GFCF Weekly Round-up: Spicy Sesame Dip

Perfect for entertaining (New Year's, anyone?), this Asian-inspired dip is spicy, tangy, naturally dairy free and absolutely delicious!

Ingredients
2 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons gluten free Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup cooled, brewed black tea
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1-1/2 Tablespoons gluten free soy sauce (like Tamari)
1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 cup mayonnaise
Paprika for garnish

Directions
Place the garlic, mustard, cayenne pepper and chili powder in a food processor and process until the garlic is finely chopped. Add the cooled tea, red wine vinegar, gf soy sauce and tahini; process until incorporated. With the machine running add the mayonnaise and process until smooth. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Sprinkle paprika over the top and serve with fresh vegetables.

Tips
This dip is packed with flavor! It is great served with a variety of fresh vegetables or you can even mix it into cooled gluten free pasta for a nice lunch "salad".

Recipe of the Week: Lemon Bars

Sweet and tangy, few desserts are as refreshing as our classic lemon bars!

Lemon Bars with Cheesecake Filling
Makes 16 lemon bars

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup gluten free flour
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup Key lime juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Garnish with lime or lemon slices

Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 8 inch square baking pan.

In a stand mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, beating until blended. Add the gluten free flour and beat on low speed until incorporated. Press the dough into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese and the powdered sugar utnil creamy. Add the egg, 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 1 teaspoon vanilla; beat until combined. Cover and chill.

Combine the egg yolks, 3/4 cup sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan; stir in 3/4 cup water and key lime juice. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in 2 teaspoons lemon zest and 2 tablespoons butter. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Spread the cream cheese filling over the cooled crust. Pour the lemon curd over the cream cheese filling. Bake at 325°F for 40 minutes or unil the edges are lightly browned. Let cool completely on a wire rack then cover and chill for 2 hours. Cut into squares and garnish with lemon or lime slices.

Tips
We used Jule's All Purpose Gluten-free flour mix in this recipe.

Menu Monday: New Year's Eve Celebration

Here at Glutenfreeda, we are all about planning ahead and designing menus that make for flawless execution. With recipes that can be begun in stages, from several hours to several weeks in advance, our New Year's Eve menu will not only impress your guests - its ease will impress you, too!

Here are Chef Yvonne's Top Ten Tips for an effortless New Year's Eve party!

10…Focus on appetizers that are naturally gluten-free. Your hors d’oeuvres won’t taste funny (or gluten-free) because they are what they are supposed to be — naturally authentic. This will also help you out because you won’t have to hunt for special gluten-free items — you can actually shop at the grocery store! What a concept!!!

9…If hors d’oeuvres are the only food offered at your party there should be at least 6 different appetizers — figuring 2-3 pieces per person per appetizer.

8…To calculate for hors d’oeuvres not in pieces (like dips or pâtés) assume 1 ounce is equal to 1 piece.

7…Create a balance between hot and cold dishes.

6…If you are planning on having 20-25 guests or more for hors d’oeuvres you should include some ‘bulk’ type items in your menu. Otherwise you will find yourself making hundreds of little things.

5…For an hors d’oeuvre party where you are not planning on serving a ‘meal’, plan on serving some more substantial items with small plates and forks.

4…Be creative with your serving dishes. Plan some hors d’oeuvres to be served in fun cocktail glasses for a festive touch.

3…Plan desserts that can be served in bite-size portions and that can be prepared a day or so in advance.

2…Stock up on liquors and wine. Unless you plan on hiring a professional bartender, sometimes it is easier and more fun to serve just one type of cocktail, made up in batches. Or display just the four basic liquors — Scotch, Bourbon, Gin & Vodka along with an assortment of appropriate mixers, a bucket of ice and glasses of various sizes.

1…Once the party has started, sit back, relax and enjoy! Don’t fret about the little things. Most likely you will be the only one who will notice if forgot the garnish on the shrimp!

On the Menu...

• Broiled Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon
  
• Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese on Polenta Triangles
  
• Polenta Triangles with Peppers & Gorgonzola
  
• Almond Stuffed Prunes wrapped in Bacon
  
• Cauliflower Soup with Gorgonzola Toasts
  
• Roasted Tomato & Curry Soup
  
• Cheese Sticks
  
• Parmesan Rosemary Crackers
  
• Chocolate Raspberry Squares
  
• Pecan Torte with Black Cherry Glaze & Mocha Buttercream Frosting

Recipe of the Week: Apple Cranberry Pie

This week's featured recipe is our famous Apple Cranberry pie - an all-American favorite with a festive twist!

