Vote for my Maple Pecan Scones with Maple Pecan Glaze recipe (below) in this week’s So Delicious® Dairy Free SO Much to Love  Giveaway!   You’ll be entered to win daily prizes just for voting, and if my recipe gets the most votes, you’ll be entered to win a  great weekly prize!

You can vote all week long beginning on Monday, May 7th through May 14th on the So Delicious Facebook Page here: http://www.facebook.com/sodeliciousdairyfree/app_329957620382748  Vote every day for my dairy-free/gluten-free Maple Pecan Scones Recipe to increase your chances of winning!

Maple Pecan Scones with Maple Coconut Glaze

Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegan

Makes 10 scones

1 1/2 cups plus 2 teaspoons gluten-free organic  All-Purpose baking mix from The Pure Pantry

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup of gluten free rolled oats

¼ cup coconut oil

3 tablespoons maple sugar or coconut  (palm) sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon flax meal

3 tablespoons hot water

1/2 cup So-Delicious Coconut Milk, regular flavor

½ teaspoon maple extract

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Maple Coconut Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon maple extract

1 tablespoon So- Delicious Coconut Creamer

1.   Preheat the oven to 400 °F.

2 .  In a food processor or blender, finely grind oats.  Or, alternatively, you may use gluten-free oat flour.

3.   In large bowl, combine gluten-free baking mix, baking powder, salt, ground oats and maple or coconut sugar.

4.  Using a pastry blender or a fork, blend coconut oil into dry ingredients.  Place flax meal in a small bowl.  Add bowling water and whisk together.  Let stand 3 minutes and stir again.  Add flax gel , maple syrup, So-Delicious Coconut milk, and maple extract to draw ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Stir in pecans. Dough will be sticky.

5 . Lightly dust a work surface and hands with gluten-free baking mix or rice flour.  Turn dough out onto work surface.  Knead lightly and pat dough into an 8 inch circle shape and place on parchment paper on a baking sheet.  Score top of  circle with knife, creating 10 wedges but not cutting all the way through dough. Or, using a large spoon drop approximately ¼ cup dough onto greased cookie sheet, 3 nches apart.

6.  Bake for 25 minutes or until scones are golden brown.  Cool completely.  If you created the 8 inch circle, cut into 10 scones.

7.  Prepare Maple Coconut Glaze.  Sift powdered sugar into medium bowl.  Add maple extract and So-Delicious Coconut Creamer and blend with mixer.  Spread glaze over scones and let set.

Find this and other recipes in “Fresh from Elizabeth’s Kitchen: Gluten-free & Allergy-free Recipes” by Elizabeth Kaplan

Here is an amazing recipe from our friends at Spork Foods!  Strawberry season is upon us so enjoy this delicious treat!

Strawberry and Cream Muffins with an Almond Streusel Topping

Yields 1 dozen muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups gluten-free  All-Purpose Baking Mix from The Pure Pantry brand

½ teaspoon ground Ceylon cinnamon

2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

¾ cup organic evaporated cane sugar

2 teaspoons egg replacer, dry (Ener-g brand)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup coconut creamer (So Delicious brand)

¾ cup un-sweetened almond milk

¼ cup neutral tasting oil (safflower)

¾ cup fresh strawberries, finely chopped

Almond Streusel Topping:

2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated buttery spread

½ cup toasted almonds

3 tablespoons organic powdered sugar (Wholesome Sweeteners brand)

1 teaspoon maple syrup

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground Ceylon cinnamon

2 tablespoons gluten-free All-Purpose Baking Mix from The Pure Pantry

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, whisk gluten-free flour, cinnamon, baking powder, sea salt, sugar and egg replacer until uniform. Add in vanilla extract, coconut creamer, almond milk, and oil. Whisk until uniform. Fold in strawberries. Grease a muffin pan with cooking spray and pour about 1/3 cup batter into each section. To make streusel, add buttery spread, almonds, powdered sugar, maple, sea salt, cinnamon and flour to a food processor and pulse until uniform. Sprinkle each muffin with about 1 tablespoon streusel topping. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm. © Spork Foods, 2012

I was recently in a new shop in Encinitas called Olive and Baker and was so excited they carry infused organic olive oils! Of course I couldn’t taste all theirwonderful offerings because the only thing they had to sample them with was, of course, regular bread. Then I remembered the delicious Foccacia bread I used to make before I had to go gluten-free. I purchased a bottle of their Tuscan Herb Blend — which boasts fresh flavors of an Italian herb garden: oregano, rosemary, sage, and garlic. Decided I had to create a gluten-free foccacia bread recipe to dip into this fabulous oil!

Focaccia makes a nice appetizer served with special oils like Olive and Baker’s or can be served at dinner with soup or salad. It also make a nice gift — wrap it up pretty and give it to someone with a small bottle of speciality olive oil.

