Celiac.com 03/25/2017 - Looking for a reasonably healthy snack for the kids, or an easy way to make a hit at your next gathering? These classic peanut butter bars are just like they used to serve in school; except they're gluten-free. Yes, that's a good thing.

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs (I use Kinnikinnick Crumbs - Graham Style Gluten Free)
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1½ cups peanut butter
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 (12 ounce) bag milk chocolate chips

Directions:
Combine gluten-free graham crumbs, sugar and peanut butter and mix well.

Add melted butter and mix well.

Press mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave or in double boiler.

Spread melted chocolate over peanut butter mixture.

Chill until the chocolate sets, but is not totally hard, then cut into bars.

Celiac.com 03/15/2017 - Looking for an easy, reasonably nutritious snack? These no-bake honey and oat peanut butter bars are just the ticket. Quick to make, no-bake, and easy to take on the go, these bars also happen to be gluten-free and plenty tasty.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup any gluten-free oatmeal
• ¾ cup chunky natural peanut butter
• ⅓ cup thick honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¾ cup powdered milk
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup chocolate chips, to garnish

Directions:
Mix all ingredients, except chocolate chips, add more powdered milk and oats as needed

Spread evenly on a cookie sheet.

Top with chocolate chips and/or seeds. Press down to make sure they stick.

Cut into squares.

Chill for 30 minutes, then cut and serve.

Celiac.com 12/07/2016 - With the holiday season upon us baking is on everyone’s mind. Homes are filling with excitement and the families are planning big meals, and visits and gatherings of family and friends. We are well aware that pie is an ever popular dessert but how about something different this season that adheres to the Paleo template! These Dark Cocoa Tahini Cookies will delight everyone as a clean and healthy, fresh change to their senses.

Dutch-processed cocoa is an unsweetened cocoa powder which is a bit darker than natural cocoa and has its natural acids neutralized with an alkali. This reduces that common bitter flavor and lends a milder and mellower flavor. Dutch-processed cocoa dissolves quicker than natural cocoa. I also find that I can use less of this when I am developing recipes and I get a deep rich chocolate type flavor I am going for that I just love.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons organic, 100% Dutch Processed organic cocoa powder
• 4 tablespoons Lakanto or Zensweet
• ¼ cup finely ground hazelnut flour
• ¼ cup tapioca flour
• ¼ cup organic tahini
• 6 sweet Medjool dates, pureed
• 5 free-range Grade A large eggs
• 2 drops stevia
• OPTIONAL: Nuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
2. Combine first 4 dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl and mix well.
3. In a second bowl, add the eggs and whisk well.
4. Add the remaining wet ingredients to the eggs and mix well on medium with a hand mixer, then high.
5. Gently fold the ingredients from the second bowl into the dry ingredients and stir well to blend.
6. Place tablespoon-sized drops of batter onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.
7. Standard bake (not convection) in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until cooked (ovens vary in cooking).
8. Enjoy!

Next week I'm heading out to hike from village-to-village in Ecuador and the Inca Trail, including Machu Picchu, in Peru. My ZIX Cookies Panforte is on both my packing and gift lists. I slice the Panforte thin and wrap for nibbling on the trail and I slice into wedges for gifts to friends I make along my journey. Wrapped tightly, the treat lasts for months. I’m heading out for 3 months.

Ingredients:
Nuts and fruit:
1 cup whole toasted hazelnuts
½ cup whole toasted almonds
5 oz. dried figs
3 oz. citron (candied Buddha hand fruit)

Dry Ingredients:
½ cup sorghum flour
¼ cup tapioca flour
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. chopped or crushed fennel seeds
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

Liquid ingredients (kinda!)
2/3 c. honey
2/3 c. sugar

Instructions:
Pre-heat your oven to 300F, then;
Prep your baking pan:

1. Use an eight inch spring form pan (if possible). A cake pan can work but it’s more difficult to get the panforte out (of the pan). You can also use a 9 inch spring form pan. Cut rice paper to fit the inside bottom of the pan. You can use parchment paper but it’s sometimes hard to peel off the bottom of the panforte after baking. Melt a couple tablespoons of butter and brush the bottom of the pan liberally. The add the rice paper circle and brush with butter again. Then brush the sides of the pan with any remaining butter. Set aside.
2. Prep your nuts and fruits: Chop the whole figs and citron into ¼ inch pieces and put into a large bowl.
3. Add the whole nuts to the bowl with the figs and citron.
4. Prep your dry ingredients: In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients and whisk to mix well.
5. Then dump the mixed dry ingredients into the nut and fruit bowl. Mix thoroughly with a large spoon.
6. Prep your wet ingredients: Ok, now for the fun part. Put your honey and sugar in a medium size sauce pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a full boil (one that you can’t stir down). Boil for a quick 15 second count. Quickly dump your bowl of mixed ingredients into the saucepan and mix ingredients together quickly (like in 30 seconds or less). You need to complete stirring before the honey/sugar syrup cools (and gets too hard to spread). Put the wet mixture into the spring form pan and spread out to the edges and as evenly as possible. Don’t stress or forget to breathe! We’re having fun, right?

