Cake Mix Cookies

** Recipe adapted from Pillsbury **

* 1 cake mix (any flavor)
* 1/3 c. oil
* 2 eggs
* 1 c. chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, etc.

Heat oven to 375.  In large bowl, combine mix, oil & eggs.  Add desired chocolate chips & stir with spoon until well combined.  (Depending on how "chocolaty" you like your cookies, you may want to add another 1/2 - 1 c. of chips!)  Shape into 1" balls & place on ungreased cookie sheets.  Flatten to 1/4" thickness.  Bake 6-8 min, or until edges are light golden brown.  Cool 1 min. & remove from cookie sheets. 

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

** Recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen **

* 1/2 c. butter
* 2 oz. dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
* 1 c. sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 tsp. red food coloring
* 2/3 c. all purpose flour
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
* 1/3 c. sugar
* 1 large egg
* 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract


Heat oven to 350. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8" metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up two sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.  In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir until combined and very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.  In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and red food coloring. Add chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Add flour and salt and stir until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.  Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.  To prepare cheesecake mixture, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until smooth. Distribute the cheesecake mixture in 8 dollops over batter in the pan. Swirl in with a knife or spatula.  Bake for 35-40 min, until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.  Let cool completely in pan on a cooling rack before lifting out the parchment paper to remove the brownies.

Homemade Wheat Thins

** Recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen **

* 1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
* 1 1/2 Tbl. sugar
* 1 tsp. salt, plus extra for topping
* 1/4 tsp. paprika
* 4 Tbl. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
* 1/4 c. water
* 1/4 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 400.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together flour, sugar, salt and paprika. Add butter and toss with a fork to coat with the flour mixture. Mix on med-low speed until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with the butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add water & vanilla and mix on low just until dough pulls together. (If dough is still pretty dry, add a little more water until it comes together.)  Divide dough into 4 equal pieces, and cover with a towel so they don’t dry out. Working one piece at a time, on a lightly floured work surface, roll one of the dough pieces into a large rectangle, 1/16" thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut the rectangle into squares about 1-1 1/2" wide.  Transfer dough squares to prepared baking sheets. You don’t need to leave much space in between the crackers-they don’t spread at all in the oven. Sprinkle lightly with salt and cover with a towel. Repeat rolling & cutting process with remaining 3 pieces of dough. Save all of your scraps under the towel and reroll them all at once to create a final batch of crackers.  Bake crackers, one sheet at a time, until crisp and browned, about 5-10 min.  Check crackers after 5 min. to remove some of the thinner ones that are browning too quickly and return the remaining crackers to the oven to finish baking. Transfer crackers to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Flourless Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies

** Recipe from chocolate & carrots **

* 3 c. powdered sugar
* 2/3 c. unsweetened Hershey’s dark chocolate cocoa powder
* 1/8 tsp. salt
* 2 to 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
* 1 Tbl. pure vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 c. 60% cacao chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350.  Set aside two baking sheets with silpat mats or parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar with cocoa powder and salt.  Whisk in vanilla & egg whites, starting with just two.  Beat just until batter is moistened.  Look for a brownie-like, thick and fudgy batter consistency. If it seems too thick, add another egg white– then a 4th one if it still seems too thick.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Scoop batter by the tablespoon full onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave enough space between each cookie for them to spread.  Bake 12-14 min, until tops are glossy and lightly cracked.  Let cookies cool completely on the baking sheet and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

"Faux-tisserie" Chicken

** Recipe from sweet anna's **

* 1 whole chicken, small enough to fit in your slow cooker, thawed
* about 1/4 c. seasoned salt (store bought or homemade)
* aluminum foil or 3 medium onions

Place 3 aluminum-foil balls (about the size of your fist) or 3 medium, peeled onions in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Rinse the chicken in cold water, removing any 'extra-parts' hidden in the body cavities and pat dry with paper towels.  Place the chicken, breast side up, on the foil balls or onions in the slow cooker.  (The foil balls keep the chicken up out of it's juices so that it doesn't steam!)  Slide your hand in between the skin and the breast, separating it without tearing the skin. Take about 1 Tbl. of seasoned salt (or salt and a bunch of seasonings, whatever you like!) and rub it in between the skin and breast.  Take the remaining seasoned salt and rub it all over the outside of the chicken and sprinkle it into the cavity.  Cover the slow cooker, turn on LOW, and cook for 6-8 hrs - depending on the size of your chicken, until the juices run clear and the chicken is falling apart tender.

* (Save the juice to make gravy, or just spoon it as is over the chicken when you serve it!)

