Jamison’s Super Simple Gluten Free Graham Crakers

Ok Y'all, I'm always searching for Gluten Free remakes of some of our favorite Gluten Filled foods. Last week I pinned a recipe for gluten free graham crackers, today I got the urge to make up some s'mores for the minions. Well, long story short 4 of my 6 minions r-u-n-n-o-f-t to my grandparents and left the hubs, myself and the two smallest minions to fend for ourselves. Boobah, being my celiac babe, and now myself trying my durndest to be gluten free (it's those darn Luck Charms  I tell ya, that and my hot dog buns) I decide to make him some graham crackers and then a few s'mores. Let me tell ya first off, gluten free baking IS NOT just subbing wheat flour for some other flour. NO no no! You have to mix an match your flours for you specific needs unless... you buy an All Purpose GF Flour, which I do quite a lot. (I have 6 kids I use a lot of short cuts.) One thing I have taken note to needing in the gluten free pantry (which I will be making a post about soon) is xanthan gum. It give breads that doughy elasticity, in other words it'll keep your biscuits from falling apart. All and I'll repeat all the Graham Cracker recipes I found on Pinterest today had special DIY Gluten Free Flour Mixes and they all required a little extra xanthan gum, which I didn't have in my pantry tonight. (I used the last of it in my hush puppies, yes yes you'll get that recipe too, eventually.) So, I did what any mama in need did. I invented my own recipe, and I think I hit a home run. This is super simple, if you know how to make pie crust, you're in luck! 

(the recipe is for a small batch because when experimenting you want to do it in small batches) 

Jamison's Super Simple Gluten Free Graham Crakers!

1 Cup Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (I used Bob's Red Mill) 

1/2 Cup Rice Flour: just in case do not add to mixture unless you need it ( I used Bob's Red Mill Brown Rice b/c it was open) 

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar 

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

4 tablespoons Cold Butter

2 tablespoons Honey or Molasses (I bet Maple Syrup would be good too) 

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla 

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon (optional)

2 tablespoons to 1/8 cup Cold Water

1. Turn the oven on broil. 
2. Add All Purpose Flour, Brown Sugar Baking Powder, and Sea Salt in a bowl and whisk or sift together. Cut up the butter as small as you can with out making it too soft, add it to the flour mixture. Add Honey, Vanilla and Cold water.
3. Using a mixer, mix all ingredients well, if too sticky add the rice flour if too thick more water. You want it to be like a pie crust
4. I'm all about short cuts so here is exactly how I did this. I sprinkled my cookies sheet with rice flour and floured my rolling pin with corn starch (it stuck to it better). I PLOPPED the dough onto the cookie sheet, by plop I mean I turned my mixing bowl upside down and let it fall out, having already made the dough into a ball, that is to say. Then I rolled out my dough, not too thin, not too thick. 
5. Using a pizza cutter I cut the dough into rectangles, poked each one a few times with a fork, and made sure they weren't sticking to the pan. 
6. Place them in the oven on the second rack from the broiler. 
7. Keep and eye on them, I left mine in for about 30min. 
8. Sprinkle with Sugar if ya like I topped a few of mine with chocolate and a marshmallow.

The whole house smelled ahhh-mazing while they were baking, almost as good as an apple stack cake. (Ok maybe not that good, but WOW)  Boobah, at one as soon as it came out of the oven, then delightfully ate two s’mores no questions asked. They have a light, not too sweet taste to them, they get more crispy after they cool down. I would compare them to Pie Fries! Omm Nom Nom! #PieFries! In fact I think that’s pretty much what they are, just with the sweetness coming from the honey and sugar baked into them not smothered on them. I hope Y’all enjoy my Super Simple Gluten Free Graham Crackers. Let me know if yours came out great too! Send me pictures of your s’mores experience post them on my facebook wall! Have at it. Share your Gluten Free Life!

Jamison Star

Beanitos Gvieaway!

I am super excited to bring you this giveaway for Beanitos. These have become one of our go to purchases for snacks with Boobah's Gluten Free diet. They offer several flavors and are made from three different beans for a wider variety. They're all natural, cholesterol free, kosher, vegan, no MSG, Gluten Free, no preservatives, I mean the list goes on. All that for one awesome brand of chips. 

Hosted by: The Cheshire Cat's Looking Glass Sponsored by: Beanitos

If your looking for a healthy snack for your family, Check Out Beanitos. They are giving 1 winner a case of snacks. Cheshire Cat's family tried and loved Beanitos. Her toddler in particular just devoured them. Read The Cheshire Cat’s full review and check out some recipe ideas here.

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1 winner will get a case of Beanitos Snacks

Open to US and Canadian Residents

One entrant per address

Winner will have 48 hours after e-mail is sent to respond or another winner will be chosen.

By entering you are agreeing to the terms on Giveaway tools.

