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Desserts

Recipe: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

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Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Pumpkin-baked goods & products are all over. When I make pumpkin pie, I usually use canned pumpkin, but my mom surprised us this weekend and brought us a pumpkin pie that was made with real pumpkins that she cooked from their whole state.

This pie was one of the best pies I have ever tasted. My son basically inhaled it and it was gone within 24 hours. I asked my mom if she would mind sharing the recipe here with you all and she was pleased to send the recipe to me.

To prep pumpkin:

Using one medium pie pumpkin, wash the pumpkin, then using a sharp knife, cut the pumpkin in wedges. I think I ended up with twelve wedges.  Clean out seeds and strings.  (I think this is the hardest part of the whole prep work.)  Use a two-piece broiler pan with slots in the top flat piece.  Add water to the bottom piece, so that the pumpkin will steam when baking in the oven.  Spread pumpkin wedges on the slotted piece, and cover with aluminum foil.  Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven until soft.  My pumpkin took about an hour and 45 minutes to reach the right consistency.  Cool slightly, and remove the peel from the pumpkin wedges. (My pumpkin was at room temperature before I had a chance to get to this step – no problems.)  Cut into chunks, and put the pumpkin through a food processor.  (I used a blender – but not very successfully. I had to use a handheld potato masher to mash the chunks before the blender would process well enough.)

You need about 3 cups of pumpkin – maybe a little more – for the recipe. If you get more than that, you can freeze the excess pumpkin for future use.

Once the pumpkin is prepped, use it in the following recipe:

Separate 4 eggs, placing the egg whites in a separate mixing bowl. Beat egg whites at high speed until very stiff.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the following ingredients:

  • 3 cups prepped fresh pumpkin  (could be a little more)
  • 1 and 1/3 cups sugar (I used half Stevia-in-the-raw and half sugar)
  • 2 tbsp gluten-free flour (I used Jules gluten-free flour)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 12–ounce can evaporate milk (I used Carnation fat-free)

Beat all ingredients at medium speed until very well blended, scraping the bowl with a spatula often.

Gently fold in the egg whites, using a spatula only – no mixer. Fold until egg whites are thoroughly blended with pie filling.

Pour pie filling into pie shells, filling to the brim. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes.  Pies will be slightly brown on top and the filling will be firm. A toothpick inserted into the center of the pie should come out dry/clean.

Cool pies on wire racks, and then serve with your favorite gluten-free whipped topping. Pie can be kept at room temp or can be stored in the fridge (my preference).

While this may be a little more work than using canned pumpkins, the results are worth it. If you know you have a busy week, consider cooking your pumpkin in advance and freezing or refrigerating it until you are ready to bake your pie. Enjoy!

Recipe: Gluten-Free Fall Applesauce Cake

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If the weather hasn’t changed yet where you are, count your blessings. I woke up yesterday and the temperature outside was 49 degrees!  No complaints from me, though, I am done with the heat. Not only that, but fall is my favorite season!  I love the the brilliant colors, the crisp days, the pumpkin treats and apples. I have 2 words: Honey Crisp.  I have had my eyes open each time I weave through the produce department of my local grocery stores and I haven’t spotted any yet. I am sure that it won’t be long now!

Speaking of apples, I love to make homemade applesauce.  When I make it, I always have a bunch and while we all love it, I also love to bake with it!  I love applesauce cookies, but I also love applesauce cake. My grandmother (Grandma Marbles as Jon named her when he was a toddler) used to make applesauce cake when I was a child.  I have finally come to terms with the fact that I am no longer a child, but I will not go without my applesauce cake!

Applesauce Cake

  • 2 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (I like to use Jules gluten-free Flour)
  • 1 ½ cups applesauce (unsweetened, but I am used sweetened)
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar
  • ½ cup stick butter, softened
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice (if you don’t have this, use this as a substitute)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¾ tsp baking powder
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup raisins (I leave these out b/c my kids won’t touch the cake with them in it; may add chocolate chips instead)
  • 2/3 cup chopped nuts

Maple-Nut buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting if you want instead.

  1. Heat oven to 350. Grease bottoms & sides of 13 x 9 x 2 pan or 2 round pans, with shortening; lightly flour.
  2. Beat all ingredients except raisins, nuts and frosting in a large bowl with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in raisins & nuts. Pour into pan(s).
  3. Bake rectangle for 45 – 50 minutes, rounds 40 to 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool rectangle pan on wire rack. Cool rounds 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
  4. Frost rectangle or fill and frost layers with maple nut frosting.

Maple Nut Frosting

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup stick butter, softened
  • ½ cup maple flavored syrup (if you choose to use real maple syrup, cut back a little or the frosting will be too sweet.  You may need to add a little water or milk to make up for the lost liquid)
  • ¼ cup finely chopped nuts
  1. Mix sugar and butter in medium bowl. Stir in syrup.
  2. Beat until smooth & spreadable. Stir in nuts.
  3. Frosts one rectangle cake or fills and frosts one 8 or 9 inch layer cake.

