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Archive for the ‘Easy Snacking’ Category

Gluten-Free Twinkies Recipe and a Pamela’s Products Giveaway!

POSTED ON April 15th, 2013 BY Jacqueline FILED UNDER Easy Snacking, Giveaways

We’re big fans of Pamela’s Products over here, as her baking mixes turn out
deliciously authentic treats in minutes and are incredibly reliable when trying to recreate a gluten-free variation of a childhood favorite.

Coming up on its 25th birthday this April, Pamela’s Products is bringing back a childhood favorite with its new cup-for-cup Artisan Flour Blend – Twinkies! You may have heard that this iconic store-bought treat is making its way back to store shelves this summer, but with Pamela’s recipe, you can enjoy a delicious, gluten-free version. Not only that, the recipe uses all natural ingredients without the hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors and colors found in the traditional Twinkie.

We’re excite to team up wit Pamela’s in offering two lucky readers a chance to try their new mixes! Get in the kitchen and try your hand at homemade Twinkies with the new Artisan Flour Blend, decorate springtime cookies with Sugar Cookie
Mix
, or get creative adding mix-ins (try coconut flakes or toffee chips) with the
Oatmeal Cookie Mix (that I loved and reviewed on my own blog).

To enter the giveaway, Like Pamela’s Products on Facebook and
leave a comment below telling us what you’d make with these mixes.

This giveaway is open until 6pm EST on Friday, April 19th.

Pamela’s Gluten-Free Twinkies

Check out Pamela’s Products’ website for this original recipe and so many more!

3/4 cup Pamela’s Artisan Flour Blend
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 TBSP milk
4 TBSP butter—unsalted
1/2 tsp vanilla
5 large eggs at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 350°F and adjust the oven rack to the middle position.

To make the Twinkie Molds:

Start with a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, about 14 inches long. It should be just a little longer than it is wide. Fold the foil in half lengthwise, then fold it in half again to create a rectangle that’s about 6 inches long and 7 inches wide. Repeat to make a dozen rectangles. Place 1 sheet of folded foil with the long side facing you, place a standard-size plastic or glass spice jar on its side in the center of the foil, the jar’s long side also facing you. Bring the long sides of the foil up around the jar. The foil won’t reach all the way around, and that’s okay. Fold the foil in around both top and bottom ends of the spice jar, nice and tight. You’ll end up with 12 troughs. Spray the molds with lots and lots of nonstick spray. Place the Twinkie molds on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan and clip together to keep upright.

To make the Twinkies:

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.

Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts, add vanilla. Keep warm.

Separate the eggs, placing the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until foamy. Gradually add 6 tablespoons of the sugar and the cream of tartar and continue to beat until the whites reach soft, moist peaks.

Transfer the beaten egg whites to a large bowl and add the egg yolks to the stand mixer bowl and beat the egg yolks with the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is very thick and a pale lemon color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the beaten egg whites to the yolks, but do not mix.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg whites and then mix everything on low speed for just 10 seconds. Add the melted butter mixture into the bowl and fold gently with a large rubber spatula until the batter shows no trace of flour and the whites and yolks are evenly mixed, about 8 strokes.

Immediately scrape the batter into the prepared molds, filling each with about 3/4 inch of batter. Bake until the cake tops are light brown and feel firm and spring back when touched, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer the pan containing the molds to a wire rack and allow the cakes to cool in the molds.

Just before filling, remove each cake from the foil. Using the end of a chopstick, poke three holes in the bottom of each cake and one in each end. Wiggle the tip of the chopstick around some to make room for the filling.

Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fit with a small tip (about 1/4 inch across). Pipe the frosting into the holes you created in the cakes. As you fill each cake, hold it in your hand and press your palm gently around it so you can feel the cake expand, taking care not to overfill and crack the cake.

Seven-Minute Frosting Recipe

3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
3 Tbsp water
3 egg whites from large eggs
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

In the metal bowl of a stand mixer set over (but not touching) a saucepan of simmering water, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, egg whites, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has completely dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes.

Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the mixture on high speed until glossy, thick, and billowing peaks form, about 7 minutes. (It really only took about 3 to 4 minutes.) Beat in the vanilla. Use immediately.

© Pamela’s Products, Inc.

Organic, Gluten-Free Superfood Cereals from Vigilant Eats!

