Baking Gluten-Free Cookies - Conventional, Convection or Microwave - What’s your choice?

Now that I have time to play with my food, I would rather bake food in the microwave or my countertop convection oven.

I don’t like making large batches of anything, so I often bake six and freeze the remainder.  It’s a bit much to heat up the oven or even the counter-top convection oven during hot weather, so I began experimenting with the microwave, since I use it a lot in making meals.

I had some frozen cookie dough from the Orange Scented Double Dark Chocolate Cookies, so I popped a frozen one in the microwave for 60 seconds.  It was the perfect treat!  So I then tried mixing a small amount of a chocolate chip cookie.  The first one was too light for me…. without the browning, so I added cinnamon to color it  a little.

This is a time saver for those with small children….. mix up a batch and microwave one or two when needed.  First test out one or two and always chill and shape the cookie dough!

Cookie dough that works best in the microwave, will puff up and spread a little in a conventional oven.  Of the gluten-free purchased cookie doughs that I’ve tried, all are best baked in the oven. 

I have tried three boxed mixes and was impressed with just one.

This was the best photo from the KAF gluten free cookie mix cookies

If planning to bake any cookies in the microwave, the cookie dough should be mixed with an electric mixer until completely mixed.  Then chill the dough at least an hour.  The dough should be cold when placed in the microwave. Always use a flat parchment paper covered surface. The plate shown was also used.

These are pictures form the microwave on the left and convection oven on the right. The lighter color is a pre-packaged dough that was not flattened.

This picture is the “before microwave" for the previous pictures.

This picture shows the same cookie , microwaved (left) and convection oven (right) 

 

These are the non-flattened pre-packaged balls

 

Pre-packaged flattened a bit

 

Microwaved - not flattened and flattened

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This one was very light, since white rice flour and no brown sugar

Simple Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies – (updated Jan 2014)   Microwave

 

Ingredients

 

Dry Ingredients - Food Processor

1/3 cups sweet rice flour

1/3 cup sorghum flour

1/3 cup Tapioca Flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder (aluminum free)

1/8 tsp salt, optional

1/2 tsp Authentic Foods Vanilla Powder

1/3 cup granulated Stevia (used Stevia in the Raw)

a pinch of xanthan gum, optional ( if using a flax gel egg, can be omitted)

 

Wet ingredients and Fats

3 tbsp butter, softened

3 tbsp Canola Harvest Margarine (or 70% or more fat margarine)

1 egg

2 tbsp raw honey

1/2 tsp orange or almond extract

 

Add Ins

1/2 cup mini chips (Ghirardelli)

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

 

Procedure

Pulse Dry Ingredients in a food processor two minutes to finish grinding. Beat all of the Wet Ingredients until fluffy.  Scrape down the bowl and beat in the Dry Ingredients from the food processor using a hand mixer.  Scrape down beaters and bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips.

 

Oven

Drop dough into 24 portions onto parchment paper covered baking sheets, shape and flatten to 2 inches wide, if baking in oven

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes at 350F until golden brown. Gently, using a flat lifter, remove to wire racks to cool completely.

 

Microwave

Place  balls of dough on parchment paper covered microwave safe flat plate.  Slightly flatten the cookie mound.  Microwave on high 45 to 50 seconds, depending on the size and thickness of the cookie.  Watch the first ones, they  will puff up and start to deflate at around 40 seconds, best to remove from oven at 50 seconds.  Gently lift with a flat lifter to a wire rack to finish cooling about 5 minutes minimum.

  

 

 

  

Tips

The cookies do not brown in the microwave.  If the light color is objectionable, use dark brown sugar as part of the sweetener or 1 tsp molasses for 1 tsp honey

 

 

 

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I have also tried three packaged gluten-free cookie mixes.  This one  works good in the microwave, the other does not.

Cookie dough before chilling - King Arthur Flour Glutenfree Cookie Mix 

These are showing un-chilled dough microwaved in back and convection in front

After the cookie dough is chilled - microwaved - left two

                                                  close-up…. of course I ate one!

