Holiday Recipes

Name: Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 20-24 Cookies
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 2 eggs; 1/2 cup Coconut Oil, melted; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 1/3 cup White Granulated Sugar; 1/3 cup Powdered or Confectioners Sugar; 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder; 1 cup White Granulated Sugar; 1.5 cup Gluten Free Flour Blend; 1 tsp Baking Powder; 1/4 tsp Sea Salt; 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips

Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

December 15, 2019 by Thyme and JOY Leave a Comment

Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are the perfect classic holiday dessert that everyone will love including friends and family that are gluten free and dairy free!

What is a crinkle cookie? A crinkle cookie is a cookie where the dough is rolled into a ball and then rolled in confectioners sugar. Once it starts baking, the white sugar on the cookie will “crack” exposing the cookie inside and a crinkly white outside.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Recipe:

They are a beautiful mix between a fudgy brownie and soft cookie.

The crinkle topping looks gourmet like you spent a lot of time on it when in reality, you just rolled it in powdered sugar.

It’s a perfect addition to your holiday cookie round up that stands out in taste and aesthetic.

They pair great with a cup of coffee or a glass of red wine.

They can be decorated for Christmas with red and green sprinkles, crushed up peppermint candy cane, mini andes candies or left plain.

Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Main Ingredients:

Unsweetened cocoa powder. This is a must have in your pantry for baking and to make fancy hot chocolate.
Gluten Free Flour Blend: this is a gluten free cookie recipe as written, however you could substitute the gluten free flour for regular all purpose flour cup for cup. Make sure you are purchasing a gluten free flour blend that already has xanthan gum so you don’t have to add it yourself. I prefer using King Arthur Gluten Free Flour Blend.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. Most recipes for crinkle cookies are missing the mark by not adding chocolate chips!
Coconut Oil. I use coconut oil for all my baking because I love the health benefits and the texture. This recipe will have a very slight coconut taste. If this is something you don’t enjoy, use refined coconut oil or swap with vegetable oil.
Powdered Sugar or Confectioners Sugar: You can use either or for this recipe, see below for why!

Difference Between Powdered Sugar and Confectioners Sugar:

Powdered sugar and confectioners sugar are the same and are called different things because of regional differences. Both of them are very finely ground sugar that is cut with a tiny bit of cornstarch to prevent caking. It can also be called icing sugar.

How to Make Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies:

Whisk together melted (not hot) coconut oil with eggs in a small bowl along with vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated white sugar, gluten free flour, baking powder and salt. Fold in chocolate chips.
Mix together wet and dry ingredients until fully combined. This can be done using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.
Dough should resemble a thick brownie batter. Using your hands, roll dough into 2 inch balls or one inch balls depending on what size cookie you would like. Place them in fridge to firm up for 1-2 hours. This step will help keep the cookies from spreading too much while they are baking.
Once the cookie dough balls are chilled, remove from fridge, preheat the oven to 350 and roll in additional granulated sugar and again in powdered sugar. (see notes on why to roll in granulated sugar first)
Place on parchment lined baking sheet 2-3 inches apart and bake for 15 minutes at 350. If cookies have not flattened, use the bottom of a cup or mason jar to gently push down the cookie balls into flat cookies. Gluten free flour acts different than regular flour and so this step may be needed!
Let the cookies cool completely before serving. They will be very soft at first but will harden as they cool.

Cookie Flavor Variations:

Add 1 tsp of dark espresso grounds for a deep flavored mocha crinkle cookie.
Add a pinch of ground cayenne pepper to the mix for a slight spicy Mexican chocolate kick.
Add a pinch of cinnamon for a warming flavor
Change up the chocolate chips and use peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips or even butterscotch chips.

Reader Questions & Recipe Tips:

The cookie dough is supposed to be thick and will resemble thick brownie batter. This is why it is important to roll dough into balls before they are chilled in fridge.

Once the cookies are baked, they will be very soft but they won’t stay soft! These cookies will harden to a dense brownie type texture as they cool.

Can I freeze gluten free chocolate crinkle cookie dough? They can be frozen in an airtight container and will stay fresh for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use, put the dough in the fridge to thaw overnight and they are ready to bake the next day. You can also freeze them AFTER baking if they are sealed in an airtight container.

