Small Batch Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

(You know the drill: a little story before the recipe. Indulge me or scroll till you see the ingredients list.)

Saturday was house cleaning day. Floors, bathroom scrubbed. I did my best to empty the laundry baskets. I’ve never minded doing laundry. I find it comforting and what a loving service to do for one’s family?

Anyway, I passed the door to Mama’s bedroom on my way to put up some kitchen linens. Yes, I know I decorated it, but as I peaked in, I thought what a serene, welcoming space. I hope that she thought so. September is winding down and I find myself missing the people in the pictures on the small chest. And I grow nostalgic for the past.

Mama loved this time of year. College football, planning for the holidays. She would be in her element right now. Speaking of college football; Geaux Tigers! And kudos to the Florida Gators for handing Ole Miss their collective be-hinds back to them. Can you say “Romped ’em!”?

Okay, enough of that. Back to nostalgia.  Did your mother or grandmother have one of these?

This Better Homes and Gardens cookbook was my mother’s. Well, used, it’s the fourth printing copywrite of 1971. I would pour over the pages of this cooking bible when I was a girl. The tabbed section marked cookies was, of course, a favorite.

“Mama, can we make cookies?”

Rarely did she say no. Out would come the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.  She would read the ingredients list and I would find them in the pantry or refrigerator.  Then we’d stand side by side mixing them up together.

The peanut butter cookie recipe was one of our favorites. See that part of the recipe about pressing a criss-cross pattern with the tines of a fork? Do you know why you should do that? It makes the cookie bake more evenly and crispy. So, now you know.

Recently, I’ve had some thyroid issues and am trying to go gluten free. Nostalgia met gluten free in my kitchen today and I modified the classic peanut butter cookie recipe.

Here’s what I did

Ingredients:

1/4 cup softened butter

1/4 cup Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup granulated sugar

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup oat flour (I used King Arthur)

Optional: fall themed sprinkles

What to do:

Preheat your oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set to the side.

In a medium bowl mix together the first 4 ingredients,  until the sugars and butters are light and creamy. Use a hand mixer or get out a whisk and get an arm workout as well. (Wink)

Next, add in the egg yolks, incorporating them well into the creamed mixture.

Add in the baking soda and oat flour. Mix it just something it’s incorporated; dont over beat it.

Using a small cookie scoop, drop them onto the prepared cookie sheets. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, drop by rounded teaspoon size. Space these cookies out, as they spread while cooking.

Next, do that nostalgic criss-cross pattern and decorate with sprinkles.

Bake for about 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are slightly browned. Take out of the oven and cool on the cookie sheet. This recipe made 15 cookies. They are not overly sweet, just right and a little chewy and crispy at the same time.

Here’s a Bible verse that you can look up: Titus 2:3-5. It talks about the older women teaching the younger women. My mother was a wonderful role model. Spending time with her in the kitchen was a sweet part of that.

Nostalgic blessing from the Exile’s Kitchen 

Singing Lady Groups at Southern Baptist Churches or I Do Not Harmonize Well By MyselfThe first time I was put in a Singing Lady Group it was a quintet at a church in another town. The choir director, let’s call him HewhogaveusalettergradeeverySundayandneveraboveaB-, said after practice one Wednesday, “You five ladies get together and work up a hymn along with a routine.” A routine? Was this church or show choir?The next week the five of us met in a little used Sunday School room that had a piano in it. I was told to sing the low, low part. Half way through the very first verse, the leader of the group who sat behind the piano, suddenly quit playing. She put her hand on her hip and demanded,  “Amanda, what are you singing?””Well, I thought I was singing the low part,” I sheepishly answered.”Well, think again!”I dropped out. They all wore matching denim overalls with red t-shirts with their hair tied up in bandanas.  They did a cute little 4-part gospel two-step up in the chancel area for their ‘routine’…The second time I was part of a Singing Lady Group there were six of us; two on each part. You know, first , second, alto.  I felt a little more comfortable having another alto to sing with. Well, that is until we started practicing. I was standing next to a lady singing second soprano and I felt an elbow in my side. Just thinking that she had accidently bumped me, I kept singing. Then another elbow came my way, along with a vehement whisper, “Get off my note, Amanda!””OH! Sorry!” was my response and I moved away from her. We sang publicly twice and then mercifully disbanded. So, I said all of that to say that I’ve been placed in another Singing Lady Group. Not really a “group”, but we’ve been given a song to learn. At first it was going to be a duet. I agreed because I was told to sing the low part; I’m a natural tenor. The song starts out duet, goes to trio, and then throws in a fourth part. Ah, yay! I’m a great mimic. Harmonizing isn’t my strong suit – see the above two paragraphs. Our choir master assured me that we would get together and work parts. A month has passed and nope…The super ironic thing is that the first Singing Lady Group’s song was I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL and so is the song for this Sunday. (!) Is the Father God giving me another shot at it or does He figure we all need a laugh? I’m glad the Bible says to make a joyful noise and not for us to all sing in perfect 4-part harmony.

