Pillsbury has Gluten-Free Products!

Realizing that gluten free does not mean carb free, I still keep my eyes out for products that might serve well on both dietary lists: the gluten free and the diabetic.

A few months ago I stumbled upon a gluten free product that actually managed to lower the carb count for some foods I adore. Pillsbury offers a line of gluten free doughs for cookies and pie crusts. They are in the refrigerated section of the grocery, near the other cookie, pastry, and biscuit offerings.

Pillsbury has been kind enough to share some recipes that make use of these products. I recently stumbled across one that sounds quite tasty, and I plan to try it out.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients:
1 container Pillsbury TM Gluten Free refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

24 miniature chocolate-covered peanut butter cup candies, preferably also gluten free, unwrapped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.

Place mini paper baking cups in each of 24 mini muffin cups. Spray paper baking cups with cooking spray.

Place 1 level measuring tablespoonful of cookie dough in each paper baking cup.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until dark golden brown. Immediately press one peanut butter candy into the center of each cookie cup.

Cool 10 minutes. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

Bon appetite!

–Ann Cathey

Slow Cooker Recipes from Crock-Pot #5

I like to use slow cooker liners. Whenever I buy a box of them, there is invariably a little handout inside that includes a few recipes. They are great for folks starting out with slow cookers!

This sweet treat is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Apple Crisp
Cook time on Low: 4 hours
Cook time on High: 2 hours
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:
6 cups apples, thinly sliced
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp flour
2 cups bread crumbs, softened
1Tbs cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1 lemon, juice and zest

Directions:
1. In a large bowl combine apples, granulated sugar, flour, and lemon zest.
2. In another bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and bread crumbs.
3. In the stoneware, layer one third of the bread crumb mixture, then one third of the apple mixture. Repeat layers of bread crumbs and apples and finish with a layer of breadcrumbs on top.
4. Cook as preferred until bubbly.

Notes:
While the recipe above does not specify how to soften the breadcrumbs, a tablespoon or two of a sweet white wine, hard cider, or mead are on my list to try out.

A dash of vanilla may be added to increase the richness of the dish, if desired.

Choose your apples according to what end result you want. Golden Delicious will add to the sweetness and be softer. Granny Smiths will give the dish a tart dash and cook up a little firmer.

Pears, raspberries, and blueberries will each add it’s own flavor signature to this dish. Experiment and see which you like best.

Peeling the apples is entirely up to you. The best nutritional value is found in the skins, but we are talking about a dessert dish, after all.

Adding a tablespoon of wheat germ to the breadcrumb mixture is a good way to add additional roughage to dish.

Serve like a traditional apple pie: shred a little cheddar on top while it’s hot, and sidecar with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream. Think I am crazy? Try it and find out!

— Ann Cathey

Quick Eggless Brownies

I’ve been playing with recipes to create goodies for friends who are allergic to specific foods like eggs or nuts. This particular research was geared towards making brownies for a little boy who is allergic to eggs. I found a lot of helpful suggestions out there. After test cooking what I felt were the best of them, this is the simplest idea I came up with.

In choosing the brownie mix to be used, check the packaging to make sure that no eggs are either in the mix or have come in contact with it. Generally if a brownie mix calls for eggs, there won’t be any egg in the dry mix. Sometimes, however, the allergy statement may mention eggs.

No-Egg Pumpkin Brownies

Take 1 package of dry brownie mix (10-15oz) and one 15oz can of pure pumpkin. Mix them thoroughly. At first it may seem like there is not enough moisture, but you should find that there is plenty.

Turn the mixture out into a 9×9 pre-greased pan. Make sure to spread the dough around evenly. Bake in a pre-heated 325F oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the dish comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for a few minutes before turning out or cutting into servings.

The resulting brownies are not cake-like. The finished confection has a dense, bread-like texture that is chewy without being tough. The pumpkin flavor is evident without outweighing the chocolate. The brownies are surprising in quality and level of satisfaction according to a est audience of more than 30 individuals.

If you prefer to make your brownies from scratch, go get your favorite recipe. Mix us all the dry ingredients and use a can of pumpkin in place of the wet ingredients. Nuts, chocolate bits, mini marshmallows, and even a bit of cinnamon may be added to taste for a variety of brownie options.

If you give this no-egg recipe a try, please drop a line here and let us know how it turns out!

— Ann Cathey