Bread Pudding (gluten free of course)

 What do you do when you make the Thanksgiving rolls too dark?? You turn them into bread pudding!

Gluten Free Bread Pudding

6 slices gluten free bread

3 T melted butter

1/2 C apples, diced

4 eggs, beaten

2 C Milk

3/4 c sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp pie spice

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 deg.  Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray, Tear bread into cubes and spread evenly on the bottom of the pan. Pour the melted butter over the bread. Sprinkle with apple pieces. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until whites and yolks are combined. Add in milk, sugar, spices, and vanilla extract. 

Pour the mixture over the bread evenly. Press down to make sure the bread is soaking up the liquids. 

Bake 45 min in the 350 deg oven or until the bread springs back when you push on it. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Top with vanilla sauce. 

Vanilla Sauce

1/2 C brown sugar

2 T Corn Starch

Pinch Cinnamon

1 egg

1 1/4 c Milk

2 T Melted Butter

pinch salt

For vanilla sauce, whisk 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, the corn starch, a pinch of cinnamon, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 1/4 cups of whole milk, and salt together in a heavy saucepan until smooth. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour sauce over warm bread pudding, or serve on the side in a bowl.

Zucchini Bread and Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

    This is what happens when you are gifted a zucchini and you didn't have plans for said zucchini. You make an attempt at zucchini bread. I hear that's what everybody does with the oodles of zucchini that they don't know what to do with. Ha! Ok, so maybe ONE zucchini isn't oodles....and maybe I could have grilled it which I LOVE...but I wanted to try zucchini bread.
    I did a search for zucchini bread recipes. There are about a zillion of those out there by the way! I decided to base mine off of a famous lady named Paula's recipe. However, I made mine gluten free. I also took out the gobs of oil she used and replaced it with cinnamon applesauce. Lastly, I switched up some of the spices because of what I had on hand. I also added chocolate chips to one loaf. I hear that chocolate chips are yummy in zucchini bread.

Zucchini Bread - gluten free

3 cups GF Flour Mix
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup cinnamon applesauce
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon almond extract

* add 3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips to make Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, xanthan gum, salt, pie spice, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. Mix wet ingredients into dry. Add the grated zucchini and stir until combined.  Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with cooking spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.

Use a cheese grater/ box grater to grate the zucchini.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Add in the grated zucchini and stir until combined.

Plain Zucchini Bread Batter

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Batter (I divided the batter in 1/2. I did one loaf plain and one loaf chocolate chip by adding 1/2-3/4 c. Chocolate Chips to the batter)

Plain Loaf is done!!

So moist and yummy!

YUM!

Chocolate Chip is done!!

So pretty

Look at those chunks of chocolaty goodness.

Two yummy loafs of zucchini bread.....THIS is the way to eat your veggies!

After making and trying my zucchini bread I have no idea why I have never made this before. It is GOOD! I do believe I am a fan of zucchini bread now....mmmmmm.

-Jessica

Gorilla Bread...individual sized and gluten free!!!

     I'm super excited to share this recipe with you guys. I think you just may love it. I guess even if you don't love it, I still love it.
     I was Pinteresting (I may or may not have just made up that word) the other day and ran across this recipe for Paula Deen's Gorilla Bread. Well my gal Paula uses canned biscuits in her recipe and unfortunately those are SO not gluten free. However, she has this genius idea of using cream cheese. I'm a fan of cream cheese. I had run across a gluten free monkey bread recipe a while back (also on pinterest). SO I meshed these two ideas, added my own twists and I have come up with individual sized gluten free gorilla bread. GET EXCITED!!

Individual Size Gluten Free Gorilla Bread

3 egg whites
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup Gluten Free Flour Blend
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2  teaspoons xanthan gum
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:
4 Tablespoons Butter OR margarine (melted)
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream Cheese (6 teaspoon size pieces)

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Generously spray a 6 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.  In a small bowl beat egg whites until frothy and semi stiff. Add in the remaining dough ingredients and mix until thick. This will take a few minutes to get the dough thick. Keep that electric mixer going for a while. You will notice a change in the texture of the mixture.

Combine the filling ingredients in a small bowl. Using a spoon, put a small amount of the filling mixture into the bottom of the muffin tin holes. Layer about 3 drops of dough ontop of the mixture. Spoon a little more of the filling mixture ontop of the dough balls. Top with the small slice of cream cheese. Top the cream cheese with a couple more spoons of dough.Try to completely cover the cream cheese and make a "seal" with the dough.  Put the remaining filling mixture ontop of the last layer of dough.

Bake at 350 deg. for 20-25 min. You may want to place a cookie sheet or foil under the muffin tin. It may bubble over. Cook until browned.

Remove from the oven and serve warm. Pop the gorilla breads out of the muffin cups and drizzle the syrup that is in the bottom of the muffin cups ontop of the warm bread.

This recipe makes 6 gorilla breads, you could double or triple the recipe for a larger family.

This recipe moves pretty quick, it is easiest to just have everything you need out and ready to go.

Beat the egg whites until they are almost stiff (think meringue)

Put a little filing mixture in the bottom of the muffin cup and top with about 3 teaspoons of dough.

Add a little of the filling and top with the slice of cream cheese

Top the cream cheese with another layer of dough. Drizzle the remaining topping over the last layer and into the oven it goes!

Enjoy!!!

-Jessica

Sometimes I love the Fed-ex man...........

     The Fed-ex man visited my house today. I was wracking my brain trying to think of what Christmas gift was scheduled to be delivered today....couldn't come up with any. I went outside to retrieve my box and see what in the world had come.
      I looked at the return address and it was from Udi's. They recently had a holiday prize pack giveaway. Each day they asked a question on their blog, then random people were chosen to win prize packs. Low and behold I WON!!! (keep in mind I'm usually not a person who wins anything). I was super excited to win a prize pack from them. I was even more excited when it came today!!

This is the cute box that came inside of the cardboard mailing box.

Holey cow....this box is jam packed with yummy goodies!!

1 awesome burlap Udi's bag, 1 Udi's t-shirt, package of pizza crusts, package of hamburger buns, loaf of bread, and container of snickerdoodles. WOW a gluten free treasure chest!

Thank you Udi's. You made my day with your holiday prize pack!!

-Jessica