Chocolate Chunk Cookies, GRAIN & SUGAR FREE

Oops! I sort of forgot about the Chocolate Chunk Cookies I mentioned in one of my last posts . . . sorry ;). I'm still here, we've been busy with kidding/lambing season here.

Well, when people think of chocolate it is usually somehow linked with sugar. But it's this simple: cocoa powder does not have sugar in it. It's that simple. Add some good fat and a touch of honey to that powder. Let it set.

Chewy cookies with a touch of the sweetness of honey, add some . . . sugar-free chocolate. You got it.

The chocolate chunks actually have the taste and texture of chocolate, nice and smooth. My sugar-free friend - who really likes chocolate - was so excited that I made her something chocolate. And when she tasted it? Yep, it was a success.

Now, I'm not exactly sure if these are GAPS legal because of the cocoa. Some say "yes", others say "no". I didn't do extensive research about it, but you may decide for yourself, if you're on the GAPS diet.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Grain, Gluten, Dairy, Sugar, Corn, Soy, Gum, etc. FREE)
Ideas from Whole New Mom and Nourished and Nurtured

1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons honey, to taste

2 cups almond meal/flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg
2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/4 cup honey

1. In a small saucepan combine the first 3 ingredients. Melt together over medium heat, stirring constantly - be careful not to burn this mixture. Pour into a small bowl or dish. Place in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all the remaining ingredients to form a dough. Remove the chocolate mixture from the freezer and chop into small pieces. Stir the chocolate chunks into the cookie dough.

3. Drop the dough by a spoon onto a cookie sheet greased with coconut oil. Bake for 7 to 12 minutes, depending on size and shape of the cookies. Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack (or your mouth ;) ) to cool completely.


~ Hanunyah

Linked to:

Tuesdays At The Table

Temp My Tummy Tuesdays

Home and Family Friday

Link Party @ the space between

Sugar & Spice by Seven Thirty Three

creative juices @ momnivore's dilemma

Cinnamon Custard

I snuck outside before it was devoured . . . 

Last month was busy, both on the blog and ranch, but here is November. Welcome this new month with a sweet, rich custard. Warm cinnamon and the sweetness of vanilla travels throughout this easy custard with a interesting, chewy "crust". The sugar caramelizes, so be sure to soak the pan before washing.

This was a hit here (especially with my brother who probably would have eaten the whole thing).

Cinnamon Custard (Gluten, Dairy and Corn-free)
Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Crust (optional):
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons oat or other gluten-free flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons oil

Custard:
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons oat or other gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups milk

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). In a 8 inch baking dish combine all of the crust ingredients. Press down into the pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add the beaten egg, oil, and vanilla. Mix well and add the milk. Pour over the crust mixture.

3. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for about 25 minutes more.

Fall lamb

and don't forget the kids ;).

~ Hanunyah

31 for 21: Disguised {Carrot} Fudge Brownies

Gooey carrot brownies standing in the morning sunshine in front of the sheep awaiting breakfast.

It's pretty common to use apple sauce instead of oil, but who would think to use carrots in brownies?

I boiled and pureed carrots and used them for most of the oil in brownies. Although most of the pan is gone the morning after I made them, most of my siblings still don't know that the brownies were made with carrots. They didn't even question it. So..........I guess they just taste like brownies! They're pretty fudge-y, too, although crumbly because made with oat flour and no gums.

~ Another great way to hide veggies ;).

Disguised {Carrot} Fudge Brownies (Gluten, Dairy, Corn-free)
Hanunyah Creation (Adapted from my brain)


3/4 cup carrots, boiled and pureed
1/4 cup oil
3 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa, dark*
1 1/2 cups sugar**
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cup gluten-free flour***
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

2. Beat the carrots, oil, eggs, cocoa, sugar and vanilla. Add the flour and soda. Mix well.

3. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Notes:
*Dark cocoa worked well for me, but you may use other cocoa. If you use regular cocoa, you may need to use 3/4 to 1 cup instead of 1/2 cup.
**I used 1/2 cup brown, 1 cup white sugar.
***I used oat flour, but you may use your favorite gluten-free flour or flour blend.


~ Hanunyah

Grab This Button

31 for 21: Molasses Cookies

One of Suriyah's specialties :). These are very good, nice and chewy. And this kind of cookie fits the season right now, even though we make them throughout the year.

Molasses Cookies (Gluten, Dairy and Corn-free)
Adapted from Got Milk? The Cookie Book

1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, (optional)

2 teaspoons ginger

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups rice flour
1 cup sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a cookie sheet.

2. Combine all ingredients; beat well. Spread on a cookie sheet (you may also make cookies - form balls and place on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart).

3. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the center appears cooked. Let cool on the baking sheet for a couple minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely (if they're not gone by then!). Store in an airtight container or freeze for up to 2 weeks.

Notes:
She usually makes these into bars - it's easier that way and they seem to come out chewier, too.


~ Hanunyah

Grab This Button

31 for 21: Amaretti Peach Cookies

Update - October 5, 2011: I don't know what happened . . . I guess I tweaked out and posted 2 posts on the second of the month, but nothing on the third . . . sorry.

