Banana Cream Crunch

My brother was trying to grab it off the screen ;).

Another "Hanunyah Creation", this sure was a hit! With many bananas and the Vita-Mix cream/pudding recipe I created (with a surprise ingredient), I made this interesting no-bake treat the other day.

For a quick run-down? - A soft oat-peanut crust + ripe, sweet bananas + Vita-Cream + the good stuff (peanuts and chocolate chips) = a quick and easy, no-bake, delightful snack or dessert.

This was very good, and it was gone in minutes - credit to my taste-testers, who were hungry for a sweet snack ;).

Banana Cream Crunch
Hanunyah Creation

Crust:
1 cup safe oats*
1/2 cup peanuts*

2 to 4 bananas
a few tablespoons peanuts**

Cream Pudding:
1 3/4 cups cooked rice***
3 to 4 tablespoons sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons vanilla
1 to 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup peanuts
safe chocolate chips (optional)

1. Add all crust ingredients to the Vita-Mix container. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to variable 6 to 10. Blend a few seconds, until the mixture is crumbly and moist.

2. Press into a 9x13 inch pan.**** Slice the bananas over the crust, and sprinkle with some peanuts.

3. Combine all cream pudding ingredients in the Vita-Mix. Blend on high for a couple minutes, adding enough water until smooth and desired consistency is reached. Pour over banana layer.


4. Top with peanuts and chocolate chips, if desired. Refrigerate until set. Cut into pieces to serve.


Notes:
*Instead of blending the oats and peanuts together for the crust, you may mix together oat flour and peanut butter, then proceed as the recipe instructs.
**If there are allergies, or if desired, you may use other nuts in place of the peanuts.
***Instead of using all rice, you may use cooked mashed potato for 3/4 cup of the rice. You may need to use more vanilla and sugar to cover up the potato taste.
****The crust was kind of soggy, so, if you like, you may bake the crust for a few minutes at 350 degrees F, until light golden brown.


~ Hanunyah


Linked to Foodie Friday by Not Your Ordinary Recipes

Basic, Simple Marshmallows

Homemade mini marshmallows ready to dress up rocky road bars ;) (come back in a day or so!!).

When we learned about our allergies, we realized how simple things can be. These marshmallows are an example. Made with 3 main ingredients, they are much simpler and easier without the corn syrup and preservatives found in most (if not all) marshmallows found in the store.

Plain marshmallows with cranberry marshmallows in the background.

Most people are amazed that marshmallows are very easy to make and only require 3 ingredients (besides the dusting mixture to make them not too sticky).

Why don't you guess what 3 ingredients? I told a friend the other day.
Since marshmallows are white and fluffy, someone said egg whites. Some recipes do call for egg whites, but they are not needed.
Milk? No. Keep guessing.
Sugar? Of course (I know you can make marshmallows without sugar, but that's something else).
Water? Yes.
And gelatin. That one was hard for them to guess. It makes sense, though . . . marshmallows are like fluffy, white jell-o, kind of. That can be toasted over a campfire . . . for a sticky, goo-ey, sweet mess.

Now that's the marshmallow I'm talking about here. But they're better than the store-bought variety (taste-wise). One of my taste-testers (one of my sisters) said that they taste more "real" than store-bought - not fake, but good, homemade candy. Made with real sugar. Not that liquid that some now call "corn sugar".

Basic, Simple Marshmallows (Gluten, Dairy, Corn, Egg, Gum-free)
Adapted from Pumpkin Marshmallows

3 (.25 ounce) unflavored gelatin
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cold water, divided
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/4 cup corn-free powdered sugar

1. Uniformly grease a 9x13 inch pan. Pour the 1/2 cup cold water into the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the gelatin on top; set aside for 8 to 10 minutes.


2. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and water in a saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 250 degrees F on a candy thermometer, or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball.

3. Attach the mixing bowl to the stand mixer with the wire whip attachment and start the mixer on low speed. Carefully and slowly pour the boiling sugar syrup in a steady stream over the gelatin mixture. Increase the mixer to medium-high speed and mix until very thick, shiny, and white in color, about 5 to 12 minutes. When done, the mixture should form a more-or-less continuous ribbon off the spatula into the bowl. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally using a rubber spatula.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan in an even depth. Let the mixture set at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight.

