Gluten Free Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Biscotti

I love biscotti, but have never attempted to bake them before.  I'm sure this will be the first of many biscotti experiments!  

I was happy to find my favorite gluten free maraschino cherries at Publix.  Whole Foods also carries Tillen Farms, which are gluten free, vegan, and made in a nut-free facility.  

Gluten Free Raspberry Crostata

We have been enjoying delicious gluten free Peach Crostata all summer. After making two of them while staying at my parents' house in Greenville, SC, my mom and dad mentioned that their favorite is raspberry crostata.  When my husband came home with two huge containers of raspberries from Costco, I decided to make this dessert to celebrate my family's first day back at school. 

Aren't they beautiful?  

Williams-Sonoma Gluten-Free Piecrust Mix is worth the splurge.  It's easy to put together, easy to work with, and so delicious.  You can read my review here.  

I like that with this crostata, I don't have to cut any fruit.  

My raspberry crostata was just as delicious as the peach crostata I make.  It's too hard to pick a favorite!  

Gluten Free Raspberry Crostata

Ingredients

• Uncooked pie dough (I use Williams-Sonoma Gluten-Free Piecrust Mix -- only one packet needed)
• 4 to 4 1/2 C of fresh raspberries
• 2 1/2 T sugar
• 2 T gluten free all-purpose flour (I use the dusting flour in the Williams-Sonoma Gluten-Free Piecrust Mix box) plus more for dusting
• 1 T butter
• 1 egg -- beaten

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Combine raspberries, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of flour in a large bowl, and stir gently
• Prepare one package of Williams-Sonoma Gluten-Free Piecrust Mix according to the directions on the package (you only need enough dough for a single-crust pie) -- you will need a stand mixer fitted with a flat beater, 1 stick of cold unsalted butter, 3 T of ice water, and 1 egg yolk 
• Place your dough ball on a piece of parchment paper that has been lightly dusted with the dusting flour included in the Piecrust Mix box.  Dust the top of your dough ball and your rolling pin with more flour, and roll out your pie crust until it's about 12-13 inches across.  
• Pour the raspberry mixture into the center of the pie crust, leaving about 2 inches around the edge.  Fold the edges of your pie crust over the filling, crimping them a bit.  
• Place the butter in the middle of your crostata, and brush the pie crust with the beaten egg  
• Transfer your crostata, still on the parchment paper, to a baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes in the lower 1/3 of your oven, until the pie crust is golden brown.  
• Serve warm, right out of the oven, or at room temp, if you can wait!  

May 14, 2014 Update

Today, I made a mixed berry crostata using raspberries and blackberries in about a 3 to 1 ratio.  

I increased the amount of sugar I use to 3 tablespoons because the blackberries were not very sweet.  My husband said it was so good, he could have eaten half of it.  He also raved about how amazing the crust was. 

You can view my peach crostata recipe here.  

Linked to: Gluten Free Wednesdays, Gluten-Free & DIY Tuesday

Pineapple Orange Crockpot Chicken

My husband came home with a huge package of chicken breasts from Costco yesterday.  The plan was to grill enough for 2 dinners, but then my family ate way too much at back-to-back birthday parties, derailing our Sunday dinner plans.  With school starting tomorrow and a board meeting to attend, I knew my grill master would not be home in a timely fashion tonight, so the chicken was going in the crockpot.

Let me say up front, I'm not a huge fan of crock pot meals.  The convenience is nice, but the meat always seems dry and overcooked to me.  Maybe it's my crock pot.  Maybe that's just how meals that cook 6 to 10 hours are going to turn out.  

When I looked at this, I was thinking that there was no way my kids were going to like it.  

Wow, was I wrong. My daughters devoured this meal and talked about how good it was the whole time!  

My favorite short grain brown rice was perfect with the chicken.  I love Lundberg because it's labeled gluten free and non GMO, and this variety just happens to be eco-farmed too.  We have also used Lundberg jasmine rice and sushi rice with this recipe.  

I cooked the rice separately on my stovetop.  

