G.F. Snickerdoodles

This recipe is from the Living Without magazine.

Snickerdoodle Recipe
1 cup shortening or dairy-free margarine (room temp)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups gluten free all purpose flour blend
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

G.F. All Purpose Flour Blend Recipe
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch/flour
1/4 cup cornstarch or potato starch

In a large bowl, beat shortening, 1 1/2 cup sugar and eggs until creamy. In a separate bowl mix flour, xanthan gum, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add this to the shortening mixture. Chill dough 10-15 min. Preheat oven to 400F. Mix the 2 TBS sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, dip tops into the cinnamon and sugar mixture and place them on waxed paper about 2 inches apart. Bake about 8-10 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned, but still soft. Remove from wax paper after about 5 min. and cool on a cookie rack.

Sorghum G.F. Bread

2 cups G.F. flour mix (recipe below)
1/2 cup G.F. oat flour
2 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
2 tsp active dry yeast
3 eggs
1 cup water
2 TBS oil
2 TBS honey or real maple syrup
2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Combine dry ingredients well. Combine wet ingredients in a a blender. Add ingredients to your breadmaker per manufacturer instructions. Use regular or basic mode. I like to use just the dough mode and then place it in a greased bread pan. Allow to rise in a warm place and bake in 350F oven for about 4o min.

G.F. Flour Mix
3 3/4 cups sorghum flour
2 1/4 cups potato starch
1 1/2 cups tapioca starch/flour

Mix all three ingredients with a wire wisk until evenly incorporated. Store for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

Why we are GF/DF after NAET

I had a comment on an earlier post asking why we were gluten free and dairy free after having NAET treatments. I thought it might be useful to others, so here is why:

My youngest son has a severe intolerance to dairy and gluten. If he consumes either it results in severe diarrhea if consumed (one serving of dairy = 2 weeks of diarrhea). He received NAET treatments because he was suffering from head to toe eczema as an infant (6mo -1yr old). At that time we were told that his alergy to those and many more substances was cured. The NAET treatments aleviated the skin condition, but not the diarrhea. We did not follow a restrictive diet for about a year after the treatments. He was losing weight and lethargic. He had a distended belly and looked like a starving child. Infact, that is exactly what he was. He ate constantly and kept losing weight. It took quite a long time for me to realize that those two specific food groups were causing the problem because I was told he could consume them. Anyway, we have been D.F. and G.F. for over a year and he is doing much better. Also, NAET treatments do wear off over time and have to be repeated if symptoms return.

Also my older son was so congested from eating dairy (primarily) and gluten that he was unable to breath through his nose. His tonsils and adenoids were very swollen. He even started to suffer from sleep apnea. Since we've take him off dairy and gluten he has improved much. He is now no longer a "mouth breather" and the sleep apnea is gone. Another good reason to give up both.

An aside, my kids have never suffered ear or sinus infections. If a child suffers either regularly, has swollen tonsils or asthma, removing all dairy may improve the symptoms. It took several months for my boys to start showing improvement. So allow at least a 2-3 month trial period. There are plenty of good dairy replacements available now. I'm not a doctor, but have seen very good results just by eliminating certain foods. If you have any questions or concerns, you should speak w/ your practicioner.

Eclairs w/ cream puff variation (G.F. and D.F.)

Eclair Shells:
1/2 cup coconut oil or Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1 cup water
1 cup oat flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
chocolate frosting (store bought or homemade)
vanilla pudding

Preheat oven to 450F. Grease a cookie sheet. Boil coconut oil and water. Reduce to low heat and add flour and salt. Stir vigorously until it begins to form a stiff ball and pulls away from the side of the pan. Remove from heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to incorporate completely before adding the next egg. Spoon onto cookie sheet in 1 1/2 x 4 inch strips. Bake 15 min. on 450F and then reduce to 325F for 20min. Remove from oven and prick each shell (on the end) with a toothpick. Cool completely on a wire rack. Pipe in filling and top with frosting.

Vanilla Pudding (Sugar Free):
3 TBS tapioca starch or cornstarch
1 1/3 cups vanilla rice milk
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 pinch salt
stevia liquid (add to taste)
2 tsp vanilla (or to taste)

Dissolve starch and egg yolk in 1/3 cup cold milk. Boil remainder of milk and salt. Reduce heat. Add 1/4 cup hot milk to starch/egg mixture. Mix thoroughly and add back into the milk. Whisk pudding until it thickens. Remove from heat and add vanilla and liquid stevia. Cool covered in the fridge.

Chocolate Frosting:
2 TBS coconut oil or Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 (1 oz) squares semisweet chocolate
3 TBS hot water

Melt the chocolate and butter over low heat in a saucepan. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Stir in hot water, one TBS at a time, until icing is smooth and has reached desired consistency. Cool and drizzle over eclairs.

Cream Puff Variation:
Follow directions for eclair shells, except simply spoon a dollop of batter onto the cookie sheet, to form the puff ball. Dust with powdered sugar instead of chocolate frosting.

Also, puffs and eclairs may be filled with chocolate or lemon pudding or lemon meringue filling.

For Haiti

Haiti has experienced terrible devestation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people that live and died there.

Psalm 46 (NIV):

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at the break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

Bread Pudding (GF/DF)

You could probably use any day old gluten free bread for this recipe, but I used Sweet Potato Pineapple muffins and it turned out really good.

Sweet Potato Pineapple Bread/Muffins (From Living Without magazine):

1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 TBS baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 cups shredded raw sweet potato
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple
1 tsp grated lemon rind
3 TBS honey
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and dust a muffin pan and a small bread loaf pan. Combine all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine all wet ingredients. Mix the dry and wet ingredients well and spoon into prepared pans. Bake for 30min or until done. Remove and let cool 10min. before placing on wire racks.

*This recipe is not very sweet, but it works fine for the bread pudding. Add several stevia liquid drops to the wet ingredients or sugar to taste if you want to eat the muffins/bread alone or serve with honey. You may have to adjust the liquid slightly if you add sugar.

Bread Pudding:

7-9 day old muffins
2 TBS butter (Earth Balance buttery spread for DF)
1/2 cup raisins
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups coconut milk
3/4 cup maple sugar (or white sugar) + a few drops stevia liquid
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut the muffins into bite sized cubes. Place in a 9"x9" pan, so it is about half to 3/4 full. Drizzle melted butter over bread. Sprinkle with raisins. Combine all other ingredients and mix well. Pour over bread and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture. Bake 45 min. or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF/DF)

Thanks to Tropical Source for this great recipe. I changed the wheat flour to gluten free oat flour and it makes wonderful cookies.

1/3 cup peanut butter
2 TBS olive oil
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup rice milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup oat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup tropical source semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (macadamia, hazelnut, walnut, etc.)

Preheat oven to 425F. Oil a large cookie sheet. Mix all dry ingredients together. Mix all wet ingredients together. Add wet ingredients to dry and drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes or until the tops begin to crack. Remove and let cool for 10 min.