Gluten Free Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

Tonight I am using the Better Batter Gluten Free Brownie mix to make my Gluten Free Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies. After the busy busy last 4 days I have had. I need a treat. This Better Batter mix worked perfectly in this recipe.

Here is what you need:
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 better batter gluten free fudge brownie mix

8-oz cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350F. Spray non stick spray on the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch 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.) Spray non stick spray on the parchment.

2.Beat better batter gluten free flour batter mix together with eggs, water and oil for 1 minute.

3.Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.

5.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, then spread.

6.Bake for 30 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.

7.Let cool completely in pan on a cooling rack before lifting out the parchment paper to remove the brownies.

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Gluten-Free Vanilla Scones

You know when you go to Starbucks and there are those adorable yummy Vanilla Scones staring back at you through the glass? I want those scones. I can have them, but Taylor can't. Until now! We are going to need food and munchies for our big LA trip this weekend. I figure we can take these along with us.

3 cups All-purpose Flour (I use better batter gluten free flour)
⅔ cup Sugar
5 teaspoons Baking Powder
¼ teaspoons Salt
2 sticks unsalted Butter, Chilled
1 large egg
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 vanilla bean
Glaze
2 whole Vanilla Beans
3 cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted
½ cups Whole Milk
1 whole Vanilla Bean
Dash Of Salt

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.Split one vanilla bean down the middle lengthwise and scrape out all the vanilla “caviar” inside.

Stir into cream. Set aside for 15 minutes.

3.Sift together flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Cut cold butter into pats, then put in the kitchenaid and use paddle attachment to cut the butter into the flour. Keep going until mixture resembles sand.

4.Mix vanilla cream with egg, then combine with flour mixture; stir with paddle on low until it comes together.

5.Turn dough onto a non-stick surface and cover with saran wrap. Use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Use your hands to help with the forming if necessary.

6.Use a knife to trim into a symmetrical rectangle, then cut the rectangle into 12 symmetrical squares/rectangles. Next, cut each square/rectangle in half diagonally, to form two triangles.

7.Transfer to a parchment or baking mat-lined cookie sheet

 and bake for 18 minutes, removing from the oven just before they start to turn golden. Allow to cool for 15 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

8.To make the icing, split one vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the caviar. Stir caviar into milk; allow to sit for awhile. Mix powdered sugar with the vanilla milk, adding more powdered sugar or milk if necessary to get the consistency the right thickness. Stir or whisk until completely smooth.

9.One at a time, carefully dunk each cooled scone in the glaze, turning it over if necessary. Transfer to parchment paper or the cooling rack. Allow the glaze to set completely, about an hour. Scones will keep several days if glazed.

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Gluten-Free Olive Garden Soup and Salad night

My favorite soup from the Olive Garden is Zuppa Toscana. Since we are doing my home version of Olive Garden, Here is a recipe that tastes like theirs.

1 lb Italian sausage (chicken sausage is a good sub for those of us that don't eat red meat)
2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half,and then in half again and then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 can bacos, or 1/2 cup bacon (again depending on your diet choice)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups kale chopped
4 cups  chicken broth
4 cups water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
dash of crushed red chiles

Directions:

Remove sausage casing and ground up meat with a spatula in a skillet over medium high heat.

Cook until cooked through, Drain sausage.
Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot and cover, and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done.

Add sausage and bacon and a dash of red chiles.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer for another 10 minutes.
Turn to low heat.
Add kale and cream.

Heat through and serve... Soup Salad and Breadsticks, Just like at Olive Garden! =)

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Here is the crazy girls. They ate every single one of those breadsticks by the way.

Just like Olive Garden Salad

Continuing with our olive garden themed dinner... Here is a quick recipe for a salad that is like theirs. Feel free to mix it up. This is just the basics.

Ingredients:

1 head iceburg lettuce torn into bite sized pieces.
1/4 small red onion, sliced paper-thin
6 -12 pitted black olives
6 mild pepperoncini peppers
1 -2 small roma tomato, sliced
Italian dressing (or use a recipe for Olive Garden's House Dressing that follows)
freshly grated parmesan cheese, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a large glass or wooden salad serving bowl, toss together the lettuce mix, onion slices, olives, pepperoncini, tomatoes ( you can add croutons if you aren't gluten free). Add dressing and toss to combine.

