When I was ready to throw in the towel at making gluten-free desserts for my GF friends, I went to King Arthur to try one more recipe. I settled on Small Batch Brownies. You can make this recipe using regular all-purpose flour or gluten-free. I followed the recipe’s suggestion and used the Measure for Measure Flour. They were delicious! I loved them so much that I left a review saying, “This recipe is a keeper!”
I love that it makes four nice-sized brownies, rather than a large pan full. I was taking dinner to a gluten-free friend and only needed enough dessert for her and her husband. Perfect – all the way around!
This weekend I had the joy of hosting a precious family for Sunday dinner. One of my guests was Gluten-free, so I set about finding a menu that everyone could eat and enjoy. Here’s what I made:
Taco Salad Bar
Lettuce
Grape tomatoes
Red onion
Cheddar Cheese
Corn
Avocado
Chicken Breast
Ground Beef
Dressing
Corn Tortilla Chips
Refried Beans – These are so much better than store bought!
When I seasoned my beef, I failed to check the packaged Taco seasoning and then realized it contained Wheat, so when I cooked the chicken, I made up my homemade Taco Seasoning so it would be safe for the Gluten-free person! It’s so easy to mix together and keep on hand.
In the past, I made a flourless cake, and it was good, but I came across another recipe that was amazing! It’s very rich, so it only takes a thin slice to satisfy the sweet tooth. There were a total of nine of us, and I was so busy hosting that I didn’t get a picture of the food! I was so disappointed when I realized it, but please go to JoyFoodSunshine.com and check out her delicious recipe for this GF cake and also LOTS of detailed instructions.
1 teaspoon Espresso Powder – This will boost the chocolate flavor!
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease one 9” round cake pan (or glass pie plate) and set aside. (Note: I always cut a piece of parchment paper into a circle with “handles” and place it on the bottom of the pan. Then I grease the pan with the parchment paper in it).
In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the water, salt and sugar. Whisk every 60 seconds until completely dissolved and set aside.
Melt the chocolate chips (in the microwave or in a double boiler) and pour into the bowl of a standing mixer.
Cut the butter into 1 Tablespoon pieces and beat it into the chocolate, 1 piece at a time.
Mix in the warm sugar/water mixture until combined.
Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time until completely smooth.
Add vanilla and espresso powder and mix until just combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Prepare the water bath
Put the 9″ cake pan in a larger pan then put the pans in the preheated oven.
Once in the oven, pour boiling water into the larger, bottom cake pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the 9″ cake pan that contains the flourless chocolate cake.
Bake
Bake the flourless chocolate cake in the water bath at 300 degrees F for 45 minutes. The center will still look a little wet, but the edge will look set and the cake should only jiggle slightly.
Remove the cake from the water bath and let it cool on a wire rack.
Chill overnight
Chill cake overnight (or for at least 6 hours) in the pan.
Serve Carefully lift the parchment paper out of the pan and the cake with it. Put it on a serving plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar! Serve with fresh berries, ice cream, etc!
Above is the first Flourless cake I made and this Truffle cake looks very similar, but the texture is much more creamy! However, it is a little bit lighter, though still a rich dessert.
I’m pretty sure everyone left the table full and happy! I was thankful to find a menu that suited the Gluten-free need, but also tasted delicious! I’ve added this menu to my Gluten-Free recipe Page.
I enjoy getting stretched in my cooking and baking skills. When more and more people have food allergies, it can be a challenge to have snacks or meals in which everyone can partake. Several people in my small group Bible study have a gluten intolerance, so I’ve been challenged to find recipes they can enjoy.
While on vacation I stumbled across a cookbook called, Skinny Southern Baking, by Laura Lyn Carter.
From breads to cakes, this book has it all. The thing that attracted me to her recipes was that there is no strange ingredients like xanthan gum. Of course you use gluten-free flours, but that’s the only extra ingredient needed, for the most part.
I tried my first recipe a couple weeks ago and got rave reviews from not only the gluten-free snackers, but also from others who wanted to try them!
I grew up in a home where most evenings we had dessert at the end of the meal. It wasn’t something huge like a triple-layered cake, but just a little something sweet. I still enjoy ending the meal with a taste of something sweet.
