Bourbon Blood Orange Mini Bundts - Gluten-Free (and regular, too)

It's not often that I bake, I don't really have much of a sweet tooth. Well, that and the gluten free stuff makes it more trouble than its worth...most of the time. Occasionally, I do get a craving that just won't stop. Usually chocolate is the culprit, but this time it was blood orange. 

Gluten free baking can be tricky, unless you start with a mix. Why reinvent the wheel and the delicate balance of just the right amount of ingredients when a good mix starts it off just right? If you're gluten free and haven't picked up a copy of The Cake  Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free by Anne Byrn, DO IT NOW!!!!! I usually use Anne's recipes as a base for what I want to make and create from there. As I did this time.

Tart, sweet, richly decadent with demerara sugar, bourbon and sliced blood oranges that look like jewels and taste like candied oranges these cakes are simple to make. Even though I used a yellow cake base this time, I'm sure a deep, dark chocolate batter would be fantastic. Who doesn't like luscious chocolate and orange together?!

Depending on which variety of blood orange is in your market (I like Whole Foods for blood oranges), the season is either smack dab in the middle (Tarocco variety) or at the tail end (Moro variety). It's not always easy to find them, so when you spot a display of blood oranges, buy them. And make these!

Bourbon Blood Orange Mini Bundts

Makes 8 mini bundt cakes or large cupcakes

(These instructions use a gluten-free yellow cake mix which makes just one layer. If you use a regular cake mix which makes 2 layers, double all the ingredients except for the cake mix itself. It should make approximately 16 cakes instead of 8.) 

Sugar Mixture for bottoms of cakes:

• 5 T butter
• 3/4 C Demerara sugar
• 2 T bourbon (I used Woodford Reserve)
• 1 T Woodford Reserve Sassafras & Sorghum Bitters (or Angostura)

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Then stir in the demerara sugar until everything is wet and well combined. Stir in bourbon and bitters and set aside.

Cakes:

• 2-3 large blood oranges (if you can't find blood oranges, use navel oranges...they won't give quite as dramatic a look, but will be delicious nontheless) - cut 1 in half across the equator of the orange, then in half the other way. Cut very thin slices across the grain. Juice the second orange, reserving 1/4 C of juice. Set aside. (The extra orange is just in case you need more orange slices.)
• 1 yellow gluten-free cake mix (15 oz) (I used Betty Crocker)
• 1/2 a box of instant vanilla pudding (1/4 C)
• 1/2 C sour cream or Greek yogurt (I used half of each)
• 1 stick (1/2 C) melted butter
• 1 t finely grated orange zest (blood orange)
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 1 T bourbon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixer bowl with an electric mixer, add the cake mix, 1/4 C instant vanilla pudding, 1/2 C sour cream or Greek yogurt (or half of each like I did), orange juice, orange zest, vanilla and bourbon. Mix on low until just incorporated, scrape down sides and mix again at medium for about 2 minutes. Batter will be thick.

Spray the mini bundt pans  (or large size muffin tins) with Pam. Divide the sugar mixture evenly among the tins, then arrange the orange slices around the bottoms. When all the bottoms are covered, evenly spoon the cake batter into the mini bundt pans or tins.

Bake for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cakes.

Remove from oven. Take a rimmed cookie sheet and cover it with parchment paper. Turn them upside down over the mini bundt cakes and carefully flip the sheet over. Let them sit for a minute, then gently lift the edge of the mini bundt pan up. The cakes should come out easily.

NOTE:
You notice I used Woodford Reserve bourbon. Why? Because Kimber just won the Pittsburgh Woodford Reserve Manhattan Experience! Now she moves on to a fun and informative few days in Kentucky and the Woodford Reserve Distillery where she and the other regional champions will find out which six go on to compete in NYC for the national championship. Exciting!

Barbacoa Butternut Tortilla Lasagna

Time for a quickie. Of course, this is only a quick one IF you happen to have leftover barbacoa and roasted butternut squash on hand...and I did. 

Looking for something to do with next week's turkey? Barbacoa Butternut Tortilla Lasagna might be just the recipe you need. Leftover fajita fixings? Or taco meat? Yup. This is for you!

