Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Brownie Thing!

Last night my husband, kids, and exchange student all decided to go fishing.  Um, fishing is not one of my top 10 fun activities to do.   So while they went fishing, I figured I could relax and watch a movie.  Um, well that didn't exactly happen.  BUT!  While I was at home, I could hear a commercial from the 80's running through my mind.  Does anyone remember this?

Nothing says I love you like......cookies.  Who knows why this was running through my mind, but it made me want to bake cookies for my kids.   I have tried on multiple occasions to bake cookies like the old fashioned gluten days.  I have learned that eggs are essential.  Without eggs, you end up with puddles that look like caramelized sugar blobs worthy of the local trash dump.

I found this recipe at one of my favorite blogs.  True, I can't claim credit for this recipe:)  But it is really amazing and the closest thing I have found to Nestle Toll House Cookies.  It resembles a yummy bar cookie with a slightly brownie like texture.  I have noted my changes below. 

So, when the kids returned last night after being feasted on by no see-ums, they were delighted with the "Nothing Says I Love You" allergy friendly substitute.  

Interesting side note:  Our Chinese exchange student says they don't eat soft and gooey cookies......he was appalled when I said we even eat the dough raw:)  ::Cough::  I would "never" lick the bowl at my age!!! 

Coconut and Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies

Chill before eating for best texture. or go the other route and zap in the microwave briefly to melt the chocolate chips. Life is short.

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking pan with vegan shortening. Dust with a bit of gluten-free flour.  (I skip this and line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper and double the recipe.)

Whisk together dry ingredients:

1/3 cup coconut flour
2/3 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup tapioca or potato starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

In a separate bowl, beat to combine:

2/3 cup organic brown sugar
1/4 cup organic unsweetened applesauce (If you double the recipe, this equals one small container of applesauce ...the kind for a lunchbox.)
2 1/2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla
1 tablespoon agave  (you could sub honey)
1/4 cup light olive oil  (I use Coconut Oil) 
1/4 cup warm vanilla hemp, coconut milk or rice milk, more as needed  (I used Blue Diamond Almond Milk)

When the wet mixture is smooth, slowly add in the dry ingredient mix and beat just until combined.

Add in by hand:

2/3 cup shredded coconut  (I use unsweetened dessicated coconut.)

1/2 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips.

Instructions:

Dump the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly. Sprinkle on extra chocolate chips if you like (and press them gently into the top).  (I never do this part...)


Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven until the batter is set and slightly golden brown - anywhere from 22 to 30 minutes, depending upon altitude (at high altitude these took almost 35 minutes to bake). The surface should be slightly firm, like a blond brownie (if a finger touch leaves a dent, bake a tad longer).


Cool completely on a wire rack; chill before cutting and wrapping for storage.

These bars are moist and chewy, and are best eaten chilled. Hot from the oven they fall apart.

Makes 15 cookie bars.

Alexander enjoying the bounty! 

Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/07/vegan-coconut-bars.html#ixzz23XBv3eYQ

Yummy treats in Dallas.....

We have just returned from a week vacation with friends and family. It was a blast!!! My sister treated us to amazingly yummy treats that the whole family could eat.

She had these amazing coconut macaroons topped with a chocolate glaze! Everything was safe for the kiddo's. She found the recipes in a cookbook titled: Flying Aprons Gluten Free and Vegan Baking.

I did a quick flip through the cookbook and it looked amazing! No Eggs, No Dairy, Perfect!! The kids had sandwiches for lunch and dinner. What a treat for them! Cupcakes topped with strawberries......they were perfectly spoiled by my sister!

Here are a couple pics of them enjoying the goodies! This cookbook will be put on my wish list!

Thanks Claire for all the baking and cooking you did!

Mung Bean Pudding

I am married to a Vietamese guy. He loves his sweets. But they aren't like American sweets. They are very different but good. One of them is a whole collection of "puddings". This is a Thai recipe but very similiar to the deserts I have seen at Vietnamese restuarants.

