Peppermint bark is a simple and delicious holiday treat. In fact, I can’t believe people buy the stuff, it’s so easy to make.

Although I typically make mine with white chocolate and peppermints (or candy canes), I keep seeing it in catalogs and stores with both dark and white chocolate layers. And of course I had to give this version a try.

My family gave this Double Chocolate Peppermint Bark two thumbs up. I made the layers of chocolate thin, so each bite wasn’t overwhelming; however, it is still pretty sweet.

Making Peppermint is super easy, in fact I think it’s one of the best holiday recipes to make with the kids. From crushing candy canes, to breaking the final product into bite-size pieces, this recipe provides plenty of hands on kitchen fun.

And even though this recipe is super simple, I think it’s pretty and tasty enough to share with family and friends.

And for some reason, I really want to crush this stuff up and sprinkle it on a big bowl of ice cream. Just a thought

Here is the first chocolate layer, spread fairly thin.

And here is the finished product.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Bark

This is one of those recipes that doesn’t actually have to be measured accurately to work, so it’s a great treat to make with the kids.

• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chocolate chips (or chocolate melts)
• 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips (or white chocolate melts)
• about 1/2 cup crushed candy canes or hard peppermint candies (I place them in a sealed plastic bag and smash with a rolling pin)

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the semi-sweet chocolate in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth, stirring as needed.
3. Using a rubber spatula or table knife, spread the chocolate evenly across the prepared baking sheet. I made this layer really thin, but you can spread it to your desired preference. Refrigerate or freeze the chocolate layer until firm (about 5-10 minutes in the freezer or a bit longer in the fridge).
4. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the white chocolate in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth, stirring as needed. Pour the white chocolate over the hardened chocolate layer and spread carefully to evenly coat (some of the dark chocolate was showing through, but I didn’t stress too much). Immediately sprinkle the crushed peppermint candies over the white chocolate layer and return to the freezer or fridge to harden. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container (we like to keep it in the fridge).

Cooking With Kids, Desserts, Food Gifts, Holidays & Special Occasions gluten-free holiday candy

We love caramel corn at my house and we always make a batch or two for sharing in December. This year I thought I would mix things up a bit, and branch out from the standard caramel coating and try a nice cinnamon popcorn.

Although quite a few variations of cinnamon popcorn exist, I decided to adapt a recipe that uses Red Hot candies. I must admit, I am probably so fond of this idea because those fiery cinnamon candies were a childhood favorite of mine.

This recipe is super easy, in fact the hardest thing about it may just be finding Red Hots. I seriously went to 5 grocery stores and ultimately found Red Hots at the Dollar Tree. Go figure. I know other similar cinnamon candies exist, but Ferrara Pan Candy Company (the maker or Red Hots, Lemon Heads, etc) do not use any gluten ingredients in any of their products, so it was really the brand I was looking for.

Although Red Hots are bit spicy, this Cinnamon Popcorn isn’t too hot due to the addition of corn syrup and butter. I typically shy away from corn syrup in baking, but I haven’t found anything works quite as well in these coated popcorn recipes.

The final product is crunchy, colorful, and full of cinnamon flavor. Unfortunately the color is more hot pink than red (which I think would have been more desirable this time of year), but it is definitely a fun treat to make at home with the kids!

Cinnamon Popcorn

• 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup Red Hot Candies

1. Grease or butter a 9×13 dish or roasting pan. Preheat oven to 200.
2. Pop popcorn in an air popper (I ended up with approximately 16 cups of popcorn). Remove any unpopped kernels. Place popcorn in a large bowl.
3. In a small saucepan, combine butter, corn syrup, and Red Hot candies. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture boils and the candies are completely melted. Pour over the popcorn and stir to evenly coat. Place coated popcorn into the prepared dish and bake in oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Allow to cool, break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

 

 

Cooking With Kids, Desserts, Food Gifts cinnamon popcorn, red hot popcorn

If you are looking for a quick and easy holiday candy, this Cranberry Pistachio Bark recipe might be just what you need.

With cranberries and pistachios, I think this bark is very festive and quite tasty. Personally, I love the sweetness of the white chocolate paired with the slightly salty pistachios, but you could use unsalted pistachios if you prefer.

