Scotcharoo Cookies

 Ingredients:

- 1 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup

- 3.5 cups flour
- 1 package (3.4 oz) instant butterscotch pudding mix
- 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 1 cup Rice Krispies, plus additional for sprinkling

- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup butterscotch chips 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300F. Grease two cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, beat together the shortening, butter, brown sugar, and peanut butter, until smooth. Beat in the eggs and corn syrup.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, pudding mix, baking powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture. Stir in Rice Krispies.

Shape dough into balls and place on the prepared cookie sheets. Press tops of balls to flatten slightly. Bake until tops appear dry, 15-20 minutes. Let cool on pans for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

In a small bowl, melt the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together. Stir until smooth. Spread over the tops of the cookies. Sprinkle with additional Rice Krispies. Let stand until chocolate is set. 

Caramel Chocolate Candy

 This tastes like a cross between a Snickers bar and a Nut Goodie. It makes a LOT, so be prepared to share.

Ingredients:

- 2 teaspoons butter

- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup butterscotch chips
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1.5 cups marshmallow creme
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups chopped salted peanuts

- 1 package (14 oz) caramels
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup butterscotch chips
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions:

Line a 13x9" pan with foil. Grease foil with 2 butter and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup milk chocolate chips, 1/4 cup butterscotch chips, and 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Spread into prepared pan. Refrigerate until set.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar and milk. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cook while stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallow creme, 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in peanuts. Spread over first layer. Refrigerate until set.

In a small saucepan, combine the caramels and heavy cream. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Cook while stirring for 4 minutes. Spread over the filling. Refrigerate until set.

In another saucepan, combine 1 cup milk chocolate chips, 1/4 cup butterscotch chips, and 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Pour over caramel layer.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cutting. Remove from pan and cut into 1" squares. 

Colcannon (Mashed Potatoes with Kale)

•  2 lbs Yukon Gold (or russet) potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch think (traditionally peeled, but I like the skins)
• 1 1/4 t salt, plus for cooking potatoes
• 8 oz curly kale (I just used kale from my garden)
• 8 T butter
• 1/4 t pepper
• 8 scallions, sliced thin (3/4 c)
• 1 1/2 c whole milk

1. Place potatoes and 1 T salt in large saucepan, add water to cover by 1 inch and boil on high. Reduce to medium and simmer until tender, 18-22 minutes. 

2. Stem kale and slice stems thinly. Cut leaves into 1 inch pieces. Melt 6 T butter over medium and add stems, salt, and pepper, cooking about 6-8 minutes until stems soften. Add leaves and scallions and cook about 1-2 minutes (leaves wilted and scallions softened). Add milk and increase to high heat to simmer. Remove from heat. 

3. Drain potatoes, return to saucepan and mash. Gently fold in kale mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving bowl and create a depression in the center with remaining 2 T butter. Serve. 

Kale Au Gratin

Ingredients (were originally doubled):

onion

2-3 garlic cloves

1 cup heavy cream

1 rosemary sprig

3/4 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 3/8 tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus seasoning to taste

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus seasoning to taste

2 large bunches of Tuscan kale and/or Swiss chard (1–1 1/4 lb. total)

1/2 lemon

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

3 oz. high-quality sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup breadcrumbs (panko or I like Schar GF)

1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

Step 1 (Cream sauce): 

In a large pot, add a few T diced onion (or more if you like), 2-3 cloves of minced garlic, heavy cream, rosemary sprig, salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion and garlic are very soft, 15–20 minutes.

2. While cream cooks, remove ribs from 4 medium bunches of (Tuscan) kale (I actually like cutting up the ribs and including them with my thousand head kale). Tear leaves into big pieces and wash. It’s okay if some water still clings to the leaves—this will help them wilt later. If you don’t have a bowl big enough to hold all of your greens, pile them on a baking sheet instead.

3. When cream is ready, pluck out rosemary sprig and discard. Finely grate zest of ½ lemon into cream and stir in ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes. 