Instead of lasagna noodles, I used flour tortillas. In my case, gluten free wraps performed the duties of flour tortillas to perfection. No difference whatsoever! 

Layer up tortillas, smoky salsa, sweet roasted butternut squash, earthy spinach, salty queso fresco and savory, beefy, barbocoa (or leftover protein of your choice), bake, and there's one easy, colorful, and delicious dinner on the table in a snap. 

(Don't have a barbacoa recipe? Here's mine from a little while back. You're welcome! Spicy Barbacoa With Chilies For Tacos, Frito Pie And Especially For Chris)

Barbacoa Butternut Tortilla Lasagna

• 6-8 appox. 8" diameter flour tortillas - I used Toufayan Gluten Free Wraps to make this GF
• 1 C smoky, chunky salsa - I used Jardine's Campfire Salsa
• 2 C roasted butternut squash
• 10 oz package o frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 8 oz queso fresco, crumbled - feta makes a perfectly wonderful substitution!
• 1 1/2 C leftover barbacoa - if you use leftover turkey or another unseasoned meat, mix in a half packet of taco seasoning for some oomph!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spread a little salsa in the bottom of a shallow gratin dish - I used maybe a 9"-10" X 6"-7" oval casserole dish...yep, the Corning Ware French White large dish we all have tucked away somewhere. 

From here we're making layers of ingredients - like a lasagna. The tortillas won't fit, so tear them as you go to fit in a single layer. Next slather on 1/3 of the salsa, scatter  1/2 the barbacoa, then 1/3 of the squash, 1/3 of the spinach, 1/3 of the queso fresco, then repeat the same layers. The last layer doesn't use barcacoa, but otherwise is the same.

This is how it looks before going into the oven. Colorful!

Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool 10 minutes then cut into squares and serve!  

Cornbread Buttermilk French Toast Fingers

It's morning. You yawn, stretch and head for the kitchen. Once the coffee is on and there's a moment to get the brain cells in gear (at the very least, a few synapses are beginning to fire before the coffee kicks in) the thought occurs, "What's for breakfast?" 

Obviously this is a weekend scenario. Otherwise, there'd be no such leisurely start to the day!

Peeking into the fridge, you spot a pan of leftover cornbread from the previous night's dinner. Hmmmm....cornbread, eggs, buttermilk...why not make French toast with cornbread? Would it work? I can assure you, it most definitely and deliciously does! 

What's it like? Sweet, vanilla notes of French toast sing in the foreground, while at the same time cornmeal crunch and rich corn-iness bring up the beat in the background. And it's easy.

Now pour that cup of coffee, fry up a batch of Cornbread Buttermilk French Toast Fingers for the fam and get ready to start your weekend!  

Cornbread Buttermilk French Toast Fingers

Serves 2 (double or triple, if you need!)

• 8 slices of cornbread, approx. 4" long x 1 1/2" high x 1/2" thick
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 t sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 3/4 C buttermilk
• canola oil for frying

First make the French toast dip by beating together the egg, vanilla, sugar, salt and buttermilk in a shallow dish that will hold the cornbread slices flat while you dip them.

Heat a skillet with a skim of oil - you don't want to drown the pieces in oil! 

Carefully dip each piece of cornbread into the dip, being sure to get both sides nicely covered, and gently place into the hot skillet. Brown both sides and serve with maple syrup.  

Leftovers (if there are any) reheat beautifully in the microwave or oven.

Brunch-Time Bacon Lettuce Tomato Potato..The BBLTP

Here's a super simple take on a lunch classic transformed into a brunch treat....a BBLTP....brunch-time bacon lettuce tomato potato. So simple, it's almost a Quickie. Truthfully, if you have a baked potato on hand, it IS a quickie because it's a simple dish that's quick and easy to make.

Besides mimicking the flavors of my favorite in-season-tomato summertime treat, this hearty breakfast is a real stick-to-your-ribs meal. 

