Easy Gluten Free Spritz Cookies Recipe

Spritz cookies are another holiday classic that bring back a lot of memories. I never made them growing up, but I remember many tins of shortbread cookies with neat little shapes. I actually didn't care much for the taste of those cookies, but I loved how festive and cute they were! Also, when you're gluten free for some reason it can be hard to come up with a really crunchy cookie. These cookies are crunchy and taste the slightest bit buttery (with no butter). I add almond extract, my favorite flavoring. You could also just use vanilla or lemon extract if you don't care for almond.

I also love that these are little cookies. Even though this isn't the healthiest recipe, because they are so small you only need a few cookies to feel satisfied!

This dough would also be a great sugar cookie dough, or a thumbprint cookie dough... which I think I am going to make later today as well! These cookies are also adapted from a recipe in "Christmas Cookies" published by Southern Living in 1986. Stay tuned tomorrow for some more refrigerator cookies: Orange Almond Spice Cookies!

Easy Gluten Free Spritz Cookies
free of gluten, dairy/casien, soy, and corn & egg free options
adapted from "Christmas Cookies" by Southern Living, 1986
makes 4-5 dozen cookies
printer-friendly recipe. 

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup Spectrum Palm Shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg -or- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax seeds + 3 tablespoons hot water + 1 teaspoon olive oil)
1 teaspoon almond, lemon, vanilla, or butter extract. Use your favorite flavor!
2-4 tablespoons ice-cold water, as needed

Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cup arrowroot starch
3/4 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup millet flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum -or- guar gum for corn free
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a medium bowl whisk together all dry ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl cream Spectrum Palm Shortening and sugar. Mix in the egg & almond extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients until you have a soft cookie dough.  You may need to add 2-4 tablespoons of ice cold water to the dough to help it become pliable and workable, especially if you're going to use it for refrigerator dough or jam thumbprint cookies. To make spritz cookies, add cookie dough to your cookie press and make them according to the cookie press directions. I've found it's easier to press the cookies onto a plate (instead of straight onto the cookie sheet) and then transfer them to a cookie sheet. You will be able to easily make 4-5 dozen cookies. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Place pressed cookies 1/2" apart on the cookie sheet. If desired, sprinkle with red & green sugar or candy sprinkles. Bake for 7-9 minutes until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes and then try not to eat them all at once! :-) A wonderful gift for friends and family or perfect for a Christmas Cookie Swap!

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Chocolate Pinwheel Refrigerator Cookies Recipe

It's the time for cookies! I remember making cookies like this during the holidays when I was growing up. You made a basic sugar cookie dough shaped it into a log and then refrigerated it for 30 minutes to an hour to help the shape set. After waiting for the dough to chill... then easy as pie you sliced the dough, baked it and voila... really pretty cookies!

This is one of my favorite recipes this year! I was inspired by this cookbook that I found at one of my favorite thrift stores:

It's an old Southern Living cookbook from 1986 that I think was was included in magazine subscriptions at the time. Whatever it was published for... it's a really great little book! It has classic & retro recipes that I remember and most are easy to re-create gluten free! You can find the book on ebay here.

I can't decide if I want to make these cookies or spritz cookies for my neighborhood cookie swap on Wednesday evening...what to you think? I'll share the spritz cookies with you tomorrow!

Gluten Free Classic Chocolate Pinwheels
free of gluten, dairy/casein, corn, soy (and egg-free option)
adapted from "Christmas Cookies" by Southern Living, 1986
Makes around 24 cookies
printer-friendly recipe

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup Spectrum Palm Shortening
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons almond milk
1 egg yolk (for egg free - use 1 tablespoon grapeseed or olive oil)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Dry Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup arrowroot starch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (or 1/2 teaspoon guar gum for corn-free version)
1 1/2 teaspoons corn-free baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

