gluten free Archives - Page 5 of 11

Inside Out Buckeye Cookies

December 11, 2013 · by Ari ·

Soft and chewy peanut butter cookies stuffed with melty dark chocolate and covered with powdered sugar–just like an inside out buckeye! Vegan, gluten-free, and seriously addicting.

You know it’s Christmas time when I post cookies 3 days in a row. Okay, that’s a lie. I always post cookies. I love cookies. Everyone has their “thing”, their go-to dessert, that one thing they feel like they do significantly better than all other baking. Mine is totally cookies. In fact, I mess up brownies more times than I get them right, and I constantly have to remake cupcakes because I under bake them (because that works with cookies…not so much with cakes…).

For part of my segment for Health2Fit (read more about the whole experience here), Natalie asked me to bring in some health(ier) cookies so she could demonstrate some creative ways to package them for swaps. That was awesome for me since I love to bake things, and then I totally fail at packaging in any sort of attractive manner. They were a huge hit at the studio, and everyone said they wouldn’t have been able to tell that they were lightened up, vegan & gluten-free!

I’ve made these with both white whole wheat flour, and then more recently with my gluten-free baking blend. The only adjustment for the gluten-free version included baking time. They cooked about 1-2 minutes quicker than the original. In fact, the first batch I second guessed myself, left them in too long, and ended up with overly chewy (not the good kind of chewy), flat cookies. I was worried that they wouldn’t work, but the next batch, I took out as soon as they set, and they were awesome! Not quiiiite as puffy as these, but certainly not flat, and the taste was identical.

Oh, and I guess maybe we should discuss what buckeyes actually are? Because I had no idea until the last year when I saw them floating around the blog world. It’s kind of like a Reese’s cup crossed with a truffle. They are little balls of peanut butter mixed with powdered sugar covered (mostly) with chocolate, but leaving one little “eye” remaining, So these cookies are…the opposite! Dark chocolate in the middle, with the peanut butter and powdered sugar on the outside. I love melty dark chocolate in the center of my cookies, and I am a peanut butter fanatic. The powdered sugar is that perfect extra touch that makes these cookies the first to go at parties or cookie swaps!

Inside Out Buckeye Cookies

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Inside Out Buckeye Cookies

Soft and chewy peanut butter cookies stuffed with melty dark chocolate and covered with powdered sugar--just like an inside out buckeye! Vegan, gluten-free, and seriously addicting.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup gluten-free baking blend or white whole wheat flour*
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup apple butter
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz good quality dark chocolate, in small squares or roughly chopped
approx 1/2 cup powdered sugar for rolling ( + more for dusting)

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and corn starch. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the apple butter, peanut butter, sugars, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in dry ingredients until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large cookie sheets with silpat or parchment paper. Pour powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll dough into 1" balls then press a square of dark chocolate inside. Re-roll dough around chocolate. Make sure no chocolate is showing. Add more dough if necessary. Roll in powdered sugar, then transfer to prepared baking sheet.
Bake until edges are just set, about 8-10 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool completely on cookie sheet. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes

*Gluten-free cookies will bake 1-2 minutes faster than if you use white whole wheat flour. Check gf cookies at 7 minutes, and wheat cookies may be in for closer to 11 depending on your oven.

https://arismenu.com/buckeye-cookies/

PS: Don’t forget to check out the segment this Saturday (12/14) @ 11am AZ time. Local channel 7, cable 13.

Soft & Fluffy Sugar Cookies {The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap}

December 10, 2013 · by Ari ·

Pillowy soft, fluffy, and loaded with vanilla flavor, these sugar cookies are irresistible. Eat them plain, frost them, or decorate with your favorite holiday decorations.

Pssssst…Today is the last day to enter this awesome giveaway! Don’t miss out!

So yesterday we were discussing cookie swaps, yes? I may not have a ton of experience with them, but this year is the second time I have participated in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, and it is AWESOME! You sign up, and then you are sent your 3 matches. You make and send a dozen cookies to each match, then you receive a dozen cookies from 3 surprise sources.

I signed up for the gluten-free option so I could share my cookies with Steve. The last thing I need is 3 dozen cookies that only I will eat. As awesome as that sounds. Heather sent me spict gingerbread cookies, Marianne sent me chocolate snickerdoodles, and Rachel send me peanut butter blossoms. Everything was amazing. Steve loved the peanut butter blossoms, and I kept getting drawn back to the chocolate snickerdoodles, but I mean who doesn’t love gingerbread cookies this time of year too? Seriously.

