Maple + rice pudding. How could this recipe not be delicious? I took my favorite rice custard pudding recipe and replaced the sugar with maple syrup. I also swapped my square baking dish for individual custard dishes. The resulting dessert has a delicate flavor with a craggy top thanks to the grains of rice. . . . keep reading

I live in an area with an abundance of tiny Italian restaurants. One of the most popular meals served at these places is Chicken Parmigiana. If you aren't familiar with Chicken Parmigiana, you've been missing out! It's a chicken breast pan fried and then topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella. (In my neck of the woods, Parmesan cheese is always missing from Chicken Parmigiana. )

Now this meal is always, always, always served with a side order of pasta and broccoli. So, of course, I've included those elements in my meal. Is this "hip and trendy" Italian food? Nope. But, I promise, it's really good! . . . keep reading

I once dated a man who didn't like marshmallow cookies. I should have known the relationship was doomed, I mean, marshmallow cookies.Mallomars. Pinwheels.Whippets. Remember these cookies? The gooey goodness of marshmallows sandwiched between chocolate and a cookie base. Love. Heaven. Bliss! All in one little cookie.

This is my gluten-free version of the mallomar. The base is a bit crunchier than traditional mallomars, but the flavor--oh the flavor-- is just right. . . . keep reading

Valentine's Day is almost here. Just for fun, I created a JUMBO chocolate muffin that is studded with chocolate chips and dried fruit. With a hint of vanilla and cinnamon, this muffin is perfect for anyone you love. (Did you know that some studies suggest men associate . . . keep reading

I think Spaghetti alla Carbonara is not only one of the easiest pasta dishes to make but it is also one of the tastiest. There are countless variations of excellent carbonara recipes. Since gluten-free pasta is a little different than wheat pasta, I've played with the recipe until the gluten-free version is just as delicious as the tradition wheat-based carbonara.

You'll notice my recipe uses . . . keep reading

A plate of warm pancakes, a mug of coffee and the New York Times is my favorite way to spend Sunday morning. Lately, I'd been avoiding the pancake part of the ritual because, frankly, I was bored with pancakes. So I began to tinker with a new recipe. This is the result.

The recipe combines whole grains, brown sugar and a pinch of ground cinnamon to create what might be my favorite pancake recipe to date. . . . keep reading

I've been a little quiet since 2010 began. So today I come bearing "World Peace Cookies." The original recipe for these cookies was created by Dorie Greenspan, food writer, cookbook author, and all-around baking goddess. For the start of a new year, I thought it would be fun to make them gluten-free.

Dorie created a chocolate sable (French buttery-sugar cookie) recipe that's salty. If you've ever enjoyed the amazing combination of salt and sweet (kettle corn, chocolate covered pretzels, fleur de sol caramels) you know how salt can wonderfully enhance the flavor of sweet foods. And if you've never had a "salty sweet", this is a great recipe to introduce you to the fun of this flavor combination!

To make this recipe gluten-free, I needed to tweak it just a bit. My version contains a little more salt than the original. Gluten-free baking often needs a flavor boost and I found that the original 1/2 teaspoon of salt simply faded into the background. This is not what we wanted. I also use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar. Again, this is a flavor issue. Light brown sugar, while good, didn't have enough "oomph" to make an impression on the cookies. Dark brown sugar, in contrast, was just perfect.

One last word about the salt. Dorie uses fleur de sol. And while I love this salt, I realize that you might not have it kicking around. Since gluten-free bakers don't need another expensive ingredient, I swapped out the fleur de sol for Kosher salt. Even with all of these tweaks, I think my gluten-free version stands up to the original.

So, World Peace cookies. Share these with someone you love. And, in the spirit of peace, maybe share them with someone you don't. Who knows what will happen after a bite of these cookies? . . . keep reading

For years, I have been meaning to make a caramel cake. Recently, while reading Maya Angelou's cookbook, "Hallelujah! The Welcome Table", I finally decided to head into the kitchen to bake one.