Homemade Almond Roca

** Recipe from sweet anna's **

* 1 lb. butter
* 2 1/4 c. sugar
* 1/4 c. water
* 2 c. chopped almonds
* 1 c. chocolate chips
* 1/2 c. finely chopped almonds

In a large heavy pot, on high heat, cook together butter, sugar and water, stirring constantly through 3 stages...  1. smooth and runny, 2. cheesy (like melted white cheese), and 3. smooth and golden brown.  Once caramel mixture reaches the 3rd stage (smooth golden brown) remove pot from heat immediately and stir in 2 c. chopped almonds.  Pour mixture out onto a foil-lined & buttered baking sheet.  Let set for a few minutes & then sprinkle chocolate chips on top.  After about 5 min, or when all chocolate chips look shiny and soft, spread them out thinly & evenly all over the top of the caramel mixture in pan.  Sprinkle top with 1/2 c. almonds & let cool completely.
(If your kitchen/house is too warm, you may need to put this into the fridge to finish cooling and setting the chocolate before breaking!)  Once the candy is completely cool and the chocolate has set, break it into pieces and store in an air-tight container in the fridge!

Grilled Spinach Alfredo Pizza

 

** Recipe from Kraft **

* 1 c. Alfredo sauce

* 1 pkg.  (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

* 1 tsp. crushed red pepper

* 1 lb.  refrigerated pizza dough, at room temperature

* 2 Tbl. olive oil

* 1 c.  shredded Mozzarella cheese

* 1 boneless skinless chicken breast (4 oz.), cooked, chopped (about 1 c.)

* 4 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled  

HEAT grill to medium heat.  COOK and stir Alfredo sauce in med. saucepan on med. heat 4-5 min. or until heated through. Stir in spinach and crushed pepper. Keep warm.  DIVIDE dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into 12" round on lightly floured surface. Brush evenly with half the oil. Place, oiled-sides down, on grill grate. Grill 5 min. or until bottoms are golden brown and lightly charred. Brush with remaining oil; turn.  TOP with spinach mixture, cheese, chicken and bacon; cover grill with lid. Grill 5 to 7 min. or until bottoms of crusts are golden brown and cheese is melted.

French Breakfast Muffins

** Recipe from Velvet Lava **

* 1/3 c. butter, melted
* 1/2 c. sugar
* 1 egg (preferably room temperature)
* 1 1/2 c. AP flour
* 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
* 1/2 c. milk

Topping:
* 1/2 c. sugar
* 1/2 c. butter, melted
* 1 tsp. cinnamon
 

Heat oven to 350.  In a med-large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients & stir until combined, but still a bit lumpy. Don't overmix. Scoop batter into muffin tins that have sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 min, or until they just start to turn a bit golden at the edges.

For the topping, mix sugar & cinnamon in a small bowl. Place melted butter in another small bowl. Dip the warm muffins in melted butter, then in cinnamon sugar.

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

 


** Recipe from What's Cookin, Chicago? **

* 12-16 jumbo pasta shells
* 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
* 1 c. freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese + 1/4 c. for topping
* 3 Tbl. prepared pesto (homemade or store bought)
* 2 c. shredded cooked chicken
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* salt & pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350.  In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Cook pasta shells only until al dente. Pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain shells and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except 1/4 c. of cheese for topping. Fill shells with the filling and place in a baking dish.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 c. of cheese over filled shells.  Bake uncovered for 30 min, or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts.

Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies

** Recipe from divine baking **

* Nonstick vegetable oil spray
* 1 1/2 c. bittersweet chocolate chips (about 9 ounces), divided
* 3 lg. egg whites, room temperature
* 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar, divided (might only need 2 c.)
* 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 Tbl. cornstarch
* 1/4 tsp. salt
 

Heat oven to 350. Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray. Melt 1 c. chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave, stirring twice, about 2 min. Cool slightly.  Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1 c. sugar (or half of amount you're using). Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow creme. Whisk 1 c. sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. On low speed, beat dry ingredients into meringue. Stir in lukewarm chocolate & 1/2 c. chocolate chips (dough will become very stiff).  Place 1/2 c. powdered sugar in bowl. Roll 1 rounded Tbl. dough into ball; roll in sugar, coating thickly. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2" apart. Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 min. Cool on sheets on rack 10 min. Transfer to rack; cool.