I sent these sweet li’l sugar cookies to Dre, Amy, and Sara.

First I made peppermint mocha cookies. They were amazing (and I will totally share them soon), but they just didn’t look pretty, and I couldn’t bring myself to send something that didn’t at least begin beautiful. Although, who the heck knows what they looked like by the time they arrived. Sending cookies makes me so nervous. What if they get smushed? What if they’re dry and cakey by the time they arrive? What if, what if, what ifffffff….????

Well, I can’t tell you what they looked like when they got there, but I can tell you that I absolutely loved them. They were unbelievably soft and fluffy, and the vanilla flavor was so bold, but definitely a nice change from all the chocolate I’ve been devouring. 😉

I used coconut oil + vanilla yogurt instead of my usual apple butter. I wanted to keep the color as light as possible. Between the brown rice flour, oat flour and almond meal in my baking blend, it’s really tough to get cookies that look like the original, and I couldn’t get past the idea of brown sugar cookies, so I did everything I could to keep these as white as possible. The little bit of coconut oil adds an immense amount of softness and richness to the texture, making the cookies satisfying and irresistible.

Soft & Fluffy Sugar Cookies {The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap}

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: approx 4 dozen

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Soft & Fluffy Sugar Cookies {The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap}

Pillowy soft, fluffy, and loaded with vanilla flavor, these sugar cookies are irresistible. Eat them plain, frost them, or decorate with your favorite holiday decorations.

Ingredients

5 cups gluten-free baking blend
1 1/2 tbsp baking soda
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 eggs
1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together baking blend, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, yogurt and coconut oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. Add dry ingredients and beat until just combined, scraping down sides of the bowl as necessary. Cover and chill for 30-60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper. Use a small cookie scoop to transfer dough onto prepared baking sheet. Bake until outsides are just set, about 8-10 minutes. Cookies will look underdone. Do not over bake. Cool completely on baking sheet. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

https://arismenu.com/soft-fluffy-sugar-cookies-the-great-food-blogger-cookie-swap/

Drink & Dish: Caramel Stuffed Ginger Molasses Cookies

December 9, 2013 · by Ari ·

Soft baked ginger molasses cookies stuffed with sweet, gooey caramel. These will easily become your new favorite Christmas cookie! Gluten-free with vegan option.

Would you believe me if I told you that until this year, I had never actually done a cookie swap? Okay, that’s a lie, I did The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap two years ago (And again this year which means you’re getting two…actually 3…days in a row this week. I’m sure you’re devastated.), but I had never done a real life one. I was just always the one giving away all of the cookies. The idea of getting some in return of kind of amazing!

This year we did a cookie swap at book club, and that was my first, official, in real life cookie swap. So much deliciousness. Did I tell you I was in a book club? Ummm, I am SO BAD at it. It’s been going on for almost a year? More than a year? And I’ve read 2 books. Well, that’s not even true. I read one book, then when it was my turn I picked my favorite play (August: Osage County), and never got around to rereading it. I just show up, drink wine, and at Christmas time, swap cookies.

But seriously, if you’ve sucked at anything in life and want to make up for it, I feel like these cookies might be the key to solving all past mistakes. They *might* be the best cookies I’ve ever made. It’s so hard because cookies are my favorite. As if you couldn’t tell. Most of the time brownies and cupcakes, while delicious, are only mildly tempting, but cookies get me every single time. So clearly, I make them a lot, and these are definitely high on my list.

In fact, after I brought them in to work, I had requests for more for practically a week. Pretty much until I made them again for Drink & Dish, and had more leftover cookies to bring in to satisfy everyone’s craving. The sugared edges give them a light crispiness, but the insides are cookie-dough-soft. Almost like if it was a gingerbread brownie on the inside. I can hardly describe it–just think absolute perfect cookie texture. And with soft, melty caramel in the middle? It honestly doesn’t get much better. They are best with homemade caramels. You can see how well homemade caramels melt in these salted caramel mocha cookies. For these I just used store bought because that’s what I had, and ya know what? They still came out awesome. You could also use vegan caramels to make them vegan (captain obvious), or omit the caramels if it’s not your thing. The cookie itself is so good it stands on it’s own.

