Chewy Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

I've been staring at this page for a good twenty minutes trying to think of something clever to right here in this post, but the truth of it is that is is too hot, my mind is focused on the two episodes of American Horror Story I have left to watch and I am currently using all my internal power not to go make a large pre-dinner snack of tacos.

I can't think right when I'm hot and hungry and in the middle of a Netflix coma.

I just cannot.

Gluten Free Ginger Bread Men

In the last week, the house has been covered in sparkly little lights, filled with Christmas crafts, and swallowed up in what was supposed to be the storm of the century. So what does one need to do when the weather is finally cold and wet and the inside is full of holiday spirit.

Bake.

Gluten Free Black and White Cookies

I have never been to New York.
There was a time in high school were my plan/wishful thinking was to go to NYU and enter the Clive Davis music program and live happily ever after as a fancy music person. Then my dad decided to open a recording studio (read:mid-life crisis) and I was forced to move on to new better dreams. Its not cool if your dads doing it. That and I, for the last ten years have had a new master life plan every week. Its really quite a talent, dreaming up different lives...is there a career hidden in that somewhere? 

Flourless Pecan Chews

When I first was diagnosed with Celiac, I was just starting a new job in the healthcare industry that was located right next door to our towns local health food store. It was quite convenient for me, having my store a few feet away. I would often pick up a little something-something for lunch, and was able to get my grocery shopping done after work without having to drive anywhere. There was that one time that I set off the offices alarm, and every store patron next store came to gawk at me-but thats a story for another day.

During my time working in that area, I would often stop by to get a little treat from the bakery. While they had an assortment of baked goods, some gluten free and some not- my favorite treat has always been the pecan chew. A cookie with the perfect balance of crunch/chew and sweet/salty. They also have a chocolate chew, which is just as delectable but far less special. You can find those anywhere. Near the end of my time in that occupation, this store moved into a bigger location which happens to be closer to my home. So it all worked out quite well for me. What doesn't work for me, is that it recently got bought out by Whole Foods, and no longer carries half of the things that I need. And the layout is all wonky now, so if they do have what I need, I have no idea where to find it.

Amy's Organic Gluten Free Brownies // and a change of tune

Oh hey guys, Hows it goin'?

Its been awhile, I know-I stink.

But, I'm back from that impromptu hiatus, and ready to share some more food finds.

I had a mighty overage of foods to review over the summer, and between a wedding, a funeral, sickness, and a new job I have slacked on posting them.

So this week, I will finish up those that I'm sitting on, then I will move onto some new exciting recipes. So fresh and new, that I'm not even sure what they are gonna be yet. But the holidays are coming up my dears, and you can bet I will have some festive foods for ya'll.

To start off, I want to bring you all back to this post.

In trying Amy's Organic chocolate cake, I decided it was gross.

I tried to be nice-ish about it, but it was almost completely inedible.

But, the kind people at Amy's were sure that their product was better then I thought, and they decided to send me a fresh box, strait from the kitchen.

And guys, I'm gonna have to eat my words on this one.

It was good. 

It was dense, and sweet and full of chocolate goodness.

Still slightly grainy, but it did not have that gross bitter taste that the first one did.

Along with a chocolate cake, Amy's also sent me their new gluten free brownies.

These brownies are not dairy free, which is a little sad; but they are delicious, so thats not so sad.

My best description, the first thought that came to my mind when I bit into a square, was that it tasted like hot cocoa.

Hot cocoa, in a brownie form.

Who doesn't want that?!

But for reals guys, they are good stuff.

Heres eight hundred pictures to prove it:

Is it weird that I like taking pictures of food so much?

Because its basically my favorite photo subject. Did I ever tell you about the time I wanted to be a professional food stylist? Well I did, and then came this blog. And then came two long months of neglecting this blog.

Sorry about that.

Check out more of Amy's Organic Gluten Free products here.

Have you tried any of Amy's products? Which ones, what did you think about it?

*I'm also thinking that this blog needs a little revamping again. Is it wrong to go in to full fledge construction mode, when you have a zillion other things to do, and absolutely no time to waste on doing so? I think not.