No-Bake Energy Bites

** Recipe from Smashed Peas and Carrots **

* 1 c. oatmeal (use GF oats if desired)

* 1/2 c. peanut butter (or other nut butter)

* 1/3 c. honey

* 1 c. coconut flakes

* 1/2 c. ground flaxseed

* 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

* 1 tsp. vanilla

Mix ingredients in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated.  Let chill in refrigerator for 30 min. Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy!  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Baked Pesto Chicken

** Recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen **

* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* salt & fresh ground black pepper for seasoning chicken
* 1/2 c. basil pesto (homemade or store bought)
* 2 oz. (1/2 c.) grated low-fat mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 375. Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken pieces, then cut each chicken breast lengthwise into 2-3 pieces.  Spray a 9" x 12" (or 8.5" X 12.5") baking dish with non-stick spray, then spread 1/4 c. basil pesto over the bottom of the dish. Lay chicken strips over the pesto, then spread 1/4 c. more basil pesto over the chicken.  Cover the baking dish with foil (or use a baking dish with a tight-fitting lid) and bake the chicken for 25-30 min, just until chicken is barely firm & cooked through. (Don't cook too much at this point, or the chicken will be overcooked by the time the cheese is melted and browned.)

When chicken is barely cooked through, remove foil and sprinkle chicken with 1/2 c. grated mozzarella cheese. Put dish back into the oven without foil and cook 5 min. more, just until cheese is melted. (If your broiler is separate from the oven, start preheating it when you take the chicken out.) **Tip:  After melting the cheese for 5 min, switch oven to broil & broil for 5 min. more, just long enough to get the cheese lightly browned.  Serve hot. There will be some flavorful juice in the bottom of the dish when this is done, so you may want to serve with rice, couscous, or quinoa to soak up the juice, or just spoon the juice over the chicken.

Boston Market Cornbread

** Recipe from Stephanie Cooks ** 

* 2 (8.5 oz) boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix
* 1 (18 oz) box butter OR yellow cake mix
* 5 eggs
* 2/3 c. milk
* 1 1/3 c. water
* 1/2 c. butter, softened

Heat oven to 350.  Combine all of the dry ingredients, mixing well.  Add the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined.  Pour into well greased muffin tins or mini loaf pans.  Bake about 30 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan. Then remove to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Cake Batter Cookies

** Recipe from Stephanie Cooks **

* 1 (18.25 oz.) box cake mix
* 1 tsp. baking powder
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 c. vegetable oil
* 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350.  In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix and baking powder. Add eggs and oil, then mix until well blended. (Might be crumbly - so maybe use hands to really mix it well- it's not as smooth as typical dough.)  Stir in chocolate chips, or your choice of additions. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets.  Bake for 10 min.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tuscan Garlic Chicken

** Recipe from mel's kitchen cafe **


* 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
* 1/2 Tbl. salt
* 1 tsp. pepper
* 1/2 tsp. dried basil
* 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* 5 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil, divided
* 1 Tbl. finely minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
* 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips or chopped
* 1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
* 6 oz. fresh spinach
* 1/2 c. heavy cream
* 2 tsp. cornstarch
* 1 c. lowfat milk
* 1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 lb. fettuccine

Heat oven to 350.  In a shallow pie plate or similar dish, combine flour, salt, pepper, basil & oregano. Dip each chicken piece in flour mixture until both sides are well coated.
In a large 12" nonstick skillet, heat 3 Tbl. of olive oil over med. heat until oil is hot & shimmering. Carefully place chicken breasts in pan, cooking 2-3 min. on each side, until they are golden and browned but not cooked all the way through (they’ll finish up in the oven). Don’t scoot the chicken around once you lay it in the hot oil! Let the oil work it’s magic to sear the crust on the chicken. (If you try flipping too early and/or moving the chicken around the pan, the breading is lightly to fall off.) Gently remove chicken to a foil-lined, lightly greased baking sheet and bake in about 15 min, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside and tent with foil until ready to use.
While the chicken is cooking, heat a large pot of water to a boil and add the noodles, cooking until al dente. Also, wipe out skillet with paper towels and return it to medium heat, adding remaining 2 Tbl. olive oil. When oil is hot, add garlic and bell pepper, sauteing 2-3 min. Stir in one Tbl. flour and stir constantly while cooking for another minute. Add chicken broth to skillet and bring mixture to a low simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 min. In a small liquid measure, whisk together cornstarch & cream. Add spinach, milk & cream mixture to skillet. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and sauce is slightly thickened, about 2-4 min. Stir in Parmesan cheese.  When pasta has finished cooking, drain & return it to the pot. Toss pasta with half of the cheese sauce. Place some of the coated pasta on each plate. Top with a breaded chicken breast and spoon some of the sauce over the top of the chicken and pasta. Serve immediately.

