Something Sweet...

"I want to bake something," said Penguin. 
The thing with allergies is that EVERYthing we make gets made from scratch.  It's a hot day.  Turning on the oven may not have been high on my list of priorities.  And baking means extra dishes to wash, standing over a hot sink.  There's still dinner to cook, too.  And I'm fairly certain there are some not-corn-free cookies in the cupboard. 
But while she might have a few secondary options, if I want something sweet, I can eat ingredients or I can bake something.  And since I was craving something sweet (besides a handful of chocolate chips), I grinned at her.  A slow, shy grin was returned. 
"Really?" She asked, and I nodded, asking what she had in mind. 
Something different, she told me.  But not too different.  Something like...hmmm...Chocolate chip cookies. 
And since chocolate chip cookies just happened to be exactly what I've been craving, I told her this was a good plan. 
She asked if the 'something different' could be putting them in a cake pan instead making little cookies.  And since that meant one batch of cookies instead of 2 or 3 panfuls, I told her this was another good plan.  I figured worst case scenario, there would be sweet and chocolatey crumbs for me to munch on, warm dough for my husband, and she could resort to Soy Creamy ice cream. 
She didn't have to.  The chocolate chip bars came out delicious.  Between the four of us, we polished off the entire pan full. 
Well, except for 1 small corner which I'm currently eyeing.  Hmmm.  As the one with the most allergies, I'm pretty sure I get dibs.  
Sometimes, being allergy free has it's advantages.  

Baking free

No gluten.  No dairy.  No corn. 
After 4-5 years, you'd think I had this down.  But no, I still manage to burn a batch of cookies by doing something dumb, like not thinking. 

So here are a few of my lessons learned the hard way: 

Turn the oven down.  This is the one I get caught on most frequently.  I go into autopilot and turn the oven up to 350*.  Casseroles still cook at 350*.  Cookies and cake go in at 325*. 

Cream the sugar with the eggs, not the fat.  Something about gluten free foods reduces the structural stability of the finished product.  Beating the eggs with sugar helps to build the framework that gluten would otherwise offer. 

To help things rise, beat the eggs in a liquid.  I have no idea why this works.  But if I measure out the liquid first, then beat in the eggs, then fold the dry mix in, I get nice floofy pancakes instead of creamy crepes. No baking soda required (which, in turn, means no sugar is necessary.  The batter isn't sweet, but it isn't bitter either.) 

Use a smaller container.  There just isn't the same stability in gluten free cooking.  Especially when you don't have butter.  (or margarine)  Smaller containers offer the batter something to climb up against, to cling to, to push on.  Whatever the mechanism, they are less likely to come out of the oven with a dense, flat cake. 

Extra grease or parchment paper is a must.  GF goodies stick, and crumble.  Loosen them ASAP, too.

Chill the dough.  Cookies spread less and really are easier to work with if you take the time to toss the dough into the fridge for half of an hour.  (Yes, I still skip this step a lot.  And I get a lot of well-done cookies to show for it.)

Use spices for flavor.  Nutmeg and cinnamon add a nice touch to just about anything sweet, especially when you don't have vanilla.  Using brown sugar instead of white addsd more depth of flavor, too.

Don't expect your creations to mimic Mrs. Field's famous cookies.  Just be happy that they are sweet and satisfying, especially if you can't handle the gums.  

Santa, Please don't pass us by! (We have gluten free goodies)

It's Christmas Eve.  To me, this is the most magical time of the year. 

Tonight is the night of magic.  I treasure memories of candlelight services, and our new tradition of a Pajama Ride to help calm the kids before they need to curl up in bed (Although this year it was hard to convince them we needed to wait until dark before setting off.  The lights look better in the dark, and it's closer to bedtime.)  We were disappointed to see that our favorite house was toned down a lot.  I suppose after 10 years of awards, they deserve a rest! 

But I suppose the best part, at least for some of us, is the baking.  This year we attempted to resurrect one of my very favorite childhood memories and create a variety of treats.  (Quite the challenge when you're working with rice flour, oil, applesauce, and eggs.  With sugar.  And that's about it.)  But we managed.  And surprisingly, we even had a delicious surprise with the pinwheel cookies. 

Santa is going to be one happy man!  Although we have it on good authority that he has a few gluten free elves, which Mrs. Santa busily prepares allergy friendly goodies for.  We think these look good enough that he might, just might, slip a few in his pocket to bring home.  :-) 

After 4 years on the gluten free bandwagon, maybe I'm starting to get this thing down? 
Merry Christmas everyone!