:)

{While the products reviewed today, were provided for testing; no monetary compensation was provided. All opinions and photos are entirely mine, without further influence.}

Pamela's Products Review

Back in the day, when I first started on this gluten free journey, there were only a select few GF brands.  I would wander around the local health food store, which was the only store that carried anything gluten free; and search for those two little words on every package I passed. It was a bit exciting those first couple of shopping trips, trying to spot foods I could eat and buying them all up. Amongst these select food items, where Pamela's Products. I pretty sure actually, that it was the only gluten free flour variety that was available to me at that time. Back then, the products they had in their stock were a small variety of flour mixes, and prepackaged cookies. 

In fact, the Pamela's chocolate cake mix, was the first gluten free chocolate cake I ever ate. Look at me getting all nostalgic over here.

While there are so many other gluten free brands these days, I still can always count on Pamela's Products to provide me with a delicious product. I can also always count on eating an entire bag of mini chocolate chip cookies in one sitting. I try not to buy those anymore.

Because of my deep appreciation to this brand, I was thrilled to receive a package of products to test out for all of you.

The products I will be reviewing today are: Chunky Chocolate Chip cookie, Oat Chocolate Chip Coconut Whenever Bars, Artisan Flour Blend, and the Baking and Pancake mix.

Lets start with the cookies, because you should always start with cookies.

{And don't mind the sad little cookie in the window there, this photo was taken in the middle of a heat wave-thus the melted chips are the fault of my lack of air conditioning, not the manufacturer.}

Cookies are one of the greatest inventions in human history. Thats a fact.

Of all gluten free products, I get most excited over new cookie brands as I pass them in the grocery aisles. And believe me when I say, not all cookies are good. I have had plenty of bad cookies in my time, but this is not one of them.

These chocolate chunk cookies are soft, melt-in-your mouth circles of deliciousness. The cookie is not too sweet, but is filled with large chocolate chunks that are just as mouth melting as the cookie. I mean, it was not just the heat wave that made those chunks so soft. This whole cookie is like a fresh out of the oven experience. 

I may have eaten them for dinner once last week. Maybe.

The other days where reserved for popsicle dinners. 

Heat waves make me eat super healthy.

The next product I tried, were the new-ish Whenever Bars.

This is a product that I have never tried before as they are fairly new and because they have oats.

As most Celiacs do, my stomach struggles with eating oats. I did give in last week to trying some oat filled cookies, with out too much of a problem; so I figured I could go ahead and try these bars without pain and suffering.

And sure enough, no problemo! I'm starting to think maybe this oat problem was all in my head...

The bars I tried, where the chocolate chip coconut. I will advise, if you are not a coconut fan-this flavor is not for you. Go for one of the other three flavors, because this bar is very coconutty. I however do not mind coconut, so this bar was just fine for me :)

What I especially like about these bars is that they have some many different textures going on. Its foremost a soft, almost bread like bar; then there are bits of coconut, oats, and chocolate chips mixed throughout. The bars have a very slight sweetness that makes it delicious, but not too dessert like.

I will definitely be trying the other flavors in the future, as long as the oats and my stomach keep behaving themselves

Next up where the baking mixes; the tried and true Baking and Pancake mix, and the new Artisan cup-for-cup blend.

The cool part of the new Artisan flour blend, is that it is designed to fill in -cup-for-cup- with wheat flour. Meaning, a cup of this flour equals a cup of regular gluten filled flour in a recipe. Which is kind of a big deal if you've ever made a recipe that didn't work out for numerous times until you reached the proper flour adjustment. Its a pain in the behind.

The flour blend also had guar gum blended in, so there is no need to put in an additive such as xanthan gum.

I was really excited about this new flour. I have not tried it yet, and just knew that it would make my life that much easier. 

 *And this is where the downer side comes in, and it is not the flours fault-but purely user error.*

I am used to gluten free flours. I no longer know what the proper texture of wheat filled goods looks like. So my friends, my experience with this flour--meaning the recipes I tried to create with it-where a bust. Again, no fault of the flour. 

