Hot Cross Buns

Do you have a tradition of eating hot cross buns on Good Friday like we do in our family? Every Good Friday I can remember as a child included eating delicious hot cross buns my mother had made that day.

Smooth, round rolls of sweet bread dotted with raisins and crossed with a delicious glaze on top. They made the house smell good and I couldn't wait to eat them. We'd sing the "Hot Cross Buns" song and talk about what the cross represented on the buns that special day.

My mom is currently living in England, so she's getting the authentic treat right now and says the bakery windows are filled with these yummies.

I've made different recipes of gluten-free hot cross buns over the last couple of years and I think this year I finally came as close to recreating Mom's originals from the Joy of Cooking recipe as I will probably get. Last year I played around with different flours but didn't get anything with a decent texture. They were more like bread-type cookies.

This year I used the some of the same flours I use in my yeast bread recipe and had success. For these photos, I placed the dough in muffin tins to be sure they came out round. When I make these again on Friday, I'll attempt them on baking sheets in what will hopefully bake into nice round rolls (I'll try a tester first and use muffin tins again if they don't turn out). They don't look quite the same as my mom's, but the taste is definitely there. And it's definitely good!

Another thing I like about this recipe is I used just a saucepan and wooden spoon. No mixer required!

Projected time, start to finish including rise: About 2 1/2 hours
(Printable Recipe)

1 cup milk
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup organic pure cane sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1/4 cup raisins
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon zest or 1/2 tsp. dried lemon zest
2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
2 Tbsp. very warm water
1 large egg
2 cups Pamela's bread mix and flour blend (not the baking mix)
2/3 cup millet flour

Icing for cross:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/8 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. milk

In a large saucepan, heat milk until hot but not boiling.

Add butter, sugar and salt, stirring until dissolved. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins and lemon zest. Let cool to warm. (You want it just warm enough to not cook the egg.)

In a small bowl combine warm water and yeast, let sit for a few minutes. Stir into milk mixture.

Beat egg into milk mixture.

Sift flours together and pour a small amount into the milk mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon. Continue adding a little at a time, beating with the wooden spoon, until it's all mixed. Continue to beat with wooden spoon for about a minute or so, until everything is combined well and a nice dough has formed.

Place in a large greased bowl and cover with a damp towel. Set in a warm place to rise, about an hour, until doubled.

Doubled ...

If using muffin tins, grease them first and then place 18 equal portions into the tins. If you want to try shaping the buns yourself, grease baking sheets and round 18 balls to place on the sheets.

Cover again and let rise in warm place until nearly doubled again, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375. You'll want to use the top rack if you are using a gas oven. (I'm playing with it here. The original recipe called for 425 degrees and I started with 400. They were baking too fast so I lowered it to 375 and baked for less time. I'm giving you an estimate on the full time at 375 until I make them again.)

Bake approximately 15-20 minutes or until done.

Let cool completely and then make crosses on top with the icing.

To make the icing, in a small bowl combine the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Stir well to combine. If it's not thick enough to hold a line to form the cross, add a little more sugar at a time until it is.

Enjoy!

For my photo of beauty, I'm sharing another flower photo. We have wildflowers blooming for spring - not as many as I'd like with the drought going on but enough to enjoy their beauty. I love the vibrant red and orange in the Indian paintbrushes. I hope you have a beautiful weekend, and Happy Easter!

Why I'm sharing this: http://mamameglutenfree.blogspot.com/2012/02/beauty-in-eye-of-beholder.html

Triple Chocolate Brownies

Brownies from scratch. Those three words have always made my mouth water instantly, like Pavlov's dog. Brownies from a box aren't bad, but from scratch have always had that extra something that you can't quite put your finger on but you know it's good.

I love that brownies are versatile, full of flavor combinations, possibilities and textures and fairly simple to whip together and bake. They are perfect for any time of the year and nearly any occasion. So I was happy to see that Mary Fran from FrannyCakes, our host for this month's Gluten-Free Ratio Rally, had chosen brownies as our challenge. (Thank you, Mary Fran!)

