Fudge With and Without Nuts

It is five o'clock in the morning on Christmas Eve as I write this entry. The heavy rain woke me up at three and after unsuccessfully attempting to go back to sleep, I got up and made the Christmas fudge. Making two batches of fudge made me think about making sure both of you had this recipe. That led to this, and so, in the manner of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, I am up and blogging about fudge.

This fudge is tried and true. I have been making it for years. It is the Carnation recipe and it goes as follows:

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup (5 fl.-oz. can) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 1/2 cups (9 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• LINE 8-inch-square baking pan with foil. Or use foil containers. I use small bread pan size containers to make fudge in chunks - like you would see at the candy store, then serve them on cutting boards with spreader knives at Christmas. Have your ingredients ready to go - if you have to take time to measure the chips, marshmallows, and nuts, you will risk dry fudge.
  
  COMBINE sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add immediately:
  
  STIR in marshmallows, morsels, nuts (omit nuts for nut free fudge) and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. Pour into prepared baking pan; refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan; remove foil. Wrap in air tight plastic wrap to preserve freshness. 
• This recipe can be found here, on the Carnation site. 

Two Aunties Apple Pie

This pie is special. It is a combination of several households coming together to make pie perfection. I have not made Auntie Amy's crust from GF flour yet, so I can't say how it would turn out. I am so taken with the Whole Foods prepared gluten free crust that it is my choice of crust for GF items these days.

But, the rest of this has been tried with GF flour and is amazing. Make two, you won't be sorry.

Auntie Amy's Pie Crust

2 cups flour (don't sift)
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup water
Minimal mixing and roll between wax paper.
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then add fruit and bake for time listed with pie or quiche recipe.

Auntie Ashlea's Apple Pie

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 T flour (use GF is gluten free)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
6 large baking apples (I like Granny Smith or Pink Lady)
2 T butter
2 T lemon juice

Mix flour, sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Toss with apples and dot with butter and lemon juice. Put this mixture into your crust. (Use Auntie Amy's Pie Crust recipe or Whole Foods prepared GF crust and follow baking instructions for either.) Then make streusel topping below.

Streusel Topping

1 cup of flour (GF if making it gluten free)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter

Mix with fork or pastry cutter till crumbly. Crumble over pie. Bake pie at 350 for 45 minutes or until done.

Thanksgiving Dressing and Gravy In Nana's Own Words

Thanksgiving Dressing and Gravy

At least one day ahead, bake a pan of cornbread following the recipe on any bag of cornmeal but be sure to use buttermilk. You can use white or yellow cornmeal but I prefer white. I recommend a 9 x 13 pan. Cover and let rest overnight. You can crumble the cornbread when it is cool enough to handle. Day of serving - Chop 1 onion, 3 stalks of celery. Add to crumbled cornbread. Add 2 eggs, well beaten, 2 cans of condensed cream of chicken (or celery) soup. Add salt, pepper, beau monde seasoning and mix well. This will be fairly stiff so add enough turkey broth to make juicy but not too soupy. Sorry I don't know how to really describe this consistency. Pour into a large baking dish and bake at 425 for appx 45 min. - 1 hour. 

To make this GF, just use GF cornbread and GF condensed soup (there is such a thing), or you can make your own. .

For gravy: You need a good sturdy metal whisk to make good gravy. If not, it will be lumpy. Saute 1 chopped onion in about 1 stick of butter until onion is pearly in color. Add white flour appx 1/4 cup and whisk until begins to cook Being careful not to burn. I use a medium high heat for this. Slowly add turkey broth, whisking all the time to keep any lumps from forming. Add salt and pepper to taste. Continue to whisk and cook until you reach the consistency you like. Turn down heat to warm to keep hot until serving, whisking occasionally to keep from burning. Good luck!

To make this GF, use GF flour. 

Gluten Free Hot Chocolate Mix

Gluten Free Hot Chocolate Mix

Ingredients

3 cups non-fat dry milk
2 cups (8 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
1-1/2 cups cocoa
1-1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Working in two batches, pulse the ingredients in a blender or food processor until the hot chocolate is finely ground.

We had a French Press of coffee standing by to make mocha along with caramel syrup, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and marshmallows for our Holiday Kick Off Hot Chocolate bar. Served along with a holiday movie and we were one happy family.

I do not always know the origin of recipes I post. Some have been around since I was a child and I have no idea where they originated. Some are more recent and I can site a source. In this case, I have included the link to the blog where I came across this little piece of hot chocolate heaven. Enjoy!

http://www.blissfullydelicious.com/2011/11/best-ever-hot-cocoa-mix/

Nana's GF Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

Gluten Free Sloppy Joes from Nana's House

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

½ cup GF ketchup

¼ bell pepper, chopped

1 ½ T. GF Worcester sauce (or Bragg's Liquid Amino)

1 ½ T. brown sugar

1 T. prepared mustard

1 T. Bragg's apple cider vinegar (it is GF)

¾ t. chili powder

Brown the beef with onion and garlic and drain.

Combine other ingredients in crock pot, add meat mixture.  Cover and cook on low in the crock pot for five hours. 

Serve on Udi gluten free hamburger buns - or any other favorite GF bun. 

Cousin Custard (or Natalie and Nicole's Special)

A recent visit from the Cheek girls left Whit and Addie craving more of this cousin-comfort food. My sweet nieces looked carefully for a recipe that was free of allergens and safe to share with their older cousins. I am told they carefully washed their hands and took great pains to keep the kitchen gluten free and safe from contamination while preparing this smash hit.

