Gluten Free White Chocolate Butter Bars Recipe

These are so rich and delicious!  And they put the mmmmmm in creamy!

Found this recipe for White Chocolate Butter Bars a while back on Cookies and Cups.  Shelly has the most AMAZING recipes!  The squares look so pretty on a plate, and have such a simple flavor profile, anyone will LOVE them!

SPH Gluten Free White Chocolate Butter Bars
1/2 cup melted butter
1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
1 egg
1 12-oz. package white chocolate chips
8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13.  In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and cake mix until mixture looks like crumbs.  Beat in the egg.  It will now be like sticky crumbs.  Press evenly into bottom of baking pan.  Sprinkle the white chocolate chips over cake mixture, and press in gently.  In separate mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and eggs.  Pour evenly over chips and be sure it reaches the edge of the pan.  Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or til center is set and tester comes out clean.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.  Dust with desired amount of powdered sugar.  Cut carefully into squares, and store in the fridge for up to 3 days, if any survive that long.

So I'm thinking I'm going to have to try this with chocolate cake mix and milk chocolate chips.  Maybe even make it a triple-chocolate-threat by putting some cocoa powder in the cream cheese layer?  Some other ideas are floating around, too, but I'll have to get back to you on those...

These would be a great addition to the dessert table at a ladies' luncheon or Bible study, a treat for a neighbor or friend who did something really special for you, or just because it's Thursday.

Give them a try, and ENJOY!

Super Easy Gluten Free Coconut Truffles Recipe

Good morning everyone!  We have a super simple, use-up-the-leftovers treat today!

So I found this wonderful recipe for Coconut Bounty Bites from Steph at Silver Boxes.  They sounded so delicious, I couldn't wait to try them.

Except...

That full bag of coconut I thought I had in my baking cabinet?  Practically gone.  Same for the powdered sugar.

So what's a girl to do?

Improvise with what you've got!

I had a partial can of white frosting in the fridge.  Guess what frosting is made from?  That's right - shortening and powdered sugar.  I had some coconut, but not a lot.  So I used the approximate proportions from Steph's recipe to improvise the little yummies you see above.  And here's how it goes...

SPH Gluten Free Coconut Truffle Recipe

1 cup shredded coconut (use UNSWEETENED - and yes, this time, it does matter)

1 cup white frosting

Mix these two together in a small bowl.  I mashed them together with a fork because my frosting was cold.  Use a cookie scooper or two spoons to scoop out portions and roll into balls.  Then I rolled them in cocoa powder and put a chocolate chip in the top.  Chill before serving.

So let's play with this a little bit, based on what you may or may not have on hand...

Roll them in powdered sugar instead of cocoa powder.  Or roll them in more shredded coconut.  Dip them completely in melted chocolate and top with an almond (sound familiar?).  Use chocolate frosting instead of white.  Need more truffles?  Double or triple your recipe.  Mine made 8 truffles.  Scale the recipe back and make just a few little bites as a secret treat for yourself.

No matter how you make them, MAKE THEM!  Enjoy!

 Recipe linked to Very Good Recipes

Gluten Free Bajan Inspired Rice Casserole Recipe

A taste of Barbados today - and it's not what you're probably expecting!

Princess' 4H club recently participated in our county extension's International Night.  For their country, the club chose Barbados.  The kids learned all kinds of interesting facts about their chosen country, and had to prepare a sample of the country's native cuisine.  Well, it turns out that a common dish in Barbados is macaroni and cheese pie.  It is macaroni and cheese made with Bajan (pronounced BAY-jun like Cajun) spices.  One of the club members' moms made a big crockpot to share of this, and I have to tell you, it smelled oooooh. soooooo. gooooood!  She shared the recipe for Bajan Macaroni Pie with everyone, and I decided to play with it, based on gluten issues, and some of the comments I heard from the kids regarding flavor.

