We'll Give AB Another Try.

Do you remember when we gave Alton Brown's gluten free, chocolate chip cookies a try?  We weren't impressed enough to try them again.  But last week, I caught the middle of a Good Eats episode using leftover oatmeal (Oat Cuisine II). I have oatmeal for breakfast every morning.  Dark chocolate oatmeal with strawberries, blueberries and almond milk.  Yumm.  The things he was making sounded good, except he was still adding flour.  I was ready to turn it off until he said, "Hey kids, riddle me this, what the heck is wheat doing in an oatmeal cookie?"  (the segment starts at 2:26-6:36) While deciding which treat to make today, Paul requested we try these cookies.

Oatiest Oatmeal Cookies
(Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown)
about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 16 ounces old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch kosher salt
• 10 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 6 ounces dark brown sugar
• 3 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 ounces raisins, optional

Directions
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread the oats into a single layer on a half sheet pan. Bake until lightly toasted, about 20 minutes. Cool the oats in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes.

Grind 8 ounces of the toasted oats in a food processor until the consistency of whole-wheat flour, about 3 minutes. Add the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to the food processor and pulse 2 to 3 times to combine. Set aside.

Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer, and mix on medium speed using the paddle attachment until light in color about 3 minutes. Stop once to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Reduce mixer speed to the lowest speed and add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix to combine. Slowly add the flour mixture until just combined. Stop once to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining toasted oats and the raisins. Stir to combine.

Scoop the dough with a 1 1/2-ounce disher or server onto parchment-lined half sheet pans, leaving 2 inches between each mound. Bake until the cookies begin to brown around the edges, about 12 to 14 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through the cooking time. Cool the cookies on the pans for 2 minutes, then remove them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Verdict/Notes
We really like these cookies!  Next time, we will toast more oats.  The leftovers make great oatmeal, and then we will still have the full weight of oats after toasting (they lost a surprising amount of water weight!).  We only had light brown sugar; I will try adding molasses to substitute for dark brown sugar.  Instead of my tiny pinch of salt I used 1/4 tsp salt.  We love the cinnamon flavour, but want to make it stronger.  Next time I will double the cinnamon, and maybe add some nutmeg.  I forgot to plump/hydrate the raisins.  I will remember next time, and increase the amount we add.  We made one dozen using two scoops each of our #50 disher, baked for 12 minutes.  We also made 1-1/2 dozen using single scoops baked for 10 minutes.  It is not even the end of the day, and these cookies are more than halfway gone!

Weekend Treats

Saturdays are our Treat Day!  Throughout the week I like to think about and plan what our treat will be.  There are multiple conversations about said thoughts and plans.  Although, the word "conversation" implies two people participated.  It is probably more correct to say I talk to Paul about the weekend's treat, and get the kids excited about it.

We have actually been thinking about this weekend's treat for awhile.  Paul even participated in some of this thinking.  Key Lime Pie.  Except, the family can't have gluten, so we needed a different crust.  I am avoiding dairy (for Lex), so we needed to avoid the sweetened condensed milk, and I didn't feel like using tofu.

Key Lime Pie

After a little searching we pieced together an idea for Coconut Milk Key Lime Pie with a Coconut Crust and Coconut Meringue Topping.  Say it with me.  Mmmmmmm, coconut goodness!  This treat needed to be made Friday night so that it could set overnight.

Doesn't it look delish?!

Except, it didn't work out quite that way.  I'll start with the crust.  It disintegrated.  The filling . . . did not set.  The meringue . . . deflated.  Was this treat a total failure?  No, it was still yummy.  Totally consumed by the end of the day.  Cavell stole a piece while it was still cooling on the counter Friday.  I admit to a spoonful that night to check if it was firming up.  For breakfast, Paul "evened out" the pan where our bites where missing.  And there was just enough left for the four of us to each have a small bowl for dessert Saturday night.  We did need to give it a different name.  Key Lime Pudding with Coconut and Whipped topping.  It provided a definite spike to the family's insulin levels.  It did NOT fulfill Paul's desire for a pie.  We will have to come up with a different pie treat for a different Saturday.