4. Either heat a large (as large as possible—12" is the goal) ovenproof skillet over medium OR just add the Kale to the cream sauce and transfer to a small baking dish (7x11 is what I used). Add some of the greens, cover skillet (use a baking sheet if you don’t have a lid), and cook until wilted, 3–4 minutes. Scoot wilted greens to one side of pan. Keep adding until all in the pan, covering pan, and cook to wilt, 3–4 minutes. Add lemon juice and cream sauce if you cooked the kale separately from the sauce. Remove from heat and place skillet on a rimmed baking sheet or transfer to oven safe pan.

5. Cut sharp cheddar cheese into ¼"-thick slices (or just used shredded). Combine bread crumbs, extra-virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and add on top of kale. Bake at 350 until cheese is browned and bubbling and panko is toasted, 50–55 minutes. 

GF apple pie muffins

 These were really good, with adaptations but original was a gluten free version to begin with from Baked to Perfection by Katarina Cermelj. Author says cold ingredients help create domed top. 

Ingredients

Crumble 

• 70 g (too much, try 50g?) gluten free flour blend (many options, I included some almond flour)
• 25 g brown sugar (original said 50g)
• 1/2 t cinammon
• 40 g (2-3 T depending on how much dry it goes with) butter

Muffins

• 2 apples (I used pink lady, granny smith is another recommendation)
• 2 T lemon juice
• 150g (original 175g) brown sugar, divided
• 1.5 t cinammon
• 250g gluten free flour blend (I mostly use Bob's red mill 1-1 but also included some of the Artisan Whole Grain bread flour recipe, maybe 10%)
• 80 g almond flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t xanthum gum (this is already in the Bob's red mill mix so not needed here)
• 1/2 t ginger
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 c oil (original was 130 g butter, could be interesting to try applesauce but would also then need less sugar, could try 1/4 oil and 1/4 applesauce and 50g less brown sugar)
• 1/2 c (140g) milk, cold
• 1/2 c (140g) yogurt, cold
• 2 eggs, cold
• 100g pecans, chopped and divided

1. Mix crumble ingredients, working in butter until crumbly but holds its shape when pressed together. Author says to put in fridge for 30 minutes to help it hold its shape, but I keep my gf flours in the freezer so probably could have done this last and added right away. I didn't have success getting it to hold its shape, but still worked ok, just some topping falling off after baking. 

2. Spray muffin tins (made 18 muffins for me). Preheat to 375 degrees (370 on mine). 

3. Peel and cube apples to size of peas. Add lemon, 25g brown sugar, and cinnamon. 

4. Original recipe suggests mixing in a certain order, but I prefer oil to butter and gf flours don't have issue with overmixing the gluten, so flours and dry ingredients can really be added to remaining sugar, oil, milk, yogurt, and eggs in any order. Fold in apples and 75g pecans. Put into muffin tins. 

5. Add remaining 25g pecans to crumble and top muffins, mound it mostly in the center. 

6. Bake 22-24 minutes until set. Can try toothpick but doesn't always help with gf. 

Shrimp and Kale alfredo

 This has some similarities with our basic alfredo recipe but acid from wine and lemon as well as additions of fresh produce added interesting layers of complexity and nutrition. 

Ingredients

• 12-16oz pasta (spaghetti or fettuccini)
• 1 tbsp. 

  extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 lb. 

  shrimp, peeled and deveined (could try chicken?)

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 3-4 tbsp. 

  butter

• 3 

  cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 tsp. 

  crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for garnish

• 2 1/2 c. 

  grape tomatoes, halved

• 1/4 c. 

  white wine

• 1 c. 

  heavy cream

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 5 oz. 

  baby kale (about 6 c.) or if regular kale, needs to be chopped and cooked longer

• 1/2 c. 

  freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

Directions

• 1. 1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to the package directions until al dente, reserving some pasta water.
  2. 2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Cook until shrimp is pink and cooked through, 4 minutes. Remove from skillet and reserve on a plate.
  3. 3. Add butter to skillet then add garlic (add kale here if it's full grown) and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add tomatoes to skillet and cook until beginning to soften, 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add wine and cook until mostly reduced, 5 minutes. 
  4. 4. Add heavy cream, lemon juice, and Parmesan. Let simmer until sauce is thickened, 5 minutes. Add pasta, shrimp, and baby kale and toss to coat. If sauce is too thick, add additional pasta water.   

