Book of Yum

Last week I hosted a contest to the reader with the most enticing easy box cake recipe that could be used with the new gluten-free Betty Crocker mixes. You responded with a wealth of yummy sounding recipes, many of which made my mouth water. Unexpectedly last week we also found that my new daughter may have a sensitivity to dairy, and since I wanted to make samples of the top few recipes (and actually get to eat them) we ended up leaning towards recipes that could be adapted to be dairy/casein-free. From the very beginning, the DH was sure which recipe he most wanted me to make… Robin’s chocolate cherry cake. I was personally bewitched by the eggless apple cake (which I did end up making as well), Wendy’s Peanut Butter Fudge Bars and Katrina’s Poppy Seed Cake. However, the last two were rather dairy-dependent, and I had promised to let the DH choose our contest winner. After I tasted the cherry chocolate cake I knew we had a winner- and I was sure when the DH gobbled down multiple pieces that night and requested it for his birthday cake. The dairy-free chocolate frosting I made was also a big hit. While I’m usually a “from scratch” kind of girl, sometimes it is nice to have an easy option taking advantage of some of the great new gluten-free mixes. Thank you to Robin and all the participants that shared their delicious recipes! If you get a chance to try any of the other entries, do let me know how they turn out in the comments.

Vegan Dairy-free gluten-free Chocolate almond frosting recipe Sauces & Condiments  American

Ingredients 8 oz. powdered sugar (half of 1 lb box) plus 1/6 cup 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 cup earth balance margarine stick, melted 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring 1/8 cup rice milk (+more as needed for desired texture) Directions Sift sugar and cocoa together into a medium bowl. Add melted margarine and flavorings and stir together. Add rice milk as needed to get it to spread nicely. Enjoy! Notes We served this on a chocolate cherry Gluten-free Betty Crocker cake. The DH loved it and didn’t miss the dairy at all.

Rating:  7 Original Source:  Inspired by internet research, but my own original creation. Please do not replicate without my permission. Recipe ID:  1441 Added:  August 9, 2009 Last Modified:  August 12, 2009

Robin’s Gluten-free Betty Crocker Chocolate cherry cake recipe Dessert  Alternative Grains  American

Ingredients 1 box Gluten-free Betty Crocker’s devils food cake mix 1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 tsp. vanilla flavoring 2 eggs Gluten-free chocolate frosting (homemade or store bought) Directions Spray square cake pan with nonstick baking spray or margarine and sprinkle with gluten-free flour and set aside. In large bowl, combine gluten-free cake mix, cherry pie filling, almond extract, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, then beat 1 minute at medium speed. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until cake is set. Cool and frost with favorite chocolate frosting mix. Notes I’d like to experiment with fresh or frozen cherries in a thickened sweet sauce in the future…

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Robin’s entry for my Betty Crocker Recipe Mix Contest Recipe ID:  1443 Added:  August 12, 2009 Last Modified:  August 12, 2009

At a recent Celiac Bay Area potluck one of our members brought some yummy yellow cupcakes topped with chocolate frosting. It turned out she was one of the first in our area to score the new Betty Crocker mixes (at Nob Hill grocery, for you locals) and so she brought some cupcakes for the group to try. My non GF DH was extremely enthused and kept stealing them- and I thought they were pretty tasty as well. Later on I made some blueberry cupcakes with the mix, and I found that while the texture is good they really aren’t kidding about the vanilla. Add it or the mix is a tad bland. Nevertheless, with gluten-free cake texture is half the battle and my DH proclaimed them indistinguishable from the “real” thing. Buy Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix on Amazon

We tried the Betty Crocker Gluten-free Devil’s Food Cake mix second, after we’d tried the yellow cake mix. As it happens, I don’t especially like chocolate cake, or devil’s food cake, and so it wasn’t especially exciting to me. The texture was good, though, and the DH seemed to enjoy it slathered in prepared chocolate frosting. I probably wouldn’t buy this again, but if you like chocolate cake or devil’s food cake… or chocolate cupcakes, this may be the mix for you. Buy Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devil’s Food Cake Mix on Amazon

The third Gluten-Free Betty Crocker mix we tried was the brownie mix. I’ve had my share of gluten-free brownie mixes in the past, from Gluten-Free pantry or Pamela’s, and I enjoyed them. This mix is equal to those specialty mixes, although it must be said that it is a very sweet mix. In fact, the first ingredient is sugar. We had no trouble polishing this batch off, and I would buy it again although I might not buy a whole case of it as I somehow don’t think that would be compatible with losing post-pregnancy inches. Buy Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie Mix on Amazon

The one gluten-free mix we couldn’t find at our local Nob hill was the Betty Crocker mix for chocolate chip cookies. Cookies are actually my favorite sweet- I prefer them by far to cake or cupcakes or even brownies, and so I was sad not to be able to try it. Luckily, the PR company representing Betty Crocker contacted me and offered me a sample pack of the four mixes and so I was able to get the mix after all. The DH mixed up the batch. One funny thing about these Betty Crocker mixes is that the DH has been more enthused/less intimidated by the package and so has been baking more with them than he ever had with regular gluten-free mixes. One more advantage to a mix offered by a mainstream company like Betty Crocker- family members may be more receptive and willing to mix it up for you (and them) to enjoy! The DH did make some grumbly comments about not really needing a mix for cookies- and I do see his point. After all, we’ve been happily making the recipe on the Tollhouse chocolate chip package for years just subbing rice flour or Betty Hagman’s gourmet blend for the flour (no xanthan gum needed). However, with that recipe you need to have chocolate chips on hand, and with a mix you can just add a few commonly held ingredients and have cookies anytime. I thought the cookies were excellent and just as good as our Tollhouse versions, if not better. The DH was slightly less enthused- but that didn’t stop him from gobbling them up! I would buy this mix again, although a case might be a bit too much temptation (and calories) for a new momma.
Buy Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix on Amazon

The fun thing about these mixes, besides how easy it is to prepare them, is that you can use them for those traditional “box mix” recipes. There are some very fun recipes on the Betty Crocker web page using these mixes:

Bette Crocker Gluten-Free Mix Recipes
(including Banana Muffins, Brownie Ganache Torte with Raspberries, and Gluten-free Carrot Cake)

I’d like to host a contest at my blog over the next week- starting today, July 30th, and closing on August 6th. The winner will receive a Betty Crocker “Sweet Treats” prize pack that includes all four (4) samples of the dessert mixes, two (2) Free coupons for any of the varieties, a grocery tote bag, magnetic grocery list and pen. (Prize pack depicted above.) Unfortunately only US residents are eligible as Betty Crocker is not available in Canada or other international locations and this is a company sponsored contest. To enter, simply share the URL of your favorite (non-GF) recipe using a baking box mix (yellow cake, chocolate cake, brownie, or cookie mix) or type the recipe in the recipe in the comments below. Please share any credits. (Do not use any of the Bette Crocker recipes from their web site- the goal is to come up with some new options.) Ideally this would be an original recipe, but an old family favorite (credited to author) is welcome too. I will select one recipe to make in my kitchen, adapting for the Bette Crocker mixes, and the reader who submitted that recipe will then receive the Sweet Treats Prize Pack. To make it fair, I will read the recipes to my DH, who will choose the recipe that sounds the most appealing to him “blind” (without knowing who submitted them.) Looking forward to seeing your recipes!

Our contest is over, but Gluten-free Steve has a current thread of Betty Crocker GF Mix recipes – check them out and share your ideas!