Take a baked Russet potato, scoop out enough flesh to hold one or two eggs (depending on the size of the potato and the size of your appetite), break an egg (or two) into the hole and bake until set. Sprinkle with pre-cooked crumbled bacon (store bought to keep with the easy theme here), a little chopped tomato, shredded lettuce and (not shown in the pic) a side of a little mayo blended with a smidge of lemon juice. What's a BLT or BBLTP without mayo?!

The perfect accompaniment? Well, a Bloody Mary, of course. Isn't that the answer to any brunch question?

The BBLTP

(Brunch-Time Bacon Lettuce Tomato Potato)

• 1 baked potato, cooled - take a thin slice off the top and discard (or butter and eat...bonus for the cook!), scoop out enough flesh to hold 1 or 2 eggs - Make these the night before to this step and brunch will come together in no time
• 1 or 2 eggs per potato, depending on the size of the potato AND your appetite
• a handful of pre-cooked and crumbled bacon, warmed in the microwave - I get mine at Costco
• shredded Romaine lettuce
• finely diced fresh tomato
• freshly ground black pepper 
• kosher salt
• butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 



First season the inside of the potato well with fresh ground black pepper, a little kosher salt, a pat of butter and a sprinkle of crumbled bacon. 

Break the egg(s) into the hollow of the potato and bake until the eggs are set. I like mine runny - makes a nice extra bit of sauce - but, if you like yours hard, go ahead, it's YOUR breakfast! Usually takes my oven about 30 minutes, yours may take more or less time. Remember, it's how YOU like it.

Remove from the oven, plate and garnish with bacon, tomato and lettuce.

And don't forget the mayo!

Roasted Chicken With Sumac, Lemon, Garlic and Thyme

Our shy and elusive spring made another welcome appearance last Saturday here in Pittsburgh. How to celebrate the sun's reemergence from what seemed like an eternity of cloud cover over the city? A trip to the Strip District, of course!

I'd been thinking of making a Middle Eastern inspired Sunday roast chicken for a couple of months now, but needed a few items from Labad's (or Penzey's) to actually bring the dish from idea to reality. Somehow, crappy weather seemed to stalk an endless string of Saturdays, which caused me to huddle at home instead of braving the cold and wind of Penn Avenue. Call me chicken. I can live with it.

It may have taken an inordinate amount of time to finally roast that bird, but I can tell you the wait was worth it. The siren smell wafting from my kitchen of roasting chicken, garlic, lemon, exotic spice and honey was alone worth the drive to the Strip. But, the juicy succulence and deep flavor of that bird all by itself would have been worth dodging any winds and snow the winter could have tossed my way...yes, it was THAT good.

Do yourself a favor, don't waste your time waiting for perfect weather to gather up whatever ingredients you might not have on hand. Make the trip to the Strip now! You'll thank me later.

Roasted Chicken With Sumac, 

Lemon, Garlic and Thyme

• a 5-6 pound roasting chicken (or thereabouts)

• 1 T Sumac (get it at Penzey's or Labad's in the Strip or order it online)
• 1 t thyme
• 1 T Kosher salt
• 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and pressed or minced finely
• 1 lemon, zested, then juiced - juice reserved
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 t freshly ground black pepper
• 1 T honey (helps to brown the bird beautifully!)

• the reserved juice from above
• 1/2 C water

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees - you read that right. This technique browns the bird quickly on the outside, yet keeps it juicy on the inside.

Combine sumac, thyme, salt, garlic, lemon zest, olive oil, pepper and honey to a paste. Loosen the skin on the breast of the chicken by gently running a couple of fingers between the skin and the flesh of the bird being careful not to tear the skin. Rub 1/3 of the spice paste between the skin and the flesh of the breast and rub the rest all over the outside of the bird including legs and wings. 

Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and pour the lemon juice and water in the bottom of the pan.

Roast the chicken until the legs wiggle freely in the sockets, the juices run clear, and its perfectly browned. (Or until thermometer reads 165 degrees at the thickest part of the breast - AND is beautifully browned.)

Roasted carrots and sugar snap peas made quick and easy side dishes, too. Enjoy! (And enjoy this gorgeous spring weather...finally. We earned it!)