For Chocolate Swirl:
1 oz. of allergen free chocolate, melted

Directions:
In a large bowl cream the spectrum palm shortening & sugar together. Add almond milk, egg yolk (or oil), and vanilla extract. In another bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix until you have a slightly sticky cookie dough. Split the dough in half and roll into two large balls. TO one half of the dough stir in 1 oz. of melted chocolate. On a dry, flat surface that has been covered with plastic wrap sprinkle a few tablespoons of arrowroot starch (to keep the dough from sticking). Place the plain ball of dough on the flat surface. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the dough and then roll it out into a roughly 9x13 rectangle. Place the chocolate dough on top of the plain dough and gently roll it or flatten it with the bottom of your hand over the plain dough. It does not have to be spread out perfectly. Once the chocolate dough is mostly spread out over the plain dough, you can shape the edges so they are mostly straight or you can cut them so that they are straight. Starting with a long side of the dough roll it up into a log. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes - several hours. When you're ready to bake, remove the log of dough from the refrigerator. Unwrap it and slice into about 24 cookies. Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Place cookie slices on a cookie sheet that's lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Bake for 7-9 minutes until cookies are light brown on the edges. Allow the cookies to COOL on the cookie sheet for about 10-15 minutes before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling.

This post is linked to: Slightly Indulgent Tuesday 12.21.10

A Gluten Free Holiday - Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten Free

It's our last installment of "A Gluten Free Holiday!" Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten Free is hosting this week! The theme this week is my favorite... GLUTEN FREE HOLIDAY DESSERTS!!  Amy has an incredible recipe for a cranberry swirl cheesecake that's just a tiny bit healthier!

Some of my favorite gluten free holiday desserts are: 

Cardamom Pumpkin Custard Pie
SO easy and beautiful! A delicious dessert that makes it's own crust!! TO make it dairy free use coconut milk! 

Sweet Potato Pie
A southern family favorite! We love this pie at Christmas when we can never eat enough sweet potatoes! 

Gluten Free, Vegan Chocolate Cake
A rich, decadent dessert with no eggs or casein! This is my favorite chocolate cake! 

Now for the really awesome giveaways this week!! 

3 copies of More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: 200 Brand-New, Budget-Friendly, Slow-Cooker Recipes by Stephanie O’Dea (Release date: December 28th!)  Buy Steph’s book now and get the special pre-sale price at Amazon.com before the 28th!!

3 autographed copies of AMY's FIRST COOKBOOK, Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free: 120 Easy and Delicious Recipes You Cam Make in 20 Minutes or Less (Release date: Mid-January!)
These books haven’t hit the stands yet so you’re going to get hot-off-the-press copies right from Amy!!

To enter to win either of these wonderful books, make sure to head to Amy's blog today for her Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake!! Happy Holidays!!

I'll be posting 3 of my favorite Christmas cookies here on Gingerlemongirl.com next week! I'll see you then! 

A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast with Elana's Pantry

It's the last day of my week of "A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast & Brunch Recipes." I'm excited to share one last holiday breakfast/brunch recipe with you! Today it's from Elana Amsterdam, the author of one of my favorite gluten free blogs, "Elana's Pantry" and one of the most well-loved cookbooks in my kitchen, "The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook."

I bought Elana's cookbook before it was even published. I couldn't wait to open this book and make easy, delicious, and low glycemic recipes with almond flour! Elana introduced me to almond flour and I've been using it for several years now. Most of the recipes I make for myself are made with almond flour. It's easier for me to digest than grains, and it's just such an easy way to bake.

I've cooked my way through Elana's cookbook during the past year. I've made her chocolate chip cookies countless times. Her chocolate cake makes frequent appearances for birthdays and anniversaries. Her vegetable quiche with an almond flour pie crust is a favorite quick dinner. My husband LOVES Elana's simple recipe for chicken fingers, it's one of his most requested main dishes! Her vanilla cupcakes are some of my favorite "sweet" treats! And her bread. Elana's bread is what I use most often if I don't have Udi's at home or don't feel like making a yeast bread. I've had many a sandwich on Elana's gluten free bread. Sandwiches are easy comfort food to me and I'm so thankful for her recipes.

Elana has graciously allowed me to share one of her recipes from "The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook" today! It's a recipe for her Chocolate Chip Scones! I hope you enjoy them!