Logo designed by Anile Prakash

Be sure to stop by Mary Fran's host post of Gluten-Free Hazelnut (Nutella) Brownies (be still, my heart! Nutella!) and drool over her offering as well as all the other amazing recipes my fellow participants baked up for you this month.

I chose to go with chocolate brownies because I felt chocolate was the perfect way to celebrate my one-year anniversary with the rally. I got started the second month into it last year, and I haven't regretted a minute of it. It's been so fun to have my eyes opened to possibilities I never imagined in the kitchen, as well as get to know my fellow rally bloggers a little bit better.

If you aren't familiar with the rally yet, you can learn more at the original introduction post by Shauna at Gluten-Free Girl as well as my other rally recipes that link up to the hosts each month on my Gluten-Free Ratio Rally page. By baking and cooking with weight and using a ratio, you can free yourself to create endless possibilities in your kitchen.

For these brownies, I came up with a ratio of 2 parts sugar: 1part fat: 1 part egg: 1 part flour. I based this from a recipe I created when I was pregnant with my oldest and was home alone for a week in desperate need of some serious chocolate. For this challenge, I played around with the flours and types of sugar and chocolate, and these ratio brownies ended up being less chocolate-y than the original gluten ones from years ago. My husband doesn't care for chocolate as much as I do, so I settled on cocoa powder for the final recipe I'm sharing today rather than the melted baking chocolate the originals call for.

I wish I could say the final product is perfect, but for me to call them perfect they would have a bit more chewiness to them. (Edit: Psssst ... I finally achieved it! See the edit in directions for the chewy perfection! This also gives them an awesome crunchy top.) That being said, however, I think that's all they are missing. If I baked them a little longer, they may or may not come out a little chewier and I might try that next time (tonight, maybe?). They aren't really cake-like brownies but are very fudge-y. I wish they had a little more chew, but I'm still quite happy with the texture and the entire pan was eaten quickly by everyone in the family. They definitely meet all the requirements in my mind for a really good from-scratch brownie taste.

Projected prep time: 10 minutes; Projected bake time: 25-30 minutes
(Printable Recipe)

4 ounces (1 stick, 1/2 cup or 8 Tbsp.) butter (I used salted)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (forgot to weigh, will edit next time)
8 ounces pure cane sugar (I used refined sugar for this recipe)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 ounces eggs (2 large eggs)
2 ounces (56 grams) brown rice flour
1 ounce (28 grams) teff flour
1 ounce (28 grams) potato starch (you can use tapioca here instead but I liked the potato texture a little better)
1 tsp. ground chia seed (I use Salba brand)
2 ounces (56 grams or about 1/3 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 ounces (56 grams or about 1/3 cup) white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional (forgot to weigh, will edit next time)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8 baking pan.

Sift flours together with ground chia.

Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat and cool to lukewarm.

Mix in sugar and stir until smooth. Mix in salt, cocoa and vanilla and stir until well-incorporated.

Mix in eggs until smooth.

Mix in flour blend until smooth.

Mix in chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and pecans.

Spread into greased pan. (Edit: If you want to achieve the chewy factor, let the batter sit in the pan for a minimum of 30 minutes, preferably an hour, before baking. Then try to let them cool before cutting them - they will be great!)

Bake for approximately 25-30 (they'll be a little chewier at 30 minutes) minutes or until done. For best results, let cool before cutting. (But they are good hot and gooey!)

Enjoy!

Please don't forget to stop by Mary Fran's post to see her delicious brownies, as well as all the other amazing brownies baked up by the participants this month! Just look at this list - how can you not be hungry for brownies right now? Thank you, again, Mary Fran!