Even better, making this recipe gluten-free/dairy-free (GFCF) is well, as easy as pie! Especially using Gluten Free Mama's pie crust mix (our latest and greatest discovery!) and Earthbalance butter substitute, this can be allergy friendly in minutes. Egg free? Just follow Mama's directions using honey instead of egg white and skip the egg white glaze and you're good to go!

Apple Cranberry Pie

Ingredients
Our Basic Pie Crust recipe OR Gluten Free Mama's Pie Crust Mix
6 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon arrowroot
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F.

Place sliced apples and cranberries in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, allspice, cinnamon, and arrowroot. Add sugar-spice mixture to apples and toss to thoroughly coat. Cover tightly and set aside.

Prepare dough according to package directions. Divide dough in half and roll out to 10 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thickness (this is best achieved between 2 sheets of plastic wrap). Carefully remove top sheet of plastic wrap and invert over pie dish. Peel off top layer of plastic wrap and fit crust into the bottom of the pie dish, allowing about 1 inch to fall over the sides of the dish. Roll out remaining dough to the same size, again between plastic wrap. Place apple mixture in the pie dish. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap from pie crust, invert and lay on top of pie. Remove remaining sheet of plastic wrap and fold under edges to seal the crust. Crimp edges with the index finger of one hand and the thumb and index finger of the other. Cut several small slits in the pie to allow steam to escape. Brush center of pie with egg white (but not edges, since this could cause the outer edges to brown too quickly). Sprinkle top of pie with sugar.

Bake pie at 450°F for 10 minutes. Rotate pie and reduce heat to 375°F and continue to bake for another 45-50 minutes, or until top of pie is nicely browned, apples are tender and juices are bubbling. Remove pie from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack for 1 hour before serving.

Menu Monday: Intimate Holiday Dinner Menu

In slight contrast to our Elegant Holiday Dinner Menu, this meal is much more, shall we say, cozy. While still quite impressive and perfect for entertaining a small group of guests, this menu features more comfort-style foods, perfect for a wintry dinner party!

This holiday menu is a little more toned down, but still perfect for entertaining a smaller crowd. This menu starts off with mouthwatering Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms – each mushroom cap is filled with a sausage – cornbread stuffing and then topped with cheese and baked until juicy and brown. Follow the starter with a salad that is not only beautiful in presentation but also packed with flavor – Pear, Beet & Fennel Salad. For the entrée serve Apple Stuffed Cornish Hens, Rice Pilaf with Apricots and Green Beans with Toasted Hazelnuts. Depending on the appetites of your guests you can either serve each guest with a whole hen or half. I typically like to serve half a hen just due to the number of the other menu items. And for dessert treat your guests to Lemon Bars with Cheesecake Filling….make sure to make plenty as it is difficult to just eat one.

-Chef Yvonne

On the Menu
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
Pear Beet & Fennel Salad (pictured, below)
Apple Stuffed Cornish Hens (pictured, right)
Rice Pilaf with Apricots
Green Bean with Toasted Hazelnuts
Lemon Bars with Cheesecake Filling

We have many other menus for you to choose from if perhaps you are looking for something a little different this year. For more menu ideas check out our article archives under the holiday months or look in our menu archives. We hope you and your family and a wonderful, safe and delicious holiday!

Product Review: Zing Bars

Zing! bars are unbelievable! With six “deliciously different” flavors (Chocolate Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Coconut, Almond Blueberry and Cranberry Orange) Zing bars are healthy and delicious. Developed by a team of four registered dietitians (each with a master’s degree in nutritional biochemistry - wow!) Zing bars are healthy without being healthy tasting (if you know what we mean). Each bar contains 10-13g of protein, all-natural ingredients and are soy-free -- three of the six flavors are even vegan (dairy-free)!

Ingredients
Vary by flavor; all are wheat-free, gluten-free, soy-free and the Cranberry Orange, Chocolate Coconut and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip flavors are also vegan/dairy-free.

Taste
I’ll be honest, I’m a picky eater - especially when it comes to protein bars. Usually, if I’m lucky, there will be one or two flavors of a given product line that I will enjoy - but this is absolutely not the case with Zing! bars! While my favorite is the Chocolate Coconut, I can (and have...) happily eaten and enjoyed all six of their flavors

Texture
Just the right combination of chewy and crunchy, these bars don’t leave you looking for a glass of milk or water!