Also today is the last day to enter to win a copy of Elana's cookbook over at my reviews/giveaways page! Please visit: A Gluten Free Holiday: Breakfast and Brunch Recipes to find out how!

Chocolate Chip Scones
Reprinted with permission of Elana Amsterdam
Published in "The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook" c. 2009 written by Elana Amsterdam

Makes 16 scones
Sweetness: Medium

"In college, I used to pretend chocolate chip scones were a breakfast food instead of a dessert, devouring one nearly every morning. Using agave nectar to lower the glycemic index of this scone makes my unique categorization less of a stretch. Rich in antioxidents and low in sugar, organic dark chocolate makes these decadent-looking scones a healthy indulgence." - Elana Amsterdam

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 large eggs
1 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate (73% cacao)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil, agave nectar, and eggs. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined, then fold in the chocolate. Drop the batter, in scant 1/4 cups 2 - inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 12-17 minutes, until golden brown or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the scones cool for 30 minutes on the baking sheets, then serve.


*If you'd like to enter to win a copy of Elana's cookbook,  "The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook" please visit: "A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast & Brunch recipes." 

A Gluten Free Holiday: Breakfast with Lori Bakes

Photo courtesy of Jan D'atri

I'm pleased to be able to share another breakfast recipe with you today! This recipe is from Lori Karavolis of LoriBakes.com. Lori has self-published 4 gluten free cookbooks. She's a former bakery owner and she's been baking gluten free since 1999 when her son was diagnosed as being allergic to wheat/gluten.


Lori is an active member of the GFCF Recipes Group on Yahoo and is often sought out for her gluten free baking advice and help.

Lori's cookbooks contain hundreds of original gluten free recipes for breads, breakfasts, baked goods, lunches, main dishes, soups, and salads. Three of Lori's cookbooks focus specifically on different areas of cooking such as gluten free kids favorites, gluten free breakfast & brunch recipes, and gluten free snacks & sweets!

To learn more about LoriBakes gluten free cookbooks and to enter to win a copy of her Gluten Free Breakfast & Brunch Recipes cookbook, please visit: A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast & Brunch Recipes!


Scrambled French Toast 
Reprinted with permission of Lori Karavolis of LoriBakes.com
(Source: Lori Bakes Gluten Free Breakfast & Brunch)

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup milk of milk substitute
6 cups gluten free day old bread of choice, cubed (1/2” cubes)
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup sugar
Fresh blueberries, optional

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, vanilla and spices together. Add bread cubes and toss until well coated. Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet until melted. Add bread cubes; stir until cooked and browned over MEDIUM heat being careful not to break up bread into crumbs. Sprinkle bread with sugar and continue to cook and stir for about 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and bread is coated. Stir in blueberries if desired; remove to serving dishes and serve with maple syrup. Yield: 2-3 servings

*If you'd like to enter to win a copy of Lori's gluten free cookbook, "Gluten Free Breakfast & Brunch Recipes" please visit: "A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast & Brunch recipes." 

A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast with Silvana Nardone

Photo used with permission of Silvana Nardone. 

Today's recipe is from Silvana Nardone, author of "Cooking for Isaiah: Gluten Free & Dairy Free Recipes for Easy, Delicious Meals." Silvana is a former magazine editor and bakery owner. She's a writer, a cook, a wife, and a mom. Silvana learned several years ago that her son was intolerant to gluten. She made it her mission to create & provide healthy and delicious foods for her family that her son could enjoy.

Silvana graciously offered to share one of her breakfast recipes for our series this week "A Gluten Free Holiday." Silvana's cookbook is one our many giveaways this week, you can learn more about the giveaway and enter to win here: A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast & Brunch Recipes

Hash Brown Waffles with Sausage-Apple Patties and Fried Eggs
This recipe has diner food written all over it—exactly my intention. Instead of classic waffles, I serve up my sausage and eggs with crispy hash brown waffles, which I promise you, taste better than a side of fries. The dried apples in the sausage patties add just the right amount of sweet, caramelized flavor.