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This Blog is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Sunday Supper Recipes: Gluten Free Dr. Pepper Cake and Gluten Free Funnel Cake Sticks

I don’t have any photos to go along with today’s recipes. With it being Father’s day I made the hubby’s favorite and to make sure Boobah could enjoy some too I made a simple Gluten Free Version.
Later after all the excitement wore down from cookouts, swimming, and our usual shenanigans I made a half batch of Funnel Cake Sticks for Boobah and I to share.

Gluten Free Dr. Pepper Cake (Simplified)

I made a simplified version using a Gluten Free Boxed Cake Mix. Making a few adjustments to give it that Chiffon Cake texture that I prefer.
Ingredients
1 Box Chocolate Gluten Free Cake Mix (I usually have Hodgen’s Hill on hand)
2 Eggs room temperature, separated
1 Can Dr. Pepper 12oz
1/2 Cup butter, softened

Preheat Oven to 350° F.
Separate egg yolks and egg white into two non metallic bowls.
Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Set aside.
Add the can of Dr. Pepper to the egg yolks and beat. Add this mixture to the softened butter, beat until blended well.
Add the cake mix to the yolk, Dr. Pepper, butter mixture. Mix until well blended.
Fold in the egg whites.
Pour the batter into a well greased cake pan.
Bake for 30 min. (Everyone’s Oven is universally different if you know your oven will have a different time by all means go by what works for you)
The frosting I usually use is a quick Butter Cream, or a store bought can will be fine too. Experiment and find what you like best.

Gluten Free Funnel Cake Sticks

I make Funnel Cake Sticks for my family on occasion. We love the simplicity of sticks as opposed to a huge flat cake. I, also, don’t sprinkle mine with powdered sugar but rather dip them in a cream cheese icing.
Ingredients
1 cup Gluten Free Baking Mix (Bisquick’s has a great flavor and so does Bob’s Red Mill)
1 cup milk (rice, almond, buttermilk, what ever you want)
3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
4 cups oil for frying. (I plan to experiment with maybe a baking version)
In a sauce pan heat the oil to 350°F
A Pastry Bag. or Ziplock Bag
Whisk together the Baking Mix and Brown Sugar.
Pour the milk into the Baking Mix and Brown Sugar. Mix well.
Pour the batter into the pastry bag/ziplock.
Squeeze 3 to 4 inch long amounts of batter into the oil gently, the oil is VERY hot, try to avoid splashing. If you don’t have a pastry bag or ziplock you can make bits by adding spoonful's for batter to the oil like dumplings.
Watch the sticks carefully they will change color quickly and flip them so that they fry evenly it usually takes me about 2 minutes, 1 minute each side. If they turn dark don’t worry some mixes will fry darker than others.
Mix up some Cream Cheese Icing to use as a dipping sauce or top it with the traditional powdered sugar and ENJOY.

Have Good One
Jamison Star

#GlutenFree Mixes

Today, actually tomorrow is Bubby's 5th birthday. Since Hubby was home, off work today, we celebrated with a little celebration which included cake and pizza. Having a toddler on a gluten free diet, changes a lot of our options when it comes to birthdays, take out, heck eating out in general. I'm adjusting my cooking skills accordingly, and getting pretty good at finding a bargain at our nearest Krogers, they usually have a larger selection composed to our local grocer, I bet if Mr. Hooper were our grocer he'd have exactly we want. (kudos to you if you even know who Mr. Hooper is.) Today marks the first time I've made a Gluten Free cake from a boxed mix. I've done pretty well converting my recipes to gluten free and mixing up my own combination of flours. My Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake is pretty dang Amazing (I'll share that recipe later on PROMISE!) I picked up Pamela's Gluten Free Brownie Mix, along with several other different brands three weeks ago.

(Ignore my dingy stove top)

Along with directions to make several variation of brownies, there were two or three cake variations too. I chose to make Pamela's Decadent Cake, sorry the photo is blurry, it was the best shot I could get with a screaming toddler hanging onto my leg. This called for two eggs, 1/2 cup oil which I replaced with 1/2 apple sauce, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 3/4 cup milk. I have found that when making cakes with the majority of gluten free flours (I have come to prefer a combo of coconut flour and white rice flour) I like to replace the eggs with equal amounts of egg whites beaten until light peaks form (not sure how to refer o it other than how my grandmothers taught me) and one egg yolk. I beat one yolk into the batter, then in a separate bowl beat my egg whites then folded them into the batter. I "floured" the cake pan, I chose to use a bundt pan, with a sifted mixture of cocoa powder and corn starch.

After baking the cake, taking from the pan, and letting it cool I iced it with a cream cheese icing, you can find GF icing just about anywhere, I think Duncan Hines had started labeling their icing as GF now so, there ya go. Topped it with a few strawberries, and BAM! 

This was just a quick fix cake that had a soft velvety texture, a warm chocolate taste that seemed to melt in your mouth. It wasn't dry as I had experienced with other GF mixes, and most importantly BooBaa, loved it as did my birthday Boy! I have to say Pamela's has a good quality mix, with tons of options from just the one. Also this cake wasn't too light, and would be great for layering and towers.