Put the pan into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes (for 8 inch pan) or 25-30 for a 9 inch pan. The batter will done on the sides and slightly bubbling in the middle. If uncertain how the baking is progressing, under bake a bit rather than over bake. The honey/sugar syrup when over baked makes a rather ‘hard’ panforte.

Let the panforte set (to warm) on a rack. Then run a knife around the edge of the panforte and release the spring form pan. Once the panforte is totally cool you can ‘pry’ it from the bottom (of the spring form pan).

Panforte is then ready to cut in wedges and wrap for gifts or for bike rides or hikes or with coffee or tea. One 8 inch panforte, because of its richness, can serve a pretty big group (at least a dozen).

Here's a recipe for delicious soft, chewy, gluten-free gingersnaps that will put a holiday smile on your face and have people begging for more.

Ingredients:
¾ cup shortening
1½ cups brown sugar
2 eggs
⅓ cup molasses
⅓ cup white sugar
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2¾ cups gluten-free flour mix
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Mix the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, and baking soda together in one bowl.

Cream the butter and sugar in another bowl. This works best with an electric mixer. If you are doing it by hand, make sure the butter is soft.

Add the eggs, then molasses (Plantation Barbados unsulphured molasses gets high marks, so I use that for this particular recipe), then apple cider vinegar to the creamed butter and sugar.

Add the spices, and slowly, stir in the combined dry ingredients until the mixture is just blended. The dough should be somewhat firm, so add more or less flour as needed. I usually bake a test cookie or two to get it just right.

Roll the dough into small balls (about one inch). Place them on a greased cookie sheet, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on your oven. Watch the first batch carefully, to judge how much time to give them.

Here's the recipe for my basic gluten-free flour:

Gluten-free flour mix:

1 part white rice flour
1 part tapioca starch
1 part cornstarch

I find it convenient to mix a large batch ahead of time, and then store it in an airtight container.

Here's my tasty Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie Recipe just in time for the holidays.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and Vegan Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose gluten free flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance Vegan Butter Sticks, softened
• 1 cup sugar or sugar substitute such as Stevia
• Egg Substitute for 1 large egg
• 2 tsp. almond extract
• 1/4 cup almond milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy, then add egg substitute, almond extract and almond milk; mix well. Add flour mixture to the wet mixture; mix well.
3. Scoop dough into balls. Place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; set aside to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

This recipe was converted from Kilograms to USA measurements.

Ingredients:

• Butter - 5 oz. or 0.625 Cups
• Potato Starch - 0.55 Cups
• Sugar Castor - 0.37 Cups
• Cocoa Powder - 1.75 Tablespoons
• Dark Treacle - 2 Tablespoons
• Glucose - 2 Tablespoons
• Glycerine - 1.75 Tablespoons
• Egg - 1.37 oz.
• Ammonium Bicarbonate - 0.66 Teaspoon
• Sodium Bicarbonate - 0.42 Teaspoon
• Salt - 0.42 Teaspoon
• Maize starch cornflour - 0.39 Cup
• Rice flour - 0.30 Cup
• Soy Flour - 0.22 Cup
• Water
• Dark & White Choc Chunks - 10.31 oz.

Directions:

• Add butter, sugar, cocoa powder and potato starch to blender and mix high speed 4 mins.
• Add glycerine, treacle and glucose and mix for 2 mins on medium speed.
• Add egg slowly whilst mixing.
• Add both baking powders & salt and mix for 2 mins on medium.
• Blend in maize starch, soy flour, and rice flour.
• Add water while mixing on slow speed.
• Add choc chunks and mix for 2 mins on medium speed.
• Leave dough to stand at room temperature for 30 mins.
• Flatten and spread dough (approx 1“high) on bench with non stick paper.
• Use a glass (approx 3”diam) to cut cookie dough pieces and place on wire backing tray.
• Bake in oven pre-heated to 220 degrees for 20 mins. Remove and cool for 20 mins at room temperature.

Optional:
Substitute Inclusions within the mix of chocolate chunks and use nuts, milk chocolate chunks or fruit pieces but ensure the combined mix weight remains at 10.31 Ounces. Chocolate Enrobe the baked cookies when they have cooled by heating your favourite gluten free chocolate and either drizzling stripes over each cookie or by covering all over—place the cookies on a wire baking tray when enrobing—place in a refrigerator for 20 minutes to set.