Recipe by Silvana Nardone, author of Cooking for Isaiah: Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Recipes for Easy, Delicious Meals and founder of DishTowelDiaries.com.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 25 min

1 pound (500 g) sweet Italian sausages, casings removed

1/3 cup dried apples (about 1 ounce), finely chopped
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
¾ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1½ pounds/750 g)—peeled, grated and wrung dry
½ medium onion, grated
4 large eggs, at room temperature
Ketchup, for serving

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the sausage, apples, brown sugar, mustard, paprika, ½ teaspoon salt and 1/8 pepper; shape into four 4-inch patties, about 1/3 inch thick.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the potatoes, onion, 1 tablespoon oil and ¾ teaspoon salt.
4. Preheat a Belgian waffle iron to medium-high heat. Grease the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Mound ½ cup of the potato mixture in each waffle quarter; close and cook until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Crack the eggs into the skillet and season with salt and pepper; cook, turning once, until whites are set and yolks are slightly runny, about 3 minutes.
6. To serve, place a waffle on each of four plates; top with a sausage patty and a fried egg. Serve with ketchup.

*If you'd like to enter to win a copy of Silvana's gluten free cookbook, "Cooking for Isaiah" please visit: "A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast & Brunch recipes. 

Homemade Gluten Free Cake Mix Recipe

I've always been one of those "Martha Stewart" types who wants to make everything from scratch. (And I REALLY hope you can read the sarcasm in that statement! lol)

Not really. I mean I love making things from scratch, but I work full time. I attempt to keep a house clean (not one of my strong points if you know me and hopefully you love me anyway! lol). I commute to work and therefore I'm on the road a lot. With work, home life, blogging, hobbies, and even our local gluten free support group thrown into the mix... I can't imagine if & when we have kids how life could possibly be any more busy!

So needless to say we all need shortcuts. Especially when it comes to cake. I like cake. A whole lot. I probably shouldn't eat cake. But it's Christmas, which means it's Jesus' birthday and I say that calls for cake!

I've enjoyed using the gluten free Betty Crocker cake mixes, but not only are they expensive (usually close to $5 a box for a batch that makes 12 cupcakes or a one layer cake), they are also hard to find where I live.  One of  my favorite stores used to carry them, but now all they carry is the brownie mix. As much as I like baking from scratch, it is nice to just pull out a box from the pantry and make a cake.

So here's my homemade version of the gluten free Betty Crocker mix. While I will say that the homemade mix is more healthy than the boxed version... it's still not "health food" by any stretch of the imagination. This mix has much less sugar, uses whole grain brown rice flour, and calls for much less oil than the Betty Crocker version. This homemade mix is also super easy to make! Line up about 5 glass jars on your counter and measure out all the ingredients "assembly-line" style for 5 cake mixes and fill your glass jars. Voila... instant homemade gluten free yellow cake mixes!

*To make a chocolate cake mix just add the dry ingredients of my favorite gluten free chocolate cake recipe to a jar and you'll be ready to go! 

They also make really cute Christmas presents! :-)

Homemade Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix Recipe
Makes 1 (8" or 9") round cake or 12 cupcakes
Free of gluten, dairy/casein, soy, (and can be corn free using guar gum and corn free baking powder)
Created by Carrie Forbes @ Gingerlemongirl.com
Printer-friendly recipe

DRY Yellow Cake Mix Ingredients:
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon fine brown rice flour (or white rice flour)
1/2 cup arrowroot starch (or potato starch)
1/2 cup sugar
1  teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum -or- guar gum
1/4 teaspoon salt

Add all of the above dry ingredients into a 1 pint glass jar or a resealable plastic bag. Close tightly and store in a cool pantry or cupboard. Should keep for up to 6 months.