Small, individual desserts are perfect for a “just enough” serving size! Weight Watchers has a cheesecake recipe that I’ve tweaked a little to come up with a dessert we love!
I bake these individual cheesecakes in small tins I purchased on Amazon. They look like these…
They’re truly the perfect size if you’re wanting to watch your calories, but still enjoy something sweet. I bake them without any crust, then give my guests the option of sprinkling chocolate covered graham crackers on the top. It serves as an inverted crust! Then I top them with fruit, light Cool Whip and chocolate shavings. Wow. They are so good! Here’s the recipe:
Crustless Cheesecakes 3/4 Cup Plain low-fat yogurt 8 oz. Low-fat Cream Cheese 2 Eggs 2/3 Cup sugar 1 tsp Vanilla Light Cool Whip Fresh berries Chocolate shavings Chocolate Graham Crackers, crumbled
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place small baking tins on a baking sheet. Spray lightly with cooking spray. You could also use a cupcake tin if you don’t have the tins. If you use the tin, line them with cupcake liners.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat together yogurt, cream cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Spoon evenly into baking tins. Bake until top is set, 15-20 minutes; let cool and then chill in refrigerator 2 hours (can make up to 2 days ahead).
3. To serve, slide a knife around the edge of the cheesecake and invert onto a serving plate. Serve with fresh berries, Cool whip and chocolate shavings on top. You can also add the chocolate covered graham crackers on top, if desired.
You could also serve these in their little tins for an easy “pick up and go” dessert. Here’s one just with Cool Whip and chocolate. Not a bad combo!
I’m not sure about the WW points on these, but the version with a crust are 7 points, so if you don’t add the crackers, I’d think it would be one or two points lower! I’ve eaten these in moderation with good success (no weight gain).
These make a great dessert for guests. They aren’t strange in any way with artificial sweeteners – they’re just lighter due to no crust and lightened cream cheese. These would be perfect for Easter, perhaps serving them with fresh blueberries and a little lemon zest on top! Give them a try and tell me if you loved them as much as we did!
If you haven’t gotten on the Sheet Pan dinner Chuck wagon train yet, what are you waiting for? I have been making these for a couple of years now. Everything is tossed onto a large baking pan and roasted in the oven. You can make them to suit your dietary needs and your family’s tastes. They’re hearty and delicious and fast!
We’ve recently had new friends come to dinner who are Vegan. I didn’t see this as an obstacle, but rather a challenge to get creative! Vegetables are an obvious “Yes” for Vegans, so I knew this Sheet Pan dinner would be safe.
If you want to add meat to this, some good options would be chicken breast filets, cubed, or Turkey sausage – both which would be added early to the pan. Then you add the vegetables that don’t require as much cooking time. If you wanted to add shrimp, you could cook the vegetables, then add the shrimp for the last few minutes.
The version I made yesterday for our Vegan friend had Chick Peas, which adds some protein. When it came out of the oven, I tasted it and felt like it needed a little bit more flavor, so I added a little vinaigrette. I’ll add that recipe on the recipe below. This is also a great side dish to a meat – so don’t think this is just Vegan-friendly!
My Menu: Colorful Sheet Pan Dinner Pork Tenderloin (for the meat-eaters) Kale Salad – From Sam’s Club Sour Dough Bread Lemon Sorbet with fresh berries
ColorfulSheet Pan Dinner
1 lb. baby red potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
1 ½ cups petite baby carrots or sliced carrots
1 can (14oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon of EACH dried basil, dried thyme, dried oregano (see notes)
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lb. asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into thirds
½ large red onion, sliced lengthwise
mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, silpat or lightly grease with cooking spray. Add the potatoes, onions, carrots and chickpeas to the center, drizzle with half the oil and most of the herb & spice mixture, toss well to coat. Every ten minutes I turned the vegetables over with a spatula to ensure even browning. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until tender.
Remove the pan from the oven, add the asparagus, add the remaining oil and herb/spice mix, toss to coat, as shown above right. Place back in the oven and roast for 7-8 minutes.
Let cool and serve with sliced avocado and plenty of parsley sprinkled over top.
Dressing I added:
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp honey
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp paprika Mix in small jar. Pour over cooked vegetables
Jump on board and make a Sheet pan dinner this week! It’s so delicious!
RefreshHer 