The pictures included were taken by my kids and "Aunt" Kim one night.

Mung Bean Pudding

Taken from http://www.thaitable.com/Thai/recipes/Mung_Bean_Pudding.htm

2 Servings

2 cups water
1/4 cup tapioca flour (this is sometimes called tapioca starch.)
1/4 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup Mung beans (see note)
1/3 cup coconut milk

Boil mung beans in 2 cups of water until tender. It should take about 20 minutes.

The beans should be very soft. Cook them until they aren't stiff in the middle anymore. We realized too late that we hadn't cooked ours enough. It was still good but the beans had a little chew to them still.

Dissolve tapioca flour in a cup of water and add to the boiling mung beans.

Stir quickly and constantly to prevent the bottom from burning. It should thicken.

Add more water if it gets too thick. Add more flour if too watery. A consistency of gravy is ideal.

Add sugar, bring it back up to a boil and turn off the heat

In a separate bowl, mix 1/3 cup of coconut milk with salt. Heat it up in the microwave for a few second just to warm it up. Don't let the coconut milk boil, otherwise it will separate.

DD is stirring coconut milk getting it ready for eating. My two oldest kiddos gobbled this stuff down quickly! By the time we got to the pot there was only one small bowl left!

Serve hot with coconut milk on top.

NOTE: There are two ways mung bean are sold. Whole and Split. The split mung beans are yellow and look like split peas - except yellow. These are the ones you want to buy for this pudding. They usually run about .79 a bag.

Powdered Sugar - a test in patience.......

As I stated earlier, all commercial powdered sugar contains cornstarch. I have not been able to find one brand that doesn't have it. So I must make it from scratch. It can be made too! All you need is a blender (a VitaMix is a wonderful help!), normal granulated sugar, and time.

First, make sure the blender is very dry.
Second, add about 1/4 c. sugar
Third, place wet rag on top of blender lid to catch escaping sugar.
Fourth, blend on highest setting for about 5 minutes.
Fifth, taste to see if there is any graininess to the sugar.
If yes, let the blender cool a minute and proceed to blend again for a couple more minutes.
If no, dump out into container, and start again at step one.

It is very important that you let the blender cool between blendings. Why you may ask? Well, if the blender gets too hot it will start to melt the sugar. Trust me! I have ruined 2 blenders this way. We want powdered sugar - not caramel:)

A VitaMix is a wonderful help in making powdered sugar. My friend has allowed me to borrow hers and I have made large batches of powdered sugar in a matter of minutes (okay 20 minutes - but it beats 3 hours any day!)

Yeah! New Treat for the Kiddos!

Hannah recently was invited to a birthday party where "Puppy Chow" was on the menu. Puppy Chow? That was my thought too. So going to my favorite spot for questions - Google - I quickly found my answer. Puppy Chow is a mixture of Rice Chex, Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Butter, and Powdered Sugar. Could I modify this to work for my kiddos? I did and the kids loved it! They gobbled it all up. But I wanted to test it on an innocent bystander so I gave a few bites to a boy from down the block. He LOVED it! So I consider that a success! Here is the recipe:)

Gluten Free and Allergy Free Puppy Chow:

9 cups of General Mills Rice Chex (the only brand that is GF)

1 c. Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

1/2c. SunButter (or any other nut butter that works for your diet)

1/4 c. Flieshman's Unsalted Margarine (has some corn oil in it but my son tolerates it well - - use whatever works for your family)

1 1/2 c. Powdered Sugar - - all commercial powdered sugar contains cornstarch so you will need to make your own. The next post will explain how to make it.

Melt Chocolate Chips, SunButter, and Margarine together until smooth. Pour over the top of the Rice Chex and mix until well blended. After blending, pour mixture into a 2 gallon ziplock bag. Pour in powdered sugar and shake. If you are out of bags (or like me to frugal to buy a box for one bag), I just stirred really carefully to coat well. :)

Store in the fridge as Enjoy Life's Chocolate Chips do not withstand warmer temps well.