Gluten Free Almond Joy Brownies

Every year I try to add at least one gluten free item to my list of Christmas goodies.  I have several family members and friends that are on gluten free diets and it can be a hard time of year for them with all the “full of gluten” goodies being passed around.  These brownies are wonderfully tasty and simple to make.

Gluten Free Almond Joy Brownies

Chocolate, coconut and almonds are a few of my favorite things!!

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Gluten Free Almond Joy Brownies
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • ⅓ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6 eggs
  • ½ cup coconut flour
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • ½ cup almond pieces
Instructions
  1. Mix together the softened butter, cocoa powder, sugar and vanilla.
  2. Stir in the eggs one at a time, completely incorporating after each egg.
  3. Mix in the coconut flour and stir until there are no lumps.
  4. Fold in the chocolate chips, coconut and almond pieces.
  5. Pour into a greased 8x8" baking dish and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Coconut flour is a very dense four so that’s why this recipe calls for 6 eggs!  With the add ins of almonds, coconut, and chocolate chips along with 6 eggs and coconut flour, these are not the most frugal brownies.  If you would like you can leave out the last 3 ingredients and they will still be yummy, gluten free brownies!! (just not almond joy brownies)  😉

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This recipe was adapted from this recipe at Heavenly Homemakers.

Here are a few more of my favorite Christmas recipes!  Peppermint Crunch Christmas CookiesHoliday Spritz Cookies Dipped PretzelsMy Favorite Chocolate Chip Oatmeal CookiesPeanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

This post was shared at: The Weekend Potluck

 

Sweet Relish Deviled Eggs

With all the egg recipes I’ve posted you would think I’d have shared a deviled egg recipe a long time ago.  The truth is, I never had a recipe before; I just kind of added whatever, and then a little more of whatever until it tasted good.  So I decided I needed to take the time and measure everything so I could share the recipe.  Little Chef wanted to help as usual, so I let her peel the eggs.  While she was doing this I left the kitchen for another chore.  When I returned she already had them peeled, washed, cut in half, the yolks were mashed up, and most of the ingredients were in the bowl.  When I told her I had wanted to measure the ingredients, she looked at me like I was from Mars.  So I explained that I wanted to share the recipe as a blog post.  She rolled her eyes…..that happens A LOT since she turned eleven last month.  It seems the older she gets, the more ridiculous I get.  Anyway, I decided to just look in the bowl and “guess” at how much of what she had put in and go from there.  Her eggs turned out VERY yummy, so I was hoping I had “guessed” correctly.  The next weekend I made the eggs again using the “new recipe” and took pictures along the way. They tasted just like Little Chefs yummy eggs!  Maybe I should have called these “Little Chefs Sweet Relish Deviled Eggs”?  Maybe not,… I don’t need the eye roller getting a big head or anything.

Sweet Relish Deviled EggsStart off by hard boiling a dozen eggs.  Here is my tip on how to boil and EASILY peel farm fresh eggs.  It’s a life saver if you have very fresh eggs and you don’t want them mutilated when you peel them.  After you have peeled the eggs, wash them, cut them in half and place the yolks into a bowl.

Deviled EggsMash the yolks with a fork, add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.  Then taste it….salt?…pepper?…more relish?  It’s all up to you!

Making Deviled EggsThis came out a little lumpy, so I used the immersion blender on it for a few seconds. (Love that thing!)

After it’s all mixed up, spoon the filling into a plastic bag, seal the bag, cut a small hole in the bottom corner, and squeeze the yolk filling through the hole into the empty egg whites.  For years I would carefully spoon the filling into each egg, the plastic bag method is WAY faster, and much more fun!

eggsSprinkle a little paprika on top and you’re done!