Adina from Gluten Free Travelette made Chocolate Brownie Pie with Orange Zest
Angela from Angela's Kitchen made Gluten & Dairy Free Cream Egg Brownies
Brooke from B & the boy! made Triple Chocolate Brownies
Caitlin from {Gluten Free} Nom Nom Nom made Peppermint Brownie Bars
Caleigh from Gluten Free[k] made White chocolate and marshmallow brownies
Caneel from Mama Me Gluten Free made Triple chocolate brownies
Charissa Luke from Zest Bakery made Slutty gluten-free brownies
Claire from My Gluten Free Home PB&J Brownie Whoopee Pies
Claire from This Gluten-Free Life made St. Patty's Day Marshmallow Swirl Brownies
Erin from The Sensitive Epicure made Mexican Cocoa Brownies with an Almond & Pepitas Crust
gretchen from kumquat made salted caramel brownies
Heather from Discovering the Extraordinary made Nutmeg Blondies
Irvin from Eat the Love made Blueberry Citrus Marble Brownies
Jean from Gluten-Free Doctor Recipes made Blue Ribbon Brownies
Jenn Cuisine made Grain free brownies with no-bake ricotta cheesecake cream
Jonathan from The Canary Files made Vegan Marbled Banana Walnut Brownies
Karen from Cooking Gluten Free! made GF Chewy Crackled Top Brownies with Raspberry Puree
Mary Fran from FrannyCakes made Gluten-Free Hazelnut (Nutella) Brownies
Morri from Meals with Morri made Oaxacan Brownies & Mesquite Cacao Blondies
~Mrs. R from Honey From Flinty Rocks made Black Bean S'More Brownies
Pete and Kelli from No Gluten, No Problem made Caramel Mexican Chocolate Mesquite Brownies
Rachel from The Crispy Cook made Co-Co Nut-Nut Blondies
Shauna from Gluten-Free Girl made Gluten-Free Brownies
Tara from A Baking Life made Mint Chocolate Flourless Brownies
TR | No One Likes Crumbley Cookies Gluten Free Berry Fudge Brownies 

(And for my photo of beauty today, I'm sharing another bluebonnet photo from my neighbor's gorgeous crop. Can you find the ladybug? I love all the blue surrounding me this time of year - I hope you are finding the beauty surrounding you!)

Why I'm sharing this: http://mamameglutenfree.blogspot.com/2012/02/beauty-in-eye-of-beholder.html

Easy Eggplant Cacciatore

It's a great feeling when you come up with an experimental recipe AND it doesn't take too long. Many times the experimental recipes I'm happy with are delicious, but they take longer than I anticipated or have several steps to get them "just right." This is one of those recipes that is fairly quick and you can't get much simpler as far as how to prepare it. It was a winner in our home, and will be made time and time again.

I was thinking the other day of how easy my chicken cacciatore recipe is and how much I love that it lasts for more than one meal. I wanted to do something different, though, and make it even healthier. I can do without meat for most of meals and wanted something that was very filling and would last for leftovers. I switched out the chicken for eggplant in this recipe and wasn't disappointed. It uses only three ingredients!

In the photo above, I just spread a little spinach to the side of the cacciatore. To eat it, I served over a bed of fresh spinach. The spinach wilted a little from the heat and they taste great together.

Projected time, start to finish: Under 1 hour (note if you use brown rice, this will take a little longer unless you cook it in advance)
(Printable Recipe)

2 medium eggplant
Kosher salt
3 cups cooked rice
23 ounces marinara sauce of your choice (I used a jar of Prego marinara)

Start rice to cook, unless you cooked it ahead of time. (When it's finished, let it sit.)

Wash eggplant and chop off ends. No need to peel. Slice eggplant into 1/2-inch (approximately - you don't want them too thin) rounds and then cube the rounds by slicing vertically and then horizontally. You want good-sized chunks of eggplant.

Place eggplant in large bowl and generously sprinkle with kosher salt, tossing to combine. Let sit for about 15 minutes to draw out some of the moisture.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place eggplant in a colander and rinse off the salt, shake to remove excess water then pat eggplant with paper towels to remove more moisture.

Turn eggplant onto parchment paper in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

Pour marinara sauce into large pan or skillet, then add eggplant and stir to coat. Heat on medium heat until bubbling, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Fluff rice while eggplant simmers.

Add rice to eggplant, stir to combine and simmer for five more minutes.

