Well, with the weather forecast predicting -20, we decided we'd better get in the hoop house and liberate the remaining kale and brussel sprouts. Rich spent the morning digging out the path, repairing the sagging joints from the heavy snow, and harvesting what was left of the vegetables. For some time, now, In anticipation of just this occasion, I've had my eye on a recipe from a local magazine, called: delicious living (it's put out by a burlington health food store). The recipe itself was Tuscan Kale Soup with Buckwheat. Damn, but it was sensational!
And, for some odd reason, I have been hankering for some of those dreadfully bad for you cookies that are sold by the girl scouts, (and taste so awfully good), but alas, couldn't indulge myself, so I began looking around the web for a recipe that I might be able to convert.
Low and behold, I found one at Miranda Levenstein's blog: "In Sweet Treatment". So, I got to work. It wasn't hard, as the only things I had to change were the flour, sugar, butter and milk. I used the flour mix that's in any gluten-free cookbook, but for those of you who don't have one, here's the recipe:
Brown Rice Flour (very fine ground); 6 cups; Potato Starch (NOT FLOUR); 2 cups; Tapioca Flour (or starch); 1 cup. This will make 9 cups of mix, so if you have one of those gallon jars, that's ideal, but you could do it in a doubled paper bag, as well, although this is a lot messier :(
I generally use sucanet, instead of sugar, and since it's not quite as sweet, I added an additional 1/3 cup.
It's good that there weren't any eggs, so the only other substitutes were earth balance, for the butter, and soy milk, for the milk.
Well, yea, so here's the recipe I ended up with. Enjoy! (Note: most of the ingredients I use are organic.)
Cookies:
1 1/4 cups flour mix.
1 tsp. guar gum.
1/3 cup cornstarch.
6 Tbsp. (heaping), unsw. cocoa powder.
1/2 tsp. pink sea salt.
1 1/3 cups sucanet.
1/2 cup earth balance (room temperature).
1/3 cup soy milk.
1/2 tsp. vanilla ext.
1 tsp. peppermint ext.
In medium bowl of mixer, cream butter, sugar, and milk, together, until light and fluffy. In another bowl (or plate), sift flour before measuring, then add guar gum, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt; sift again. Add to creamed mix and mix on low, until smooth. Mound into two logs, wrap in saran wrap or wax paper, and freeze for at least an hour. (You may need to freeze for about 20 minutes, before you can mound them, as this mix is a bit sticky.) Once they are very, very firm, slice into 1/4 inch slices, place on cookie sheets about 1/2 inch apart, and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven, for 13-18 minutes. (I did not use wax paper, as the original recipe called for, as the wax layer always seems to burn off and smoke up my kitchen too much. I did spray-oil the cookie sheet.) Let cool until firm enough to frost or dip.
Coating.
10 oz. Ghiardelli 80% Cacao chocolate.
1/2 cup earth balance.
1/2 tsp. peppermint ext.
Melt chocolate and earth balance in top of double boiler, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth.
Let cool for 10-15 minutes, then add extract. Spoon into cookie press (or frosting bag, with very large tip), using whatever design you like, and pipe onto cookies. Freeze again for a short time (15-30 minutes), until chocolate is hardened. Alternatively, if you want the entire cookie coated, (like the originals), you could try dipping them into the chocolate and place onto wax paper lined sheet. Freeze as above. (I did not try this, as I know from past experience that rice flour tends to make a much more crumbly finish). If they should hang around, (doubtful), store in a container with a tight fitting lid; up to a month refrigerated, or a week, at room temperature.
Best dinner in town; heck, maybe the whole state........even if I do say so, myself!
Signing out from Rara Avis Fine Foods at The House of Found Goods. Goodnight all. :)
And, for some odd reason, I have been hankering for some of those dreadfully bad for you cookies that are sold by the girl scouts, (and taste so awfully good), but alas, couldn't indulge myself, so I began looking around the web for a recipe that I might be able to convert.
Low and behold, I found one at Miranda Levenstein's blog: "In Sweet Treatment". So, I got to work. It wasn't hard, as the only things I had to change were the flour, sugar, butter and milk. I used the flour mix that's in any gluten-free cookbook, but for those of you who don't have one, here's the recipe:
Brown Rice Flour (very fine ground); 6 cups; Potato Starch (NOT FLOUR); 2 cups; Tapioca Flour (or starch); 1 cup. This will make 9 cups of mix, so if you have one of those gallon jars, that's ideal, but you could do it in a doubled paper bag, as well, although this is a lot messier :(
I generally use sucanet, instead of sugar, and since it's not quite as sweet, I added an additional 1/3 cup.
It's good that there weren't any eggs, so the only other substitutes were earth balance, for the butter, and soy milk, for the milk.
Well, yea, so here's the recipe I ended up with. Enjoy! (Note: most of the ingredients I use are organic.)
Cookies:
1 1/4 cups flour mix.
1 tsp. guar gum.
1/3 cup cornstarch.
6 Tbsp. (heaping), unsw. cocoa powder.
1/2 tsp. pink sea salt.
1 1/3 cups sucanet.
1/2 cup earth balance (room temperature).
1/3 cup soy milk.
1/2 tsp. vanilla ext.
1 tsp. peppermint ext.
In medium bowl of mixer, cream butter, sugar, and milk, together, until light and fluffy. In another bowl (or plate), sift flour before measuring, then add guar gum, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt; sift again. Add to creamed mix and mix on low, until smooth. Mound into two logs, wrap in saran wrap or wax paper, and freeze for at least an hour. (You may need to freeze for about 20 minutes, before you can mound them, as this mix is a bit sticky.) Once they are very, very firm, slice into 1/4 inch slices, place on cookie sheets about 1/2 inch apart, and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven, for 13-18 minutes. (I did not use wax paper, as the original recipe called for, as the wax layer always seems to burn off and smoke up my kitchen too much. I did spray-oil the cookie sheet.) Let cool until firm enough to frost or dip.
Coating.
10 oz. Ghiardelli 80% Cacao chocolate.
1/2 cup earth balance.
1/2 tsp. peppermint ext.
Melt chocolate and earth balance in top of double boiler, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth.
Let cool for 10-15 minutes, then add extract. Spoon into cookie press (or frosting bag, with very large tip), using whatever design you like, and pipe onto cookies. Freeze again for a short time (15-30 minutes), until chocolate is hardened. Alternatively, if you want the entire cookie coated, (like the originals), you could try dipping them into the chocolate and place onto wax paper lined sheet. Freeze as above. (I did not try this, as I know from past experience that rice flour tends to make a much more crumbly finish). If they should hang around, (doubtful), store in a container with a tight fitting lid; up to a month refrigerated, or a week, at room temperature.
