Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Kuwait City, Kuwait on March 31st.

Friday, November 16, 2012

A post from Ruth...

Ok, you asked for it, now you are going to get it!  My gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe that is!

Many of you that have been reading our blog for a long time know that I (Ruth) am "Gluten Free" but I don't let that stop me from enjoying some good homemade food.  I have now been gluten free for two years so I have a little practice at it and we don't really eat any different than before. And the food, in our opinion doesn't taste any different.

Now before I get into the chocolate chip cookie recipe you will first need the gluten free flour blend that I use.

Gluten Free Flour Blend

2 cups brown rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca flour/starch
1 tsp xanthan gum

Mix this all together in an airtight plastic container with a lid.

When I make this I make a triple batch just so that I don't have to keep making it every time I want to do any baking.

6 cups brown rice flour
2 cups potato starch
1 cup tapioca flour/starch
3 tsp xanthan gum

Here are some other pointers with this blend.  Before using it after it has sat for a while, make sure that you give it a good shake to mix up the contents.  I also use brown rice flour as it has more fibre to it than the white and personally we don't notice any difference in the flavour.  Trying to find a place to buy the xanthan gum, normally any health food store should carry it or any store that carrys a large supply of gluten free products.  In Canada my favourite shopping spot for Gluten Free items is bulk barn.

Ok now on to the recipe that so many of you have been asking for.

Gluten Free Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups Gluten-Free Flour Blend (see above)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375°F. Combine flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and xanthan gum in medium bowl. Set aside.

Combine butter, brown sugar and sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.

Reduce speed to low. Beat, gradually adding flour mixture, until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto parchment paper covered cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. (DO NOT OVERBAKE.) Let stand 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets.

Now a couple more things.  If you are Celiac than you will need to make sure all the products you use are totally gluten free.  I also use only butter and sugar, no substitues!  Also altitude can play a part in the way the cookies turn out.  Right now we are at 6400ft so these cookies spread out nicely and cooked just the way I like them but I have had them turn out as little puffed up cookies so you may want to add slightly more or less butter or a slightly higher temperature.  Just play around with the recipe a little to get it to your desired finished product.


I will try to add recipes from time to time, so if there is one that you would like just email us, facebook us or leave it in a comment.


Here is another recipe that I thought you may be interested in with the Christmas season coming up, this is from a friend of mine that has had MANY, MANY requests for.

Vodka Christmas Cake recipe

(Made mine this morning!!!!)
1 cup sugar, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 cup water, 1 tsp. salt , 1 cup brown sugar, Lemon juice, 4 large eggs, Nuts, 2 cups dried fruit.

1...bottle Vodka,

Sample a cup of Vodka to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the Vodka again to be sure it is of the highest quality then repeat.

Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point, it is best to make sure the Vodka is still OK. Try another cup just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 eegs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Pick the fruit up off the floor, wash it and put it in the bowl a piece at a time trying to count it. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit getas stuck in the beaterers, just pry it loose with a drewscriver or something. Sample the Vodka to test for tonsisticity.

Next, sift 2 cups of salt, or something. Check the Vodka. Now shit shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the Vodka and wipe the counter with the cat =)

22 comments:

  1. I think I just might copy and paste these items into my little recipe folder. One of our little nephews has Celiac, and it's always nice to have one or two more things to make that he can eat.
    Poor little guy was underweight, sickly and generally just a very unhappy little baby until the discovery was made that he had issues with gluten.
    You say it's been a couple years for you, how did you begin to realise that gluten was an issue?
    That is, if you don't mind sharing.
    Of course, if I use the picture of you two in your togas as a bench mark, I don't think we're crossing any lines here.

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    1. I suspected that I had a problem many, many years ago but the doctors just didn't seem to think there was an issue. I was having many digestive problems, if you get my drift! Anyways just over two years ago I lost 15lbs without even trying and I was eating as much as Kevin so this shouldn't have been happening. Finally got a doctor who was concerned about the weight loss and did several blood tests but couldn't find anything that seemed abnormal. She suggested that maybe it could be a gluten intolerance problem and I agreed, seeing our daughter had also only just found out she was gluten intolerant as well a few months beforehand and as this can be hereditary, I had also thought that this was a possiblity. The health care won't pay for the blood test to see if you are celiac so she suggested that I try a gluten free diet for a month and see if I notice a difference. Within the month there was a definite improvement so I have just stuck with it and have since gained back my lost weight as well as a little bit more. I definitely see a big improvement and feel much, much better because of it.

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  2. OK, I have to admit. I skipped ahead. I just read the "vodka" recipe. Har!
    At first I thought, "Oh man, so many typos, oh, wait..."

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    Replies
    1. I figured you might have, I was surprised not to have seen a comment from you about it in your previous comment!

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  3. That second recipe sounds like a winner. :) I'd have to get a cat though...

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    1. I had to borrow one of the ones here at the campground!

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  4. Thanks for the cookie recipe and for the laugh!!

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  5. Our local Amish store stocks all those ingredients so can't wait to try the chocolate chip cookie recipe. Second recipe - LOL! We have six cats - now wouldn't that be fun? Thanks for sharing!

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    1. We've enjoyed this chocolate chip cookie recipe more than any other chocolate chip cookie recipe I've ever tried and that goes for regular ones.

      Six cats...guess you will just have to make six cakes!

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  6. Oh YUM! and very funny! I'm laughing out loud. Thanks for it all.

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  7. Strain your nuts and beat off the turner....! What the heck, I'll give it a try!

    Grace (in Tucson)

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  8. Thanks for sharing the gluten free recipe, already have the other one and its awesome too!

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  9. That last recipe is definitely the one I whould be good at,not being a kitchen fan...

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  10. BAHAHAHA, I laughed out loud when reading the vodka one! Justin asked what I was laughing at so I read it to him while laughing out loud I started to cry it was so funny...

    Also, that Chocolate chip recipe is one I found for you and it actually calls for 2 cups of chocolate chips (milk chocolate is best)!

    Love you,
    Lindsey, Justin and Cameron

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    Replies
    1. That was me trying to read it to Dad. I couldn't even get through it, I was laughing so hard I was crying too!

      Yep, you gave me the recipe and we thank you for it. Good chocolate chips are hard to find here so I only put in 1 1/2 cups, and we find that, that is enough and yes milk chocolate are the best but I like the smaller ones, and you can't find smaller milk chocolate ones!

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  11. I'm doing the "check the vodka" part now, the rest of the recipe will have to wait until tomorrow.

    Actually though, I like the idea of posting the recipes. If we make something, I want to make sure everyone can enjoy it. Good idea!

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    Replies
    1. How long will the "check the vodka" part take, Chris? I bet when we see you next, you will still be checking the vodka!

      Let's see some of your recipes too, then!

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  12. I can vouch for the cookies....don't know about the cake but sounds like fun

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  13. Don't really care about the cookie recipe but the Vodka Cake sounds great! I'm going to have to try that one.

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    Replies
    1. Let us know how it turns out. Not sure anyone has got to the actual making the cake part yet!

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