Monday, March 22, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Gluten Free Fig Cookies
I came up with a gluten free version of my great grandmother Sarah's fig cookie recipe. My dad has a serious sweet tooth, but has Celiac disease and can't eat gluten, so I made these as a special treat for his birthday.
Filling ingredients:
1 pkg dried figs (I used Calimyrna figs)
Raisins
1 navel orange
Spices (optional)
Dough ingredients:
1 1/2 cups rice flour
2 tsp guar gum
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Ground nutmeg (optional)
Cut the stems from the dried figs and soak in warm water for a few minutes. Drain well. Grind in food processor along with a handful of raisins and some orange zest. Set aside.
Combine dough ingredients in food processor until it forms into a ball. If you're lucky, you may be able to roll the dough out. I had to press it in to place to keep it from crumbling/sticking to the countertop.
Place a line of fig filling at the edge of the dough. Roll dough over filling and cut off excess dough. You should have a long roll of dough filled with fig. Cut the roll into 2 inch segments and place on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
The fig came out tasty but the rice flour makes for a pretty powdery cookie. So I think I will keep experimenting for a better alternative, maybe tapioca flour. My dad also suggested a gluten free pizza dough mix he likes, which might work with a little sugar added. I'll let you know how my next batch turns out!
Filling ingredients:
1 pkg dried figs (I used Calimyrna figs)
Raisins
1 navel orange
Spices (optional)
Dough ingredients:
1 1/2 cups rice flour
2 tsp guar gum
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Ground nutmeg (optional)
Cut the stems from the dried figs and soak in warm water for a few minutes. Drain well. Grind in food processor along with a handful of raisins and some orange zest. Set aside.
Combine dough ingredients in food processor until it forms into a ball. If you're lucky, you may be able to roll the dough out. I had to press it in to place to keep it from crumbling/sticking to the countertop.
Place a line of fig filling at the edge of the dough. Roll dough over filling and cut off excess dough. You should have a long roll of dough filled with fig. Cut the roll into 2 inch segments and place on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
The fig came out tasty but the rice flour makes for a pretty powdery cookie. So I think I will keep experimenting for a better alternative, maybe tapioca flour. My dad also suggested a gluten free pizza dough mix he likes, which might work with a little sugar added. I'll let you know how my next batch turns out!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Green Felted Spider
I had a custom order last week for a green spider. smart customer. everything is better in green :)
Monday, March 1, 2010
Confessions of a beautiful blogger
My lovely friend Allison at the blogivers shared the Beautiful Blogger Award with me. According to the rules I'm supposed to list seven things about myself and then pass the award on. Here are seven things you probably didn't know about me...unless your name is Zach.
-For the longest time I thought Field of Dreams was about aliens...if you build it they will come.
-Allison admitted to a spring break belly button piercing...which I can unfortunately trump with an eyebrow piercing in high school and nose piercing in college. (the eyebrow piercing was gone long before my nose was pierced.)
-I have never had a cup of coffee or a coffee-containing beverage.
-I think socks make your feet look stupid. (this opinion may not be new to all my readers)
-Every night when going to bed, Zach and I play a little game where we have to be looking at each other before we can turn the bedside lamp off.
- My toenails are always painted, even in the winter. I never paint my fingernails.
-I'm half Sicilian but don't like olives or red wine.
That's enough about me. Now I'm passing the award on to these beautiful bloggers:
Bethany at The Laughing Songbird
Jenn at Married to a BMW
Katie at Grains of Rice
Denise at Adventures at la Casa de Mayen
-For the longest time I thought Field of Dreams was about aliens...if you build it they will come.
-Allison admitted to a spring break belly button piercing...which I can unfortunately trump with an eyebrow piercing in high school and nose piercing in college. (the eyebrow piercing was gone long before my nose was pierced.)
-I have never had a cup of coffee or a coffee-containing beverage.
-I think socks make your feet look stupid. (this opinion may not be new to all my readers)
-Every night when going to bed, Zach and I play a little game where we have to be looking at each other before we can turn the bedside lamp off.
- My toenails are always painted, even in the winter. I never paint my fingernails.
-I'm half Sicilian but don't like olives or red wine.
That's enough about me. Now I'm passing the award on to these beautiful bloggers:
Bethany at The Laughing Songbird
Jenn at Married to a BMW
Katie at Grains of Rice
Denise at Adventures at la Casa de Mayen
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Published
I'm officially published! My first research article, A Focus on Asthma and Individual Health Plans: A Survey of Texas Schools, came out this month in the Journal of Asthma and Allergy Educators. Be warned, you may fall asleep reading it.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Laughing Songbird Interview
My good friend Bethany recently interviewed me for her blog, The Laughing Songbird. Stop by to read my interview and enjoy some entertaining stories of Bethany's life in the English countryside while you're there. She will also be posting a tutorial of mine in the next few days so stay tuned!
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