SPH Bajan Inspired Rice Casserole Recipe
2 cups rice
2 quarts chicken stock (I use Pacific Naturals Free Range Chicken Broth), divided
olive oil for pan
1 pound ground turkey
salt and pepper
1 large green pepper, seeded and diced
1 onion, diced
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic (I use the kind from a jar - add more or less to your taste)
2 tablespoons paprika (I used 1 1/2 T. sweet, and 1/2 T. hot)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons dried parsley
couple shakes cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
2 tablespoons gluten free all purpose flour (I use Glutino brand)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (I use 365 Organic brand)
16 ounces grated cheddar cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour rice into a medium pan.  Add 1 quart of chicken stock.  Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

While rice is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add ground turkey, season meat lightly with salt and pepper, and cook until nearly all browned.  Add onion and peppers.  Cook until onion is translucent.  Add garlic and spices.  Cook until garlic is fragrant, just a minute or two.  Add flour, and cook for just another minute or two - to take the raw taste off the flour.  Add mustard and remaining quart of chicken stock.  Stir til starting to thicken a bit, then stir in all but one cup of cheese.

Stir meat/cheese mixture into cooked rice, then pour entire batch into a 9x13 baking pan.  Spread evenly, and top with remaining cheese.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or til cheese on top is bubbly and starting to brown.  Serve warm.

You can serve this as a main dish, like I did, or eliminate the turkey and use it as a side.  In Barbados, the pie is served with flying fish.

One of the best parts about this dish as that it is spicy, but not the spicy that burns your mouth.  It really warms you up from the inside out.  It's a perfect quick and filling supper for these cool spring evenings, especially after a chilly afternoon watching a kid play a sport or pulling weeds in the garden.

Have your own International Night, and try something delicious from Barbados!  Enjoy!

Gluten Free Lemon Chiffon Cake Recipe

Light and lemony - a perfect dessert for Mother's Day!

Isn't it pretty with its little lemon peel rosette?  If I'd had fresh raspberries or strawberries in the house, I would have added them around the border of the plate.  This is a lovely dessert any time of the year, but especially nice in the spring.  It reminds me of lemonade, but in a cake.  With Mother's Day coming up, it would be a lovely addition to a special dinner for Mom, and it's really easy to make with a cake mix!

So let's get right down to it!

SPH Gluten Free Lemon Chiffon Cake Recipe
1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil or melted butter
3 eggs
grated zest of 1 lemon (get organic if possible)
2 T. lemon extract
1 cup egg whites (I use the kind that come in a carton from the store - easier, and doesn't deplete my supply of regular eggs)
1/2 t. cream of tartar


Glaze
1/2 c. Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting
juice of 1 lemon (use the lemon you zested for the cake)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom and sides of three 8" round cake pans.  Pour contents of cake mix into mixer bowl.  In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, oil/butter, 3 eggs, lemon zest and lemon extract.  Beat until lightly combined.  Beat liquid ingredients into cake mix, at medium speed, for only 2-3 minutes.  Be sure to stop and clean the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula FREQUENTLY, and beat only until everything is well combined and smooth.  DO NOT OVERBEAT, or your cake will be rubbery.  Definitely not a desired outcome.  In separate large bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks.  Gently fold in egg whites, just until mostly combined (if you have a few little bits of white showing, that's ok).  Don't stir them in - they will deflate, and that definitely will take away from that light and airy texture we've all come to expect from a chiffon cake.  Pour the batter as equally as possible into all three cake pans.  Place the pans on racks that are as centered as possible in your oven.  I place two cake pans on the top rack, and one on the bottom.  I also arrange them in sort of a vertical triangle to allow maximum air circulation in the oven for even baking.  Bake for about 45 minutes, or til tester inserted in center comes out clean.  Allow cakes to cool completely before removing from pan.

Meanwhile, make the glaze.  In a small bowl, combine the frosting and lemon juice.  Whisk until very smooth.  Drizzle over cooled cakes.

You can layer them to make a tall cake (be sure to make enough glaze to finish all three layers), or do individual layers, which is what I did in the photo above.  You can also do these as cupcakes.  If you want them really fancy, do the lemon peel rosette.  Just use a vegie peeler, and remove the yellow part only of a lemon rind.  Roll it up, starting at one end, then let it open on its own to form the flower.  Use more frosting if you want a thicker glaze, or add the lemon juice to the whole can for frosting instead of glaze. You can also make orange or lime chiffon - just use a different citrus fruit.

Try it - you'll like it!

Two Gentle Reminders

1. Did you register for the wonderful Fashion to Figure Giveaway?
2. Some great recipes this week - stay tuned!

Gluten Free Agua de Horchata Recipe

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Here's a  delicious recipe for an authentic Mexican  drink - like rice pudding in a glass...
So a while back I totally had a taste for Agua de Horchata.  It's a Mexican rice drink that really does taste like rice pudding in a glass.  Well, that sent me scurrying all over the net, reading recipe after recipe, until I came across this one.  And the second best part, with flavor being first, is that it is totally GLUTEN FREE!!!

