Blueberry Peach Crumble

A few days ago I went blueberry picking at a local farm that pretty much has acres and acres of blueberry bushes that have the most delicious berries. I find myself going there a few times during the months of July and August. I then come home and go over my recipes and make the family favorites to enjoy with the fresh berries. Of course half of the blueberries get eaten straight out of the refrigerator as snacks but they are so healthy that's okay. One of  my favorite desserts that I  make all year long are different types of  crumbles. They are so simple and work well with any fruit so they are good for all seasons, but this combination of blueberries and peaches is especially delicious and the fruit is available at the same time of the year.This recipe makes eating gluten free a breeze.

Blueberry Peach Crumble

1 cup blueberries

1 peach, skinned and diced

1 tablespoon Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Mix

1/2 teaspoon Lemon zest

1  teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoon sugar

Combine all above ingredients and let sit while you make the topping.

 Topping:

1/3 cup Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Mix

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

Mix the all-purpose baking mix, sugars, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add butter and mix with an electric mixer or your fingers until crumbly.

Put fruit into a 5" x 5" square baking dish or two individual size ramekins  Sprinkle topping over fruit to cover.  Bake 40 minutes @350 degrees until bubbling and golden brown on top. 2 servings

For other delicious gluten free recipes go to:www.glutenfreebakingmixes.com

Gluten Free Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins

It's that time of the year again, Blueberry Picking. As a little girl when my family lived near Boston we would go into the city and always stop at the Jordan Marsh Store to get a blueberry muffin before we started our shopping day. Over the years I have made different attempts to re-create this muffin with some success, but now that I had the original recipe I was so excited to make them and do a gluten free version at the same time. 

 Here in Connecticut there are many towns that have the most wonderful blueberry farms that grow huge blueberry bushes that supply me with as many blueberries to make all my favorite recipes, as well as enough to freeze for later. It's  fun to go early in the morning (cooler) and taste as you pick. I really appreciate the quality of fresh picked berries, but if you don't live in an area where blueberry picking is available or it's just not your thing, farmer's markets are a great source for delicious fruit and sometimes supermarkets have pretty good berries in season as well.

There is something that sets this muffin above the average muffin you get in a bakery, it could be that it is just very simple and doesn't have any fancy ingredients, not even some lemon or cinnamon so the true taste of the blueberries shine. 

The recipe was  included in this article for a reason. So make a batch and enjoy  the experience so many people savored when the store was open. These were a special treat many years ago and soon will become a family favorite, I know I am happy!!  

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Mix

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 extra large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk 

2 cups blueberries

sugar for sprinkling

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12 cup regular muffin pan and a 12 cup mini muffin pan with paper liners.

In a small bowl mix gluten free all-purpose baking mix, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl mix with an electric mixer combine the butter and sugar until fluffy  Add the eggs one at a time until batter is smooth, blend in the vanilla.  Add the flour mixture to the batter alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour.  Don't over mix.  Fold in the blueberries gently just until combined.  

Divide the batter among the 12 regular and 12 mini muffin pans filling about 2/3 full. Sprinkle the tops with a little sugar.  Bake the regular muffins for 27 minutes and the mini muffins 12-15 minutes until golden.

For other recipes like this go to:www.glutenfreebakingmixes.com

Gluten Free Bacon & Cheddar Waffles

Using a Gluten Free Hi Protein pancake mix makes these waffles a hearty way to start the day. The bacon and cheese in the batter tastes like a complete breakfast in each bite. They come together quickly enough for a weekday morning or you can make a batch, freeze and reheat for an even faster breakfast, or equally perfect for a late night snack. 

Recipe:

Bacon and Cheese Waffles

2 cups Gluten Free Hi-Protein Pancake Mix

2 eggs

1 2/3 cups milk, 1% or skim  

1 cup low fat sour cream

1 tablespoon melted butter

8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, then add bacon & cheese. Bake in a preheated waffle iron until golden brown. Serves 4-6.