Sooooo, in case you couldn’t tell, the theme of this episode of Drink & Dish is Christmas Cookie Swap! Nicole and I wanted to make sure that you guys had awesome things to bring to all your holiday swaps. Nicole makes a gingerbread martini that is absolutely to die for, and obviously the perfect pairing to these cookies!

These are absolutely a must-make this holiday season, and a great way to spice up your usual ginger molasses fix!

Drink & Dish: Caramel Stuffed Ginger Molasses Cookies

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: 2 dozen

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Drink & Dish: Caramel Stuffed Ginger Molasses Cookies

Soft baked ginger molasses cookies stuffed with sweet, gooey caramel. These will easily become your new favorite Christmas cookie! Gluten-free with vegan option.

Ingredients

2 cups gluten-free baking blend (or white whole wheat flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
dash salt
1/2 cup apple butter
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
24 caramels*
granulated sugar for rolling

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together baking blend, baking soda, spices and salt.
In a large bowl, beat together apple butter, molasses, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in dry ingredients until just combined. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 large baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper.Roll dough into approximately 1" balls. Press caramel inside, and roll dough back around. Make sure caramel is completely covered. Add more dough if necessary. Roll in sugar and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake until just set, about 9-11 minutes. Cookies will look underdone,. Do not over bake. Cool completely on cookie sheet. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Notes

*Use vegan caramels, or omit caramel to keep vegan.

https://arismenu.com/drink-dish-caramel-stuffed-ginger-molasses-cookies/

Vanilla Bean Snickerdoodles + a $500 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

December 6, 2013 · by Ari ·

Classic cinnamon sugar snickerdoodle cookies made with bold vanilla sugar. Crunchy on the outside with the perfect soft baked texture inside. Vegan and gluten-free, so almost everyone can enjoy!

Psssst: There is a really sweet giveaway at the end of this post that you don’t want to miss!

The other day I had a craving for sugar cookies. I almost never make sugar cookies, so it was weird. I asked Steve if he thought that sounded too plain. He thought about it for a second, and then, overly proud of himself for his creative contribution, he said “What about cinnamon sugar cookies???” Silly boy, those are snickerdoodles, and yes, they are awesome.

I have always been a huge snickerdoodle fan. Have you ever had those huge ones at Paradise Bakery? I can’t even handle them. I’m pretty sure they use something really awful like shortening to get the texture that perfect.

And can we talk about how my screen keeps yelling at me with that awful red squiggly line every time I type the word snickerdoodle? Snickerdoodle, snickerdoodle, snickerdoodle. I even googled it to make sure I wasn’t spelling it wrong. Get with the program, computer, and stop yelling at me!

At Healthy Living Summit, my BBFF {blog-best-friend-forever} Nicole gave all the girls in our room this amazing vanilla sugar. It was love at first site smell.

Such a simple idea, but a really easy way to take your baked goods to the next level, especially if you’re as vanilla bean obsessed as I am. More than anything–chocolate, peanut butter, even fro yo, I love all things vanilla bean. It’s such a distinct, clean flavor, and you don’t see it as often as you would think.

I thought a lot about what I wanted to use it for, and eventually decided snickerdoodles were the perfect vehicle–with the vanilla sugar baked inside and a crunchy, sweet cinnamon vanilla sugar coating, you get the most out of the vanilla flavor. These were some of the best cookies I’ve ever made, and everyone I gave them too was a huge fan. They have the same perfect texture as my chai snickerdoodles that I loved so much, with just the twist of extra vanilla flavor. They are definitely a must for your holiday cookie exchanges!