Serve with salad or over a bed of fresh spinach (heat will wilt spinach a little bit).

Enjoy!

My photo of beauty today isn't the best quality, but it was the best I could get of this mockingbird. Because I wasn't trying to sleep, the chatter didn't bother me. It was running all around in the front yard making all sorts of racket and looking quite cute.

Why I'm sharing this: http://mamameglutenfree.blogspot.com/2012/02/beauty-in-eye-of-beholder.html

Lucky Leprechaun Surprise Chocolate Mint Mug Cake

You remember that mug cake I made the other day? Well, I can't seem to get them out of my mind. I've been making different flavors, and thought I'd better share this one with you before Saturday.

Mint-flavored chocolate cake with a hidden green creamy surprise inside - all in a lucky 7 minutes. (Had to add a couple of minutes in there to make the creamy goodness!) You'll want to try this any time of year, but it also serves as a nice green treat for St. Patrick's Day. (So does a salad and other veggie greens - be sure to get some of those in!)

If you are looking for other gluten-free St. Patrick's Day goodies, I do have an Irish "Spotted Dog" soda bread and these fantastic clover cookies from last year. I've had my eye on some of the other gluten-free soda breads in the food blog world, though, and they do look amazing. Some of them are even vegan, so I'll have to give them a try at some point!

I'm also thinking I may give Stephanie's dijon corned beef a try in the crockpot this year - she says it's not slimy and I believe her. You can't beat the ease of a crockpot meal!

Projected time, start to finish: 7 minutes
(Printable Recipe)

Cake:
1 large egg
4 Tbsp. Pamela's baking mix (not bread flour blend)
3 1/2 Tbsp. pure organic cane sugar
3 Tbsp. milk
2 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin coconut oil (tip: warm to above room temp to make it liquid)
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. pure mint extract (I used mint in this case, not peppermint, but peppermint would probably work fine)

Cream filling:
2 Tbsp. cream cheese
3 tsp. powdered sugar
1 tsp. egg white (from egg in mug)
1 drop green food coloring

Grease inside of large microwaveable mug. Crack egg into mug first because you'll need 1 tsp. of the egg white for the cream filling.

In a separate small bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg white and green coloring until smooth. Set aside.

Add remaining cake ingredients to mug and mix with a fork until everything is incorporated very well.

Drop cream cheese mixture into middle of cake batter.

Microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Enjoy!

This morning the girls and I had some excitement about our birds - not one but TWO chipping sparrows were flitting about under the feeders and among the branches outside our dining room windows. We hadn't seen chipping sparrows (house sparrows are what usually visit us) since last year, and we don't see them very often when they are around. I guess spring brought them back for a while.

I hope you have found beauty in your day today.

Why I'm sharing this: http://mamameglutenfree.blogspot.com/2012/02/beauty-in-eye-of-beholder.html

Slightly Sweet Crepes with Caramelized Bananas and Nutella Sauce

Until this past month, I would sometimes make pancakes a little thinner and spread Nutella and fresh bananas on them while hot. (Because bananas and Nutella were made for each other - especially when warmed.) Sometimes I'd roll them up, sometimes I wouldn't. I was trying to imitate a crepe.

Until this past month, my attempts at gluten-free crepes were usually tasty but a major pain that left me not wanting to mess with them anymore. I got most success out of bean flours, but it still wasn't simple. And they always tore when I tried to flip them. (Well, due to the pan I was using, they tore when I tried to flip them when I made gluten crepes, too, but they didn't tear as badly.)

But this past month, crepes were our Gluten-Free Ratio Rally challenge. I was prepared for it this month, and started a few weeks before deadline rather than a few days as in some months. I'm thrilled to say that the crepes I tried the first time around were so successful, I was able to try them a few more times and in different ways with equal success. I was even able to flip them by just lifting an edge up and turning the crepe over with my fingers.

Thicker crepe

These crepes are as close to perfect crepes as I think I've ever gotten, even when I was making crepes with gluten. They don't tear when you flip them, they hold up under rolling ingredients into them or even folding them, and they taste amazing. I was able to make them thicker and even as thin as paper - all without tearing. And the best part, of course, is they have no gluten.

