Mama Jo's Key Lime Pie // with // Gluten-FREE Variation

Mama Jo’s Key Lime Pie

Crust:

1/2  cup melted butter

1 1/2  packages of graham crackers 

 - pulsed with a blender or smash into crumbs

1/4  cup granulated sugar

1/2  teaspoon cinnamon

Mix well and press firmly into a springform pan.

(*FOR  A  GLUTEN-FREE CRUST: *)

1/2  cup melted butter

2  packages of Pamela’s Gluten-FREE graham crackers 

- pulsed with a blender or smash into crumbs

1/4  cup  AND  2  Tablespoons granulated sugar

3/4  teaspoon cinnamon

Mix well and press firmly into a springform pan.

Filling:

1   14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

3 egg yolks  (fridge temperature)

½ cup Key Lime juice 

(Nellie and Joe’s Key West Lime Juice is preferred with this recipe!)

Mix ingredients with a hand mixer until combined - and then mix on HIGH for 3 minutes. 

Pour evenly on top of the crust.

Bake at 350 until firm which means NO “jiggle in the middle” (about 15 minutes).

Prepare:

2 cups heavy whipping cream  

1 teaspoon vanilla  (Mexican vanilla is preferred)

Whip up and set aside.

Topping:

1  14oz. can sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp. micro grated lime peel (usually just one ripe lime…) 

½ cup Key Lime juice  

(Nellie and Joe’s Key West Lime Juice is preferred with this recipe!)

Beat until VERY thick and smooth, then CAREFULLY FOLD IN whipped cream.

DO NOT over fold or stir once whipping cream is added.  

It will be lumpy, don’t worry about them! (They will even themselves out… I promise!). Chill in fridge. 

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Chill topping mixture until baked pie is throughly cooled enough to add the topping.

Top the cooled pie with “topping” and chill again for 3-6 hours or overnight.

Remove from the fridge 1/2 hour before serving.

Cut into slices.

Grab one before serving and eat immediately, or save for   later... as there will not be any leftover!

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Click Link FOR:       Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS  

Toasted Pecan, Maple and Parsnip Cake

adapted from the cookbook: 
The Great British Baking Show
A  BAKE  FOR  ALL  SEASONS

Toasted Pecan, 

Maple and Parsnip Cake... 

(Secretly NOT a secret: It's Gluten-FREE) 

PREP and Set Aside:
1 and 1/2 cups peeled and grated parsnips

1 and 1/2 cups pecans, chopped and toasted

DRY  Ingredients Mix and Set Aside:

1 and 1/2 cups gluten-free flour

2/3 cup almond flour

1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 

1/8 teaspoon sea-salt

WET Ingredients:

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups dark brown sugar, lightly pressed 

1/2 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt

4 large eggs

1/3 cup (generous...) maple syrup

1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla

Cream Cheese Filling:

1 - 8 ounce package of full-fat cream cheese 

5 Tablespoons salted (or sweet) butter

3 Tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla

powder sugar for dusting

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To toast pecans:

Pre-heat oven to 325.

Chop pecans to measure 1 and 1/2 cups chopped.

Spread out evenly on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Once oven is at temperature, bake (toast!) for 7-8 minutes ONLY; remove from oven and set aside.

RESET the oven to 350.

PEEL and grate enough parsnips to measure out 1 and 1/2 cups; set aside.

Combine all DRY ingredients in a mixing bowl; set aside.

Combine all WET ingredients in a mixing stand bowl or a large bowl to use with a electric hand mixer.

Once all WET ingredients are combined - mix on HIGH for 3 minutes.

Add all DRY ingredients and mix with a hand whisk or spoon until combined.  

FOLD IN grated parsnips and toasted pecans.

Let all combined ingredients rest for 10 minutes.

While ingredients are resting - grease and sugar your baking tins.

Bake for 35-45 minutes for 2 cake tins size: 

Bake for 30-35 minutes for 4 cake tins size:

Let cake cool completely in their baking tins.

When cooled completely, bump out onto cooling racks an additional hour.

Make cream cheese filling.

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Putting cakes together:

sandwich the cream cheese filling in the middle

Dust the top and the cake plate with powder sugar.

CHILL for 2-4 hours or overnight.

(overnight is preferred!)

 

4 cake tins make 2 small cakes.

(use 1/2 of the cream cheese filling)

2 cake tins makes 1 large cake.

(use ALL of the cream cheese filling)

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(It's a recipe FOR your recipe!)

CLICK TO GO TO: 

Gluten-Free Flour Mix

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Click Link FOR:       Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS  

GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR MIX

GLUTEN-FREE  FLOUR  MIX:

3 cups -  RICE FLOUR

1 and 1/2 cups -  TAPIOCA FLOUR

3/4 cup -  POTATO STARCH

1 heaping Tablespoon -  XANTHAN GUM

1/2 Tablespoon sea salt 

Mix throughly and store in an air tight container in your pantry. 

OR, if you don’t use gluten-free flour very frequently, put it in the fridge.

Note:

When using in a recipe as a wheat flour substitute:

 - OMIT up to 1 teaspoon salt.

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This is my mixing box -

The only ingredient I do not keep in this box at the ready is salt.

Several reasons I keep this box in my baking cupboard:

1 - I can keep an eye on my flour-making-ingredients
and levels so that I do not run out of something. 

2 - It makes making the flour often FAST!

To add to my the convenience of the mixing box, 
I have a 3/4 cup measuring cup as a permanent fixture.

When I'm making my mix it makes it extra EASY!

(4) 3/4 cup measurements of rice flour
(2) 3/4 cup measurements of tapioca flour
(1) 3/4 cup measurements of potato starch

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I purchase my flours and potato starch
typically at my local Kroger or HEB store. 
When they are not available I hop on
Amazon or an online store called VitaCost

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Click Link FOR:       Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS  

Roasted Garden Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad

NOTE:  Add extra olive oil to any leftovers.