Pineapple Orange Crockpot Chicken

Ingredients

3 to 6 chicken breasts

1 20 ounce can of Dole Crushed Pineapple

1 C orange juice

1/4 C soy sauce (I used San-J GF Tamari reduced sodium soy sauce)

1/4 C honey

1/4 C brown sugar

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ginger

2 cloves (1 tsp) of garlic -- minced

Directions

Put all the ingredients, except the chicken, in your slow cooker, and stir everything around.  Add the chicken, making sure it is submerged in the liquid.  If you're going to be gone all day, set your crockpot for 8 to 10 hours.  If you're home, set your crockpot on low for 3 to 4 hours.  

Before serving, shred the chicken and let it soak in all the juice.  Serve over rice.  

Recipe Notes

Four large chicken breasts make enough for dinner, and lunch the next day for our family of four.  I usually make 3 cups (dry) of rice for the two meals.  This dish is really great left over.  

Update -- These last 2 pictures show what the chicken looks like when it's only cooked for 3 hours.  The sauce did not get as dark, and the meat was a little moister. 

Mexican Chocolate Banana Muffins

From the moment I saw Marcela Valladolid making Mexican Chocolate Banana Muffins on the Food Network, I knew I had to make a gluten free version.

One of the key ingredients, Mexican chocolate, can be purchased at Whole Foods.  Taza is certified gluten free and organic, and is dairy and soy free.  I've used their cacao puro, cinnamon, and ginger Mexican chocolate in my muffins.  I can never taste any difference between the three.  

I used to make 12 standard size muffins, but this recipe is perfect for making adorable little mini muffins. 

Mexican Chocolate Banana Muffins

Ingredients

1 1/2 C (210 grams) gluten free all-purpose flour 

2/3 C (133 grams) sugar or 2/3 C coconut palm sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter - melted

1 large egg

1/4 C whole milk or 1/4 C plain kefir 
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 C mashed bananas - about 4 large bananas

2.7 ounces (about 1/2 C) Mexican chocolate (chopped) or 1/2 C mini chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray mini muffin pans with cooking spray.  

Melt the butter and set aside to cool.  

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and cinnamon.  

In a second bowl, beat the egg, then add the milk, vanilla, mashed bananas, and butter.  Stir well to combine.  

Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, stirring until just combined.  Do not overmix.  Stir in the chopped Mexican chocolate, then fill your mini muffin pans.  To fill them quickly, use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, slightly heaping.    

Bake for 20 minutes until nicely browned.  

Makes 36 mini muffins or 12 standard size muffins.   

If making standard size muffins, bake for 30 minutes.

Recipe Notes

When I first adapted this recipe to be gluten free, I was using Glutino Gluten Free Pantry All-Purpose Flour in all my recipes, but now I use Cup4Cup.  I have also made these muffins with Better Batter and Domata.  If your flour blend does not contain xanthan or guar gum, you will need to add it to the recipe.  

I recently added whole milk plain kefir in place of the milk, and was amazed at how much lighter the muffins were, so I will be using it from now on. The kefir was much thicker than whole milk, so I also added about 1 tablespoon of lowfat milk to my wet ingredients. 

This recipe has been adapted from a Marcela Valladolid recipe from the Food Network.

Linked to: Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Gluten-Free & DIY Tuesday

Gluten Free Beignets - Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter

This post was last updated July 30, 2018

I remember how excited I was to learn that gluten free beignets were available at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory, a quick service restaurant at Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter.  Years ago, you used to have to contact Special Diets at least a week in advance to order them, but now they are available all day without advance notice.  

So you might be wondering what a beignet is and how it is pronounced.  A beignet (bin-yay) is deep fried dough covered in powdered sugar.  Beignets are popular in New Orleans, and are traditionally prepared to order, so they can be eaten hot, right out of the fryer.

Here is a picture of the very first beignets I ate at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory.  They are available in orders of three or six, but I was given four that day, because you used to have to pre-order them through special diets, and the beignet dough had not been defrosted when I arrived, so we went to the Animal Kingdom, then came back.  The beignets were delicious, and certainly worth the wait!  They were hot, right out of the dedicated fryer, and covered with powdered sugar.  I am so glad we ended up coming back that day, because I had a chance to meet Chef Tony, the head chef at Port Orleans - French Quarter. He told me that the majority of the menu at Sassagoula can be made gluten free.  