Thinner crepe

Thinner crepe

Given all of the above, I'm very, very grateful that T.R. Crumbley of No One Likes Crumbley Cookies is hosting crepes as our challenge this month! (Thank you, T.R!) Be sure to visit T.R.'s host post (Brownie Crepes with Strawberry Wine Sauce - Oh.Yum.) which is also covering a variety of crepes and fillings he's come up with, along with all of the other crepes rally participants cooked up for you this month. Your mouth will be watering and you will be reaching for your mixing bowl. (See list at bottom of this post.)

Logo designed by Anile Prakash

Speaking of the rally, this month marks the one-year anniversary of the rally's first challenge and posts. Congratulations, rally participants! If you aren't familiar with the Gluten-Free Ratio Rally and what it's all about, you can find more information at my rally page where I include a link to the very first host post by Shauna (Gluten-Free Girl) and as well as links to my monthly rally posts. Using a ratio and weight to make these recipes gives me an independence I'd never experienced in the kitchen before joining the rally. Weight and ratio can do the same for you.

For these crepes, I used Ruhlman'screpe ratio of 1:1:1/2 (1 part liquid: 1 part egg: 1/2 part flour). For example, using 2 ounces for the egg because a large egg is approximately 2 ounces, that would mean 2 ounces liquid: 2 ounces egg: 1 ounce flour. Then you adjust the amount you need by multiplying it.

Given my success with crepes and tearing them while flipping in past trials, I immediately ruled out using my stainless pans. I had success with them in the past only for the first few after getting oil really hot in them, and then the rest would tear. I didn't want to use my cast iron skillet because of the size and weight - I was afraid my arms would be tired in trying to thin out the batter properly.

For the first trial on this challenge, I used my electric frying pan (which is actually a square shape) because it's nonstick. It worked fairly well, but took longer because of the odd shape and trying to keep the batter in a round shape as I moved the pan. So, I ordered this awesome crepe panand seasoned it for the next use. It's had a few uses since then. If you have any desire to make crepes on occasion, or even omelets, and own mostly stainless cookware like myself, I highly recommend getting yourself one of these crepe pans. After seasoning it properly, it's superb. I opted for the smaller size, but it comes in two sizes. All I had to do after seasoning (with potato peels - that was a new one for me!) it was put a drop of oil on a paper towel and rub it onto the pan before starting and a few times throughout.

Now on to the recipe. As mentioned earlier, I have loved bananas and Nutella for a long time. While I've never been a fan of fresh bananas, I love bananas when warmed up and especially with chocolate. (I also love bananas in smoothies, bread, pudding, cake ... just not crazy about eating them fresh and plain.) I adore caramelized bananas - which is how I make them in these photos. To give credit where credit is due, I used Ruhlman's suggestion for caramelizing.

Projected prep time: 5 minutes; Rest time for batter: 45 minutes or longer; Cook time: 1-2 minutes per crepe
(Printable Recipe)

Crepes (makes about 12 in a 7-8 inch pan)
8 ounces milk (1 cup)
8 ounces egg (4 large eggs)
2 ounces (56 grams) millet flour
1 ounce (27 grams) tapioca starch
1/2 ounce (14 grams) teff flour
1/2 ounce (14 grams) brown rice flour
1 teaspoon ground chia seed (I use Salba brand)
Pinch of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon organic pure cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Caramelized bananas:
2 or more bananas, sliced vertically and then horizontally
Butter
Pure dark brown sugar

Nutella sauce:
Nutella
Milk

For crepes, combine dry ingredients together. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk together very well until the batter is smooth without lumps and a fairly thin liquid (it will seem thick at first). Cover bowl and let batter rest at least 45 minutes. If you are letting it rest more than an hour or so, refrigerate it.

Lightly sweep a drop of oil over pan with paper towel. (Use more if you are using stainless.) Heat crepe pan, skillet or pan of choice over medium heat.

