dairy free

Hot Chocolate (dairy free)

It took me a while to get this right. Hot chocolate, even instant, has a consistency that it really needs to have to feel like you’re drinking hot chocolate. I originally started out using rice milk and I was never quite satisfied with the results. It wasn’t until I tried the Ripple Half & Half …

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The Ultimate Oatmeal Cookies

While I still enjoy the traditional oatmeal raisin cookie, this one just takes it to the next level. Toasting the nuts and oatmeal really brings out another layer of flavor that only enhances the cookie.  Of course, you can substitute raisins (cranberries) or any nut you prefer (or no nuts at all). You can also …

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Carrot Cake

It’s been a very long time since I’ve attempted to make a carrot cake. Without the cream cheese frosting it just doesn’t taste the same. I made one a little over 10 years ago and the cake was fine, but the frosting pretty much sucked. I made cream cheese frosting about a year ago. It …

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Blueberry Muffins

There is nothing like the simplicity of a blueberry muffin for breakfast (or anytime for that matter). Frozen blueberries will work, but fresh really are best because the cell walls haven not been broken down by ice crystals, so you get this glorious burst of blueberry when you take a bite.  The nutmeg is optional, …

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Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

    One of the few recipes that I tried recently is a peanut butter swirled brownie. Chocolate and peanut butter are one of my favorite flavor combinations. I tried doing a peanut butter swirled brownie, but the peanut butter was completely overshadowed by the rich chocolate brownie. Tonight, I decided to keep the peanut …

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Russian Tea Cakes

  Russian tea cakes (aka Mexican wedding cookies) are dense cookies with chopped walnuts rolled in confectioners’ sugar that look like little snowballs.  It has become a staple cookie in our home during the holidays. While this cookie is rolled in confectioners’ sugar, it’s not overly sweet and almost a little salty even though there …

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Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

These gluten free sugar cookies are quite good. They have a light crunchy texture. The dough cannot be rolled like regular cookie dough. If you try to roll it out like you would with regular sugar cookie dough, it will crack. You need to press the dough out with the rolling pin first and then …

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Pumpkin Streusel Cake

When I was in graduate school, I made this pumpkin bar recipe. It was a cross between a pumpkin cake and pumpkin pie with a crumb top. We have moved several times since I made that recipe and I lost it.  It also used a box cake mix to make the crumb topping. My version …

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