Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie

 Today is Pi day and I wanted to surprise my husband with his favorite pie, Strawberry Rhubarb.  Let's just say that it looks good, smelled amazing while baking and was super delicious!  I scoured the internet for recipes, (I'm a huge visual kind of person, so I was looking for a picture of a pie that looked yummy!).  I found two recipes that looked easy and good and combined them. I did take the easy road and just bought a a GF pie crust and the rhubarb came from our garden that we harvested last year.  Go ahead ans wipe the drool of your face! Happy Pi day!

Saw this somewhere in my search for this recipe...grate the butter instead of cutting cubes.  It blends up so much easier!

That beautiful rhubarb came from our garden!

Pie before going in the oven...

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie

For the crust:

I used Pillsbury Gluten Free Pastry Dough located in the refrigerated section ( I got mine at Walmart) and followed the directions on the packaging.

For the filling:

1 pound fresh strawberries (washed, dried, and cut into quarters...or halved if small)

1 pound fresh rhubarb (washed, dried and cut into 1/2 inch chunks)

1 cup  sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 tablespoon  lemon juice

A pinch of sea salt

For the crisp topping:

1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks (I actually grated mine while it was frozen)

1/4 cup GF flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup GF quick oats

1 tsp. cinnamon

1.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil and set aside. This is used to catch any spill overs during cooking!
2. Roll out your GF pie crust per directions on the package and place in your 9” pie dish.
3. Chop up your rhubarb into 1/2 inch chunks and cut your strawberries into quarters or halves if on the smaller side. Toss in a bowl with your sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, lemon juice and salt. Pour into your 9" pie dish with prepared GF pie crust.

4.  Combine all ingredients for the crumble and mix until well blended.  Pour on top of Rhubarb mixture and place in oven on your pan lined with tin foil.  Bake for 40 minutes.  Remove and serve warm with some vanilla ice cream!

Mini Pumpkin Cakes

Fall is in the air and at the moment it feels great!  I wish we could bottle this temperature for several months!  I saw this recipe posted on Facebook  which lead me to Picky Palate and had to try it.  I do love her blog and have tried many of her recipes.  For the first time ever, I did not have any ice cream in my house, but still wanted to try these.  I just used heavy cream instead.  They turned out really well, which only means that doing it with melted ice cream must be amazing! I also do not have a doughnut pan, so I just made mine in my mini bundt pan.  This recipe made 10 mini pumpkin cakes.  Would definitely double it next time.

Mini Pumpkin Cakes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup GF featherlite flour 

½ tsp xanthan gum

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix

3/4 cup vanilla ice cream (measured before melting) (I used heavy whipping cream)

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream (you may need a couple tablespoons more if too thick)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray mini bundt pan or doughnut pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Place flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, sugar, pumpkin, egg, vanilla and pudding mix into a large mixing bowl.

3. Place ice cream into a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds or until just barely melted. Pour into mixing bowl and combine with other ingredients until well combined. Scoop batter into prepared doughnut or mini bundt pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until baked through. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

4. To prepare the glaze, place powdered sugar and cream into a bowl, whisking to combine. Add more cream if needs thinning out. Dip tops of donuts or mini cakes in glaze and serve!

Makes 9-11 donuts or mini bundt cakes

Pumpkin Waffles with Buttermilk Syrup

Deliciousness!   

Pumpkin Waffles

2 C GF flour (featherlite)
2 T baking powder
1 T cinnamon
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum

Mix above ingredients...then add

4 egg yolks
1 C pumpkin
1 T vanilla
1 1/2 C milk
3/4 C butter, melted

Beat 4 egg whites till stiff peaks and fold into batter


Buttermilk Syrup

1/4 C butter
1/2 C buttermilk
1 C sugar
1 tsp light corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla


Bring first four ingredients to a boil and take off heat.
Add 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp vanilla
Do this in a bigger pot than ingredients...it will foam. Stir until it settles.  Pour into a serving jar.

**We like to double the syrup recipe and use it later.  We just put the extras in the refrigerator and reheat it the next time we do pancakes or waffles.