This batter will have a lot of the heavier ingredients settle at the bottom while resting, so very gently stir with a spoon to combine again. Continue to do this every few crepes. You may want to add a little more milk toward the end to thin the batter out, but it may not be necessary.

Pour a small amount of batter into pan and tilt and swirl pan gently to coat bottom of pan. Cook until set, about a minute, and gently flip over to the other side to cook just until done.

Set cooked crepe on wire rack to cool, or use immediately.

For bananas, melt a couple of tablespoons (use your judgment on how much butter and sugar based on how many bananas you are using) of butter in pan. Add bananas and a few spoonfuls of dark brown sugar, stirring until bananas are hot and butter/sugar mixture has formed a syrup-like consistency.

For Nutella sauce, in a small bowl combine a few spoonfuls of Nutella with a little milk. Stir until smooth, then continue to add a little milk at a time until it's reached a sauce consistency you are happy with. The Nutella may try to seize at first, but if you continue to stir, it will smooth out.

To fill crepes, spoon some of the bananas hot from the pan into each crepe and roll the crepe up. Top with Nutella sauce.

Enjoy!

Because this post is being written ahead of the publish day, I'm sharing another photo of beauty with you from my walk around the neighborhood the other morning. Bees were buzzing all around this tree, and this little worker was very busy with this particular flower. I hope you are able to find beauty in your day today!

Why I'm sharing this: http://mamameglutenfree.blogspot.com/2012/02/beauty-in-eye-of-beholder.html

**Again, many thanks to T.R. for hosting us this month. Be sure to check out his host post and all the other participants' posts. I can't wait to try out all these new crepes!

Adina ~ Gluten Free Travelette ~ Breakfast Crepes Three Ways

Angela ~ Angela's Kitchen ~ Savory Buckwheat Crepes with Sweet Potato, Mushroom and Kale Filling

Caitlin ~ {Gluten-Free} Nom Nom Nom ~ Buckwheat Crepes

Caleigh ~ Gluten Free[k] ~ Banana Cinnamon Crepes

Caneel ~ Mama Me Gluten Free ~ Slightly Sweet Crepes with Caramelized Bananas and Nutella Sauce

Charissa ~ Zest Bakery ~ Black Pepper Crepes with Chicken Tikka Masala

Claire ~ My Gluten Free Home ~ Victory Crepe Cake

Erin ~ The Sensitive Epicure ~ Socca with Za'atar & Sumac (Garbanzo Flour Crepes)

Ginger  ~ Fresh Ginger ~ Sweet 'n Savory

gretchen ~ kumquat ~ nutella crepe cake

Heather ~ Discovering the Extraordinary ~ "Southwestern" Crepes

Jenn ~ Jenn Cuisine ~ Braised Duck, Fennel and Chestnut Crêpes

Karen ~ Cooking Gluten-Free! ~ Gluten Free Crepes Savory or Sweet

Mary Fran ~ FrannyCakes ~ Gluten-free Peanut Butter Crepe Cake

Mary Fran ~ FrannyCakes ~ Gluten-Free Vanilla Bean Crêpes Sucrées

Monika ~ Chew on This! ~ Dessert crepes with caramelized plantains, toasted coconut and chocolate sauce

Morri  ~  Meals with Morri ~ Russian Blini for Two

Pete and Kelli ~ No Gluten, No Problem ~ Key Lime Crepes

Shauna ~ gluten-free girl ~ Gluten Free Buckwheat Crepes

T.R. ~ No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ Brownie Crepes with Strawberry Wine sauce

T.R. ~ No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ Basil Tomato and Feta Crepes

T.R. ~ No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ Fresh Fruit Crepe

Tara ~ A Baking Life ~ Breakfast Crepes with Eggs and Kale

Jonathan ~ The Canary Files ~ Vegan Crepes for Filipino Spring Rolls

Rachel ~ The Crispy Cook ~ Raspberries and Cream Crepes

~Mrs. R ~ Honey From Flinty Rocks ~ Crepes - Spinach & Dessert

Baked Quinoa Millet Breakfast Pudding

Some of you may remember how much I like baked oatmeal. And you may also remember how much I like the spiced quinoa millet hot cereal from a few weeks back. I got it in my head that the two styles must somehow be combined for one glorious breakfast and wasn't disappointed.

