Large Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Before:
Cookies as they are going into freezer.

After:
Broken into pieces with my hands.
Picture is after they have been frozen, cooked,
cooled, and put away.

Large Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies 
Adapted from Karrie at Happy Money Saver

I tend to cut recipes into half or even a quarter. I like to save flour whenever possible. Typically, I am the one eating the gluten free goodies. This one is easily egg and dairy free. I have discovered an easier way to find dessert recipes is to search for vegan ones. This one is not specifically labelled vegan, but it is what it is--with my adaptation anyway.

Here are the way I did the ingredients when making the cookies (to make 1/4 of a batch):

1/2 C butter
8 tbsp sugar
6 tbsp brown sugar
.75 egg (1 Egg Replacer)
1/2 tbsp vanilla
1.5 cup flour
little over 1/4 tsp salt
little over 1/4 tsp soda
1 C chocolate chips

Using the instructions given in the link above.

The goal originally was to freeze the cookies. So, I put them on a baking sheet to freeze. Once in the freezer, I left them in there for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Then when I got them out and realized that it would be impossible to actually freeze them. They were supposed to roll into a ball-like shape, but instead they were runny. So, I couldn't seperate them from the paper: meaning- they were going in the oven.

Obviously, I made some mistakes along the way. . . . .
BUT, it was a blessing in disguise.

They turned out really crunchy and good.
I even shared!
Weird: In the oven, they all ran over onto another cookie-- so resembled a pan of a big cookie (cookie sheet, even). **Update** Turned out  same way when I retried the recipe (making a full batch) also, assuming it is because of the egg replacer or possibly using non-dairy butter.

Chocolate Cake Bite

New Recipe... Just something for me. It was too time consuming, but can be adjusted as I change how much I make or using a cake mix from scratch...

See how smooth and round they are.
Never underestimate a good appliance
and nonstick cooking spray. =]

I used my Baby Cakes Cake Pop appliance. I like it. It goes faster that way, or it should. It took a lot longer to make these cake bites than it would have been to make cupcakes. It would of taken much longer to use a mini-muffin pan. I am figuring it probably took 1.5 hours, easy. When you don't have energy, that is outrageous and costs more than many can imagine. My body is very sad right now, because of that great cost.

Case in point why next time I will only make a small fraction of how much I made today. They were good though. I am letting them cool, then will freeze them in a gallon size bag, and eat them slowly over next few months. A box of cake mix can make me about 24-32 smaller cupcakes, and last a few months. Making cake bites means a lot more to eat, just bite size. But also why it took so long to make them.

I have been having to be reminded of using non-stick cooking spray. I resprayed every batch or two to keep it from sticking. For the first batch, I forgot to spray the wells..things went much more smoothly as I remembered to spray it, lol.

I used Betty Crocker's gluten free chocolate cake mix and followed the directions pretty much. The only difference in preparation was using nondairy butter AND an egg replacer. I wasn't sure how well it would work considering it was a recipe calling for three eggs, but it turned out pretty well.

Because I like fast: I used the Cake Pops appliance. Each batch took maybe 3 minutes. It may have overheated. Not sure... It worked fine though. The cake bites in the picture aren't glazed or anything, just the regular cake bites.

I did try out a glaze for a couple of the cake bites. It was really simple. Some powdered sugar (1/2 teaspoon) mixed in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon of original rice milk. Then, I rolled the cake bites in the glaze mixture. It isn't enough of a glaze mixture to leave it looking different than a regular plain cake bite.

This was my first attempt at trying something more resembling a doughnut. It isn't a doughnut, but it's a start. :)

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies

I didn't exactly roll some of these into a ball.
They are flatter than the other batch.

I was on a mission earlier for egg-less chocolate chip cookies. I just knew I wanted cookies. I am beginning to explore the whole "removing egg" from my diet due to possible allergy, so that kept me from consuming my Pillsbury cookie dough that is sitting idly in the fridge.

Thankfully, many have walked this road before me. It has been well traveled by many. They have experimented greatly. What do I have to gain? Good chocolate chip recipe minus the egg(s)! You gotta try it! <3 It's pretty good. In mine, I used less brown sugar (just a little bit less.. 1/3 versus 1/2) and used more chocolate chips. It wasn't planned out or anything. It just happened.