Saged Potato Dumpling Turkey Vegetable Soup

Today's recipe didn't start out to be a "Quickie," but the potato dumplings were such a snap to put together it ended up as just that.

The actual soup, on the other hand, can be as quick or slow as you wish it to be. This time, I made my turkey stock from scratch, the slow way. Next time I may just use good turkey or chicken stock from a carton and make it a true quickie.

All I added to the stock were fresh green beans, small cuts of carrot, slivers of celery, cubes of red and white potatoes (with the skins on for color and the vitamins and minerals!) and lots of leftover turkey meat. 

The soup itself was put together and cooked the day before I planned to serve it. We all know soups and stews are better the next day, right? By the way, that's what makes this a quickie...you make the soup the day before and make the dumplings only the day you serve it!

Back to those potato dumplings...the first time saving step is that you use leftover mashed potatoes. Who doesn't have leftover mashed potatoes after Thanksgiving or Christmas?! When it was almost dinnertime the next day, I got going on the dumplings. 

To build savory stuffing flavor right into the dumplings, I sauteed celery and onion in butter until soft, added dried sage, poultry seasoning, flour, an egg and a little salt and pepper and the dumpling batter was ready to drop gently into simmering soup. Once they all floated prettily to the top, it was done.

And there you have it, a deliciously easy way to use up the last bits of Thanksgiving (or Christmas!) in this simple, satisfying and thrifty post-holiday quickie. Enjoy!

Saged Potato Dumpling Turkey Vegetable Soup

Soup (make this the day before the dumplings):

• 4 quarts turkey stock, either homemade or a good packaged one - I like poultry seasoning added to the stock, but that's up to you
• 3 C fresh green beans cut into 1" pieces (or use frozen!)
• 4 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into cubes - leave the skins on for vitamins and minerals (I used both red and white potatoes for color and to use up what I had on hand)
• 3 stalks celery, cut into thin slivers
• 3 medium carrots, peeled, cut into coins
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 C leftover turkey pieces - for us, it's usually dark meat and errant pieces of white meat that didn't make it into sandwiches...good way to use up the whole bird when your gang prefers the white meat!

Bring the stock to a boil in a large soup pot, add all the veggies and the turkey, then reduce the heat to bring the stock down to a simmer. Cover and let the soup simmer for an hour or so, cool and refrigerate overnight IN the soup pot.

Dumplings (before dinner the next day):

• 1/2 T butter
• 2 T onion, minced
• 2 T celery, minced
• 1 1/2 t poultry seasoning
• 1/2 t ground sage
• 1/2 t salt
• generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 3/4 C leftover mashed potatoes, brought to room temperature
• 2/3 C flour - I used Namaste gluten-free all purpose flour to make these GF
• 1 egg

Before you start making dumplings, put the pot of soup you made yesterday on the stove and bring to a simmer.

In a small skillet, melt butter and gently saute the onion and celery until tender, but not browned. Add poultry seasoning, sage, salt & pepper. Saute a minute more while stirring to awaken the aromas...it will smell like stuffing in your kitchen all over again! (That's a good thing around here!) Remove from the heat and let cool while putting the dumplings together.

In a large bowl, mix together the room temp mashed potatoes, flour, salt and pepper and the egg until thoroughly combined. Add the cooled veggies and mix again until thoroughly combined. Now you're ready to drop the dumplings into the waiting, simmering soup.

Using a spoon, take a small amount of dough (maybe a tablespoon each), roll each spoonful into a ball, then drop each into the gently simmering soup. Continue until all the dough is gone or make just as many or few as you want for the soup. (If you don't use all the dough, you can refrigerate it and use it for pan-fried dumplings the next day as a side dish.)

Once all the dumplings have risen to the surface of the soup, give them one more minute and then the soup and dumplings are ready to serve.

NOTE: You can easily make this with a leftover roast chicken!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Apple Crisp

It has been QUITE a while since there's been a quickie on Dinner Plan-it. It's time!

