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.

Allergen Free Pumpkin French Toast Bake

Here is a little something to bring the pumpkin spice flavor to breakfast. Yesterday, we got home from vacation at Litchfield beach. We celebrated the autumn equinox by watching, "You've Got Mail" together last night and I tried this recipe for breakfast this morning. I am including the link to the original recipe from a blog I found on Pinterest. Usually the recipes I post are from index cards in  my recipe file and I no longer remember where they came from, but, I want to give credit where credit is due, so I will try to include the link if I post something from another internet source. We all had a fantastic week at the beach. Reentry to everyday life can be a bit hard after a week off, so I hope the yummy breakfast treat and the movie night helped!

 

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 – 7 1/2 cups 1-inch gluten free bread cubes (I used the ends of several loaves of Udi bread, plus some slices)
• 7 large eggs
• 2 cups milk (any kind)* I used coconut milk so Daddy could safely enjoy this treat.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree doctored up with a pinch of pumpkin pie spice and a spoonful or so of brown sugar - mix it together, then add in to the mix  (OR 1/4 c. pumpkin butter in place of the puree)
• 3-4 tablespoons brown sugar for topping

 

Instructions

1. Cut any kind of bread into 1-inch cubes and put in a greased 9x13 pan - should cover the bottom plus about an inch or so
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, pumpkin puree (with the added spice and brown sugar) and pie spice until well combined. Pour over bread and push down with a spoon or your hands until it’s all soaked and mostly covered. Cover with saran wrap or lid and refrigerate overnight.
3. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees, uncover and top with brown sugar and a little pumpkin pie spice. Bake for 35-45 minutes or golden brown and no longer wet.
4. Serve immediately with maple syrup, honey or agave nectar. Store leftovers in the refrigerator covered for up to a couple days.

Notes

* For the bread cubes, just use as much bread as it takes to fill the bottom of your dish generously, plus up about 1 to 1.5 inches. If you’ve added too much to soak up the liquid, just remove some. And if it looks too wet, add some more bread.

 

I am including a photo taken from our vacation week. This is one of my favorite shots - because you both asked me to take one in your "bear hug" pose. I am so thrilled that my 10 and 14 year old children want a photo of themselves in a bear hug together! You guys are the best. I hope you enjoy breakfast this morning. I know Addie is more of a pumpkin fan than Whit, so I have a back up plan of "eggs in a hole" for you, Whit, if the French toast should prove too pumpkinish for you. Hugs to you both.

Love,

Mom

 

Perfect Popovers (Easy and Gluten Free)

These are just as easy as pancakes and do not require someone standing in the kitchen to flip them. Perfect for holidays, they are yummy, easy, and pretty. Enjoy!

Preheat oven to 400*
Grease muffin tins.

1 c. milk
6 eggs
1 c. gluten free flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. gluten free vanilla
1/4 c. melted butter

Blend the milk, eggs, salt, vanilla, and gf flour in the blender till any lumps are out. Add the melted butter and continue to blend.
Fill muffin tins slightly less than half full.
Bake 15 min.

Blueberry Topping:
fresh or frozen blueberries
pure maple syrup or honey

Place blueberries in a sauce pan and heat on low. Add drizzles of honey or syrup over the blueberries as they cook down a bit.
Simmer slowly on low.

You could also make any other topping of choice using fruit, honey, syrup, etc.

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.