Storage
Small enough to fit in your purse or backpack, these bars are perfect for on-the-go snacking.

Availability
Widely available in grocery stores on the west coast, you can also order Zing bars online both through Amazon.com and directly through store.zingbars.com

Overall Score (5.0)
Nutritious, delicious, free of soy proteins, three gluten-free/dairy-free flavors and routinely tested for gluten content - what’s not to love? Sign me up!

Special offer to Glutenfreeda readers: enter Glutenfreeda in the coupon code at checkout and receive $5.00 off per box-no limit. Offer good through December 31st, 2010

GFCF Weekly Roundup: Mock Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Who doesn't love coffee cake? Especially cooked in a decorative bundt pan, this recipe is always an impressive hit. Elegant and delicious, you and your guests will never be able to tell the difference at your next holiday brunch or dinner party!

Mock Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Ingredients
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups gluten free flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Earth Balance butter substitute
1/2 cup canola oil
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup Tofutti soy sour cream substitute
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bundt pan with the Earth Balance.

Combine the walnuts, 1 Tablespoon sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt, blend well.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine Earth Balance, oil and 2 cups sugar and beat on high until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Reduce speed to low and blend in sour cream substitute and vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 1/3 increments until all is incorporated. Pour 1/3 of batter into prepared pan then top with the walnut mixture. Cover with remaining batter. Bake for 1 hour. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. When cool, invert onto a serving plate.

This Week's Recipe: Potatoes au Gratin

This week we're actually featuring two different versions of this classic comfort food. The first recipe is more traditional, but still comes together quickly. The second version, in addition to being low-fat, is one of my favorite no-muss no-fuss one-pan dishes! Enjoy!

Creamy Potatoes au Gratin

Ingredients
2 pounds peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/4 cups hot Cheddar Cheese Sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
Dash of paprika

Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Place the potato slices and garlic cloves in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook 8 minutes or until just tender. Drain.

Combine the Cheddar Cheese Sauce, salt and pepper.

Arrange half of the cooked potatoes and garlic in a 2-quart lightly buttered baking dish. Pour half of the sauce mixture over potatoes. Repeat the procedure with remaining potatoes and garlic and remaining sauce mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and paprika. Bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Creamless Potatoes au Gratin

Ingredients
3 cups gf chicken stock
Salt and fresh ground pepper
6 large white new or Yukon potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced to about 1/4"
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 3 quart baking dish.

Add the stock to a medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the sliced potatoes in the baking dish and pour the hot stock over potatoes to cover. Cover the dish with foil. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Sprinkle the Gruyere over the top and place under the broiler. Broil until the cheese melts. Serve immediately.

GFCF Weekly Roundup: Creme Brulee

It's that time again - here are this week's favorite gluten-free, dairy-free/casein-free recipes! Especially with more holiday meals right around the corner, these treats are perfect for anyone at your holiday table!

GFCF Creme Brulee (pictured at right)
Ingredients
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 cups Silk soy milk creamer
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
1/4 cup air-dried light brown sugar (see Tips)

Directions
Preheat oven to 275º F.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with half of the granulated sugar. In a small saucepan, warm the soymilk creamer with the vanilla-bean scrapings and the remaining granulated sugar until the soymilk creamer is steaming. Gradually whisk the hot soymilk creamer into the egg-yolk mixture until blended. Strain the custard and pour it into four 5-ounce ramekins or shallow gratin dishes.

Set the ramekins in a small baking dish and add enough hot tap water to the dish to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the custards are just set. Let the custards cool in the water bath for 10 minutes, then remove from the baking dish and allow them to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. The custards may crack a little on top, this will not affect the taste.

Preheat the broiler. Sift a thin even layer of the air-dried brown sugar over each of the custards. Broil one ramekin at a time as close as possible to the heat source until the brown sugar melts, forming a caramelized crust on top of the custard. Serve immediately.

Tips
Instead of cream, we used Silk soymilk creamer which produced a lovely creme brulee. Their web site is www.soymilk.com and it is distributed by White Wave, Inc. from Boulder, Colorado and available nationwide.

To air-dry brown sugar, sift it onto a plate and leave it out, uncovered, for 1 day. Alternatively, if the weather is humid, the sifted brown sugar can also be dried in the oven. Set the temperature at 250ºF and put the sugar in the oven for 20 minutes.

