Giveaway: Gluten-Free Baking with Betty Crocker and Joseph Joseph

One of the fun things about being a food blogger is getting to try new products and equipment. A few weeks ago MyBlogSpark sent me this cool baking kit which includes a rolling pin, a pastry brush, a small rubber spatula (I happen to LOVE spatulas!) and a super cute kitchen timer in this JosephJoseph baking gift set. To be quite honest I haven't had the time YET to try out these nifty tools, but I can tell you they are super cute!

Also included in the gift set was really nice non-stick 8x8 baking pan which is perfect for brownies or 1-layer cakes! Betty Crocker (the lovelies who provided this nice set) have brand new packaging for their gluten-free products ALONG with a few new gluten-free baking mixes. I decided to go out and purchase chocolate chip cookie mix. My husband is quite the connoisseur of chocolate chip cookies...

But instead of making cookies (I'm lazy, what can I say?) I decided to use the 8x8 pan and make a batch of chocolate chip cookie brownies! TO make the brownies all I did was add the required 1 stick of butter, but instead of one egg I used two, and then added 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/4 cup of milk. This made the brownies more cake-like, but Michael loved them. I baked the batter in the pan for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees. That's it. Super easy, super quick.

While I'm not a huge fan of gluten-free prepared baking mixes... it is fun to have these on hand for last minute chocolate chip cookie emergencies. Michael really enjoyed the mix and said he liked the brownies as much as he would have actual cookies... so win win!

But my favorite thing about companies like "MyBlogSpark" and Betty Crocker? 

They not only send me goodies to try, they offer bloggers an additional set to giveaway as well! SO Here's your chance! Want to win your own set of baking supplies?  

Here's how you can enter to win: 

This contest is now over.
Congrats to Shannon F. for winning the baking set! 

The Giveaway Nittygritty:

• 1 prize pack of a JosephJoseph Gift Baking Set + a brand new 8x8" baking pan will be provided from General Mills and MyBlogSpark. 
• This giveaway is open to everyone. 
• One entry per person.
• Enter by leaving a comment below on this post AND please include a way for me to contact you -- your email address preferably.
• The giveaway begins June 24, 2013 and ends on June 29, 2013  at 11:00 pm eastern daylight savings time.
• No purchase is necessary.  Odds of winning are based on the number of entries.  
• The winners will be randomly chosen and will be contacted by email.  The winners will have 24 hours to respond.  If the winner does not respond, a new winner will be randomly chosen.

GLG Disclosure: 

I was given a free gift baking set and an 8x8" baking dish from MyBlogSpark and General Mills. This is not a sponsored post and I did not receive monetary compensation. The opinions in this post are completely my own. The giveaway prize pack and baking pan have been provided by MyBlogSpark and General Mills. 

Introducing: The Everything Gluten-Free College Cookbook! Coming July 2013

Over the past year I've been working very hard on a series of gluten-free cookbooks for the "Everything" series published by Adams Media. (Hence the reason the poor blog hasn't been updated as often as I'd like for it to be!)

And my latest installment is coming out next month on July 18, 2013. This new book is entitled, "The Everything Gluten-Free College Cookbook." This book has been especially designed for gluten-free college kids, but also those new to cooking gluten-free, and for busy folks everywhere.

The book specifically shares SUPER EASY recipes and tips to teach college kids how to cook fast, easy, and healthy meals right in their dorm room or apartment.

Some great features of this book include: 

• A whole chapter explaining what being gluten-free means, how to buy and store gluten-free foods in your college dorm room or your first apartment. How to ask about gluten-free options on your college campus, how to teach your friends about WHY you are gluten-free, etc... 
• Over 300 EASY AND DELICIOUS gluten-free recipes that ANYONE can make, especially beginner cooks!
• An entire chapter on meals you can make in your microwave!
• Recipes for easy breakfasts, lunches, parties, study snacks, and special chapters on fast and quick main dishes and gluten-free pasta meals.
• An entire chapter on gluten-free vegetarian and vegan recipes!
• Tons of NATURALLY gluten-free recipes, which means you don't have to buy special gluten-free flours or baking ingredients (unless of course you want too for the baked goods!) 
• For those who want to learn to bake, many EASY gluten-free baked goods such as muffins, cupcakes, cookies, etc... 
• Dairy-free substitutes are listed throughout the book for those with dairy or casein sensitivities. 

