Rocky Road Cups

A cup of gooey marshmallows and chopped almonds in divine chocolate. Super easy to make and super good to eat!

Makes 3 dozen cups




Ingredients:
4 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/3 cup almonds

Directions:
1. Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside
2. In a Cuisinart, chop almonds until they are as small as you like. I left my in little slivers because I like some crunch.
3. Melt all the chocolate in the microwave at 30 second increments, stirring after each burst.
4. Combine the melted chocolate, marshmallows, and almonds together.
5. Drop bits of the chocolate mixture into the prepared muffin pan by the tablespoon.
6. Refrigerate for 1 hour until chocolate is hardened. 

Black and White Cupcakes (gluten free)

GF chocolate cupcakes dipped in ganache with some coconut butter cream and coconut shavings to top it off. They aren't as complicated as they sound :) Makes 16 cupcakes
Ingredients:
Chocolate Cake:
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch or cornstarch
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup can sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xantham gum
1 cup warm coffee
1 egg
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar

Chocolate Ganache:
6 oz chocolate, can be chocolate chips or even hershey dark chocolate bars
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Coconut butter cream:
1/2 cup of coconut plus 1/2 cup extra for sprinkling on top
1 stick of butter-room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake pan with 16 liners
2.To make the chocolate cupcakes, place all of the cake ingredients in a large bowl. Mix for 2 minutes until the batter is smooth.
3. Using a small ice cream scoop, plop the batter into the prepared baking cups. Bake for 16-18 minutes
4. While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the ganache. Put the chocolate pieces or chips in a medium bowl. Place the heavy cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour cream over chocolate pieces and mix until the chocolate is melted and incorporated. Let sit for 20-30 minutes
5. Next. make the butter cream. In another medium bowl, beat the butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Do not over beat, just until smooth and incorporated. Add 1/2 cup of coconut flakes into the butter cream. Beat for 30 seconds.
6. Have the other 1/2 cup of coconut flakes in a small bowl ready for dipping
7. When cupcakes are completely cooled, dip and swirl the tops in ganache.
8. Pipe a tablespoon of butter cream on top of ganache.
9. Dip cupcakes in coconut flakes and gently push the coconut flakes into the butter cream.
10. Ready for eating! They are really light and fluffy.

Fabu Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten free)

Fabu Chocolate Chip Cookies from my last post but modified to be gluten free. They are so delicious and fluffier than the cookies with wheat flour. Gluten Free never tasted so good!


Absolutely fabulous chocolate chip cookes modified from the New York Times recipe

Time: 45 minutes, plus at least 24 hours' chilling
Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup sorghum flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks of butter at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces Baker's chocolate squares- I used 2oz white chocolate, 4 oz unsweetened, 4 oz semi sweet chocolate.

Directions:
1. Chop Baker's chocolate into small chunks.Combine the different chocolates in a bowl and set aside.
2. Sift gluten free flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
3. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and both sugars together uintil very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Drop chocolate pieces and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours.
4. Take out 10-15 minutes before baking so the dough gets soft enough to make into balls. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a couple of tablespoons or small ice cream scoop, drop dough balls onto sheet. Bake for 10-14 minutes until golden brown but still soft. Let sit on the baking sheet for 1 minute then transfer to wire rack or plate.

Fabu Chocolate Chip Cookies (Regular)

Absolutely fabulous chocolate chip cookes modified from the New York Times recipe

Time: 45 minutes, plus at least 24 hours' chilling
Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/3 wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks of butter at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces Baker's chocolate squares- I used 2oz white chocolate, 4 oz unsweetened, 4 oz semi sweet chocolate.

Directions:
1. Chop Baker's chocolate into small chunks.Combine the different chocolates in a bowl and set aside.
2. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
3. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and both sugars together uintil very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Drop chocolate pieces and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours.
4. Take out 10-15 minutes before baking so the dough gets soft enough to make into balls. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a couple of tablespoons or small ice cream scoop, drop dough balls onto sheet. Bake for 10-14 minutes until golden brown but still soft. Let sit on the baking sheet for 1 minute then transfer to wire rack or plate.
5. Eat Up!