Found this recipe when looking for uses of our 2023 summer sweet potatoes from the garden (we still have some in the pantry and it's September!) 

;0)  We - LOVED - it from the first try!

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THINGS  TO  NOTE:

- add olive oil to any leftovers

- add feta cheese ONLY when you're ready to eat

- great as a meat-free meal!

- pan saute your choice of kale in a little olive oil, kosher salt and coarse pepper

- toasting cashews happens FAST! (and literally stink and burn if you don't watch them closely) toast them on parchment paper for a quick transfer off of a hot baking pan

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Elevated Rice Crispy Treats // Optional: dairy-free

Heat/Melt in a large pot: 

FOR REGULAR:

6 Tablespoons butter

15 oz bag of large marshmallows

- OR -

FOR DAIRY FREE: 

1/3 cup coconut oil 

15 oz bag of large marshmallows

TAKE OFF THE HEAT 

ADD:

1 teaspoon vanilla 

(Mexican vanilla preferred) 

ADD: 

8 cups

Plain rice crispies

- OR - 

8 cups

chocolate rice crispies

Note: go slow when adding crispies! 1/2 a portion at a time - don’t dump everything all at once. You want to keep it moist and marshmallow heavy.

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Dedicated to Susan Anderson who “elevated” my opinion of rice crispy treats with her use of vanilla. ❤️

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Bret’s Gluten-FREE Brownie Cookie // (AKA: Schitt’s Cookies)

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These cookies are quite literally Bret's Cookies.  

She wanted them, so she made them up!

She wanted a chocolate-chocolate-chip cookie...

We have a perfected gluten-free recipe for regular chocolate chip cookies and she modified it to what her heart desired. 

These are THE BEST!!! 

In fact, we just had them for dinner tonight...

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(It's a recipe FOR your recipe!)

CLICK TO GO TO: 

Gluten-Free Flour Mix

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Bret’s Gluten-FREE Brownie Cookie

// (AKA: Schitt’s Cookies)

CREAM TOGETHER:
1 cup softened butter (2 sticks)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar

ADD:
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Mexican Vanilla preferred)
2 eggs, beaten

COMBINE:

2 1/2 cups of gluten-FREE flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon dark cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

LAST ADDITION:
1 and 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

RECOMMENDED: 

use 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1. beat butter and sugars together on high for 3 minutes
2. beat in vanilla and eggs
3. combine dry ingredients together and slowly add to wet ingredients
4. add chocolate chips
5. roll dough into balls and place onto a cookie sheet, preferably a clay one, with parchment paper
6. squish dough balls to look like this: / \
7. bake for 10 min at 375°

8. remove from oven and, holding the edges of the parchment paper tightly, lift off the baking sheet to cool on a baking rack or counter 

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Payton and Garrett had these cookies for
the first time over Christmas break 2023...
Pretty sure these cookies are their
new favorite now too!

Is a warm, gooey chocolate-chocolate chip cookie
needed after a cold day at the beach? Yes indeed.

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Click Link FOR:       Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS  

Enchilada Sauce (Homemade/Gluten-FREE)

 

Green Chicken Enchiladas
With Pepper Jack Cheese 
And Munster Cheese

I can already feel your eyes on that post title... 

and in your mind you might be saying:

"JO.  REALLY.  Do you have to label everything gluten-FREE???"

Unfortunately - yes. 

YES because when you start reading labels of ready-made and ready-to-eat things nearly every damn thing has gluten in it.  

So if you're like me and want to make something, say enchiladas, ALL the components (okay - nearly ALL) ends up being something YOU have to make yourself.

My enchiladas, green or red, are layered in a 9X13 pan generously rubbed down with olive oil or cooking spray.

Next - a 1/2 cup of sauce spread on the bottom.

20-24 Corn tortillas are at the ready, warmed on the griddle and bendy.

Corn tortillas are filled with shredded rotisarie chicken, shredded pepper jack cheese and a big spoonful of enchilada sauce.

Once all the corn tortillas are filled, rolled and tucked into the 9X13 pan, the entire collection gets 1 cup of enchilada sauce spread over the top with a final layer of pepper jack cheese.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

Broil for an additional 2-5 minutes or until the cheese has some toasty brown spots.

Serve hot with salad and fresh fruit.

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Enchilada Sauce - original by Heidi Mark   

"Gluten-FREE" depends on the flour you choose to use.

2 30 oz cans tomato sauce

2 TBSP chicken broth paste

1/4 cup flour OR gluten-free flour mix

2 TBSP oil

1 1/2 TBSP cumin 

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt 

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper 

Combine tomato sauce, oil, and broth paste and spices in a medium or large saucepan.  Whisk together and then add your choice of flour, whisking until smooth. Bring to a simmer - stir often.  Keep temperature low and simmer 6-8 min. 

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FOR  GREEN (VERDE) ENCHILADAS

2 jars green salsa 

For a 9X13 pan 

Grease pan

Heat one jar of salsa over medium heat 

ADD: 

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons cumin

2 Tablespoons better-than-bullion chicken broth 

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper 

1/4 cup gluten-free flour 

Stir constantly until thick 

Remove from heat 

Other salsa jar - pour 1/2 into 9X13 pan - layer enchiladas - pour remaining salsa over enchiladas - cover with shredded or sliced cheese 

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

Broil top for 2-5 minutes if cheese needs to be toasty.

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Click Link FOR:       Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS  

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Fun Family Fact:

My husband calls these "WMME's" if you ever meet me in person I'll tell you what this stands for  :0)