With only a few ingredients, quality ingredients are the key. I am not typically a fan of melting wafers, almond bark, etc for candy making, however I do love Guittard Chocolate Wafers (and Guittard products are all gluten-free). These wafers are designed for melting and melt so much easier and smoother than typical chocolate chips.

I am able to find the Guittard chocolate and white chocolate wafers in the bulk section of one of my local stores (WinCo) for significantly less than suggested retail. So it might be worth checking any stores in your area that carry bulk foods.

Cranberry Pistachio Bark

If you use white chocolate baking chips in place of the wafers, be sure to add a tablespoon or more of shortening or oil before melting, so the chocolate will melt smoothly.

• 1 pound white chocolate melting wafers
• 1 1/4 cups dried cranberries
• 1 1/4 cups shelled pistachios (I used roasted, salted pistachios)

1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper, parchment, or a silicone mat.
2. In a microwave-proof bowl, microwave the chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring as needed, until melted and smooth.
3. Add 1 cup of cranberries and 1 cup of pistachios to the chocolate and stir until combined. Pour onto prepared pan, spreading with spatula or knife; top with remaining cranberries and pistachios.
4. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 20 minutes. Break into bite-size pieces before serving.

Cooking With Kids, Desserts, Food Gifts, Holidays & Special Occasions cranberry bark, gluten free christmas candy

Although there are numerous versions of pumpkin pie, it seems to me that there are basically two main recipes. There is the one with evaporated milk and the other with sweetened condensed milk. Most other pumpkin pies appear to be some sort of adaptation from one of these two basic recipes.

Having made both, I have to say that I am a fan of the sweetened condensed milk variety. Not only is the flavor better, but I find the texture of the pie to be more appealing as well. This recipe is my adaptation of the pumpkin pie recipe from the back of my pumpkin can.

Although I do like a basic pastry crust, this year I decided to break with tradition (at least our tradition) and bake the pumpkin pie in a graham cracker crust. I used this recipe for the crackers; which of course aren’t true graham due to the gluten, but they do taste like a great homemade graham cracker. And with teff and sorghum, they are about as healthy as any gluten-free graham cracker will ever get.

The combination of pumpkin and the cracker crumb crust was delicious. Not only was the taste complimentary, but the textures as well. The crunchy crust with the smooth and creamy filling paired extremely well together.

My pie got a bit over browned, so you might want to watch your pie a bit more closely than I did towards the end of cooking time.

Pumpkin Pie

• 1 pie shell (I used a graham-cracker type crust, using these crackers)
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 425. If using a pastry crust, line bottom of a 9-inch pie plate with crust and trim and flute edges OR prepare a graham-type cracker crust and allow to cool.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together pumpkin, pie spice, and salt. Add milk and eggs and stir until thoroughly combined. Pour into pie shell and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes or until filling is browned and set. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack before serving. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

 

Desserts, Holidays & Special Occasions gluten-free pumpkin pie, pumpkin pie with condensed milk

I saw a gorgeous photo of a Caramel Apple Cheesecake in a cookbook recently, and I knew immediately it would be the perfect Fall dessert for my mom’s birthday cake. And let me start out by saying that this recipe did not disappoint. And, it was one of the few desserts that actually looked as pretty as the glossy, cookbook photo.

The recipe comes from Bobby Flay. Although I typically think of him as a grilling guy, he won the “Cheesecake Battle” in an episode of Throwdown with this recipe, so I knew it would taste as good as it looked.

Of course I had to make a few minor changes to make it gluten-free, but this cheesecake was amazing. It had a lighter, airier texture than my usual New York style cheesecake recipe, which I thought was a nice change. It was still very rich, creamy, and over-the-top; all the components of a great cheesecake in my opinion.

Making cheesecake isn’t really complicated, however it does require some time and quite a few ingredients. I know a lot of people stress about the top cracking, but it doesn’t bother me. Honestly, you are going to add toppings, so who cares? Just my take on it.

This recipe required making a caramel sauce from scratch, however, I have to admit I burnt the first batch. My advice is to really watch the color of the sugar/water mixture. When it is light golden brown throughout, you’ve cooked it enough. If it cooks too long you’ll know, it smells burnt. You’ll have to start over. It’s not a huge big deal, as it is just sugar and water at this point and not an expensive mistake, but it is annoying.