Vanilla Bean Snickerdoodles

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 2 1/2 - 3 dozen

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Vanilla Bean Snickerdoodles

Classic cinnamon sugar snickerdoodle cookies made with bold vanilla sugar. Crunchy on the outside with the perfect soft baked texture inside. Vegan and gluten-free, so almost everyone can enjoy!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups gluten-free baking blend (or 2 cups white whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
dash salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup apple butter
3/4 cup vanilla sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract

For coating:

1/4 cup vanilla sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together apple butter, vanilla sugar, maple syrup, and almond milk until well combined. Add vanilla, then add dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
In a wide, shallow bowl, combine remaining vanilla sugar and cinnamon for the coating. Lightly spray hands with nonstick spray, then roll dough into one inch balls. Roll in the sugar mixture to coat completely, then transfer to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. They may look underdone, but do not over bake. They will set more as they cool. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

If you do not have vanilla sugar, you can easily combine the seeds with 1/2 vanilla bean with your total 1 cup sugar before baking. Mix together thoroughly, then divide out your 1/4 cup for coating.

https://arismenu.com/vanilla-bean-snickerdoodles/

Giveaway details:
The giveaway will be open from Friday December 6th, 2013 until Wednesday December 11th, 2013 (@ 11:59pm EST). You must be 18 years old to enter and you must live in the USA. One winner will receive a $500 Amazon gift card.

Please check out my fellow healthy recipe blogging buddies that are also hosting! They all have amazing recipe, beautiful photos, and lots of greatness to share with you!

Dark Chocolate Sunflower Butter Truffles

December 2, 2013 · by Ari ·

Rich and intense dark chocolate sunflower butter truffles are perfect treat to bring to a Christmas party, and make a great edible gift! Vegan, gluten-free and filled with intense chocolate flavor!

I have a confession. After the first round of making these truffles, I officially swore off truffle making forever. Not because I wasn’t in love with them, but because I’m, um, a little…slow on the learning curve. At least with things like this. I don’t have that whole hand-eye-coordination thing, and tasks that require care and patients are realllllly not my thing.

Then I tasted them. And I ate my words…in the form of an entire batch of truffles. Totally worth it.

So I did, in fact, make them again. andagainandagainandagain. Each time it got easier, and by the most recent batch, I even referred to it as “enjoyable” and “therapeutic”. WHO AM I???? It turns out, once you get the hang of it, they really don’t take that long. So pour yourself a glass of wine, put on your favorite holiday movie, and enjoy the process, because once you are finished and you take your first bite, I guarantee you will fall in love.

These truffles are so rich, and decadent. The deep flavor of dark chocolate mixed with creamy, nutty sunflower butter, topped with intense Dutch cocoa powder–it is a chocolate lover’s dream.

**Note: All photos on this post were taken by my husband. I made these last year before I was exclusively taking the photos for my site. I could make them again (they are so good), but his photos are gorgeous, so I decided to keep them. 🙂

Dark Chocolate Sunflower Butter Truffles

Prep Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours

Yield: 3 1/2 dozen

Serving Size: 1 truffle

Dark Chocolate Sunflower Butter Truffles

Rich and intense dark chocolate sunflower butter truffles are perfect treat to bring to a Christmas party, and make a great edible gift! Vegan, gluten-free and filled with intense chocolate flavor!

Ingredients

12 oz dark chocolate, melted
1/3 cup sweetened condensed coconut milk, at room temperature (can sub regular sweetened condensed milk)
1/3 cup sunflower butter

For coating:

6 oz dark chocolate, melted
Approx 1 cup Dutch process cocoa powder for dusting (or Hershey's Special Dark)

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the 12oz melted dark chocolate, sweetened condensed coconut milk and sunflower butter until well combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and use a small spoon or extra small cookie scoop to transfer chocolate mixture in approx 1/2" balls. If they don't look perfect and round right now, don't worry! Once all of the mixture has been transferred, refrigerate for 1 hour. You can stick them in the freezer as well.
Once the truffles have chilled, roll each truffle in your hands until round and smooth. Melt 6 oz dark chocolate in a wide shallow bowl. Pour 1 cup cocoa powder in a similar wide and shallow bowl. Use a fork to roll each truffle in melted chocolate until fully coated then in cocoa powder. Once truffle is fully coated, use your fork to gently place it back onto lined baking sheet. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator or freezer.