If you want the recipe of the olive garden dressing instead of using a bottled italian. Here it is:
Ingredients:

1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup corn syrup
2 1/2 tablespoons grated romano cheese
2 tablespoons dry pectin
2 tablespoons beaten eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 pinch dried oregano
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Combine all of the ingredients with a mixer on medium speed or in a blender on low speed for 30 seconds.


Chill at least 1 hour.

Serve over mixed greens.
Soup Salad and Breadsticks for dinner!

Gluten-Free Breadsticks inspired by olive garden

Back in the day, before I was exposed to real food. I used to love Olive Garden to eat their soup,salad and breadsticks. No, it wasn't gourmet. It was just simple comfort food for someone on a budget. The breadsticks were perfect when dipped in the alfredo sauce. SO fattening. But SO good. Tonight I am attempting to make a gluten free version of them so my daughter can once again feel that comfort. It is Olive Garden night here at the Silbaugh house. I am using the gluten-free better batter flour to make the breadsticks. I also made a side of my alfredo sauce to dip them in. Not bad!

Here was my process:
For the Dough:
3 cups water
1 package active dry yeast
4 1/4 cups better batter all-purpose flour,plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons unsalted butter,softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fine salt

For the Topping:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter,melted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of dried oregano

Directions
Place 1/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a mixer; sprinkle in the yeast and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Add the flour, butter, sugar, fine salt and 3 cups warm water; mix with the whisk attachment (you do this with gluten free flour, usually it would be a paddle) until a slightly sticky dough forms...fully blended, About 3 minutes minutes.

Normally with gluten bread you roll it and knead it. Not with Gluten free. You only want it to rise once. I put the dough into a ziplock bag, cut a 1.5 inch hole

and squeeze out the dough into breadstick shapes. 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet or baking stones.

 Cover with saran wrap; let rise in a warm spot until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Make the topping: Brush the breadsticks with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt.

Bake about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt with the garlic powder and oregano. Brush the warm breadsticks with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with the garlic salt.

I served mine with some homemade zuppa toscana and a nice italian salad. Mange!

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Good Morning Frittata!

This weekend is going to be CrAzY haywire off the charts NUTS! Usually I say T.G.I.F. but even though it is Friday today, I feel ike it is a Monday. My daughter is auditioning (she writes and sings Music), in LA Saturday and Sunday. Makes for a very long weekend. Long drive, Long lines etc...AND my husband is leaving today for a 3 day catamaran sailing trip. So there won't be any cooking this weekend. It is going to be sack lunches for us in LA. I have no idea how good/bad we will eat, so...I want to get this all started off right, so I am going to make everyone in the house Frittatas.

4 eggs

Sprinkle of green onions
Pinch of Sea Salt
1/2 cup diced fresh spinach
1/4 cups of Grated Sharp Cheddar
1 TB salted butter for the pan
splash of whole milk

How to make a Frittata:

1. Whisk eggs in a kitchenaid mixer with whole milk until it is light and fluffy while butter melts in the pan.

2. Whisk in diced cheddar, sea salt, chopped spinach

and green onion to the egg mixture. Pour into the middle of the melted butter.

3. Let cook for a couple minutes, sprinkle the top with a little more cheese then transfer the pan to the oven ). 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until the eggs are firm in the center of the pan.

4. Slice in wedges and serve. This serves 2 so double if you need more accordingly.

Cheddar Dill Balls Gluten-Free

These are actually called gougères. A gougère, in French cuisine, is a savory choux pastry primarily made of milk, cheese, flour and egg. Seeing there is not a ton of flour in them. I thought, I am sure I can make these gluten free using a good gluten free flour blend. It is side dishes like this that my daughter misses most. SO.... Today is her guest post! She will be making these and giving you her opinion on them!

Hello everybody :) well im doing this new "life style" with my 2 close friends and we are only allowed to have 1 desert a week... and my mom made these AMAZING chocolate cupcakes on Sunday... of course the BEGINING of the week so there went my dessert and last night she told me she wanted me to make homemade ding dongs today and i was all NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and i begged her to give me something not chocolatey amazingness SO she had me make cheesy goodness instead :) and next week ill be making the chocolatey amazingness so defenetly look out for that one...yummm