My Gluten Free Journey

I started baking when I was 12 and dreamed of becoming a famous pastry chef. In January of this year, I got pretty sick. I lost a lot of weight and didn't have enough energy to make it through a school day. We went to the doctor and found out that I am gluten, dairy, and red meat intolerant. That meant that for the rest of my life, I can not eat flour, milk, or butter which are the main ingredients in baked goods. I thought that my baking dreams were over. Boy was I wrong! Becoming gluten free only fueled my baking dreams. I had to experiment with what flours work well together and the different substitutions needed when baking gluten and dairy free. I also had to learn how to tell if a "regular" batter was made correctly and tasted good without actually tasting it. That was hard at first but you can tell by the texture and smell and how it rises in the oven. Becoming gluten free expanded my horizons of baking and has made me a better baker.

                               Any negative can be made a positive,
                                                    Raina

Little Monster Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
- 12 vanilla cupcakes baked in orange, green, and purple paper
- 12 mini vanilla cupcakes, paper liners removed
- 1 can (16 oz) vanilla frosting
- Neon green, orange, and purple food coloring
- 24 mini lollipops (Dum Dums), unwrapped
- 24 peach or green apple gummy rings (O’s)
- 24 brown mini candy coated chocolates (M&M’s Minis)
- 12 assorted color candy-coated chocolates (M&M’s Minis)
Directions:
1. Spoon 2 tablespoons vanilla frosting into a small ziplock bag. Divide the remaining vanilla frosting among three bowls and tint each a different color with the food coloring. Spoon each color of frosting into a separate ziplock bag, press out the excess air, and seal the bags.
2. Insert a lollipop stick through a gummy ring, pushing it through the candy from the center to outer edge. Bring the gummy ring up around the lollipop, like a bonnet, to make the eyes. Continue with the remaining gummy rings and lollipops.
3. Snip a small (1/8-inch) corner from the bags with the frostings. Pipe a dot of tinted frosting on top of the standard cupcakes. Place a mini cupcake on top, flat side down. Starting at the edge of the standard cupcake and using the tinted frosting, pipe furn with a squeeze-release-pull action. Continue until the entire exposed cupcake assembly is covered. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes and colored frosting.
4. Insert 2 like-colored lollipop eyes into the top of each cupcake assembly. Pipe a dot of vanilla frosting in the center of each lollipop and add a brown candy for the pupil. Add a colored candy to the top of the frosting for the nose. Repeat with the remaining lollipop eyes and cupcakes.
*****
STRING MONSTER VARIATION:
Follow steps 1 and 2 above. Snip a small (1/8-inch) corner from the bags with the frosting. Pipe a dot of tinted frosting on top of the standard cupcakes. Place a mini cupcake on top, flat side down. Pipe the tinted frosting all over the cupcakes to make the string, making sure to cover cupcakes completely. Continue with step 4 above.
*****

recipe from what's new cupcake book

Lemon Bars

 

Serves 16
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 45 min





Ingredients
Crust:
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
Pinch salt
2 sticks butter, at room temperature

Filling:
4 eggs
2 Cups granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 by 13 pan or 10 by 10 inch pan.
To make the crust, combining the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter to make a crumbly mixture. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
While that is baking, make the filling. Mix the eggs, granulated sugar, flour, and lemon juice. This mixture may separate if you let it sit so just mix it again right before you pour it. Pour the filling over the baked crust and bake for 25 minutes longer. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar when the bars are done.

