Gluten Free Mom

Naturally Gluten Free (adaptable Casein Free) Delicious Fudge

Gluten Free Classroom Parties

It is that time of the year when gluten free mom’s go into hyper-drive to provide tasty, cute, well-crafted gluten free treats for our celiac cherubs and, us, of course.

All of the time and money invested in making or getting some extra-special treats for the gluten free members of your family will be duly rewarded with the satisfying “this is yummy” or the heartfelt thank you. 

However, when it comes time to making the treats for the classroom party or the piano recital, save the gluten free flour for yourself, and make the following (which are scrumptiously delicious) to be shared with others. 

When it comes to kids, you just never know how a classroom full of sixth graders is going to react to the gluten free cookies you spent hours making. 

But I am sure the following will be a hit:

Naturally Gluten Free (adaptable Casein Free) Incredibly Delicious Fudge

• 3 cups sugar
• ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter (use Earth Balance for CF)
• 5 ounces Carnation evaporated milk (use 2/3 cup Almond milk for CF)
• 10 ounces semi-sweet gluten free chocolate (since we make our casein free as well, we use Tropical Source or Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips)
• 1 7 ounce jar Kraft Jet Puffed Marshmallow Crème
• 1 t vanilla
• (1 cup chopped nuts is optional)

Heat sugar, butter and evaporated milk on medium heat in a large heavy saucepan stirring constantly until it reaches a full boil.

Boil on medium heat until the candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees, stirring constantly.  ***If making casein free, boil until the thermometer reaches 240 degrees.

Remove from heat.

The fun part –

Stir in the chocolate chips, marshmallow crème and the vanilla until melted.

Spoon into a 9 x 9 inch pan that has been lined with foil.

Let cool and set before slicing and serving.  Store in a covered container.

All recipes are indexed on my website at www.glutenfreemom.com.

Envelope Glue Does Not Contain Gluten

I just did something I have not done in a long time - I licked a stamp.

Yes, I actually put it up to my mouth,

tasted that familiar taste (not one I necessarily miss),

and did it!! 

I licked the envelope and sealed it shut!!

Oh you ask - Where did I summon the bravery to do an act regarded as forbidden by most celiacs?

According to Amy Ratner of Gluten-Free Living there is not much credence to the rumor that the glue on envelopes has gluten in it.  In fact,

Tonya Muse, senior vice president of the Envelope Manufacturers Association, states that adhesives used on envelopes do not contain gluten.

Additionally, according to a spokesman from the US Postal Service, the adhesive on stamps is also gluten free.

So what happened after I licked the envelope?

Nothing, other than the realization that this was not something I really missed!! 

BTW - if you don't already subscribe to it, I highly recommend Gluten Free Living Magazine.  It is a really wonderful, well-written, highly informative magazine.

Decorating our Christmas Tree

Between family illnesses, snow, then rain and more rain, Christmas concerts and parties,

I was starting to wonder if we were going to get a Christmas tree this year.

Then the weather cleared, the calendar cleared, and

we got our tree!! 

If you laid out our old ornaments in the order they were acquired,

they would be a time line of our lives -

Our first Christmas married,

Kansas City,

Pepper (yes we have an ornament for our now-deceased cat),

Alex,

then Alyssa,

then Luke.

The Seahawks,

the pink Ballerinas,

the gold Cross,

the guitar,   

our various craft endeavors,

our Texas ties (for some reason our family, one Aunt in particular, really likes to buy us ornaments that say Texas on them).

Our tree is so full of ornamental memories, we hardly have room for more.

But our family is so young, we can't stop the time line now.

So, when the weather and the calendar clears again,

I am sure we will head to Molbak's to buy this years set of "memory makers."

Wonder what they will be . . ..

Gluten Free/Casein Free Cut-Out Christmas Cookies

Sorry to have been absent for a while. 

It is because it worked -

the wearing the pajamas inside out actually worked, a little too well.

Last time I posted, my kids were wearing their pajamas inside out thinking that to do so would cause it to snow. 

Well, did it snow.  At least six inches feel on us in a heavenly blessing of white and calmness.

But then it warmed up.

And the snow turned to rain.

And it rained,

and rained,

and rained.

It rained so much my kid's school was flooded and closed.

So what did we do?

Well, bake of course.  One rainy afternoon over and we have 94 Christmas cookies!

Cut-out Christmas Cookies have been a family tradition of mine since I was a child. 

I remember going to my Grandmother's house on a Sunday before Christmas and diving into the flour, frosting, sprinkles and laughter.

The first year I was married, my husband obligingly partaked in this tradition with me (the video of our first baking experience would be a hit on You-Tube) and we have continued to make them every year since.

This was something celiac was not going to stop and after trying a lot of different recipes, the following really is the best. 

I learned it at a cooking class at PCC, our local health food store. 

It is the flour that holds it together.  It may seem strange to make cookies out of French Bread flour, but it really works.  The person I learned it form hypothesized it was the granulated honey in the flour. 

After many tries, this is the easiest and tastiest gluten free/casein free cut-out cookie recipe.

 

Gluten Free/Casein Free cut-out Christmas Cookies:

• 1 ½ sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter (or Earth Balance for CF) at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 4 large egg yolks at room temperature
• 1 t grated lemon zest or lemon juice
• 1 t vanilla
• 3 cups Gluten Free Pantry French Bread & Pizza Flour Mix  Order from

In your electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and salt until creamy. 

Beat in egg yolks, lemon and vanilla.

On slow speed, beat in the flour one cup at a time until just combined.

Divide dough into three equal parts, flatten into disc, wrap separately in wax paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes. 

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Flour the work surface and your rolling pin with rice flour and roll out one disk at a time to 1/8 inch thickness.   The dough will break up a little bit on the first roll, but then becomes very easy to work with.  On the other end, the dough will be hard to work with after it warms up too much, so keep extras in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. 

Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.

With a metal spatula, transfer to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Depending on the size, makes around 40 cookies.

Bake 10 – 12 minutes, until lightly golden.  Cool on parchment.

Frosting:

• 1 pound box of powdered sugar
• ¼ cup milk (or almond milk for CF)
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 stick butter (or Earth Balance for CF)

Beat with an electric mixer until creamy, scraping the bowl often.

Separate into individual cups and add desired food colors.  I don’t know if all food coloring has gluten or not, but Spice Islands and Durkee food colorings are gluten free.

Frost the cookies as desired and top with sprinkles before the frosting sets.  Sprinkles unfortunately can contain wheat starch, so check the labels.  Safeway Brand and Laura Lynn Rainbow Sprinkles Toppings are gluten free.