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© 2014 http://retiredwithnoregrets.blogspot.com/

Microwave Lemon Cup Cakes for Two

Today, I decided to modify what normally I make as one small microwave cake into two cupcakes after seeing a post about baking two cupcakes in an oven.
The microwave is one handy appliance. 
Microwave ovens were used commercially a few years before becoming available to the general public.  They were first seen in large corporation’s break rooms or ‘canteens’.  They became available to the general public around 1967, yet the price was quite prohibitive for most households at that time.
The early ones were very heavy with low-wattage.  Now they are so sophisticated that any food item can be cooked in them.
They are programmed and programmable for cooking by weight and even defrosting food. They are more accurate than the first one I purchased in the mid-70s.
This cupcake was made using boxed cake mix.  I have about 3 boxes of gluten-free cake mix that I do not really like.  So I am using the cake mix to test out my recipes.
So here goes the first try, using this cake mix.

Lemon Microwave Cup Cakes for Two
Ingredients
4 tbsp yellow cake mix
1 tsp meringue powder
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
1 1/2 tsp oil
1 tbsp liquid egg white product
2 tsp fat-free half n half
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp lemon extract or lemon juice.
1/4 cup water, divided
2 tbsp purchased frosting, optional
Procedures
1. Place cup cake papers in 2  7-ounce ramekins.  Spray the papers, if not using non-stick papers.

2. Mix all dry ingredients.   whisk oil, egg white, lemon zest, extract and half and half together, mix into dry ingredients. Add water as needed.  Batter will be thin.  Beat with a hand mixer at least 30 seconds.

3. Spoon half of batter into each ramekin.   - I added a sprinkle of unsweetened coconut

Place each ramekin on far sides of the microwave turntable.   Cook on high for 70 seconds for an 1100 watt oven.

4. The cupcake will puff up and jiggle a little. As soon as you see no movement, remove immediately from microwave.  This will determine the future time for your microwave.
5. Frost, if desired - each tablespoon of canned  frosting adds  an additional 30 calories


Refrigerate any left-overs – covered


Servings: 2
Cooking Times
Cooking Time: 1 minute and 10 seconds  (70 seconds)
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per cup cake): 148 calories, 3.4g total fat, 2.5g monounsaturated fat, <1g polyunsaturated fat, <1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 26.9mg sodium, 25.9mg potassium, 27.6g carbohydrates, <1g fiber, 27.6g net carbohydrates, 14.9g sugar, 2.3g protein, <1mg iron, 1.2mcg folate, <1mg vitamin c, 0IU vitamin d, 0mg vitamin b6, <1mcg vitamin b12, <1mg niacin, 0mcg lycopene, <1g aspartic acid, <1g glutamic acid.
Notes / Tips
Feel free to use egg, rather than egg white.  I prefer using liquid egg products over raw eggs.
Being that this cake mix is not the best on the market, is the reason for the additional flavoring and  meringue powder.

Science Project - Hot Cocoa Microwave Cake (Gluten Free Option)

The weather was so nice today; after a week of extremely high temperatures and storms.
First AM, I mixed up a loaf of bread and covered it to let it rise. Next, I remembered my green tomatoes, so I fried up those and enjoyed a few. I then baked my Italian Spiced Salmon and finally, it was science project time.
I was on a baking roll because the weather was so nice today. Last week, I only turned the oven on once and a burner maybe three times. I did not want to heat the house up, just in case we had a brown-out.
Remember those science projects that everyone had to do in school? Well, I don’t think any of those were as good as this one.
I bought some ‘premium quality’ hot cocoa that has sugar, so I do not drink it as much as I do with the sugar-free kind. So, hmm, I thought, let’s try making a cake with it…
Microwave ‘cakes’ or ‘brownies are so easy and quick to make. A quick small dessert can be made in 15 minutes. Since it is small, there is no temptation to go back for ‘seconds’ and ‘thirds’. Actually this cake could be cut into 4 servings as the pieces would be ‘brownie’ size.