The first thing I made with this flour, where some soft pretzels. A snack that I have been craving recently, and a recipe that I wanted to put up on here.

They were a complete failure. 

They started out good though^^^

I have had a hard time making certain breads in the past with GF dough, due to the incredibly sticky texture they have. This dough was smooth and soft, and only slightly sticky. Perfect to work with.

The problem with this recipe,  I believe came in the par-boiling stage of creation; where you boil the pretzels slightly in a water/baking soda mixture before baking. What I ended up with, where pretzels that tasted like pure baking soda. Completely inedible. Although, my nephew did eat an entire one yesterday. I am starting to think that his taste buds can't be trusted...

Next, I attempted to make some monkey bread with this flour. It was good, but a little bit too dry. Which may have been due to the fact that they were completely vegan. But add some icing, and they are perfect!

I am going to keep playing around with this flour some more, and try it in some tried-and-true recipes. I am not giving up on this flour, and I do believe that it will be great; I just have to readjust my baking brain a little bit.

The finer points of this flour though, despite the tragic recipes it was in; it has a great texture, not grainy at all, and no odd flavors. I can definitely see this flour being my new go to in the future and I would for sure recommend it to any newly gluten free bakers.

Last but not least, the Baking and Pancake mix.

It worked out fabulously. 

What do you make with a pancake mix, thats not so cliche and obvious?

Chocolate Pancakes my friends. 

Yep, I did.

Besides that fact that they are chocolate, these little flapjacks are probably the best pancakes ever.

The flour mix is smooth, and moist without any gritty texture or yucky flavors. It contains baking soda and xanthan gum, to save you a couple steps, but it also contains some dairy. I did not have a problem with the dairy, due to the small amount I ate-but those who are highly sensitive should avoid this product.

Which may be hard, when this is staring you in the face.

Go here for a chocolate pancake recipe!

To see more products from Pamela's, and to try some great recipes; click here.
You can also use their handy-dandy allergen chart, to see what products are right for your personal diet.

Enjoy!

(Disclaimer: While the product tested today was provided for review, no monetary compensation was given in exchange for this post. All opinions on this site are my own, without further influence.)

French Macarons

I am thoroughly obsessed with macarons. {read: macaron, not  a macaroon. No coconut to be found in this cookie. It bothers me to no end when people incorrectly name it. now you know.}

Its no secret, really.

I discovered them long before they were the "it" thing, the new cupcake or something like that. I am always ahead of the curve you know.

Anyway, I made them for the first time some million years ago, long before this blog was in existence and they were a complete failure. 

Macarons you see, only require 4 ingredients. One of which is almond flour, another that is egg whites. The egg whites have to be aged, then after you make the cookies they are better after a few days. The French like to eat food thats old it seems, or aged to perfection as the fancy would say.

But back to my story about the first attempt at macarons: I tried to make a chocolate variety spontaneously, with fresh from the fridge eggs, and almond meal. I didn't know any better. Actually I did, I just thought that "aging" egg whites was a ridiculous feat. Ain't nobody got time for that! So in my laziness, I found another lazy soul who unintentionally assured me that their quick way would work out just fine.

It didn't. 

It was a big chocolate mess.

I was not the egg white connoisseur that I am nowadays, and I didn't use the proper flour (they are both  ground almonds though, right?!) so no shell formed, no chewy insides created. Just a big sloppy mess that was way overcooked, and tasted like dirt. 

Since then, I have been wanting to try making them again-but it just hasn't ever happened.

Almond flour is expensive, you have to plan ahead on the egg white and you have to do a lot of waiting.

Planning ahead and being patient are not my strengths.

But as we now all know, I decided to make them for my sisters bridal shower a few weeks ago to go in with the french theme. 

Even though I'm still not convinced Belle is french. Where is her accent at, huh? Where are the accents of any human characters? If I go to France, will only the clocks and candlesticks have accents? Does the clock even have an accent in the movie?

