Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

These are my go-to cookies. EVERYONE loves them, and no one can tell that they are gluten-free!

Ingredients

– 4 OZ salted butter, softened

– ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

– 1 large egg

– 1 cup rolled oats

– 1 tablespoon lactose-free milk or almond milk

– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

– 1 cup Chantal’s Baking Flour Mix

– 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

– 1 tsp baking powder

– 12 OZ semisweet chocolate morsels

– 1 tsp xanthan gum

Utensils

– Large spoon

– Hand mixer

– Large bowl

– Measuring cups

– Measuring spoons

– A butter knife to level the flour in the measuring cup.

– Spatula

– Baking spray

– Mini muffin tin

– Cooling rack

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Place the butter and the sugar in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg.
4. Add in the oats, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat together until well combined.
5. Add in the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, xanthan gum, and baking powder into the cookie batter. Beat until well combined.
6. Stir in the chocolate pieces until well incorporated.
7. Spray the mini muffin tin with the baking spray. Spoon in the cookie dough into the muffin cavities to fill it in just to the top.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until lightly risen and firm.
9. Let cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes.
10. To transfer them out from the muffin tin onto the cooling rack, gently twist the cookie and pull it out. If you feel that it is still stuck let it cool in the muffin tin for a little longer. You may even use the back end of a teaspoon to gently go around and underneath it to help lift it out of the muffin tin.
11. Allow cookies to cool completely on the cooling rack before serving. Store in a tightly sealed container.

Notes: If you feel that the texture is too crumbly to your liking, you can mix in ½ a teaspoon of xanthan gum with the dry ingredients into the cookie dough before baking.

American Bread

I remember how hard it was to find gluten free bread in the store. When I did find it, I thought it tasted like dirt, and I had to drink a gulp of water with every bite because it was soooo dry. I will admit, however, it has come a long way, but it is way too expensive. That’s why I created this recipe. This bread is much cheaper, more delicious, moister, and does not crumble before it gets in your mouth.

Ingredients

Wet Mix

– 2 cups lukewarm water or milk. I mostly use water, or unsweetened almond milk.

– ¼ cup olive oil

– ¼ cup honey

– 3 teaspoons active dry yeast

– 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

– 2 large eggs.

Dry Mix

– 3 cups of Chantal’s Baking Flour Mix

– 1/3 cup of rolled oats. I use Bob’s red mill oats

– 2 teaspoons xanthan gum

– 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon baking powder

– 1 teaspoon salt

– 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)

– 1 tablespoon flax seeds (optional)

Utensils

– Large spoon

– Large bowl

– Measuring cups

– Measuring spoons

– A butter knife to level the flour in the measuring cup.

– Spatula

– Baking spray

– 9 x 5 loaf pan, preferably nonstick

– Foil

– Cooling rack

Directions

1. In a Medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together until well combined.
2. Allow yeast to proof for 10 minutes or until you begin to see foam on the surface of the wet mixture
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix vigorously for 2-3 minutes. If you have a stand mixer that would be a great help for your forearms. I usual start mixing on low until the ingredients are somewhat combined, and then I mix everything on medium high for 3 minutes. You will start to see the dough thickening as you continue to mix.
4. Oil your loaf pan. Using a spatula, scrape the bread mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
5. Level the mixture using the spatula.
6. Preheat oven to 375 F
7. Allow bread to rise for 20 minutes at room temperature while oven is preheating. Do not over proof your bread because the baking powder will lose its ability to raise the bread after many minutes of just sitting there in the bread mixture without being baked, since it is a chemical reaction that creates the air bubbles when using baking powder. Also it is important to note that you do not allow the bread to rise above the loaf pan because gluten free bread has no structure and it will drip down the sides as it continues to rise.
8. Bake the bread for 30 minutes.
9. After 30 minutes have passed, cover the top of the bread with a piece of aluminum foil, and let it bake for an extra 15 minutes.
10. After the 15 minutes are over, insert a toothpick into the bread. If you still see crumbs on the tooth pick, or if the bread still feels a bit jiggly, cover it again. Turn OFF the oven, and let it sit there in the turned off hot oven for an extra 10 minutes.
11. Remove bread form oven, and turn it on its side while it is still in the pan for 15 minutes.
12. After the 15 minutes are over, turn it again on its other side for 15 minutes.
13. These two last steps will prevent the bread from collapsing on itself as it cools down slowly.
14. Remove the bread from the loaf pan, and set it on a cooling rack to cool completely.
15. Store in a zip lock bag in the fridge. Do not pre-slice the bread as this tends to dry it out and it will crumble up into little pieces as you try to make yourself a sandwich out of it. It is best to slice it when you are ready to make yourself a sandwich.
16. You can store this bread in the freezer. I am not sure for how long because I never tried to store it for a long period of time because my son devours it in a few days. I rarely ever eat from it even though it is delicious because he loves it so much and I want to keep it for him <3. However, I believe you might be able to store it for up to 6 months. If you try it, let me know how it turns out after it has been stored in the freezer for that long.

