Cake Batter Cookies

These soft, chewy cookies are simply the portable form of this delicious Funfetti Sugar Cookie Cake! Personalize the recipe with your choice of sprinkle colors to celebrate birthdays, holidays, sports teams, or school mascots. This is also a fun recipe for kids to help with in the kitchen!

Cake Batter Cookies
Yield: 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/3 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup sprinkles (jimmies, not nonpareils)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until combined.
3. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix until combined.
4. Fold in white chocolate chips and sprinkles until evenly distributed.
5. Use small cookie dough scoop and roll dough between hands before placing 2-3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
6. Bake 9 minutes, or until edges are set and dough is no longer shiny. (Cookies will brown just slightly.)
7. Cool on baking sheets 3 minutes, then remove from pan to wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe adapted from What the Fork.

Maple Nut Fudge

I didn't quite need the entire can of evaporated milk when making these caramel brownies, so I decided to try a new fudge recipe to use up the leftovers! The toasted walnuts add crunchy texture and depth of flavor to this decadent, creamy fudge. This recipe will be perfect for the holiday season and make for a delicious Christmas gift!

Maple Nut Fudge
Yield: 9x13 pan

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped walnuts
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
• 2/3 cup (5 oz can) evaporated milk
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 7 oz jar marshmallow creme
• 2 1/2 tsp maple extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spread walnuts in single layer on baking sheet. Bake 3 minutes, stir, then bake additional 3 minutes. (Be careful not to burn!) Let cool.
3. Grease 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line with parchment paper. Set aside.
4. Combine sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring often. Once at full boil, maintain boiling for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Turn off heat. Stir in white chocolate chips until smooth.
6. Add marshmallow creme and maple extract. Stir until smooth.
7. Fold in toasted walnuts.
8. Pour into prepared pan.
9. Cool at room temperature until pan is no longer warm (about 2-3 hours). Then move pan to refrigerator to chill (about 1-2 hours).
10. Lift fudge from pan, discard parchment, and cut into squares. Store in refrigerator.
11. To maximize maple flavor, serve fudge at room temperature. (Simply remove fudge from refrigerator 30 minutes to an hour before serving.)

Recipe adapted from Mom On Timeout.

Turkey Burgers

Warm weather means it's time to fire up the grill! This simple recipe requires minimal prep work and just a short cooking time, perfect for entertaining or a busy weeknight dinner. These delicious turkey burgers turn out juicy and flavorful every time!

Turkey Burgers
Yield: 4 patties

Ingredients

• 16 oz Jennie-O 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 Tbsp gluten free plain dried breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp (heaping) garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp (heaping) onion powder
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Add ground turkey to a medium mixing bowl. Sprinkle in breadcrumbs, spices, and Worcestershire sauce.
2. Gently break up meat to evenly incorporate seasonings.
3. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions and shape into patties about 1/2-inch thick.
4. Grill to desired level of doneness.
5. Serve on gluten free bun topped with cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion, pickles, bacon, avocado, ketchup, mayo, mustard, etc.
6. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy.

White Chip Chocolate Cookies {Bars}

Like many families, I try to maximize every dollar in my grocery budget. To minimize the financial impact of my need to be dairy free on top of gluten free, I have started making small batches of DF/GF desserts just for me while continuing to make regular GF baked goods for my family. An easy way to do this has been to cut cookie recipes in half and bake them as bars. I have included both versions below!

White Chip Chocolate Cookie Bars
Yield: 8x8 pan

Ingredients

• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 8x8 pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in small bowl.
3. Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Fold in white chocolate chips.
4. Dump dough into prepared pan and flatten into even layer.
5. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until center is set.
6. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

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Dairy Free Option

• Country Crock has a new line of plant based butters that are both dairy free and gluten free. I used the avocado sticks in this recipe, and they work just like real butter!
• Nestle Tollhouse has a line of "Simply Delicious" baking morsels that are free from the 8 major food allergens. It's the first company I've seen that offers dairy free white morsels in-store!
• Both of these products were purchased from Walmart, so you don't have to visit any specialty shops to make this recipe; you can simply pick up these ingredients during your regular shopping trip!