 Cheddar Dill Gougères

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
½ cup unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
Large pinch of kosher salt
1 cup better batter all-purpose flour (gluten free of course)
4 large eggs
1 cup cheddar cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1 tsp. dill, plus more for sprinkling
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, bring the water, milk, butter and salt to a boil. Add the flour and stir until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan, and dries out a bit...** ok, so today was "hell kitchen" basically my mom and i decided to be insanely clutsy.... my mom spilt the flour everywhere and not thinking the the butter was going to be melted down by the boiling water and milk anyway i decided i needed to sofen the butter.. so i put it in the microwave and just hit "1" then i was going to take it out after 10 secs went by... but then when she spilled the flour i got distracted and forgot about the butter sooooo... long story short the minute went by and the butter was melted all over the microwave so my advice is 1: dont soften the butter and 2: if u do decide to soften the butter.. put it in a bowl or on a plate

**This is my mom and i scraping the melted butter out of the microwave HAHAHA

** This is what it should look like after you add the flour









Turn the dough out into a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each one. Add the cheddar cheese, dill and pepper. ** i dont like too much pepper personally.. i know.. im weird so i just put a couple of little shakes soo depending on how much you like personally is how much you add

** before the eggs, cheese and dill

**After eggs are mixed with cheese and dill in there (they arent mixed yet)

** everything mixed! i know it looked weird but its good trust me











Transfer the dough to a pastry bag with a half inch tip (or a disposable bag with the tip cut off) and pipe tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets at least two inches apart. **they are VERY sticky so prepare yourself

**the Ghetto pastry bag... hahah it defenetly works though.. my mom made a point in saying that its smarter to use a ghetto one cause you dont have the hastle of having to clean it out.. you can just throw it away

                                         

Sprinkle with cheese and additional dill. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm or room temperature. ** ok again with my mess ups... dont forget the cheese on top! i almost forgot.. i put them in the oven and everything but i rescued them the moment i realized i forgot :) didnt put the dill on top.... i was in a hurry BUT if u want dill.. you go glen coco but dont forget the cheese on top it really makes the balls AMAZING and another tip.. it looks like they are done after 25 min because the cheese is brown DONT BE FOOLED they are not done leave them in that extra 5 min and they will be perfect (another mistake i made hahah)

The gougers can be frozen or refrigerated. To reheat, cook in an 350 degree oven for at least five minutes, or until hot and crispy. :) even through all the mess ups and mishaps today they still tasted great and i recommend them but.. im biased to anything cheesey and bready lol hope you like them just as much as me!! :)
~Taylor
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Homemade Gnocchi Gluten-Free

One of my favorite things is pasta. Every kind. Gnocchi is so good, but can be time consuming. I haven't made gnocchi since finding out Taylor was gluten intollerant. But having the better batter products, have encouraged me to try things that I previously thought would be impossible. I am thrilled. This Gnocchi was exact. I mean there is no way I could tell a difference! Here is what I did:

Fresh Gnocchi

2 lbs potatoes, peeled, cooked (this was about 6 potatoes for me)
1 1/4 - 2 cups Better Batter Gluten Free flour
1 egg, beaten
Salt and pepper

Cook your potatoes in the oven or boil them until tender. I am using the inside of my potatoes left over from my potato skins.
Press them through potato ricer, if you don't have one you can put them through the grater on the kichen aid, and then use a masher into a bowl. Add the beaten egg, salt and pepper, mix with a kitchen aid paddle on low OR a wooden spoon (that's the traditional way of doing it), then add better batter flour(or your favorite gluten free flour), 1/2 cup at a time to start, then little by little.

Once you have worked in a cup, sprinle working surface with 1/4 cup better batter flour. Put dough on a working surface and start working it with your hands.. It makes for lighter, fluffier dumplings. Do not overwork! If you over work it, it gets sticky. It takes about 1 and 1/4 cups of better batter flour.

Divide the dough into quarters. Dust your working surface with flour and roll out the dough with the palms of your hands into a long rope. Cut to 1inch intervals.
Shape them with a fork or gnocchi paddle. (the grooves are what make the sauce stick) I don't have a gnocchi padde. But hope to get one someday. SO the fork had to do. Place the dumplings on a sheet of parchment, or if you have a Roul'pat it works great.

To cook, drop the dumplings in salted boiling water. When they float to the surface, they are done! It should take about 1-2 minutes. Make sure to boil in batches, so they don't stick. Strain. I used my handy dandy strainer spoon that I love.

 You can serve just like this. That is how it is traditionally served.
I covered... slathered mine in my alfredo sauce. Yum... served it with my parmesan chicken... yum!

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