Grandma Billie's Pecan Sandies AKA Wedding Cookies

My Grandma Billie made these for me ever since I was a little girl. This is my second Christmas without her - I think about her a lot, but especially at the holidays. She taught me to make bows from spools of ribbon and while she wasn't the best baker (her chocolate chip cookies were famous for being, well, not that good), she always came through when it came to these amazing little bits of powdered heaven. She also made a mean coconut cake (a post for another day - she usually pulled that one out at Easter). So, here is Grandma's recipe. I have to change the flour to a GF flour blend and omit the nuts for Whit, but for everyone else, here is the original.

Grandma's Wedding Cookies

Preheat oven to 300*

1 cup butter
1/4 to 1/3 cup confectioners sugar
2 t. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped nuts
1 T. water

Put all ingredients together and mix. Shape into balls and slightly press them. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 20 minutes. Roll in confectioners sugar and serve.

Gluten and Nut Free Christmas Crack AKA Salted Chocolate Pretzel Bark

My sister makes an amazing recipe she calls "Christmas Crack" and I love it, but it was full of gluten and thus did not make my holiday goodie list. I have revised her recipe and use gf pretzels in place of the crackers she uses to make this gf version - safe for my whole family. They love it!

Gluten and Nut Free Christmas Crack

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
8 oz. GF pretzels
8 oz or 1 bag of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400*.
Pour pretzels onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Melt the butter and brown sugar together on the stove until it comes to a boil. Then remove from heat and pour over the pretzels. Put the pretzels in the oven for 5-7 minutes.
Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave and then pour the chocolate over the pretzels.

Freeze for 1 hour. Break into pieces and store in the fridge. Enjoy! 

Berry Whip

Berry Whip is one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast. Addie, I know you love this one as well. It is so easy, but for some reason, I don't often pull out the Ninja to get this going in the am before work or school.

I am used to making it in a double batch so we can both enjoy, but here is a single serving ratio, just increase as needed.

1/2 cup of cottage cheese
1/2 cup of frozen raspberries
a dash/splash of lemon juice (optional, but awesome)
a couple of donks of Stevia (to taste)

Put in the food processor or Ninja and then enjoy. My favorite way to enjoy this breakfast is to add a sprinkle of sliced almonds on top.

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.

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/

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. 

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.

1 Cup Cobbler - Easy Peasy

This recipe is super simple and a favorite of mine from childhood.

1 stick of real butter
1 cup of gluten free self-rising
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of milk
1 cup of fruit (fresh, canned, or frozen)

Put the stick of butter in a baking dish and put it in the oven on 375*.

While the butter melts, mix the sugar, flour, and milk together in a bowl. I use a whisk for best results.

Take the baking dish out of the oven and pour the flour mixture into the middle of the melted butter.  Then pour the fruit on top. Do not mix.

Bake on 375* for an hour.

The Easiest GF Cookie in the World: Sunflower Butter Cookies

Preheat oven to 350*, spray cookie sheet with oil

1 cup of sunflower butter or soynut butter (or peanut butter, Addie:)
1 cup of white sugar
1 egg

Combing all three ingredients.

Roll into balls and press fork gently on top in criss cross pattern.

Bake for 6-8 minutes.

These are quite good and nothing is so easy. I imagine you both needing to pull these out for late night study sessions, a quick fix for when you need to take your own dessert, and anytime you need a peanut butter type cookie, but without flour of any kind or the allergic reaction to nuts.
They are hard to refuse, as you well know. Enjoy!