We went to a soccer game today - we won 3-2. It was a very exciting game . . . 

 Anyway, here is a recipe for some sweet, chewy, peach-almond bars.

Amaretti Peach Cookies (Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Corn-free, Gum-free)
Adapted from Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup lard
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups rice flour
1 or 2 peaches, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream the lard with sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and extract. Add cream of tartar, soda, salt and flour. Mix in the peaches. 

Drop dough by tablespoons on a greased cookie sheet OR, spread on a greased cookie sheet. For cookies, bake 7-9 minutes or JUST UNTIL edges are light brown (unless you want crunchy, hard cookies). (The cookies WILL NOT look completely cooked when you pull them out of the oven). For bars, bake about 10 minutes or so, until the top is light to medium brown. Let cookies cool on a wire baking rack on the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes. This will allow cookies to retain their shape for eating.

~ Hanunyah

Grab This Button

Divinity

Since I made divinity last time (first time I made divinity) my sister said she likes it and wants me to make it again. So I just finished making it today - and it was a hit just like last time (but it is a different flavor this time).

Divinity (Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Corn-free)
Adapted from FoodNetwork.com

2 1/2 cups sugar, divided*

3/4 cups water, divided

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring 1/4 cup water to a boil. Add 1/2 cup sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the remaining sugar, water and the cream of tartar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to boil, undisturbed, until the mixture reaches the hard ball stage, 265 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.

2. In a standing electric mixer, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Working very slowly, add the sugar syrup in a thin, steady stream, and continue beating on high speed until the candy begins to lose its shine - this can take as long as 10 or 15 minutes, depending on your mixer. (When adding the hot sugar syrup to the egg whites, make sure to stop occasionally to scrape down the bowl if any syrup has collected on the sides. When the beaters are lifted out of the candy mixture, it should fall in a smooth thick ribbon that mounds on itself.

3. Working quickly, fold in the vanilla if desired, and drop by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper. Cool completely before serving. The candies should firm up as they cool. Store in an airtight container.

Notes:

*I used brown sugar because we don't have any vanilla - they said it tasted like caramel.

This is best made on a low-humidity day or in a dry location; damp conditions will prevent divinity from firming up.

~ Hanunyah

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

Black Gold Cookies

Note: Even though I am on the GAPS diet, I still bake for everyone else who's not on the diet (there's only me, my brother and dad on the diet). It's not really a big deal for me, because I like doing it and they like to eat what I make. That said, I'll still be posting recipes here, Lord willing.


Thursday I made some Chocolate Chip Cookies (I baked most of them as bars, spread on a cookie sheet - they baked way better, browned beautifully and looked more chewy) , Gingersnap Cookies, Gingerbread (it was a creation, but a success - I made it from some of the Gingersnap cookie dough with another egg, a chopped apple and milk), Neapolitan Cookie dough for the 4th of July (without the food coloring because my sister forgot it Thursday in town, I finished those this morning), and Flourless Oatmeal Cookies (that me and my little 6 year old sister went crazy on - we added a shredded carrot, chopped banana, ginger, poppy and flax seeds. Why did we add all that? We were having fun ;-) ).


     Anyway, a couple of months ago, my grandma brought us some Gluten-free Black Gold Cookies (with the ingredient list) that she bought somewhere (I think the brand was BriarPatch) so we could taste them and create a copycat recipe for them. I found a couple Black Gold Cookie recipes online. With the amount of chocolate chips in the recipe, it seemed like you couldn't go wrong. So I gave it a shot.
    They were a big hit here at our house, but I haven't ran them by grandma yet (I'll probably do that tomorrow after a soccer game when we go to her house). The only difference I think there was (without tasting them ;-) ) was that they weren't as thick as the ones she bought. I may need to add a little more flour, or bake them as bars in a pan (so they can't spread, only rise).

*Update - July 28, 2011: A couple weeks ago Grandma came to our house . . . and I was baking these cookies. She tasted one, and REALLY liked them! She and everybody else gave lots of compliments. They went over very well!
     But I experimented some and was able to make them thicker (the first batch I changed things on turned out great). So, I have changed the recipe to what worked.

Black Gold Cookies (Gluten-free, Corn-free)
Adapted from Food.com

6 tablespoons (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) GF flour (I use rice or oat)

1/2 teaspoon guar gum (xanthan gum, if not corn-free)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder (or 3 to 4 tablespoons regular cocoa)

2 cups safe chocolate chips, divided

6 tablespoons (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) lard

2 large eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)

1 1/2 cups walnuts (optional)

1. Mix together flour, gum, baking powder and cocoa, set aside. Melt 1 1/4 cups of the chocolate chips in the microwave (you could use a double boiler) for 1 minute, just until melted. Stir until smooth.

2. Beat the lard, eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl until well combined and fluffy. Add the melted chocolate and beat. Add the dry ingredients, remaining chocolate chips, and walnuts. Refrigerate the dough for about 20 to 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place heaping tablespoons of the dough on greased cookie sheets (do not flatten them). Bake for about 9 minutes (do not overbake). Cool on wire rack.