These are all questions for another day.

Basically, this event was just an excuse for me to finally make some macarons.

In preparing to make macarons, I read a boatload of information about them. I made myself a self-proclaimed expert on the subject before I started my adventure. Everywhere I looked people where saying how hard macarons are to make, what attitudes they have and all that jazz.

It made me a little scared. 

How would I know if my batter was over mixed? or if my oven was too hot? 

How would I know how to fix things if I didn't know how to know if they were wrong??

But armed with all my research I started on my first batch. 

To make macarons, you must measure the ingredients with a food scale. This is mandatory. (another thing I didn't do that first time...)

So go get one if you don't already have on.

Because you have to measure the ingredients exactly, you can only make one batch at a time; no doubling or halving!

One batch made about 40 cookies, which equals 20 complete macarons.

I made several batches, and was able to make each one a little better than the one before. The first batch looked absolutely amazing! It had perfect little feet, and a nice round shape. But when I tried them they  had too much air in the middle and were a little too crunchy, so I lessened the oven temp for the next round. It made them less crunchy, but the air pocket was still there, so I knew to let them rest for a shorter time. The next batch was perfect!

It really wasn't all that difficult, as everyone says. 

You freaked me out for no reason internet. rude.

I'll go ahead and give you a quick breakdown:

You want to start by whisking together your powder sugar and almond flour in a large bowl. Set it aside for a second, while you whip your egg whites.

To whip up your aged egg white, use your whisk attachment on high and bring it to a foam. Once it has started to foam up like a bubble bath, gradually add in the sugar until its glossy. You can use any of the 25-50 grams of sugar, I ended up using all 50 because it worked out for me that way. Let it keep whipping on high, until stiff peaks form. Two easy ways of checking if its done, are to hold the whisk up, with the meringue on it; If the tips fall over its not done, if they stay up it's done! The other way to tell is by holding the bowl upside down, it should stay put if its done, if its not; your whites might end up on the floor. 

Next, you will add your flour/sugar mix to the meringue and fold until mixed well. You will know if its mixed properly by inserting a knife through the middle. If the line disappears by the count to ten its done. If it doesn't keep folding. Somebody somewhere on the web described the finished batter as "lava". I don't know what lave looks like, but if that helps you out-good for you.

Then you want to pipe the batter out into circles with a round tip. (to make them all the same, you can draw circles out on a piece of paper, and slip it under the parchment paper. Then fill the circles in with your piping bag.) If the cookies have tips on the top, it needs a couple more folds. Tap the pan on the counter a couple times to get out any air bubbles.

Let rest for 20-40 minutes, depending on the size of your circles. This makes the tops harden a bit, and creates that signature macaron foot.

To make colored macarons, you must use gel or powder food coloring. No liquid. Where do you find powdered food coloring? I sure don't know. Let me know if you find some.

If you have powder, add it in along with the flour/sugar and it will blend as you are folding. You can add the gel at that time also, but I found it didn't blend properly when I put it in at that time. So I added it to the egg whites when they were almost to a stiff peak, and the mixer blended in the color for me.

To make chocolate macarons:

after measuring the powdered sugar out, remove 2 tablespoons worth and replace it with 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder. Then you can follow the recipe as normal.

Heres the recipe:

The perfect macaron should be slightly chewy inside with a crisp outer shell. There should not be an air bubble in the middle, and the cookie should come cleanly off the parchment paper.

Errors can be caused by a number of things, like too hot of an oven, too much sugar or over whipped egg whites. You just have to keep learning what works for you through trial and error.

For a great troubleshooting guide, click on over here to a post by foodnouveau.

For a filling you can use chocolate ganache, lemon curd, raspberry curd, strawberry jam, or buttercream frosting.

When I made macarons for the bridal shower, I mixed buttercream together with curd, for the dairy eaters, and just curd for the non-dairyers. 

 So my friends, you can make my favorite obsession yourself now!

Good luck!

You can also check out my macaron guest post on Rudi's Organic bakery blog.

Enjoy!!