5. Sift the cornstarch and confectioners' sugar into a pie plate or shallow bowl. When the marshmallows have set, turn them onto a work surface and cut them into squares or shapes as desired. You may make several cups worth of mini marshmallows for recipes, or bigger marshmallows for toasting, s'mores, make shapes matching the occasion, etc. Roll each marshmallow in the sugar mixture to coat all sides. Marshmallows are best served fresh, but they can be stored in an airtight container (unrefrigerated) for about a week or in the freezer for a month. If you store the marshmallows, re-roll them in the cocoa mixture before serving.

~ Hanunyah


Linked to Motivate Me Monday by Keeping it Simple, Made By You Mondays by Skip To My Lou, Shindig Saturday by Kims Kandy Kreations and Weekend Wrap-up by Tatertots and Jello

31 for 21: Pumpkin Marshmallows

I thought the mossy pile of wood just fit the jars of these rustic marshmallows . . . .

Pumpkin everything!

This recipe, too, was in my "to try" pile for too long, when I made it today. You may think marshmallows are complicated and hard to make, but no. Once you make them once, you realize it's not hard and you get the hang of it.

Here is what is good about these marshmallows:

• They are free of corn syrup, cream of tartar (because we are out, and I thought "how could marshmallows crystallize?"), eggs (no beating egg whites!), gums, dairy, nuts, and of course, gluten.
• Easy to make.
• Taste great! Light and fluffy.

Pumpkin Marshmallows (Gluten, Dairy, Corn, Egg-free)
Adapted from AllRecipes.com

1/2 cup water, cold
3 (.25 ounce) unflavored gelatin

2 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup water

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
orange food coloring (optional)

1/4 cup cocoa powder*
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/4 cup corn-free powdered sugar*

1. Uniformly grease a 9x13 inch pan. Combine the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Set aside.

2. Pour the 1/2 cup cold water into the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the gelatin on top; set aside for 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and water in a saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 250 degrees F on a candy thermometer, or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball.

3. Attach the mixing bowl to the stand mixer with the wire whip attachment and start the mixer on low speed. Carefully and slowly pour the boiling sugar syrup in a steady stream over the gelatin mixture. Increase the mixer to medium-high speed and mix until stiff, shiny, and white in color, about 5 to 12 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally using a rubber spatula.

4. With the mixture on low speed, fold in the pumpkin mixture until combined. Add food coloring, if desired. Turn up the speed to medium-high and beat about 3 minutes longer. When done, the mixture should form a more-or-less continuous ribbon off the spatula into the bowl.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan in an even depth. Let the mixture set at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight.

5. Sift the cocoa powder, cornstarch, and confectioners' sugar into a pie plate. When the marshmallows have set, turn them onto a work surface and cut them into squares or shapes as desired. Roll each marshmallow in the cocoa mixture to coat all sides (reserve the cocoa mixture for re-dredging if needed). Marshmallows are best served fresh, but they can be stored in an airtight container (unrefrigerated) for about a week or in the freezer for a month. If you store the marshmallows, re-roll them in the cocoa mixture before serving.

Notes:
*The cocoa is optional if you use the powdered sugar. I did half of mine in the cocoa, sugar and starch mixture, and half in the starch/sugar mixture. They both turned out great, it just depends on what you like - some people like the little extra flavor touch the cocoa gives, while others don't like the darkness of the cocoa.

~ Hanunyah

Linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays (by The Gluten-Free Homemaker) and Tasty Tuesdays (by Beauty and Bedlam)

Grab This Button

Caramel Sauce

You may have noticed that my last couple recipes have a brown sugar sauce in them. It is very quick, simple and easy, and would be great as a dip for apples, or maybe even over ice-cream.

Caramel Sauce (Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Corn-free)

Hanunyah Creation

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup goat milk

1/4 cup lard

Bring sugar and milk to a boil over medium-hight heat. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add lard. Let cool for a couple of minutes, then beat until thick. Store in the refrigerator, and warm up when ready to serve.

~ Hanunyah

Bread Pudding

Tuesday some friends came over to butcher a pig. I made this while they were here, and as soon as I cut it and said that they could have some, it was like the locusts came in! It was only about 5 minutes until the pan looked like this, and it was a 10x13 inch pan (a doubled recipe)! -

So, I guess it was good! I sliced a peach over the bread (before baking), and the one time I made it before I used the raisins. Old, dry pancakes work well in this recipe (that's what I used the first time, and the second time I used pancakes and "rice bread" - cornbread recipe, with rice flour instead of cornmeal).