I accidentally began to burn the first batch, but the amazing thing: they still taste good. This is what I am looking for: good chocolate chip cookies where the chocolate chips literally melt and make a beautiful display of a good treat.  I probably haven't made any fresh cookies in a while. If I sound deprived, that is probably why.

The recipe: Egg-less Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Go try it!!

As opposed to past batches of cookies I have made, these were full size cookies ;). Mine are safely tucked away in a bowl. Ideally, I would wait until they have cooled to put them away. A sneaky 3 year old with gluten hands stopped that. So, they can just stick together--not like it matters. I am the only one getting into the cookies. :)

What I might change: use less chocolate chips. There were way too many. I need to settle on a specific amount to use. The recipe didn't give a certain amount. Guess I thought there was more dough than there actually was. Then my chocolate chips have been affected by the heat, so some of it just looks like a melted Hershey's candy bar. Also with some adapting, I can make the cookies into a fructose friendly cookie. IE) using dextrose versus cane sugar to help with the brown sugar.

Sunbutter Chocolate Chip

Another cookie recipe!

This one is more of a "Sunbutter Chocolate Chip" kind of recipe. It does not require alot of ingredients. The only thing is making sure you have enough room in your freeze to let the dough "chill", so it's more like regular cookie dough and easy to roll and place on a baking sheet.

I used a recipe by Nicole, from her awesome page "Gluten-Free on a Shoestring". It is titled: "Gluten-Free Flourless Cookies: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip".

I am not an experienced baker, which is probably why I had difficulty. I sorta (okay, I did!) burnt my SunButter. I decided to go ahead and continue making the cookies to see how they would turned out. It would not hurt to try. I had used up alot of sugar already. All was left was the beaten eggs and chocolate chips. So, I went ahead and continued--even with my burnt SunButter. The directions were pretty straight forward. I used carob chips instead of chocolate chips.

The cookies came out flat and crispy! Most of them were giant size cookies, because I just used a spoon to scoop it onto the baking sheet. They are pretty decent cookies. I use the word "decent", because remember I did burn the SunButter. They are still good in spite of burning the seed butter. I am definitely going to have to try this recipe again, and perhaps I will not burn the SunButter in the process.

All this cookie making has got me wondering about making cookie dough to freeze, particularly for the chocolate chip cookies that I made earlier. In comparison, the chocolate chip cookies are better. These ones may not compare, but they are pretty good! :)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I tried a "Sunbutter Rice Krispies" recipe this morning. Well, it bombed...What a waste of my Rice Krispies!! I will have to try a combination of "Rice Krispies" and "Sunbutter" on a different day. I love the idea of having some breakfast ready for on-the-go option. Since I have been in a serious baking mood, I went ahead and found a recipe for some chocolate chip cookies. They looked great, but the really good thing is they taste pretty good too!!

I chose to use a "low fructose" recipe. Seemed like a good idea since most  recipes are loaded with sugar and I cannot handle my fructose. (Figured out marshmallows were a big "no-no" this morning) I chose to use a recipe by Delicious as it looks. Even though theirs called for 'almond' flour, I thought it might work with a different flour. I used 'all purpose' flour by King Arthur (gluten free, of course). They did not turn out flat, but rather plump. The picture does not do the cookies justice!

I did a few things different from the recipe. I added a little bit more sugar and chocolate chips (about 1/3 each). It created a little bit of a problem. It left me with more dry ingredients than dough, so I had a little bit of a problem with that. So I did what any egg conscious but chocolate lover does: I added one egg white. Just one. It solved the problem, thankfully! I was able to mix the rest of the ingredients into dough. Adding in the egg white lead me to put a little bit more chocolate chips. Aside from using a different flour, that is all that was different. The recipe given by Dianne of Delicous as it Looks has done a GREAT job with this recipe! I love it!!! The cookies were sweet, but not too sweet. Turned out perfect, or as perfect as a cookie can possibly be. Now maybe, I can make my own cookies instead of having to venture out to buy some. 

Home-made Chicken Nuggets

Chicken Nuggets (home made)

Chicken nuggets... Ohhh, how we love them. We miss them once we cannot have them. This trial run of chicken nuggets was just an easy thing. They tasted fairly good. I am not really a big meat eater, but they are good with ketchup. Point blank: they are good. Better than any gluten free chicken nuggets I have come across, and much cheaper! What I absolutely loved about it was how crunchy it was.