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

Joyful Noise Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen. 

Easy Saturday Breakfast: Dutch Baby

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin
Blueberry Dutch Baby

Do you enjoy pancakes, but don’t want to stand at the hot stove flipping flap jacks for half an hour? Well, baby, make a Dutch Baby. Have you got a blender, a #7 iron skillet and an oven? You do? Well, then you’re good to go!

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons white granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Big pinch salt

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Optional add-in: fresh berries, your choice to drop in the skillet before placing in the oven

What to do:

Preheat your oven to 425° and place your iron skillet in it to heat up.

In a blender, add the first six ingredients and blend till smooth. When the oven has reached temperature, take it out of the oven. Pour the melted butter into the hot skillet and swirl it to coat the bottom. Be careful. Don’t burn yourself. Next pour the prepared batter in the buttered skillet and place it back into the hot oven. 

This morning I added a handful of fresh blueberries, sprinkled on top, before returning the skillet to the oven. If you have strawberries that would be good. Lemon zest is a great add-in, too.

Now, just let it bake until the sides puff up and the top is golden brown. Serve immediately. Top with a light syrup or a little powdered sugar or a dash or two of cinnamon sugar. This will serve about 3 to 4 people.

Breakfast Dutch Baby Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.

Pear Butter and Pear Syrup

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

My oldest son’s pear trees are bearing now and he gifted me with a bucket full.  So, I’ve spent a good part of the day making pear butter and pear syrup. It’s  not hard to make and using the crockpot keeps you from having to babysit the pot of pears.

Pear butter is a great on a pb-n-j, or spread on a waffle or between the layers of a buttered biscuit.

Ingredients:

8 cups cooked down pears

Enough water to cover the pears

Juice and zest of 1 navel orange

3 cups sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Scant pinch of salt

What I Did:

I peeled the pears and cut them into pieces. (I didn’t discard the cores. I’ll share what a did with them in a minute.) They were then put into an 8 quart pot with enough water to just cover them. They simmered till they were tender.

Next the cooked pears were put in the crockpot and pureed with an emulsion blender.

To the pears the juice and zest of one navel orange  was added along with 3 cups of white sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of salt. It was stirred up well, the crockpot turned to the High setting and the lid clamped on.

I removed the crockpot lid every hour and stirred the pear mixture, scraping the sides and bottom well. The color was darker each time I checked it. It was also thickening up.

After 4 hours, the pears were a medium brown and a nice spreading consistency. Pretty half pint canning jars were filled and placed in the water bath canner and processed for 10 minutes.

Now, those pear cores. While the pears were cooking I simmered the pear cores as I did the pears. About 45 minutes. Then the cores were strained through a sieve. The pear juice was poured into a 3 quart pot. Then the juice and zest of a navel orange were added, along with 1 1/2 cup of white sugar and 1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon. It was stirred together over medium heat till the sugar disolved and then simmered to thicken up. This made 3 half pint jars of syrup and they were processed as the pear butter.

The syrup will be wonderful to add to tea or sparkling water or drizzled over a pancake.

I hope this inspires you to try your hand at making a fruit butter. Easy. Tasty.

I tasted tested with a few crackers.

Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.

Sweet Potato Brownies

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

Baked, casserolled, fried, candied; I wanted to do something different with the sweet potatoes on the kitchen counter. Looking up recipes on the internet brought me to making this new version of an old classic.

Ingredients:

1/2  stick of Land-O-Lakes butter

1 cup Allergen Free chocolate chips

1 egg

1/2 cup of white, granulated sugar

1 medium sweet potato baked, peeled and mashed (I had baked a few sweet potatoes for supper the other night and had an extra left over)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup selfrising flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans divided (half in thr batter and half sprinkled on top)

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare a 9×9 baking dish with vegetable spray and set aside.

In a 2 quart pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from heat.

Then add in the chocolate chips, stirring with a whisk till smooth. Next add in the sugar and egg incorporating well. Add in the mashed sweet potato, still using the whisk, beating to break up any lumps of sweet potato.

Next, using a spoon, fold in the self-rising flour and half of the pecans. When all the flour is incorporated, pour into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the remaining chopped pecans on top.

Place in oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes,  until a toothpick placed in the middle comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares. 

The sweet potato flavor is very subtle and some may not notice it at all. Hey, a great way to sneak in a vegetable to that picky eater.

Serve with whip topping or ice cream or just by themselves. Well, how ’bout with a cup of coffee?

Sweet blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen. 

Granola Bars

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

You know I’ve got a freezer full of Peeps. I buy them the Monday after Easter; that’s National Peep Day, dontcha know? Peeps freeze beautifully and thaw out fresh tasting.

Throughout the year, I use them in recipes or pop a few in a hot cup of coffee.