Triple Berry Salad

Looking for a new and tasty treat to serve up on Valentine's Day for your loved ones?  My kids told me that if I posted this to Facebook, they would give it one million likes!  There you have it!  This was a pinterest find...again.  I halved the recipe (which is what is listed below) and was plenty for my family of six.  It could easily be doubled.

Triple Berry Salad

1 ½  lbs. of frozen mixed berries  (slightly thawed out)

8 oz.  Cool Whip

16oz.  of vanilla yogurt

½  3oz. pkg of Cheesecake instant pudding mix

Add the Cool Whip, yogurt and then sprinkle in the pudding mix. Blend with beaters until well mixed.  Stir in slightly thawed berry mix.  Fold gently until blended.  Chill before serving.

*I used 1 ½ C heavy cream instead to make my own ‘Cool Whip’.  Whip cream until it begins to make stiff peaks.  Adding about 2 TB of sugar will help the cream thicken.

Monkey Bread Pull-A-Parts

These were literally gone in fifteen minutes after being pulled out of the oven...they are that good!

Pre-Cooked...You want it to raise double to triple in size...

After being inverted onto a serving platter...oozing with goodness!

Enjoy...

Monkey Bread Pull a Parts

Dough:

1 C scalded milk

¼  C butter

½  C sugar

½  C mashed potatoes (can be leftovers or instant)

¾  tsp salt

2 eggs

3 C GF flour (featherlite)

3 tsp xanthan gum

3 TB of ground flaxseed

Let Proof:

1 TB yeast

1/6 C warm water

½ tsp sugar

Topping:

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 (3.4 ounce) package Cook and Serve Butterscotch pudding mix

1/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup melted butter

1.      Mix brown sugar, pudding mix, sugar and cinnamon and set aside (from toppings list).

2.      In microwaveable dish, combine milk and butter and bring to scalding temperature (180 degrees). In separate mixing bowl, combine the seven other ingredients listed up top.  I use yeast that does not to be proofed; therefore I add those three ingredients in with all the above listed.  If you need to proof the yeast, go ahead and once it is all bubbly you can add it the mixing bowl.  Mix on high (about 3 minutes) until dough is well blended.  Spray Bundt pan really well with non-stick spray.  You will want to grease your fingers as well. 

3.      Roll dough into balls the size of a golf ball.  Roll in pudding/sugar mixture and layer in pan. Pour melted butter over first layer. Repeat with the next layer.

4.      When all the dough is gone, sprinkle remaining pudding/sugar mixture over dough in Bundt pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 3 hours.  Bake in pre heated oven, 350 degrees, for 20-30 minutes.  Let cool for about ten minutes and then flip out onto a serving platter.   Enjoy the ooey gooey goodness of these delicious rolls!!

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

We have made two batches in the past three weeks!  They are so quick and SO easy.  My two older girls can do this one on their own.  The original recipe comes from here.   I have tried the recipe both ways and we like it best with only milk chocolate, which is the recipe I have listed below.  

Homemade Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided

4-1/2 teaspoons butter, softened

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 3/4 cups milk chocolate chips 

Mini cupcake liners and mini cupcake pan

Directions

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup peanut butter, butter, confectioners' sugar and salt until smooth; set aside.

In a microwave, melt the chocolate chips and remaining peanut butter; stir until smooth.

Drop teaspoonfuls of chocolate mixture into paper-lined miniature muffin cups. Top each with a scant teaspoonful of peanut butter mixture; top with another teaspoonful of chocolate mixture. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Refrigerate until set. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 3 dozen.

Trifle...Halloween Style

Trifle
1 Betty Crocker GF Devils Food Cake
2 small boxes of Butterscotch flavored pudding
Yellow food coloring
Red food coloring
Cool Whip
1 bag of candy corn

Mix and bake cake as direction on box.  In separate bowl, make pudding as directed on package and add the red and yellow food coloring until you reach the desired Halloween orange color and then refrigerate. When the cake is completely cooled, cut into bite sized squares (1 x 1 inches).  Place cake squares in serving dish and toss in the candy corn.  Spread the pudding on next and then top with cool whip.  Either serve immediately or refrigerate.