Tuscan Focaccia Bread

Gluten-free, Dairy-free option

1 ¾ cups luke warm water
2 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast (1 packet)
2 teaspoons raw organic sugar
1 organic egg, beaten
3 tablespoons organic olive oil, divided
2 cups organic brown rice flour
½ cup organic potato starch flour
½ cup organic sorghum flour, corn flour or amaranth flour
3 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary, divided
2 teaspoons freshly chopped garlic, divided
2 teaspoons freshly chopped oregano, divided
½ shallot, thinly sliced into rings or half rings

Optional toppings:
6 sundried tomatoes, chopped
6 kalamata olives, halved and pitted
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

In an electric mixer fitted with dough hook combine the luke warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. In a medium mixing bowl combine brown rice flour, potato starch flour, sorghum flour, xanthan gum and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Add beaten egg and 2 tablespoons olive oil to yeast mixture. Stir in the flour mixture, ½ a cup at a time.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a linen towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it is double in size. Or, place dough in bread machine and set for “dough” setting.

Once dough has risen, grease your hands with olive oil and knead 1 teaspoon rosemary, 1 teaspoon garlic, and 1 teaspoon oregano into the dough. Press dough into 9 x 12 baking pan, and let it rise in a warm place for an additional 30 minutes, covered with a linen towel.

Preheat oven to 350 ˚ F. Brush the top of the bread with remaining olive oil, top with shallot rings, the remaining rosemary, garlic and oregano and any of the optional toppings, except the Parmesan cheese which should be grated on top after baking.

Bake the focaccia for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting rectangular pieces. Serve with a blend of olive oil and balsamic vinegar or an infused olive oil.

I am not a huge football fan but I do love having a crowd over, or attending the tailgate party, hanging out, and enjoying good company.  Here is an easy tailgate menu: White Bean Oregano Chili, which I raved about in my previous blog entry, along with tastey Cheddar Chive Biscuits, and a big caesar salad.   Everything can be made in advance, which makes it all the more fun when gathering with friends.     The Cheddar Chive Biscuits can be made with real cheddar, or if you want to do them dairy-free, use Daiya Cheddar – it is the best cheese substitute we have ever tried!  Our three year old — who is totally dairy intollerant, loves it and in fact refuses to share with others.

I love to put our a pot of chile with all the fixin’s: cheddar cheese (and Daiya Cheese for dairy-free people), chopped green onions, crushed organic corn chips, and sour cream. 

Click here for the Chili Recipe. 

Cheddar (or Daiya) Cheese Chive Biscuits

Makes 12 biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups All Purpose Baking Mix from The Pure Pantry
½ tsp. sea salt
¼ cup cold butter (or butter alternative, such as Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)
½ cups buttermilk (or rice milk with 2 tsp. cider vinegar)
2 beaten eggs (or egg replacer, such as Ener-G Foods brand)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (or shredded Daiya cheese alternative)
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives (optional)

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

In large mixing bowl combine baking mix, baking powder and salt. Cut butter into small pieces with knife.  Using your fingers, mix the butter into the flour so that there are no lumps of butter.   Add the buttermilk (or rice milk and vinegar) and beaten eggs (or egg replacer) to the flour and combine with a fork.  Add the cheese (or cheese alternative), onion powder and chives, if desired.   Do not over stir. 

Using a large spoon, drop the dough onto a greased cookie sheet, at least 3 inches apart. For a more uniformed look, roll out dough to ½ inch thickness. Dip a biscuit cutter or or top of a wide mouth glass jar into gluten-free flour blend and cut out biscuits. Place cut out biscuits on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

This Halloween we decided to by-pass purchasing candy and create our own gluten-free/allergy-free treats to hand out to neighborhood children.  Since friends stop in, we also prepared some goodies for the Trick-or-Treater’s parents.

Allergy-free Ghost Sugar Cookies

Allergy-free Ghost Sugar Cookies

Supplies needed:

1 package organic gluten-free Sugar Cookie Mix from The Pure Pantry

1 7.3 oz container White Sparkling Sugar from India Tree

1 package dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free chocolate chips from Enjoy Life for the eyes

Spray bottle of water for misting cookies

Plastic goodie bags and plastic Halloween rings

Prepare sugar cookies according to package directions.  Roll out and cut out with ghost cookie cutter.  Place cut out ghosts on greased cookie sheet.  Lightly mist cookies with water.  Sprinkle Sparkling Sugar all over cut outs.  The water helps make the sugar stick.   Place two chocolate chip cookies for eyes.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.

Let cookies cool completely.  Place one cookie in plastic bag and use Halloween theme rings to seal the bag.

Halloween Pumpkin Maple Glazed Donuts

For Halloween Parties, you can purchase these darling cupcake toppers and write “gluten-free” or “nut-free” or anything-free and place on top ofthe treat so that parents and children know that they are safe.  They are available at Williams Sonoma and come with Halloween cupcake papers.

You can also make your donuts festive with decorative sprinkles.

Gluten-free/Allergy-free Pumpkin Maple Donuts Recipe

Another festive treat for a Halloween Party is Pumpkin Swirl Brownies, an amazing combination of chocolate, pumpkin and hazelnuts.  This recipe is a favorite around here.  It can be made with or without nuts and is also dairy free.

Related articles Marbled Pumpkin Brownies (thepurepantry.com)

Wishing you a Happy and Safe Halloween!!