Gluten Free Oreos – yum!

I love Oreos. They’re the perfect cookie. Crisp and chocolaty with a sweet creamy middle. I even like to frost them with peanut butter, dunk them in milk and then eat them. I have many fond memories of eating Oreos.

Of course when you have a wheat allergy it really cuts down on the enjoyment aspect of Oreos. There’s nothing like the promise of a gut-wrenching stomachache to put a damper on the lovely tradition of consuming to0 many sweet, chocolaty calories.

I don’t have a wheat allergy, but my husband does and it’s just mean to sit there and eat treats in front of him. Luckily, I ran across this recipe for Faux-Reos from King Arthur Flour and converted the recipe to be wheat free. (That link will take you to the regular, wheat filled recipe. See, I love you no matter what you eat!) I made them last night…..amazing. So go ahead, grab the peanut butter and milk and remind yourself just why Oreos are so stinkin’ tasty.

(8 oz of Charlotte Bronte, worsted dyed in the new colorway Stallion were present in my kitchen during the making of these tasty concoctions. Knitting content = filled!)

Gluten Free Faux-Reo Cookies

Before you get started, if you don’t have the extra Dutched (yes, that is the correct term – who knew you could be extra Dutch past tense?) a.k.a. black cocoa powder or they won’t turn out right. I used a mix of 2 parts black to 1 part regular cocoa powder (60%) and they were delicious. And when I did comparative shopping, King Arthur had it the cheapest. Also, if you have extra finely ground, dark roast coffee you can use it in place of the espresso powder or leave it out. It’s tasty but this recipe is so chocolaty that the coffee isn’t a dominant flavor.

1 c. + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

3/4 c. butter (room temp)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 large egg

1 Tablespoon cold water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. non wheat flour*

1 1/2 teaspoons Xanthan gum

1/2 c. black cocoa powder

1/4 c. cocoa powder

Filling

2 1/2 c. confectioner’s (powdered) sugar

1/2 c. vegetable shortening (you want the regular “white” kind)

2 teaspoons cold water

1.) Preheat your oven to 325. Lightly grease your cookie sheets – it took 3 1/2 sheets to bake the full batch.

2.) Beat together the butter, sugar, salt and espresso powder. Feel free to sample this concoction – it’s yummy.

3.) Beat in the egg,water, and vanilla. Then add the cocoa powders, wheat free flour and xanthan gum. The dough will be stiff. (There’s no leavening in these cookies. You can stop worrying about forgetting it now.)

4.) Use a teaspoon cookie scoop (or make 2 t. sized balls) to scoop out the dough and place them 1.5 – 2 inches apart on the greased cookie sheets. Use a flat bottomed glass slicked with a light coating of canola oil to flatten the cookies to 1/8 inch thickness.

They’ll be flat. Really flat. But it will work. I promise. Just think of how thin and crispy Oreos are and squish away. The evener, the better. Look past the plate of baked cookies to see that corner of unbaked ones – see they’re super flat, but delicious!

5.) Bake for 17-20 minutes. I recommend trying a 1/2 sheet to begin with. You want them to be just so; set but not overly done. They will come out set, but a little flexible and that’s ok. You’ve overdone them if they break instead of coming off the cookie sheet.

6.) Get the cookies off the sheet almost immediately. They’re crisp and delicate. Cool them on a clean counter or cooling rack.A really thin spatula helps get these babies off the sheet.

7.) Assemble the filling while the rest of the batch bakes. That way you can frost the cool cookies while the rest bake.

To assemble the frosting, beat the shortening and powdered sugar on low until it starts to stick together. (It will take quite a bit of beating, and you’ll be tempted to think I’m lying to you about it coming together, but I’m not.) Add the water and bea until smooth.

8.) “Frost” the underside of a cookie with 2.5 -3 teaspoons of filling. Squish another cookie on top until it sticks, being careful not to break it. I use “frost” loosely, because I made 3 small balls of filling and used my fingers to squish them into an even layer between the cookies. My 6 year olds loved helping with this and squishing the cookies with the glass. Apparently, squishing food with impunity is very satisfying to young kids.

9.) Eat these babies and enjoy. They’re rich, buttery and amazing. Plus, since they’re wheat free that means they’ll be just as crisp tomorrow and the day after.

Flour note – I use a mix of 2 parts superfine brown rice flour + 2/3 part potato starch + 1/3 part tapioca flour/starch. You can get superfine rice flour from Authentic Foods or by processing regular brown rice flour in a VitaMix for 60 seconds. You need a high-powered blender to get the flour fine enough – my KitchenAid blender doesn’t cut it.