Cinnamon Churro Chex

My kids have never had a churro, but every time we go to Costco and get an ice cream, I see the churro's and wish so badly I could buy one for them.  Well, here is the next best thing!  This little treat was so delicious and very quick and easy to make.  I know that cinnamon chips (made by Hershey's) are a seasonal item at most stores.  I just picked up a whole bunch at Walmart the other day, so keep your eyes open for some at your local store!

Cinnamon Churro Chex

9 cups rice Chex cereal

3 cups cinnamon chips

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Pour Chex cereal into a bowl. Set aside. Combine sugars and cinnamon in another small bowl. Set aside.

Melt cinnamon chips on stove top in a double broiler.  (I just use a small sauce pan, fill it half way with water and place a heat safe bowl that will rest above the water on the saucepan.) Melt chips until smooth and creamy.  Pour over cereal and stir until cereal is well coated.

Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Toss to coat. Pour out the cereal onto a cookie sheet. Continue to sprinkle and toss the cereal with the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Enjoy!!

Recipe came from here.

Reindeer Food

Seriously addictive and extremely easy!!

Rice Chex cereal

White baking chocolate

Crushed candy canes

There really isn't a measured amount for this recipe, but this is what I used... 1 1/2 boxes of Rice Chex, one 24 ounce package of baking chocolate blocks and 10 candy canes.  That gave me 125 mini muffin cups of reindeer food.

All you have to do is melt down the white chocolate (in a double broiler), pour over Rice Chex cereal and stir until all the cereal is completely covered. Then sprinkle your crushed candy canes over the top.  Spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper until cooled.  I made mine for my kids' school class parties so I spooned a little into mini muffin liners to make it easy for the kids to handle.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake

One of the food blogs I like to follow is Picky Palate.  It is not a GF food blog, but many of her recipes have been very easy to convert.  This is one of the latest of her recipes that I tried and they are delicious!!  Happy Halloween everyone.

1 box  Betty Crocker GF Yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
3.4 ounce box Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
1/2 cup sour cream
15 ounce can pumpkin
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream (start w 1/4 cup and add a little more cream if needed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a jelly roll pan with non stick cooking spray.
2. Place cake mix, eggs, oil, milk, pudding, sour cream and pumpkin into a stand or electric mixer, beating until well combined, about 1 1/2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan, spreading evenly.
3. Place butter into a microwave safe bowl and melt, about 30-40 seconds. Add brown sugar and cinnamon to bowl, mixing until combined. Drizzle mixture evenly over cake then take a knife and run it through to swirl.
4. Bake cake for 30-35 minutes, until cooked through and remove. Place powdered sugar and cream into a large bowl and mix until creamy and smooth. Drizzle over warm cake then let cool for 20 minutes before cutting into squares. Refrigerate if not serving same day.  Enjoy with milk!

Makes 16 to 20 squares

Chocolate Pumpkin Wafers

These were so easy!  I just took some baking chocolate and melted it down in a double broiler, filled the bottom of the silicone pumpkin mold with about a teaspoon of melted chocolate, sprinkled some sprinkles on top and let them chill for about 15 minutes.  Remove from mold and voila, you have cute little pumpkin wafers!  These are for the kids to pass out to their classmates. 

Chocolate Ice Cream Bowls

This was such a fun idea my sister shared with me (which she found here).  My daughter is having a birthday party tonight and instead of doing cake or cupcakes, we are serving these chocolate bowls.  How fun is that to have an edible ice cream bowl!!