I typically order six beignets, and yes, I eat them all.  With a 20% discount from my Tables in Wonderland card, they cost less than $5, which is one of the best breakfast bargains at Disney World.  If you are using the Disney Dining Plan, you can use a snack credit for orders of 3 beignets.  

In the last two years, the chefs at Port Orleans have been experimenting with the gluten free beignet recipe.  For a while, they were smaller, because the chefs were not pressing the beignet dough out as flat before frying them, so they would have more of a donut-like chew.  I liked this version a lot, as long as they were lightly fried, because I don't like my beignets to be too dark.  

In the last couple of months, Chef Tony and Chef Paul have been adding a little white vinegar to the recipe to make the beignets puff up more.  The beignets I ordered earlier this week were some of the best I have ever had at Sassagoula.  They were lightly cooked with a lot of powdered sugar, just like I like them.  

March 10, 2016 Update - Caramel, raspberry, and chicory coffee ganache dipping sauces are now available for the beignets, and they are all gluten free.  I had a chance to try all three today, and was really impressed.  When dipping my beignets in the raspberry sauce, they tasted like jelly donuts.  I did not think I would like the caramel, but it nicely complemented the beignets.  If you are a fan of chocolate and coffee, you will love the house made chicory coffee ganache.  The raspberry dipping sauce, which is gluten free and dairy free, was probably my favorite, but all three were delicious. 

Allergy-free Beignets Recipe

Gluten, Egg and Dairy Free

Ingredients
2 lbs Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix*

1 T dry active yeast (comes inside the package of pizza dough mix)

1 ¼ C warm water (100F)

3 oz sugar

½ tsp salt

5 tsp EnerG egg replacer

10 ounces apple juice

4 oz unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp canola oil

Pinch ground cinnamon
Powdered Sugar for dusting

*Bob’s Red Mill Pizza Dough mix is produced in a facility that handles nuts and soy products, though it is not listed as an ingredient in this mix.

Yield – 40 Beignets

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the warm water and yeast. Let sit 5 minutes.

In a stand mixer or bowl of a food processor, add the water/yeast mix and all other ingredients except half the pizza dough mix (you will add it later). Mix to combine.

Add the remaining Pizza mix ¼ cup at a time, mixing after each addition to achieve a dough-like consistency. When that result is reached, turn out the dough to a lightly floured surface (you can use your remaining pizza mix, for this (if any).  

Roll the dough out to ¼” thickness and cut into 2” x 3” pieces.

You can wrap these tightly with parchment paper to separate them and they will keep for up to six weeks in the freezer.

Preheat a deep fryer to 350F

If possible, leave the beignets out at room temperature for 20 minutes before frying.

Lightly press the beignets to increase their width slightly.

Fry until golden brown, turning once to allow for even cooking.

Remove from the hot oil with a slotted spoon and allow to drain on a paper towel briefly.

Dust with a generous amount of powdered sugar prior to serving.

A huge thank you to Chef Raphael for creating this wonderful recipe, and to Chef Tony for continually working to improve it.  

You can view a scaled down version of this recipe here.  

Recipe Tips

In the fall, add some pumpkin pie spice to the powdered sugar for a great fall treat.  

It is also fun to make beignet sticks by cutting each beignet into three pieces.  

May 3, 2016 Update

After lunch today, I stopped at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory to try their beignet sundae bowl, which was introduced earlier this week.  My sundae bowl was served with gluten free beignets, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, raspberry sauce, and chicory coffee ganache.  My friend Ron had a gluten and dairy free version with dairy free vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce.  The beignets are pressed flat before cooking, and fried pressed together so that they form a bowl.  My hands got messy tearing the beignet bowl apart, but it was definitely worth it, because my sundae was so delicious.

June 18, 2017 Update

The beignet sundae bowls are still available gluten free, but the beignets are no longer being pressed together.  Sassagoula recently switched to gelato instead of ice cream, which has a cross contamination warning for gluten, so I did not get a beignet sundae bowl last week.  I could have had a beignet sundae bowl with one of the dairy free ice creams they carry, but I am a big ice cream snob, so I decided to pass.  Chef Tony mentioned that they have Tofutti, Rice Dream, and So Delicious.