I also thought the caramel sauce had too much brandy flavor, but others disagreed. I am not a drinker, so I suppose it’s going to be an issue of personal taste and overall love of brandy. Next time I make this I am gong to reduce the amount of brandy or omit it altogether. You could just purchase a jar of caramel sauce for topping if making your own caramel seems intimidating or too time consuming.

To make the crust I used my own graham-like crackers, crumbed. I have two recipes that I use (Graham-Like Crackers and Almost Graham Crackers), which I make frequently because I have preschooler that misses graham crackers. However you could use most any purchased, crispy gluten-free cookies for the crust (animal cookies, gingersnaps, etc). You just pulse the cookies in a food processor or place in a resealable bag and roll over with a rolling pin until the crumbs are fairly fine.

*The recipe has walnuts and eggs, two things I typically avoid due to my daughter’s food allergies. However, she hates cheesecake, so I didn’t worry about those ingredients.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

The recipe calls for muscovado sugar, which I actually had on hand. It is a coarse, brown, minimally processed sugar that tastes of molasses. It is available in specialty stores like Williams-Sonoma and at finer grocery stores. It’s great for gingerbread and pumpkin pie, so it’s worth tracking down this holiday season!

Cheesecake:

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free graham type crumbs
• 1 cup lightly toasted walnuts, chopped and divided
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (I used light)
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons muscovado sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• springform pan and aluminum foil

1. To make cheesecake, preheat oven to 350. Grease or spray with cooking spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, and the brown sugar in the bowl of a food processor, pulse until finely ground. With the motor running, pour in the melted butter and process until the mixture comes together. Pat the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until set. Cool completely on a cooling rack.
3. Combine 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar and orange zest in the bowl of a clean food processor, and process until combined. (I am a huge fan of this method for zest. Typically zest leaves a strange texture in an otherwise smooth cheesecake. Processing it with the sugar is brilliant! You get all the citrus flavor, none of the citrus texture.)
4. Put the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with paddle attachment until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the orange sugar, remaining granulated sugar, and moscovado sugar and beat until sugar is thoroughly incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until just incorporated, scraping down the bowl if necessary. Add the vanilla, salt, and heavy cream and mix until just combined.
5. Set the springform pan on a large sheet of aluminum foil and fold the foil up the sides to thoroughly wrap the bottom. I typically do this twice, just to be sure it is tightly wrapped and waterproof. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared, cooled crust.
6. Place springform pan in a large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Place in preheated oven and carefully pour hot tap water into the roasting pan/rimmed baking sheet (up to half way up the sides of the springform pan; I don’t have a pan this deep, so my cheesecake got about 1/2 inch water bath). Bake for about 55 minutes, or until edges are slightly puffed and golden. It will still be a little jiggly. Turn off the oven and prop open the oven door slightly with a wooden spoon. Leave cake in the oven, in the water bath, for an hour.
7. Remove the cheesecake from the waterbath and and cool on a wire rack for 2 hours, or until room temperature. Then refrigerate cheesecake until chilled completely, about 2 hours. (The cheesecake can be covered and refrigerated overnight or up to 24 hours).
8. Slice into thin slices and top with apples, caramel sauce, and remaining walnuts!

Apples:

• 2 cups apple juice
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 3 fuji apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup apple brandy (I used AppleJack)

1. To cook apples, in a large saucepan bring apple juice and sugar to a full boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup; about 10 minutes. Stir in the butter, once melted add the apples and cook until caramelized and soft; 8-10 minutes. Add the apple brandy and simmer until reduced by half. Transfer to a plate or bowl and allow to cool slightly.

Apple-Caramel Sauce:

Watch how dark you let this get, it goes form caramel to burnt rather quickly!

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, hot
• pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons apple brandy (I think this was bit much, others enjoyed it!), optional
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat, swirling the pan occasionally to even out the color. Cook for 10-12 minutes, or until evenly amber in color.
2. Slowly add the hot heavy cream and salt, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the brandy and vanilla. Serve warm.

 

Desserts apple cheesecka, caramel cheesecake, gluten free cheesecake