I call it "pudding" because it has a taste very similar to bread pudding. I may even add some vanilla to it next time. Serve it as a breakfast, snack or even dessert. It packs a punch full of protein, fiber and nutrients. If your family is anything like mine, they will gobble it up quickly with "ooh's" and "ahh's" and promptly ask for seconds - if there are any seconds to be had.

The thing that is so great about this is you can make the quinoa millet hot cereal for breakfast one day and you'll more than likely have enough left over (plain, no spice) for making this another day.

Projected prep time (already having the cereal cooked): 5 minutes; Projected bake time: 35-40 minutes
(Printable recipe)

3 cups cooked quinoa and millet cereal (see this recipe)
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil (will try 1/3 cup applesauce next time) (Edit: I don't like the applesauce version as much, but love it with organic extra virgin coconut oil)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup packed pure dark brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients until well-mixed and pour into 8x8 baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until done. Refrigerate leftovers.

Enjoy!

It's another windy day today and my throat is feeling a little scratchy from all the dust. I don't think I'll be venturing out again today, so I'll share a photo of beauty from a sunset the other night. It only was beautiful for about 10 minutes, but I enjoyed it while it lasted.

Find something beautiful in your day today.

Why I'm sharing this: http://mamameglutenfree.blogspot.com/2012/02/beauty-in-eye-of-beholder.html

Toffee Bars

I made these chewy-with-enough-crunch bars for an after-school snack recently and they were a hit. They were pretty quick to make, and super-simple to put together. Super-tasty, too. So ... I'm making them again today.

Because I decided at the last minute to prepare them, I had to go ahead and dig into them while they were hot, and place a few slices in the freezer to firm them up for eating. If you're able, make them a few hours in advance of serving so they'll have time to properly cool.

My mother is living in England right now, getting her master's, and she has given me a couple of sweet little recipe books she picked up over there. I adapted this recipe from the "toffee bars" recipe in the Favourite Teatime Recipes book by Carole Gregory, so I guess these are "authentic" English toffee bars. (Except I used pecans instead of walnuts.) Another thing I love about having a kitchen scale is I don't have to fret about converting recipes like this one - I can work straight from the recipe! I'd been wanting to make toffee bars lately, anyway, seeing my friend Ginny's recent toffee bar posts with similar recipes.

These did not disappoint.

Projected prep time: 10 minutes; Projected bake time: 15-20 minutes
(Printable recipe)

Bars:
4 oz. (whole stick) salted butter
4 oz. dark brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 oz. gluten-free flour blend (I used blend of millet & tapioca and a blend of millet & brown rice the other time - both were good)
1 tsp. ground chia seeds (I use Salba brand)
2 oz. certified gluten-free rolled oats

Topping:
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 oz. butter
2 oz. chopped pecans (or walnuts - I like pecans better)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 7x11 baking pan.

Cream butter, sugar and egg yolk together until smooth. Mix in flour and oats. Spread mixture in pan, pressing down to even the surface.

Bake about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on oven, or until golden brown. Let cool about 10 minutes.

Add chocolate chips and butter into a small bowl and microwave 30 seconds, stir and then microwave a few more seconds until you can stir it smooth. Alternately, heat over a bowl of hot water until it can be stirred smooth. Gently spread chocolate over bars. Top with pecans (or walnuts).

While warm, cut into bars but leave in pan until cool. Cool completely before serving.

Enjoy!

And while I'm at it, Mr. Finch (Tomato, Cherry or Reddy) enjoyed another snack of his own in the window feeder, providing me with a photo of his beauty. He saw me, and craned his neck to determine if he needed to scoot. He decided to finish his snack. 

Why I'm sharing this: http://mamameglutenfree.blogspot.com/2012/02/beauty-in-eye-of-beholder.html

I hope you have a beautiful day and weekend!