Rice Flour & Whatever Muffins (wheat-free and potentially milk-free and egg-free)

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg (or use an egg replacement such as 1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed simmered in 3 Tbsp. water for 1 minute, then let sit 5 minutes to gel)
• 1/2 cup liquid of choice (fruit juice, lowfat milk, soy milk, water, etc.)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (or banana)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil (or banana)
• 1 cup brown rice flour (white rice flour can be substituted)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped nuts -- whatever type you have in pantry (optional)
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen fruit (blueberries or raspberries, finely chopped apples, or peaches, etc.)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 6 muffin cups with foil or paper liners or coat the cups with canola cooking spray.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine egg or egg replacement, liquid of choice, sugar, and canola oil, beating on low until smooth.
3. In medium bowl, combine brown rice flour, baking powder, and salt. Add all at once to egg mixture and beat on low just until combined. Stir in nuts (if desired) and fruit of choice.
4. Divide batter among the prepared 6 muffin cups and bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick or fork inserted in the center of largest muffin comes out reasonably clean.

Yield:
Makes 6 muffins

Gluten-free Waffle - the rules

via thedailydietribe.com

Here are my rules for making gluten-free waffles: 

1. Start with 1 cup of a mediumweight flour, such as amaranth, sorghum, or millet. You can use all one type of flour or mix two or more together. For a heartier waffle, try replacing some of the flour with a heavyweight flour such as almond flour or buckwheat.
2. Add in 3/4 cup of starch, such as tapioca or potato starch. Again, you can use all one kind or do a mix. If you want a lighter waffle, you can increase the starch and decrease the mediumweight flour. For a healthier, whole-grain waffle, increase the flour and decrease the starch. Either way, you should end up with 1 3/4 cups total of flour and starch. 
3. Add 2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2-1 tsp. salt. Whisk the dry ingredients together. 
4. For your wet ingredients, you have a lot of options. You want to start with 1/4 cup of pureed fruit, applesauce, oil, or melted butter/Earth Balance. I'm pretty sure yogurt would work well here too, although I haven't tried it myself. If I'm thinking healthy, I go with applesauce or pureed fruit. For savory waffles, I use canola oil. For a richer taste, I would go with melted Earth Balance. 
5. Next, eggs. I've tried the same recipes with and without an egg, and I barely notice a difference. In fact, in some cases, they taste better without the egg. I add one in for extra protein, but if you want to skip it, go ahead. 
6. Liquid. You'll need 1 3/4 cup of liquid, although you may need more or less depending on the types of flour you use. You can use water, any type of milk including coconut milk, even fruit juice in some cases. You can use all one or a combination, although if you're using fruit juice, I recommend mixing it with water or coconut milk to dilute the flavor. 
7. Optional add-ins: If you're planning on drizzling your waffles with maple syrup, they don't need to be that sweet, so 1 Tbsp. of honey/agave nectar/maple syrup should be plenty. You can also skip that and chop up some fresh or dried fruit to add in. Chopped walnuts and pecans, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, even sesame seeds (in a savory waffle) add a nice texture. Play around with spices and herbs: cinnamon is wonderful in a sweet waffle. Fresh dill, basil and garlic powder go well in savory waffles.  
8. This should make 4-6 servings (2 squares each).

Because that was long, I'll summarize: 
1 cup mediumweight flour
3/4 cup starch
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2-1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup applesauce, melted butter, oil, etc.
1 egg (optional)
1 3/4 cup water, milk, fruit juice, etc.
optional: chopped nuts, fruit, seeds, spices, and herbs


Whisk dry ingredients. Whisk wet ingredients into dry. Pour onto (greased) waffle iron.

Spelt Banana Bread and Spelt Pie Crust

Spelt Banana Bread
1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup or less brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups SPELT flour
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
1/2 or less teaspoon of salt
2 or 3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chopped almonds (optional)

      Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and beat well. Add dry ingredients and finally bananas and nuts. Mix well. Bake in three 3x5 " loaf pans or in one 5x9" loaf pan, well-greased. Bake for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Spelt Pie Crust

3 Tablespoons oil
2 Tablespoons cool water
1/4 teaspoon seasalt, if desired
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons SPELT flour

      Whisk oil, water and seasalt together. Stir in the flour and mix until evenly moistened. Press into a 9 inch pie plate. Fill and bake as required for the filling, or bake the empty crust for 12 minutes at 375 degrees F and fill when cool. 
source: http://www.dvo.com/newsletter/monthly/2004/february/0204door3.html

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

roll dough adapted from King Arthur Flour
makes approximately 15-16 rolls

Ingredients:

Roll Dough:
1/4 cup warm water (not hot, about 110 degrees)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm milk
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup pumpkin puree, either fresh or canned
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 cups (approximately) All-Purpose Flour
1 1 /4 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Filling:
1 stick butter
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each of allspice and ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese
1 stick (4 ounces) butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
2-3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir yeast into water to soften. Let rest for 5 minutes before stirring. Add milk, eggs, pumpkin, butter, 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom to yeast mixture. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.

