Growing up, one of my favorite snacks was puppy chow.    Sadly, it wasn’t possible to make a gluten free version……until recently.  A couple of months ago we reported that some chex cereals are now gluten free.   Because of this, why not revisit puppy chow?

Gluten Free Puppy Chow Recipe

Ingredients:

• 9 cups Rice Chex® cereal (gluten free)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Into large bowl, measure cereal and set aside.
2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on high for 1 minute and stir.
3. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth.
4. Stir in vanilla.
5. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.
6. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
7. Add powdered sugar.
8. Seal bag and shake until well coated.
9. Spread on waxed paper to cool.
10. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Here is an incredible recipe for gluten free buttermilk biscuits that I think everyone will enjoy.

Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup gluten free flour mix
• 3/4 cup teff flour (found in health food store)
• 1/2 teasp. xanthan gum
• 1/2 teasp. salt
• 1 teasp. baking powder
• 1/8 teasp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup ( 1 stick ) cold butter
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1. Combine flours, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, baking soda in a medium size bowl.
2. Cut in cold butter with a pastry blender. until butter pieces are the size of peas
3. Add buttermilk, folding gently with a rubber spatula to make a soft dough
4. Roll out dough between 2 sheets of wax paper into a 4 x 5-inch rectangle about 3/4-inch thick.
5. Peel wax paper away from dough several times to prevent sticking
6. Fold dough like a letter into thirds.
7. Give dough a quarter turn and roll out to 4x 5-inch rectangle
8. Repeat, folding once more
9. Wrap dough in wax paper and refrigerate for 20 minutes
10. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces and hand shape biscuits
11. Place biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment
12. Pre-heat oven to 500′ F…… bake biscuits for 4 minutes
13. Lower temperature to 375′ F….
14. Continue to bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown (cover biscuits with foil if they start to brown too fast )
15. Serve warm

[Recipe Courtesy of Group Recipes]

Here is a gluten free chocolate orange cake (and also flourless) that I wanted to share with you, as it has been receiving some GREAT reviews.

Gluten Free Chocolate Orange Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 small thin-skinned oranges, approx. 375g total weight (or 1 large)
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 200 g ground almonds
• 250 g caster sugar
• 50 g cocoa
• orange peel (for decoration)

Directions:

1. Put the whole orange or oranges in a pan with some cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 2 hours or until soft.
2. Drain, and when cool, cut the oranges in half and remove any big pips.
3. Then pulp everything - pith, peel and all - in a food processor.
4. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C Butter and line a 20cm springform tin.
5. Add the eggs, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, almonds, sugar and cocoa to the orange in the food processor. Run the motor until you have a cohesive cake mixture, but slightly knobbly with the flecks of puréed orange.
6. Pour and scrape into the cake tin and bake for an hour, by which time a cake tester should come out pretty well clean. Check after 45 minutes because you may have to cover with foil to prevent the cake burning before it is cooked through, or indeed it may need a little less than an hour; it all depends on your oven.
7. Leave the cake to get cool in the tin, on a cooling rack. When the cake is cold you can take it out of the tin. Decorate with strips of orange peel or coarsely grated zest if you so wish, but it is darkly beautiful in its plain, unadorned state.

[Recipe Provided Courtesy of Recipe Zaar]

Are you looking for gluten free christmas/sugar cookies?   Though there are many good desserts are available for people on a gluten free diet, the Christmas holiday season can often be very difficult due to the lack of gluten free sugar cookies available. 

I was able to locate a tremendous recipe for these cookies.   If you try them out this holiday season, please let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Gluten Free Christmas Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups shortening
• 6 eggs
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1/4 cup vanilla (yes, that much)
• 1 cup amaranth flour
• 2 cups potato starch
• 2 cups sweet rice flour
• 4 cups brown rice flour
• 2 Tbsp xanthan gum
• 3 Tbsp baking powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325*. 
2. Mix together the flours, starch, xanthan gum and baking powder with a whisk until well-combined.  Set aside. 
3. Cream together the sugars, shortening, eggs, vanilla and salt. 
4. Add flour mixture, about 1/4 at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon. 
5. Once the flour mixture is mostly incorporated, knead the dough in the bowl, slowly punching the dough down in the middle and folding the sides of the dough into the middle.  You may also put the dough on a non-stick surface (like a silicone mat or a marble slab), and knead it on there.  The mixture should have the consistency of Play-Doh, but not too soft.  If it is too dry, add a Tbsp of water at a time until it will gather into a ball (Resist adding water if at all possible.  The dough works best if it is not very moist.)
6. After the dough is well-mixed, several things can be done with the dough. 
7. Unless a crispy cookie is desired, bake (preferably on insulated pans) at 325* until the edges are just golden. 

[Recipe Courtesy of Only Sometimes Clever]

Here is a great recipe for a sweet cornbread that is also gluten free. 

Gluten Free Sweet Cornbread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 egg (or equivalent)
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup millet
• 3-4 tablespoon ground turbinado sugar (a coffee grinder works great)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

1. Mix soymilk and vinegar and let sit.
2. In separate bowl mix EnerG egg replacer.  Set aside.
3. Mix all dry ingredients in separate bowl.
4. Add the 2 tablespoon canola oil to the soymilk mixture, and add the egg replacer as well.
5. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. Stir well.
6. Pour batter into well oiled muffin tins (will make 6 large or 12 regular size muffins).
7. Bake at 425 degree F for 20-25 minutes.

[Recipe Courtesy of VegWeb]