What's even better than Apple Crisp? A crisp with oatmeal raisin cookie dough baked onto the top. Here's how to make what amounts to an oatmeal cookie apple pie ala mode dessert that's sure to be a family favorite.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Apple Crisp

• 6 C apples, peeled, cored, sliced approx. 1/4" thick
• 1/2 lemon 

• 1/2 C flour (I use a good gluten-free all purpose flour to make this GF)
• 1 t cinnamon 
• 1/8 t nutmeg
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/4 C brown sugar
• pinch salt
• 1/3 C butter, softened
• 1/2 C oats (I use certified gluten-free oats to make this GF)
• 1/3 C raisins
• 1/4 C pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Butter a shallow casserole dish (I used the 2 1/2 quart size French White Corningware oval casserole dish (approx. 8 1/2" X 11") - it's the perfect size!) and scatter the apple slices evenly in the dish. Sprinkle the juice of the lemon over the apples to keep them from turning brown while you make the topping.

In a large bowl, mix together the butter and sugars with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine thoroughly with the fork - I've been known to just use my fingers (clean, of course!) and work the mixture until it's crumbly and combined.

Crumble the oatmeal cookie dough over the apples. Cover the dish with foil and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking another 20 minutes or so until the apples are bubbly throughout and the cookie topping is beautifully browned. 

Cool about half an hour and serve warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream. 

NOTE: I like to use a nice tart apple that doesn't cook down to mush. You want an apple pie type apple, not an applesauce type apple. Try Granny Smiths, McIntosh or (my favorite) Stayman Winesaps. 

Spinach & Parm Meatballs And Sausage With Hot Banana Pepper Sauce

Staring at the takeout menu, the decision is always the same when a hot hoagie is the night's craving. Meatball or hot sausage?  Okay, maybe a steak n' cheese might figure into the equation, too, on occasion. But generally, it's meatball or hot sausage for me.

And then there's the gluten issue getting in the way of simply ordering from a takeout menu. Except for Mandy's Pizza in West View (thank you Steve for doing amazing GF pizzas, hoagies, calzones and pastas ALL in a GF version!), usually if I want a hoagie, it's going to be homemade. As long as I'm doing my own meatballs or hot sausage, why not make it the way I really want it? Why NOT do both meatballs AND sausage in the same sandwich so there are no potential life altering decisions to be made? Why not indeed. So I did.

Every good meatball or sausage hoagie (did you know I still say "sub" sometimes from my years in Maryland?) starts with a doggone good tomato sauce. Since I still have hot banana peppers from the CSA, that's where I started. And really, Italian hot banana peppers are just made for a good sauce on an Italian hoagie! After starting with the peppers, I added lots of garlic, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil and good red wine. Good start.

My meatballs are a nice light version with chopped fresh spinach and a hefty amount of Parmesan, as well as fresh bread and heavy cream to be sure the meatballs stay light and tender. Because the sauce itself packs a nice wallop of heat, instead of my usual hot sausage, I used sweet Italian sausage and let the sauce carry the heat for the dish. 

Once the sauce, meatballs and sausage had simmered on the stovetop for a while, all that was needed were good, crusty hoagie rolls (or Udi's GF baguettes for me) and a nice smoky provolone to tuck into the sandwich to get all gooey and melty. Just like takeout!

And the leftovers? Turn the sauce, meatballs and sausage into an easy casserole for a dinner the whole family will love! Who doesn't like double duty dinners?! 

Spinach & Parm Meatballs And Sausage 

With Hot Banana Pepper Sauce

Sauce:

• 3 T olive oil
• 2 large sliced banana peppers - HOT ones!, tops removed, seeds removed, sliced across into thin wheels
• 4 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 C fresh basil, chopped
• 1 T Kosher salt
• lots of freshly ground black peppercorns
• 2 - 1 lb 12 oz cans of San Marzano tomatoes in puree w/ basil leaf
• 1/3  (or more?) C good red wine

Meatballs:

• 1 1/3 lb lean ground beef
• 1 egg
• 2 T Italian flatleaf parsley, chopped
• a generous 1/2 C fresh spinach, chopped - measured after chopping
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 t granulated garlic
• 2 T heavy cream
• 1 slice firm bread, crumbled finely - I use gluten-free bread to make this GF, but if gluten isn't an issue use something like Pepperidge Farm

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage links, cut in half and browned in a skillet

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Start with the sauce. In a large pot, add the olive oil and add the banana peppers and garlic. Saute gently until the veggies are softened, but not browned. Add the basil and stir in well, then add the salt & pepper, tomatoes (crushing each tomato with your hand and fingers as you put it in) and wine. Stir well, bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer gently while making the meatballs & sausage.

