Chewy Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies....Gluten Free Style :)

Before I made the gluten free change, this cookie was a wonderful treat! Soft and chewy, melt in your mouth gooey goodness! This recipe was found on a Land O Lakes butter carton. I recently made some (with wheat flour) for two special sisters going off to college this week and just had to try to make them gluten free. Oh my! They were just as good. I just substituted my Bob's Red Mill gluten free All Purpose Flour for the wheat flour (1:1) and added one teaspoon of xanthan gum.




Chewy Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies...Gluten Free

4 1/4 cups gluten free All purpose flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 (12 ounce) package chocolate chunks

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. Set aside.

Combine butter and sugars in a large bowl and beat at medium speed until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla..continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until light golden brown. Do not overbake. Let stand a couple minutes and then move to cooling rack.

This will make about 26 jumbo cookies.

You can make smaller cookies but I love the jumbo size!

Gluten Free Macaroni Salad

It has been 6 months since I have blogged. I must admit that I really have not missed it. Next week, we will start a new adventure in my home....I will begin homeschooling my daughters! This will be quite an adjustment. I hope to blog more this next year..about homeschooling and adding more gluten free recipes.

For this macaroni salad, I used Tinkyada brand Brown Rice Penne Pasta. This pasta does not get mushy, like some gluten free pastas can. I only measure the dressing ingredients. For the rest, just throw in however much you like.



Gluten Free Macaroni Salad

1 16 oz bag Tinkyada Brown Rice Penne Pasta, cooked according to package..rinse in cold water and drain thoroughly

Chopped green pepper, red pepper, celery

6 slices crispy, crumbled bacon

Frozen peas

diced cheddar cheese

For the Dressing

3/4 cup mayo..I use Hellman's because it says "Gluten free" on the bottle

1 T mustard

a little salt and pepper to taste

1 T apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

Mix all the dressing ingredients well

Combine it all in a big bowl (makes a lot), chill and enjoy!

Mashed Cauliflower

Ok, so I've wanted to mash cauliflower for a while now. I bought me a head of the white stuff and decided it was time. I kept the kids out of the kitchen while I cooked supper last night. Of course I was going to tell them it was cheesy mashed potatoes! I mean really...if I had told them what it really was, they would have never touched it. When they were finally allowed in the kitchen, the room was filled with ooohs and ahhhs! They thought it smelled so good in there and then came "Can I have a bite of mashed taters"..."Well SURE", I said happily. Boy you'd have thought they were the best mashed taters they'd ever put between their lips! So time to plate up supper. Daughter #1 dove right in! Daughter #2 nibbled a bit on everything. She was sick with the wonderful stomach bug, so eating still hasn't been a favorite of hers recently. Onto seconds for Daughter #1. Finally when she was just about done, I couldn't resist..I told her the harsh truth. I thought she was going to give me all of those cheesy mashed "taters" back! So anyway..she recovered and the next morning confessed..."Mama, they were good". So here ya go..my take on Mashed Cauliflower. Try it..you just might like it :)

Mashed Cauliflower

1 med-lg head cauliflower
2 cups chicken broth
4 T butter
2 T heavy cream
3/4 cup shredded gruyere cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
dash of nutmeg

Cut the cauliflower into small to medium size pieces and cover them with chicken broth into a pot. Boil until it is tender. Drain very well. Add butter, cream, cheeses, salt and pepper to taste, and nutmeg. Mash with electric hand mixer. Will be slightly lumpy...but good :)