Maple-Pumpkin Custards with Crystallized Ginger

I found this on the Eating Well Website and made my modifications. I haven't made them yet, but they sound heavenly!

Makes 6 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 3 hours (including cooling and chilling)
EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

1 1/2 cups rice milk
4 large eggs
3/4 cup maple syrup (see Ingredient note)
3/4 cup canned unseasoned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Put a kettle of water on to heat for the water bath. Line a roasting pan with a folded kitchen towel.
2. Heat milk over low heat in a small saucepan until barely steaming but not boiling.
3. Whisk eggs and syrup in a large bowl until smooth. Gently whisk in the warm milk (a little bit at a time so the eggs don't cook). Add pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; whisk until blended.
4. Divide the mixture among six 6-ounce (3/4-cup) custard cups. Skim foam from the surface. Place custard cups in the prepared roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the custard cups. Place the pan in the oven and bake, uncovered, until custards are just set but still quiver in the center when shaken, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer custards to a wire rack and let cool for 45 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until chilled.
5. To serve, top each custard with a sprinkling of crystallized ginger.

TIP: Ingredient note: If you can find it, use Grade B dark amber syrup to get the best maple flavor.
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare through Step 4. cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Cornstarch Pudding

This came from the Argo Cornstarch website, I modified it with rice milk. It came out ok, but it was the best I can find for pudding!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Chill Time: 30 minutes minutes
Yield: 3 cups

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons Argo® or Kingsford’s® Corn Starch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups rice milk
• 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1. combine sugar, corn starch and salt in medium saucepan. Gradually stir in milk until smooth. Add egg yolks.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and boil 1 minute. Stir in vanilla.
3. Pour in a serving bowl OR pour equal amounts into 4 individual serving bowls. Cover and chill a minimum of 30 minutes before serving.

Perfect Pizzelles

I found a recipe online for GF Pizzelles and put my own spin on to it! I originally wanted the recipe to make ice cream cones - I bought the thing to roll around...not much luck! They didn't come out good! But if you're better at rolling than I am, all the best luck to you! LOL! but they make perfect pizzelles that taste like the real thing! My eldest daughter commented on how buttery they taste (without butter)!

1/2 cup Spectrum 100% palm shortening
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs plus 1 egg white (if you're using smaller eggs, make it 4 eggs)
2 cups Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt

Melt shortening and cool a bit. Beat eggs in large bowl, add vanilla and beat. Add sugar to egg mixture and beat well. Add shortening and beat. Sift in flour, xanthan, baking powder, and salt into wet mixture. Beat all together until consistency of a loose dough. Bake in pizzelle maker. Makes about 2 dozen pizzelles

If dough is too thick, add another egg white and beat it in. If you want a different flavor (e.g. anise), add about 1/2 teaspoon of flavoring.

Minty Chocolate Treats

I found this recipe in Parents Magazine and tried it tonight with the kids (they loved smashing the candy canes and rolling the balls in the smashed candy). I still need to tweak it a bit (came out a bit sticky), but it was delish as is! Here it is with my adaptations!

1 box (9 oz) Ener G chocolate cookies (they're the same as the chocolate wafers but wheat, soy, dairy free)
3/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
scant 1/4 cup chocolate rice milk (I think even less, that may be why it was so sticky)
1/3 cup light corn syrup
8 candy canes, crushed in ziploc bags

In a food processor, grind first four ingredients. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add milk and corn syrup. Shape into 1/4 inch balls and roll in the crushed candy canes. Store in an airtight container.

We made about 2 douzen, but I think some didn't make it to the final destination! :)

Burnt Sugar Lollipops

Straight from EatingWell.com - no need to change anything and they were great!!

No special equipment or fancy molds are needed for these gorgeous jewels—just a little patience and steady hand to pour out the hot sugar syrup. Wrap the lollipops individually in large, clear lollipop bags and seal with a silver twist-tie or a piece of ribbon. Affix them individually to the bows of your holiday presents or hang them on your tree and offer them to guests as they leave.
Makes 24 lollipops

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
24 cinnamon sticks, preferably 4 inches or longer

1. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper; place in the refrigerator until chilled, about 30 minutes.
2. Stir sugar, corn syrup, water and cream of tartar in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer, wiping down the sides of the pan occasionally with a wet pastry brush to remove any crystals, about 5 minutes.
3. Once the mixture reaches a full boil, cook, undisturbed, until very light amber, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a second deep saucepan, preferably one with a pouring lip; set aside just until the mixture stops boiling and is thickened somewhat (it will continue to darken), about 2 minutes.
4. Make 24 lollipops by pouring 1 1/2-inch circles onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. (Give yourself a few practice attempts—you have plenty of extra syrup for experimenting.) Press a cinnamon stick into each circle to form the lollipop stick. Use a spoon to drizzle the remaining sugar syrup (be careful: it's very hot) over each lollipop, thereby affixing the sticks and creating a sandwich of hardened sugar that holds the stick in place—do not let the circumference expand beyond its original boundary. (You won't use all the sugar; some will harden in the pan before you pour it out.) Let cool for about 20 minutes, then break off any shards of hardened sugar and seal the lollipops in individual bags.

TIP: Store lollipops in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. One caveat: Humidity ruins hard candy. You'll have better success shipping to Arizona than to Maine in the winter.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

Huge hit with the entire family (even my skeptical brother)! This was taken from Kids with Food Allergies Halloween booklet. I was disappointed to see that many of their recipes contained margarine (next to impossible to find a soy free and dairy free margarine), but this one is a keeper!

2 cups gluten-free flour blend (I like Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour)
1/2 cup oat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder (make sure it's alluminum free)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup shortening (Spectrum Shortening is 100% Palm)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin (Libbey has a wonderful pure pumpkin with no additives)
1 Tbsp Egg Replacer mixed with 2 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla

In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir until completely mixed.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place spoonfuls of batter on ungreased cookie sheet, 12-15 to a sheet. My kids enjoy tapping a bit of "sand" (colored sugar) on each cookie before cooking.
Bake 18-20 minutes

Peach Salsa Dip

1 1/4 cup (1/2 a 16oz bag) frozen peaches, thawed and diced
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 green opnion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons mild salsa (we prefer Tostido's brand as it is surprisingly all natural!)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Makes 3 cups

Royal Frosting

This frosting (as described below) is a hard decorating frosting. If you want it to frost a cake or use to decorate, just cut back the powdered sugar.

3 egg whites
1 pkg. confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Beat Egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy in small bowl. Slowly beat in confectioners' sugar until frosting stands in firm peaks and is stiff enough to hold a sharp line when cut through with knife. Keep bowl covered with damp paper towel while working to keep frosting from drying out. Store leftover frosting in tightly covered jar in refrigerator. Use decorating tube to decorate

Buckeyes

Great treats for parties or any time!

1 1/2 cups peanut butter
5 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup Spectrum (100% palm) shortening
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups Enjoy Life chocolate chips


Blend peanut butter, sugar, butter, and vanilla. (Dough will look dry).
Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.
Poke a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until hard (1/2 hour).
Melt chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler (use very low heat, not much hotter than tap water or the chocolate will get grainy. This will take awhile).
Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes.
Put back on the wax paper lined cookie sheet and refrigerate 2 hours.