Celiac Friendly Dairy Free Ice Cream

Celiac Friendly Dairy Free Ice Cream

Vanilla base

1 can coconut milk (Asian food aisle)

1 3/4C Dairy Free Creamer (Like So Delicious French Vanilla Coconut Creamer) *

1/2C liquid sweetener (honey, coconut nectar, maple syrup)

1T vanilla extract

1T white rum (or vodka)

Optional: 1/2t xanthan gum will make it more pudding textured

Note*: Can sub a second can of coconut milk for the creamer

Variations:

Mint Chip: Add 1t peppermint extract, mix in 1/2C dairy free mini chocolate chips (like Enjoy Life brand)

Cherry chocolate: Add 1t cherry extract, mix in 1C dark cherry pieces and 1/2C dairy free mini chocolate chips

Strawberry: Add 1t strawberry extract, mix in 1C strawberry pieces

Butterbeer:  Add 1t rum extract and use 1/4C honey and 1/4C butterscotch ice cream topping for the sweetener – if you just want butterscotch skip the rum extract

Cookies and Cream: Mix in crumbled cookies.  My daughter likes to reverse this and put vanilla Oreos (did you know Oreos are dairy free?) in the chocolate base below.

Chocolate base

1 can coconut milk (Asian food aisle)

1 3/4C Dairy Free Creamer (Like So Delicious Hazelnut Coconut Creamer) *

1/4C liquid sweetener (honey, coconut nectar, maple syrup)

2/3C cocoa powder

1T vanilla extract

1T white rum (or vodka)

Optional: 1/2t xanthan gum will make it more pudding textured

Note*: Can sub a second can of coconut milk for the creamer

Variations:

This ice cream has enough flavor as is!  But adding 1/2C dairy free chocolate chips, gluten free cookie or brownie pieces, fruit, yum.  The choice is yours!

Chocolate Mint Chip: Use French Vanilla creamer instead of Hazelnut, add 1t peppermint extract, mix in 1/2C dairy free chocolate chips.

Preparation:

Empty can(s) of coconut milk into a medium sized saucepan.  Whisk over low heat until completely combined, and all solid pieces have melted.

Add other base ingredients, mix well.  DO NOT add your mix in ingredients yet!

Refrigerate until cold.  When you’re ready to freeze it, give it a good stir before pouring it into your ice cream maker.

Freeze using your manufacturer’s directions.  Some machines can handle mix ins at the end of the cycle, and some can’t – that’s ok, just fold your mix ins into the ice cream before you pop it in the storage freezer.

Freeze for several hours before serving. 

If your ice cream is impossible to scoop, pop it into the microwave for 15 seconds or so.  Also, play with where you place your ice cream in your freezer, the lower it is, the colder it is.  For example, my low chest freezer is so cold that I have to use the microwave to soften ice cream.  But, if I put it on the top shelf of the side by side freezer it’s scoopable right away.

The Night Before Christmas Cookies

For almost 30 years now, I have been the Christmas Cookie Queen.  As a young mother, I wanted an inexpensive way to celebrate family and friends at the holidays. 

I discovered that people began to look forward to my christmas goodie bags.  Folks often commented they were special because 'people just don't take the time anymore'.

We  usually get together on Christmas Eve, so everyone had goodies to nibble while assembling trikes with missing parts, trying to get the 4 yr old back in bed one more time, or something festive with the first cup of coffeeChristmas morning.

My food allergies now keep me from holiday baking, even for others.  So, this year, my gift to you will be all the well loved and dog-eared recipes of Christmases past.  You don't need to make all of these to create a well loved goodie bag, choose your favorites and rotate them year by year.

Merry Christmas to all!


Drinks:  Fill canning jars with drink mix and tie with a ribbon.

Christmas Capuccino
Spicy Winter Tea
A bottle of non-alcoholic apple cider is a great addition too, especially for families/kids.

Breads:  Using small loaf pans or muffin tins make perfect snack sized quick breads.

Pumpkin Bread
Other quick breads like Banana and Zucchini go over well too!

Candy: The holy trinity of Christmas in our family has long been fudge, caramel corn and brittle.

See's Fudge (really from See's!)
Microwave Caramel Corn
Microwave Peanut Brittle
Magic Wands

Cookies: Take the time to ice and decorate your cutouts.  It doesn't have to be fancy! 

Date Pinwheels (Date Nut Bars)
Gingerbread People
Natchez Cookies
Peanut Butter Cookies
Shortbread Cutouts
Spritz

Snacks: By the handful.