Chicken Florentine Bowtie Pasta

** Recipe from Picky Palate **

* 2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
* 1 c. finely chopped white onion
* 1 clove minced garlic
* 4 c. baby spinach leaves
* 2 c. cooked shredded chicken breast
* 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
* 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
* 2 c. Philadelphia Cooking Creme
* 1 lb. bowtie pasta or other small noodle
* 1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 350.  Spray a 9×13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Place oil in Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add onion & cook, stirring until tender, about 5 min. Add garlic and cook, stirring for 1 min. Stir in spinach leaves, cook, stirring until wilted, about 2 min. Add chicken, salt & pepper, and cook until heated through, about 3 min. Add cooking cream, stirring to combine.  Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and run under cold water to stop cooking. Add pasta to chicken mixture stirring to combine. Transfer to prepared baking dish and top with cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes, until cheese is melted.  Makes 8 servings

Mini Snickers Caramel Cheesecakes

** Recipe from Six Sister's Stuff **

* 2 c. chopped Snickers Bars
* 2 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
* 2 Tbl. granulated sugar
* 5 Tbl. melted butter
* 2 - 8oz. packages softened cream cheese
* 1 c. granulated sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 Tbl. pure vanilla
* 3 Tbl. caramel sauce

**The original recipe suggests making these in a  muffin top pan, but I used a regular muffin tin pan and they worked fine!  If you are using a regular muffin tin, use a little bit less than 1/4 c. when you are pouring the filling into each tin so they don't overflow.**

Preheat oven to 350.  Place chopped Snickers into a bowl, set aside. Place graham crumbs, sugar and melted butter into a mixing bowl to combine. Spoon a couple spoonfuls of crumbs into each section of the muffin pan & press down and up the sides. Bake for 5-6 min, or just until browned. Remove from oven.  In a stand or electric mixer, beat the cream cheese & sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in eggs & vanilla until well combined, scraping sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in caramel sauce until well combined. Pour about 1/4 c. of cheesecake mixture over each baked crust then top evenly with chopped Snickers. Bake for 23-26 min, or until cheesecake edges are just starting to brown and centers are nearly set. Remove and let cool completely. While still warm, loosen all edges with a plastic knife to make for easier removal from pan. Refrigerate once cooled then top with caramel sauce and whipped cream to serve!

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

** Recipe from 52 Kitchen Adventures **


* 1 1/4 c. sugar
* 1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 c. water
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar and cocoa powder until most of the lumps are gone. Add water and salt and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes, until thickened, continuing to stir frequently. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes, then add vanilla extract. Store in air tight container in the fridge.
To make chocolate milk, add 1 tablespoon of chocolate sauce to a cup of milk and stir until combined.

Flourless Chocolate & Vanilla Marble Cake

** Recipe from Fine Cooking **

For the vanilla batter:
* 8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
* 2/3 c. granulated sugar
* 1 large egg
* 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the chocolate batter:
* 10 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
* 5 oz. (10 Tbl.) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
* 3 large eggs
* 1/3 c. granulated sugar
* 1 Tbl. dark rum or espresso
* 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
* pinch table salt

* cocoa powder for dusting

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 300.  Lightly grease a 9x2" round cake pan & line the bottom with parchment.  Make the vanilla batter: In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. Add sugar & continue beating until well blended & no lumps remain. Add egg & vanilla and beat just until blended. Set aside.
Make the chocolate batter:  In a medium bowl, melt chocolate & butter in a large metal bowl over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave. Whisk until smooth & set aside to cool slightly. With a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat eggs, sugar, rum or espresso, vanilla, & salt on med-high until the mixture is pale and thick, 3-4 min. With the mixer on low, gradually pour in the chocolate mixture and continue beating until well blended.
Combine and bake: Spread about half of the chocolate batter in the bottom of the pan. Alternately add large scoopfuls of each of the remaining batters to the cake pan. Using a knife or the tip of a rubber spatula, gently swirl the two batters together so they're mixed but not completely blended. Rap the pan against the countertop several times to settle the batters.  Bake until a pick inserted about 2" from edge comes out gooey but not liquid, 40-42 min.; don't overbake. The top will be puffed and slightly cracked, especially around the edges. It will sink down as it cools. Let cool on a rack until just slightly warm, about 1-1/2 hrs. Loosen cake from the pan by holding the pan almost perpendicular to the counter; tap the pan on the counter while rotating it clockwise. Invert onto a large flat plate or board. Remove the pan and carefully peel off parchment. Sift some cocoa powder over the cake (this will make it easier to remove the slices when serving). Invert again onto a similar plate so that the top side is up. Let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hrs. or overnight, or freeze.

