This punch has been served at every New Years Eve gathering at the Booy's .
Booy New Year's Punch
2 lemons,
1 stick cinnamon
2 cloves
6 blanched almonds
2 cups water
4 1/3 cups tea
1 cup red currant juice (I substitute cranberry juice or red crabapple juice)
3 1/4 cup apple juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
Method:
Peel lemon
In large pot heat water, spices, lemon peel and almonds - do not boil. Strain and put back in pan.
Add tea, juices, sugar and the juice from the lemon. Heat and serve hot.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Gluten Free Dinner Rolls - Light and Delicious!
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nice texture |

Gluten Free Dinner Rolls - 3 dozen
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fresh out of the oven! |
1/4 cup quinoa plus 1/2 cup water
3 cup warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons yeast
4 tablespoons pysillium husk (available at health food stores or bulk food stores - important to use in recipe)
4 egg, large
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 tablespoon chia seed
1/2 cup flax meal (ground flax seeds)
5 teaspoons guar gum
2 cups cornstarch
1 1/4 cup fine rice flour
3/4 cup millet flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup dry milk powder
1/3 cup sugar
Method:
Rinse quinoa with water - drain. Place 1/4 cup quinoa in sauce pan with 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 10 -15 minutes. Place 2 cups water, cooked quinoa, chia seed and flax in blender or food processor. Puree. Set aside.
Next:
Put 1 cup warm water into mixer bowl. Stir in the sugar and yeast. Add the pysillium husk. Let sit 10-15 minutes until yeast starts to work. Add the pureed quinoa mixture and turn on mixer. Add remaining ingredients. Mix/knead for 15 minutes. Cover with clean dish towel and et rise in mixer bowl for about 60 - 90 minutes or until doubles in size. ** Grease the baking sheets and using a small ice cream scoop scoop the mixture onto the baking sheet. Cover with greased plastic or a clean dish towel. Make your hands very wet and using your fingers shape and smooth the dough. Let rise about 60 - 90 minutes. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until light brown. Remove from baking sheet onto rack and let cool.
If you cannot get millet you can try chickpea flour, amaranth or sorghum flour.
Note: If your house is cool like ours was today it takes 90 minutes of rising time. On a warm summer day it will be much shorter.
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rinse quinoa using something like this |
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pysillium husk |
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after mixing 10-15 minutes the dough will resemble a very thick batter |
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hamburger bun before rising
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Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Dutch Pea Soup - Easy and Gluten Free
Great during the winter months!
Dutch Pea Soup - gluten free
16 cups water (tastes even better if you use about 4-6 cups chicken stock in place of water)
4 cups split peas
3-4 stalks celery, diced
1 cup sliced leak - optional but tastes good in this soup
2 tablespoons dry parsley
2 teaspoon salt (depending on how salty your stock is - add last if unsure)
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 bay leaves
2 cups diced ham or smoked sausage (optional if using ham bone)
1 meaty ham bone (or use 1 litre of chicken stock in place of part of the water)
Add everything except salt to the large soup pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 2 hours or until peas are soft. Taste and add salt to your preference.
Pea soup always tastes better the next day.
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divided up into individual lunch servings |
16 cups water (tastes even better if you use about 4-6 cups chicken stock in place of water)
4 cups split peas
3-4 stalks celery, diced
1 cup sliced leak - optional but tastes good in this soup
2 tablespoons dry parsley
2 teaspoon salt (depending on how salty your stock is - add last if unsure)
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 bay leaves
2 cups diced ham or smoked sausage (optional if using ham bone)
1 meaty ham bone (or use 1 litre of chicken stock in place of part of the water)
Add everything except salt to the large soup pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 2 hours or until peas are soft. Taste and add salt to your preference.
Pea soup always tastes better the next day.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Gluten Free Dutch Bitterballen or Turkey Croquettes

3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup rice flour
1 cup turkey broth
2/3 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 cups diced turkey
1 teaspoon parley flakes
1 egg
Coating:
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups dry finely ground bread crumbs
Method:
Melt butter in large saucepan. Stir in the rice flour gradually stir in turkey/chicken broth - cook over low heat stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in the salt, pepper, thyme, turkey and parley. Stir in the egg and stir over low heat for one minute. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight before forming.
Shape into round 1 1/2" balls.
In one bowl - combine remaining egg with milk, beat well. Have bread crumbs in another dish - you may season them a little with salt and pepper.
Roll each croquette in the crumbs, then dip in the egg milk mixture and roll in crumbs again. Place on a baking sheet uncovered in the fridge so they can dry before deep frying. Heat oil to 375 F it should be at least 1" deep. Add croquettes and fry 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towel.
The recipe shows that it makes 12- 18 croquettes - but of course that depends on the size you make them.
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roll the chilled turkey mixture into 1- 1/2" balls |
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roll in gluten free bread crumbs
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rolling in crumbs |
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nicely formed bitterballen air drying before deep frying |
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Getting the teens to help makes it much easier! |
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Gluten Free Speculaas - or Gluten Free Dutch Almond spice cake
Another of our family traditions is Speculaas. This almond paste filled cake was easy to make gluten free and tastes just as good.
