Banana Dream Drops (Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free)

It has been a while.  Yes, it has.  However, I am back and I have some great recipes to share with you!!!

I have been so excited to share this recipe with you, but first let me give you a bit of background.  When we were first married, these cookies were all Dan could think about.  They were undoubtedly his favorite.  When we visited his childhood home, there was always a batch waiting for him and a dozen or so nestled in a gallon sized Ziploc bag ready for the trip home.  I loved the fact that for a couple of weeks after returning home, I didn't have to bake.  With that bag in the freezer, we were set.

But then it happened.  The care package just wasn't enough.  So, one visit a few years later, I was given the "secret" recipe to cookie goodness: Banana Dream Drop Cookies.  Divine!

Over the years, Dan has eaten his share of cookies and has found a few new favorites.  Personally, I haven't met a cookie he didn't like.  Some people are cake people, some pie, but Dan is all cookie.  Not that he would pass up cake or pie, mind you.  

This summer, I came across the recipe and decided to convert it to a gluten free/dairy free version.  It is delicious!  Cinnamon has declared it to be the best cookie ever!  The smile on Dan's face when I surprised him with these cookies was priceless.  Once again, it has regained center stage.

Banana Dream Drops:

2 1/2 cups of gluten-free flour (I use GF Mama's Coconut Blend Flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup butter (I use Earth Balance to make these dairy free)
1 cup of sugar + 3/4 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 cup of mashed ripe bananas (about three medium sized bananas)
1 cup semi-sweet or dairy-free chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups of gluten-free corn flakes crushed (I use these)
3/4 cup walnuts finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl combine 3/4 cup of sugar, crushed cornflakes, walnuts, and cinnamon.  Set aside.

In another bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer,  begin to cream the butter and sugar by gradually adding the sugar.  Add two eggs and cream well.  Stir in the bananas.  Add the flour mixture a little at a time.  Mix well.  Add the chocolate chips.

Drop a teaspoon sized ball of dough into the bowl of sugar, cornflakes, walnuts, and cinnamon.  Roll to coat and shape into balls.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes.

These cookies are absolutely the best gluten-free cookies we have made.  If you like a soft cookie and you like bananas and chocolate, give this recipe a try.  They freeze well too!

I have been noticing a trend at our house since I have begun making these cookies.  No one touches the last three bananas of the bunch.  Once they are overly ripe someone suggests that they are only good for cookies.  Hmmmm.....I wonder...

Autumn is Here: Hazelnut White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies ( DF & GF)

Early this week I began to smell something delicious coming from my kitchen.  The smell of pumpkin was distinct.  Cinnamon was baking up something!

Later, we were all treated to cookies perfect for the Fall season:  Hazelnut and White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies.  Cinnamon saw a recipe on Pinterest and decided to make some adaptations for us dairy-free, gluten-free folks.  The results were absolutely divine. 

Hazelnut White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies (DF and GF)

2 1/4 cups of Gluten Free Mama's Almond Blend Flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup Earth Balance butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree (we use Libby's)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
Optional:  finely minced or ground hazelnuts for sprinkling

Pre-Heat oven to 300 degrees

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, xanthan gum, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer.  Add the pumpkin puree and beat together.  Add eggs and vanilla and continue mixing until incorporated.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture until just combined.  Stir in the white chocolate chips and hazelnuts.

Drop rounded teaspoons of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet and sprinkle with finely minced or ground hazelnuts if you desire.  Leave about 2 inches of space between cookies. 

Bake at 300 degrees for 20-22 minutes until set.

These are yummy.  A perfect companion to a cup of tea.  You can find the original recipe here.  We hope you enjoy!

We Made It!!!!!

I am back!  I made it through my first homeschool graduation!  It wasn't so bad really.  All those years I fretted and worried that I would never make it to that iconic day; the day where, after years of homeschooling, we would reach the end: graduation. 

It was a perfect weekend.  Cinnamon and Paprika had their end-of-the-year recital on Saturday.  It was outstanding.  An Dochas, an Irish band, played for the entire show.  It was beautiful.  They played a lot of songs off their Rise CD.  I just sat back and listened and watched and beamed!  I was so proud.


Cinnamon is second from the left.  Paprika is fourth from the left.

 

 

It was even better because we had so many friends and family visiting for the weekend that they were also able to see them perform!  It was truly a joy to watch.

Sunday was Allspice's turn.  The day was filled with family and friends and about 40 dozen cookies, all gluten-free, and all made by Cinnamon!