https://arismenu.com/dark-chocolate-sunflower-butter-truffles/

Gingerbread Granola

December 1, 2013 · by Ari ·

All the flavors of classic gingerbread in a spiced, nutty flavorful granola with big snack-worthy clusters. Vegan, gluten-free, and the perfect edible gift! Friends! I’m so excited. I’ve been waiting for months to share holiday recipes with you! I am still so full from Thanksgiving weekend that I almost can’t even think about anymore food. Almost… But this granola is so special that I actually haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I made it. In fact, I’ve already run out, and usually I try to think of an other granola I’d like to make so I can share a new recipe, but I think I have to make this one again because it’s literally all I can think about. I had my doubts going in. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get the pure gingerbread flavor to sit just right in a nutty granola, and when I tasted the batter (yes, I taste unbaked granola), I was sure the molasses flavor was going to overpower everything. You know how the best ginger molasses cookies are the ones rolled in sugar? Well, they’re my favorite. Just before baking, I made a game time decision to sprinkle a little granulated sugar over the batch, and it was the BEST idea. I only used 2 tablespoons (on a 12ish cup recipe), but it added that extra sweetness that I would want from my gingerbread, and helped tone down the molasses a bit. Feel free to altar the sugar and spices to fit your preferences. I use a very simple basic granola recipe for all of my granola and just tweak things here and there to bring the flavor profile I want. The recipe is hard to mess up, and super adaptable to your tastes. The recipe is super simple and easy to make, plus it makes a HUGE batch of granola, so if you’re doing edible gifts for any of your friends/family/teachers/coworkers/bike shop employees (my husband insists), you’ll only need one batch, and you’ll still have some left over for you, because trust me, you’ll want some. In fact, you won’t want to share any of it once you sample a cluster. Trust me, those big granola clusters are even more addicting than even the softest ginger cookies.

Gingerbread Granola

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: 12 cups

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Gingerbread Granola

All the flavors of classic gingerbread in a spiced, nutty flavorful granola with big snack-worthy clusters. Vegan, gluten-free, and the perfect edible gift!

Ingredients

5 cups rolled oats
2 cups pecans, roughly chopped
2/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp cloves
Generous pinch salt
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup apple butter
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp granulated sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300. Line two large baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a very large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt.
In a small saucepan, warm the apple butter, molasses, brown sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla extract until well combined, whisking constantly.
Add the molasses mixture into the dry ingredients and toss to combine. Divide mixture evenly between your 2 prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle each baking pan with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar.
Bake until browned and crispy, about 1 hour. Lightly toss granola half way through. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The granola will stay fresh for at least one month. I’ve never made a batch last any longer than that, but it’s still great a month in!

https://arismenu.com/gingerbread-granola/

DIY Brownie Mix Jars {gluten-free}

November 21, 2013 · by Ari ·

A simple, easy, DIY gift idea for rich and fudgey gluten-free brownie mix. So easy to make, and a perfect gift for anyone in your life who loves chocolate! Includes dairy-free & vegan options.

Every year I do a huge holiday baking day. I usually invite hermano to “help”, and he’ll mix a few things, and then he just lays around…that is until I need a taste tester. 😉

I do enjoy it, but I usually end the day totally exhausted and swearing off ever stepping foot in my kitchen again. And don’t even think about getting me to cook dinner. It always ends up being a Chipotle night, even though all I really ever want at the end is greasy, cheesy pizza. But let’s be honest, all I ever want is greasy, cheesy pizza. And chocolate. And fro-yo.

The truth is, DIY mixes are so expensive at places like Starbucks or the Hallmark store, and they seem like a novelty item, but they are really easy to put together, far less time consuming than huge batch baking, and really inexpensive. The biggest expense ends up being the jars, but if you go to the dollar store, a thrift store, or hit the clearance section of your craft store, you can get them very reasonably.

Not to mention, the store-bought mixes are loaded with refined flours, and often times lots of weird preservatives. By making them yourself, you can control what goes in, and that includes changing things up, and adding your own mix-ins. If you know the person you’re giving it to loves chocolate and peanut butter, you could add some mini peanut butter cups, or Reese’s Pieces.

I just joined The Recipe ReDux which is a challenge hosted by dietitians to create unique and delicious recipes that are also healthy. While brownies are still somewhat indulgent, it is the holidays, and these are 100% whole grain, and the butter is replaced with nonfat yogurt. So you can have your ~~cake~~ brownie and eat it too. 😉

I just took my favorite brownie recipe, and layered the dry ingredients in a jar–it literally took less than 5 minutes, and you can easily do the same thing with any of your favorite recipes. I use my gluten-free baking blend, but you could use white whole wheat flour, or almond meal, or any blend of your own. All you need to add are eggs and some nonfat vanilla yogurt–everything else is included. You could also keep it dairy-free by using coconut oil instead of yogurt, or vegan by replacing the eggs with 2 tbsp cornstarch and 1/3 cup almond milk–so it can work for anyone in your life!

