Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies {Gluten Free}

The Bear and I were looking through a magazine and saw a version of these lovelies (Hershey's has named them Peanut Butter Blossoms) and we ripped it out to make for the holidays.  We even remembered to buy the Hershey's kisses on our next Target trip. As life would have it the recipe which was secured to the fridge via magnetic letters has gone missing.  I imagine it was from either a dog tail whipping by or some sticky toddler hands rearranging things as they do. 

Regardless, we were determined to taste these and as serendipity would have it there was a recipe directly on the bag of red, silver and green kisses. I have made many a peanut butter cookie but never one as decadent and and rich as these.

Kid Bonus:  While you make the batter, have your bears and birds unwrap kisses under your watchful eye! They told me they only ate one each!  Also, when they come out of the oven the big bears can assist in plopping the kisses on the warm cookies!

So, here is the recipe directly from the bag. I must say, while totally out of character, I followed the recipe measurement for measurement! Yay me!  

3 Swaps I Made: 

Real butter for shortening.

All Natural Creamy Peanut Butter for the Reese's Brand 

Trader Joe's All-Purpose Baking Mix for all-purpose flour

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies {Gluten Free}

Ingredients

• 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Additional granulated sugar

Directions:

1. 1
   Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates. 
2. 2
   Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. 
3. 3
   Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. 
4. 4
   Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each 
   cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. 
   Makes about 48 cookies.
5. 
   

Eat it and weep.

Super Moist Pumpkin Bread {Gluten-Free}

I found all of these ingredients in my cupboard already! No joke.  That is my favorite kind of baking.

It turned out delicious and moist!

Super Moist Pumpkin Bread {Gluten-Free}
2 Cups Gluten-Free Baking Flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Baking Flour.  Not my favorite blend of flours but I had it on-hand!)
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
3+ Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
1- 16 oz. Can Plain Pumpkin
1 Cube Softened Butter
2 Eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a bread pan with butter (I like to use a smaller casserole dish instead if the deep bread pan because the cooking time is less). Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. Add wet ingredients into the dry ingredients while stirring.  Mix just until all ingredients are combined.

Pour into buttered pan.  Cook for 30-35 minutes or until a fork stuck into the middle comes out clean!

Enjoy, folks and happy Fall!

Easy-Peasy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Well, even if you or someone you know isn't sick, this cooling weather is reason enough to make this soup.

It varies usually based on what I have in the fridge and freezer.

It is delightfully light yet hearty enough for a meal.  It's super comforting when a cold or flu hits your home, too.

Chicken Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

Water
Olive oil
1 Onion
Garlic (as much as you can handle)
1 bag of carrots
1 stalk of celery
5 - 7 chicken drumsticks
peas, corn, green beans, mushrooms or whatever vegetable you have on hand!


Directions
Coat bottom of a dutch oven or large soup pot with olive oil on medium heat.
Add chopped onion and garlic. Saute until onions are tender.
Add raw chicken drumsticks.
Season heavily with your favorite soup seasonings.  I use salt, pepper, garlic powder, simple Italian seasoning, and this:

New favorite all-purpose seasoning from TJ's

Add water to cover chicken, give it a stir and turn heat to high. Add chopped carrots, celery, and any other raw vegetables.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.

Check to see if chicken is cooked.  Only after chicken is cooked, pull out one drumstick at a time and take meat off the bone.  Return only meat to the soup.

Taste broth and add anything that is needed.  I usually underseason until this point where I add more of just about everything including olive oil.

Let simmer for about 15 minutes.

Serve with a piece of warm gluten-free corn bread and butter.

Udi's Recipe: Apple Stuffed Chicken

If you are gluten-free and you don't know Udi's products you should check them out.  Consistently superior bread products!

Just found this gem... I can't wait to try it!

http://udisglutenfree.com/recipes/apple-filled-chicken-breast/

Again, I will report back!

Gluten Free Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Cookies

While meandering through the Trader Joe's website looking for new and exciting dinner ideas I discovered that Trader Joe's has gluten-free recipes!

I have been making flourless cookies as of late and find them to be super fulfilling for an evening snack.  I got all the ingredients for these today but have to wait for my baking buddy, The Bear, to wake up from his nap! The Bear loves cookies especially ones with chocolate in them. Pictures and taste-testing results to come!

http://traderjoes.com/recipes/recipe.asp?rid=199

• 2 very ripe TJ's Bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup TJ’s Creamy Unsalted Almond Butter
• 1 tsp TJ’s Pure Vanilla Flavor
• 1 tsp TJ’s Organic Blue Agave Sweetener
• 1 cup TJ’s Gluten Free Rolled Oats
• 1 TJ’s Belgian Dark Chocolate with Almond Bar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine mashed banana, almond butter, vanilla and agave. Slowly add oats to the mixture. Break chocolate bar into small pieces and add to mixture. For each cookie drop a tablespoon of mixture onto a cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 14 minutes.

Serves: 12
Cooking Time: 20 Minutes

Kid tested and APPROVED!

Notes from the recipe:

• I substituted peanut butter instead of almond butter
• I substituted brown sugar for their sweetener
• We used semi-sweet chocolate chips... and LOTS of them
• Recipe does not require eggs so we were free to sample our product right up until it was cooked!

*Parchment Paper is where it's at... just discovered it in the last year. It cooks everything evenly and makes for easy clean-up. Woot woot!

One last thing: I rarely ever follow a recipe exactly as it was intended.  In the last year, I started cooking and baking from instinct and experience and my food has gotten exponentially better.  I generally use a recipe as a jumping off point and have fun from there.  I'm pretty certain my mom has never used a recipe in her life. J/K... maybe once or twice.

Enjoy!

Girlie Pink Icing Recipe

Dye-free, Gluten-free Girlie Pink Vanilla Icing
1           8 ounce package cream cheese
1/2 cup Sweetener (powdered sugar or honey or maple syrup)
1 tsp     Vanilla
1           Beet

Cut beet in eighths. Add to 1/4 cup boiling water in sauce pan.  Boil until water is a gorgeous ruby red. Strain beet pieces and set aside red liquid to cool.  Add sweetener and vanilla to cream cheese.  Mix well.  Add cooled beet juice to cream cheese mixture just like red food coloring until you get your desired color!

Gluten-Free Cupcakes tricks and recipes to follow!

Opening Day

Good day and welcome to my new blog.  In The Beehive I will be highlighting my extremely adorable children and their adventures and mishaps, my family's gluten-free lifestyle, and generally keeping you all informed of the cool things that this hippie-turned-mainstream family are all about.  Come on in.