Awesome and Easy GF Mini Cheesecakes

These little cheesecakes are SUPER easy to make and they are my absolute favorite dessert to add to any party. Of course, if you'd like to make a "glutenous" version you could make a traditional graham cracker crust and put in the bottom of each muffin tin. The advantage of these little mini cheesecakes is they are easy to serve and make a pretty display on the dessert buffet.

Ingredients:
shredded coconut or granola
fresh or frozen berries
16 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar (I use organic)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins and sprinkle with shredded coconut or gluten free granola. Place a few fresh or frozen blueberries or other berries over first layer.

Cream together softened cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Divide the mixture evenly among 12 muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until almost set in the middle. Cool completely.

Serving Variations:
-Garnish with fresh berries and whipped cream.
-Make a chocolate ganache by melting white chocolate chips and a little cream and smooth over cooled cheesecakes. Add fresh berries if you like.
-Make a fruit puree using fresh or frozen berries and dollop a little on top of cheesecake (prior to baking) and swirl together.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies are full fat and full of sugar but they are gluten free and super delicious. I've had several requests to share this recipe so here it is:

Cream with mixer two cubes of butter (softened).

Add:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup organic sugar
1 cup Peanut Butter

Cream together. Then Add:
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Cream again and add the following ingredients combined:
3 cups teff flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthum gum

Add chocolate chips to taste.

Roll into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. I use a meat mallet to "smash" or you could use a fork and make a criss cross pattern.

Bake in 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

Disclaimer: I am not a recipe expert, just a novice sharing ideas that help me provide options for my gluten free family. Enjoy!

Gluten-free Thai Chicken Salad

I really don't know where the original recipe for this salad came from. But I've always remembered the ingredients and when my husband stumbled upon the Gluten Free Thai Peanut Sauce from San-J we were so thrilled to start making this salad again.

Here's how it works:

Grill or stir fry your chicken. Toward the end of cooking baste chicken with Thai Peanut Sauce. Add to any type of lettuce. We use mixed greens or romaine lettuce and put out in individual serving bowls the following: Mandarin Oranges, Cashews, Green Onions, and Cilantro. Since everyone in our family has slightly different preferences they each build their own salad and dress with the Thai Peanut Sauce. Super yummy! And easy! A perfect last minute dinner.

Sugar Free Raspberry Jam

I guess you could say I've been on a sugar free kick, or rather a sugar free lifestyle change. I just don't feel that great when I eat sugar, so why bother? Well it's really hard to find sugar-free alternatives. And most of the time sugar-free recipes call for chemical replacements. I don't do sugar chemical replacements either, they make me feel worse. So when it was time to make our traditional raspberry jam this year I was in a quandry. I started doing some research and discovered I needed special pectin to make jam without sugar. I found Bernardin and I've been pleasantly surprised by the results. I made three variations of the same recipe. I like them all, but I think the Raspberry with Blueberries and Acai berry juice is pretty sweet. A little disclaimer here: my husband, a lemonade addict, says they're all kind of tart. So here you go if you're looking for an adventure in Sugar Free Raspberry Jam:

Raspberry w/ Apple Juice
3 cups raspberries
1 cup applejuice
1 packet bernardin pectin

Raspberry w/ Apricot Nectar
3 cups raspberries
1 cup sugar free apricot/pineapple nectar
1 packet barnardin pectin

Raspberry/Blueberry Jam w/ Acai Berry Juice
2 cups raspberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup Acai/blueberry juice
1 packet barnardin pectin

I'm sad to say the raspberry crop is gone now that we've had several nights of frost. We picked by headlamp last week when we realized the frost was coming. But it sure was fun while it lasted.

Want to find bernardin? Go to http://www.amazon.com/Bernardin-Pectin-No-Sugar-Needed/dp/B000FRVVJW

Need more recipe ideas? Go to http://www.homecanning.com/can/ALRecipes.asp?R=660

Gluten-free Dairy-free Egg-free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

I've been baking gluten-free creations for many years now. More recently I've been presented with the challenge of baking without dairy and eggs as well. When I started searching for a recipe online nothing came up that met my needs ... so I took a gluten-free recipe and adjusted it. I figure after making six ingredient changes and amount adjustments I can claim this as my own. Enjoy!

¾ cup sorghum flour
¾ cup almond meal (I used ground almonds)
¼ cup tapioca flour
¼ cup potato starch
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds
2 tablespoons flax seed meal whipped into ½ cup boiling water, let sit for 5 minutes
Juice from 1 lemon
1 cup almond milk (soy or rice milk would probably work fine)
½ cup agave syrup
8 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
Zest from one lemon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and oil muffin tins.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, xanthum gum, and poppy seeds.

3. In another bowl combine flax seed mixture, almond milk, agave, extra virgin coconut oil, vanilla and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Do not overmix.

4. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for about 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean. Makes 15 muffins.