You might also like:
GFCF Cherry Coconut Scones, perfect for a holiday brunch!
GFCF Chestnut Torte, another holiday favorite featuring a seasonal treat!

Weekly Recipe: Cauliflower and Thyme Frittata

Each week we feature one of our favorite recipes and I want to do more to share these recipes with you! This week, we are featuring a fantastic new spin on an old-time favorite: the frittata. Infused with cauliflower, baby broccoli and thyme, this favorite brunch feature is chock full of vegetables and can be enjoyed hot, cold or at room temperature.

Cauliflower Frittata with Thyme
Ingredients
2-1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 medium cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
1 cup of baby broccoli, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 small garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh chives, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
10 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated

Directions
Preheat the broiler. In a 10-inch non-stick, oven-proof skillet, melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in the olive oil. Add the cauliflower, season with salt and cook over high heat, without stirring, until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Toss the cauliflower florets in the pan. Add the broccoli and cook until the cauliflower is golden all over and both the cauliflower and baby broccoli are just tender, about 3-4 minutes longer. Add the sliced onion and 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and swirl the pan to melt it.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs with 3/4 teaspoon of salt and a few grates of freshly ground black pepper. Whisk in the herbs. Pour the eggs over the vegetables and cook, without stirring, until the bottom of the frittata is just set, about 2 minutes. Lift the edges of the frittata and tilt the pan to allow the uncooked egg mixture to seep underneath. Continue to cook the frittata until the bottom is golden and the top is just slightly runny, about 3-4 minutes.

Sprinkle the top of the frittata with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or until the top is just set. Slide the frittata onto a work surface or platter and cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Menu Monday: An Elegant Holiday Dinner

So as I wrote last Wednesday, I'm trying something different - more predictable - with my articles. On the first and third Mondays of the month, I will share one of our featured menus! This week, one of our favorite holiday menus for an elegant dinner.

This menu is elegant from start to finish. Start off the evening with light, but delicious Parmesan Crisps with Pecans & Basil – the perfect snack to keep your guests happy as they arrive. Follow up with a creamy and sinful Baked Swiss Chard. This dish may sound a little different but it happens to be one of our favorite starters. The Swiss chard is stuffed with cheese and then topped with cream and baked until bubbly and brown. This truly is a show-stopper. The salad is a beautiful combination of mixed greens, apples and pomegranate seeds lightly tossed with vinaigrette. The entrée will be one your guests will be talking about for months to come – Pepper Crusted Prime Rib with a Mushroom & Brandy Reduction sauce accompanied by Creamy Potato Gratin and roasted asparagus & leeks. And let’s not forget dessert! Finish the meal off with a delightful Pecan Pear Torte with Cream Cheese Frosting and if you really want to go that extra mile (and you happen to have an espresso machine), a cup of cappuccino!

-Chef Yvonne

On the Menu
Parmesan Crisps with Pecan & Basil
Baked Swiss Chard
Mixed Greens with Apples & Pomegranates
Pepper Crusted Prime Rib with Mushroom & Brandy Reduction
Creamy Potato Gratin
Asparagus & Leeks
Pecan Pear Torte with Cream Cheese Frosting (pictured at right)

Gluten Free Mama & Holiday Stained Glass Cookies

For our last post this week, you can check out our guest article over on Gluten Free Mama's blog!

From Rachel aka Gluten Free Mama:

Christmas is the time of sharing and our friends over at Glutenfreeda have been so kind to share with us one of their favorite Christmas Cookies, Holiday Stained Glass Cookies. I couldn't think of a better cookie to make the list for Day 4 of Mama's 25 Days of a Gluten Free Christmas.

Glutenfreeda.com is a great resource for those living gluten free with one of the largest gluten free recipe databases in the world. Glutenfreeda also manufactures some of my favorite gluten free products including, Gluten Free Instant Oatmeal, Real Cookies (authentic frozen cookie dough), Granola, Burritos and Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwiches.

My friends Kelsey and Kristine over at Glutenfreeda have been beacon of support for Gluten Free Mama, specifically by helping us with resources to expand our products into grocery stores in the Northwest region. They are such a huge support for the gluten free community. Thanks Kelsey for sharing with us! For more information on Glutenfreeda go to http://www.glutenfreedafoods.com/ or http://www.glutenfreeda.com/

Holiday Stained Glass Cookies
Since 2004, this has been one of our most requested cookie recipes! What would Christmas be without cookies? Perhaps the tradition began with our childhood and the humble offering to Santa placed beside the fireplace the on Christmas Eve. Whatever the case, cookies and Christmas seem to go hand in hand. But what happens when you add the dynamic of the gluten-free diet? Great gluten-free cookies are often a challenge. Many times they come out either flat and misshapen or so dry that if you accidentally inhale as you take a bite you may choke! We’ve spent many years experimenting and developing some great cookies that don’t taste gluten-free. In fact they are truly delicious, even for those not on a gluten-free diet.

