Thursday, December 17, 2020

Lydia's Chex Mix ( the BEST gluten and dairy free Chex Mix)

 Lydia's Chex Mix

     I have strong opinions about some things, and how Chex Mix is made is one of them. It should be baked in the oven, not the microwave. You need to use different amounts of seasonings than the box says, and also you should make your own seasoned salt. I have been making the Chex Mix in my family since I was a teenager. It was always one of my favorite Christmas treats. We would have it once a year, my mom would make two sheet trays of it and we would snack on it from Christmas until New Years. One year I asked to make it and I tweaked the recipe in little ways that made have a more intense flavor, and didn't leave any piece missing the seasoning. I've had friends and family ask why my Chex Mix was so good, here is my top secret recipe!




Lydia's Chex Mix

Ingredients 

7 TBSP Miyoko's vegan butter ( you can use regular butter if you don't need it dairy free)

3 TBSP Gluten Free Worcestershire Sauce

2 tsp  homemade seasoned salt ( recipe at the end )

1/2 tsp onion powder

9 cups gluten free chex ( I like all Rice chex but you can use a mix of Rice and Corn Chex)

1 1/2 cups gluten free pretzels ( my favorite brand is Quinn)

optional ( 1/2 cup of mixed nuts or peanuts)


Gluten Free Seasoned Salt ( Inspired by Iowa Girl Eats)

https://iowagirleats.com/homemade-gluten-free-seasoned-salt-10-ways-to-use-it/

5 TBSP fine sea salt

1 TBSP paprika

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder


Directions

1) Pre-heat oven to 250 and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.

2) Place the vegan butter, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings in a medium sized measuring cup and microwave in 30 second increments until the butter is melted. 

3) Pour the Chex cereal, pretzels, and any add-ins on the sheet pan. 

4) Stir the butter and seasoning mixture well and pour it over the cereal evenly. Use your hands or a spatula to stir the mixture to make sure it is evenly distributed.

5) Place the sheet pan in the oven. You will bake the mixture for a total of one hour, stirring every fifteen minutes.

 Set a timer for every fifteen minutes, remove the pan, stir the mixture, and then place it back in the oven. Repeat until you have reached one hour.

Enjoy!

The Chex Mix will keep for 2 weeks in a sealed container on the counter. 















Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Peanut Butter Truffles (gluten, dairy, and refined sugar free)

Peanut Butter Truffles

     I have always loved the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. My mom always made buckeyes for Christmas. I still love them, but they have A LOT of powdered sugar in them. I wondered if there was a way I could make something similar in texture and taste but without all the added sugar. These peanut butter truffles taste just like a buckeye but won't leave you feeling a sugar rush afterwards!




Peanut Butter Truffles
Makes 20-25 depending on size

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter ( I use Skippy Natural or Simple Truth Organic for these)

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup finely ground gluten free oat flour (you can make this yourself by blending oats in your blender for 2 minutes until very finely ground)

1 package enjoy life chocolate chips

flaky sea salt for finishing

Directions

1) Combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, and oat flour in a bowl and mix until a smooth mixture forms.

2) Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to set.

3) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon roll the mixture into balls and place them on the parchment lined baking sheet.

4) Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to set.

5) In a deep coffee mug melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips in 30 second increments until melted and smooth. 

Dip the peanut butter balls one and at time with a fork, tapping the fork on the side of the mug to remove the excess chocolate. 

Place the dipped truffle back onto the parchment paper and quickly sprinkle with flaky sea salt before the chocolate sets.

6) Place the truffles in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set. 

Enjoy!

These will keep for two weeks in the refrigerator, or two months in the freezer. 

These also taste great without the chocolate coating if you don't like chocolate! Just make sure to let them set up really well the in the freezer so they don't loose their shape. 







 

Monday, December 14, 2020

Gluten and Dairy Free Oreo Balls

Gluten and Dairy Free Oreo Balls


      The first time I had Oreo balls was in 2006, yes, I remember the year. My friend Lana and I had both graduated from college and she was living with our friend Stephanie. Stephanie and Lana made Oreo balls that Christmas and I thought they were the best tasting Christmas candy I had ever had. I really wasn't into Christmas treats much because I had never been a fan of cookies, but I could eat these all day long! They quickly became a tradition at our yearly Christmas party. There were a few years I had to skip out on them due to dietary restrictions but a few years ago I figured out a way to make them gluten and dairy free so everyone could enjoy them still! 


Gluten and Diary Free Oreo Balls

Makes 20

Ingredients 

1 10.5 ounce package of Glutino Vanilla Creme Cookies ( you can use another gluten free brand just make sure you use the same amount of cookies, about 18)

4-5 oz. Daiya Cream Cheese Style Spread

1 package Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet mini chocolate chips

optional- a white chocolate drizzle, Walmart makes a Great Value Brand dairy free white chocolate chip

Directions

There are two ways to make the oreo balls, I prefer mine to have more of a smooth truffle texture, my husband prefers them to have chunks of cookies in them still. Depending on your preference follow the directions that go along with that for step #1.

1) If you want smooth Oreo truffles, place the cookies in a food processor and pulse the mixture for a minute on and off until the cookie crumbs are smooth.

For a more chunky mixture, dump the cookies into a large ziplock bag and hit them with a rolling pin until they are the desired consistency, some chunky cookies, but a lot of small crumbs.

2) Place the crumbs in a bowl and stir in 4 oz. of the cream cheese until smooth. Use your hand to see if the mixture will stick together, if it is too dry add a little more cream cheese as needed. I have found with the gluten free cookies and dairy free cream cheese the amount of cream cheese varies sometimes when I make them. 

3) Place the mixture in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up so it will scoop out easily.

4) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Once the mixture is ready, use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to form the mixture into balls. Use your clean hands to roll the balls into a smooth shape. Place the freezer for 20 minutes to set.

5) Warm up 1 cup of the Enjoy Life Chocolate chips for 30 seconds at a time in a coffee mug until the chocolate is smooth. I like to use a coffee mug so that the chocolate will be deeper than a bowl and easier to dip!

6) Quickly dip the semi-frozen Oreo balls one at a time into the melted chocolate, drip off the excess chocolate and place them back on the parchment paper. When you run low on chocolate chips add more to your mug and heat in the microwave until smooth and melted. Since the Oreo balls are semi-frozen the chocolate will set quickly but you can place them back into the freezer for a few minutes to set.

7) If you want a white chocolate drizzle, melt 1/4 cup of the white chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments until smooth. Dip a fork into the white chocolate mixture and drizzle the Oreo balls. Place back in the fridge to set.

These will keep for two weeks in the refrigerator, or two months in the freezer. They must be refrigerated, set them out right before serving.

Enjoy! 










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