There were Orange Chocolate Chip, Mochachinos, Snickerdoodles, Almond Pecan Sugar Cookies, Triple Chocolate, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Coconut Oatmeal, Mint Chocolate, Cinnamon chip  and Zebra Cookies.  Yum!!!  All gluten free which was awesome.  Imagine a table full of cookies, and you can eat any or all of them if you please!  Delicious!

It was so much fun to see family and friends and share in such a wonderful celebration.  There was volleyball, laughter, hugs, and relaxation. 

The rain even held off until the open house ended.  What a blessing!!!  All I can say is that the day was a gift.  A gift to see so many friends and family.  A gift to celebrate such accomplishment.  A gift to see a little boy I once cradled in my arms reach the end of one journey only to begin a new one into adulthood.  A gift to see my family surrounded by such love.

Blessed By It All

The past week has been flying by, that's for sure.  Around here we are gearing up for the final week before our big dance performance and a graduation party.  Cinnamon and Paprika have been dancing like crazy.  They went to a feis (pronounced "fesh") last weekend.  A feis is an Irish dance competition.  This was a pretty big one with over 500 girls and boys competing.  The dresses were bright and glittery and the hair, well the hair was big.  Yes, we too had big hair.

Those are wigs, by the way.  No way could I have curled their hair like that and left them with any hair at all.  Plus, in a way, you know you have made it to an upper level of dance when you are told you need to break down and buy that wig.  This was the first feis and first wig excursion for the girls.  They were quite excited by it all.

We had a blast.  The feis was in Seattle next to the Space Needle. 



They had a lot of fun and did very well.  They were pretty excited.

Now we are back to reality and less curl.  They are gearing up for a performance next week so there are hours and hours of rehearsal.  Six days of dance this week.  Good thing we car pool!  I can only suspect what next week will bring!  So by next Saturday, I will be ready to just sit back and watch!

Allspice has been keeping the pace with his sisters by throwing in a graduation party and all it entails next Sunday.  Who is in charge of the schedule?  Oh, me, you say.  Well, I was thinking (first mistake) that it would be a good idea to have a graduation party the same weekend as a dance performance so out-of-town grandparents and relatives could do both.  Hmmm.  I will leave you to your thoughts.

Good thing I have help!  Cinnamon, baker extraordinaire, has already made and stocked the freezer with more than 30 dozen cookies with delicious sounding names like Mochachino Chip, Mandarin Orange Chocolate Chip, Triple Chocolate, Snickerdoodle, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, and Pecan Almond Sugar Cookies.  All gluten free!!!  And as the official taster, I can vouch that they are all delicious as well!



While she has been baking, Allspice and I have been taking pictures and getting things ready.  It has been busy, but I have enjoyed seeing my kids reaching and succeeding in their own ways.  I look at them and think, I am so blessed, so very blessed.

So I leave you to head off to bed.  Tomorrow is another busy day.  Starting with the septic tank guys who need to replace the pump that went out.  Why now in the midst of all this chaos?  Well, I am just thankful it wasn't next week!  Thank you God for the little things! 







Double Chocolate Yum!

There's a new baker in the house!  Paprika has joined the ranks in the gf kitchen.  Today she wanted to make cookies.  Much to my surprise, she had never baked cookies before (that can happen with twins).  I suddenly realized Cinnamon was my only baker....until today! 

Paprika decided to make some amazing chocolate mint cookies by adapting a recipe found in The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free, by Anne Byrn.

 This is a great cookbook for people looking for an easy way to start gluten-free baking.  The recipes we have tried have all been delicious.  The recipes use simple ingredients and  gluten free cake mixes.  Today we used Betty Crocker's  Devil's Food Cake mix to make the Chocolate Cloud Cookies, with a minty twist.

Paprika followed the recipe in the book and then simply folded in Andes Creme De Menthe Baking Chips.  They turned out delicious!  Way to go Paprika.  She can bake me cookies anytime.  I really mean anytime.  Okay,  I would suggest soon, since these cookies won't last long when Dan finds them.

Meanwhile, today....on the other side of the kitchen baking up a storm, we had Cinnamon.  My kitchen was filled with smells of chocolate and vanilla.  Cinnamon made chocolate donuts with a white chocolate glaze and her chocolate topped donuts to take to church tomorrow.

Delicious!!!



The chocolate ones are  my favorite.  I will probably have to have another one just to make sure.  Thanks Cinnamon and Paprika for making my day filled with chocolaty goodness.