This is especially great if you have kids with celiac, who may need nutritional supplements like fiber, but have to be wary of gluten. The recipe is flexible, so if you’re feeling particularly adventurous in the kitchen, you might even try adding in your own favorite ingredients or taking any out to accommodate even the pickiest of eaters! And best of all, the end result is a dessert that will give you the fiber you need, in a form you love. After all, who doesn’t want a cookie? Particularly with these ingredients...brown sugar, almonds, dried fruit (or any substitute of your choice), and maple syrup.

Ingredients:
2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup Konsyl Original psyllium fiber
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup or more of any of the following: walnuts, almonds, pecans, Brazil nuts or any other nut, coconut flakes, dates, raisins, dried cherries, dried cranberries or any other dried fruit
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp coconut oil or melted butter
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F.

Spray a 9x13 cookie sheet.

Mix oats, Konsyl, sugar, salt and nuts (reserve dried fruits for later).

Bring syrup, oil, water, cinnamon and vanilla to a low simmer in a sauce pan.

Drizzle on oat mixture and stir.

Pour onto cookie sheet, squeezing and pinching to make clusters.

Bake 20 minutes. Stir and add in dried fruit. Bake 5 more minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Since I fell in love with the homemade lavender biscotti from my favorite coffee shop in San Francisco, I’ve been trying to incorporate this distant cousin of mint into my cooking. Lavender is easily found in specialty food stores or online, and a little goes a long way. This recipe for shortbread makes about 30 delectable cookies. It’s important to chill the dough; it will be firm and easier to work with.

Ingredients:
1½ cups almond meal flour, plus extra for dusting
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons dried lavender flowers, chopped
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup sugar
8 tablespoons butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces
½ teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a medium bowl, combine honey, sugar, and butter with a mixer or spoon.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, lavender and salt. Add to butter mixture and stir until you have soft dough.

Transfer dough to a dusted cutting board, roll into a ball and wrap in plastic. Chill for 30 minutes.

Roll out chilled dough about ¼-inch thick and score into rectangles. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool to room temperature and serve.

Ingredients:
3 cups gluten-free baking mix (for these, I like Pamela’s brand)
2 cups sugar
1 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (check for gluten-free)
1 ½ cups dried cranberries
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 egg
Pinch of salt

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine sugar, butter, orange zest, vanilla and egg.

Slowly add sugar and butter mixture to a larger bowl with baking mix, cinnamon and salt. Gently stir until well-combined. Fold in cranberries and coconut flakes. Cover and refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Preheat over to 350° F and grease or line 2 baking sheets. Roll firmed dough into about 30 1-2-inch balls and align on sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup confectioner’s sugar (plus more for dusting finished cookies)
• ½ cup pecans
• ¼ cup sweetened, flaked coconut (optional)
• ½ cup butter or non-dairy alternative, room temperature (e.g. Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)
• 1 tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. orange zest or peel (optional)
• 1 cup Jules Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour
• ¼ tsp. salt

Directions:

Using a large food processor, pulse the confectioner’s sugar, pecans, and coconut until the pecans are finely chopped and tossed well with the sugar.

Using an electric mixer or the food processor, beat together the butter and pecan mixture until fully integrated. Beat in the vanilla and the orange zest. Slowly add the flour and salt, beating or pulsing until blended and a soft dough is formed.

Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate until cold and firm, not sticky – at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325° F (static).

Scoop cold dough into large teaspoon-sized balls and roll between your palms to form a round ball. Place each formed ball onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown slightly. Remove to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

Sift approximately ½ cup confectioner’s sugar into a small flat-bottomed bowl, then gently toss each cookie in the bowl to lightly coat with sugar and serve.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies, depending on size.

Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups gluten-free flour (optional: Bistro Blend All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour*)
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (combo of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp xanthan gum
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar, plus more for rolling or sprinkling
1 egg
1/3 cup molasses

Directions:
Mix gluten-free flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda and xanthan gum in a bowl, set aside.

In a stand mixer, mix melted butter, sugar, egg and molasses for about 2 minutes or until well combined. Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture until well combined.Remove dough from mixer, shape into a large ball and cover completely in parchment paper. Store in the refrigerator for 2 hours or more.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Remove chilled dough from fridge, and scoop out dough 2 tablespoons at a time. Roll into balls and then roll the dough balls in a small bowl of sugar. Arrange on parchment lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 to 3 inches between each cookie.Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack.

*The Bistro Blend is a blend of whole grain flours [eco-farmed brown rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, buckwheat flour, organic coconut flour, xanthan gum].