For more easy Gluten Free recipes go to: http://www.glutenfreebakingmixes.com/page/page/8509453.htm

Peanut Butter Filled Gluten Free Brownie Cupcakes

If you love peanut butter and want a quick and easy cupcake with lots of chocolate brownie flavor this is the treat you. I found a simple recipe book from the publishers of Taste of Home Magazine that used grocery store mixes to make all kinds of recipes.  Some, I must say were a little too "processed food" like for my taste, but a few were really adaptable to healthy gluten free baking. The creaminess of the filling is just the right combination for the richness of the brownie and you get a nice mouthful of both when you bite into the cupcake. 

     

For this delicious recipe go to:http://www.mdillon.applybuilder.com/peanut-butter-brownie-cup.html

Apricot Amaretto Cupcakes

I saw a pretty picture of a vanilla cupcake in a magazine that had an apricot filling and an apricot slice on top. I think it was in Southern Living Magazine that my mother always hands down to me (she gets it even though we live in Connecticut). The recipe in the magazine was very basic, but it did give me an idea for these cupcakes which are anything but ordinary. 

 I started out trying to figure out an ingredient that would spice up a vanilla cupcake and blend in with the apricot on top. I also wanted to keep them very elegant so I could serve them for a formal dessert,  and simple since that is the way I like to bake.  I reached for one of my gluten free vanilla cake mixes, and then went and searched for something interesting in the liquor cabinet. I lucked out and had a small amount of Amaretto left and gave it a try. 

 The results were amazing!  Just the right amount of sweetness and flavor from the amaretto and a nice fruit burst in your mouth from the fresh apricot baked into the top. A sprinkle of powdered sugar made them look pretty too.

Recipe:

Apricot Amaretto Cupcakes

1 Package Gluten Free Vanilla Cake Mix

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup Amaretto Liqueur

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 ripe apricot

powdered sugar 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl combine the milk and vinegar, let sit 5 minutes. Add cake mix, Amaretto, and oil. Whisk about 15 seconds until smooth. Divide among the 12 muffin cups.

Cut the apricot into quarters then each quarter into thirds so you have 12 thin slices of fruit. Place a slice of fruit on top of each muffin. Bake the muffins 23-28 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely. sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. 

For more recipes using gluten free baking mixes visit:www.glutenfreebakingmixes.com 

Chili Cornbread Muffins

Regular Corn Muffins can be bland and often need a topping of some jam or butter to really enjoy them. This recipe has a delicious richness from the yogurt and melted butter, a surprising kick from the chili pepper, and a nice crunch from the scallions, that makes this savory muffin go equally well with a bowl of steaming chili, or to stand alone by itself  for a spicy snack. You can also see how pretty they are with all the color flakes throughout the muffin.          

Chile Cornbread Muffins

1 cup Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Mix

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 cups medium grind cornmeal

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 scallions chopped

1 red chili pepper seeded and chopped

3 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup plain yogurt

2/3 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a 12 cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray, or use baking cups.

In a large bowl mix the Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Mix, baking powder, cornmeal, sugar, & salt.  Add the scallions & chili pepper. In a medium bowl mix the eggs, yogurt, milk, & butter together and add to the dry ingredients just until blended.

Divide among 12 muffin tins and bake for 15 minutes. Cool and enjoy! 

Triple Chocolate Trifle

Three types of chocolate gives this simple trifle a real satisfying chocolate flavor.  I actually created this by accident when I was experimenting with  a double chocolate cake with vanilla filling recipe.  I broke the cake when I was trying to cut it in half to make two layers, and was left with crumbled chocolate cake and some vanilla ganache in the fridge that I was going to whip for a cream filling.  Not wanting to waste these delicious ingredients I took out my martini glasses and started layering.  I was thinking of the old dessert, Death By Chocolate while I was making this new version.  So after I had the two layers I added  some bittersweet chocolate shavings over the top and a new favorite was born!

For Information on the gluten free chocolate cake mix and the recipe go to:www.glutenfreebakingmixes.com