Baked Cousin Custard (No cousins are baked... just for the record.)

3 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon of gluten free vanilla
ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

Combine the eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Beat well - but not foamy. Put four 6-ounce custard cups or a 3 1/2-cup souffle dish into an 8x8x2 baking dish. Pour the custard mixture into the custard cups and sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg (if desired). Pour boiling water into the baking dish to 1".
Place in the oven on 325 for 30-45 (50-60 minutes if using a souffle dish). Serve warm or chilled.

Turn this into caramel flan by cooking 1/3 sugar over medium heat till sugar begins to melt - shake saucepan, but do not stir. Reduce heat to low and cook till sugar is golden brown - stir frequently. Divide sugar mixture into cups and tilt to coat bottoms. Let stand for 10 minutes and add egg mixture from above. Bake and serve. (You can turn these out onto a plate.)

Make this into rice pudding by adding 1 cup of cooked rice to mixture before cooking. Bake 45-55 minutes in a 1 and half quart casserole dish. Stir after 30 min minutes.

Thanks to the wonderful allergen-safe chefs, Natalie and Nicole Cheek, for sharing this delightful treat with Addie and Whit.

Gluten Free Donuts

These quick and easy donuts were the hit of the first day of spring this year. Whit made this batch. These donuts have a cake-like consistency and are delicious.

Dry Ingredients:
2 and 1/4 c. of GF flour (use your favorite kind or combine 2 types like I did)
3/4 c. plus 2 T. of sugar
3 and 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg

Wet ingredients:
2 eggs
1 t. GF vanilla
1 c. milk
1/2 c. oil

Mix the dry ingredients together. You could also make several batches of the dry and have them in individual storage bags with the recipe attached for a quick start on another day.

Combine 2 eggs and 1 t. of vanilla and beat on medium speed. Add 1 c. of milk and 1/2 c. of oil, continue to beat, but turn it down to low. Add your dry ingredient mixture and combine well.

Spray or lightly coat your donut maker with oil. Scoop the batter into your donut maker and watch carefully. These may take a little extra time to cook through due to the cake-like texture. They are very easy and have a wonderful consistency - even those who do not have to eat gluten free will like this recipe.
While they are still warm,  dip them in the glaze.

Glazed donuts: Mix a cup of powdered sugar with a TINY bit of milk and use a whisk or fork to get the lumps out. Dip the donuts in, turn, remove, and allow to cool on a plate or waxed paper. If you are adding sprinkles, add them before the glaze has set (immediately after dipping).

Chocolate glazed donuts: Just add cocoa to the glaze above and whisk in well. We used Hershey dark chocolate cocoa. It was nirvana. We only glazed one side of these, as it was pretty sweet and the glaze was thicker. Just dip one side in and lay on a plate to cool.

Cinnamon and Sugar: This is my favorite kind of donut. It is super easy. Just mix up some granulated sugar (NOT the powdered sugar used for the glaze above) and cinnamon. Then dip the hot donut in, turn, and allow to cool.

Powdered Sugar Donut: Dip the donut in powdered sugar and turn, allow to cool

Enjoy Whit's donut shop recipes! He had a fantastic time making these today. 

Mommy's Best Gluten Free Banana Bread

I have been making this banana bread for over twenty years and it always turns out lovely and delicious. When our household had to go gluten free, I know that we had some family recipes that were difficult to make-over, but this bread recipe is just as yummy made gluten and dairy free.

Use rice milk in place of the dairy milk if desired.

1 3/4 c. gluten free flour blend of your choice (Trader Joe brand or Namaste is what I use most)
1 1/4 t. baking powder (make sure it's GF)
1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
Mix the above ingredients and set aside.

2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. shortening
2 eggs
2 T. milk of your choice
1 c. mashed banana

Beat the sugar and the shortening with a mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, and then the milk. Beat till smooth. Add the dry four blend and the mashed banana alternately - starting and ending with the dry ingredients. (You should put in about 1/3 of the dry, blend, add 1/2 the banana, blend, add another 1/3 of the dry, blend, then the last of the banana, blend, then the last of the dry, blend.)

Pour into a greased bread pan and bake on 350 for about an hour. Check the bread as you get close to the hour mark so it doesn't get too brown or dry.

Enjoy!

Uncle Matt and Auntie Amy's Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Made Gluten Free

This is the gluten free version of Uncle Matt's famous cheesecake that he makes for many family events. Recently, you guys went to their house for a birthday party. Daddy and I had to work, so you went with Nana and Papa. Auntie Amy had made you guys your own gluten free cheesecake in a smaller version of this recipe. You guys were so impressed, you brought the recipe home and begged for one. As I am typing this, one is in the oven baking. I hope you enjoy it and I hope having the recipe here will be helpful for you in the future. Bon Appetit!

1 and 1/4 lb. GF Oreo-type chocolate sandwich crème cookies (2/3 crushed, 1/3 chunked) (2 packages of cookies)
3 T. melted butter

Mix together the melted butter and the crushed cookies and press into the pan.

4-8 oz. of cream cheese
1 cup of sour cream
4 eggs
1 and 1/4 cup sugar
2 T. vanilla

Soften cream cheese in microwave for 2 minutes and beat, then add sugar and vanilla.
Blend in sour cream. Add eggs one at a time. Pour half of the mixture on top of the crust. Then add the chunked cookies and pour the rest of the mixture in.

Bake at 350* for an hour to an hour and 10 minutes.
Refrigerate.