A handful of awesome gluten-free recipes to try from this book include: 

• Banana Nut Pancakes
• Very Veggie Omelets
• Baked Pumpkin Crunch Oatmeal
• Classic BLT's
• Mini Pizzas in a Flash
• Tuna Salad with a Kick
• Buffalo Wings
• Never-Enough-Nachos
• Microwave Chicken Divan
• Easy "Tandoori" Chicken
• Mexican Lasagna
• Frittata with Asparagus and Two Cheeses
• Classic Italian Risotto
• Cheesiest Macaroni and Cheese
• Stovetop Oatmeal Fudge Cookies
• Basic Rice Krispies Squares
• Speedy Mocha "Mousse" Pudding
• and many, many more!

If you're not a college student, this book can still help you learn to make super fast and easy meals at home. It's perfect for busy moms, commuters, anyone working full time who needs quick and healthy gluten-free meals on-the-go, etc... 

This book is on-sale now for pre-order through:

• Amazon
• Barnes and Noble
• Books a Million
• Powell's Books

And will be available on July 18, 2013 at your favorite local bookstore. 

Have any questions about this cookbook? Send me an email: gingerlemongirl at gmail dot com. 

To kick-off this book, let's have a giveaway! 

Would you like a copy of this book? (And you absolutely should!)  I'm personally giving away two brand new paper-back copies of this cookbook! Simply leave a comment on this blog post letting me know why you'd like this book and what recipe you would try first! 

*******************

This contest is now over: 

Congrats to Cindy and Marcie the winners of "The Everything Gluten-Free College Cookbook"

The Giveaway Nittygritty:

• I am giving away two BRAND NEW COPIES of my new cookbook: "The Everything Gluten-Free College Cookbook." 
• This giveaway is open to everyone. 
• One entry per person.
• Enter by leaving a comment below on this post AND please include a way for me to contact you -- your email address preferably.
• The giveaway begins June 18, 2013 and ends on June 22, 2013  at 11:00 pm eastern daylight savings time.
• No purchase is necessary.  Odds of winning are based on the number of entries.  
• The winners will be randomly chosen and will be contacted by email.  The winners will have 24 hours to respond.  If the winner does not respond, a new winner will be randomly chosen.

GLG Disclosure: 

I am giving away two copies of my newest cookbook. These copies have been provided by ME. This is not a sponsored post and I did not receive compensation. The opinions in this post are completely my own. 

Easy Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookies

I really need to keep my "good" camera around my neck at all times.. because when I don't you are forced to suffer through my terrible phone camera pictures...

But you know what's funny? I really like the imperfection of the phone camera pictures. I love the grainy quality. It's like adding some cool instagram filter, minus instagram.

At any rate, here are some cookies for you. And this imperfect, grainy picture... it's comfortably fitting for these tasty treats. They aren't amazing bakery cookies. They are easy, simple 4-ingredient cookies for a sweet tooth fix. They are low glycemic, so they won't spike your blood sugar and then send you sinking down, down, down on a Tuesday afternoon.

They are easy, kid-friendly, snack-size little gems of almond flour and coconut palm sugar... and will make you smile.

Who needs perfection? Have a cookie instead!

Easy Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookies
free of gluten, dairy, soy, grains, and easily egg-free
printer-friendly recipe

Ingredients
2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 cup - 3/4 cup coconut palm sugar (or: honey, sugar, maple syrup, date sugar...)
1 egg (or egg replacer, 1/4 cup applesauce would work just fine)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat. In a large bowl whisk together the almond flour and coconut palm sugar. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the egg (or egg replacer) and the pure vanilla extract. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until you have a very stiff and sturdy dough. It should be stiff enough to stir into a ball. If it's too crumbly (and it could be, depending on the humidity levels where you live), add water a teaspoon at a time, until the dough will stir into a stiff ball. Scoop the dough out with a cookie scoop and place 1" apart onto the cookie sheet. I usually get about 12 medium-size cookies. Shape them with your fingers into circular cookies and flatten them slightly with your palm. Bake for 12-15 minutes until cookies are a bit puffy and are golden brown around the edges. Allow cookies to cool for 10-15 minutes before eating... if you can wait that long!

Product Review: Taste Guru Gluten-Free Subscription Box, May 2013

I signed up to try TasteGuru, a gluten-free monthly food subscription service. It's kinda pricey, I signed up for the $24 a month plan, so I could cancel anytime. You generally get a box of 5-7 different gluten-free items. Many of them are items that are new to the gluten-free food market.