Here's what I came up with:

SPH Agua de Horchata
2 cups long grain white rice (the kind you actually have to cook longer than 5 minutes)
3 cups boiling water
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 t. vanilla extract (more or less to taste - I use a whole tablespoon)
1/2 t. cinnamon (also more or less to taste)
1/3 cup sugar (again the more or less to taste thing)
4 cups milk or water (your choice - I only had half and half in the house, so that's what I used)

Put the rice in a quart size jar.  Add vanilla bean and seeds.  Cover with boiling water, filling jar all the way to the tippy top.  You may have a few tablespoons of water left in your measuring cup, but that's ok.  Put on a lid and a ring.

Allow to sit overnight.  After a nice long soak, remove (and discard) vanilla bean from jar and add the rice, soaking water, vanilla extract and cinnamon to a blender.  Puree until smooth.

Drain through a cheesecloth lined sieve into a medium-sized mixing bowl.  You will have to moosh the rice around in the cloth with a large spoon to really get every last bit of goodness.  In fact, when you think you've really gotten it all, wrap the cheesecloth up into a bundle around the rice, and SQUEEZE IT.  Squeeze it hard, like you're mad at someone.  Like they ate all your chocolate mad.  Pour the "milk" from the bowl back into the blender, and add sugar and milk/water, and blend again until well combined.  Serve chilled, even over ice if desired.

Agua de Horchata is so refreshing on a hot summer's day.  It has such simple flavors, but wow!  If you are feeling extravagant, spring for Mexican vanilla and Mexican cinnamon.  You can order the vanilla online through eBay for a really decent price.  Set aside some of the beans, and use some to make homemade vanilla extract.

Also, if you opt for the dairy free version, it would make a great base for a smoothie.  Make it even healthier by swapping in honey or agave for the sugar.  After draining the rice milk in the sieve and putting it back in the blender, throw in some frozen berries or other fruit.  Oh, so good!

Enjoy!

***FASHION TO FIGURE GIVEAWAY***

Good morning, everyone - today we have a great GIVEAWAY!!!

***THIS IS A COMPENSATED POST***

***ALL OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE COMPLETELY MY OWN***

As women, aren't we all sick and tired of clothing that's designed to fit the mannequin in the window or some stick figure model who wears a size 0 (on a bad day if she's gorged on half a grape)?  We are three-dimensional and have CURVES!

Well, Fashion to Figure has awesome, current fashions for women who are size 12-26.  With everything from modest to MEE-YOW!, you're sure to find what you are looking for!  Just in time for summer - great clothing that actually FITS!

Here is one of my favorites - the Summer Bloom Striped Maxi Dress:

Perfect for a picnic or even church!  Add a sweater or jacket to wear to fireworks on the 4th of July or a casual Friday at work.  I love how the flowers add such a feminine and dramatic feminine touch, drawing your eye up and down, doing that magic slimming thing!

Need some accessories to go with your lovely new fashions?  Check out the handbags and jewelry or how about a cute belt?!

And all at reasonable prices - including a flat shipping rate of $5.95, with free shipping for orders over $70!

So here's the fun part - THE GIVEAWAY!!!!

One lucky reader will win their choice of items, priced $30 or less.  Sorry, but this will be limited to US readers only.  Here's how to enter - leave a comment for each item that you do.  The more comments, the more chances to win!

1. *MANDATORY*  Visit fashiontofigure.com, and leave a comment here telling us what your favorite item is.
2. *MANDATORY* FRIEND Suburban Prairie Homemaker - use GFC or Linky Followers - your choice.  Already a follower?  Just leave a comment that says so. And thank you!
3. FOLLOW Suburban Prairie Homemaker on Facebook.
4. POST about the giveaway on Facebook.
5. FOLLOW Suburban Prairie Homemaker on Twitter.
6. TWEET about the giveaway.
7. FOLLOW Suburban Prairie Homemaker on Pinterest.

Fine print type stuff:
Entries will start today, and end on May 18th at 11:59 PM CDT (aka Chicago time).  Winner will be posted on Saturday, May 19th, and will have 48 hours to claim their prize.

So go clothes shopping, and let us know what caught YOUR eye!  Have fun, and have a great weekend!