All DoneHere’s Little Chefs recipe for delicious “Sweet Relish Deviled Eggs”:

5.0 from 2 reviews
Sweet Relish Deviled Eggs
 
Makes 24 deviled eggs.
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 dozen hard boiled eggs peeled
  • ½ cup mayo
  • ¼ cup sweet relish
  • 1 tablespoon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons horseradish sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • paprika for sprinkling
Instructions
  1. Cut your peeled hard boiled eggs in half length wise.
  2. Place the egg whites on a tray and the yolks in a mixing bowl.
  3. Smash the eggs yolks with a fork.
  4. Add the first 5 ingredients to the yolks and stir.
  5. If it's to lumpy for your liking you can use an immersion blender to make it a little smoother.
  6. Do a taste test and add salt and pepper if needed.
  7. Spoon the filling into the egg whites or use a plastic bag as described above.
  8. Sprinkle each egg with a little paprika.

 

Easy Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

It’s November (just in case you weren’t aware), and when I start thinking about Thanksgiving dinner, I start thinking about this salad dressing.  It’s a recipe I got from my grandma many moons ago.  It’s so simple, DELICIOUS, and paired with my grandma’s special green salad, I wouldn’t want to have a Thanksgiving dinner without it!

Thousand IslandAll you need is mayo, chili sauce or ketchup, sweet relish, and one hard boiled egg.

IngredientsI used organic ketchup and I found a sweet relish that didn’t have corn syrup.  Stir everything together and that’s it!

DressingNow you’re wondering what my grandma’s special green salad is….that will be coming next week! 🙂  Have you started thinking about Thanksgiving dinner yet?

5.0 from 3 reviews
Easy Homemade Thousand Island Dressing
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons chili sauce or ketchup
  • ½ cup sweet relish
  • 1 hard-boiled egg, diced
Instructions
  1. Stir together all the ingredients and use on your favorite green salad or for a veggie dip.

 

The Perfect Eggs for Breakfast Sandwiches

DSCN5058 (578x640)-1I know, I know, you’ve all seen this trick of cooking eggs in muffins tins.  It’s a great idea, don’t you think?  Our family has been enjoying these allot!  The only thing I do differently is cook them in a JUMBO muffin tin.  They are bigger around and fit PERFECTLY on English muffins and biscuits.

DSCN5064 (640x480)-1Crack eggs into jumbo muffin cups (grease them first) add salt and pepper and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes and you have the perfect eggs for those yummy breakfast sandwiches.

Here are some that we’ve been enjoying….the possibilities are endless!!

DSCN5115 (640x480)-1This is a toasted, sour dough English muffin with cheddar cheese, bacon and a perfect egg!

Click here for an easy, mess free way to cook bacon!

 

 

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This is a toasted, whole wheat English muffin with egg and cheese. I had to make my 8 year old stop eating so I could get this picture.  She wasn’t very patient for some reason??

 

 

DSCN6084 (640x480)-1This is a homemade whole wheat biscuit with a sausage patty made with my homemade breakfast sausage seasoning and a perfect egg!

Egg Salad – 3 Ways

If you’re like us, you have a bunch of these in your fridge right now.  😀

DSCN5995 (640x480)-1They are absolutely beautiful, but they can’t stay in the fridge forever!  Here are three delicious ways to use up those Easter eggs that are taking up space in your fridge.

If you don’t already have hard boiled eggs check out this post “How to Cook and EASILY Peel Farm Fresh Hard Boiled Eggs”.  Even if you don’t have farm fresh eggs this is a great method for perfect hard boiled eggs.

#1 –  “Creamy Egg Salad”

Start with 12 hard boiled eggs, peeled and rinsed.  Chop the eggs into little pieces.  I use an egg slicer and slice the egg one way and then turn the egg and slice it the other way.

DSCN5165 (640x480)-1After you have all your eggs chopped up in a bowl add: mayo, mustard, horseradish, and sweet relish.  Mix all together real good and give it a taste.  Now you will know how much seasoning salt and pepper you want to add.  Don’t over do the salt….you can always add more but you can’t take it out!

DSCN5185 (640x480)-1This is Creamy Egg Salad on Sour Dough Bread…..Yummm!