Here are the goodies that were included in the May 2013 box: 

• Rocky Mountain White Cheddar Popcorn 
• Canyon Oats Brown Sugar Instant Oats 
• Glutino Strawberry Toaster Pastries
• Falafel Chips
• KIND Honey Oat Granola
• NOT PICTURED: Gratify Gluten-Free Pretzel Thins with Sesame Seeds
• NOT PICTURED: Le Veneziane Penne Rigate Corn Gluten-Free Pasta
• NOT PICTURED: Coco Cafe - Cafe Latte

So far I've tired the white cheddar popcorn (YUM!), one of the toaster pastries (good! better than the Eco Planet brand) and the Falafel Chips (different, but good!).  Michael also tried the Gratify pretzel thins and loved them (they had soy flour, so I couldn't eat them). He enjoyed the pretzels so much he took them to work for a snack. 

To be honest, I'm not sure it's really worth $25 for the products in this particular box, but then again as we all know ANY gluten-free processed food is going to be quite a bit more expensive than it's "wheat" counterpart. So I may be comparing the cost to what I would assume the same non-GF products would cost. 

I think the most fun part about this box is simply getting to see a neat variety of new gluten-free products every month. You can see if you like them, share them with other gluten-free friends if you don't! 

Have you tried Taste Guru? What did you think? Would you try a gluten-free food subscription service? 

Gluten-Free Focaccia Bread Recipe

One of the recipes I love to teach in my gluten-free baking classes is focaccia. An Italian flat bread thats made with gluten-free flours, yeast, eggs, olive oil, and herbs. The taste and texture of a thick focaccia bread is different than any other bread you will try. It's chewy, yet crunchy, and incredibly full of flavor.

Rich olives and sundried tomatoes, dried oregano and basil, fresh garlic... personally I'd rather eat a thick slice of toasty focaccia with a hearty homemade soup, than a piece of pizza! This recipes make two round 8" loaves or "cakes" of focaccia. You can easily freeze one loaf for later if it's too much. For those of you who need a lower carbohydrate/ "paleo-ish" version of focaccia, I plan on posting one next week, so stay tuned!

This gluten-free recipe makes a very thick, sturdy dough that can be a bit hard to handle when just stirring by hand. So if you have a heavy-duty stand mixer, it's the perfect appliance to mix this dough. Whether you're using a little elbow grease, or you'd using the stand mixer, try out this recipe and have it simply with a fresh salad and a homemade soup. It makes a delicious and fun gluten-free meal to share with your family!

I learned how to make this fantastic gluten-free dough while visiting the Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakehouse in Morrisville, NC. Lee Tobin, the bakehouse team leader and head baker, shared his techniques and his recipe with our local gluten-free support group while we toured the facility. This incredibly chewy and crunchy bread would also make an outstanding deep dish pizza crust!

Gluten-Free Focaccia Bread  free of gluten, dairy, and soy recipe adapted by carrie forbes of gingerlemongirl.com printer-friendly recipe Yields: 12-16 slices of focaccia  Dry Ingredients  1 ½ cups brown rice flour 1/2 cup sorghum flour 2 cups arrowroot starch or tapioca starch 2/3 cup blanched almond flour or non-fat dry milk powder (if you can tolerate dairy - we use the blanched almond flour 1 tablespoon xanthan gum 2 teaspoons Saf Instant-Yeast, Red Star Rapid Rise or “Bread Machine” Yeast, or Fleischmann’s “Bread Machine” Yeast 1 teaspoon salt Wet Ingredients: 1 ½ cups water heated to 110 degrees 3 tablespoons olive oil 4 egg whites, brought to room temperature 1 clove garlic, finely minced Fresh herbs, finely chopped (such as rosemary, oregano, or thyme) Olive oil for spreading dough Optional toppings: chopped and seeded kalamata olives and roma tomatoes Directions:  Line a 9x14” baking dish with parchment paper and grease parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil.  In a large bowl whisk together brown rice flour, sorghum flour, arrowroot starch or tapioca starch, almond flour or non-fat dry milk powder, xanthan gum, and salt.   In another bowl whisk together heated water, olive oil, egg whites. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir together thoroughly into a stiff dough. Continue to mix as much as you can (it is a VERY stiff dough!) for an additional 3-4 minutes.  Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish. Drizzle the dough with a little olive oil and then evenly spread dough over the entire baking dish. Cover the dough lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for about 35 minutes.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Gently poke the dough all over with your fingers so small wells appear over the dough. Drizzle with additional olive oil and sprinkle on the minced garlic and any of the additional toppings you would like.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until focaccia is golden brown and crispy. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then slice into squares and serve.