Gradually add remaining flour (all purpose), a little at a time, until you have a dough stiff enough to knead. Start with about 1 1/2 cups and increase if necessary. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead, adding flour as necessary, until you have a smooth, elastic dough.

Put dough into an oiled bowl. Turn once to coat entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Combine the white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in a small bowl, set aside. Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat or roll it into a 16" x 12" rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough and then sprinkle with the sugar mixture.

Roll the dough into a log the long way; it'll stretch to about 20" long as you roll. Using a very sharp knife, slice the log into 15 slices. In order to cut down on drag, it helps to rinse the blade in hot water, and wipe it off, between slices. Place slices in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan (or in two 8 or 9 inch round cake or pie pans). Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 375°F oven. Bake the rolls till they're brown around the edges and beginning to turn golden brown across the center, about 20-30 minutes.

While rolls bake, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Add the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and lemon juice to a small food processor. Blend until smooth and combined. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, blending in between, until well mixed and desired consistency is reached. (I used 2 cups powdered sugar)

Frost warm rolls with the cream cheese frosting and serve immediately.

For night before prep: Prepare the rolls up to the point where you roll and place in the pan. Then, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove the pan from the fridge and proceed with the instructions where you left off. Rising time may be slightly longer than noted in the recipe due to the dough being cold vs room temp.

Homemade Flour Tortilla Recipe

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• 2 cups of white flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup warm water

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Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl combine the warm water and oil.

Add the water/oil mixture to the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time and mix the dough with a fork. Once the water is mixed in, add another tablespoon of water and repeat the process until all the water is mixed into the dough.

The dough will be sticky.

Kneading The Dough

Lightly flour a wooden cutting board and knead the dough.

Kneading is done by pushing the dough with the heals and palms of both hands down onto the board. Fold the dough back onto itself, give a quarter turn and push again with the palms and heels of your hands. Just repeat the process of pressing, folding and turning for about 4 or 5 minutes. Add a dusting of flour when the dough gets sticky.

If the dough sticks to the cutting board while kneading, scrape up the dough and dust the board with a little flour and continue kneading.

Eventually the stickiness will go away and you will have a nice smooth dough.

Place the dough back into the bowl and cover it with a damp towel or damp paper towel. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into golf-ball-size balls by pinching off the dough with your thumb and fore finger. Form each ball into a nice ball shape.

Place the balls on a flat dish making sure they don't touch each other and cover with the damp cloth.

Let the dough rest again for 10 minutes.

Rolling The Tortillas

Preheat a skillet or cast iron pan on medium high heat. You really can't beat cast iron pans for even heat distribution and their ability to withstand high heat without warping.

Lightly dust your wooden cutting board with flour. Take one of the balls of dough and flatten it out on the cutting board to a 4 inch circle. Rub flour on your rolling pin and begin to roll out the dough starting from the center out. Roll the tortilla until it is 6 or 7 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick.

It's difficult to roll out a perfectly round tortilla so if that is important to you, you can always trim the tortilla with a knife.

I like their irregular homemade looking shape. No one can mistake these for store bought, especially when you taste them.

Don't be surprised if your kids take this flour tortilla recipe to new heights by making shapes out of the dough. Their creative little minds will be making homemade star shaped quesadillas!

Cooking The Tortillas

Back to the flour tortilla recipe...

Once you have rolled out the tortilla, place it on a preheated skillet. You don't need to add any oil or butter. Cook the tortilla for about 30 seconds. You will notice brown spots all over your tortilla. Flip it over and cook an additional 30 seconds.

Don't over cook it as you want the tortilla to be nice and soft.

Keep your tortillas warm by covering them in a towel on a plate or in a tortilla warmer.

Storing Tortillas

Tortillas are best eaten hot right off the griddle, but you can refrigerate and freeze them too.

If you freeze the tortillas, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and put them in a ziplock bag. When you are ready to use them, first thaw at room temperature and then wrap them in foil and place them in a 250 degree oven for a 10 to 15 minutes.

I don't recommend microwaving them as this tends to toughen them.

Banana/Zucchini Bread

(from Kathrine Paget)

2/3 c. Shortening
2 2/3 c. sugar
4 eggs
3 c. mashed banana/shredded zucchini
2/3 c. water
3 1/3 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. ground cloves
2 t. vanilla
2/3 c. nuts and raisins (each) (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans 9x5x3 inches or 3 loaf pans 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches. Sprinkle a cinnamon sugar mixture in bottom and sides of pan. Mix shortening and sugar in large bowl. Add eggs, banana/zucchini, and water. Blend in flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla (mix cloves with vanilla before mixing with others). Stir in nuts and raisins. Pour into pans. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean - about 1 hr. 10 minutes. Cool slightly. Loosen sides of loaves from pans and remove from pans. Cool completely before slicing. To store, wrap adn refrigerate no longer than 10 days.