Chocolate Ice Cream Bowls

24 oz. Milk Chocolate (I used Smith's brand Bark Coating)
Small package of water balloons
Parchment paper
***You will get about 7-10 chocolate bowls with this amount of chocolate

Wash balloons with soap and water before using.  Blow up balloons to desired bowl size.  On stove top, melt chocolate down in a double broiler (I just put water in a saucepan and placed a bowl that fit in the saucepan on top allowing the bowl to sit right above the hot water).  Melt chocolate all the way until nice and creamy.  Allow chocolate to cool as much as possible before dipping balloons otherwise when you dip the balloon in it, it will pop and explode sending chocolate everywhere!! I just left the chocolate in the bowl allowing for a deep reservoir of chocolate.  Hold balloon by the knot at the top and slowly roll the bottom around in the chocolate.  You will want to roll it enough times that you have a fairly thick coating of chocolate so that when it is time to remove the balloon, your shell won't collapse.  Place balloons on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  I place a little pile of chocolate on the parchment paper for each balloon that will help keep the balloons from falling over and it makes a nice little 'plate like' bottom to the bowl.  You can either let them set up in the fridge or place them in the freezer to speed things up.  Once bowls are set up, take a pin or a pair of scissors and carefully puncture the balloon allowing the air to come out.  Carefully remove balloon and you have a fancy little chocolate bowl!!  Fill with your favorite flavor of ice cream and top with all your favorite toppings...have fun with it!!

Strawberry Slush

Summer is right around the corner and this smoothie/slushy is the perfect drink to have around.  It is SO easy to make.  My daughter is having a birthday party tonight and we will be serving it.

Strawberry Slush

32 oz. frozen strawberries
32 oz. strawberry yogurt
2 TB sugar
1-2 2 liters Strawberry soda.

Blend first three ingredients in blender. Freeze overnight (I use an empty 5 quart ice cream bucket). When ready to serve, break up slush in a punch bowl. Add enough strawberry soda until you have reached desired slush consistency. You can refreeze any leftovers.

Bears on Cloud Nine (Jell-O Dessert)

We are BIG Jell-O fans at our house!  There are so many fun things you can do with Jell-O.  This recipe comes from KRAFT foods.

Ingredients:

2 cups boiling water

2 pkg.  (3 oz. each) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin

4 C ice cubes

1/3 cup  bear-shaped gummy candies (2 oz.)

Directions:
Add boiling water to gelatin mixes in medium bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add ice; stir 2 to 3 min. or until gelatin is slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice.

Pour all but 3/4 cup gelatin into 12 (5-oz.) clear plastic cups. Beat remaining gelatin with mixer on high speed 30 seconds or until fluffy and doubled in volume. Spoon over gelatin in cups.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm. Top with Gummi Bears.
.

Love Floats

A friend of mine posted this idea on Facebook and it was too cute to pass up.  It makes a great gift for teachers, friends or maybe even your spouse!  I would have preferred to use white taffy, but could not find a store that had enough for the amount I needed to make this sweet treat....so I just used pink and red taffy.

This is what it should look like before you start gluing on the taffy...

Supplies Needed:

Glass cups  ...  any style or size...can be bought at the dollar store

Styrofoam balls cut in half (make sure you get a size to fit the glass you bought)

Pixy Sticks for the straw

Candy for the bottom of the glass (Hot Tamales, M&M's, Conversation Hearts, Sweet Tarts, Kisses)

Wrapped Salt Water Taffy (White would be preferred choice, but can do coordinating Valentine's colors)

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Directions:

Fill the glass with candy, right up to the top.  Make a hole in the styrofoam and slide pixy stick through.  Hot glue styrofoam half to top of the glass.  Hot glue taffy to the styrofoam ball in layers starting at the bottom and working your way to the top.  Very easy and a fun project to do with the kiddos!

Happy Valentine's Day.

Homemade Hot Chocolate

A friend of mine had a Hot Chocolate party the other day and it was the most amazing hot  chocolate I have ever had!!  It definitely puts the boughten stuff to shame.  She shared the recipe with me and I had to pass it on!  Enjoy...

Homemade Hot Chocolate
¾ C sugar
¼ C (heaping) cocoa powder, plain or dark chocolate depending on preference
Dash of salt
1/3 C hot water
4 C milk
¾ tsp vanilla

Place first four ingredients in pot on stove. Have milk and vanilla ready to add. Cook and stir on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, still stirring. Add milk, cook and stir until back up to desired  temperature. Add vanilla, stir and remove from heat. Add marshmallow if desired.