I did a few things different than the recipe.

1. I wanted to cheat during the clean-up process, so I put a sheet of foil on the pan before adding the oil. The oil has a very powerful effect on how the chicken nuggets turned out. We have olive oil, but did not even think about using it... So I used canola, which is fine by me. It worked just as well.. I used their suggestion by using a paper towel to spread the oil.

2. When it pouring the Glutino bread crumbs, I used a quart size freezer bag. I put some bread crumbs in there. Also, pouring in a small amount of paprika and salt. I almost got ambitious and tried adding in a bunch of different spices. Almost... There is always next time.

I only cooked 6 chicken nuggets (1 piece of boneless, skinless chicken thigh). That way, I am not wasting chicken or bread crumbs to try a new dish. It is always a good thing when food lasts.. especially if it is gluten free food, which honestly it is not the cheapest... Only a couple ingredients used.

Ingredients used:
Glutino Bread Crumbs
Piece of boneless skinless chicken
Seasoning (Paprika and Salt)

Okay, a break down of how I did things in the chicken.

1. Heated the oven to about 375
2. Put piece of foil on the baking pan with a little bit of oil--spread through entire pan. (I used a paper towel)
3. Pour good amount of Glutino Bread Crumbs *gluten free* into a ziplock bag, along with seasonings (I used Paprika and Salt) and shook the bag (make sure it's sealed first).
4. "Whisked" two eggs (I used a fork, but accomplished same thing)
5. Cut my chicken thigh into small nugget-sized pieces.
6. Add chicken to eggs, tossing them.
7. After I picked them up, I held them for a second so the extra egg fell off
8. I put them in the seasoning bag...tossed the bag around until they were fully coated.
9. Put them on the pan, and stick it in the oven.
10. Do not forget to get them out. ;)

They cooked for about 20 minutes. I turned them half way through, so each side could get crispy. They were very crispy. Most things gluten free do not get crispy. So, that was exciting! It was not a boring food that I would toss out immediately after the first bite (has happened many times with new chicken recipes). I was able to sit there, eat, and enjoy it. Also, it is a good, quick, cheap meal that does not really require too much work to make.

To make it fructose friendly, try using something other than bbq sauce and/or ketchup. For me, that is the new challenge. The key is finding good, easy, low fructose foods to go with the nuggets. It'd probably be really good with beans and other sides to go with it.

GF Corn Dogs

Gluten Free Corn Dogs.

The purposes of this page is to just share recipes I have come across. It isn't rewriting what I have found. It is sharing different sites with a recipe that I have tried and liked. I am not the best of cook. What worked for me may not work for others... Just wanting a place to share, and talk about newfound cooking experiences as I learn to live with different food restrictions...

Recipe 1: Gluten Free Corn Dogs.

I actually really like this recipe. There are only some very slight difference in terms of what I may have done differently ingredient wise: I added a drop or two more of milk and bisquick~ not much, just slightly. Probably not much of a difference. Adding a little bit of both probably evened things out.

Also: the hot dogs. I cut them in half and cooked them in advance, so they were in the oil for less time. Heating the oil before putting in the "corn dog" works really well. Then, the corn dog isn't soaking up too much of the oil, because the hot dog was already thoroughly cooked..

Ohhh, and a bonus. My batter stretched a lot farther than it says in the recipe. Instead of using one pack of hot dogs, I used nearly two packs. Thankfully, we stock up on hot dogs when they are on sell. The corn dogs taste great. It will really cut down on my frustrations of not knowing *what* to eat. It gives me something else to choose from, so I am not eating the same thing day after day.

Freezing idea:
This came from a different site, but I tried it and really liked it. After a few of them have cooled, I put them on a baking sheet to go in the freezer. This way, they could freeze a bit before I started to bag them (using quart size freezer bags). I ended up with thirty corn dogs after eating a couple... Since they were smaller corn dogs, I was able to stick the freezer bags in the door of my small freezer without worrying about it taking up too much space.

When bagging, I added the date...so I would know when I made them. Also, put the expiration date on bags of corn meal and GF Bisquick. (Note: Best to freeze GF Bisquick... Don't be like me, and almost forget!)

The results!

Best of all: Gluten free/Nut free/ Fructose friendly. Just is not lactose free. Others without nut allergies, feel free to try using Almond milk for the recipe.