On our recent trip, we had beignets at Sassagoula three times.  I love that the restaurant is now using bamboo bowls instead of paper plates.

We always order the dipping sauces when we get beignets.  I typically alternate between the raspberry sauce and the chicory coffee ganache, my two favorites.  My daughters loved dipping each bite into all three sauces.

July 30, 2018 Update

Sassagoula now serves strawberry sauce instead of raspberry sauce. We loved the raspberry sauce, but the strawberry sauce is even better. Chef Tony is no longer the head chef at Port Orleans, but you can find him over at the Norway Pavilion in Epcot, where is he is working to make the menus even more gluten-free friendly. 

Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory is always a fun place to dine because of their Mardi Gras theming.  While you are there, be sure to explore the resort, because they have some great photo spots.

Because Sassagoula is a quick service restaurant, you never need to make a reservation.  Just ask to speak to a chef at any of their food stations to order the gluten free beignets or any other gluten free dishes.  

You can read more about Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory, and view their menus and hours on Disney's website here.  

What are your favorite gluten free dishes at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory?  

Toasted - Winter Park

Laying in bed this morning, not wanting to get up, I grabbed my iPhone and decided to check out the Find Me Gluten Free App.  I was pretty surprised to see a restaurant named Toasted as #5 on my local business list, and it was less than 2 miles from my house on Aloma in Winter Park, right near the Whole Foods I shop at on a weekly basis.  On the way home from dropping off the girls' school supplies, we decided to stop for lunch and check it out.  Toasted is conveniently located right next to Menchie's Frozen Yogurt, which has many tasty gluten free options.

First off, I found the staff to be very friendly and helpful.  Thankfully, we got to Toasted before the lunch rush hit.  I was told they use DeLand Gluten Free Millet Bread for both their burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches. I can get a gluten free burger in numerous restaurants in Orlando, so I decided on the Pesto Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich.  The girls ordered kids burgers, and we split 2 orders of truffle oil and rosemary fries.  Update - Toasted is now using Udi's bread.  

We all enjoyed the fries, which were made in a dedicated fryer and were shockingly not greasy at all.  I thought they lacked salt, but that was easily remedied with the salt shaker on the table.  

As I ate my sandwich, I realized that it was the first sandwich I've had in 5 years that tasted like a regular sandwich.  I am really fussy about gluten free bread, and it seldom meets my high expectations, but this bread was perfect for this sandwich.  By the way, you can find a great selection of DeLand Gluten Free Bread right next door at Whole Foods, and it comes fresh, not frozen!  My Pesto Chicken grilled cheese sandwich had mozzarella, pulled chicken, pesto, tomato chutney, and arugula on it.  It would have been perfect with just a little less cheese.  I know, it's a cheese sandwich, but I wanted to taste all the other flavors too!  

Overall, we had a really enjoyable lunch.  Both my daughters raved about the kids burgers, which were huge!  Next time, they will be splitting one.  

Final clarification - my daughters and my husband do not have celiac or gluten intolerance and make no effort to avoid gluten when we eat out.  Those burgers my daughters loved were not gluten free, though they could have been made that way, if we had asked.  

Update 10/25/2013

My daughters and I paid Toasted a visit after school today, because I was craving a gluten free cheese sandwich.  

Today, I ordered the Autumn Melt with cheddar, pumpkin, bacon, granny smith apples, and dried cranberries.  The combination of flavors was amazing!  My bread could have been a little more toasted in parts, but it was fresh, and tasted like gluten-filled bread. We will definitely be going back soon, before this fall special disappears! 

The truffle fries with rosemary were perfectly seasoned and cooked.  They are some of the best french fries I have ever had in a restaurant. 

The staff at Toasted is well trained to deal with gluten free orders.  They have a separate cooktop and utensils for gluten free sandwiches.  I always mention that I have celiac, like I do in every restaurant that I eat at.

You can view Toasted's website here.  They have a great Gluten Free Quick Reference sheet that you can download to see all of their gluten free options.