Can I make crinkle cookies from brownie mix or cake mix? Although I think these cookies taste best from scratch, they can be made using boxed brownie mix or boxed chocolate cake mix.

Other Gluten Free Chocolate Desserts:

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Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Yield: 20-24 Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are the perfect classic holiday dessert that everyone will love including friends and family that are gluten free and dairy free!

Ingredients

DRY INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 cup White Granulated Sugar
1.5 cup Gluten Free Flour Blend
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips

WET INGREDIENTS

2 eggs
1/2 cup Coconut Oil, melted
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

CRINKLE TOPPING

1/3 cup White Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup Powdered or Confectioners Sugar

Instructions

Whisk together melted (not hot) coconut oil with eggs in a small bowl along with vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated white sugar, gluten free flour, baking powder and salt. Fold in chocolate chips.
Mix together wet and dry ingredients until fully combined. This can be done using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.
Dough should resemble a thick brownie batter. Using your hands, roll dough into 2 inch balls or one inch balls depending on what size cookie you would like. Place them in the fridge to firm up for 1-2 hours. This step will help keep the cookies from spreading too much while they are baking.
Once the cookie dough balls are chilled, remove from fridge, preheat the oven to 350 and roll in additional granulated sugar and again in powdered sugar. (see notes on why to roll in granulated sugar first)
Place on parchment lined baking sheet 2-3 inches apart and bake for 15 minutes at 350. If cookies have not flattened, use the bottom of a cup or mason jar to gently push down the cookie balls into flat cookies. Gluten free flour acts different than regular flour and so this step may be needed!
Let the cookies cool completely before serving. They will be very soft at first but will harden as they cool.

Notes

Cookie Flavor Variations:

Add 1 tsp of dark espresso grounds for deep flavored mocha crinkle cookies.
Add a pinch of ground cayenne pepper to the mix for a slight spicy Mexican chocolate kick.
Add a pinch of cinnamon for a warming flavor
Change up the chocolate chips and use peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips or even butterscotch chips.

Reader Questions & Recipe Tips:

The cookie dough is supposed to be thick and will resemble thick brownie batter.

Will harden as they cool.

Can I freeze gluten free chocolate crinkle cookie dough? They can be frozen in an airtight container and will stay fresh for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use, put the dough in the fridge to thaw overnight and they are ready to bake the next day. You can also freeze them AFTER baking if they are sealed in an airtight container.

Can I make crinkle cookies from brownie mix or cake mix? Although I think these cookies taste best from scratch, they can be made using boxed brownie mix or boxed chocolate cake mix.

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Instant Pot Collard Greens With Black Eyed Peas

December 10, 2019 by Thyme and JOY Leave a Comment

Instant pot collard greens is an easy way to make collard greens fast and with a lot of flavor. The addition of black eyed peas and bacon makes this a perfect healthy side dish that is nutritionally dense and high in protein.

I love using my pressure cooker to make soups and stews, or even basic foods but it also adds value to my life by being able to make healthy side dishes using dark leafy greens like kale, swiss chard or even to make the best collard greens.

What Are Collard Greens?

Collard greens are a tender leafy green with tough stems that is often found as a staple in southern cooking and are not the same thing as kale although they do belong to the same family that includes cabbage greens. They are naturally high in vitamins and minerals.

Collard greens are bitter in taste unless you cook them with the perfect blend of flavors.

Collard greens can be cooked in the instant pot or shredded raw into salads or even used as a vegan and gluten free alternative to tortillas, bread or wraps.

The Best Southern Collard Greens Recipe:

The best authentic southern collard greens are cooked with a savory meat, and something to sweeten it up. They are often slow cooked however, in this instant pot collard greens recipe with black eyed peas the ingredients I use include:

Canned Black Eyed Peas – to add protein and to make the dish more hearty
Canned Diced Tomatoes – this will give collard greens a tangy naturally salty kick
Smoked Thick Cut Bacon – traditionally, collard greens have a savory meat that could be ham, brisket or bacon.
Apple Cider Vinegar – this acidic vinegar helps cut down on the bitterness of the greens and has many health benefits!
Stevia -Instead of using brown sugar, I used stevia to give it a slight sweetness to balance out all the flavors keeping it a sugar free side dish.

