Whoopie Pies

I love whoopie pies, and that’s pretty much all I have to say about that.  I also love baking things from scratch, but sometimes I like a quick fix.  This recipe uses Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free chocolate cake mix, it saves time as well as the cost of individual ingredients.  You don’t have to use Bob’s Red Mill, but you may need to cut back on the overall amount of liquid that this recipe asks for.  You want to make sure the batter is a bit thicker than normal.  After some trial runs, I also discovered that the best way to make the cakes is to use a cupcake tin, lubed up with butter or oil.

Ingredients for Cakes:

½ cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature

1 (16 oz) package Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free chocolate cake mix
¾ cup milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 large eggs
1/3 cup warm water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Ingredients for Frosting:
¼ cup shortening
3 ¼ cups confectioner’s sugar
¼ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare cupcake tin with oil or butter

Cream the butter with an electric hand mixer until smooth.  Gradually add the cake mix, milk, lemon juice, and eggs at a low speed.  Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and blend ingredients thoroughly.  Add the warm water and vanilla and blend until mixed.

Spoon the batter into the cupcake tin and fill each hole about ¾.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test (stick in a toothpick, if it comes out clean, they are done).  Remove from oven and allow them to cool completely.

While they cool you can work on the frosting.  Using your electric mixer, beat the shortening and confectioner’s sugar until blended.  Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla.  Mix until it is light and fluffy.

Once your cakes are cooled, cut each in half and spread frosting on each cake.  Sandwich the cakes together and dust the tops with leftover confectioner’s sugar if you’re feeling fancy.  Enjoy!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Along with forbidden sweet treats of the vast gluten sea I also miss my carbs.  I sincerely underestimated how wonderful delivery pizza is.  Yet, I refuse to accept defeat and continue to persevere to find gluten free solutions.  Luckily, I have friends on board to help me.  This recipe was sent to me by a dear friend and it does not disappoint!  The recipe is for a pizza crust made out of cauliflower… yes, cauliflower.  I had heard of using cauliflower as a substitute for a healthier version of the ultimate comfort food- mashed potatoes, but never as a pizza crust.  Intrigued, I gave it a shot.  It’s definitely not your traditional tasting pizza crust, but it’s still very good.  The texture reminds me of a very thin quiche, in a good way.  The recipe does call for a lot of cheese, as it is a major binding agent in the crust.  In my opinion, get some skim mozzarella and call it a day.  It’s worth it- whether you are trying to cut carbs or cut gluten!  Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked, shredded cauliflower
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Olive oil (optional)

Pizza sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Other additional toppings of your choice

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a pizza pan or cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

To prep your cauliflower, take 1 large head of cauliflower and remove the stems and leaves.  Chop the florets into chunks. Add to a food processor and pulse just until it looks like rice. If you are low budget, like me, you can grate the cauliflower with a cheese grater.

Place the shredded cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl with 1/4 cup water and microwave for 6-8 minutes, stir half-way through.

In a medium bowl, combine the cauliflower, mozzarella cheese and egg together and stir until blended. Add the oregano, garlic, and garlic salt and blend again. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and shape into a 9-inch circle. Brush the crust with olive oil to help it brown in the oven.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes, until the crust is browned and cooked through the middle.

Remove the crust from the oven, add your sauce and toppings. Place under a broiler at high heat until the cheese is melted and bubbly. (About 3-4 minutes).

Allow the pizza to cool slightly.  Slice, Serve, Enjoy!

See original recipe below:

Cauliflower Crust Pizza