Perfect Mocha Java Coffee

It’s literally too hot for me to dye yarn today. We have heat indexes above 105 degrees and my air conditioner cannot keep up if I create any heat inside the house. Yesterday after 3 hours of dyeing in the morning (before the worst of the heat) my interior temp got up to 85 and stayed there for hours, while the AC ran and ran. Since I am waiting for some base yarn to come in anyway, we’ll take a bit of a break from the studio this morning to show you how I make a cup of perfectly wonderful coffee.

It is Wednesday, and therefore time for Wednesday Morning Coffee™! I’m going to tell you how I do it step by step. (I whipped out the camera while I brewed.) We’re making a perfectly delightful cup of Mocha Java “espresso”* which we’ll then turn into a latte with “stuff”. “Stuff” being sugar, chocolate and caramel. Yum!

Step One: Grind the Beans finely

This is a 50/50 mix of Ethiopian Sidamo (Water Process Decaf) and Sumatran Nihota (KVW, regular chemical process decaf done in Germany). According to the lovely folks over at Sweet Marias Coffee they like this mix of beans for a custom Mocha Java blend. (Those decaf links will take you to more info on the different methods on the decaffeination process.) I roasted these beans on Saturday.

Step Two: Start the water and prep the Aero Press

Put the water in the kettle and start heating. Pop the filter in the Aero Press, and measure 4 level tablespoons of ground beans into the body.

Step Three: Prep the cup

With an Aero Press you brew directly into your coffee cup. I usually prep my cup with milk and sugar while I wait for my water to boil. Then I heat the cup, plus the cold contents so it doesn’t cool the coffee down too quickly. I add milk and sugar based on the darkness of the coffee roast. It’s easier to add more than take away so my default recipe is:

1 T Heavy Cream

2 T Milk

1 T Sugar

You can easily substitute half and half if you prefer. My microwave is extremely powerful, so I pop the cup plus contents in for 15 seconds, until it’s warm. Then stack the Aero Press on the cup and wait for the kettle to whistle.

Step Four: Brew

When the kettle whistles, slowly pour the water into the top of the Aero Press, on top of the grounds. I pour to the top, wait until the water level falls just below the 4 marking and fill to the top again. Then I stir for 20 seconds, insert the plunger and press. Discard the grounds and filter, and wash out your coffee maker.

Step Five: Yum!

Stir your coffee, adjust to taste and garnish. I ended up putting in another 1 T milk, plus 1/2 T. sugar. Then I topped with whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate and caramel….and enjoyed.

Now go make yourself a truly exceptional cup of coffee!

*I use an Aero Press coffee maker for my “espresso” & some people contend that because water is added to the beans, and not steam that this is really a form of concentrated drip coffee, not espresso. They might be right. I’m still saving for an ultra luxurious espresso maker…..

Wednesday Morning Randomness

Wednesday Morning Coffee ™

f you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed a recurring theme. Every Wednesday morning, I post about what cup of coffee I’m enjoying. Since I am pregnant, I severely curtail caffeine intake. This puts quite a dent in a coffee lover’s drinking habits, as you might imagine. I limit myself to 3 cups of 100% decaf coffee per week. If you’re also a coffee lover you might be thinking, “What’s the point? Decaf coffee has no FLAVOR!!!!” And in most cases you’d be right. Caffeine is a flavor enhancer, and when removed from products (i.e. Coffee, Coke, etc.) a sensitive nose can literally smell the difference.

Thankfully, about a year ago I got into roasting my own coffee. I’m a bit of a food hedonist – I simply love great food – and do a lot of cooking and baking. (Not to mention brewing my own beer, and roasting my own coffee….) I discovered that you can roast your own coffee beans very easily with only a small investment of $$$. All you really need is a cheap air popcorn popper, a little info on what to look for when you’re roasting coffee, and green beans. The taste difference between freshly roasted beans and the ones you buy in the store is incredible. Almost like a completely different product!

If you want to roast your own coffee or just learn more, go see the great folks over at Sweet Maria’s. They have an amazing amount of information on their site, plus everything you need to roast your own coffee.

New Yarn – just shipped

I have a rather sizeable shipment of yarn going out to EatSleepKnit today. It’s a big box full of Elizabeth Bennet loveliness. Erin and her helpers stock every single color I dye on this spectacular base, so if you’re in the mood for an elegant shawl, sinfully decadent socks, or a whisper light cardigan go see their selection.

Elizabeth Bennet: 65% superwash merino/20% bamboo rayon/15% silk. 50 grams, 195 yards. Fingering weight. Recommended needles US 0-3.

I’m off – to an appointment this morning & then back into the studio to dye yarn this afternoon!