Snack Mix
Puppy Chow

Spreads:  Can in smaller jars to spread the love as far as possible.  Any deep stockpot will work fine for boiling water canning.

Apple Jelly
Pumpkin Butter

Bringing Christmas dessert?  Try Jen's Pumpkin Pie.

Vegetables Even Kids Will Eat?  It's just not Christmas without Trees 'n Cheese.

Spritz cookies

You don't have to have a cookie press to make these buttery cookies.  Just drop dough by spoonfuls and flatten slightly with a spoon.  It's important to use butter, not spreads, and to keep the dough at room temperature if you are using a press.  If the dough seems too soft for a cookie dough, it's just right.  (Trust me, broken many a press forcing dough on a cold day!)

1 1/2 C butter, softened
1 C sugar
1 t baking powder
1 egg
1 t vanilla
3 1/2 C flour

Beat butter with electric mixer for 30 seconds.  Add sugar and baking powder, beat until combined.  Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much flour as you can, stir in the rest.

Force dough through cookie press onyo ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 about 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm but not brown.  Cool on wire rack.  Dip tops in icing, sprinkle with colored sugar while icing is still wet.


Powdered Sugar Icing

1 C powdered sugar
1/4 t vanilla
1 T milk, juice or water (I like lemon juice on spritz!)

Magic Wands

Don't think these are just for kids... the sweet and salty combination is highly addictive!

Pretzel Rods
Candyquik - candy coating

Melt coating according to package directions.  Dip pretzels, using a spoon to coat evenly if needed.  Set on waxed paper to cool.  If decorating with sprinkles, add them before the coating hardens.  After hardening, you can drizzle a little coating over the top - try drizzling white chocolate coating over a dark chocolate coated pretzel.  Yum.

Gingerbread Cutouts

If you are making more than one kind of cookie, make this dough first and refrigerate it while making the other kind.  Refrigeration makes the dough easier to handle.  Doubling the recipe gives you enough dough for a gingerbread house.

1/2 C shortening
1/2 C sugar
1 t baking powder
1 t ground ginger
1/2 baking soda
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 C molasses
1 egg
1 T vinegar
2 1/2 C flour

Beat shortening with an electric mixer for 30 seconds.  Add all dry ingredients except flour and beat til combined.  Beat in molasses, egg and vinegar until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can, stirring in the rest.

Divide dough in half, cover and chill about 3 hours or until easy to handle.

Roll out the dough to a scant 1/2 inch for cutting.  Bake at 375 for 5-6 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.


Decorate with store bought icings or:

Powdered Sugar Icing

1 C powdered sugar
1/4 t vanilla
1 T milk, juice, water (I use milk with shortbread, and lemon juice with gingerbread and spritz)

Mix all ingredients well. Add powdered sugar or liquid to desired consistency. A thin glaze works great for dipping cookies while a thicker consistency makes it spreadable.

Shortbread Cookie Cutouts

I always liked these buttery cutouts much better than sugar cookies.  Recipe can be doubled, tripled, whatever you can work with!

2 C flour
1 C powdered sugar
1 C butter, softened to room temperature

Mix thoroughly.  Roll to 1/2 inch, cut and bake at 350 til edges lightly browned.


Decorate with store bought icings or:

Powdered Sugar Icing

1 C powdered sugar
1/4 t vanilla
1 T milk, juice, water  (I use milk with shortbread, and lemon juice with gingerbread and spritz)

Mix all ingredients well.  Add powdered sugar or liquid to desired consistency.  A thin glaze works great for dipping cookies while a thicker consistency makes it spreadable.

Pumpkin Bread

I enjoy memories of my Mom making this bread for me to give to my teachers each year.  Can be made in a regular sized loaf pan, or divided into smaller pans - just shorten your baking time accordingly.

3 C flour
1 t salt
2 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/8 t ginger or cloves
1 1/2 C vegetable oil
2 C sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 C canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
1/2 C walnuts

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease pan.  Mix dry ingredients with wire whisk until light and completely combined.  Combine oil and sugar, mix well.  Mix dry ingredients into wet.  Add eggs, pumpkin, nuts and mix well.  Pour into greased loaf pan and bake 55 minutes.

Date Pinwheels (aka Date Nut Bars)

When Steve was a kid, his Mom made these great cookies at Christmas.  They were called 'date nut bars'.  I looked and looked and looked for similar recipes so I could add them to our Christmas cookie tradition.