Ingredients
2-1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract
3 cups Gluten Free Mama's Coconut Blend Flour
Gluten free apricot or seedless raspberry jam

Cookie cutters: one 2-inch round, bell-shaped or ornament-shaped cookie cutter, and 1-inch cookie cutters in different festive shapes (stars, trees, bells, etc.) for the "window".

Royal Icing, if desired

Directions
With an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and salt until creamy. Beat in egg yolks, lemon zest and vanilla until well combined. On low speed, beat in gluten free flour, 1 cup at a time, until just combined.

Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and flatten each into a smooth disk. Wrap separately in wax paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out one disk at a time between two pieces of parchment paper to 1/8" thickness.

Using cookie cutters, cut dough into simple holiday shapes (bells or ornaments or disks) - make sure you have an even number of "frames"! Using the 1-inch mini-cutters, stamp out patterns in half of cookies to form the "windows".

With a metal spatula, transfer cookies to a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until pale golden.

Let cookies cool on parchment, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining disks. Spread a rounded teaspoon of jam on each of solid cookies and top each with a windowed cookie.

Decorate with Royal Icing if desired
Ingredients

4 cups confectioner's sugar (approx. 1lb), sifted
3 egg whites

Icing Directions
In a grease-free bowl combine 4 cups confectioners’ sugar and egg whites. Using clean beaters, beat on low speed. After 30 seconds, scrape down bowl with a rubber spatula and gradually increase speed to medium-high. Beat until icing is glossy and stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted, 5 to 7 minutes.

If icing is to be applied with a paint brush, stir in water, a few drops at a time, to achieve desired consistency. If icing is to be piped through a pastry bag fitted with a decorating tip, stiffen icing by stirring in more confectioners’ sugar.

GFCF Weekly Roundup - Holiday Desserts

Here at the Glutenfreeda Blog we're going to try something a little different - we're going to have established columns with new articles on a weekly and/or monthly basis. From gluten-free/casein-free recipes to product reviews, you'll soon be able to mark your life by our articles! =)

GFCF Chocolate Peppermint Squares
Makes 24 bars

Ingredients
1 ounce gluten free bittersweet chocolate, melted
1/4 cup Earthbalance butter substitute, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup gluten free flour
1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons Earthbalance butter substitute, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 ounce gluten free bittersweet chocolate
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour an 8x8 inch pan with gluten free flour. Cream Earthbalance, sugar and egg. Add 1 ounce of melted chocolate, 1/2 cup gluten free flour and nuts. Place mixture into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Meanwhile combine 2 Tablespoons Earthbalance, powdered sugar, water and peppermint extract. When cake layer is cool, spread Earthbalance mixture on top.

Melt remaining 1 ounce chocolate and 1 tablespoon Earthbalance; pour over filling. Chill in the refrigerator. Cut into 24 small bars.

GFCF Fresh Pear Crisp with Dried Cranberries
Ingredients
Topping
5 Tablespoons Earth Balance butter substitute, melted
1/2 cup gluten free flour
6 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling
3-1/4 pounds slightly underripe Anjou pears, peeled, halved, cored and cut into 1" pieces
3/4 cup dried cranberries
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon orange zest

Directions
For the topping
Melt the "butter" in a small saucepan, remove from heat. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add flour mixture to butter, tossing with a fork to form crumbs. Set aside.

For the filling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 11"x7" baking dish. Add the pear pieces and the cranberries to the baking dish. Drizzle with lemon juice. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger and orange zest. Sprinkle the mixture over the fruit. Crumble the topping over the pears. Bake for 50 minutes. Serve warm (for the dairy indulgent, serve over gluten free vanilla ice cream).

Other GFCF favorites
GFCF Cranberry Apple Pie* (pictured at right)
GFCF Apple Cinnamon Cake
GFCF Pumpkin Apple Sauce Bread (substitute soy or almond milk)

*For this recipe, and all of our holiday pies, we recommend using Gluten Free Mama's Pie Crust Mix which can easily be dairy-free and egg-free!