 

#2 – “Dill Egg Salad”

This one is my favorite! If you don’t like pickles then skip down to the last recipe ‘cuz this is happy pregnant lady with a pickle craving good!!

Chop your 12 hard boiled, peeled, and rinsed eggs into a bowl.  Add: mayo, dijon mustard, dill, pickle juice, and chopped dill pickles (our favorite dill pickle is – Nalley’s Elites Garlic, Dill & Onion Petites – they are little, crunchy, and absolutely DELICIOUS!).

DSCN5394 (640x480)-1My mouth is watering just thinking about those pickles….anyway, mix everything up thoroughly and then take a bite….add salt and pepper if or as needed.

#3 – “Bacon and Egg Salad”

Begin by slicing your 12 hard boiled, peeled, and rinsed eggs into small pieces.  Add mayo, sour cream, green onions, bacon bits, (here is how I easily cook bacon in the oven) salt, and onion powder to the egg pieces.  Stir together well and give it a taste.  Add more salt if needed and pepper to taste.

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5.0 from 1 reviews
Egg Salad - 3 Ways
 
These recipes can easily be cut in half if you don't want this much.
Author:
Ingredients
  • # 1 - Creamy Egg Salad:
  • 12 hard boiled eggs - peeled and rinsed
  • ½ cup mayo
  • 1 tbls mustard
  • 1 tbls horseradish
  • 2 tbls Sweet Relish
  • Seasoning Salt and Pepper to taste
  • _________________________________________________________
  • #2 - Dill Egg Salad:
  • 12 hard boiled eggs, peeled and rinsed
  • ½ cup Mayo
  • 1 heaping tablespoon of dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp dill
  • 1 tbls pickle juice
  • ½ cup chopped dill pickles (your favorite brand)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • _________________________________________________________
  • #3 - Bacon and Egg Salad:
  • 12 hard boiled eggs, peeled and rinsed
  • ¼ cup mayo
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 2 tbls chopped green onions
  • 8 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • More salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. These instructions work for all 3 recipes.
  2. Take your peeled and rinsed hard boiled eggs and chop them into small pieces.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients except the salt and pepper to your chopped eggs and mix thoroughly.
  4. Taste it, then add salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

How to Cook and EASILY Peel Farm Fresh Hard Boiled Eggs!

First of all I want to mention that this method is not just for farm fresh eggs.  Store bought or strait from the coop, your end result will be beautiful hard boiled eggs!

Have you ever tried to peel a farm fresh hard boiled egg?  I have, and it’s not a pretty sight. Unlike older, store bought eggs, no matter how hard you try the shell will not let go of the egg, leaving you with a lumpy, broken mess!!  With my new egg laying machines and tons of fresh eggs the only thing I could think to do was hide a dozen eggs in the back of my fridge and wait for them to get old (the older the egg the easier it is to peel).  This works as long as you know two weeks in advance when you are going to want a hard boiled egg.  I don’t know about you, but when I want egg salad, I want it now, not two weeks from now!!

That was not my only problem with hard boiling eggs, I usually over boiled them and ended up with a green ring around the yolk….for some reason greenish colored, lumpy, deviled eggs are not very appetizing.  So I started researching and experimenting, and experimenting, and experimenting…….and this method left me with sun colored yolks and EASILY peel-able eggs!

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Start by placing a pot of water on the stove to boil.  Make sure it’s enough water to cover the eggs.  While your waiting for the water to boil take a (clean) thumb tack and poke a small hole in the fat end of each egg.

DSCN5385 (640x480)-1Be careful, you want to make a hole but not push the tack all the way in.  The goal here is to put a tiny hole in the shell where the air sack is and not poke through the membrane inside.  When the water is at a hard boil, and you have a tiny hole in each egg, gently (VERY gently) place the eggs in the boiling water and set the timer for 15 minutes.DSCN5210 (640x480)-1Keep them at a low boil for the entire time.  If you pushed the tack in to far you will see streams of egg white floating in the water.  It’s no big deal, that egg will just not be as pretty as the rest.  After you do this a few times you will get the hang of it.