How To Clean Collard Greens:

Collard greens grow straight up from the ground making them easy to hold onto dirt and other impurites. To clean collard greens, add the leaves to a very large bowl or sink filled with water.

Swish them around until all dirt is loosened up.

Drain in a colander until fully dried.

How To Cook Collard Greens In Instant Pot:

Thoroughly wash your collard greens and dry in a colander. Chop into large bite sized pieces. Set aside.
Using the saute function, heat up the avocado oil until it is shiny. Add in raw chopped bacon and cook saute for about 5 minutes as it begins to cook down. Add in chopped onion and minced garlic. Saute another 5 minutes or until onions begin to become translucent.
Add in collard greens, diced tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, stevia, and cayenne pepper. Greens will begin to wilt down as it comes in contact with heat. As the greens wilt, keep adding in raw greens until all of them fit in the instant pot.
Pour in 1/2 cup water, vegetable or chicken stock.
Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Use a manual release or natural release. Serve hot.

Reader Questions and Recipe Tips:

Should I remove collard greens stems? If you are making collard greens in the instant pot, the stems do not need to be removed. Since the instant pot will cook the greens at high pressure, the stems will become tender. For salads and wraps, remove the tough stem.

Already Chopped and Cut Collard Greens are a great option if you want to take a shortcut. You can find these in your grocery store in the produce section.

How Long Do I Cook Collard Greens In The Instant Pot? Since this tender green cooks very quickly, you may find that it starts wilting just from the heat of sauteeing the bacon and onion. Collard greens will pressure cook on high for 5 minutes and will be fully cooked and soft.

How long do cook collard greens last? Store any unused collard greens in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. They can be re-heated in the microwave or by sauteing in a pot or skillet over medium heat until warmed through.

To Make Instant Pot Collard Greens Keto: simply omit the canned black eyed peas in this recipe

ADD THIS RECIPE TO YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS

Instant Pot Collard Greens With Black Eyed Peas

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 lbs Collard Greens With Stems
4 slices Uncooked Bacon, chopped
1 (15 oz) Can Black-Eyed Peas
1 cup White Onion, diced
2 tsp Garlic, minced
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 can Diced Tomatoes
½ cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock
½ tsp Smoked Paprika
⅛ tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Sea Salt

Instructions

Wash and dry your collard greens thoroughly and chop into large bite sized pieces with the stems on. Alternatively, you could purchase a bag of pre-chopped collard greens to save time.
Turn instant pot to saute function on high. Add in chopped bacon and saute for 5-8 minutes or until bacon starts to brown. Add in diced onion, garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt and continue to saute until onion becomes translucent (about another 5 minutes).
Add in your raw, chopped collard greens in batches. As they begin to wilt, stir them in with the bacon garlic and onion mixture and keep adding raw greens until they all fit in the instant pot.
Add in the apple cider vinegar, canned tomatoes (not drained), stock and stevia and toss with tongs until everything is combined.
Pressure cook on HIGH for 3 minutes and use a quick release once finished cooking. Adjust any seasonings if necessary. Rinse and drain canned black eyed peas and toss with cooked collard greens.

Notes

Should I remove collard greens stems? If you are making collard greens in the instant pot, the stems do not need to be removed. Since the instant pot will cook the greens at high pressure, the stems will become tender. For salads and wraps, remove the tough stem.

Already Pre Chopped and Cut Collard Greens are a great option if you want to take a shortcut. You can find these in your grocery store in the produce section.

How Long Do I Cook Collard Greens In The Instant Pot? Since this tender green cooks very quickly, you may find that it starts wilting just from the heat of sauteing the bacon and onion. Collard greens will pressure cook on high for 5 minutes and will be fully cooked and soft.

How long do cook collard greens last? Store any unused collard greens in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. They can be re-heated in the microwave or by sauteing in a pot or skillet over medium heat until warmed through.

To Make Instant Pot Collard Greens Keto: simply omit the canned black eyed peas in this recipe

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 157Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 416mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 7gSugar: 4gProtein: 9g

It is the reader's responsibility to determine the value and quality of any recipe or instructions provided for food preparation and to determine the nutritional value, if any, and safety of the preparation instructions.

Valerie Skinner is a Whole30 approved personal chef & recipe developer that bridges the gap between healthy eating and busy lives by providing simple healthy meals and recipes for you and your family.

