I'm moving

I'm moving to a different address: http://stealthilyhealthy.blogspot.com. Come and see me there! Some of these recipes will be used there, and some I'll leave here for posterity!

Cranberry Chocolate Oatmeal Gluten-Free and Vegan cookies

It's the first real rain after summer. (And frankly, for us Texans it's been so long since we saw rain, I'd forgotten what it looked like!) It's cold, dreary, and absolutely the perfect day to try out some new recipes. I woke up late to every animal we have sleeping lazily on our bed. Apparently they got the memo too. Since then we've done...nothing at all. Rainy days are lazy days for our family, days where we enjoy cozying up on our comfy couch with blankets and a good book. Today however, baking adventures called, and frankly I really wanted some chocolate.

There is nothing better to me than a hot cookie the oozes chocolate. Add oatmeal and cranberries and you've got the perfect fall comfort cookie. I have to say too that I was proud that this only took one try to make. Most of the original recipes I try end up costing me a few trials and errors. Not this time, although I did cheat by using a pre-mixed gluten-free flour blend. So sue me! (it's a lazy day, remember?) These are sugar-free in the sense that there is no processed sugar, and they are also dairy free.

Proof that rainy days are lazy days in the Headrick Household.
Our dog bubbles (with his cute raincoat).

Lucky is also lazy (and grumpy!)

Okay, so to the cookies.....

Dry:

1 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour
2 1/2 cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats
1 cup dairy free dark chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon xanthan guym
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Wet:

1 cup almond (or rice) milk
4 tablespoons whole berry canned  organic cranberry sauce (get the no-sugar added kind)
3 tablespoons local organic honey

*a tip, you can used dried cranberries, but you'll have to up the moisture factor with extra almond milk

Combine the dry ingredients first, then add the wet. Stir together and place on baking sheet at least two inches apart. Bake for about 20 minutes on 375 degrees or until golden brown. Overcooking them though will make them more spongey than gooey, so watch them closely.

Local honey from the Romanian Church down the street. Yum!

Holy Chocolatey goodness batman!

Okay, any gluten-free batter I've ever tried ends up tasting disgusting when wet. But, cooked, these are heavenly. Even my hubby couldn't resist trying one. And bonus? They are pretty healthy for you.

I also think you can sub organic canned pumpkin istead of cranberry sauce. In fact, I might just do that for my second batch!

Happy Baking!

Okay, I'm officially excited. It's the little things right?

I love Erin McKenna, and I also love her bakery which I was priveledged to visit this past May in a trip to NYC. Her other book was life-changing and her chocolate chip banana bread recipe is still a staple for me (and btw, can be used as a bundt cake recipe as well).

So when I saw this at Williams and Sonoma? Of course I bought it! (along with Himalayan sea salt and Rose Water--coming up is rose flavored gelato made with coconut milk I think!)

So all this hubub to say, expect some posts about her recipes. I'm especially excited to make her chocolate chip cookie recipe! And if you haven't been acquainted with her you should buy both books or visit her bakeries (located in LA and NYC!)

Tastebook is saving my life

If you haven't heard of tastebook.com, you are seriously missing out.

What's tastebook? Well it's an awesome site where you can upload your recipes, choose a hardcover, and they send you a cookbook (that functions as a binder so you can add more pages)! There's also an iphone app for it so anytime you need your recipes, they are right there.

I cannot tell you how helpful this is! To have everything in one place instead of on multiple cards in a little recipe box....priceless.

Of course I'm also the type of person who goos and gaws over organizational items at the container store.

Go figure.

Chocolate Hazlenut Gelato

There are several reasons why I love my husband. He never wears shoes (ever, seriously), he likes to snuggle, and he puts hot sauce on everything, but also because he's one rad gift giver. August 5th we celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary and for my gift----a gelato maker--oh, and not just any gelato maker but a Delonghi GM 600!

Yup, he's pretty awesome. I think I'll keep him.

True gelato is creamier and softer than normal ice cream. It's made with more cream, milk, and eggs, and less sugar than your traditional Blue Bell as well. Here in the United States it's hard to find anyone selling it (successfully that is). My family are all from Rome, and a few years ago Kevin and I went back to visit my Aunt. Anytime I'm able to go back, I try to hit up all the gelateria's because I know I can't get this stuff at home.

Until now!

When you walk into a gelateria in Rome you are greeted by a myriad of flavors. While some gravitate toward the fruit flavors, I usually end up getting flavors like Nutella, Pistachio, and Pannacotta. So the first flavor I dove into with my new Delonghi was Nutella because I can find Nutella here in the States...pistachio paste? Not so much.

The Recipe:

1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar, and then an 1/8
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup Nutella (chocolate hazlenut spread)
optional garnish: toasted hazlenuts

In a saucepan, combine the milk, cream, and the 1/3 cup of sugar. Stir constantly over a low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.

The eggs and sugar should be evenly combined until
it forms a paste.

Once that's done, set aside. In a separate bowl combine the rest of the sugar (the 1/8 cup) with the egg yolks and almond extract. Stir them and slowly add them to the now cooled saucepan. (make sure the milk mixuter is actually cool.)

If you add the eggs to a hot milk mixture, you will get a cooked
ugly mess! If you add it when it's cool it should look like this.

Stir on a low heat for about 5 minutes. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Once done, add your Nutella and whisk together, making sure not to leave any clumps. Then we just put it in the Delonghi gelato maker (or you can use your own ice cream maker) for about 35 minutes (if your ice cream maker has it's own refrigeration unit, longer if it does not.)

The end result looks like this:

It should be between a soft serve and a normal ice cream.

So, while I'm not in Rome right now, at least I can feel like I am!

My husband eating gelato in Piazza Navona, and apparently enjoying it!