While they are boiling prepare a bowl of ice water in your sink.  When the timer goes off immediately remove the pan and drain the boiling water.  Then place the hot eggs into the ice water.

DSCN5612 (640x480)-1Wait about 15-20 minutes and take them out one at a time to peel.

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These are eggs that were laid this morning….see how nicely they peeled.

 

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This is an egg that I poked the tack in to far and some of the the egg white escaped.  Not a good look for deviled eggs, but will still taste great in egg salad. 🙂

 

 DSCN5616 (640x480)-1See how nice and pretty the yolk is!!

I’m so glad I can make deviled eggs whenever I want instead of having to plan ahead and hide them in the back of the fridge to get old.  I hope this works as well for you as it has for me.  The tack trick takes a little practice, but if all you have is fresh eggs to peel it’s definitely worth the effort.

I found this method at: Paths of Wrighteousness

German Puff Pancakes – 3 ways

Here’s another recipe to help use all those fresh eggs…well 3 recipes actually.  I love German Puff Pancakes, not just because they taste so good but because you mix up the batter,  throw it in the oven and 20 minutes later….VOILA!!  Everyone’s breakfast is done at the same time and mom (or whoever is cooking) isn’t still standing at the stove flipping pancakes while half of the family is finishing eating and the other half is waiting for seconds!!  Don’t get me wrong, I love pancakes!!  I just like eating more than flipping. 😀  OK, I’m done whining now.

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.

Put the butter into a 13X9 inch pan and put it in the oven to melt the butter.  Keep an eye on it and remove it when the butter is melted.

While the oven is heating and the butter is melting, put the remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour the batter from the blender over the melted butter and return the pan to the heated oven for 20 min.

DSCN4970 (640x480)-1How fun is that!!  We top ours with butter and maple syrup or agave nectar.

German Puff Pancake
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Put the butter into a 13X9 inch baking pan and put it in the oven to melt.
  3. As soon as the butter has melted remove it from the oven and swirl it around to coat the bottom of the pan.
  4. Blend the remaining 4 ingredients in a blender until smooth.
  5. Pour the batter over the melted butter.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes.

 

Now another version:

German Sausage Puff Pancake

Follow the recipe above but sprinkle cooked sausage (I use 1 pound of breakfast sausage) over the batter in the pan just before baking.

DSCN5099 (640x480)-1 So I’m not sure if this is still a pancake?  Maybe more of a breakfast casserole?  Whatever it is, we usually eat it for dinner with salsa, sour cream, and cheese on top….TASTY!

 

And another version:

German Blueberry Puff Pancake

Follow the German Puff Pancake recipe above but before baking sprinkle 1 cup of frozen blueberries (fresh blueberries would work too) on top of the batter.  Serve with powdered sugar, or maple syrup.

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Avocado Scramble

This recipe is simple, VERY attractive and tastes every bit as good as it looks!!

Start by whisking together eggs and water.

Pour into a pan drizzled with olive oil on medium-low heat.

                           Stir with spatula until eggs are set up. Add salt and pepper.

Top with salsa, avocado and sour cream!!DSCN4676 (640x385)-1I told you it was attractive!!  Don’t you just love those colors??

Here’s a close up…..DSCN4682 (640x480)Oh yeah!!  That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout!! Yummmmmmmmm!

Here’s the printable version of the recipe:

Avocado Scramble
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons of your favorite salsa or Pico de Gallo would be yummy too
  • ¼ of a large avocado
  • A dollop of sour cream
Instructions
  1. Whisk together the eggs and water
  2. Pour egg mixture into a pan drizzled with olive oil on medium-low heat
  3. Use a spatula to stir eggs until done
  4. Place eggs on a plate and add salt and pepper
  5. Top with salsa, avocado, and sour cream

 

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