Fun with milk – how to make yogurt

I could have titled this post “I’m not sick, you’re not sick” and it would have been completely accurate. Given that my 10 day Cold of Doom was not fun while I had it, I’m not sure it would be improved upon retelling. Then I had a few days of decent health, which we promptly filled with a basement home improvement project before my poor husband caught a stomach bug. So despite the lack of blog posts during that time you now know exactly what I was up to!

To make up for the sick days, I’ve been packing yarn and cooking with milk. (Not at the same time.) 50 lbs of yarn boarded a FedEx truck (In the pouring rain & lightening, I might add.) yesterday, bound for The Loopy Ewe in St. Louis, Missouri. (Notice how I spelled out Missouri, because I have an easier time remembering how to spell out the full state name than any abbreviation starting with M. There are 8 you know, and I can never keep them straight.) And in the evenings, I am teaching myself how to make yogurt and gelato.

Yogurt is easy! I thought it was something that could only be made in a super controlled, sterile lab somewhere. Nope. It’s one of the simplest things ever to cook. You need a pot, some milk, a small container of plain yogurt with active cultures, an oven or heating pad, and a few hours. This site will tell you how to do it in excruciating detail. I followed most of their instructions with two small exceptions. I will now impart the wisdom I’ve gained by making two batches.

Katie’s Easy Greek (or not so Greek yogurt)

You will need:

A sauce pan large enough to hold the full volume of milk & lid

A reliable cooking thermometer

A large spoon

Ice

Large bowl or sink for an ice bath

An oven or heating pad

Towels (several kitchen or 1 large bath towel)

Ingredients:

2-4 cups (or .5 to 1 quart) 2% or whole milk

2-3 tablespoons active culture plain yogurt (must say active cultures on it!)

Note: Those active cultures are what is going to make your milk into yogurt, without them you’re just going to scald and possibly sour a lot of milk.

Directions:

1.)     Pour your milk into the pot, and heat it over medium heat. You don’t want it to burn onto the bottom of the pan, so keep the heat moderate and steady. If your kitchen thermometer has a clip, then clip that baby to the side of your pan – making sure that the thermometer stays about 1/2 inch off the bottom of the pan.

2.)     Stir gently until the temp hits 185. Pull the pan off the heat, and put the lid on.

3.)    Partially fill your sink with ice water and place the pot into the ice bath. Remove the lid and gently stir until the temp hits 115 or 110.

4.)     Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of yogurt.

5.)    In the oven: preheat your oven on the Warm setting (170-200 degrees). Once it’s hot, TURN OFF THE HEAT and put the lidded pot into the oven, wrapped in towels. Leave it in there for 7 hours. (Don’t open the door, or the heat will escape.)

With a heating pad: Swathe your lidded pot in the towel, place it on top of the heating pad on the Medium setting. Leave it there for 7 hours.

The idea is to keep the yogurt as close to 110 degrees as possible. That nice warm temp is encourages the cultures to do their thing.

6.)     I like Greek yogurt, and so I add the extra step of draining the yogurt before eating it. If you prefer a more traditional yogurt, feel free to skip this step. I drain my yogurt in coffee filters set into a sieve on top of a mixing bowl. The sieve rests on the bowl top, and keeps the yogurt solids out of the whey (the runny part). You could make a muslin bag or use cheesecloth to achieve the same effect. Scoop your yogurt into the filters or bag, and let it drain for 2 hours. At this point, I place the whole contraption in my fridge. Cooling the yogurt will cause the cultures to go dormant.

The draining part of this process is up to your discretion. My first batch I drained for two hours and it was slightly soupier than I like. My second batch I forgot about and drained overnight and it was a bit firmer than I like. Next time, I’ll hit somewhere in between.

After it’s drained, place it into a sealed container in your fridge, doctor up and enjoy. I made a strawberry sauce for mine, and have been enjoying them together. You could try honey, fresh fruit or granola.

7.)     Transfer the yogurt into a sealing container. Stir it a few times and pop it in your fridge. Once it’s cool you’re ready to eat!

Katie’s Strawberry Sauce

Ingredients;

2 cups strawberries

2/3 cup sugar

Put the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Spoon over what ever you like – I suggest yogurt or ice cream. You could also use honey or raw sugar if you prefer a less refined product.

I just spit chocolate muffin on my screen….

I ran across this site surfing through my Wednesday Morning Coffee™, accompanied by a home made chocolate muffin. (Recipe below because they’re amazing. Bonus – they’re wheat free.) It’s really funny and my computer has suffered for it. Not to mention I’m now entitled to a second muffin since I spit a good portion of this one onto my computer.