In a large bowl, mix all the meatball ingredients well, but lightly. Make meatballs about the size of golf balls and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes until beautifully browned. 

Add meatballs and browned sausage into the sauce and simmer an hour or so. Don't let the sauce reduce too much, but just to a nice spoonable consistency. Stir occasionally, making sure the bottom isn't burning. 

Serve on good crisp hoagie buns with slices of provolone, if you wish. To make these GF, I use Udi's baguettes. Fabulous!

NOTE: What to do with leftovers besides more hoagies? Cut each meatball in half, and the sausages, too. Cook rigatoni or medium shells, drain and add meatballs and sausage with enough sauce to coat the pasta well. Add cubes of mozzarella and some parm, mix well, pour into a large shallow casserole dish, cover with more shredded mozz and bake at 400 degrees just until the casserole bubbles nicely. Serve with a good salad and garlic bread. Easy dinner! 

Oh what the hell, here's a bonus recipe for the casserole:

Meatballs, Sausage & Shells 

Quick and Easy Casserole

• 8 oz. large shell pasta - I use gluten-free to make this GF - cooked just under al dente to allow for time in the oven
• 4 C leftover meatballs and sausage, each cut in half
• 1 C leftover banana pepper sauce
• 4 oz. sharp provolone, cut in 1/2" dice
• 4 oz. firm mozzarella, cut in 1/2" dice
• 4 oz. fontina, cut in 1/4" dice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Drain the shells and return to the pot. Add the sauce and stir gently to coat, trying to separate the shells. Add the halved meatballs and sausage and the cheeses, again trying to separate the shells so they're evenly distributed with the meats. 

Spray a shallow casserole dish with Pam and pour the mixture into the dish. Bake for about 50 minutes until the cheeses are melted and the casserole is bubbly.

Easy, family pleasing dinner! 

Chocolate Candied Orange Cannoli Jars With Drunken Cherries - Gluten Free Version

Remember my last post about the "classy" Steel City Roller Derby tailgate with 101 Achievements bloggers, Jenn and Michael? Jenn asked for the recipe for the dessert I brought along - Chocolate Candied Orange Cannoli Jars With Drunken Cherries. Glad to oblige, Jenn! 

Besides being an easy riff on cannolis, what I love about this super simple recipe is that it travels beautifully for picnics and tailgates. Screw the lid on the jar and go...unscrew the lid and enjoy! The other thing I love is that I get the taste and spirit of a cannoli without the gluten or bother of making cannoli shells!

There are lots of Steelers, college and high school football games coming up...maybe a new dessert for your very own tailgate this fall? Here ya go, Jenn!

Chocolate Candied Orange Cannoli Jars

with Drunken Cherries - Gluten Free Version

• 7 Pamela's Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies for the gluten free version (or another similar gluten FULL cookie, if gluten isn't an issue) - crumble 1 into dust and reserve to garnish the tops - you may need a few extra to accommodate for snacking
• 8 oz ricotta cheese 
• 8 oz mascarpone
• 1/2 C powdered sugar
• 1 t vanilla extract - the REAL stuff, not that imitation crap
• 1/2 t cinnamon - I use Vietnamese cinnamon from Penzey's...love this kind
• 1/3 C mini chocolate chips
• 3 - 3" X 1" strips of candied orange peel, finely diced (see method below)
• 24 Luxardo or Amarena cherries or homemade boozy cherries, drain well & patted dry - leave 6 whole and cut the rest in half (I use Fabbri Amarena cherries that I order from Amazon - keep these on hand for Manhattans, etc....or midnight snacking!)
• 6 1/2 pint jelly jars

In a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the ricotta, mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until smooth. Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips and candied orange peel.