Turns out they are actually called "Date Pinwheels" and are from the 'red & white cookbook', also known as the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook.

Filling:
1 8oz pkg pitted, whole dates, finely snipped (I cheat and buy the 'chopped' pkg!)
1/2 C water
1/3 C sugar
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t vanilla
(Optional - Steve thinks his Mom added walnuts to the filling - you can too!)

Cookie:
1/2 C shortening
1/2 C butter, softened
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 egg
3 T milk
1 t vanilla
3 C all purpose flour

For filling, combine dates, water and the 1/3C sugar.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, cook and stir until thick (about 2 minutes).  Stir in lemon juice and the 1/2 t vanilla.  Set aside to cool.

Beat shortening and butter together on high speed for 30 seconds.  Add the remaining sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, beat until combined.  Beat in the egg, milk and remaining vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer, and stir in remaining flour by hand.  Divide dough in half, cover and chill until easy to handle (at least an hour).

Roll half the dough in between pieces of waxed paper into a 12x10 inch rectangle.  Spread with half of the filling.  Roll up dough starting with a long side, moisten edge to seal.  Wrap and chill for 2-24 hours.  Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Grease cookie sheet.  Cut rolls* into 1/4 inch slices, place slices 1 inch apart on sheet.  Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or edges are lightly brown.  Cool on wire rack.  Makes about 5 dozen.

*Jen's tip:  Use thread or dental floss to slice - knives will just make a mess! 
Use a 12 inch length of thread, place the center of the thread under the roll where you want to slice it.  Bring the ends up and over the top of the roll, quickly pull ends in opposite directions to tighten the loop - it will slice the dough as it tightens.

Cherry Coffee Cake

1 pkg yellow or white cake mix

1 can cherry pie filling (apple is also good)
1t lemon juice
1/2C nuts, chopped (optional)
1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350
Spread pie filling in the bottom of 9" square pan.
Combine remaining ingredients and sprinkle over pie filling.
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until nicely browned

Fried Apple Rings

3 big granny smith apples, cores and sliced into 1/2 inch rings

2t lemon juice
3T sugar
3/4t ground cinnamon
2T butter

Toss the apple rings with lemon juice in a bowl
Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl
Melt 1T butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat
Add half the apple rings and sprinkle with 1/2 of the sugar mixture
Cook 2-3 minutes and turn rings sugared side down. Cook another few minutes until cooked through but still firm
Repeat with remaining rings and sugar mixture
Serve warm. Over vanilla ice cream is nice too!

Gerry's Apple Dip

1t vanilla

1C brown sugar
1/2C confectioners sugar
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 to 1C SKOR toffee chips

Mix all together. Store in the refrigerator.

We have also made it without the toffee chips and it was still great!

Grilled Pineapple

We have this as a simple dessert sometimes when we grill shrimp or salmon. It's especially easy when camping because there is no real clean up to do.


Twist the stem off a fresh pineapple (canned doesn't work...too soft).
With a sharp knife, cut the skin off the top, bottom and all sides of the pineapple.
From the top, quarter lengthwise. You should now have 4 strips of pineapple.
The core of the pineapple is tougher, slice off the "core" part of each strip.
Take each strip and slice pieces about 3/8" thick.

Put pineapple pieces in a resealable bag and pour in 2 parts balsamic vinegar and one part soy sauce enough to cover.  Marinate for 20-30 minutes.

Grill on each side for 1-3 minutes depending on how hot the grill is. You really only need to heat through and soften just a little bit. Leaving it on the grill too long will make it fall apart.

Jen's Pumpkin Pie

This is the one Amanda ate in one sitting the year she turned 5. She thought for a long time that Thanksgiving was really just her giant birthday party.


I make two pies at a time, one to share, and well, one not to!

