Peppermint Hot Chocolate Brownie Cookie_Gluten-Free, Soft and Delicious:

Gluten Free Cookie Soft and Delicious

Baking season is upon us once again so why not try a new recipe this year. 
I did, I took a new cookie recipe and adapted it to our needs and what I had on hand. 
This version of peppermint hot chocolate brownie cookie is gluten free, soft and delicious. Add it to your Christmas baking list, and to your recipe box so you can make this gluten free minty cookie any time through out the year.

Ingredients to Make Peppermint Hot Chocolate Brownie Cookie_Gluten-Free, Soft and Delicious:

·       2/3 cup olive oil

·       1½ cups organic monk fruit in raw blend; or 3/4 cup monk fruit in the raw blend & 3/4 coconut sugar for a sweeter cookie

·       1 T. water or crème de menthe

·       1 t. vanilla or crème de menthe

·       6 drops of Organic Peppermint Oil, essential oil not extract

·       2 eggs

·       1/3 cup dark cacao powder

·       ½ t. Himalayan salt

·       ¼ t. baking soda

·       1½ cups Bob Red Mills, Gluten Free all-purpose flour or Bob Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour

·       3/4-1 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions to Make Peppermint Hot Chocolate Brownie Cookie_Gluten-Free, Soft and Delicious:

1.     Preheat the oven to 375 F.

2.     In a large bowl, combine the olive oil and stevia/sugar blend.

3.     Mix in the water/crème de menthe, vanilla/crème de menthe and peppermint oil. Add the eggs and continue to blend.

4.     The recipe called to combine all dry products in another bowl; however, I have always found this an unnecessary step. Gradually add the cacao powder, salt, baking soda and gluten free flour. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.

5.     Stir in the dark chocolate chips.

6.     Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 minutes for a soft cookie.

7.     Let the cookies cool slightly, and then dive in to get that nice minty chocolate flavor.

8.     I got 21 cookies so adjust accordingly to the size you make yours.

Cinnamon Applesauce Christmas Tree Ornaments

Christmas season is nearly here. If you are like me, you like to have homemade ornaments on the Christmas tree. And Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments not only add the homemade touch, but a great smell.

I will give you the instructions to make Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments but you will have to pick out your shapes. Be creative, design your Christmas Tree to suit your family

Supplies needed to make Cinnamon Applesauce Christmas Tree Ornaments:

• 1/2 cup Cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Applesauce
• Wax paper
• Cookie Cutters
• Toothpick
• Ribbon/String
• Bowl
• Spoon
• Glitter (optional) 

Instructions to make Cinnamon Applesauce Christmas Tree Ornaments:

1. In bowl, mix together the cinnamon and applesauce. When it becomes to stiff to stir with spoon you can use your hands to finish making a dough ball.
2. On the waxed paper, start flattening out the dough ball with your fingers.
3. Put a second sheet of waxed paper over the dough and roll it out until it is approximately 1/8-inch thick.
4. Now be creative, take cookie cutters, ring to a canning jar or freehand cut your shapes.
5. Place on a waxed paper covered baking sheet. Take a toothpick or straw and poke a hole in the top where you will put your ribbon or string.
6. Let your shapes air dry for at least 24 hours or until completely hard.

***The Youtube recipe is different than the one we used, you may want to try both.

Hawaiian Rolls: Copy Cat Recipe

I am not sure where I found this copycat recipe for the Hawaiian Rolls a couple of years ago; however, no matter the occasion, whether Thanksgiving, Christmas or an everyday dinner they are fantastic and will not last long.

 

Ingredients for Hawaiian Rolls:

• 1/2 cup pineapple juice; room temperature 
• 1/2 cup warm milk (100 – 110°F)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Himalayan salt; my preference
• 2 1/4  teaspoons instant yeast
• 4 1/2  cups bread flour

For baking:

• 1 large egg plus 2 tablespoon of water for the egg wash

Directions for making Hawaiian Rolls:

 

I use a bread maker for making all my breads. At one time, my younger years, I mixed and kneaded it all by hand. I do like my bread maker, however, you use the method most comfortable for you.

1. Combine the pineapple juice, warm milk, melted butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and yeast.

   

   Egg washed and ready for the oven

2.  Add the flour little by little and stir and mix until it's a ball.  Keep kneading the dough until it becomes a smooth ball of dough. (See why I like my bread maker)
3. Place the dough in a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until puffy and doubled in size, about 1 hour. In the bread maker this step is not necessary, on the dough setting it will mix, heat and rise automatically.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit. 
5.  Spray a 13-inch×9-inch glass baking pan with baking spray. Punch down the dough and divide to 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place in the prepared pan, brush each roll with the egg wash and allow them to rise once again.
6. Bake the Hawaiian rolls for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Amish Drop Sugar Cookie Recipe

With the holidays right around the corner, people are baking cookies for family and friends. If you are one who will be baking cookies, you might consider the Amish drop sugar cookie recipe.

