marinated Grilled Chicken with Citrus Salsa, Chicken Under Bricks,  and Steak with Chili BBQ Sauce,

And for dessert: Easy Strawberry Shortcake, Sour Cream Ice Cream, Easy Chocolate Mousse, and Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies.

Flora Holidays & Special Occasions gluten free entertaining, gluten free potluck foods

First of all, I must admit I am going to have to stop bad-mouthing all the gluten free cookbooks because it seems like there are quite a few really good ones available now. This is really great news for those of us learning to adjust to a gluten free lifestyle.

However, before you rush out to the book store you should really do some research, not all gluten free cookbook are created equal.

One of  the great gluten free cookbooks available is Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking: More than 250 Great-tasting, From-scratch Recipes from Around the World, Perfect for Every Meal and for Anyone on a Gluten-free Diet–and Even Those Who Aren’t authored by the husband/wife team, Kelli and Peter Bronski. Although it appears rather small, it is packed with over 250 family friendly recipes.

Do make sure to get the second edition though, apparently there are some typos and things that needed corrected. If, however, you can only get the original, the authors offer the updated versions of the recipes at their website.

And don’t let the title intimidate you; they use the word Artisinal to simply describe that they cook from scratch, using good quality ingredients. Personally, I do not find their food philosophy nor recipes to be snobby or time consuming. These are just great, from scratch, gluten free recipes everyone is sure to love.

I like that this a true cookbook, not just a book about how to bake gluten free. Really, couldn’t we all just use one really good cookbook that contains all the basic gluten free recipes we need?

Unlike so many cookbooks, this book has a nice variety of recipes, everything from traditional breakfast items to exotic main dishes. There are even some mouth watering desserts and beverage recipes.

Like the majority of gluten free cookbooks, the authors’ have their own gluten free flour blend and it is used extensively throughout the book. The only ingredient I didn’t already have in my well stocked pantry was potato flour.

Hits:

• The recipes are from scratch and flavorful. Most are fairly simple and not time consuming.
• Lots of vegetables and fruits used in the dishes.
• Truly a wide variety of recipes; making it a great choice for those just learning how to cook.
• The food tastes “normal.”
• Ingredients are pretty basic for the gluten free kitchen, nothing I have had trouble finding.
• Traditional from scratch recipes that many cookbooks omit like crepes, tortillas, and pasta dough.
• Bread, cookies, pancakes, brownies, orange chicken, rice…. every recipe I tried tasted really good.

Miss:

• Although there are some photographs in the middle, they weren’t that impressive to me. The photo on the cover is gorgeous and the recipes work, so I guess I shouldn’t complain.

In a nutshell:

This is really nice gluten free cookbook containing family friendly recipes that everyone, even those not on a gluten free diet, will enjoy.  I appreciate the authors’ philosophy of cooking from scratch, using local, fresh ingredients. I think food actually tastes better when made with this approach and it is very reminiscent of how our mothers, aunts, and grandmothers used to cook, only everything is gluten free. Do try and get the revised, second edition as several errors and omissions were corrected.

Flora Cookbook Reviews Artisinal Gluten-Free Cooking review

I have always loved lemon desserts. They are so flavorful and tangy. I am especially fond of freshly squeezed lemon juice, nothing else really compares and you’ll notice the difference in baked goods.

Sunshine used to make lemon coolers, they were tart, buttery cookies covered in powdered sugar. As teenagers, my sister Lynn and I ate an entire box while out shopping for the day. Although not the healthiest of lunch choices, I am guessing we weren’t the only ones to finish a box in one sitting. There really is something addicting about the sweet/tart combination. Even Girl Scouts, Nabisco, and Schwan has offered similar style cookies over the years.

So, when I saw a recipe for gluten free lemon coolers by Elizabeth Barbone I had to give it a try. I was skeptical of her method, but in the end I was able to bite into a crumbly, lemony and oh so good gluten free version of lemon coolers.

This recipe does require some patience, as the dough has to be chilled and the baked cookies cool in the confectioners’ sugar. I think they would be a good activity for a lazy summer day (or maybe a rainy afternoon). My daughter loved helping me make these. Really, I think she just loved making a mess in the kitchen. And with no eggs in the recipe, I let her eat the dough. But, in the end we spent the afternoon making lemon cookies that the whole family could enjoy.

If you enjoy lemon desserts, I am sure you’ll enjoy baking up some gluten free lemon coolers. They do pack a lemon flavor, but we didn’t find them overly tart. Perhaps it was the brand of lemon extract I used, but I thought these could use a more intense lemon flavor. So next time I might increase the lemon extract and/or juice slightly. I doubt this will effect the texture greatly.
Happy gluten free baking!

Lemon Coolers ready to eat.

Gluten Free Lemon Coolers

• 1 1/4 cups white rice flour
• 1/2 cup sweet rice flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 TB lemon extract
• the zest of one lemon
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus about 1 pound for dusting
• 2 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice (the juice of 1-2 lemons)

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar about 30 seconds. Add rice flours, cornstarch, xanthan gum, lemon extract, and zest. Mix for one minute. The dough will be sandy/crumbly. Add lemon juice and mix until a dough forms.
2. Spread a piece of plastic wrap out on counter and place dough in center, wrapping the plastic wrap completely around the dough; you can leave the dough in a ball press or gently to form a disc shape. Refrigerate wrapped dough until thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350.
4. Roll chilled dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place on cookie sheets one inch apart. (I prefer to flatten them slightly before baking)
5. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden.
6. Meanwhile, fill a 9×13 baking dish with the 1 pound confectioners’ sugar.
7. Remove cookies from oven and immediately place hot cookies into the confectioners’ sugar, making sure all sides of the cookies are covered. Allow cookies to sit in the sugar for 2 hours or overnight. Bake the remaining cookies and add to the pan of sugar. Shake off any excess sugar before serving the cookies.

Flora Cooking With Kids, Desserts gluten free lemon coolers, Lemon cookies