Sweetened condensed milk nondairy

In my quest to make some of my favorite Christmas cookies I needed to first make sweetened condensed milk that was dairy free. I looked at lots and lots of recipes and I came up with a mix of the ones I like the most.

Dairy free Sweetened condensed milk
3 cups of milk substitute (I used Flax)
1/2 and 2Tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Mix your milk and sugar together in a heavy bottom sauce pan. Heat on Medium to Medium-Low heat stirring constantly until it is reduced to one cup. This will take a good hour or so. It will be thinner than you think it should be. I over reduced mine and then had to add milk back to it. After it is reduced and off the heat add vanilla and salt to reduced milk. Store in fridge. 

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Yep, I told you I had been thinking about pumpkin lately so here is another one. The original recipe came from Gluten Freely.

Pumpkin Cheesecake
1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free yellow cake mix
1/2 cup nuts (I used walnuts but pecans would be good too)
1/2 cup butter substitute
2 packages (8oz each) cream cheese substitute (I use Tofutti) softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 T pumpkin pie spice
2 T milk substitute (I either use Flax or Coconut)
2 eggs

Heat oven to 350
Mix together cake mix and chopped nuts. Cut in butter substitute into flour mix until it is crumbly. Set 1 cup aside to use later. Press remaining mixture in 9x13 and bake 10 minutes.
In large bowl beat cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and beat until well blended. Pour over work crust and sprinkle top with crust mix set aside.
Bake about 35 minutes or until the middle is set (mine took a bit longer)
Cool 30 minutes and put in refrigerator for about 2 hours until well cooled.
Store in fridge.

Pumpkin Muffins

I have had pumpkin on the brain the past few weeks and this is what I came up with. It is a bit dense but it has a great texture and taste.

Pumpkin Muffins
3 cups gluten free flour mix
2 t cinnamon
2 t nutmeg
1 t cloves
1/4 t ginger
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
4 medium eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350
Mix dry together and set aside. Mix wet and combine with the dry. Fill muffin tins about 3/4 full and bake 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes and then move to rack to finish cooling.

Pumpkin cinnamon rolls

I follow Once a Month Mom and when they came out with their gluten and dairy free menu I was thrilled to see gluten and dairy free pumpkin cinnamon rolls. I had everything I needed on hand and so I set out to make a treat that I had not had in a long time. You can view the original recipe here but I did make a few changes from it. This is the way I did mine.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

• 1/3 cup warmed unsweetened gluten and dairy free milk substitute (I used Flax milk)
• 4 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour, finely ground
• 1/2 cup sorghum flour
• 3/4 cup tapioca starch
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons gluten and dairy free margarine (I used Best Life)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Icing:

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 4 tablespoons gluten and dairy free margarine (Again I used Best Life)
• 5 cups gluten free powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp pumpkin spice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Put yeast in warm milk substitute and sugar.  Set aside until foamy.  Stir in olive oil, vanilla extract and first amount of pumpkin puree.
In bowl of your mixer, mix together brown rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca flour, corn starch, baking powder, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt. Gradually combine yeast mixture into dry ingredients until a very sticky elastic dough is formed, scraping down sides as necessary.
Turn dough ball out onto a piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap that has been taped to your countertop. With well oiled hands pat dough out into a rectangle.

Use the oiled plastic wrap to help roll the dough.

Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Gently spread the first amount of softened margarine in an even layer on top of dough, and then sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar mixture.
Using the plastic wrap to help, carefully roll the dough.  Slice the rolls and carefully place them into the 8″” greased round pan(s) indicated, leaving about an inch between each roll.  Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place for about 45 min.

I use a thin wire that I cut cake with to cut cinnamon rolls.

To make pumpkin icing, cream together the pumpkin puree and second measurement of margarine.  Slowly incorporate powdered sugar until icing becomes stiff and spreadable, using more or less depending on your preference.
When rolls have risen, bake for 30 minutes in a preheated 350 F degree oven.  Cool.  Frost with icing. 

I use less sugar than the original recipe but I like the more pumpkin taste that it gave.

They were so yummy and smelled so good we at them all before I got a picture. I was so surprised at how easy they were to make and next time I will make a double or triple batch.

Big C turned 5

When I asked Big C what he wanted for his birthday cake I knew the answer would be Mario. So I set out to make a Mario cake that would live up to his expectations now. I made the cherry cake  and set to work making Super Mario backgrounds.
I set with my computer freeze framing youtube video of Super Mario Brothers and went to work.

I think that it turned out great and all the kids were thrilled at the party!

Slow cooker tomato sauce

So I decided I should do something with the baby bath tub half full of ripe tomatoes and I did not treasure the thought of having a pot going all day. Thus the idea of the slow cooker came into play. I washed, cut and seeded (well my mom did, my hand can't do that) about 2 to 3 dozen tomatoes of all shapes and sizes and put them in my large slow cooker. To them I added around a 1/4 cup olive oil and 6 to 8 cloves of garlic cut in half. A pinch of sugar, salt and pepper and it was in for the night on low covered in the slow cooker. The next morning I cracked the lid and turned it to high for a few hours. The cooked tomatoes and juice then went through the blender and had a good 1/2 cup of basil added. If you don't want the skins in you could run it through a food mill. Serve over you favorite gluten free pasta or freeze for later.

Mine is light because I used red, yellow, purple and black tomatoes in my mix.

Gluten free cherry cake

So I've been gone for a bit but be ready for a bunch while I play catch up. Cameron wanted a cherry cake for his birthday so I set out to make a cherry cake that everyone would enjoy.

Cherry Cake

Combine and mix well:

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil (I used vegetable)

1 tsp almond extract

Add to that 10 ounces of cherry jelly (I found a great one that had no sugar added, it was all fruit juice)

In another bowl mix

2 cups Gluten-Free Pantry All-Purpose flour (I like the mix)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Combine the dry with the wet and add in 2 cups of grated zucchini*

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly oil what pans you are using.

Bake cupcakes 20-25 min

Round cake pans 30-40 depending on the size but you want a toothpick to come out clean.

Turn out on wire rack after 10 minutes to finish cooling.

*If you are using frozen zucchini as I did (my local farmers market had a great deal) add all the liquid that come out when thawed. It will make the batter look really thin but it bakes fine.

I had started on the cake before I realized I had not taken a picture.