TO make a one layer cake or 12 cupcakes simply mix in:
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup non-dairy milk (I like almond)
2 eggs (or equivalent of Ener-G egg replacer or egg replacers in Notes below!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions to make a cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you're making a round 8 or 9" cake, place parchment paper (cut to size) in the bottom of your baking pan and then spritz with non-stick spray or oil, or line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Pour dry cake mix in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix together all wet ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix together thoroughly. Pour batter into prepared cake pan or fill cupcake liners 3/4  a little over 1/2 full as they rise like normal cupcakes. Bake 8-9" round cake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cupcakes will bake in 17-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Make sure to cool completely before frosting!

Frost & decorate with your favorite gluten free frosting!

These cupcakes are very moist, so make sure to store leftovers in the refrigerator.


Carrie's Notes:

• The dry mix works awesomely on a pumpkin dump cake or for just about any cake recipe using a store bought cake mix!
• Egg Replacer Options:  To make this cake egg free you have several options, each of these options makes the equivalent of 2 eggs in baking: 1/2 cup applesauce + an additional 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder OR 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds + 6 tablespoons hot water + an additional 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder OR 1 tablespoon of Ener-G Egg replacer + 4 tablespoons hot water. I also think it's a good idea to add an additional tablespoon of oil per egg to replace the fat/moisture content from the egg yolk! 
• If you can make a small label that includes the wet ingredients needed to complete the cake it looks super cute in your cabinet and also really makes a great Christmas gift!
• Rice Flour: If you cannot tolerate rice flour, I would use millet flour in it's place since it's such a mild tasting flour!

A Gluten Free Holiday: Breakfast & Brunch Recipes

Welcome to the 5th installment of Simply Sugar & Gluten Free's "A Gluten Free Holiday."  This week we are focusing on gluten free recipes for breakfast & brunch!

The previous posts in "A Gluten Free Holiday" include:

• Ricki of Diet, Dessert, and Dogs: A Healthier Gluten Free Holiday
• Shirley of gluten free - easily: Gluten Free Thanksgiving Favorites
• Alta of Tasty Eats at Home: Gifts of Good Taste
• Diane of The W.H.O.L.E. Gang: Christmas & Hanukkah Side Dish Favorites
• Next Thursday (12/16/2010), Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten Free will host the last week of the series which will focus on Gluten Free Holiday Desserts! 

For more information on today's post & gluten free cookbook giveaways and to see today's recipe for a Christmas Bacon quiche please visit my Reviews/Giveaways page!!

Christmas Morning Bacon Quiche

Gluten Free, Vegan Dark Chocolate Muffins Recipe

Late fall is the perfect time for hearty, dark chocolate, gluten free muffins. The taste of these muffins actually reminds me of an oreo cookie. Deeply chocolate, with just a touch of sweetness. I think our early snow this year prompted me to make muffins. During warmer weather I'm not a muffin fan. I'd rather have a smoothie... but when it's chilly and you need something to go with your mug of hot tea... this rich chocolately muffin fits the bill!

These muffins are also incredibly healthy. Rice free, corn free, soy free, egg free, xanthan gum free, dairy/casein free, gluten free, with very little refined sugar. If you like to make food for holiday gifts this muffin mix would be perfect! You can place the dry ingredients in a jar and then create a recipe card that includes the wet ingredients & instructions for baking.

The muffins themselves are a tad bit crumbly simply because I do not include xanthan gum or guar gum in this recipe (more for simplicity's sake than anything else) but feel free to add 1/2 teaspoon - 1 teaspoon for a more traditional muffin texture.  For less crumbly muffins, allow them to rest on a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes and longer if possible.

Gluten Free, Vegan Dark Chocolate Muffins
free of gluten, dairy/casein, soy, corn, eggs, gums, rice, yeast
created by Carrie @ www.gingerlemongirl.com
printer-friendly recipe

Makes 12 regular muffins, or 24 mini-muffins

Dry Ingredients:
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1 teaspoon chia seeds
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup applesauce or pumpkin puree
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil -or- canola oil
1/3 cup agave nectar, maple syrup, or honey
1/4 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add In's 
1/3 cup Enjoy Life Allergen Free Chocolate Chips (these are minis - which work great for muffins!)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. (I HIGHLY recommend using paper liners for this recipe.) In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl mix together all wet ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix together until you have a wet batter. Allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes to thicken. (The chia seeds & ground flax seeds will thicken the batter and give it the texture of a "regular" muffin batter.) Stir in the chocolate chips. Fill the paper liners about 3/4 full of muffin batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out with very few crumbs, or until you can gently touch the top of a muffin and it does not leave an impression.