POSTED ON February 25th, 2013 BY Jacqueline FILED UNDER Easy Snacking

New gluten-free products come on the market all the time now, and we sample our way through as many as we can to bring you products we trust and stand behind. Sometimes they fall flat. Sometime they’re fine, but less than remarkable. And sometimes we nod our heads as we chew, knowing something good just fell into
our hands.

The Superfood Cereal line from Vigilant Eats inspired a lot of head-nodding.

One of the hardest transitions for those adapting to a gluten-free lifestyle are the quick fixes and snacks that can be grabbed on the go; try a 7 Eleven stop on a road
trip and chances are you’re not going to find a fortifying snack to keep you going for
300 more miles. Granola bar, snack packs and even granola have to be given a thorough ingredient-check before you can safely indulge.

So these products across the board for taste, convenience and overall super-food health.

Loaded with only the good stuff, the four varieties use gluten-free oats, oat flours and a touch of natural palm sugar. Cacao nibs and a little cinnamon contribute to the
warm and ever so slightly sweet combo, with more good stuff tossed into the four resulting flavors; Espresso Maca Mulberry, Goji Cacao, Coconut Maple Vanilla and Macha Double Chocolate. On top of that, all ingredients are organic, vegan, kosher and certified for containing no GMOs.

What we particularly loved about them is that, despite being an oat cereal, the cereal is not heavy. It’s filling and comforting, but the smart portion and light-handed use of natural sugar don’t make you feel like you’ve pounded down a dessert in breakfast’s clothing.

And as far as ease goes – there is a collapsible spoon inside the cup! You simply add cold water to mix with the hemp milk powder already inside (or add your desired milk of choice for some extra creaminess) and stir away. Or, if you’re like us and tend to shiver constantly four months of the year, add warm water for a comforting treat.

Vigilant Eats Superfood Cereals are just starting to make their way into markets, so if you haven’t seen them around yet connect on their website, Facebook and Twitter.

And for online ordering, get 10% off a box of 10 cereals
with the code easyeats10, plus free shipping!

Create Your Mezze Table with La Granada

POSTED ON May 15th, 2012 BY Jacqueline FILED UNDER Easy Snacking

While waiting for the main course to be passed out at a BBQ, we usually search for something subtle to calm our rumbling stomachs. What we nibble on before the
grill is fired up can very well determine the direction in which the next course will
take. But it seems the same jars of dip are passed around each year. The same
brand, the same taste and the same amount of insane calories you try to avoid but can’t seem to get away from. So when we received La Granada’s All Natural Pomegranate and Extra Virgin Olive Oil-based dips, we were immediately excited to savor something so unique.

Forget spinach dip and canned salsa this season. The Pimmaduori Sicatti greets you with an undeniable sun-dried tomato and roasted red pepper scent. Smokey, sweet and savory come through from the kalamata olives, balsamic vinegar and parsley
it’s all marinated in. La Granada brings you restaurant quality taste in an 8 ounce package. It goes great with shredded cheese and seasoned ground turkey for the ultimate nacho platter. Give it a try spooned into a taco shell instead of the usual
pico de gallo.

Sun-dried tomatoes getting their
unique flavor

For the even more refined palate, give the Escalivada summer vegetable dip a try. Bringing the flavors of Spanish Tapas to your next party, it is loaded with grilled eggplant, red and green peppers, tomatoes and onions followed by a splash of pomegranate. I would recommend spooning onto chicken breast after grilling or baking for a light sandwich.

La Granada’s line contains no preservatives or additives with a good source of antioxidants, making these dips a great alternative for those looking for something exotic, mouthwatering and healthy.

Head to La Granada for the health benefits of all the ingredients, recipes and party-essential suggestions.

——————-

Kymberlee Fajardo is a freelance food culture writer & photographer currently residing in Northern New Jersey with her soon-to-be husband, Chef Tim. A former NYC culinary school graduate and line cook, she uses her professional culinary training to create guilt free dishes using fresh seasonal ingredients. Follow Kym’s weight loss journey paired with healthy recipes and fitness tips on her blog Free Spirit Eater. Or reach out to her via Twitter or Facebook.