Unlike some sugar cookies, these are easy to make and soft and delicious. Amish drop sugar cookies start with real butter, which is so much healthier than margarine and shortening containing hydrogenated oils. Hydrogenated oils have trans fat that can lead to heart disease, cancer, bone problems plus so many other health problems and diseases.

Good cookie recipes such as the Amish drop sugar cookie recipe start with real butter. Not only are they healthier, provided you do not eat the whole batch, they simply taste better.

According to Mercola.com butter is better than imitations because; “Butter is a rich source of easily absorbed vitamin A, needed for a wide range of functions, from maintaining good vision to keeping the endocrine system in top shape. Butter also contains all the other fat-soluble vitamins (D, E and K2), which are often lacking in the modern industrial diet.”

Both Dr Mercola and the Mayo Clinic agree that butter is better than hydrogenated margarines or shortenings, as they are contain trans fat, which leads to heart disease, cancer, bone problems so many other health problems and diseases.

“When it comes to fat, trans fat is considered by some doctors to be the worst type of fat. Unlike other fats, trans fat — also called trans-fatty acids — both raises your "bad" (LDL) cholesterol and lowers your "good" (HDL) cholesterol. A high LDL cholesterol level in combination with a low HDL cholesterol level increases your risk of heart disease, the leading killer of men and women.” Therefore, when baking cookies for your family and friends, consider making your recipes a tad healthier yet still delicious.

Ingredients needed for making Amish drop sugar cookie recipe:

• Non-stick spray
• Baking sheets
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1-cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream or yogurt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Sprinkles or colored sugar

Instructions on making Amish drop sugar cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prepare the baking sheets by spraying with a non-stick spray.
3. Cream together the sugar and butter; add the eggs and beat well.
4. Add in the sour cream or yogurt, baking powder, baking soda and vanilla; little by little add the flour and beat until completely mixed.
5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheets.
6. Sprinkle on the cookie dough, candied sprinkles or colored sugar.
7. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes.

 If you are one that will be baking cookies for Christmas, consider my recipe for Amish drop sugar cookies.

 

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

 I have been baking for Christmas and wanted bread or something easy to grab for breakfast. I had originally thought I would make Challah bread either in a round pan or the braided version.

 As I was searching for that recipe I found the recipe for Cinnamon Raisin Bread. It smelled so good and I wanted to cut into it but I haven't. Instead I froze it so break out next week. My husband mentioned icing for the bread so I may do that too.  Either way this bread will definitely be good with apple or peach honey.

Ingredients to make Cinnamon Raisin Bread:

• 2 eggs at room temperature and enough warm water to equal 1 cup
• 2 ½ tsp yeast
• 2 tbsp Oil
• ¾ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 3 to 3 ½ cups bread flour
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup nuts; optional

Instructions to make Cinnamon Raisin Bread:

1. I use a bread maker to mix; as it is mixing, you can see if the 3 cups of flour is enough or if you need to add a tad more. Let the bread rise, it will be double the size.
2. Spray one loaf pan with a vegetable spray, and let the bread rise again.
3. In a preheated oven, bake the cinnamon raisin bread at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.

Technically it is not even winter, however, the weather has been so cold, trying a new bread recipe and heating the oven sounds good. Keeping out of it while hot will be the toughest part.

I love watching The Chew, they have such good recipes. The whole Chew crew is fun to watch while they show the world how to make fantastic recipes.

         

Plastic Jug Snowman Craft

She is concentrating on that glue

I do not know where this craft originated, however; I saw it on Facebook. The snowmen they featured were made with a plastic gallon milk jug. The first effort making the snowman was with my granddaughter at our daughter’s home in Kentucky while mom and dad had a date night.

My granddaughter was tired and not in a really crafty state of mind so hers was fairly plain. I made a few suggestions, however, it was plain to see she was not in the mood to craft.

Snowman and granddaughter smiles.

After I returned home, I decided to make my own snowman using a plastic milk jug, then I noticed in the recycle bag I had 2 other plastic containers so decided to make a snowman family.

Our Granddaughter's snowman

After assembling my snowmen, I then thought they would make great porch lights. Since I was decorating for Christmas using Christmas tree lights only seemed natural. 

They really do make a nice light on my porch. Try making your own plastic jug snowman, it's a craft anyone can do.

My lighted snowmen

Peach Honey

I love honey and when my daughter said with her excess pears she researched and made pear honey. I had that ah hah moment and used the apples to make apple honey.
When the neighbor had peach trees I made an abundance of peach juice, which goes well with orange juice, however, I had a gallon jug that I could not possibly drink by myself and no one else really liked it. Well today, I decided to make peach honey to see if the family likes it for Christmas lunch.

Read the Apple Honey Recipe
and substitute peach juice for Apple Juice. 