Pie crust:
2 1/4c flour
3/4t salt
2/3C shortening
8-10T COLD water

In a heavy duty mixer, blend flour and salt, add shortening and mix to the consistency of coarse crumbs
Quickly add 8T cold water while mixer is running, stop when dough forms a ball. Add more water if necessary.
Divide in half, form each half into a ball
Roll each ball into a 12 inch circle and transfer to pie plate (lightly roll around rolling pin and unroll into plate)
trim and crimp edges and set side

Filling:
1 29oz can pumpkin (NOT pie filling, just plain pumpkin)
2C sugar
3t ground cinnamon
1 1/2t ground ginger
1 1/2t ground nutmeg
1t ground cloves
6 eggs, slightly beaten
1 12 oz can evaporated milk (NOT condensed) plus 3/4C milk

Can be mixed my hand or with a mixer, but be sure not to overmix or pie will be tough.
Mix pumpkin, sugar and spices, add eggs and mix until just combined
Gradually add the milks stirring to combine
Place plates with crusts onto oven rack, Carefully pour filling into prepared crusts
Cover crust edges with foil or pie guards to prevent overbrowning
Bake for 40 minutes and remove foil
Bake an additional 25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack

Lemon Jello Cake

1 pkg lemon jello (4 svg)

1 C boiling water
1 pkg yellow cake mix (lemon works nicely too)
1 C oil
4 eggs

Glaze:
1 ½ C powdered sugar
½ C lemon juice

Dissolve jello in water. Mix in cake mix and oil. Add eggs one at a time. Bake in 9x13 pan 35 min at 375. Poke holes in warm cake woth a fork and drizzle glaze to cover.

Microwave Caramel Popcorn

1 bag microwave popcorn, popped

1C mixed nuts (optional)
2/3C sugar
1/3C corn syrup
1/3C butter
1/4t salt
1t vanilla
1/4t baking soda

Lightly grease a 4 quart microproof bowl, add popcorn and nuts, toss to mix
Cover heatproof counter with 18-24 inches of waxed paper
Mix sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in 4C glass measure and micro on high for 3 minutes or until mixture boils, stir after each minute
Micro on high an additional 3-5 minutes or until mixture turns light brown on top
Stir in vanilla and soda, and quickly pour over popcorn
Toss to coat
Micro popcorn on high for 2 minutes, stirring WELL every 30 seconds
Turn onto waxed paper to cool then break into pieces

Microwave Peanut Brittle

1C sugar

1/2C white corn syrup
1 1/2C dry roasted peanuts, unsalted
1t butter
1t vanilla
1t baking soda

Lightly grease metal cookie sheet and set aside
Combine sugar and corn syrup in 4 cup glass measure
Micro on 10 for 4 minutes
Stir in peanuts and micro on 7-8 for 3-5 minutes or until mixture is light brown, watch for boiling over and reduce oven setting if need be.
Add butter and vanilla and stir (metal spoons work best)
Gently stir in soda and pour onto prepared pan
Break into pieces when cool

Natchez Cookies

15 whole graham crackers

1C butter
1C brown sugar, firmly packed
1t vanilla
1 1/3C nuts (optional)
6 oz chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350
Lightly grease 11x17 cookie sheet
Arrange crackers on cookie sheet, edges touching, in a single layer (use more or less crackers as needed)
Stir butter and brown sugar in heavy saucepan until butter melts and sugar dissolves
Mix in vanilla, increase heat and boil for 1 minute
Pour mixture over crackers and sprinkle with nuts
Bake until caramel topping bubbles and turns deep brown, about 10 minutes
Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over crackers
Cool 4 minutes and cut along cracker edges to separate
Carefully transfer each cookie to a wire rack and cool completely

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 1/2C peanut butter (we like chunky!)

1C sugar
2 unbeaten egg whites

Preheat oven to 375
Combine peanut butter and sugar and mix well.
Add egg whites and mix well.
Roll into walnut sized balls, place on ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten with fork
Bake for 10-12 minutes

I know.. you are thinking "How could this be?" but I'm tellin' ya... the best peanut butter cookies you will ever have!

Peanut Butter Krispies

2/3C light corn syrup

1/4C brown sugar, firmly packed
1C peanut butter
1/2t vanilla
4C rice cereal

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large saucepan and cook on high until bubbly over entire surface, stir twice.
Stir in cereal and press mixture into ungreased 9" square pan
Chill for about an hour

Really delicious right out of the freezer!

Puppy Chow

1 stick butter

1C peanut butter (for those with peanut allergies, other nut butters or cookie butter works too!)
12 oz chocolate chips
12 oz Crispix cereal
confectioners sugar to coat
paper bag (seriously!)

Place cereal in a large heat proof mixing bowl
Add about 1/2C confectioners sugar to paper bag, you may need more
Melt butter, peanut butter and chocolate together and mix well
Pour melted ingredients over cereal, stirring to coat well, pour into paper bag
Roll top of bag and shake to coat cereal with confectioners sugar, add more sugar as needed

Store in airtight container