Alayna has been asking to make Snowy White Chocolate Crescents from the Mrs. Fields book.  Every.  Day.  It was her choice on the MUST MAKE list.  It turns out, she only wanted to help with the rolling and shaping of the cookies.

Instead, she took pictures of Cavell helping to make them.  When the dough was made I dutifully scooped out "level tablespoons" of the dough for the children to shape.  They both did very well making dough snakes and then bending them into crescent shapes.

Except, these cookies did not keep their shape and looked nothing like the pretty, 3-dimensional cookies in the book's picture.  Instead they became flat C-shaped cookies.  There was no way we would able to roll the cookies in the powdered sugar (the other step Alayna wanted to help with) we could only dust them.

The cookies tasted okay; the whole batch has been eaten.  Even Alayna agrees, these cookies are really NOT worth making again.  Overall, a somewhat disappointing Treat Day.  I still hold out hope that some of the other cookies we have lined up to make from this book WILL be a good find.  But, we will have to wait until our next Treat Day to find out.

Cookies You Can Make With Your Eyes Closed . . .

. . . if you are 3 and have an adult to do the actual baking.  This recipe is also from Mrs. Fields' book with only a minor adaptation for gluten free.



Lacy Oatmeal Cookies
yield 8 dozen (according to the book, 5½ dozen for us)

Ingredients:
1 cup quick oats
1/8 cup rice flour
1/8 cup tapioca starch
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325*
Combine oats, flours, salt and baking powder and set aside.
Beat sugar and butter to a grainy paste.  Add egg and vanilla, beating until smooth.
Add flour mixture and blend just to combine.
Drop dough by teaspoons onto lined cookie sheets, 2-1/2 inches apart.
Bake 9-12 minutes, until edges begin to turn golden.  Cool and remove.

Ours do not look like the picture in the book.  Probably because we used old fashioned oats.  Possibly because I looked for more of a "creamed" look before adding the flour mixture.  I don't know the why of not creaming the sugar and butter and then adding the egg and vanilla, do you?  The book's cookies looked lacy.  They actually said to "peel off" the cookies from the baking sheet. Ours had a little lace-ness to them, but also had a little poof.  Either way they tasted really good.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I remember enjoying my first pumpkin chocolate chip cookie in the English Department at BYU. They were from the Provo Bakery (190 E 100 N) and I was told they were the BEST version I would ever try. I believed it. Due to different circumstances in life (that whole "gluten free family" thing being one) I haven't had a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie since I left the department. I no longer know what about those cookies made them that fabulous in my memory, but I have thought of them often, with longing.

I was recently informed that this recipe was the one to try for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. It happens to be the recipe of my running friend, Heidi. It shouldn't surprise anyone, I have now made a gluten free version.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
(adapted from Food for Thought: Where Flours Bloom)
yield 3½ - 4 doz.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar

1 cup pumpkin purée
1 egg1/2 tsp vanilla

2/3 cup rice flour
2/3 cup tapioca starch
2/3 cup corn starch
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tsp xanthum gum
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp each cloves, nutmeg, ginger

1 c. mini semisweet morsels

Directions:
Cream butter and sugars together. Beat in egg, vanilla and pumpkin. Combine flours, xanthum gum, baking soda, salt and spices. Add flour mixture and chocolate chips to the creamed mixture and mix to combine. Refrigerate dough for a couple of hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop cookie dough onto an ungreased baking sheet. With wet fingers, slightly flatten and smooth the tops. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until just set.

We all thought these were very yummy. They reminded us of little bites of a delicious cake. Are they as good as the cookies I remember from school? I don't know, but I do know that I had to lock up the cookies I could save from my family's greedy maws before all 4 dozen were gone in a single afternoon.

Brown Buttercrunch Cookies

I checked out Mrs. Fields Best Ever Cookie Book! from the library.


Alayna and I went thru and marked all of the cookies and treats we wanted to try (that weren't just a chocolate chip cookie base with alternate mix-ins). Then I determined which had ingredients most likely to be on hand. From those, I had to guess which ones might be adaptable for Gluten Free flour substitutions. 200 recipes were ultimately narrowed down to 5 MUST MAKE treats before we need to return the book. Brown Buttercrunch Cookies was the first.