Carrie's Notes:

• As stated above, these muffins have a very tender crumb (which is often the case with vegan muffins). If you want more of a cake like texture, feel free to add 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum or guar gum for a thicker muffin batter. 
• Oil: I added more oil to this recipe than I generally use for muffins. This really helps the muffins stay moist and overall it means that there is about 2 teaspoons of oil per muffin (for 12). If you don't want to use 1/2 cup of oil, decrease the amount to 1/4 cup and add an additional 1/4 cup of applesauce or pumpkin puree. The only difference may be that the muffins will not stay quite as moist by day 2 or day 3. 
• Chia Seeds & Ground Flax Seeds: These are both magical ingredients in egg free baking! Chia seeds have seriously ridiculous gelling power and help thicken up the muffin batter. Ground flax seeds have a wonderful "gelling" property as well, though it's not as potent as the chia seeds. I do recommend keeping the chia seeds in this recipe, if you don't have them another tablespoon of ground flax seeds should work just fine though. 
• Paper Liners: Because these muffins are delicate, I think it's definitely a good idea to use paper liners. If these muffins stick to the pan without a liner, they may be very hard to remove all in one piece. 
• Millet flour & Sorghum Flour: If you don't want to use these flours, feel free to exchange them for another whole grain gluten free flour such as brown rice flour, quinoa flour, or even buckwheat flour! 

This post is linked to Amy Green's Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free. 

A Gluten Free Holiday - Diane of The W.H.O.L.E. Gang

Welcome to the 4th installation of A Gluten Free Holiday, an event started by Amy Green of Simply Sugar & Gluten Free. Here's a recap of the previous 2010 posts shared by Diane of The WHOLE Gang:

"A Gluten-Free Holiday is off to a wonderful start! Ricki at Diet, Dessert and Dogs kicked us off with tips to stay healthy during the holidays and shared some delicious truffles. Then, Shirley at Gluten-Free Easily shared a no-fail pie crust recipe and we linked our Thanksgiving favorites.  Last week Alta from Tasty Eats at Home got us thinking about Gifts of Good Taste.  She shared her Macadamia Almond Brittle and Pistachio Coconut Macaroons.  Hopefully by now you are aware that each week there are tons of great cookbooks given away.  Check out below and see which really amazing cookbook authors want to give you their books. Next week visit Carrie at Ginger Lemon Girl for Holiday Breakfasts and Brunch. "

Diane's theme today is Holiday Side Dishes for Christmas & Hanukkah. 

A few of my favorite naturally gluten free super easy sides dishes for the holiday (and really anytime) are:

Aunt Linda's Amazing Broccoli Puff

My favorite Sauteed Kale & Mushrooms

Super Easy Quick Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Here are the fabulous books that Diane is giving away this week for A Gluten Free Holiday. Visit her post to find out how to enter for one of these amazing gluten free books:

• 1 copy of Gluten-Free Girl: How I Found the Food That Loves Me Back…And How You Can Too by Shauna James Ahern

• 1 copy of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef by Shauna James Ahern & Daniel Ahern

• 1 copy of Sweet Freedom: Desserts You’ll Love without Wheat, Eggs, Dairy or Refined Sugar by Ricki Heller

• 3 copies of these e-book trios: 1 copy of Sweet Freedom, 1 copy of Desserts without Compromise, 1 copy of Anti-Candida Feast Book.

Again, please make sure to stop by Diane of The WHOLE Gang, this week to add your favorite gluten free holiday side dish and to enter to win one of these wonderful gluten free books! 




I will be hosting next week's installment of A Gluten Free Holiday! The theme will be Gluten Free Holiday Breakfast & Brunch dishes! I can't wait to see the breakfast & brunch recipes you have to share!