Friday, February 14, 2014

Gluten Free Pinch Me Bread

 

I have always been partial to any food that features cinnamon. My mom would frequently make pinch me bread and we would always devour it way too quickly! We would eat ourselves almost sick from it! Here are versions 1, 2 and 3 of regular flour recipes. Since going gluten free a few years ago this is one of my most-missed foods. It is great as breakfast or a snack and is fun to take to get togethers or brunches. Or just keep at home. And eat...it all...in 2 days...

I found the original recipe here but altered it to make it more like the regular recipe.


For the Dough:
1 and 1/4 cup water divided, as hot as you can get from the tap
4 Tablespoons butter, melted or at least softened to room temperature
2 Tablespoons sucanat
1 pack yeast
1 egg
1/2 T vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill GF Flour Mix + more as needed, up to 1 cup
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch/flour (they are the same thing)
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon gelatin (I will be buying some Great Lakes grass fed gelatin from Amazon soon)
1/2 teaspoon Redmond's Real Salt
Dash of cinnamon

In a large bowl (either for a stand mixer or one you use for a hand mixer) gently mix 1/4 cup water, yeast and sucanat. Allow to proof for about 5 minutes or until you see the yeast start to foam (if your yeast does not foam throw it out and start over as it may be dead and will not make the dough rise).

Whisk together dry ingredients in another bowl. In a large glass measuring cup (I have one for 2 cups) mix together 1 cup water, egg, vanilla and butter until combined.

On low, blend together yeast and butter mixtures with hand blender or stand mixer with dough hook. Gradually add the dry ingredients and continue blending, increasing speed. Blend for up to 5 minutes or until dough comes together.

I used a hand blender and the dough was still very sticky. Add more flour and continue stirring until the dough forms a ball.

Cover with warm, wet towel and set in warm place (I usually turn on my oven as low as it goes, then turn off once heated and put bowl inside) and allow to rise for 20-40 minutes. This dough will not typically rise as much as gluten dough.

When almost done rising, get out angel food or bunt pan (you can use any pan really but I like the circle shape of an angel food cake pan) and grease with olive oil.

For the topping:
Melt 1 stick of butter. Mix together 4 T cinnamon 1/3 c sucanat, 1/3 c organic cane sugar (these are approximate, I don't measure just dump in a bowl and mix until it looks like the right amount).

On a gf floured surface, gently knead the dough and form into a thick rectangle. Cut into small pieces and roll into small balls (I like to use an Auntie Anne's pretzel dough cutter that I got in one of the pretzel making kits 8 years ago. It is starting to crack so if anyone has one they would be able to part with, I'd gladly take it!).

Dip dough balls in butter, coat with the cinnamon/sugar mixture and place in pan. Once all the dough is in the pan let rise in same manner as before for another 20-40 minutes (or as long as you can wait!).

Preheat oven to 375 and bake bread for 20-30 minutes. You know it is done when the ones on top start to crack and look dry. Remove from oven, take out the center of the angel food pan and set on plate to cool (or if using another type of pan turn upside down on dish).

Don't wait to eat it, it is amazing warm. Don't wait to eat it once it cools, it is amazing cold!

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Celadon Road {Product Review}


I am well overdue on some product reviews, one for Celadon Road and another for coconut oil from Tropical Traditions. Let's start with Celadon Road, shall we? (The products reviewed were provided free of charge but with no expectation of a favorable review. All ideas/reviews are of my own opinion of the products provided.)

My friend, Erika started selling for Celadon Road a few months ago. This company is very different from most direct sales though in that it only produces products that are organic, natural, earth-friendly with a commitment to fair trade practices. Read more about their philosophy here. Now you know I am all about making things from scratch on your own but I realize that just isn't always possible (for many reasons) and sometimes you just need a healthy product you can buy. That to me is where this company fits in!

Erika kindly sent me two products to review:

The double wall glass tumbler


and the Lime Laundry Detergent.










I have to admit I was most excited to try the glass tumbler. I have a few but they are all lined with plastic (yuck) and Santa didn't bring me a stainless steel one for Christmas (I muse have been naughty...) so this worked out perfectly. About a year and a half ago I switched to a glass water bottle and glass straw for my smoothies and everything tastes SO much better in glass than in plastic. This mug is no different!

The mug warms your hands but is not too hot to hold and keeps the (in my case) tea warm for as long as I needed it to. I was a little hesitant about the lid staying on since it is just a seal, it is not screwed on at all so I filled the mug full and held upside down over the sink and it stayed on! There is a nice rubber grip to help you keep ahold of it as well.

Funny story, I used it at school this week and I had one little boy ask me if he could have it because he thought it looked so cool and another ask if I had a clam in it (the tea bag looked like a clam!). This is why I teach Kindergarten, you just never know what they are going to say!

The laundry detergent works great. I used it on clothes, bedding and towels with no issues. The lime scent is faint after washing, I wouldn't mind it being a little stronger but everything does smell clean.

The great thing about the laundry detergent is that is also can become a multi-use cleaner. It can be used on floors, walls, and to freshen up carpets by dry sprinkling it then vacuuming it up or through a carpet cleaner. You can also use it for your automatic dishwasher but they recommend the unscented for that. 

I decided to put 1/2 T in a spray bottle with water and try it on our floors. I sprayed the solution and then wiped with my Swiffer (but with a microfiber cloth on the end instead of a Swiffer cloth). It worked great to get off the marks from salty shoes and the dog and the bonus of cleaning this way is that you don't have to wait for the floor to dry since it dries as you clean it! Then just throw the cloth in the wash and you have a much more eco and health friendly floor cleaner for little money!

I am excited to try some more of Celadon Road's products. I am even considering becoming a consultant, would anyone want to have a party if I did? 

Go visit Erika's page and check out the other awesome items such as health/beauty (for men and women), pet, baby and even jewelry! 
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