Today, stuck in the house because of the rainy weather, I got busy in the kitchen, and yes, Peeps jumped out of the freezer and into the mixing bowl. Peeps Granola bars for a quick breakfast, lunches and afternoon coffee are ready for the coming week.

Ingredients:

2 cups quick oats

1 cup chopped nuts (I used a combination of pecans and walnuts)

1/2 cup Allergen Free Chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Dash salt

1/4 cup Smucker’s Peanut Butter

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup corn oil

One whole pack of Peeps ( any flavor, cut into smallish pieces)

What to do:

Preheat oven to 300°. Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine first five ingredients in the list.

Next, in a small microwavable bowl zap the peanut butter, honey and oil for one minute in the microwave. Yes. Stir together and then pour over the oatmeal mixture. And the cut up Peeps? Fold them in.

Pour the granola into the parchment lined baking dish, pressing all the way to the sides and corners. Bake for 45 minutes, till the oats are browned. Cool and cut into bars or squares. Place into an air tight container.

Peep Granola Bars/Squares/Whatev’

Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen. 

Little Bouquets

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

Tilly needs new tires. She’s parked until I can afford them. My oldest son let us borrow his rotor tiller. Thank you, son.

Some of the seeds I bought and planted earlier in April have not come up. Country Roads and Lance-leaf coreopsis have let me down. I replanted two rows of flowers this Saturday. The time in the garden is my therapy. Starting over is how we live, right? A new beginning every morning.

Swamp rabbits have envaded my raised beds. The little kitchen garden has become their nighttime dining spot. They’ve devoured hot peppers and English peas. And they have made their way to the big, rowed up garden and left their teeth marks on the young, Contender green bean plants.

The raised beds holding English peas, yellow squash and hot peppers were each wrapped with garden mesh this morning. I did the same with the blueberry plants that are loaded with fruit. Fingers crossed.

Because Tilly is out of commission, no work in the big field can happen. Tilly is used for bushhogging as well a gardening/tilling. The bikes look forlorn out in the field all by themselves with no flowers framing them. I’m trying to think of a way to get something planted out there, though.

Even with these setbacks -all in the space of a few weeks- I managed to gather fresh flowers for the house. Asiatic lily bulbs bought in March and put in pots are blooming now. Volunteer coreopsis in the big garden are also showing out. How they got there, shoulder shrug, I don’t know. Serendipity! And two tiny rose bushes bought at a local grocery store have come out for spring: one pale pink, one yellow.

Placed in front of the fireplace mantel mirror, the little bouquets multiply. One of the tiny bud vases was my great grandmother’s and one was found at a local junk shop. They’re fun to use and echo the shape of the bigger green vase that was my mother’s. 

These little bouquets remind me to keep moving forward. Setbacks; don’t let them get you down. Adjust, pivot, bob and weave. Just keep trying.

When is rabbit season..?🐇

Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.

Yogurt Battered Onion Rings

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

Are you wanting onion rings, but there’s no milk in the frig? This recipe uses plain Greek yogurt instead of milk for the batter. Easy, light, slightly crunchy and baked in the oven these will be a family favorite.

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet onion (Vidalia or yellow) cut into rings and separated

1 single serve container of plain Greek yogurt

1 egg

1 cup Pioneer Biscuit mix,  seasoned to taste (salt, pepper, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning)

Vegetable spray

What to do;

Preheat oven to 375°.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

In a small bowl combine the yogurt and the egg, mixing well.

In another bowl season the biscuit mix.

Coated onion rings ready to bake

Next, coat the onion slices in the yogurt egg mixture. Shake off any excess and then gently toss in the seasoned biscuit mix. Place each battered onion ring on the parchment lined baking sheet; leave room between each one. Spritz each prepared onion ring with vegetable spray. Place in heated oven. Bake for ten minutes and then with a fork flip them and continue baking for another eight to ten minutes. A nice golden color is what you’re looking for. 

Baked (oven-fried) to a golden brown

Serve with your favorite sauce. Mine is hot honey mayo. This a great side for practically any entre`: chicken tenders, fried fish, etc.

Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen. 

A Time to Plant

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

It’s still a little early to put plants in the ground.  The seedlings bought yesterday need a few more weeks before going into raised beds. The sunny bench in the potting shed is now loaded with hope for a full potager garden.

The mayhaw is blooming now.
Lots of sweet banana peppers.
Three kinds of mint including variegated pineapple mint.
Tiny, tiny Creole tomatoes.

Three kinds of mint, two kinds of peppers, Creole tomatoes and cilantro were potted up. I’ll add sweet basil and more chives to the collection.

And the faithful mayhaw is blooming, as are the Methley plums planted a year ago and the blueberries. (I’m hoping the rabbits will leave the berries alone this year…) Two more plum trees, one more blueberry bush, two new pears and a loquat will be added to the orchard. I’m excited!

It’s almost time for Ecclesiasties 3: 2; the part about planting.

Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.