**Can use 3 ¾ C milk and ¼ C heavy whipping cream.

Waffle Bowls

Who needs Cold Stone when you can make you own delicious waffle bowls at home.  These are so yummy and you can make just about any ice cream creation to go inside the waffle bowl!!  I get about 15-20 waffle bowls from a full batch.  

This recipe comes from eatingglutenfree.com  (under the ice cream section)


Waffles Cones

3 eggs
¾ c. sugar
½ c. butter, melted and cooled
2 Tbs. vanilla
1 C. Featherlight mix
¾ tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking powder

Beat eggs, gradually adding sugar. Add cooled butter and vanilla. In other bowl, combine flour mixes, xanthan gum, and baking powder. Blend into egg mixture until smooth. Dough will be sticky. Drop by heaping spoonful onto a hot WAFFLE CONE baker. (can be purchased in some stores or online)

Bake as directed. (Usually for about 20 seconds.) Remove from baker and either roll around a waffle cone shaper or drape over an upside-down bowl or cup. The cone will harden quickly as it cools.

Chili Dip

This recipe is one you can adjust to the size of crowd you would be feeding. (With what is listed below, I served 5 people - 1/2 C serving  each and had about 2 C leftover)  

3 cans of Hormel Chili (with beans)

1 8oz. Cream Cheese (cut into smaller chunks)

2 tsp. Taco Seasoning

Grated Cheddar Cheese

Chips for dipping

Add chili, taco seasoning and cream cheese chunks into crock pot.  You are only cooking it long enough to melt down the cream cheese.  If you are in a hurry, put it on high.  I like to simmer mine for about three hours on low, stirring every thirty minutes.  Before serving you can add grated cheese to the entire batch, or serve it separately on the side.

Caked Oreo's

I found this recipe over here at Picky Palate.  Her version is NOT GF, but I switched a few things to make them work for us.  I chose to use a GF cake mix rather than the brownie mix.  The cake mix tends to be a bit more runny which makes covering the Oreo's a little easier. They are DELICIOUS!!  These little cakes are simple to make and very adaptable for any holiday or occasion.

 

1 Brownie mix (I used Betty Crocker Chocolate Cake Mix)
1 package GF Oreo's (I used Kinnikinnick Brand)
White chocolate, melted for drizzle
Sprinkles

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cake/brownie batter according to package directions. Leave in mixing bowl. Dip Oreos in cake/brownie batter, then place in bottom of cupcake tins that have been generously sprayed with cooking spray. (I used cupcake liners in mine instead of spraying them. I do not enjoy cleaning/washing cupcake pans!) Bake for 12-15 minutes, until cake/brownie is cooked through (doesn’t take long). As soon as you remove, take a plastic knife and run along edges if not using liners, (this is VERY important so you can get the cake/brownie and cookie out together.
2. Let cool for 5 minutes, remove and drizzle with melted white chocolate and add sprinkles.
 Enjoy !!

** There are only about 21 cookies in the Kinnikinnick Oreo package, so I just made candy cane cupcakes with the rest of the batter.  (I smashed a bunch of candy canes and stirred them in into the batter).

Holiday Popcorn

This is a easy holiday treat.  All I did was pop up some popcorn, drizzled white chocolate and milk chocolate all over it and then sprinkled crushed cashews and red hots on it.  This is just the beginning of many possibilities.  You can add just about anything to this....M&M's, marshmallow, peanuts, dried cranberries...be creative!!  Fill a holiday tin or a cute treat bag and tie it off with some curling ribbon.  Makes for a great gift.

Popped popcorn (I used 1 cup of kernels)

Milk Chocolate (2 cubes)

White Chocolate (2 cubes)

Crushed Cashews

Pop popcorn and try to remove as many loose kernels as possible.  Spread out evenly over a large baking sheet.  Melt chocolates (separately) in double boiler (I made my own by placing a bowl over a small sauce pan filled with water.  Turn heat to medium high).  Drizzle melted chocolate over popcorn.  If using any other mix-in, add them now.  Place baking sheet in a cool/cold place and let chocolate set.