Assembly: In the bottom of each jelly jar crumble 1/2 a cookie, then a heaping tablespoon of cannoli filling, 3 cherry halves, then crumble the other 1/2 of the cookie, another heaping tablespoon of cannoli filling, then sprinkle lightly with cookie dust and press the whole cherry into the top firmly, but perkily standing out. Screw on the tops and pop into the fridge overnight. Serve the next day straight out of the jar!

Candied orange peel: First use your harp style veggie peeler to make 4 strips (3" x 1" approx - or the equivalent) from an orange - the orange part only, no white. Set aside. Then make a simple syrup of 1/2 C sugar and 1/2 C water. Bring to boil, stir to dissolve the sugar and reduce heat to a simmer. Add the orange peel and simmer several minutes. Turn off heat and let cool. Use the peel for the above recipe and use the orange simple syrup that's left for a cocktail!

Beer Caramel Chocolate Almond Bar Cookies

Much like mushrooms springing from front yard mulch after the rain, brewpubs are popping up all over Pittsburgh. Among them, is a fledgling spot down the Ohio River that stands out from the (6?) pack. It's not because it's the biggest or has the most taps or even that it has the catchiest name, Aurochs Brewing Company is the only exclusively gluten-free brewery in the 'Burgh.

Ryan Bove, one of the owners of Aurochs, recently led me through the the brewery on Ohio River Boulevard in Emsworth and it didn't take long. The space is cavernous, while currently the brewing capacity is quite modest....BUT...their plans for the future are BIG.

Aurochs current brewing set up.

We stood in the well lit, mostly empty, cement floored warehouse/brewing area while I learned of all that is planned to fill Aurochs to capacity - future big mash tuns, brewing kettles, settling tanks and such. I like an organization with an eye to the future!

Just imagine the gluten-free beer glory to come!

While we talked about plans yet to be realized for Aurochs, one that Ryan told me about was their hopes for a tasting room at Soergel's Farm Market in Wexford. Why Soergel's? Ryan's partner, Doug Foster, is married to Amy Soergel. An Aurochs tasting room at Soergel's is particularly appropos since Soergel's grows some of the hops for Aurochs' brews. 

When the Soergel's tasting room becomes reality, I'm looking forward to some great Soergel's BBQ on a soft gluten-free bun accompanied by a cold, crisp gluten-free Aurochs beer. (If you haven't had the pleasure of BBQ pork, chicken and beef from the huge smoker at Soergel's, get you some NOW!)

What was the best part of the tour? The part when Mark and I got to taste and enjoy two of the brews produced on the premises. We each tried both the White Ale and the Amber Ale. My favorite for a hot and steamy Pittsburgh summer day was definitely the cold, crisp and refreshing White Ale. 

White Ale on the left, Amber Ale on the right.

The slightly smoky and caramel-y, fuller bodied Amber Ale was what we bought by the growler...I had plans myself for this lovely brew in an old favorite cookie I hadn't had in many years. 

Natchez cookies. An easy to make crisp, caramel and chocolate cookie - sort of like a Heath Bar on a crunchy crust - was smack dab on my radar with a few small adjustments to make them gluten-free. The crust, normally a simple layer of graham crackers, would now consist of Glutino gluten free table crackers original premium squares. The caramel? Beer caramel now....with the Aurochs Amber Ale.

Here's Ryan!

The assembly went like this. I placed the crackers edge to edge in a rimmed baking sheet, then (carefully) poured hot, bubbling caramel over the tops, popped the sheet (again, carefully) into the oven until the caramel became a beautiful shade of deep, dark brown, then took the pan out of the oven. Once the caramel had cooled a bit, I sprinkled chocolate chips over the top, let them melt and spread the chocolate evenly over all, then finally scattered sliced honeyed almonds over everything. Once the pan cooled, it was time to break them into cookie-sized pieces and enjoy!

Like Aurochs, I have plans for the future, too...using their product! Already I'm planning on making gluten-free beer battered onion rings - something we gluten-free folk NEVER get. For Thanksgiving I'm already thinking how a chocolate pecan pie with a good dark stout would really make for a festive finish to our family feast!