~ Hanunyah


Linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays by The Gluten-Free Homemaker

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I finally made CCCs. Since going GF my cousin said he hadn't tasted a good gluten-free chocolate chip cookie, until yesterday. These were a major hit! Oh, and I must mention, we aren't grinding flour anymore because we bought some through a co-op that is about the same price as grinding our own. And it is amazing flour! It's very, very, very fine - it's about the same as gluten flour but cheaper! I made these, Neapolatin Cookies, and Cinnamon Rolls (posting later), and they were all great!

*Update - August 5, 2011: These are good baked as cookies, but are way, way better baked as bars. It's easier, too - spread  the dough on a cookie sheet and bake. This way they are chewier, and the chocolate chips go to the bottom, so it's like a layer bar. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Corn-free)

1/2 cup shortening or lard

1/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (make sure it's safe)

1 1/4 cups rice flour (or other GF flour)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. guar gum

1/2 tsp. baking soda + 3/4 tsp. cream of tartar (or 1 tsp. baking powder, if not corn-free)

6 oz. (1 cup) safe chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream shortening with sugars until light 

and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Add flour, salt, guar gum, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Mix in chocolate chips. Drop dough by tablespoons on a greased cookie sheet. 

Bake 7-9 minutes or JUST UNTIL edges are light brown (unless you want crunchy, hard cookies). (The cookies WILL NOT look completely cooked when you pull them out of the oven). Let cookies cool on a wire baking rack or the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes. This will allow cookies to retain their shape for eating.

~ Hanunyah


Linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays by The Gluten-Free Homemaker and 
Shindig Saturday by Kim's Kandy Kreations

Layer Bars (a GF version of Seven Layer Bars)

Seven Layer Bars seem to be somewhat popular, but you might think since going GF you can not make those anymore. Well, that is not the case. This gluten-free version is made with no graham cracker crust. Beware, though, what brand of butterscotch chips you use, because some contain gluten. Just read labels.


Allrecipes.com, has a little section of gluten-free recipes, if you write in the search "gluten-free", you should get lots of results. I found this recipe by doing that, and looking through the recipes.


These are easy, and were yummy. I didn't get a picture.


I used a substitute for the sweetened condensed milk though. This recipe is from http://www.cooks.com/. Here is the recipe for the sweetened condensed milk substitute I used (below).


Sweetened Condensed Milk Substitute

2 eggs
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. GF flour (I used 2 Tbsp corn flour, and 1 Tbsp corn starch)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients and use as a substitute for sweetened condensed milk in recipes for pies, bars and desserts.

Ok, now to the bar recipe. You may use a mixture of different kinds of chips and nuts.

Gluten-Free Layer Bars

Ingredients

• 7 ounces flaked coconut (I think I used about 1 1/3 cups)
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup peanuts
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds (I didn't use these)
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (or substitute listed above)
• 
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C ). Generously grease one 13x9 inch baking pan.
2. Spread 2/3 of the flaked coconut evenly on the bottom of the baking pan. Sprinkle the butterscotch morsel, chocolate chips, and peanuts evenly over the coconut layer. Pour condensed milk evenly over the whole pan. Top with sliced almonds and remaining coconut . Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

 ~ Hanunyah

31 for 21 Blog Challenge!

Coconut Candy Bars

These were yummy - chewy and chocolate coating topping it off. The recipe called for almonds to put on top before baking, but I didn't use them. I didn't use the vanilla either. I put some of the batter in greased small muffin pans, instead of shaping into bars on a cookie sheet. These are easy to make also.

The only expensive part is the chocolate - they would still be good without chocolate, but it does make them better. I halved the recipe once (because we only had 1 egg . . . and guess where I went to get it? The chicken coop :-) ) anyway, they still turned out great. People said they tasted like Mounds.

Coconut Candy Bars

2 (large) egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

2 cups chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 350 F, and grease a rimmed baking sheet. 

2. Combine the egg whites, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl and mix with a fork. Don't beat the egg whites, but just make sure the mixture is well blended. Fold in the coconut. The batter will be stiff, like oatmeal.

3. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the batter onto the cookie sheet and shape into a log. Repeat with remaining batter. You should have about 1 dozen bars.

4. Bake for 13 to 17 minutes (check after 13), or until the bars are just brown at the edges. Let cool 1 minute, transfer to a wire rack and let cool about 30 minutes or until completely cool.

5. Cover the baking sheet with foil, wax or parchment paper and have it ready.

6. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate on high for 1 minute, and stir well to distribute the heat. Heat for 1 minute more, and stir again. Heat for and additional 30 to 60 seconds, stirring thoroughly with a fork.

7. Using 2 forks, drop a bar into the chocolate and coat lightly on all sides, then transfer to the cookie sheet. Dip the remaining bars. If the chocolate layer gets too thick or your chocolate starts to get stiff, heat the chocolate for 1 minute more, stirring well to distribute the heat.

8. Leave the finished candies at room temperature for about 4 hours, or until completely cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 weeks.

bars that are not dipped in the chocolate yet

And, to the  little leftover chocolate I added some mini marshmallows

Linked to Shindig Saturday by Kims Kandy Kreations