DIY Brownie Mix Jars {gluten-free}

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 16

Serving Size: 1 brownie

DIY Brownie Mix Jars {gluten-free}

A simple, easy, DIY gift idea for rich and fudgey gluten-free brownie mix. So easy to make, and a perfect gift for anyone in your life who loves chocolate!

Ingredients

1 cup + 2 tbsp gluten-free baking blend (or white whole wheat flour
dash salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
1/2 tsp espresso powder
5 1/2 oz dark chocolate, about 1 scant cup

To make brownies:

1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
2 eggs

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk flour and salt together. In a 3.5-4 cup jar, layer ingredients in order listed. You may change the order as long as you leave the chocolate chips on top. Use a tablespoon to smooth down after each layer for the best visual effect.
To make brownies, preheat oven to 350. Line a 9" square pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, melt the chocolate and let cool. Stir in yogurt, whisk eggs in one at a time. Gently fold in remaining ingredients until just combined.
Transfer to prepared baking tin and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan then serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

Recipe easily doubled in a larger jar. Feel free to add mix ins of your choosing.

For dairy-free brownies, replace yogurt with melted coconut oil For vegan brownies, also replace egg with 2 tbsp cornstarch and 1/3 cup almond milk.

https://arismenu.com/diy-brownie-mix-jars-gluten-free/

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies

November 17, 2013 · by Ari ·

Vegan & gluten-free ultra soft pumpkin cookies filled with chunks of bold dark chocolate. Perfect cookie (not cakey) texture without a single ounce of butter–something even I thought was impossible!

I get a little sad every year around this time. The end of pumpkin season. The day after Thanksgiving, I spend the next 10 months waiting for September 1st so I can start posting pumpkin recipes again. Every year, without fail, I’m left with a handful of recipes that never made it to the blog before the season ended.

I had just about given up on pumpkin cookies. I loooove pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cupcakes–anything that is supposed to be light and cakey, the pumpkin basically works like a dream, but cookies? I don’t like my cookies cakey, and especially while trying to avoid using butter, I just thought that pumpkin cookies were an impossible task.

After seeing my girl Sally’s recipe for her pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, I was inspired to try again. It was the first pumpkin cookie recipe I’d seen where you could see just from the photos that the texture was perfect. I did a little more research and saw this recipe on Baked by Rachel. They also looked ridiculously good–and again, with that perfect cookie texture.

I was pretty sure once I got rid of the butter, there was no way I’d be satisfied, but it turns out I couldn’t have been more wrong. The texture was absolutely spot on. The edges got ever so slightly crisp, and the middle was soft, gooey, and everything I’ve ever wanted in a cookie. The pumpkin flavor shines through, and the huge chunks of dark chocolate are the perfect finishing touch. I used a sea salt dark chocolate which I would highly recommend, but any good quality dark chocolate will do. I also made a batch with bits of Heath toffee thrown in, and let me tell you, that was magnificent. You could use white chocolate, add cranberries, anything really–the dough is the perfect container for all your favorite add ins!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: approx 2 1/2 dozen

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Vegan & gluten-free ultra soft pumpkin cookies filled with chunks of bold dark chocolate. Perfect cookie (not cakey) texture without a single ounce of butter--something even I thought was impossible!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups gluten-free baking blend (or white whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp cornstarch
dash salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
6 tbsp apple butter
6 tbsp pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz good quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cornstarch, and salt until combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together sugars, coconut oil, apple butter, pumpkin and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Gently, stir in chocolate. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. If you leave it in longer (ie: several hours to overnight), you may need to let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping and baking.
Preheat oven to 350. Line two large baking sheets with silpat of parchment papers. Use a small cookie scoop to transfer dough to baking sheet.
Bake until edges are lightly golden and cookies are just set, about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to one week.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Baked by Rachel and Sally's Baking Addiction

https://arismenu.com/pumpkin-chocolate-chunk-cookies/

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

November 11, 2013 · by Ari ·

Warm, bold, and flavorful enchilada soup made easily 100% in your crockpot. All the flavors you love about decadent chicken enchiladas in a simple, easy and healthy crockpot soup.