Speaking of plans, I just got word of Aurochs' new regular schedule at 8321 Ohio River Boulevard in Emsworth. Starting August 7th, they'll be open Thursdays & Fridays 4:00-8:00 p.m. and Saturdays noon-6:00 p.m. Maybe I'll see you all there sometime soon!

Beer Caramel Chocolate Almond Bar Cookies

• 16 Glutino Gluten Free Table Crackers - Original Premium Squares (7 oz. package) to make these GF (or equivalent of graham crackers if gluten isn't an issue)
• 2 T gluten-free beer syrup (boil down 1 cup to 2 T - watch carefully at the end as it seems to go quickly then!)
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 C dark brown sugar
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
•  12 oz bag Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet chocolate chips - my favorite brand - real chocolate without that waxy component
• 1 1/2 C Trader Joe's (or like brand) Honey Roasted Almonds - these are sliced, not whole
• parchment paper to line the 11" X 17" rimmed baking sheet plus Pam spray to spray the parchment paper with (just for good measure)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut parchment paper to just fit the inside of the rimmed pan and spray with Pam, letting the spray hit the inside rim, too. Again...for good measure. 

Arrange the crackers edge to edge as in the photo below. You may have to overlap ever so slightly. No big deal.



In a small, deep pot, boil 1 C beer down to 2 T. Watch carefully towards the end as it goes quickly then. 

To the 2 T beer syrup in the pot, add the butter and dark brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to boil until the contents become slightly syrupy. Remove the pot from the heat and carefully add vanilla...it will boil up slightly!

Again, carefully pour he caramel over the crackers in the baking sheet. Use an offset spatula to even the caramel out to cover all crackers all the way to the edges. Carefully put the pan into the oven and bake approximately 20 minutes - more or less. Watch for the caramel to stop being liquid-y and start looking "set." Remove from oven.

Wait just a minute before evenly scattering the chocolate chips over the caramel. Wait another minute. Using an offset spatula, spread the melting chocolate evenly over the top until the caramel is completely covered. 

Wait another minute and scatter the almonds over the top - evenly, of course. Put your hand into a plastic sandwich bag and gently press the almonds into the chocolate.

Let the pan of bar cookies cool and set completely on a cooling rack. Once the chocolate is set, slide a knife under an edge of the cookies, lift up the edge and start breaking the cookies into large "cookie size" pieces. I guess that measurement depends on how big you like your cookies....bite size or giant size...go for it!

Simple South-of-the-Border Meatloaf

Time for a Quickie. A few basic ingredients...some with a bit of a kick(!), a little time in the oven (while you're at it, throw in some small red potatoes and baby carrots to really make it a quickie), add a fresh green side salad and there you have it. Dinner Plan-it Quickie!

Simple South-of-the-Border Meatloaf

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 3/4 pound ground pork
• 3 slices bread, torn into pieces (gluten-free bread to make this GF) - leave the crusts on!
• 2 eggs
• 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes and chiles
• 1 t freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 T Jane's Crazy Salt
• Heinz Jalapeno Ketchup - my new addiction! (or regular Heinz if you can't take the heat)

• 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, cut in half
• 1 pound baby carrots

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Combine all ingredients well (except ketchup), but lightly - you don't want a compacted, dense meatloaf, do you?

Divide mixture in half and make two loaves out of the mixture. Spray a roasting pan with Pam or line it with parchment paper. Arrange the meatloves in the pan with enough space between them to allow the heat to circulate. Drizzle the jalapeno ketchup on top - I like LOTS(!), scatter the potatoes and carrots around them and pop the pan into the oven for about an hour to an hour and a half.

Stir and baste the veggies a couple of times with the pan juices to keep them moist. If you need to, add a little water.

When the meatloaves are cooked through and the veggies are slightly browned, remove the pan from the oven. Set one meatloaf in the center of a platter, surround with the veggies, let them sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serve. Refrigerate leftovers.

I love cold meatloaf sandwiches, don't you?

Don't need 2 meatloaves at once? Freeze one for easy dinners during the week...that's exactly what I do.