Raw, Vegan Power Snacking

POSTED ON March 12th, 2012 BY Jacqueline FILED UNDER Easy Snacking

If we could proclaim our love of a snack through song, these trail mixes from Gnosis Chocolate would get one heck of an aria. We first met owner Venessa, aka
Chocolate Girl, at the NY Chocolate Show, where we were wowed by her collection
of raw, vegan and gluten-free chocolate bars that tasted out of this world.  So much
so that we were thrilled to include one of our favorites in the January/February
“Treat Yourself” spread in the magazine (head inside to see which one stole our
heart).

From Venessa:

Gnosis means intuitive knowledge, knowledge of the heart and experiential knowledge. The company Gnosis Chocolate has really turned into so much more
than just a chocolate company. It’s turned a vehicle and platform for me to speak
on all these different forms of Gnosis. So Gnosis Chocolate is what I’m using as an opportunity to fill packaging and website and speeches full of knowledge about
health, well-being, spirituality, social and environmental consciousness, and
conscious commerce.

We reached out to Vanessa once again when we realized she has two trail mixes in her line that combine her incredible chocolate with body-empowering fruit and nuts.  And we weren’t surprised when they were truly, delightfully snackable.

PowerChoc Trail Mix

We opened the bag for a quick little nibble, then ended up finishing it off  by the end of the day. Packed with organic, raw almonds, sweet Inca and goji berries, slightly salty sunflower seeds, cacao nibs, hemp seeds and the chocolate we can’t get enough of, the combination is satisfying without being cloyingly sweet. A handful found us recharged and satisfied, indulged but not feeling gluttonous.

Immune Boost Trail Mix

We thought it couldn’t get better after the PowerChoc, and then we let the Immune Boost open up. Ever have strips of dried persimmon? They’re heaven. Laced with pumpkin seeds, pecan, cranberries, currants, cacao nibs and that gorgeous chocolate we kept picking out in chunks, this combo is even cleaner and brighter; a fitting combo for a long walk in the urban jungle, a trek through a mountain trail or a long day at a hard desk.

Gnosis Trail Mixes  $10.99 for 1/2 pound. See more at www.gnosischocolate.com

Let them Eat [Cup]Cake

POSTED ON March 5th, 2012 BY Jacqueline FILED UNDER Easy Snacking

As a team we’ve tasted a lot of bakery cupcakes far and wide that claim to be perfect classics, undetectably gluten free. Some of us have been eating without gluten for so long that the terms “classic” and “perfect” have taken on new meaning, and it’s a special thing when we come to a unanimous pass or fail on a product.  And when one of us gets excited about something we’ve tasted, we’re ready to sing it to the world.

We recently discovered Izzi B’s in Norwalk, Connecticut.  Tucked away on a small industrial street, owner Pam Nicholas started her allergy-friendly retail and private-order bakery when her young daughter developed a serious egg allergy.  Realizing other moms were having similar problems with the most common allergens, she set out to put her French Culinary Institute training to the test in coming up with a truly delicious, allergy-friendly cupcake.

Not only gluten free, Pam’s products are free of most common allergens: eggs, soy, dairy, caseine, nuts, seeds, honey… the list goes on.  Her flavors range from the truly classic (vanilla, chocolate, chocolate chocolate chip, red velvet) to the seasonal and spectacular: her Chocolate Chili Spice is dynamic with mesquite flour and leaves just a tiny bit of heat on the tongue, her Chocolate Raspberry is layered with rich fruit pureed in-house and her Cinnamon French Toast brings us right back to the breakfast table of our pre-gluten-free days.

Now, these aren’t cake-from-a-box treats (though we love those as well).  They’re extremely dense and moist rather than light and fluffy.  The flavors are dynamic and layered.  The frosting is equally creamy and rich.

We asked Pam how she came up with her “dot” frosting standard, which initially drew our eye to her brand months ago.  With her first degree in graphic design, she knew that not only did her cupcakes need to taste delectable (she worked for seven months on her basic recipe alone), but they needed to visually pop.  So as she stood in her kitchen with a naked cupcake and bag of frosting she found herself dotting, and never looked back.

Along with incredible cupcakes, Izzi B’s makes seasonable products that can be shipped coast to coast, like do-it-yourself gingerbread kits and glittery heart cookies big and small for Valentines Day.  Keep up with what’s coming ahead from Izzi B’s, place an order or find them in the New York tri-state area by heading over to their website.  And if you’re in the NYC area like a certain Easy Eats blogger, start scouting for a storefront space, because treats this delicious should always B nearby.

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