Is it just me, or does a long weekend make anyone else feel more tired? I feel like I spend the entire time trying to get more done, rather than taking it easy. I did have a super fun Saturday night, however. It included maple whiskey and cards against humanity. Obviously my kind of evening. 😉

I spend a lot of the weekend trying to meal plan/prep for the week, and grocery shopping. Ummm, grocery shopping takes me like 2 hours. It starts off like this wonderful, fun experience, then I realize I still have 3 more stores to go to in order to get all my favorite specialty items, and I am totally over the whole experience since I just slowly made my way through Sprouts for the last hour and a half.

Reason # 984058085 that I am in total, unconditional love with my crockpot. I can toss some ingredients in when I’m getting ready in the morning with little-no prep, and I come home to bold, delicious and flavorful chicken enchilada soup. The chicken comes out perfect every time–by the time you remove it to shred it, it is practically falling apart on it’s own.

This soup is so simple and easy, and it also provides that warm fall and winter comfort we all crave this time of year. Mexican food is kind of my go-to. It’s always full of flavor, and it never disappoints, and this soup is no exception!

Crockpot Enchilada Soup

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours

Total Time: 5 hours, 5 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

Crockpot Enchilada Soup

Warm, bold, and flavorful enchilada soup made easily 100% in your crockpot. All the flavors you love about decadent chicken enchiladas in a simple, easy and healthy crockpot soup.

Ingredients

2 large chicken breasts
32 oz enchilada sauce (make sure it's gf if necessary)
2 orange or red bell peppers, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
16 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (ribs are optional and will lead to a spicier soup)
1/2 tbsp cumin

For serving:

Plain Greek yogurt
Fresh cilantro
Freshly shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped green onions

Instructions

Place chicken, enchilada sauce, veggies, beans and seasonings into your crockpot. Be sure liquid is covering your chicken. If chicken is revealed, add more sauce. Cook on low for 5 hours.
Remove chicken and shred. Return to crockpot and stir back into soup. Serve topped with Greek yogurt, cilantro, green onions and shredded cheese. Leftovers may be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week.

https://arismenu.com/crockpot-chicken-enchilada-soup/

Orange Cranberry Sauce

November 4, 2013 · by Ari ·

Bright, citrusy and lightly sweet cranberry sauce. This will turn anyone into a cranberry sauce believer.

Up until last year, I was NOT a cranberry sauce believer. I would never touch the stuff, and I sure as heck wasn’t serving it up at my Thanksgiving table! Then I had this sandwich at one of my favorite lunch spots called the gobbler, and it changed my life. Real cranberry sauce. Not some gross, weird jelly from a can. It was amazing!

Last Thanksgiving I decided to put cranberry sauce on my table. I only made a small batch because no one in my family was ever a fan of it either. Well, let me tell you, we all went back for seconds, and I was so disappointed that there weren’t any leftovers! Leftover turkey with no cranberry sauce to put on top??? Total bummer.

I absolutely adore orange and cranberry together. The flavors complement each other perfectly. Confession: I can’t spell to save my life, but I have this weird nerdy obsession with compliment vs. complement. It’s like the one spelling thing I actually know how to do correctly, and I get this weird satisfaction out of getting it right. Just don’t ask me to spell melon…

Okay, so last year since I didn’t know anything about making my own cranberry sauce, I followed a very simple recipe from Table for Two with the intentions that I would make my own recipe the next time. Except it turns out that Julie’s recipe was perfect in every way, so I kept it the same. I add a tablespoon of bourbon to mine (at the same time I put everything together on the stovetop), but otherwise I follow her recipe exactly. I tried adding less sugar, but it was….not worth it. It’s not a ton of sugar. Add the full 3 tablespoons. Click over to Julie’s blog to get the recipe!

Easiest Crockpot Curry Chicken

November 2, 2013 · by Ari ·

Bold, flavorful curried chicken in your crockpot has never been so easy–the perfect weeknight meal that anyone can put together.

Most of the time I truly enjoy cooking. I love being creative in the kitchen, and putting together a bunch of things that make my husband make that face where he raises an eyebrow and the rest of his face gets all scrunchy, only to end up admitting his unfounded skepticism when he tastes the deliciousness that ensues.