October 12, 2014 Update 

After church, we headed to Toasted for an early lunch.  I was so excited to see that the Autumn Melt was back!  This sandwich is really the best grilled cheese I have ever had, and I love that Toasted is now using Udi's bread, which is larger than the DeLand bread they used to use.  The truffle oil & rosemary fries were just as amazing as they always are.  The five of us shared two orders of fries, but the next time, we are getting three.  :-)

January 23, 2015 Update

A couple of weeks ago, we had lunch at Toasted after church.  This time, I decided to try the Blackberry Melt with fontina, applewood smoked bacon, blackberry mash, and arugula.  I enjoyed my sandwich, but found myself wishing it had a little sharper cheese than fontina.  A sharp white cheddar would be really delicious with the bacon, blackberries, and arugula.  Next time, I might try the Truffle Melt, or the Roasted Vegetable grilled cheese. 

After lunch, we went next door to Smallcakes, where I had a gluten free chocolate cupcake.



Update - you can read my latest review of Toasted here.

What are your favorite gluten free dishes at Toasted?

Mom's Crab Cakes Extraordinaire

Quite frankly, I am not sure if I have ever eaten a crab cake before last week, mainly because they usually contain mayonnaise and mustard, two things I am not very fond of.  Because my mom went to all the effort to make them gluten free for me, I tried them this past Sunday.  After telling my husband how much I enjoyed them, he asked if I would make them for him.

I picked up the two key ingredients at The Fresh Market.  The crab cost $30.  Yikes!  

Look at those big lumps of crab!

All dressed up with mayonnaise, Old Bay Seasoning, basil, egg, and Vidalia onion.  

My mom likes to make 4 or 5 crab cakes.

I hope mine look this good!

Ingredients 

1 pound of lump crabmeat (I used Chicken of the Sea Premium Jumbo Lump Crab)

1 1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

1 1/2 T fresh parsley or basil -- chopped

1/4 C mayonnaise

1 egg

1 T scallions or sweet onion -- finely chopped

1/4 C gluten free breadcrumbs plus more for coating the crab cakes

2 T olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

Directions

Put the crab in a colander and let it drain for about 5 minutes.

In a medium size bowl, combine the egg, mayonnaise, parsley/basil, Old Bay Seasoning, and onion.  After mixing well with a fork, gently fold in the crab with a small spatula.  Add the breadcrumbs before forming 4 or 5 crab cakes.  Cover and refrigerate the crab cakes for 2 to 3 hours.  

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Pat the crab cakes together again before coating them with breadcrumbs.  Cook until nicely browned on both sides.  My mom recommends putting a lid on your frying pan until you turn them over, then continue to cook them uncovered.  

Gluten Free Mini Meatballs

I have a bit of a raw meat phobia.  I don't mind buying it or consuming it once it's cooked, but I avoid touching it at all costs.  Late Monday night, I picked up some Greenwise Ground Beef at Publix to make Zatarain's Dirty Rice.  On Tuesday, I changed my mind and decided to make Creamy Corn & Potato Soup instead.  Wednesday, I decided to make crab cakes for my husband and I, while my daughters ate leftover soup.  The problem - I had to use the ground meat today.  In the end, I decided to make mini meatballs that the girls and I could eat for lunch, and freeze a raw batch for beef or wedding soup.  Of course, I had to call my mom, because I have never made meatballs.

Yep, I had to put my hands in that mess, because my go to guy for this kind of stuff was at work.  

My minis were about an inch across.  

One tray went in the oven while the other one went in the freezer.  

After freezing the raw meatball tray for a couple of hours, I double bagged them before returning them to the freezer.  

Gluten Free Mini Meatballs

Ingredients

2 pounds of ground beef (I used 92% lean)

2 eggs

1/2 C lowfat milk

1 C gluten free breadcrumbs (I used The Fresh Market brand)

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano 

4 to 5 T of grated Romano or Parmesan cheese 

Kosher salt

Coarse ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking pans with aluminum foil.

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl, and mix with your hands until everything is well combined.  Gently roll the ground beef mixture between your hands to make 1 to 1 1/2 inch meatballs.  

Place the meatballs close together on the trays without them touching.  Bake for 15 minutes, or freeze them on the tray for later use.  

Recipe Notes

Use a generous amount of salt and pepper.  I used about 20 twists of my combo salt/pepper mill, but next time, I will add more.  

These meatballs are great to use in meatball soup.  You can view my recipe here.