Bread Pudding (Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Corn-free)
Adapted from AllRecipes.com

7 slices worth of old GF, DF, CF bread, pancakes or rice bread*
2 tablespoons oil
raisins or fruit (optional)
4 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon maple (or vanilla) extract
2 cups goat milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Break bread into small pieces into an 8x8 inch baking pan*. Drizzle oil over bread. If desired, sprinkle with raisins or sliced fruit.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, spices and maple extract. Add the milk and beat until well mixed. Pour over bread.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

Notes:
*The bread - if you're not sure how much bread to use, just fill the pan with pieces of the bread product you're using until the pan is about 2/3 full. My family liked it with more bread, so it wasn't so gooey like a custard, but it was actually kind of spongy. They liked it like that, but if you like it more like a custard, then you may use less bread. I hope that makes sense ;).
**The baking pan - I used a 6x11 inch pan for when I didn't double the recipe, and a 10x13 inch pan when I doubled it. If you double it, you'll have to bake it longer. I don't know how much longer I baked it when I doubled it, I just left it in the oven until it was done.

Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Corn-free bread pudding, before "the locusts" came ;).

~ Hanunyah

Make Your Own GF Flour!! It can be Cheaper than Gluten Flour!

Yay! Well, after all gluten-free living is NOT sooo expensive :) . . . We buy big 50 lb bags of white rice for cheap (I think we get it at Sam's), and recently we found out that we can make our own rice flour - easily. Just grind it in a Vitamix (with the dry container), until fine (stir it while grinding).


So, since we can get rice cheap, we figured it out to about 50 cents a pound! Compare that to the stuff you buy in the store - it's over $2 a pound. We grind a couple gallons at a time . . . . And use it very fast. I think I've been baking the most I have ever baked - I have been stocking the freezer with goodies, and everyone likes it.


Praise the Lord for his kindness to us to be able to do all this.


Christmas is EVIL! Please see - http://www.atruechurch.info/christmas.html.

Gluten Free, Grain Free Peanut Butter Cupcakes (flourless)

I made a small batch of these today (small batch because I wasn't sure that they would turn out). I used sugar. I didn't top them with any chocolate chips either.
       Everyone really liked them and couldn't believe that they were flourless. I'm sure I'll make more next time.

Please go to the lady's blog who made the recipe, for the recipe - http://gingerlemongirl.blogspot.com/2010/10/gluten-free-grain-free-peanut-butter.html

31 for 21 Blog Challenge!

Flourless Chocolate Banana Cake

Yes, it's true . . . no fancy ingredients, and it tastes great. I didn't really expect it to turn out, because I made a lot of substitutions, and used a different shape pan. But . . .  My family liked it, and the only problem was that there was not enough :). I'll probably double the recipe next time. We don't have a Vita-Mix, but I used our food processor. I only processed the mixture in the food processor for about 1 minute total (I timed it).

I got the recipe from - http://www.elanaspantry.com/flourless-chocolate-banana-cake/.

Flourless Chocolate Banana Cake (Gluten Free)
3 large eggs, separated
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt (I used just plain salt)
½ cup agave nectar (I used packed brown sugar)
¼ cup grapeseed oil (I used vegetable oil)
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 bananas)
½ cup cocoa powder (I used dark)

1. In a Vita-Mix (or other high powered blender), whip egg yolks, agave and salt on medium for 1-2 minutes
2. Add grapeseed oil and mashed banana and blend for another minute or two
3. Blend in cocoa powder
4. In a bowl, whip egg whites to stiff peaks
5. Gently fold contents of Vita-Mix into bowl with egg whites
6. Grease a 9-inch springform pan (I used a 8" square) and pour batter into pan
7. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes

These pictures aren't that great, because I used a camera that isn't as good as our Nikon (because it isn't working properly), therefore the pics aren't that good.

31 for 21 Blog Challenge

Flourless Oatmeal Cookies 2

Ok, well, I was wandering up to bed when I realized I hadn't done a post for today . . . oops :).

Anyway, I made these today and they turned out great. They were better than the other flourless oatmeal cookies I posted, they are pretty tasty. I doubled the recipe, and it made a few dozen. See my notes in the recipe for what I did different. I didn't chill the dough on the first set of cookies that went in the oven, but then I chilled the other part. All of them turned out great. The recipe says to keep them refrigerated, but I don't think I'll do that. They'll be gone quick anyway . . . so I don't have to worry about freshness.


Updated - December 18, 2011: I have changed the recipe a to what I think is easiest (since I made these many times). I have also used better pictures.