But sometimes getting in the kitchen after a long day sounds like the worst thing everrrrr. This is when I love my crockpot. And even more, I love crockpot recipes that literally require zero effort on my part. If I have to brown meat first, it usually never even ends up happening because that means I actually have to remember to cook at 7am.

This is the easiest recipe you will ever make. And you want to know a secret? Usually when I make it, I use a bag of broccoli that steams in the microwave and boil-in-a-bag rice. Sometimes I remember to set up my rice cooker which is also super hands off, but I like the option of being 100% lazy.

As easy and simple as this recipe is, it doesn’t taste like it! The flavors are bold, and it’s one of those dishes where you look forward to eating the leftovers all week long. In fact, sometimes Steve and I even fight about who gets to take them to lunch. 😉

Easy Crockpot Curry Chicken

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours

Total Time: 5 hours, 5 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Easy Crockpot Curry Chicken

Bold, flavorful curried chicken in your crockpot has never been so easy--the perfect weeknight meal that anyone can put together.

Ingredients

2 large chicken breasts
3 cups green curry sauce (use gluten-free and/or dairy-free sauces is desired)*
Brown rice and steamed broccoli for serving**

Instructions

Place chicken in slow cooker. Cover with curry sauce. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. Return to sauce. Serve with brown rice and steamed broccoli.

Notes

*Curry sauce needs to cover chicken. Depending on the size of your slow cooker and chicken breasts, you may need more or less sauce. **I serve about half a chicken breast with 1/2 cup brown rice and 1 cup broccoli. Feel free to alter as desired, or serve with something totally different.

https://arismenu.com/crockpot-curry-chicken/

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

October 29, 2013 · by Ari ·

Thick and creamy roasted cauliflower is the perfect, comforting, vegetarian fall dinner. Ridiculously easy, and so rich you’d never guess it was packed with veggies!

I never thought I liked cauliflower. I mean I didn’t hate it, and it’s not like eggplant which I avoid at all cost (ew, weird, gross veggie–stay far, far away!), but I certainly didn’t go out of my way to seek it out. Then I had this ridiculously good fried cauliflower at Pita Jungle. Oooooomg, it’s like the stuff dreams are made of. But then I tried that cauliflower pizza crust that the entire internet seems to be in love with? Gag worthy. Seriously, just…no.

I was ready to give up on it again, but then I made this soup. I was craving broccoli cheese soup, and for some reason this seemed like a good alternative? Anyway, I was about to break up with cauliflower forever after that pizza crust, but (s)he? is back on my bff list because this soup? It’s totally dreamy–rich and creamy with not a single ounce of cream. It’s healthy, filling, and totally satisfying.

This is a simple, no fuss recipe that’s basically fool proof. Heat, stir, blend, serve, and voila! Oh, and don’t even get me started on the leftovers. Even THICKER, and the flavor develops more as the soup sits. This is a HUGE batch, so you will have delicious leftovers to keep your warm all week long. And I pinky promise–the veggie haters in your life will never know it’s cauliflower. I fooled a lot of people in my family with this one. 😉

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Yield: 8-10 servings

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Thick and creamy roasted cauliflower is the perfect, comforting, vegetarian fall dinner. Ridiculously easy, and so rich you'd never guess it was packed with veggies!

Ingredients

1 large head of cauliflower, chopped into small florets
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
4 shallots, finely minced
1 extra large onion, finely chopped
7 cups vegetable broth
5 yukon gold potatoes, quartered
1 tbsp honey dijon mustard
3-4 dashes of your favorite hot sauce (I use Chalulah)
1 1/2 cups freshly grated fontina cheese (or cheese of choice)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. Add cauliflower and garlic to a very large baking dish. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and season with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Bake until browned and softened, about 30 minutes.
In a large pot, heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and shallot, and season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook until tender and fragrant, about 7 minutes.
Add broth and potatoes. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add cooked cauliflower and garlic scraping baking dish well into the pot. Add mustard and hot sauce.
Puree using an immersion blender, high quality stand blender (will likely need to do in batches), or food processor (will also likely require multiple batches. Return to heat and stir in cheese. Add extra salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately. Leftovers may be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week

Notes

You could also make this in your crockpot--just add cooked cauliflower and garlic in addition to all remaining ingredients (except the cheese) to your crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Blend, then stir in cheese.

https://arismenu.com/roasted-cauliflower-soup/