With September just around the corner, I am guessing everyone is in Back to School mode and needing some gluten free snack and lunchbox ideas. So I thought I would post a fabulous lunchbox treat, chocolate pixies.

Chocolate Pixies are old-fashioned, classic cookies. They are a lot like a brownie, but shaped like a cookie. They have slightly crisp edges, soft and chewy in the middle, with plenty of sweet, chocolate flavor. And they are rolled in confectioners’ sugar to boot.

This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies, so it will take a few minutes to roll all these cookies. They are a bit messy to make, so kids will love to help! And they look very cute. They’ll stay soft several days if stored in an airtight container, if your family doesn’t eat them all first.

This recipe is almost identical to the other chocolate pixie recipes I have seen, of course the all purpose flour has been replaced with gluten free flours, but the remainder of the recipe is unchanged. You’ll have a very traditional tasting chocolate pixie that the whole family will enjoy. And they make a great rainy day or weekend project with the kids. Happy gluten free baking.

The dough rolled into balls and then coated in powdered sugar.

Chocolate Pixies after baking, aren't they cute?

Gluten Free Chocolate Pixies

I have made these without the sweet rice flour, just add 2 more TB of white rice flour. And although they taste wonderful as written, chopped walnuts or mini chocolate chips would be great additions.

• 1 1/2 cups white rice flour (I like to use superfine rice flour)
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 TB sweet rice flour
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) or shortening
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave chocolate and butter or shortening, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted.
2. Using a stand mixer or wooden spoon to stir by hand, add sugar and blend until smooth. Add eggs and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. The dough should look like thick brownie batter.
3. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours or overnight (I speed up this process by throwing it into the freezer for a few minutes)
4. Preheat oven to 350.
5. Roll dough into tablespoon size balls, roll each ball into the confectioners’ sugar. Place on cookie sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly firm to the touch and cookies have a crackled appearance.
6. Allow cookies to cool 3-5 minutes before removing from sheet; allow to cool on wire rack.  Store in airtight container.

Cooking With Kids, Desserts gluten free chocolate cookies, gluten free chocolate pixies

First things first. This recipe should come with a warning label “Proceed with caution. The following snack is highly addictive.”

Okay, so maybe my family is behind the times. We just recently made the Chex Muddy Buddies recipe that can be found on the side of so many Rice Chex boxes. I am thinking that whoever has the gig to create new and exciting recipes for General Mills, especially the Chex recipes, has a perfect job.

Much like the Original Chex Pary mix, Muddy Buddies are really simple and quick to make and the whole family loves them. Too much. They are really sweet, crunchy and have that peanut butter and chocolate combination that we all love.

I like how quick and easy they are to make. Start to finish probably takes 10-15 minutes total. And unlike so many other treats, they don’t need baked, you can eat these immediately.

This recipe would be great for the older child eager to “cook.” But just be aware that melted chocolate + kids = mess. I let my three year old “help” and let’s just say the kitchen needed a little more cleaning than usual. But, what else did I have to do today? And it was priceless when she said, “I need washed, I got all muddy.”

So, next time you need a quick sweet, chocolate fix, I vote for Chex Muddy Buddies. Here is my version of the recipe; you can find the original on the box of most Rice Chex.

Muddy Buddies, a new favorite treat.

Muddy Buddies

• 9 cups rice chex cereal
• 1 cup chocolate chips, we like dark chocolate, but semi sweet or milk chocolate would work too
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

1. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in 30 second intervals, stirring as needed, until melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla.
2. Place cereal in large bowl and add the melted chocolate mixture; stirring until evenly coated.
3. If the bowl has a lid, simply add sugar, seal with lid and shake to coat. Alternative method: place cereal in 2-gallon size resealable bag and add sugar. Seal bag and shake to evenly coat. Store in airtight container in the fridge.

Cooking With Kids, Desserts, Snacks Gluten free treats with chex

Oh, the beauty of the milkshake. I mean really, who came up with this idea?

Ice cream, milk and some fruit or flavorings. It’s cold, it’s refreshing, it’s flavorful. It’s like pure goodness in a glass. Not to mention perfect on a warm summer day.