Apple Sauce Muffins

These muffins are so easy to make, and so delicious. I usually make an extra batch and freeze them for later. Everyone in our house loves them.

Ingredients

– ½ cup butter, softened which is equal to 1 stick of butter. (I always use salted butter)

– ½ cup brown sugar (packed)

– 2 eggs

– ¾ cup applesauce

– 1 ¾ cups of Chantal’s Baking Flour Mix

– 1 tsp baking soda

– ½ tsp salt

– ½ tsp vanilla

– ½ tsp cinnamon

– Baking spray or muffin liners

Utensils

– Wooden spoon

– Measuring cups

– Measuring spoons

– Muffin pan

– Spatula

– Large mixing bowl

– Butter knife

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Using a wooden spoon or a stand-up mixer, mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each egg until everything is well combined.
4. Add the vanilla and applesauce to the mixture and mix until well combined.
5. Add the flour, salt, and cinnamon, and mix until everything is well combined. (I like to mix it in my kitchen aid on high for 3 minutes. I find that this helps the mixture to combine much better, and it gives the dough a more glutinous feel after it is baked. I tend to do this with most of my gluten-free baked goods.)
6. Spray a mini muffin pan with a baking spray, or line it with muffin liners.
7. Scoop the mixture into the greased muffin pan about ¾ full in each cavity.
8. Bake at 350 F/180 C for 15 minutes.
9. Insert a toothpick into the center of a baked muffin to check for doneness. If you still see a wet mixture on your toothpick or very sticky clumpy crumbs, then you will need to bake it for a little longer. Just keep an eye on it. You will know that it is done from the amazing aroma that it will release once it is fully baked.

Note: If you are using a medium muffin pan, you will need to bake the muffins for 20 minutes instead of 15.

Multi-Purpose Gluten Free Dough

This is one of those dough recipes that you can use for almost everything. It is super delicious, and I can barely tell the difference between it and the wheat flour dough.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups of Chantal’s Baking flour mix

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 large egg

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup warm milk (You can warm your milk in the microwave using a microwave safe container. Make sure it is warm enough to stick your finger in it and not burn it if you kept it there for longer than 30 seconds. If the temperature is too high, it will kill the yeast). You could use Lactaid milk (that is what I use), almond milk, or coconut milk if you are lactose intolerant.

1/3 cup warm water

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons active dry yeast.

Utensils

Large mixing bowl

Wooden spoon

Measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Directions

If you wish you can proof your yeast by mixing the yeast with your wet ingredients and the sugar, but I never do this. I always store my yeast in my fridge door. This keeps it fresh for years.

1. So, if you wish to proof your yeast, mix the milk, water, and sugar together. Add yeast to the mixture, and stir it for a few seconds. Cover with a plate or a shrink wrap, and set aside in an insulated place such as the microwave, or the oven WITHOUT turning them on. Let the yeast proof for 10 minutes.
2. Beat the egg with the yeast mixture, and mix in the olive oil.
3. Add the remaining ingredients.
4. Begin stirring with a wooden spoon until the dough is easy enough to handle by hand.
5. Using your clean hands, knead the dough until smooth.
6. You may need to add either warm milk or my all-purpose flour mix (depending on your altitude, and humidity) until the dough consistency feels smooth like an elastic wheat dough. Except that our dough will not be elastic. Add 1 tablespoon at a time to prevent the dough from getting too sticky.
7. You can use this dough with many Mediterranean recipes. The average baking temperature and baking time for this dough are 400 F for 15 minutes. This dough can also be fried at 350 F until golden brown. Read on to find out the many uses of this dough!

Tips

1. You can choose to use water instead of milk, but the dough will not be as flaky as it would be compared to using milk.

Chantal’s baking flour mix

Ingredients

1 pound brown rice flour

0.4 pounds potato starch

0.7 pounds white rice flour

2 teaspoons xanthan gum

0.07 pounds tapioca flour

0.13 pounds coconut flour

Utensils

Large mixing bowl

Whisk

Scale

Measuring spoons

Large scoop or spoon

Storage container with a tight lid

Directions

1. Measure all ingredients and place into mixing bowl.
2. Mix everything together using a whisk until well combined.
3. You may need to use a spoon every now and then to pick up the unmixed flour around the edges and the bottom of the bowl.
4. Store flour mixture in a container with a secure lid in a cool dry area.
5. In general, you can use this flour mixture in place of all-purpose wheat flour in a one to one ratio. For extra binding, you can add a little bit of xanthan gum depending on the recipe.