Brown Buttercrunch Cookies
yield: 2-1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients
Cookies:
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, softened
1/2 cup corn syrup
2/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar*
1 cup old-fashioned oats (not quick or instant)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour**
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze:
1/4 cup heavy cream
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup)
2 teaspoons light corn syrup

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Melt butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar over moderate heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high. When mixture boils, remove from heat and stir in oats, flour, and vanilla.
• Drop by half teaspoons 3 inches apart onto lined cookie sheets. Bake for 8 minutes or until mixture spreads, bubbles and begins to brown. Let cookies cool for 1-2 minutes before rolling.
• Roll around a wooden spoon handle, creating a tube. If cookies become too brittle, return to oven for 30 sec. to soften, then try again. Cool rolled cookies completely.
  

Chocolate Glaze:
Heat cream in microwave safe bowl until scalded. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips and corn syrup. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes for chocolate to melt. Mix until smooth.
When cookies are cool, dip half of each cookie into chocolate glaze. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to set.

*I only had light brown sugar, so added 2 tsp of molasses to the corn syrup
**I used 1/4 cup each of Rice Flour, Potato Starch and Tapioca Starch

Notes
I figured out to drop ALL of my 1/2 tsps of cookies onto one long piece of waxed paper. Then, when it was time for a new tray, I only had to transfer 6 of the blobs with my silicone spatula. Otherwise, my mixture was cooling off between batches making them hard to portion.

The recipe is not kidding about dropping by 1/2 tsps 3 inches apart! These puppies spread. I use half sheet pans for my baking (with a liner that I love) and only placed 6 cookies each time. That worked well, because there is not much time for rolling. I started about 25 seconds after removing from the oven and sliding the liner onto a cooling rack. While it was still too hot to want to touch, but not so hot that the cookie was too melt-y to roll. I had to roll fast, or the last one was too brittle and I didn't want to have to put it back in the oven because the next batch was already in. I only needed to bake them for 5 minutes.

Because you are only using 1/2 tsp per cookie, this makes well over 2-1/2 dozen cookies! Or maybe they are referring to the number of cookies that will actually turn out right. A fair number of mine broke,

the roll became flat,

or weren't quite a roll because of flat parts cracking and poking up.

I did get some good rolls.

Verdict
Meh. Not bad exactly, but not at all worth the effort and overheated fingertips.

I think there is WAY to much butter in these. Making them my hands became greasy and there were actually bubbles in the layer of butter left on my liner after each batch that I had to wipe off. After I finished, I double checked that it said 1/2 cup of butter and not 1/2 a stick. It really wanted the whole stick! Even the cooled cookies left my fingers greasy.

These aren't good cookies for nibbling either. Because they are so brittle, one bite seems to make the whole thing shatter. Cavell decided he needed to eat his over the garbage can.

Edit to add:
I am more willing to call this a candy, like a brittle, rather than a cookie.  And, if I am in the mood for such a candy, I would rather make microwave peanut brittle.  I'll save that recipe for a later post.  If I want a light, sweet oat cookie, I will be making the Lacy Oatmeal Cookies.

The Big Visit Means a BIG Blog Post

Grandpa and Grandma Onines came to visit the Jensen home. Alayna had a list of things she really wanted to do with her grandparents. Visit the Alamo, make a craft, bake cookies, eat pizza, go bowling and go swimming. Read on to see how we did.

Arriving late Thursday night the children allowed their grandparents to sleep in Friday morning while we went to the gym. After, an enjoyable afternoon was spent getting to know each other. Grandma makes that fun by bringing projects.
Saturday, the grandparents watched the children while Paul and I went for a run together.
The main event was Lex's baby blessing on Sunday.

Little brag, notice my knitting.
The blanket was from Alayna's blessing, the vest from Cavell's blessing and the booties where knit for Lex.

Monday I encouraged my parents to take a true vacation day for themselves and sent them to Gruene. I think they had a good day. We went to the grocery store.