Food Find:: Cybele's Vegan and Gluten Free Cookies

Happy Tuesday! 

I know its not a Friday, but we are going to have a Food Find today anyway. This product is just too good for me to keep to myself another three days! 

As you can tell from the photo above, today we are talking about cookies. Not just any cookies though, but gluten free/dairy free/egg free/soy free/nut free cookies that will rock your world.

Seriously.  

{^^^ those cute barcodes that I love! woohoo!}

The cookies in question are Cybele's Free to Eat cookies.

These cookies are made in a dedicated gluten free facility, GMO free, certified kosher, vegan and free of the top eight allergens.

They are also amazingly good.

When I received this product, upon inspection I noticed the little blurb about how Cybele's cookies began. It tells of how the founder's son was diagnosed with several allergies, and that she began cooking everything from scratch. Eventually sharing her recipes and products with the world. What stuck out to me though, was the name. Cybele Pascal. I knew that name, I just couldn't place it...then it hit me. She's a cookbook author! and I have her cookbook! Two of them actually, and they are both my go-to books for allergen friendly recipes. (my gluten free white cake recipe was adapted from her Bakers Handbook)

Basically, moral of the story: I knew these cookies were going to be yummy and safe for me to eat.

Cybele's Free to Eat cookies come in three luscious flavors: Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Chip, and Chocolate Chunk Brownie.

Let's break 'em down! :

Oatmeal Raisin.

This cookie is packed with whole oats and sweet raisins.

As anyone with Celiac may know; oats are not always our friends. Some people, including myself, have a sensitivity to oats even if they are processed gluten free.

I was worried about this cookie, because I wasn't sure I could actually try it out.

But when I opened the package, such a wonderful aroma greeted me; that I had to try at least a little nibble.

So I did. 

And boy am I glad I did.

Its been many a year since I have eaten a fresh from the oven oatmeal raisin cookie, but this little guy brought me right back.

Sweet, chewy, soft, with a hint of cinnamon and the perfect amount of raisins mixed in. 

You know those oatmeal cookies that you feel like you are choking on giant flakes of oats? 

Not in these. 

You can taste the flavor from the oat, but you are not eating a big ball of oatmeal.

The only down side to this cookie was that I couldn't stop at a little nibble.

 I ate three.

My stomach didn't thank me, but my taste buds sure did.

Next up is the Chocolate Chip cookie.

 Again, this is a cookie that stays true to its classic flavor.

It taste exactly like a chocolate chip cookie should, without all the ingredients that are harmful.

The chocolate chip cookie is chewy, chocolatey and just the right proportion of sweetness.

This box was the first to be finished off, they are just too good! 

This flavor is also an award winner. 

They won Prevention's Cleanest Packaged Food Award and the Today Show's "Healthiest Sweet" award.

If you don't want to take my word for how good they are, take Al Rokers.

Last, but certainly not least: The Chocolate Chunk Brownie cookie.

 This cookie was a little bit different from the other two, in that it was a lot crunchier. 

It is also a whole lot chocolaty-er.

Two things I can't complain about.

This cookie is chocolate based and filled with chocolate chunks, which creates a very rich flavor very similar to that of a brownie.

It does have a bit of a fruity aftertaste to it, which is probably credited to the grape juice and carrot fiber it has listed as ingredients; but no doubt also what gives this cookie 3 grams of fiber.

I'll take it.

So my dear readers, what we learned from this Food Find (not on a Friday) is that Cybele's Free to Eat vegan and gluten free cookies, are worth a purchase.

They are allergy friendly cookies that taste like the real deal, without the additives of processed foods, or the gritty texture of other gluten free baked goods.

To locate a store that carries Cybele's cookies, or to read more about this product; go to Cybele's Free to Eat website at cybelesfreetoeat.com.

Also be sure to check out Cybele Pascal's allergen friendly website and cookbooks for delicious recipes!

 Enjoy!



*While the product in review today was provided for tasting, no monetary compensation was given in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are my own, without outside influence. Translation: these cookies are good, and nobody paid me to say so.