Blueberry Pancakes Two Ways (Muffins)

Using the new Gluten Free Hi-Protein Pancake Mix I made blueberry pancakes two ways using the same convenient baking mix.  First, I followed the directions for the pancakes and made a few plain pancakes, then added some blueberries and made the blueberry version. A perfectly delicious Sunday breakfast for sure. Most mornings though I don't have time to cook a leisurely breakfast for my family but still want to send them out the door with something healthy. That was how the blueberry pancake muffin came into play. They are so great to make ahead of time and using the pancake mix also easy. With five ingredients a dozen nutritious muffins that taste just like blueberry pancakes are done. These muffins are a favorite of both kids and adults. Who would love a tasty breakfast treat that has the extra benefit of being  good for You?

Plain Hi-Protein Pancakes

Blueberry Pancake Muffins

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups Gluten Free Hi-Protein Pancake Mix

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 extra-large eggs, beaten

1 cup low fat milk

1/2 butter, melted 

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl just until moistened.  Spoon the muffin batter into the muffin cups. Bake 15 minutes until golden brown.

ENJOY!

The gluten free hi-protein pancake mix is available at:www.glutenfreebakingmixes.com

Chocolate Brownies with Caramel & Sea Salt

If you love sweet and salty like I do, these easy brownies will make your mouth very happy. The caramel  intensifies the flavor of both the chocolate and the salt in a deliciously gooey way. I have been seeing a version of these brownies everywhere lately and decided to make them super easy by using a gluten free baking mix for brownies as the base of this delicious dessert. You can see just how rich looking these are and believe me they taste even better than they look. I used the BERRYHILL Caramel Sauce from ALDI's and have confirmed with the company that it is gluten free. I find this sauce is as good as the more expensive sauces on the market so it will help keep the cost of this recipe down, since the gluten free brownie mixes are a bit more costly than regular brownie mixes.  Give this recipe a try and see how fast they disappear. 

The recipe and brownie mix can be found at:www.glutenfreebakingmixes.com

Strawberry Banana Muffins

I have made strawberry muffins and banana muffins over and over again. While each one is delicious on their own, Sunday we were looking for a new muffin combination. My daughter, who loves anything with bananas, decided to take the banana muffin recipe and mix it up by adding some chopped strawberries.  We didn't want to get too complicated on our first try so we kept it simple. One thing we did do was reduce the sugar, since we felt that the strawberries would add some extra sweetness to the banana recipe.  We came up with a pretty good combination that was a big hit. Just the right amount of fruit and sugar mix and a nice crunchy top with the nutmeg sugar. They didn't last long, I will definitely  make these again especially since in a month the native strawberries will be here and make them extra special. 

Strawberry Banana Muffins

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 extra-large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 mashed ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups diced strawberries
Cream butter & Sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs one at a time, then milk and mix well. Combine the all-purpose baking mix, salt, soda, & powder and add to the bowl along with the mashed bananas.  Mix lightly and then add the strawberries.  Mix until just combined. Divide dough among 12 greased muffin tins. Top with nutmeg sugar (1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg).  Bake @ 375 for 23-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack and Enjoy!  

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

Chocolate Biscotti

A gluten free chocolate cake mix makes these biscotti easy to prepare and the results like a traditional from scratch version. The taste and appearance of these treats are memorable. I like to have this trick up my sleeve since sometimes making biscotti can seem like a big task when you want something really special but also don't want to spend extra time in the kitchen. They are nice cookie that you will enjoy with coffee or as a late night snack.

1 package gluten free chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup gluten free all-purpose baking mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 extra-large egg
1/4 cup Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chopped dried cranberries
In a large bowl mix all the ingredients, except nuts and cranberries, using an electric mixer until well mixed. Stir in nuts and cranberries.  On an ungreased baking sheet , divide dough in half and shape into two 9" by 2" logs.  
Bake @ 350 degrees for 35 minutes until firm.  Let cool in pans for 25 minutes.  
Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 1/2 " slices.  Place cut side down on same baking sheet and bake again for 15 minutes until firm.  Cool on wire racks.  May be stored in plastic bags for a few days. 

For information on the cake mixes and the all-purpose baking mix go to:http://www.mdillon.applybuilder.com/chocolate-biscotti.html

Orange & Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

I wanted to make a treat for breakfast last Sunday.  The problem was that I didn't plan ahead and really was not energized enough to get dressed early and go to the store. So luckily my pantry saved me once again. I happen to have a few oranges in the fridge and some poppy seeds in the spice cabinet. The poppy seeds were there from when I made a strawberry spinach salad last year with poppy seed dressing and they were still good. The oranges admittedly were a little dry on the inside but the rind was perfect. The rest of the ingredients are standard baking ingredients that you will probably have on hand. I made the cake using the gluten free all-purpose baking mix to keep it gluten free. I ended up with a  tasty  bundt cake perfect for breakfast and actually my husband ended up eating it all week long.

Orange and Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 extra-large eggs, room temperature

zest of one orange

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

2 cups Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Mix

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup orange juice

Cream together the butter and sugar, add eggs mixing well.  Stir in the orange zest and the poppy seeds. Sift the all-purpose baking mix and the baking powder together and fold in. Add the milk and the orange juice and mix evenly. Pour into a 9" bundt pan that has been greased and dusted with some more gluten free all-purpose baking mix. Bake @ 325 for 40-45 minutes until golden brown.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert to a wire rack.  Top with glaze and orange zest strips

 Glaze:

2/3 cup orange juice

3/4 cup sugar

Combine in a sauce pan and simmer about 5 minutes until reduced to a syrup.  Pour over warm cake.

Serve cake warm or cold.

For the gluten free all-purpose baking mix visit: http://www.glutenfreebakingmixes.com/catalog/item/8673315/9387068.htm

Almond Cranberry Biscotti

I love Biscotti but hate it when they are so crunchy you are afraid you might break a tooth  trying to eat one. This recipe, which my sister has been making for years is just the perfect balance of crispness on the outside that make a Biscotti what they are known for, and a slightly sweet inside that gives just enough when you take a bite.  The recipe was so easy to make gluten free with the All-Purpose Baking Mix that now anyone can enjoy these wonderful treats any time of the day. You don't even need to first dunk them into a hot drink to make them delicious, but of course that is just fine to do if you like. 

For this recipe and more delicious gluten free ideas go to:http://www.mdillon.applybuilder.com/almond-biscotti.html 

Coconut & Cranberry Cookies

I was looking to make a cookie that was a little sweet but not overly so.  I didn't want to go with chocolate because after all the snacking on Easter Candy I was more in the mood for a shortbread type treat, but I wanted it to be done fast! Coconut and cranberries go so well together the idea hit me that this combination would make a great cookie.  It worked out well because I usually  have both ingredients in my pantry, since I use these ingredients often in both sweet and savory recipes. I kept it simple and had a nice batch of cookies to enjoy with my family with little effort. You will be surprised at how good these cookies are seeing the short list of ingredients.

Recipe:

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 extra-large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Mix

1/2 cup sweetened dried shredded coconut

3/4 cup dried cranberries

Mix the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well, then add the all-purpose baking mix. Stir in the coconut and cranberries until combined.  Place tablespoons of the dough on cookie sheets that have been lined with parchment paper.

Bake @375 degrees for 14-16 minutes. Cool on sheets for 10 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool  completely. Before serving drizzle with a glaze made with powdered sugar mixed with water or lemon juice, whichever you prefer.
Makes 24-30 depending on how large you make them.

Visit my website for more delicious gluten free recipe ideas:www.glutenfreebakingmixes.com