Hot Cocoa Microwave Cake (Gluten Free Option)
Dry Ingredients
2 packets hot chocolate mix (use a premium brand)
1/4 cup quinoa flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla powder or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cocoa, optional
Liquids
2 tsp oil
2 tbsp liquid egg white product
2 tbsp hot water
Topping (optional):
1 tbsp peanut butter chips





Procedures

1. Whisk dry ingredients together, mix in egg and oil, mix in hot water.


2. Spray a 4 inch round glass flat dish with oil spray.
3. Scrape the batter into the dish
4. Top with your favorite chips if desired.



5. Microwave on high 80 to 85 seconds (that’s 1 minute, 20 seconds) depending on your microwave. Microwave used was 1100 watts.


6. Frost, if desired


Servings: 2


Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving): 295 calories, 13.1g total fat, <1g monounsaturated fat, 3.2g polyunsaturated fat, 0g trans fatty acids, 6.4g saturated fat, 2.5mg cholesterol, 295.8mg sodium, 65.7mg potassium, 41.6g carbohydrates, 5.6g fiber, 36.1g net carbohydrates, 22.1g sugar, 7.1g protein, <1mg iron, <1mcg folate, <1mg vitamin c, 0IU vitamin d, 0mg vitamin b6, 0mcg vitamin b12, <1mg niacin, <1mcg lycopene, <1g aspartic acid, <1g glutamic acid.

Tips
If you like coffee, add a pinch of instant coffee to the dry ingredients


Notes
I am a cocoa junkie, so I added an additional tsp of cocoa. Quinoa has a stronger flavor, making it suitable for chocolate.

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National Chocolate Mint Day

Today is National Chocolate Mint Day.

So, that gives us an excuse for making anything chocolate with mint flavoring.

I chose to make a quick microwave brownie. We save energy by using the microwave and a small amount is made so that we don’t have a whole pan to eat.

I started experimenting with microwave baking a few months ago when ‘World's Most Dangerous Cake ’ was posted on Mixing Bowl. I converted it to gluten free as World's Most Dangerous Cake - AKA Cake for One (modified gluten free).

Actually it is easier to make a quick dessert in the microwave than using the oven. Less energy (electricity or fuel) is consumed in the two to three minutes compared to around 45 minutes to pre-heat and bake a brownie in the oven. So who’s not for saving calories and energy?

Chocolate Mint Brownies - Gluten Free, Low-sugar, Lower- Fat (Microwave)
Ingredients
Brownie
3 T Quinoa (or GF all-purpose) flour
3 T Stevia in The Raw (granulated)
1 pinch salt
1 pinch baking soda
1 pinch cream of tartar
1/8 tsp vanilla powder, optional
2 T Ghirardelli unsweetened natural cocoa
2 T liquid egg substitute
1 dash mint oil or mint extract
2 T butter, melted
3 T skim milk or unsweetened almond milk
2 T walnuts, chopped
Frosting
2 Andes Creme de Menthe Thins
Procedures
1. Lightly spray a 1-qt glass dish with oil spray. Place the butter in the dish and microwave for about 30 seconds to melt, do not over-heat.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the first 7 ingredients. Add the egg, mint flavoring and cooled melted butter. Do not scrape the baking dish, as any butter left behind will be absorbed into the brownie.

3. Whisk to mix, adding in the milk and nuts. Save a few of the nuts to sprinkle over the brownie after it comes out of the oven, if desired. Spread batter into prepared dish.

4. Cook on high for 2 minutes 15 seconds using an 1100 watts microwave. Remove from oven. Using two small plates flip the brownie onto one and then turn top-side up onto the other one.



5. Glaze - Break the mints into smaller pieces. Place on top of hot brownie. Spread, when they start to melt.

If using the saved nuts, sprinkle them over the frosting.

