Gluten for Punishment (29 page)

“It should only be a few months before I’m back on my feet, depending on how the sale
of the inn goes.” Tasha smiled. “Besides, I think we’ll be a lot safer now. I mean,
we have solid reputations in taking down bad guys together.” She raised her arm and
made a weak strong-man muscle. “Anyone would think twice about breaking and entering
now.”

I laughed until it hurt, which didn’t take much. “Plus, Tim is installing a security
system. We’ll let the security company keep the police on speed dial. Anyone breaks
in and the alarms will go off and the cops will be here before you can pick up your
bat.”

“Sounds good to me,” she said and put her arm around Kip and walked to the kitchen.
“Come on, love, let’s see what Aunt Toni has to snack on.”

Grandma Ruth walked with me into the den where we sank into the velvet wing chairs.
“Gotta love a good mystery,” she said, her eyes twinkling. Bill turned on the gas
and lit the fireplace.

“I’d settle for a nice glass of wine and a good book,” I said. “Real life causes too
much bruising.”

Grandma Ruth chuckled. “It’s good to know you won’t be alone, kiddo.” She patted my
knee. “With Tasha here, I won’t be popping over so much.”

“You and Bill are welcome anytime.” He might be annoying and a freeloader, but it
was pretty clear he loved my grandma and that would have to be good enough for me.

“Got any of those scones you need to get rid of?” Bill sat down on the settee.

“Yes, I do.”

“And cookies?” he added.

I laughed. “And cookies. Help yourself, they’re on the kitchen counter.”

Bill got up without complaint and I could hear Tasha and Kip in the kitchen. For the
first time since my mom had died, the house felt like home.

BAKER’S TREAT RECIPES

I
know how difficult it is to bake gluten-free food—especially if one of your hobbies,
like mine, is baking. The following recipes use some of my favorite gluten-free mixes.
I recommend you start with a mix. Once you get used to baking gluten-free, you can
experiment more with almond flour or creating your own all-purpose mix from a variety
of your favorites.

Enjoy!

Kip’s Favorite Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

MAKES 6 MUFFINS

1
¹
/
₄
cups preferred gluten-free baking mix (such as Pamela’s or Bisquick)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¹
/
₄
cup water

1 egg

¹
/
₄
cup honey or sugar

1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla

¹
/
₂
cup gluten-free canned pumpkin

¹
/
₂
cup gluten-free chocolate chips or chocolate chunks made from your favorite gluten-free
chocolate

¹
/
₂
cup coconut (optional)

¹
/
₄
cup pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease or line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.

Mix first eight ingredients together. Fold in chocolate chips and optional ingredients.
Using a
¹
/
₄
-cup measure, spoon into prepared muffin tins, filling each two-thirds full. Bake
in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until tops bounce back when touched.

*Note—Once baked, muffins can be frozen and reheated in microwave for 40 to 45 seconds
for a fresh, hot muffin every morning.

Toni’s Chamber of Commerce Gluten-Free Mini Salmon Quiches

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¹
/
₄
cup diced onion

¹
/
₂
teaspoon salt

¹
/
₈
teaspoon pepper

4 ounces smoked salmon

2 large eggs, or
¹
/
₂
cup egg substitute

2
⁄
₃
cup half-and-half

3 ounce
1
⁄
₃
-less-fat cream cheese, cubed

1 tablespoon dill

Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly coat a mini-muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion for 2 to 3 minutes or
until soft; add salt, pepper, and salmon. Remove from stovetop and set aside to cool.

Combine the egg/egg substitute and half-and-half in a small bowl and set aside.

Place two small cubes of cream cheese in each cup, followed by 1 tablespoon of salmon
mixture. Pour egg mixture on top, until each cup is three-quarters filled (do not
overfill). Top each cup with a sprinkle of dill.

Bake quiches for 15 minutes at 400, then reduce heat to 350 F and bake 5 to 7 minutes
more.

Tasha’s Gluten-Free Mini Quiches

MAKES 60 MINI QUICHES

SHELLS

6 ounce cream cheese, softened

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour or Gluten Free Pantry piecrust mix

QUICHE MIXTURE

1
¹
/
₂
cups grated cheddar cheese

8 slices bacon, cooked crisp-crumbled

3 eggs

1
¹
/
₂
cups half-and-half

¹
/
₂
teaspoon salt

1 cup finely chopped spinach (optional)

1 cup feta cheese (optional)

¹
/
₂
cup mushrooms (optional)

Mix butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add flour and mix only until a
soft dough forms. Overworking dough can make it tough. (This is less likely, however,
with gluten-free flour.) Refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Form dough into 60 walnut-sized balls. Press each ball into muffin pan, ensuring sides
and bottom are covered.

