Hi Bakers,

Why do you need another chocolate chip cookie recipe? The classic is the perfect cookie, but if you want something a little richer, a bit bougier with some layers of flavor, you really need to try this version. I wasn’t prepared for how much I loved it. The sea salt with rich buttery toffee, espresso, and chocolate is to die for and something you need to try at least once. I ended up, adding one more egg yolk that you don't see or hear on camera, use the amounts listed in the recipe. Please make them and let me know if you crowned a new cookie king in your life. Enjoy! ~Carolyn

PS Here is the toffee recipe link if you want to make some instead of buying it. https://www.chillybakesglutenfree.com/english-toffee/

Gluten-Free Espresso Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes ~20 cookies

Dry

2 1/3 cups Cup4Cup multipurpose flour

1 tablespoon Oat Flour

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder (use 1.5-2 if you want a strong espresso flavor)

1 teaspoon Koda Farms Sweet rice flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon xanthan gum

Wet

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) of butter, melted and cooled

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

3 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon yellow sweet potato, cooked and mashed well

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (if you use oversized chips, as I did you only need 1 cup)

1/2 cup English toffee chunks*

Optional: large grain sea salt crystals to top cookies with

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, oat flour, espresso powder, rice flour, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum. Set aside.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Stir in granulated and brown sugar. Next, thoroughly mix in the sweet potato and smash any lumps completely with a rubber spatula. If the mixture is hot, let it cool a bit and then add the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. Mix well and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix for a few minutes until the dough comes together. Stir in chocolate chips and toffee. Scoop the dough into ~2 tablespoon-sized portions and refrigerate the dough for at least two hours or overnight.**

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make sure the rack is in the center position. Space cookies a few inches apart to make room for spreading. Bake for about 13-18 minutes or until cookies are crisped on the edges but still soft in the center. Let sit for 5 minutes on the sheet, then move to a rack to cool completely. Store in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy!

*I made the toffee, but you can add pieces of a ready-made toffee bar instead.

**If you freeze the dough, let it sit out for 30 minutes before baking.

Hi Bakers,

Should you make your own seeded crackers, or is it a waste of time? I get so mad eating expensive and tasteless gluten-free crackers, so I decided to try making them myself…but was it worth it??

I would 100% make these again; my only complaint is that I wanted them to be crisper. I loved the simple way they came together and the healthful ingredients in them.

The pumpkin and pumpkin spice with seeds and dried cranberries were festive and delicious. These crackers are a beautiful gluten-free addition to any winter table. Thinking of trying them? Here are my thoughts to help you decide. PS: After writing this, I’m heading downstairs to make another batch right now! Enjoy! Carolyn

Pros:

pretty

taste good

easy to make

free of gluten, dairy, egg, grains

full of fiber and nutritious

Cons:

long bake time (more like drying)

not as crisp as I hoped

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cranberry Holiday Seed Crackers

Modified from Tasty, Thrifty, Timely’s Recipe for Seeded Crackers

Makes two 10” x 15” sheets of crackers (to be broken apart)

Dry Ingredients

1/4 cup blanched almond flour

1/2 cup golden flax seeds, ground

1/4 cup black chia seeds

1/3 cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup finely chopped dried cranberries

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/8 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 275F. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside. Mix wet ingredients in a small bowl. Pour wet ingredients over the dry and mix thoroughly, making sure there are no dry spots. You may need to scrape the bowl with a spatula to get everything combined. Smooth the surface of the dough and let it hydrate for 15 minutes. Divide the dough in half and spread it onto a sheet of parchment paper. Make the dough into a flat rectangle as thin as possible. I like to cover the dough with another sheet of parchment** and roll it out. Remove the top sheet of parchment and smooth the top of the dough if needed. Sprinkle with salt if desired. Bake for about 2o minutes and then rotate the pans in the oven. Continue cooking for another 20 minutes or until the crackers are browned at the edges and dry to the touch. Cool in the oven to dry them out even more. Break cooled crackers into pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Want to try the dip I made too?

Easy Hot Honey Dip: Take a block of whipped and softened cream cheese (or dairy-free) and top it with 1 tablespoon of Trader Joe’s Chili Onion Crunch (or other chili oil) mixed with 3 tablespoons of honey. Garnish with some cranberries, rosemary, and a bunch of your seeded crackers too.

**Parchment paper is essential; without it, the dough sticks to the rolling pin and is hard to get thin enough to crisp.

Hi Bakers,

My son and his girlfriend went to the Farmer’s Market and brought back a beautiful pumpkin roll cake. It looked so good, I thought why haven’t I made one?? Oh yes, I remember I was terrified to try and roll a cake in a cylinder. I’m not sure if I got brave or just desperate to have a bite of this cake! This is my first attempt at making it and revising the recipe to be gluten-free too. Make this cake if you love a moist, sweet pumpkin cake with lots of rich cream cheese and butter icing. I would 100% make this cake again because it’s so tasty, quick to mix together, and pretty forgiving too! Enjoy~Carolyn

Tips Before Baking:

• Don’t use two sheets of parchment paper; the cake cracked at the seam
• Spread the cake batter evenly in the pan so it bakes
• Roll the cake slowly while hot and cool seam side down on a rack
• frost cake all the way to the edges
• Keep the frosted cake tightly wrapped in plastic while cooling

Needed Equipment:

jelly roll pan, 10”x 15”

parchment paper large enough to cover the bottom of the pan

Foil or plastic wrap (best)

Optional Equipment:

small offset spatula (helps smooth batter in an even layer

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Butter Icing

Modified for gluten-free from Tastes Better From Scratch’s Recipe

Dry Ingredients

3/4 cup Cup4Cup Brand Multipurpose Flour (original blend with milk powder**)

1/2 teaspoon sweet rice flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon cloves

Wet Ingredients

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup pumpkin puree (Libby’s preferred)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Icing

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1 8-ounce block of cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10”x 15” jelly-roll pan and line with parchment paper. Press the paper into the pan so it sticks in place, and then, grease the top of the paper too.

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside. Mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl and then add the dry and stirring just until mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top evenly to the edges. Bake for 11-14 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back. You can also use a toothpick; cake is done when the toothpick comes clean. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a heat-proof surface. Gently remove the cake from the jelly-roll pan and slide it onto a flat surface. You may have to cut around a few of the edges to free it. Starting with the short edge, slowly the cake with the parchment into a tight cylinder and secure by placing edge side down on a rack until completely cool.

Combine the icing ingredients together while the cake is cooling. Beat butter and cream cheese together with a mixer until smooth. Next, mix in the sugar and vanilla extract. Scrape down the bowl and mix until totally combined. Gently unroll the cake and frost the entire cake gently with a spoon or offset spatula. Try to get as even a layer as possible. Re-roll the frosted cake and wrap tightly in plastic wrap or foil until chilled for at least 1 hour. Plate the cake by unrolling and dusting liberally with powdered sugar. Slice gently with a serrated knife and enjoy. Cake keeps well wrapped for up to 3 days. Enjoy!

** If you have trouble finding this flour in stores, check online. I buy mine on Amazon.