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White Chip Chocolate Cookies
Yield: 4 dozen

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 2/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in small bowl.
3. Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Fold in white chocolate chips.
4. Drop by rounded tablespoon on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (This allows for easier removal from pan after cooling. You can reuse the same parchment between batches to cut down on waste!)
5. Bake 9-11 minutes, or until centers are set. Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes before removing to wire rack.
6. Cool completely before storing.

Recipe adapted from Very Best Baking.

Gluten Free Vegan Cookie Cake

I don't really talk about my health issues on my blog even though that's what prompted me to start this whole thing in the first place. I've been suffering from chronic craniofacial pain for over four years, and the past week has been brutal. The severity of my pain has been at an all-time high, literally the worst it's ever been, and no external remedies provide relief. (OTC medications, ice, heat, massage, etc. don't even touch it.)

One thing I've learned during these last few years is that inflammation is largely responsible for how I feel day to day. And reducing inflammation starts with the food I put into my body. The first time I tried to go gluten free, I failed. I ended up trying again a few months later and have been successful ever since. Last year around this time I tried going dairy free, but I didn't really notice a change, good or bad, so I stopped being too careful about avoiding milk products. I've been saying to my husband for a while now that I think it's only a matter of time before my body decides for me that I must go dairy free, and that time is now. What better way to kick off attempt #2 than with a new recipe!

Gluten Free Vegan Cookie Cake
Yield: 8″ springform pan

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/3 cup SunButter
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 8″ springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Add almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt to large bowl and whisk to combine. Be sure to remove any large lumps.
3. In small bowl, add melted coconut oil, sunbutter, maple syrup, and vanilla; mix to combine.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, then mix. When almost combined, add chocolate chips. Batter will be stiff.
5. Dump dough into prepared pan and flatten into even layer.
6. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool completely on wire rack.
8. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Once you're ready to cut into the cookie cake, you may notice that the inside has turned GREEN! According to SunButter FAQs, the naturally occurring chlorogenic acid (chlorophyll) in sunflower seeds reacts with the baking soda when cooked, causing the green color when the cookie cake cools (and oxidizes). I know that’s awfully science-y, but I am married to a chemistry professor, after all! The take-home message from all of this: the green hue is totally normal, completely harmless, and 100% safe to consume.

I know what you're thinking: what if I want to avoid this whole green conundrum altogether?! Simply substitute your favorite nut butter of choice! Peanut butter and almond butter would be my top two runners up. The main reason I ventured into the SunButter world is that on top of gluten and dairy issues, I've also noticed I feel bad after I eat peanut butter. Did I mention that I'm grain free, too? Good thing I love to cook, because everything I eat these days is made in my own kitchen!

Recipe adapted from Fooduzzi.

Bottom Round Roast

I decided to try something new for our family Christmas dinner this year (I can't believe that was already a month ago!) when I came across a beautiful roast marked down in price while shopping at Sam's Club. I usually put meat in the crockpot (because it's hard to mess it up that way!) so this was a bit of an experiment on my part. Boy am I glad I went out of my comfort zone! The end result was a juicy, tender roast on the inside complemented by a crunchy, mouth-watering herbal crust on the outside.

Bottom Round Roast
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 3-4 lb beef bottom round roast, room temperature
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking pan with foil and grease with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Using a mortar and pestle, turn garlic cloves and sea salt into a paste. Stir in parsley, thyme, rosemary, pepper, and olive oil.
3. Remove roast from packaging and place on prepared pan. Rub all sides with herb mixture. When finished, place roast in pan with fatty side up.
4. Bake 18-20 minutes per pound, or until internal temperature reaches 125-130°F, for medium-rare (or until roast is at desired doneness and/or temperature).
5. Remove roast from pan and place on platter or cutting board. Cover loosely with foil (so the meat doesn't "sweat") and allow roast to rest for at least 15-20 minutes before slicing.
6. After resting, thinly slice the roast against the grain for the most tender bite. (If you cut with the grain, the meat will be much harder to chew.)

Recipe adapted from Allergy Free Alaska.