Favorite Rolls

by Bloom
A couple of years ago, I set forth on a mission to find the perfect roll recipe. I was disappointed by several (even Martha's! For shame!) before my friend, Wendy, invited me (OK, so I invited myself) to her home to make rolls with her. And? Mission accomplished! These are now my go-to rolls for Thanksgiving and any other roll occasion.

The recipe:

Combine 2 cups warm water (about 104 deg.), 2 tablespoons yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let sit 5 minutes. Add 2 sticks butter (melted and cooled--again about 104 deg.), 3 beaten eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 8 cups flour. Mix and knead dough. Let sit until doubled. Punch down.

(I let mine rise in the fridge overnight. If you do this, you have to get the dough to warm up a bit before rolling it out or it is too difficult to work with.)

Take a grapefruit-sized wad of dough and roll it out on a floured surface into a circle that is 1/4-inch thick. With a pizza cutter, cut the circle into 12 triangles. (You'll do this 4 times, making 48 rolls total.) Roll triangles up from wide end. Place point down onto a greased baking sheet. (You've practiced this technique with Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, right?!) Cover and let rise until doubled. Bake at 375 for 12-14 minutes, until golden.

Enjoy! Savor! Eat as many as you want--it's the holidays!
-Anne

French Peasant Bread

Here is the recipe:

1 package (2 1/2 tsp.) dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
4 cups flour
oil
corn meal
melted butter

Place yeast, water, sugar, and salt in warm bowl and stir until dissolved. Add flour and stir until blended. Do not knead. Cover and let rise one hour or until doubled in size. Flour hands, remove dough from the bowl and place in 2 rounds (they're not particularly pretty, and yes, the dough should be very sticky and goopy!) on an oiled cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal. Let rise an additional hour. Brush the top with melted butter (sometimes I just use cooking spray!) and bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and cook an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush again with butter. Serve warm.

Here's what I love: You are making 2 loaves at a time. You don't have to wait for your yeast to proof. You don't have to knead a thing. Seriously, you stir it all up with a spoon and that's it!

Hush Puppies

1 C. yellow cornmeal

½ C. sifted flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

¾ tsp salt

2 tsp onion – minced

1 egg

2/3 C. milk

Combine all ingredients together and mix well. Drop into hot grease. Fry until brown.

Shirley Tucker

Angel Biscuits

2 pkg dry yeast

3-4 tbs warm water

5 C. all purpose flour

3-6 tbs sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 C. shortening

2 C. buttermilk

Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and stir into yeast mixture. Add buttermilk to make a soft dough that can be handled. Roll on floured board. Cut with 4 inch biscuit cutter (anything will do), and brush tops with melted butter or margarine. Fold in half and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake in pre-heated 400 degrees oven for 10-20 minutes or until golden brown. To pre-bake, bake for 5-8 minutes (just until they set up) but do not brown. Cool and place in freezer bags and freeze until needed.

Betty Kethan

Self Rising Biscuit

1 pkg yeast

1 C. warm water

1 tbs sugar

1 tbs oil

4-5 C. Flour

Milk

Combine all ingredients into bowl. Add enough milk to make a stiff dough. Make into patty or roll out and cut with cutter. Grease pan and brush biscuits with oil. Bake on 375 for 20 minutes.

Lorene Loggins

Maya Angelou’s Cornbread Dressing

3 C. onions – chopped

5 C. cornbread – crumbled

1 tbs fresh thyme

1 tbs fresh sage

1 tbs fresh marjoram

“some” cooking juices from turkey

Saute 3 cups of chopped onions in olive oil on low heat. Cook until soft, but not brown (approx. 10 minutes). Crumble enough freshly baked corn bread to make 5 cups. Finely chop 1 tbs each of fresh thyme, marjoram and sage. While turkey is baking, pour off some of the cooking juices. Put juices in small pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix together crumbled corn bread, fresh herbs, sautéed onions, and juices from turkey. Bake mixture in 350 oven for 30 minutes.

Gigi Angle

Potato Refrigerator Dough

1 pkg dry yeast

1 ½ C. Warm water

2/3 C. sugar

1 ½ tsp salt

2/3 C. shortening

2 eggs

1 C. potatoes – lukewarm

7 – 7 ½ C. all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in sugar, salt shortening, eggs, potatoes and 4 cups of flour. Bear until smooth. Mix in enough flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). Place in greased bowl, turn greased side up, cover bowl tightly and refrigerate for 8 hours. Dough can be kept for 5 days n icebox at 45 degrees, covered. Punch down dough and divide into parts. Use ¼ of dough in each of the variations. Let rise 1 ½ hours before baking. Bake on 400 for 15-20 minutes.

Linda Odom