Cake Batter Bark

** Recipe from Stephanie Cooks **

* 7 oz. good dark chocolate
* 12 oz. good white chocolate
* 1.5 heaping tsp.  yellow cake mix
* colored sprinkles

Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave, over a double burner, or over low flame. Spread thinly over parchment paper of a silpat.  Cool in the freezer 20 min.  Melt the white chocolate. Add the cake mix, stir well. Spread over the dark. (Do a little bit at a time because it will melt the chocolate and it won't look as pretty.)  Top with rainbow sprinkles. Freeze for 20 more min.  Break into pieces and keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat it.

Birthday Cake Fudge

** Recipe from Mrs. Bettie Rocker **

* 3 c. sugar

* 1 1/2 sticks margarine
* 5 oz. can (2/3 c.) evaporated milk
* 12 oz. chopped white chocolate chips
* 7 oz.  jar marshmallow creme
* 3-4 Tbl. yellow cake mix (just the powdered MIX, not batter)
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* blue food coloring
* rainbow sprinkles

Line an 8 or 9" square pan with foil, leaving the ends hanging over the edges of the pan. Spray foil thoroughly with nonstick spray.  Place sugar, margarine, & evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan over med. heat. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly, and let boil 4 min. Remove from heat.  Add chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, & cake mix, stirring until chocolate chips are melted. Add vanilla & mix well.  Working quickly, pour about 1/3 of the fudge in a bowl and add a few drops of blue food coloring, mixing and adding until you achieve the desired shade. Pour white fudge into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Spoon blue fudge over the top, spacing it out. Using a sharp knife, draw swirls through the blue and white to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle the top generously with rainbow sprinkles before the top sets up.  Let store at room temperature until cool, then place in the refrigerator until firm.

Gluten Free Soft Pretzels

** Recipe from Living Without **

* 3⅔ c. Gluten-Free High-Protein Flour Blend - (see below)
* ⅓ c. potato flour
* 2 Tbl. rapid yeast
* 2½ tsp. xanthan gum
* 1 tsp. salt
* 4 Tbl. melted butter or nondairy replacement
* 1½-2 c. warm water, divided
* ⅔ c. baking soda
* 10 c. water
* 1 egg yolk, beaten with 2 Tbl. water
* Salt, for sprinkling

GF Flour blend:
* 1 1/4 c. bean flour (your choice), chickpea flour or soy flour
* 1 c. arrowroot starch, cornstarch or potato starch
* 1 c. tapioca starch/flour
* 1 c. white or brown rice flour

Heat oven to 450.  Mix together flour blend, potato flour, yeast, xanthan gum & salt.  Using the paddle attachment of your mixer, beat ingredients together on med. speed, adding melted butter & 11/4 c. warm water. Add enough water to make a soft but not wet dough. Beat for 5 min. Then cover & let sit for 5 min. Uncover & beat an additional 4 min. Oil dough lightly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap & place it in a warm place for 30 min.  Divide dough into 12 pcs. Roll each into a 12" rope. Make a U-shape with the rope. Holding the ends, cross them over each other and press them onto the top of the rope to form a pretzel. Transfer to parchment-lined pan. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise for 20-30 min. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper & lightly brush with vegetable oil. Set aside.  Bring baking soda & 10 c. water to a boil in a large saucepan. Lower to simmer & cover.  Place pretzels into boiling water, one at a time, and boil for 30 seconds. Remove from water with a slotted spoon.  Return boiled pretzels to the sheet pan. Brush each with egg yolk & water mixture. Sprinkle with salt.  Place in preheated oven & bake until dark golden brown, about 12-14 min. Transfer to a rack and cool for at least 5 min. before serving.

Un-Fried Ice Cream

** Recipe from Recipe Addiction **

 

* 1 gallon vanilla ice cream (might not need the whole gallon)

* 1 c. butter

* 1 1/2 c. brown sugar

* 1 c. shredded coconut

* 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

* 1 (8 oz.) pkg. sliced almonds

* 3 1/2 c. crushed Rice Chex

Crush cereal in food processor or in a plastic bag.  Remove your ice cream from freezer.  Can either slice it in the container and scoop it out, or squeeze the whole container on to a cutting board and slice it that way.  Melt butter and sugar together over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil mixture for 1 min. Remove from heat & immediately add coconut, almonds, cereal & cinnamon. Press half of mixture into a 9x13" pan. (Glass works best if you have it.)  Cover mixture with the sliced ice cream and smooth over the edges so it covers the entire mixture. Cover the ice cream with the rest of the coconut mixture. Cover with saran wrap and then tin foil to prevent freezer burn and freeze. Serve once it has had some time to harden up.