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Check out my Podcast: Food Conversations

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Italian Antipasto Skewers

December 2, 2019 by Thyme and JOY Leave a Comment

Italian Antipasto skewers are an easy no bake appetizer for any occasion and can be made ahead of time by putting together Italian meats, cheeses and olives.

What Is Antipasto Salad?

Antipasto salad is a traditional first course in Italian meals. The word Antipasto actually means “before the meal” It usually includes meats like salami, pepperoni, or prosciutto as well as cheeses, olives and peppers.

Why You’ll Love Antipasto Skewers:

Variety is the Italian spice of life. I made this appetizer easy by adding in classic Italian foods, but feel free to add whatever sounds good to you.

They can be made ahead of time. All you have to do is skewer the meats, cheeses and veggies onto a skewer and pop in the refrigerator and take out right before serving.

Antipasto is naturally low carb which makes your guests happy that are following a keto diet.

There is no need to soak your wooden skewers before adding everything to them.

Customize Your Antipasto Appetizer:

I made this recipe according to what I enjoy, but the beauty is that you can add whatever foods you like including:

Marinated Artichoke Hearts – Find these in the canned or ethnic section of your grocery store
Pepperoni – this popular meat is a perfect spicy kick to this appetizer
Prosciutto – one of my favorite cured meats for breakfast and appetizers
Cubed Cheese– cheddar, manchego, feta or anything that is on a cheese plate
Cheese Filled Tortellini – these can be cooked ahead of time and placed on the skewer cold
Cucumbers – a good way to add a healthy crunch
Roasted Red Peppers – these are popular in Italian cuisine and can be found in a jar at the grocery store
Stuffed Olives – olives can be stuffed with cheese, peppers or even garlic
Drizzle with Italian Dressing
Drizzle with Balsamic Glaze

How To Make Antipasto Skewers:

Since the presentation is better if everything is the same size, cut any big pieces such as pepperoncini peppers, dry salami and mozzarella if needed and make sure there as at least 12 of each piece.
For each 8 inch skewer, I thread 2 big basil leaves, one piece of dry Italian salami, one pepperoncini pepper, one small mozzarella ball, one cherry tomato and one kalamata olive
OPTIONAL: for added flavor, drizzle on some Italian dressing or balsamic glaze.

Antipasto kabobs will be a great addition to your party line up, here are some other popular appetizers to check out:

SAVE THIS RECIPE TO YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS

Italian Antipasto Skewers

Yield: 12 skewers

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Italian Antipasto skewers are an easy no bake appetizer for any occasion and can be made ahead of time by putting together Italian meats, cheeses and olives.

Ingredients

12 8 inch Wooden Skewers
24 Fresh Basil Leaves
12 pieces Dry Italian Salami
12 Cherry Tomatoes
12 small Pepperoncini Peppers
12 small Fresh Mozzarella Balls
12 Kalamata Olives

Instructions

Since the presentation is better if everything is the same size, cut any big pieces such as pepperoncini peppers, dry salami and mozzarella if needed and make sure there as at least 12 of each piece.
For each 8 inch skewer, I thread 2 big basil leaves, one piece of dry Italian salami, one pepperoncini pepper, one small mozzarella ball, one cherry tomato and one kalamata olive
OPTIONAL: for added flavor, drizzle on some Italian dressing or balsamic glaze.

Notes

Customize Your Antipasto Appetizer:

I made this recipe according to what I enjoy, but the beauty is that you can add whatever foods you like including:

Marinated Artichoke Hearts - Find these in the canned or ethnic section of your grocery store
Pepperoni - this popular meat is a perfect spicy kick to this appetizer
Prosciutto - one of my favorite cured meats for breakfast and appetizers
Cubed Cheese- cheddar, manchego, feta or anything that is on a cheese plate
Cheese Filled Tortellini - these can be cooked ahead of time and placed on the skewer cold
Cucumbers - a good way to add a healthy crunch
Roasted Red Peppers - these are popular in Italian cuisine and can be found in a jar at the grocery store
Stuffed Olives - olives can be stuffed with cheese, peppers or even garlic
Drizzle with Italian Dressing
Drizzle with Balsamic Glaze

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 133Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 1192mgCarbohydrates: 6gNet Carbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 8g