Ms. Angelou's book opens with a recipe for caramel cake. And while the recipe looked delicious, it wasn't exactly what I wanted. Her cake had a buttercream icing and I wanted a cake with a caramel sauce icing. I did notice that her recipe used caramel sauce in the cake batter. Now I liked the sound of that!

I dug out my recipe for caramel sauce and went to work. My caramel sauce is really rich and, for caramel sauce, fairly easy to make. Since the sauce needs to be made and cooled, I found it was easiest to make the sauce the night before you wanted to bake the cake. Hence the name, "Weekend Caramel Cake." You can make . . . keep reading

Latkes fresh from the frying pan are one of my favorite holiday treats. I know that everyone thinks their latke recipe is "the best." I'm no exception! This is the recipe I make each year and, I am happy to report, it always wins rave reviews. . . . keep reading

I love baking gingerbread cookies during the holiday season. I think it counts as baking plus aromatherapy because baking gingerbread cookies smell so terrific as they bake. However, I don't always have time to make gingerbread dough, chill it, roll it out and bake it. So, I do the next best thing: I make gingersnaps.

Gingersnap dough can be made and baked in about 30 minutes. That is what I call a holiday treat! Delicious cookies in under an hour? Pass the milk. . . . keep reading

I'd forgotten how much I loved making biscotti until I started working on this recipe. Reader, Maura R., asked me for a "yummy gluten-free almond biscotti." Maura didn't have a recipe in mind. So, I pulled out an old biscotti recipe that--I think--came from my student days at the CIA.

As soon as I looked at the recipe, I was reminded how easy biscotti are to make at home. You whip together a dough, shape it into a log and bake. Once the log is baked, you need to cut it into individual pieces and toast it. That's it!

This recipe makes delicious almond biscotti. For the holiday, you could dip them into some dark chocolate and put them into cello bags. They would make lovely gifts! . . . keep reading

My mom makes dozens of cranberry orange loaves during Christmas. Everyone from her closest friend to her regular bank teller get one. And everyone loves it!

Her recipe uses dried cranberries--and I love this! The flavor of the dried cranberries and the orange juice makes for a lovely little quick bread. We eat this bread on Christmas morning but it really is delightful anytime!

Thanks to my Mom for the recipe! . . . keep reading

Like most of the internet, I fell in love with Ree Drummond, aka "The Pioneer Woman," several years ago. Anyway, two years ago she posted a recipe for "The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever." At the time, I wanted to make the recipe gluten-free. Somehow life intervened and I never got around to doing it. Well, I finally adapted the recipe. It is delicious!

You must try this cake. Not only is it totally moist but it is super easy to make! . . . keep reading

I know pie baking can intimidate people. For Thanksgiving, I wanted to create a recipe that used a crumb crust and was so delicious that everyone (even your gluten-eating relatives) would be clamoring for the recipe.

Well, my pumpkin cheesecake pie fits the bill. Not only is it easy to make, it is insanely delicious. For the crust, I use store bought gluten-free gingersnaps. (Of course, you could use homemade gingersnaps, I will leave that up to you!) The crust is then filled with a silky-smooth pumpkin cream cheese filling. Even after a big holiday meal, people will be asking for seconds of this pie! . . . keep reading

I've been working on creating a delectable bran muffin for some time now. Happily, after many tests, I've created a recipe that I know you will love!

This recipe uses buckwheat flour. A wonderful gluten-free flour with an unfortunate name! The buckwheat flour adds a wonderful undertone of grainy-sweetness. This paired with brown rice flour, molasses, and ground flaxseed makes for a wonderfully tasty muffin!

In addition, this muffin is corn-free, xanthan gum-free and dairy-free! The one thing it isn't free of is taste! While testing the recipe, I found that one of these muffins paired with a cup of tea is a delightful way to start the morning. And, like most of my recipes, these muffins freeze well. You can make up a batch, freeze some and you'll have a quick breakfast waiting for you in the freezer! . . . keep reading