Tuesday the kids and I spent a fantastic afternoon with my parents visiting the Wildlife Ranch.

This was the best shot I could get of the children and the absolute JOY they had on the safari.

In the petting zoo Cavell briskly walked from goat to goat giving them a pat or a hug and telling them, "hello."

Alayna really wanted the goats to eat out of her hand.

Grandpa got up close and personal with the zebras.

Grandpa said he wanted to experience real Texas bbq while here and we delivered. Paul introduced them to Cooper's BBQ. They ordered pork ribs.

Wednesday, oblivious to the flooding in our town, we took a trip down to the Alamo. (Does anyone else always think of Pee-Wee Herman when the Alamo is mentioned? Just asking.) I managed to take NO pictures of this outing. It was a quick trip. Paul called me, worried about more flooding, and wanted to make sure his family was able to get home. I don't think any of us minded. It was HOT and I don't think we would have lasted long enough to meander along the Riverwalk.

Thursday my parents ventured out on their own again. I believe the BX was involved. Anyone that knows my dad will not be surprised. They also visited Natural Bridge Caverns.

Friday we went bowling at the base. Alayna was excited, but Cavell was in LOVE.

The ramp was GREAT! No waiting as a child's ball r_o__l___l____s down the lane.

GPAW shared his first roll with Cavell. They had a rough time as a team. For the next game Cavell got his own game, and Grandpa was able to bowl a better game.

Grandpa even holds babies when they cry.

Saturday began with some baking. This is something the children love to do, and it was a chance to show Grandma how much they enjoy their Christmas presents.

Oh, they made snicker-doodles, by the way.
They are delicious, like eating tasty air.

Grandma had heard about a cultural fair at the Institute of Culture and wanted to go. Driving around to find parking, we realized it was quite crowded. Walking from our parking spot, through a different fair and to the entrance, we realized it was VERY HOT and we were not prepared beyond sunblock. The poor children were very red and based on the number of people Alayna was bumping into I would say they were close to heat exhaustion. We decided an outdoor fair was not a good idea.

We went to Mi Tierra at Market Square instead. Lots of water later, and a good meal, we had an enjoyable time wandering around the market while Paul waited in line for the bakery for some dulces.

This little gal was singing in the square. She's only 12. She was amazing. I think Cavell was in love; he sat right down on the pavement to listen to her. We were getting rosey from the heat again. I don't know how she could handle it and sing.

After church, Sunday, Grandma and Grandpa were able to enjoy some gluten free pizza with the family before they had to pack for their early flight. There was also a fashion show, but I think that deserves its own post.

Thank you for the visit. We love you and hope you had as great a time with us as we had with you.

AB Does Gluten Free?

We have a gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe that we have been using for years and enjoy (no nuts, extra chips). But, what if there is another recipe out there that is better?

This weekend I tried out Alton Brown's recipe for Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies. It is his "Chewy" take* on the Toll House Cookie recipe, using gluten free flours.

They are BIG! Twice the size of our regular cookies.

Except, I don't think he knows much about gluten free flours. Anyone who has watched an episode of Good Eats that involves baking knows that AB LOVES gluten and all its properties.

Yep, they look good, and taste alright. But, Alton's GF substitution was a lot of brown rice flour with a little bit of corn starch and tapioca flour. Anyone that bakes with gf flours regularly knows what will happen if you just use brown rice flour; a GrItTy texture.


Should we now try to adapt this recipe? Use a different flour mixture, adjust the brown to white sugar ratio, use some shortening instead of all butter? Or, do we move on to the next Gluten Free Chocolate Chip recipe? Should the next recipe be Ginger Lemon Girl's BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies or should we try her Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Of course, next week we might make a different kind of cookie, or an entirely different type of treat altogether.

* Transcript of episode

Girl Scout Cookies

We all know now is the season of Girl Scout Cookies, whether you are one of the poor saps that only gets to order your cookies or the lucky duck that gets to open the boxes immediately. I have always loved these cookies. I am the lucky duck that has boxes of Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, and even the new Thank U Berry Munch cookies in her pantry already. Confession, some boxes are no longer there. Want to know why I am even more of a lucky duck than you? No one else in my family can eat them, therefore these cookies are ALL MINE!