Kale with bacon and apples

Very similar to bacon brussel sprouts that seem to be common at restaurants and holidays. 

Ingredients

• 3 thick-cut peppered bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium chopped Honeycrisp apple
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 8 cups torn kale leaves
• 2-3 tablespoon (cider) vinegar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon to hot skillet; cook until crisp and fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. Drain all but 1 tablespoon bacon drippings from skillet.

2. Add apple and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and gradually add kale. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drizzle with vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Pumpkin pancakes (GF)

This recipe seems much better than the other one I've tried, adapted from Pumpkin Pancakes - Once Upon a Chef

Ingredients

• 1½ cups all purpose flour (bob's red mill 1-1 GF I like)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup pure pumpkin (such as Libby’s)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (or I prefer canola oil)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• canola oil, for cooking
• mix ins: choc chips, pecans, etc

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and salt. With GF flour, simply add the wet ingredients.  If the batter seems too thick, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of milk. Add mix-ins if desired. 

2. Heat a griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat and coat lightly with vegetable oil. Drop about ¼ cup batter from a small ladle or large spoon and cook until the puffy and bubbling on top and golden and crisp on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the bottom is golden, about 30 seconds. 

Kale Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• One 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3/4 pound (shiitake) mushrooms

• 5-6 cups coarsely chopped curly kale leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups (day-old) cooked short-grain white rice

• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2-4 T oyster sauce (soy sauce is an ok sub)

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Add the ginger, scallions, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the kale and garlic, season with salt and stir-fry until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cooked rice and stir-fry until heated through, about 3 minutes.

2. Make a well in the rice and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the eggs. Cook without stirring until the eggs begin to set at the edge. Using a spatula, scramble the eggs until just set. Stir the eggs into the rice along with the vinegar and oyster/soy sauce. May need to add more salt or soy sauce to season appropriately.

GF Bread for bread machine

 Original from pg. 267 of ATK "How Can it Be Gluten Free" cook book, it works reasonably well in our bread machine. 

• 2 1/4 t yeast (I used active dry)
• 14 oz GF flour blend
• 4 oz oat flour
• 1.5 oz nonfat dry milk powder
• 3 T powdered psyllium husk
• 2 T sugar
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 2 C warm water (110 degrees)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 T butter, melted and cooled, or oil

Add to bread machine in this order, ingredients at room temperature. 

Chicken Florentine

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
• 2-3 T butter or oil
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose (gf) flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/4 C sherry, white wine, or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen or fresh chopped spinach
• 2 tablespoons diced pimientos or 1/2 c mushrooms (optional)

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese or italian cheese blend

Directions

1. Flatten chicken to 1/2-in. thickness. Cook in 1-2 tablespoons oil/butter for 4-5 minutes on each side. After flipping to the second side, add and saute onions in remaining butter for 2-3 minutes or until tender (can also cook the chicken to 160 degrees and remove first if there's not enough room in the pan). Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
2.  Gradually add flour, salt, basil and oregano; stir in milk and sherry/broth until blended. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in spinach and pimientos or mushrooms, if desired; heat through.
3. Remove from the heat. Stir in sour cream until blended, sprinkle with cheese.
4. Serve with mashed potatoes or pasta of choice. 

Pan seared potatoes

•  1 T oil
• 1 lb potatoes (fingerling cut in half or red/gold cut in cubes)
• 1/2 t salt
• 2/3 c tightly packed cilantro (I used 2 frozen cubes)
• 2 t lime juice
• 1 t vinegar (I used apple cider, original said white wine)
• 1/4 t black pepper
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1/4 c low fat sour cream
• cheese, as desired

1. Heat skillet on medium-high with 1 T oil, add potatoes. Cook 6 minutes until brown, then cover and reduce to medium, cook 6 minutes. 

2. Sprinkle potatoes with salt. Combine next 5 ingredients in a blender or just add to pot if used frozen cilantro. Top with sour cream or can stir in with cheese. 