Homemade Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

Makes 3 dozen cups
1 cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup light brown sugar
1¼ cups powdered sugar
4 cups milk chocolate chips, divided
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1. Line a mini-muffin tin with paper liners; set aside. Line a baking with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the peanut butter, butter and brown sugar over medium heat. Heat until completely melted and starting to bubble a little, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Add the powdered sugar a ¼ cup at a time, stirring until completely combined with the peanut butter mixture after each addition. Set aside and let cool.
3. Meanwhile, melt the 2 cups of the chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons shortening together in the microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments, until completely melted, stirring after each burst.
4. Using a small cookie scoop or a couple of teaspoons, spoon melted chocolate into the bottom of each lined muffin cup.
5. Use a heaping teaspoon to scoop out the peanut butter mixture. Roll it into a ball, and then flatten it slightly into a disk. Place on the prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once finished with all of the peanut butter mixture, refrigerate both the muffin tins and the peanut butter patties for about 30 minutes.
6. Place a peanut butter patty on top of each chocolate-lined muffin tin. Then melt the other 2 cups of chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons shortening together in the microwave at 30 second increments until melted, stirring after each burst. Once melted, use a small cookie scoop to spoon the melted chocolate on top of the peanut butter cup.
7. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes, then they’re ready to serve! Store in the refrigerator or freezer. You can keep at room temperature in an airtight container if you’re going to serve them the same day, but they’ll start to get soft if not at cool room temperature.

No-Bake Fudge Kisses

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons Hershey Cocoa powder
1/2 cup of milk
2 cups of sugar
dash of salt
1/2 cup of peanut or almond butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 cups of dry oatmeal

1. To make, combine cocoa, milk, sugar, and salt in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minutes then remove from heat.
2. Add peanut butter, vanilla, and 3 cups oatmeal to the cocoa mixture.
3. Stir together. The cookies should be thick but still have a little moisture. If too thin add another 1/2 to 1 cup of oatmeal.
4. Using a small ice cream scoop, drop cookies by the tablespoon onto a 3 ft. long sheat of parchment or wax paper.
5. They are the best when still warm but are also good cooled.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes: 12 muffins

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled slightly
6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line muffin tray with 12 regular size baking cups.
• In a medium bowl, stir flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together with a wire whisk until combined.
• In another bowl, stir sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla and melted butter. Stir until combined.
• Stir in chocolate chunks and divide batter into baking cups.
• Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until done.
• Makes 12 regular or 9 larger muffins. Bake a couple minutes longer for taller muffins

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

8 oz. Belgian dark chocolate (or use your favorite dark chocolate bars)

1/2 cup organic light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup organic white cane sugar 

          1/2 cup very hot strong coffee (or use espresso powder in very hot water)
          1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces

1 tablespoon unsweetened organic cocoa powder

4 large organic free-range eggs, at room temperature

1/2 tablespoon bourbon vanilla extract- yes, a tablespoon!

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Prepare a 8x8 springform pan by lining the bottom with buttered parchment

Break up the dark chocolate into pieces and pour the chocolate into the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until the chocolate breaks up into small bits. Add the sugar. Pulse until the chocolate and sugar turns into an even, sandy grain.

Pour the hot water or coffee slowly into the feed tube as you pulse again. Pulse until the chocolate is melted. Magic!

Add the butter pieces and the cocoa powder, and pulse to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla, and process till smooth. The batter will be liquid and creamy.

Pour the batter into the lined Springform pan. Wrap the outside of the whole pan with a big piece of foil. Bake at 350º F in the center of the oven, till puffed and cracked and lovely - about 45 to 55 minutes.  Use a wooden toothpick to check the center of the cake; pick should emerge clean, with maybe a crumb.

Place the cake pan on a wire rack to cool. The cake will deflate. Don't worry! When cooled a bit, press down on it gently with a spatula to make it even, if you wish. Or not.

When the cake is completely cooled, cover, and chill it for at least three hours (best up to eight hours), until serving. Overnight is even better.

Serve thin slices with drizzled chocolate sauce or a sprinkle of sifted powdered sugar. .

Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/01/flourless-chocolate-cake_11.html#ixzz25WRVgsoy

Welcome to My Blog!

My name is Raina. I'm 16 years old and an aspiring pastry chef. I will post recipes on a regular basis, some of which will be gluten free. I have been baking since I was 13 when I was asked to make a birthday cake for my brother. The cake turned out great and since then I have not stopped baking.