They are fairly easy to make, although you do need a blender. And chances are the whole family will enjoy them. What’s not to like about a milkshake?

We had our milkshakes with dinner, burgers and fries, but they would of course, make a great dessert.

This is my favorite berry milkshake recipe. We used fresh strawberries, but I really think your favorite in-season berry could be substituted with no problem. If you have to use frozen berries, just omit the ice. I use crushed ice because my blender isn’t super powerful, you could just use ice cubes. Also, the sugar is really optional. It depends on how sweet your berries are and how sweet you like your milkshakes. Enjoy!

Fresh berries, what could be better?

Strawberry Milkshakes

This makes enough for 2 large glasses.

• 2 cups strawberries, cleaned and stemmed
• 1 cup ice cubes/crushed ice
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups vanilla ice cream
• 1 tsp sugar, optional

1. Add all the ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.

Cooking With Kids, Desserts, Drinks easy milkshakes

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?

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!

Desserts gluten free pie crust

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

The sun is finally out and it’s beginning to feel like summer here in the Pacific Northwest. We have been grilling and enjoying our favorite summertime meals.

And now it is time to think about those fabulous, cool summertime desserts.

Let us turn our attention to the quintessential childhood classic, ice cream. The homemade variety is simply divine.  Although there are LOTS of recipes, I must be honest, I have yet to make a truly bad ice cream. Something about cream, sugar and eggs that is truly difficult to mess up.

Some have been better than others, but really, ice cream is simple and delicious and doesn’t require great culinary skills.

If you don’t already own an electric ice cream maker, now is a great time to get one on sale. I have had mine for 8+ years and it is still going strong. It’s a small investment that provides lots of summertime fun. You can even buy an ice cream bowl for your Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. There are ice cream recipes that don’t require a maker, but I have found that the texture is not the same.

And making ice cream is a great way to get the kids involved in the kitchen. They love to get creative and conjure up all sorts of crazy ice cream, sorbet and sherbet flavor combinations.

I broke out my ice cream maker and I whipped up a batch of Sour Cream Ice Cream. The original recipe appeared in Gourmet magazine in the 90’s and is wonderful. It is very rich and very good. I have reduced the eggs to 6. YES, I said that right; the original recipe had a whopping 8 egg yolks.

Use a good quality sour cream here as it really adds a lot of flavor. The ice cream does have a nice tang to it, but it doesn’t taste “sour.”  It pairs well with those fresh summertime berries in season now or a nice apple crisp.

The recipe is also great base for additions; chopped candy bars, fruit, chocolate, or whatever else you can come up with. And this might be a real treat for your family if you are eating gluten free these days. The easiest way to eat gluten free cookie dough (simply leave the eggs out of the cookie dough), brownie or many other flavors is to make it yourself.

I know it might sound like a lot of work. But it is really fun. And making ice cream is a great memory for the whole family to share.

Straining the custard-that's a vanilla bean in there.

Very soft ice cream after freezing in the ice cream maker.

The final product: Sour Cream Ice Cream

Sour Cream Ice Cream

Although this recipe calls for a vanilla bean, they are quite expensive, so 1-2 tsp of vanilla extract could be used. However, the flavor of the bean is more subtle and really defines vanilla ice cream; so if you can afford it, go for the bean!

• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 6 large egg yolks
• 2 cups (1 pint) sour cream

1. In a saucepan combine the half-and-half, 3/4 cup of the sugar and vanilla bean. Heat until just a boil and remove from heat.
2. In a bowl whisk together the egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
3. Pour egg mixture in a stream into the hot half-and-half mixture, whisking as you pour.
4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until a candy thermometer reads 170 F.
5. Remove pan from heat. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into the custard and discard bean pod. Stir in sour cream and mix until combined.
6. Strain through a sieve and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled; about 2 hours. Freeze in an ice cream maker. (At this point the ice cream is very soft-set so I pour the ice cream into a freezer-safe bowl and freeze it at least 2-3 hours so it gets firm)

Cooking With Kids, Desserts homemade ice cream, sour cream ice cream