But one does feel a little sad for the young members of my family that will never be able to try Girl Scout cookies. And imagine the agony Paul must feel having tasted the deliciousness of Girl Scout cookies, but no longer being able to eat them.

Never fear. I was directed to a website with recipes to make your own Girl Scout cookies! We decided to make them gluten free.

First up, Thin Mints (adapted for Gluten Free).

Chocolate Mint Cookie

• Whisk together in a small bowl
  2/3 Cup + 1 Tbs Rice Flour
  2/3 Cup + 1 Tbs Tapioca Starch
  2/3 Cup + 1 Tbs Corn Starch
  1 Tbs Potato Flour
  1 tsp Xanthum Gum
  1/4 Cup Corn Starch
  6 Tbs Cocoa Powder
  1/2 tsp Salt

• Cream together in mixer
  1 Cup Sugar
  1/2 Cup Butter, room temperature

• With the mixer on low, add in the wet ingredients. Mixture will look curdled.
  1/3 Cup Milk
  1/2 tsp Vanilla
  3/4 tsp Peppermint Extract

• Gradually, add in the dry mixture until fully incorporated.
• Shape dough into two logs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1-2 hours, until dough is very firm.
• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Slice dough into rounds not more than 1/4 inch thick - if they are too thick, they will not be as crisp - and place on a lined baking sheet. You can put them close together.
• Bake for 13-15 minutes, until cookies are firm at the edges.
• Cool completely on a wire rack before dipping in chocolate.

Chocolate Coating
10-oz Semisweet Chocolate
1/2 Cup Butter

• Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave, stirring every 20-30 seconds, until chocolate is smooth.
• Dip each cookie in melted chocolate, turning to coat, and place on wax paper. Reheat chocolate as needed to keep it smooth and easy to dip into.

• Wait. You want the chocolate to be cooled and firm.
• Eat one.
• Place the rest in the freezer.
• Try not to eat them all in one night.
  

Paul tried to recreate his favourite Girl Scout Cookie in gluten free form as well. Samoas, in bar form. Sadly, his did not work out as well. The shortbread base fell apart. I should say it became a powder with some crumbly chunks. It was also rather tasteless. We did not take pictures.

I did a little internet browsing for gluten free shortbread. On the Joy of Baking site I found this.

Rice flour is used in recipes to give the shortbread a more crumbly and tender texture.
Cornstarch is also used in shortbread recipes to produce a more delicate and fragile cookie.

Since those are two of the gluten free substitutes used, it's no wonder that his cookie base was "more crumbly," "delicate and fragile."

On the other hand, based on a lot of different sites and blogs, I did find what seems to be the accepted GF Shortbread Cookie recipe. But, I don't know if Paul is up for another attempt.

Little Helper

Sometimes it is hard to remember how long Alayna has helped me in the kitchen. Because of our gluten free diet there are a lot of opportunities to make something from scratch that most people would just pick up at the store. I think she started helping before she was two!

Every week we make a double batch of waffles to use as sandwich bread, for birthdays (including some of yours) we make cake or cupcakes and for a random weekend treat we will make brownies or cookies. Alayna loves to pick which kind of cookie: chocolate chip, chocolate-chocolate chip, peanut butter, peanut butter with chocolate chips, macaroons, or snicker-doodles. For the first time ever, we made cutout cookies. We bought a heart cookie cutter just for the occasion (Valentine's Day).


But, Alayna wasn't the only one who wanted to help this time. When it was time to roll out and cut the dough, Cavell pulled his chair up to the counter as well. He made sure our surface was properly floured (with rice flour) at ALL times. He also wanted to help transfer the cookies to the cookie sheet, but didn't understand that the turner was meant to go under the cookie, not thru it.

We have four other cut out cookie recipes to try. We will be making cookies for St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, and Independence Day to try each one and pick our favourite. I think my new little helper will have plenty of opportunities to learn.