Mix all quiche ingredients together. Pour 1 tablespoon into each muffin. Bake until
tops are browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

*Tip: Quiches can be cooked and frozen, and reheated at a later date.

Toni’s Famous Gluten-Free Danish

MAKES 1
¹
/
₂
DOZEN

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

4
1
⁄
₃
cups all-purpose gluten-free flour, such as Better Batter or Pamela’s Baking Mix,
divided

2
¹
/
₄
teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast

1
¹
/
₄
cups milk

¹
/
₄
cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

¹
/
₂
teaspoon lemon extract

¹
/
₂
teaspoon almond extract

Preserves or cream cheese for filling

Egg white, for brushing

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and
1
⁄
₃
cup of flour. Roll between 2 pieces of waxed paper into a 6 x12-inch sheet. Refrigerate
for at least 20 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together the dry yeast and 1
¹
/
₂
cups of flour. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, sugar, and
salt. Heat to 115 degrees F, or just until warm but not hot to the touch. Mix the
warm milk mixture into the flour and yeast along with the egg and lemon and almond
extracts. Stir for 3 minutes. Knead in the remaining flour
¹
/
₂
cup at a time until the dough is firm and pliable. (Dough may be sticky due to gluten-free
flour.) Set aside to rest until doubled in size. Approximately 2 hours.

Roll dough out to a 14-inch square. (Dough can be rolled between waxed paper to keep
from sticking.) Place the sheet of the cold butter onto dough, and fold the dough
over it like the cover of a book. Seal edges by pressing with fingers. Roll each piece
out to a 20 x 12-inch rectangle, then fold into thirds by folding the long sides in
over the center. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Repeat rolling into a large rectangle,
and folding into thirds. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Remove from the refrigerator and repeat rolling and folding process two more times,
chilling between each fold. Return to the refrigerator to chill again before shaping.
If the butter gets too warm, the dough will become difficult to manage.

Roll dough out to
¹
/
₄
-inch thickness. Cut dough into 4-inch squares and place a tablespoon of filling in
the center. Fold two of the corners over the center to form a filled-diamond shape.
Or, fold the piece in half, cut into 1-inch strips, stretch, twist, and roll into
a spiral. Place a dollop (approximately 1 tablespoon) of preserves or other filling
in the center. Alternatively, cut into 2-inch circles and place a dollop of filling
in center. Place Danish on ungreased baking sheet, cover with lint-free towel and
let rise until doubled approximately 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Brush Danish with egg white; this will ensure a shiny finish. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes,
or until bottoms are golden brown.

Danishes can be served immediately or cooled and dusted with powdered sugar or piped
with a glaze made of powdered sugar and water.

Danish dough can be frozen for up to three weeks before it is filled, then filled
and baked when needed.

Apple-Cinnamon Raisin Muffins

MAKES 6 MUFFINS

1
¹
/
₄
cups gluten-free baking mix (such as Pamela’s or Bisquick)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¹
/
₄
cup water

1 egg

¹
/
₄
cup honey or sugar

1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla

¹
/
₂
cup applesauce

¹
/
₂
cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a muffin tin or line with paper liners and set aside.

Mix first seven ingredients together. Fold in raisins. Using a
¹
/
₄
-cup measure, spoon into prepared muffin tins, filling each two-thirds full. Bake
in preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes until tops bounce back when touched.

*Note—Once baked, muffins can be frozen and reheated in microwave for 40 to 45 seconds
for a fresh, hot muffin every morning.

Gluten-Free Blueberry Coffee Cake

FILLING

¹
/
₄
cup sugar

¹
/
₄
cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

1 cup blueberries

CAKE BATTER

2
⁄
₃
cup (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all-purpose gluten-free baking mix, such as Pamela’s (I have a recipe for making
your own. You can find it at www.nancyjparra.com)

1 cup sour cream

GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar

³
/
₄
teaspoon vanilla

2–3 tablespoons water (add more or less to make it creamy and pourable)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.

Prepare filling:
Mix all ingredients except blueberries and set aside.

Prepare batter:
Cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
On low speed, alternate baking mix with sour cream until incorporated.

Spoon half of the batter into prepared pan, covering the bottom. Sprinkle half of
the filling over the batter. Sprinkle blueberries over, then spoon remaining batter
over the top of the berries. Sprinkle remaining filling on top. Insert a butter knife
straight down into batter, moving up and down in a zigzag motion to marbleize cake.
Do not smooth out. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in cake
comes out clean. While warm, run a knife around the edges. When cool, remove from
pan and glaze.