Cut 1/4 of brownie per serving.

Enjoy

Servings: 4

Cooking Time: 2 minutes, 15 seconds - 1100 watt microwave oven at full power


Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 126 calories, 9.9g total fat, 1.9g monounsaturated fat, 2.1g polyunsaturated fat, 4.6g saturated fat, 15.6mg cholesterol, 167.2mg sodium, 78.1mg potassium, 8g carbohydrates, 2.1g fiber, 6g net carbohydrates, <1g starch, 2g sugar, 3.4g protein, <1mg iron.

Feel free to substitute wheat flour for the Quinoa flour for a wheat version.

Spaghetti Squash with Kicking Vegetarian Pasta Sauce

The big weather has warmed up about 30 degrees since the Holidays.

I wanted pasta, spaghetti or lasagna ANYTHING PASTA. Well I am still trying to maintain the New Year’s resolutions, so I made spaghetti squash.

I make a vegetarian pasta sauce with everything but the kitchen sink that is quite satisfying.

Vegetarian Pasta Sauce

Ingredients
1 large container of baby Bellas (Costco size)
1 1/2 large red bell peppers
1 1/2 large green bell peppers
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1 bulb garlic, minced
12 large plum tomatoes
4 1/2 inch wide zucchinis
1 small eggplant
2 cans Tomato Paste
Spices
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
1 /2 tsp sea salt in mortal
2 tsp basil leaves
2 tsp crushed parsley leaves
2 tsp crushed cilantro
1 tsp ground Thyme
1 tsp powdered parsley
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground coriander
3 tsp sugar or other equivalent powdered sweetener

Procedures
Prepare all ingredients and set aside
Wash and skin tomatoes, dice
Wash and remove stems from mushrooms, slice thinly
Wash and remove stem and blossom end from zucchini, cut into small cubes
Wash and remove seeds from peppers, dice
Wash 2 celery stalks; remove any leaves, dice finely
Peel garlic, mince
Wash and remove stem and blossom end from eggplant, slice lengthwise in half, slice thinly

Grind the Herbes de Provence and sea salt using a mortar and pestle

Combine that mixture with the remaining spices in a small container, set aside

Prepare an 8 qt slow cooker, turn on low

Add tomatoes to slow cooker

Place 1 tbs olive oil in a large iron skillet, on med high heat

Sauté mushrooms until reduced to about 1/3, water will be mostly gone

Add mushrooms to slow cooker

Add 1 tsp olive oil to skillet

Add garlic to skillet and sauté about 2 minutes, add celery and continue cooking about 2 minutes, add peppers and continue cooking about 3 minutes

Pour this mixture into slow cooker.
Stir the slow cooker to mix everything
Open one can of tomato paste and add it to the slow cooker
Stir and place lid on slow cooker.
Add 1 tsp oil to skillet; add zucchini to skillet and sauté for about 2 minutes on high.
Add to slow cooker, stir again
Add 1/2 of the spices and stir
Add the remaining can of tomato paste and stir
If the mixture needs liquid, add 2 cups v8 juice and stir.
Place top on slow cooker
Cook on low for about an hour, stirring after 1/2 hour
Taste for seasoning and add remainder as needed
In the meantime
Sauté the eggplant in the skillet until tender and set aside
The finished product

Microwave Spaghetti Squash

Wash squash and remove stem, if any.

Slice lengthwise. Place squash in a microwaveable container.
Sprinkle with a pinch of Cajun spice.
Cover with cellophane wrap
During the last 20 minutes of cooking time for the pasta sauce, microwave on high for 9 minutes.
Remove and test for doneness, if needed, microwave 1 minute more. Do not overcook.

Use fork to separate squash into spaghetti, going across the squash. Lift to separate any clumps. Serve in squash shell or a plate.

Top with Vegetarian Pasta Sauce and the sautéed eggplant.

Enjoy.

I was so hungry, forgot to add some eggplant.
The Clean Plate