Merry Christmas

As I was growing up, everyone wished everyone Merry Christmas, now days it is rare to hear anyone wish you a Merry Christmas, unless it is someone you personally know.

While shopping in stores, even on Black Friday, you may be greeted with Happy Holiday. On television, you will hear about Holiday Trees and cards. These so-called trees are evergreen trees that are decorated with glass bulbs, lights, angels, card and tinsel.

Cards made for this very specific holiday aka Jesus’ Birthday or Christmas, is often referred to as a holiday card. Oh my goodness, if you are making, buying and sending a card on Christmas, what is wrong in calling it a Christmas card?

It is explained away as they do not want to offend non-Christians, however, how many Christians are being offended with a Happy Holiday or a Season’s Greeting? We are celebrating the birth of Christ on December 25^th, what are they celebrating?

Matthew 1:18-21 Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

19 Joseph, her fiancee, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly.

20 As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit.

21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."


Read more on Bubblews:

It's About the Cross

Therefore, I am wishing you all an early Merry Christmas.

I Have been Busy

Since being home from my Grandparents Day Kentucky trip, I have been playing catch up on many things. I had neglected writing for Bubblews so definitely had to get caught up. Saturday much of the day was multi-tasking doing a bit of everything in-between cooking down my largest pumpkin.

After church on Sunday, I did some Christmas shopping and think I am nearly done, well except minor purchases and wrapping everything. Of course, with my husband being home alone for a week, I had dishes, laundry and a house to clean. I also have my clients that awaiting their turn.

Yesterday Indiana was windy and cold which was perfect timing for baking the pumpkin bread I am taking to church for the Thanksgiving meal for the community and share with our own family in Thanksgiving celebrations.

Tonight is pumpkin soup night, the big pumpkin I cooked down provided me with 30-cups of processed pumpkin puree`.  Friday or Saturday I will make Gluten-free pumpkin bread for my sis.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving everyone.

Pumpkin Bread Recipe on Bubblews

It is Christmas Time: Baking Time

Apple Cinnamon Pull-Apart Challah

Well it is baking time once again for the Christmas get-togethers. As usual, I will make the old familiar cookies; however, this year I will try Almond Joy Cookies, as a couple of us do like coconut.

I have added Herb Bread and Herb Wheat bread to our diets lately, even my oldest grandson likes the Herb Bread, it will be on the menu.

This year I am trying something new to me in every sense of the word. I had never heard of Challah, however, while watching The Chew, I saw Challywood Jewish Bakery make an Apple Cinnamon Pull-Apart Challah and knew I had to try it.

It was my first attempt of mimicking their Challah, therefore, next time I need to adapt my recipe to have more apples, cinnamon and sugar. But all-in-all I thought it was delicious.

http://www.bubblews.com/news/1652978-wheat-herb-bread-and-dinner-roll-recipe

http://www.bubblews.com/news/1737704-challah-apple-cinnamon-pull-apart-recipe

Merry Christmas

 Merry Christmas to All

^{Luke 2:8-12; NIV}
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

I was blessed on Sunday Eve to see my son Ian, his girlfriend Erin, my daughter and her family for Christmas fun and celebration.

 Christmas Eve at great grandma's house, the cousins shared a little bit of time.

 Family dinner, fun and laughter

My daughter Jasmine, Granddaughter Zeely Jade and myself at our home. 
Zeely decided to show her love to us (in her own way) in this picture. She grabbed on tight and had a genuine smile of love. I am one blessed mom and grandmother.
 Proverbs 17:6 Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. 

  

It's Christmas Cookie Time

Are you like me and you love to bake cookies? Doesn't it make Christmas time feel like Heaven? I truly am a cookie monster.

Whether you are baking regular or normal cookie recipes, or the gluten-free variety for family members, the Amish Drop Sugar Cookie and the Sugar Cookie Pumpkin Bar recipes are a must try.

Both recipes can easily be converted into  a gluten-free cookie.

 BOTH RECIPES ARE ON SEEKYT

                                              
This post linked to: Frugal Food Thursday

Personalize Dollar Store Gift Bags

Merry Christmas

  With a little glitter and glue, you can personalize Dollar Store gift bags for any occasion. Whether your favorite Dollar Store is Dollar Tree, Dollar General or Family Dollar you can make a plain inexpensive gift bag for Christmas, a birthday or anniversary.

With the economy being so bad, the Dollar Tree store in the neighboring town has become one of my favorite places to shop. There is literally nothing over a dollar in the store. I like purchasing my cleaning supplies, gift bags and kitchen towels at Dollar Tree. Why pay more when you can use an inexpensive item and dress it up.

You can take a kitchen/hand towels, crochet tops on them and then put it in a gift bag that you have decorated with glitter for a very nice gift.

Read more: Seekyt

Amazon Product Selection