Now, try not to consume this all in a period of a day or 2 without sharing.

Recipe: Flourless Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 1 Comment

Cookies are always a good thing in my book.  And while it is easy to find pretty decent gluten-free cookies these days at Whole Foods or even the regular grocery stores, it is usually always tastier to make them from scratch.  This recipe is super easy and naturally gluten-free, so there is no worry about what flour to substitute, because there is no flour!

I usually buy creamy peanut butter, but the chunky peanut butter used in this recipe gives these cookies a great texture. The recipe has very simple ingredients, so feel free to play around with substitutions to make them slightly different every time.

The few times I have made these, they seem to be a hot item with children and adults. They make a great snack, afternoon treat, nighttime dessert, or even late night nosh.

Recipe

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup chocolate chips

*optional….add 1/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill), 1/4 cup of shredded coconut, or 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 325′

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes (I will sometimes do it hours in advance so the dough is ready to go when I am ready to bake)

Shape tablespoon size balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving 1-2 inches between each cookie.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.  They can burn easily, so if you see them start to brown, they are done.

Let cool slightly on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then place on a cooling rack until you are ready to serve.

Makes 2 dozen.

These cookies will disappear fast!

Recipe: Gluten-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

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With summer here and fresh fruit in abundance, the possibilities for fruit-based desserts seem endless. I like to host regular cook-outs and get togethers, and I try to mix it up and try different desserts… some of my past favorites have been strawberry shortcake and peach cobbler.  Someone mentioned rhubarb to me the other day and I realized, I have never cooked with rhubarb and had no clue what to do with it. The word brings me back to when I was little and buying desserts from the weekly bake sale at the nighttime summer concerts where I grew up.

I had seen it at the store, I knew it existed, but it was one fruit (or as some like to call it a vegetable) that I have never tackled. So, after some research, talking with friends and reading lots of recipes, I came up with my own for strawberry rhubarb pie.  Very easy and very delicious! I had no idea that rhubarb  was so easy to use. Or for that matter that fruit pie was so simple to make.

I love to make my meals, and especially baked goods from scratch, but pies are the one thing I cheat on.  I like to use pre-made pie crusts (for pies and quiches), and thankfully there are some gluten-free crusts that I really like.  I usually use Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakehouse crust, but the day when I went they were out, so I settled on Gillian’s gluten-free pie crust, and I actually think I liked this one better!

I have divided the recipe into two sections.  One for the filling, and one for the crumble topping.

Recipe

Pre-heat oven to 375′

1 gluten-free pie crust

2 cups of rhubarb (cleaned and trimmed),  chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

2 cups of strawberries (stems removed), chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of cornstarch

————————————

1/2 cup of your favorite gluten-free flour mix (I used Pamela’s)

1/4 gluten-free rolled oats (I used Bob’s Red Mill)

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

Combine the rhubarb, strawberry, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl until well combined, and pour into the pie crust.

In another mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugars and butter, and mix with your (clean) hands until the butter is in small clumps.

Place crumble on top of fruit filling, in the pie crust.

Place pie on a foiled, covered, baking sheet (in case there is overflow), and bake for about 1 1/2 hours.  Cool completely before serving.

It tastes great on its own, but I also like serving it with a spoonful of plain greek yogurt on the side.

Recipe: No-Bake Gluten-Free Chocolate Oatmeal Drops

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff Leave a Comment

In my review of the book Gluten-Free Cookies,  I commented that I’d not made any of the cookies in the book because I didn’t want to mix up my own flour. However, I later realized that there is no reason I can not eventually make the No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Drops in the cookbook.

The recipe doesn’t call for flour and I always have gluten-free oats and chocolate chips on hand.

No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Drops

Makes 18 to 24 cookies

These cookies have a rich, fudgy texture. They are great slipped into lunch boxes or backpacks. Use bittersweet chocolate if you prefer cookies that are not too sweet.

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup semisweet or bittersweet
  • (60% cocoa) chocolate chips
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

  • Line cookie sheets with parchment.
  • In a saucepan, combine the butter, milk, and sugar.
  • Bring to a rolling boil, and then boil for exactly 1 minute.
  • Stir in chocolate chips until melted. Add vanilla extract, oats, and walnuts.
  • Stir until thoroughly combined.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Using a medium cookie scoop, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared cookie sheets.
  • Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes.
  • Store at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 1 week.

These wonderful looking cookies remind me of something I had as a child. They are kind of like haystacks – remember those? Oh, how I loved butterscotch haystacks cookies! I’m so glad to have an oat cookie that doesn’t require baking. It will soon be so warm in the South that I’ll do almost anything to not turn on the oven!