Gluten Free Speculaas
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
2 cups chickpea flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon mace
1/8 teaspoon cloves
almond paste (use store bought if gluten free or make your own - recipe below)
Almond Paste Recipe:
8 oz. ground almonds - I use a fairly fine grind.
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 lemon rind grated. ( I use about 1-2 teaspoons depending on what I have and how lemony you want it. I freeze the rest for next time.
Place almond meal in mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well with wooden spoon or hands. Cover and chill.
Method:
Roll out almond paste about 1/4" thick and to fit the 9 x 13 pan. I roll out between waxed paper.
Cream butter, sugar and egg together. Sift remaining ingredients and stir into the butter, sugar egg mixture.
Divide in half.
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hand pressed into pan |
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dough rolled on parchment then flipped over onto almond paste |
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peel off the parchment paper |
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second layer of dough placed over almond paste |
Gluten Free Stroopwafels (Dutch syrup wafers)
A family tradition for as long as I can remember. My mom brought a stroopwafel iron home from Holland and has been using it for years. She even made enough of the wafers to serve to our guests at our wedding in 1978. For years I tried to mimic my mom's recipe and no matter what her's are always best. They taste great and her's were always perfectly formed - something we are still working on! This year because I was short on butter I used margarine in the dough and butter in the filling. These ended up being much closer to hers - for some reason the margarine made the wafer part crisper than the butter did. I have a feeling that is what she used because at home we always baked with margarine as I was growing up.
Gluten Free Stroop Wafels
13/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup margarine
1 large egg
1-2 more large eggs
up to 2 tablespoons milk if needed to make dough softer.
Method:
Using a mixer cream the sugar and margarine together. Mix in 1 egg. Sift the dry ingredients together and stir in. Add one more egg. Mix well. Stir in an additional egg . Should be like cookie dough. If required add a little milk to soften the dough.
Syrup
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 lb of butter
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon. Heat and stir until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Cool a little before using. If it gets too stiff then warm up a little in the microwave.
Heat your stroopwafel iron setting the dial to #3. Once hot place a 1" ball of dough on iron. Close iron and let cook until the steam stops and the wafer is golden brown. Quickly slice in half (try not to burn your fingers!) with a sharp thin bladed knife - I use a filleting knife. Spread about 1 tablespoon syrup on wafer and cover with other half of wafer. Place on baking sheet. Freeze on baking sheet and then stack 6 to a pile and wrap tightly in plastic wrap - this prevents them from separating while in the freezer.
Gluten Free Stroop Wafels
13/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup margarine
1 large egg
1-2 more large eggs
up to 2 tablespoons milk if needed to make dough softer.
Method:
Using a mixer cream the sugar and margarine together. Mix in 1 egg. Sift the dry ingredients together and stir in. Add one more egg. Mix well. Stir in an additional egg . Should be like cookie dough. If required add a little milk to soften the dough.
Syrup
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 lb of butter
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon. Heat and stir until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Cool a little before using. If it gets too stiff then warm up a little in the microwave.
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Mine are not so nice and round so I trim them while hot with a round biscuit cutter |
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As you can see there is a nice layer of syrup in between. |
Gluten Free White Christmas Fruit Cake
My mother-in-law always made a White Fruit Cake and my mother always makes a dark fruit cake. I have managed to make the White Fruit Cake Gluten free with good success.
Gluten Free White Fruit Cake or Gluten Free Christmas Cake - makes 2 loaves
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sweet rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon guar gum
1/2 cup milk
900 grams glace fruit mixture (red and green cherries and other fruits as desired)
200 grams slivered almonds
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup flaked dried coconut mixed with 1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup brandy (optional) If not using brandy add 1/4 orange juice
Soak the fruit in the orange juice/or brandy (overnight is best but can be 1 hour).
Soak coconut in the milk for one hour
Heat oven to 250 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar until light. Add the eggs one at a time, beat well until incorporated. Stir in the flour. Stir in the fruit, nuts/milk, juice and flavoring. Place in two pans about 8" x 4" x 2.5" that have been lined with foil and then wax paper. Bake at 250 for 2-3 hours or until done. Place a pan with boiling water on the rack below the loaf pans.
Tips: to keep fruit separate - coat with sweet rice flour before adding.
Wrap well to store. Store in fridge as there are no preservatives added.
Gluten Free White Fruit Cake or Gluten Free Christmas Cake - makes 2 loaves
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sweet rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon guar gum
1/2 cup milk
900 grams glace fruit mixture (red and green cherries and other fruits as desired)
200 grams slivered almonds
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup flaked dried coconut mixed with 1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup brandy (optional) If not using brandy add 1/4 orange juice
Soak the fruit in the orange juice/or brandy (overnight is best but can be 1 hour).
Soak coconut in the milk for one hour
Heat oven to 250 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar until light. Add the eggs one at a time, beat well until incorporated. Stir in the flour. Stir in the fruit, nuts/milk, juice and flavoring. Place in two pans about 8" x 4" x 2.5" that have been lined with foil and then wax paper. Bake at 250 for 2-3 hours or until done. Place a pan with boiling water on the rack below the loaf pans.
Tips: to keep fruit separate - coat with sweet rice flour before adding.
Wrap well to store. Store in fridge as there are no preservatives added.
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