Flat Rice Bread

Ingredients

– 1 cup white rice flour

– 1 tablespoon olive oil

– 1 teaspoon salt

– 1 cup of water

– 1 teaspoon vegetable or sesame oil

Utensils

– Medium stock pot

– Wooden spoon

– Measuring cup

– Measuring spoons

– Sharp knife

– Tortilla press

– Parchment paper

– Large pan

– Spatula

Directions

1. Place the water, salt, and olive oil into a medium pot. Mix until salt is dissolved, and bring to a boil on high heat.
2. Once the mixture comes to a rolling boil, remove from heat, pour rice flour into the very hot mixture, and mix vigorously until very well combined.
3. Cover, and let it rest for 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
4. Oil a clean countertop with the 1 tsp of vegetable oil or sesame oil.
5. Transfer the now rice dough onto the oiled counter, and knead for 1 to 2 minutes until somewhat elastic.
6. Roll into a thick log about 3 inches in diameter.
7. Preheat a large pan on medium heat.
8. Cut a piece of parchment paper and fold it in half. It has to be big enough to cover the entire circle of the tortilla press.
9. Place the folded parchment paper, crease side in, into the tortilla press.
10. Slice about an inch to an inch and a half thick slice off the dough log. Form into a ball using the palm of your hand, and the surface of the counter, by cupping your palm, placing the top of the dough slice into that cup-shaped palm, gently pressing against the dough while forming small circular patterns.
11. Take the dough ball which you have formed, open up the parchment sheet, and place the dough between the two parchment papers.
12. Press the tortilla press onto the dough which is now in the tortilla press in between the parchment paper.
13. Gently remove the circularly shaped dough out of the press. Place it on the palm of your hand, and flip it onto the preheated pan.
14. Let it cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until it begins to bubble, and the bottom is gently browned. Do not attempt to lift the dough before it begins to bubble because it will stick to everything.
15. Flip the dough over to cook on the second side. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until gently browned on the side touching the pan.
16. Remove from pan and transfer onto a plate.
17. Repeat process 8 to 16, until you have no more dough left.
18. Serve with anything that requires bread. I usually like to use this bread with Mediterranean dishes, fajitas, soft tacos, or to make a za’atar sandwich.
19. When cooking this bread, I usually have a dough pressed and ready while the other is in the pan getting “baked”. This makes the process a lot quicker.
20. To store, place in a zip lock bag, and store outside of the fridge. It will last for about 5 days. In my house, it usually lasts for a few minutes, or a few hours if I stop the little mouths from devouring it. J

Fluffy Crunchy Pizza Dough or Almost Anything Dough

Yikes!! this is the third time that I update this recipe! So I thought 2 tablespoons of sugar was the right thing to do. I tried it again, and it just tasted too sweet. I brought it down to 1 tablespoon again, but I did change the salt amount. I now use 1 ½ tsp of salt instead of 1. The dough no longer tastes bland or too sweet. It is just right.

Ingredients

– 1 ¼ cup brown rice flour

– ¼ cup sweet rice flour

– ¼ cup potato starch

– ¼ cup tapioca flour

– 1 ½ teaspoon xanthan gum

– 1 ½ teaspoon salt

– 1 tablespoons sugar

– 1 large egg

– 3 teaspoons baking powder

– 1 cup lukewarm water

Utensils

– Large spoon

– Medium bowl

– Measuring cups

– Measuring spoons

Directions

1. In a Medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together until well combined.
2. Create a well in the center of the mixture.
3. Crack the egg and place it in the well which you have just made. (DO NOT PUT THE EGG SHELL IN THE MIXTURE!)
4. Add 1 cup of water into the well.
5. Gently beat the egg with the water.
6. Mix all the ingredients together until well combined.
7. Continue to mix vigorously for one to two minutes until the dough begins to resemble a wheat dough.
8. If you are using this dough for pizza, spread the dough to a ¼ inch thickness on a well-greased pan, and bake for 10 minutes at 400 F.
9. Remove from oven and spread your favorite pizza topping on top of it.
10. Bake for 12 minutes at 450 F.
11. Allow to cool for a few minutes, slice, serve, and enjoy!

Note: I do want to say that the brand of flour you use matters. It completely changes the texture of the dough. I recommend using either Bob’s Red Mill or Anthony’s brand for best results. You also do have to consider humidity. Just as in regular baking you have to factor in humidity in order to adjust the dough consistency, you also have to do the same with gluten free dough as well. For now, I have been adding brown rice for this recipe when it does seem too wet, but I am not sure if it is the only flour that I should be adding to achieve the best results. It still tastes great, but the consistency is slightly different. I will try to add the proper amounts of all four flours listed in the recipe in case if humidity causes my dough to be too wet, and I will update you with the results

If you want a more flavorful dough, you could always add some seasoning to your dough, such as oregano, basil, or garlic powder. Lately my son and I like to sprinkle garlic powder and black pepper on our slices of pizza, so I just started sprinkling it on top of the pizza before I bake it. This way every slice gets some.