Flourless Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from: That's My Home

1/3 cup lard
3/4 cup oat flour (just grind up oats)

3/4 cup quick oats

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mix all the ingredients well. Drop on greased cookie sheets and bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges are nicely browned and the tops of the cookies are medium golden in color. Cool for a couple minutes on the baking sheet before removing, using a metal spatula or icing knife.

Notes:
Makes about 1 dozen cookies.
This is a pretty small recipe, I usually at least double it.

31 for 21 Blog Challenge!

Fruit Oat Bars (No flour)

Just a simple recipe and easy snack. I only had about 1 1/4 cups banana, so I just used that and they turned out great. I got this recipe from a yahoo group called Cookie_Recipes.

Fruit Bars

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened (I used shortening)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

4 cups quick-cooking oats

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup dried apricots

1. Beat the butter (or shortening) and brown sugar in a mixing bowl until light and 

fluffy, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add the egg. Beat until blended. 

Stir in the oats, bananas, salt and cinnamon. Add the pecans, raisins, 

and apricots and mix well.

2. Spoon the batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 

45 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into 2-inch bars.

31 for 21 Blog Challenge!

Flourless Oatmeal Cookies

I took a oatmeal bar recipe, and just dropped them on cookie sheets rather then baking in the pan. For the tablespoon of flour, I used oat flour. Since, we didn't have the pecans or cranberries, I just made them plain. I don't remember how long the cookies took to bake, but I'm guessing about 10 or so minutes - but just watch them. The recipe is from - http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/recipes/600#ixzz0rzDHZfLL.

Bars or Oatmeal Cookies 

Ingredients

1 egg
1 egg white
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup oats
2/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped 
1/4 cup pecans, chopped 
1 tablespoon oat flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread oats on a baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 18 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. If making bars line an 8-by-11-inch pan with foil and grease it, or if making cookies, grease a cookie sheet.

3. In a large bowl, whisk egg, egg white, brown sugar, oil, cinnamon, salt and vanilla extract. Stir in toasted oats (it doesn't matter if they are still warm), dried cranberries, pecans and flour.

4. For bars, spread in prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool; cut into bars with a lightly oiled knife. 

5. For cookies, drop on the greased cookie sheets and bake until golden brown. Cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack.

31 for 21 Blog Challenge!

Flourless Rice Cookies

These are made with cooked rice, and no flour. The recipe used brown rice, but I used white rice (yeah, I think that will make a little difference). You were suppose to add chocolate chips, but I didn't put these in because I just wanted to try them and see how they were.

They weren't anything fantastic, but they were eaten up fast and my big brother liked them (he thought they were oatmeal cookies). But, the downfall to this recipe is that you bake the cookies for a half hour (I know, that's a long time, isn't it?), then let them sit in the oven for another half hour after turning off the oven. Although, I thought about just taking them out right after they baked, instead of letting them sit in the oven. The recipe is from - http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/archive/index.php/t-1606.html

Brown Rice Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups cooked brown rice (I used white)
1/4 cup arrowroot (I didn't use this)
1/3 cup honey (I used brown sugar + a bit of milk)
1/3 stewed dates or raisins (I didn't use these either)
1/4 cup oil (I used vegetable oil)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda

Put all in the food processor and whip well. When it looks like mush, add chocolate chips. These turn out to be a fairly chewy cookie that have almost a snack bar consistency. Bake at 300F for 1/2 hour and then let them sit in the oven for another half hour just to dry them out a bit more.

Here's a few pics to show what my "dough" looked like

Sorry that I don't have any pics of the finished cookies :(.

21 for 31 Blog Challenge

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

I've made no-flour peanut butter cookies before, but I was given this recipe, so I tried it. They were better then the recipe I made before, on my other blog here. The recipe called for white and brown sugar, but I used all white and a couple tablespoons molasses. I doubled the recipe. I added a handful of chocolate chips to the last of the batter, and they baked (and tasted, of course) great, and the chocolate chips were a perfect addition. If you like crunchy cookies, I'm sure you could add a handful of peanuts, or use crunchy peanut butter (we only had creamy, so I used that). You may either drop the cookie dough from a spoon, or make into balls or blobs and flatten with a fork. They tasted almost just like regular peanut butter cookies.

Note: The baking time on this recipe may vary. The cookies may need to be baked longer than 6 minutes, or maybe a little less.

The recipe is from: http://www.thebakingbeauties.com/ . This is a gluten-free blog, and has good recipes from what I have glanced at.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredient:
1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
1/4 cup white sugar1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine ingredients and drop by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake for 6 minutes. Let cool.