Gluten-free Raspberry Crisp

I am so thankful for my parents and their green thumbs, I know I don’t have it in me. So for now I will continue to be thankful for the boxes of fruit and veggies they send me in the summer! When I was little, we had loads of raspberries each summer from our garden. I have to say, raspberries are my favorite fruit, with strawberries in close second of coarse.

Today’s raspberry crisps are both gluten-free and easy to take on the go. My serving size for this recipe is for four people, but it can easily be doubled and baked in an 8×8 inch baking pan to serve a larger group. I favor the “crisp” part of the raspberry crisp, so I loaded both the top and bottom full. I made these in small jelly jars so I could pack them up and take to go. It’s perfect for a summer BBQ.

Gluten-Free S’mores Cupcakes

Part of the fun of being a food blogger is trying recipes from my peers. I love experimenting in the kitchen. I have also been inclined to try various baking mixes to see how my favorites compare. On a recent shopping trip to Wholefoods, I found a Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake mix from King Arthur Flour. I must say, that I am in love with this cake mix, it is the fudgiest cake I have ever had. You can purchase their cake mixes online. I used it to make cupcakes instead of a layer cake as shown on the box.

Once my cupcakes cooled, I took a heaping spoon of chocolate and smeared it over the top of each one. Obviously you need an excess amount of chocolate for anything s’mores related. Instead of graham cracker, I used Annie’s Gluten-Free Bunnie crackers, they are most compared to Teddy Grahams. I used a food processor to grind them up into smaller pieces.

I have never made marshmallow frosting before (gasp!). So I spent some time looking at ingredients from different recipes to see what I wanted to try. I was never a huge fan of marshmallow fluff when I was a child, so I was looking for something different.

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake for National Carrot Cake Day!

Sunday February 3^rd is a big day. If you are enthusiastic about football, I suppose you will watching the Super Bowl, drinking beer and pigging out on salty foods. If you are not interested in football, you might be indulging your sweet tooth, because it’s National Carrot Cake Day! I am making an delicate crumbed gluten-free carrot cake with a creamy vanilla cream cheese frosting.

Let me give you a little background story here. A good friend of mine is getting married in Mammoth this summer and she asked me to make cupcakes for her wedding. I delightfully agreed. I have an awesome carrot cake recipe that we have been making since I was a kid, and now I wanted to try a gluten-free version (the bride is gluten-free). The results were amazing and I never thought I could make a gluten-free carrot cake taste so moist. You would never guess it was gluten-free unless I told you!

Mini Apple Pies with Gluten-free Crust

Mini desserts are my favorite because I am a fan of tasting. I don’t need a whole cheesecake, or ice cream sundae; I just want a taste. My second obsession is desserts in jars, but more on that later. I started seeing a lot of mini pies popping up all over food blogs and I was instantly intrigued.

If you are short on time, you can buy a frozen pie crust at the grocery store. One box (2 crusts) will make 6 mini apple pies. The recipe I use for my pie crust is from The Pioneer Woman blog,  and by substituting a few ingredients, it is very easy to make a delicious gluten-free crust! Several wonderful friends in my life are gluten-free and it is nice for me to be able to share my desserts with them. Click here for the gluten-free pie crust recipe.

The perfect single serving size!

My favorite Pie Crust! You would never know it’s Gluten-Free!

When I made this pie crust for the first time, I was hooked. It was easy to prepare, rolls out well and tastes amazing! I don’t think I will ever make another pie crust again, especially since my boyfriend requests this one!

Note: To make the non gluten-free version, just substitute all purpose flour instead of gluten-free flour and omit the Xanthan gum. This pie crust it wonderfully flakey, and melts in your mouth. If you are someone like me, who enjoys sneaking a taste of uncooked pie crust, the gluten free version is not taste good because of the Xanthan gum.

Pioneer Woman’s “Perfect Pie Crust”, adapted to be gluten-free
Yields 2 large pie crusts (or 12-14 mini pies)

3 C All purpose gluten free flour (I use Red Mill)

1 1/2 tsp Xanthan gum

1 1/2 C Vegetable shortening

1 Egg

5 tbsp Cold water

1 tbsp Distilled white vinegar

1 tsp Salt

• Combine the flour and xanthan gum and mix well.
• Add the shortening and use a pastry cutter to blend the shortening into the flour until it forms small pebble like crumbs (Note that the gluten-free version will produce a very Play-Doh like consistency at this point because of the xanthan gum).

Cut the shortening into the flour

• Lightly beat an egg and add it to the flour and shortening. Next add cold water and then distilled vinegar. Lastly, add the salt. Mix together using a wooden spoon just until combined.
• Cut the dough in half, placing each half in a Ziploc bag. Using either a rolling pin or the palm of your hand, gently pat the dough out to form a circle. Each bag will make one pie crust.
• Put in the Freezer for at least an hour, I prefer to freeze mine overnight. When you are ready, remove the crust from the freezer and let it thaw for at least 15 minutes.

I find this dough works best when cold, so no need to wait too long. If you are looking to make only the bottom of a pie crust, then only remove one of the crusts from the freezer.

I prefer to roll my piecrust out between two pieces of wax paper and coat each side of the crust with flour, because the gluten free piecrust can be sticky and can crumble easily. I have a hard time picking it up from the counter top without something underneath it. Otherwise I suggest using a very generously floured surface. Roll the dough from the middle-out, until you reach your desired thickness. If the dough gets too soft, I put it back in the fridge for a little while.

Roll out between wax paper

When you have rolled it out, use the wax paper to flip the pie crust into your pie plate. Pinch edges using your fingers or a fork to form a decorative edge. Add your fillings and bake according to your pie directions.

I prefer the thicker crust

Let me know what you think. It truly is the “perfect pie crust”!