Warning: there is some profanity. So if you’re at work or have children who can read over your shoulder, you are warned.

Regretsy.com

Wheat Free, Gluten Free Chocolate Muffins That Taste Like Dessert

My recipe, which I invented yesterday inspired by the Gluten Free Goddess’ Chocolate Muffin recipe is below. My husband is allergic to wheat, and I’ve been learning how to bake gluten free things that actually taste good. It’s harder than it sounds, and you need an arsenal of flours to do it. However, once you get a good non-wheat flour mix down, you can really make some tasty baked goods. Some I even prefer to regular wheat containing baked goods because they  have a superior texture & don’t get gummy the next day.

The secret to the recipe below is that you need superfine Brown Rice Flour. Right now, it’s only available from Authentic Foods & it’s expensive to buy and ship. (But worth it if you can’t have wheat flour because the texture is far superior to the coarser ground stuff available in your local store.) Luckily Authentic Foods distributes through Amazon, so you can get it that way if you prefer.

If you have access to a super fast blender like a Vita Mix (my regular blender doesn’t cut it) you can blend regular brown rice flour into super fine rice flour in no time. Thanks Mom, for letting me use your Vita Mix!

1 1/2 C. Superfine Brown Rice Flour Mix*

1/2 C. cocoa powder

1 C. sugar

1 T. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

3/4 t. xanthan gum

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/2 C. canola oil

1/2 C milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Whisk all dry ingredients until well combined. Stir in wet ingredients, scraping down sides of the bowl as necessary.

Fill 12 muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven for 18-13 minutes. (It took me 21.)

Enjoy!

* This mix is from the book  Gluten-Free Baking Classics by Annelise Roberts. I highly recommend this book and use it all the time. Great baked goods from pound cake to cupcakes to pizza crust and sandwich bread. You can buy the mix from Authentic Foods or mix it yourself:

2 parts – Authentic Foods Brown Rice Flour Superfine (2 C.)

2/3 part – potato starch (2/3 C.)

1/3 part – tapioca flour (1/3 C.)

Bad Blogger….no cookie?!?!?!?

Hi, my name is Katie, and I am a bad blogger. Theoretically and philosophically speaking, I don’t and shouldn’t feel guilty about the frequency with which I blog – especially when compared to some of my other, better, more frequent blogging friends. I have no contract or agreement or even an unspoken rule about how often I blog. I’m completely free to blog whenever I feel the need. But…..in the pragmatic, day to day reality, I find myself doing other things and thinking about blogging….and then I feel guilty when it stays in my head and never makes to “print” so to speak. All that to say, I’ve written about 3 blog posts over the past 10 days, and now I’m feeling badly they haven’t actually shown up.

Now, I’m going to blog in chronological order, but backwards. Up for your viewing pleasure, my weekend activity: Baking Day. It’s an annual tradition where all the women in my extended family (Who live close enough to come and who’s schedule works out for that particular date and time.) gather at my mom’s house and bake massive amounts of sugar loaded, holiday treats. If it can be dipped in chocolate, festooned with sprinkles and further abused by sugar loaded decorative candies, it will. If it can be mixed, balled and baked, it will. If it’s bad for you, and contains all your recommended daily allowance of both sugar and cholesterol in a single serving, it’s present.

Baking Day is also an odd mix of fun, and frustration. I get a little frustrated when inevitably, the date is changed for the third time to accommodate this aunt, or that cousins schedule. It’s not that I’m a very busy person, or that it causes me actual inconvenience. I just get very confused when I walk up to my calendar and see Baking Day lovingly scrawled on three different dates in pen. Plus, there was the Great Baking Day Incident of 2006. Last year, my husband and my children attended Baking Day, as we had a Christmas party to attend at 7 pm that night. Long story short, Baking Day went at least 2 hours longer than planned and both my  husband and my mother lost their tempers right there in the middle of the cookies and chocolate coated pretzels. At least this year, that didn’t happen. We started earlier, and Nick stayed at home with the kids.

 On the pleasant side of Baking Day, I get to spend 6 uninterrupted hours chatting with my family in a warm house that smells of freshly baked cookies, surrounded by a dessert lover’s paradise. Since I love dessert, I’m very happy. This year I only ate two cookies during the entire 6 hours I was there. OK, I had two cookies and a rum truffle. But I can’t resist the truffles. I’ve thought about not baking them for Baking Day, so that I can keep the batch to myself….plus, they don’t travel that well if they’re not refrigerated (milk chocolate, heavy cream, liqueur….) but my dad loves them and actually hovers around while I’m putting them together. After all, he’s the only guy to have survived Baking Day year after year, and that’s definitely saying something.