The Holidays are Here!

Greetings! I cannot believe how much time flies between posts. With the holiday season upon us I wanted to give you a couple recipe ideas that are gluten and refined sugar free. When baking consider cutting the sugar amount in half and/or substituting natural sugar products such as maple syrup, brown rice syrup or honey. Stevia, an herb that is 300 times sweeter than sugar, can also be used, just remember that a little goes a long way! Below I have created a chart for substituting natural sugars and stevia in your baking.

These recipes I got from my two friends and business colleagues in Portland, Oregon. The first is from Dr. Raina Lasse and the second is from Dr. Angela Lambert. I have made both and I think they are a yummy.


"Healthy" Crispy Rice Treats

One box 10 oz Erewon crispy brown rice cereal
1 ½ cups almond butter
1 ¼ cup brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation
Grease a 9 inch and 9 inch baking pan. Pour rice cereal into a large bowl. Lightly heat almond butter and brown rice syrup until it is slightly warm and fluid. Add vanilla and salt. Pour almond mixture onto rice cereal. Use you hands (there’s really no other way!) to mix until all the cereal is coated. Press firmly into pan and let sit for several hours (refrigerating will speed the solidifying process). Cup into squares and serve.

Optional topping:
½ cup organic butter
½ cup brown rice syrup
½ cup pure cocoa powder

Melt butter in a pan add the brown rice syrup then add the cocoa powder. Whisk until smooth. Using a spoon drip over rice crispy treats before they harden. Then enjoy!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

Gluten-free Pate Brisee
1 cup white rice flour*
1/2 cup sorghum flour*
1/2 cup potato starch*
3 Tbsp sweet rice flour*
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
8 Tbsp cold organic unsalted butter
1 large free range organic egg
2 Tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ice water, or enough to make the dough stick together

* I substituted the above flours with 2 cups and 3 Tbsp of a gluten free flour mix that I use. It consists of 3 parts brown rice flour, 1 parts potato starch flour and 1/2 part tapioca flour. This is my standard flour mix that is use for all of my baking needs.

In a food processor, pulse dry ingredients. Cut the chilled unsalted butter into small pieces and add to the dry ingredients. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces remaining.

Add egg and vinegar and gently pulse. Drizzle the ice water in a little at time; pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed. (if needed, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not over mix.

Turn out onto a work surface; kneed once or twice, until dough comes together. Flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least one hour or up to three days.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place dough disk on a floured piece of parchment paper. Let the dough come to room temperature. Using knuckles, press edges of dough to help prevent cracking. Roll dough to a 14-inch round. Gently place in a 9 inch pie plate and prick bottom with a fork to prevent puffing or shrinking.

Bake until crust is firm, about 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

1 1/2 packages (18 ounces total) extra firm tofu
2 cups canned or cooked pumpkin
2/3 cup honey or maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend tofu in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Pour into prepared pie shell.

Bake for approximately one hour.

Enjoy!!