Breakfast, Tea, Anytime Jumbles

I like to bake in the morning.

It’s just a great way to start the day IMHO. Besides, I get so busy with other things that by the time afternoon rolls around I have second thoughts about getting out the baking gear. After all, afternoon is the time to start thinking about cooking dinner and the idea of baking then just seems like something extra to try to squeeze in. For me baking is fun—I never want it to be a chore or something that must be done.

This summer there really is no choice but to bake in the morning. The past few weeks have been so hot that turning on the oven during the mid-day heat is not something I want to do. So I’ve been making most dinners on the grill and treats that are chilled or frozen.

While our stash of ice creams and sorbets is growing the frozen baked goods that usually reside in the freezer have dwindled to almost nothing. And, I miss baking. I like to bake. It’s that feel good thing. So, today, baking it is.

These little jumbles are quick and easy. Although the oven is set to 400 degrees they’re only in there for about 6-8 minutes. In and out. Simple. Delicious.

I’ve been enjoying them with my morning coffee for a quick breakfast. And, in the afternoon with tea. And….uh oh…they’re addictive! Freeze ‘em and you’ll have them whenever you want. Great for the kids, too since they’re packed with good stuff.

Breakfast, Tea, Anytime Jumbles

You can easily omit the brown sugar and/or reduce the agave/honey to 2 or 3 tablespoons if you want a less sweet jumble. You can also leave out the dried fruit. They will still be wonderful—not awesome, but still wonderful. (These are not overwhelmingly sweet but I know some of you watch your sugar intake.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Make (and set aside) one faux egg by whisking together:

1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer

2 tablespoons warm water

Whisk together in a large bowl:

1 1/8 cups almond flour

1/2 cup GF flour blend*

1/2 cup GF rolled oats

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Mix together in a small bowl or 2 cup measuring cup:

The faux egg you mixed up earlier

4 tablespoons agave or honey

3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

3 tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir together with a spatula or spoon until well blended.

Add and mix in:

1/4 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips

1/4 cup golden raisins, dried cherries, other dried fruits or a mix (I used raisins and cherries)

1/3 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or your favorite nuts

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. The dough is nice and thick and these guys don’t spread. I fit them all on one large baking sheet about 1 inch apart.

Bake in the preheated oven for 6-8 minutes until toasty brown. The little peaks have a tendency to get quite dark.

*I like to use Authentic Foods Multi-Blend Flour but there are many options. Visit The Sensitive Pantry’s Tips and Subs for more information on Gluten-free flour blends.

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Lemon Basil Ice Cream

I lead a double life.

Worker bee, wife, friend and mother by day.

Foodblogger, tweeter and recipe dreamer-upper by night.

That’s how it feels sometimes when I get together with old friends. The ones I’ve known forever. The pre-food sensitivity, pre-foodblogger, just plain old Nancy friends. The ones I get to see face-to-face.

I have another life—one that revolves around this food blog. One that includes you and my friends on Twitter and the other folks who write the blogs I love to visit. The friends I don’t get to see face-to-face.

I talk about many of the same things to my friends in both worlds: food and food sensitivities and gluten-free recipes and everything in between and around those subjects. I share what my husband likes to eat, what my son is doing, the latest antics of the little dogs.

There’s a dividing line between those worlds—sort of like the Mississippi River. One riverbank never touches the other riverbank. My double life.

Those two worlds are about to collide. In a few short weeks I’ll be at the Big Summer Potluck (organized by Maggy of Three Many Cooks and Erika of The Ivory Hut). There a gathering of mostly NE foodbloggers will spend the day together talking food and blogs. I’m excited about the content (guest speaker Alice from Savory Sweet Life), the venue, and connecting with cool foodbloggers, some of whom I’ve been talking to online for ages (that’s you Jeanne and Amber!!)

This is going to be a blast!

While I muse about colliding worlds I’m doing what any self-respecting food blogger would do—I’m savoring some Lemon Basil Ice Cream. It’s a creamy bright lemon-ice flavored confection suitable for a hot summer night and an evening of pondering riverbanks and meeting up with friends from faraway places.

Lemon Basil Ice Cream

Combine in a medium saucepan and heat until all the sugar is dissolved (do not boil):

1 can coconut milk (not lite)

1/2 cup purified water

3/4 cups sugar

pinch of salt

Remove from the heat and add:

1/4 cup washed basil leaves

Let the basil and coconut milk steep, off of the stove, for about 45-60 minutes.

Remove the leaves (I poured the liquid through a fine sieve) and whisk in:

1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)

4 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 of the lemons)

Chill in your refrigerator in a glass or ceramic bowl overnight or long enough (maybe 4-6 hours) for it to become very cold. Process it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

I originally finely chopped some additional basil leaves and added them to the chilled mixture because I love the green speckles. Although it looked pretty I didn’t enjoy the feeling of the basil pieces on my tongue.

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