GF whole grain Blueberry Muffins

 Adapted from ATK recipe book "How Can it Be Gluten Free" where they have lots of information about substitutions and about variations they tried to get to their final recipe.

• 12 oz (2 2/3 c) Whole-Grain GF flour blend (I like both ATK and artisan bread flour wg blends)
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 3/4 t salt
• 3/4 t ground cinnamon
• 1/4 t guar gum (leave this out if the blend already has xanthum gum or psyllium husk)
• 1/4 C monkfruit sweetener 
• 1/4 C maple syrup (original said 1 C granulated sugar which is way too sweet for me) 
• 2-4 T brown sugar (just enough to help with browning)
• 10 T butter, melted and cooled OR I prefer 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 C plain whole milk yogurt (I used blueberry soymilk "Silk" yogurt one time, Chobani good)
• 1/3 C heavy cream 
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 t vanilla
• 7.5 oz (1 1/2 cup) blueberries or serviceberries (choc chips are also good)
• nuts (I like walnuts and if they're grated finely enough, Emily likes them too)
• 2 T turbinado sugar, optional

1. Combine dry then add wet ingredients, then berries and walnuts. Cover and rest for 30 minutes (very important with whole grain flours).

2. Grease muffin tins (makes c. 18-22) and put batter in tins. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over top if desired. Bake at 375 (mine needs to be 365) for 18-22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. 

3. Cool for a few minutes in pan then 10 minutes on wire rack. 

Maple Nut Truffles

•  4 oz cream cheese
• 1 1/2 c confection's sugar (try subbing maple syrup for some of this for the maple flavor)
• 3/4 t maple flavoring (or try others you may have on hand like rum extract or mint?)
• 1 1/2 C semisweet choc chips
• walnuts or other topping to roll in

Combine first 3 ingredients. Melt choc chips and add. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Shape into 1 in balls and roll into walnuts or other topping. 

Potato, Sausage, and Kale Soup

•  1/2 lb pork sausage (I liked the Sage one)
• onion, finely chopped
• 2 t chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t pepper
• 2 medium red or yukon gold potatoes
• 2 c sliced fresh kale
• 4 cups liquid (original said 3 c milk and 1 c heavy cream but I just eyeballed it and subbed in some chicken broth with the milk and cream)
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1/4 c broth or water

1. Cook sausage and onion until sausage is no longer pink and onion is tender. Drain. Stir in remaining ingredients except last two and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender (10-15 min). 

2. Mix cornstarch and liquid until smooth, stir into soup and cook 1-2 minutes, until thickened. 

Sour Cream Sugar cookies

•  115 g, 1 C + 1 T GF flour (cookie jar blend I used but could try another)
• 112 g, 1/2 C + 1 T sugar
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 3 T butter
• 1 egg (double sized recipes suggests 1 egg plus 2 yolks in order to account for the fact that you can't use as much butter with gf recipes so egg yolk gives more of the fat)
• 1 T sour cream
• 1 T brandy (or white rum)
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1/2 t almond extract
• flour for dusting (glutinous rice flour is esp good but more of the blend is also fine)
• icing, sprinkles, whatever you want on top

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a bowl, can use stand mixer or food processor. Add butter until mixture resembles damp cornmeal. Add eggs, sour cream, brandy, vanilla, almond extract and mix until dough clings to sides. Scrape down and mix 20 sec more. Dough will be soft. Chill overnight in fridge. 

2. Roll out with rolling pin on flour dusted cutting board. Cut with cookie cutters and bake on cookie sheets for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. May need to re-chill partway through if it's getting too warm and sticky. Can try putting in freezer for 10 minutes. Should be starting to brown at the edges. 

3. Cool and decorate as desired. 

Sugar cookie frosting

For about 2 dozen cookies

• 3/4 c powdered sugar
• 1/8 t vanilla
• 1/8 t almond extract
• 2 T heavy cream (or whatever is needed to get the desired consistency

Mix in a small bowl. Can be divided into different bowls if you want to use different food coloring.