Pfsh... Salted Caramel. I Can Do Better

I have been toying with the idea of chocolate chip cookies with soy sauce in them and not figuring it out right.

Today it hit me! The big craze on salted caramel lately? Why not caramel with soy sauce?!!?

Since we are gluten free of course I used Bragg's Liquid Aminos instead.

One cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup margarine
1 tablespoon Braggs plus enough Silk Very Vanilla Soymilk to make 1 cup liquid

Line an 8" square pan with parchment. Combine all ingredients in tall sided saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat to medium high, stir constantly until candy thermometer indicates 245•F

Pour into prepared pan. Cool one hour on counter and another hour in fridge.

Cut into 3/4" squares and wrap pieces in parchment or waxed paper.

The house smells a-mazing! Some of my neighbors made a pit stop while trick or treating (we are the 'trick or beer' house) and I think they wanted my caramel too!

Tricks & Treats

I am promising myself I will make SOME sort of treat after work!  Dinner will be easy.  Just throwing some rice and edamame in the rice cooker and making a peanut sauce for the boys (will post that recipe tonite).

I am not really in the mood for anything this week (coffee and Coke aren't even appealing).

Maybe it will be milkshakes or maybe it will be Very Vanilla Pudding.  Something that doesn't need a babysitter since I will be answering the doorbell and comforting my kitty who will freak out when the bells rings... over and over and over!

Happy Halloween!  Hope it is boo-eautiful!    

Scooter Approved Spicy Stewed Garden Tomatoes

I am making vegetable soup today! Len introduced me to Alexia frozen diced carrots. Treasure Island carries them. I've never seen them and couldn't even find them on Alexia's website!

I thought Big D would enjoy something with a bit more flavor to add to his soup. Admittedly, my soup is a little bland for normal people!

6 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 green pepper cored and diced
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons Margarine

Put everything in medium sauce pan. Bring gently to boil increasing heat as tomatoes give out some juices and margarine is melted. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until peppers are tender.

Finish with fresh basil, oregano or both!

Kisses? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Kisses

Another classic redo to take me back to easier days. Halloween was all about the peanut butter cups for me. (OK and the little Pal bubble gum but that's another story.)

A trio Trader Joe's Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips are snug in a pillow of chewy peanut butter cookie. These have excellent texture despite their GF roots.

My daughter has successful made these with cashew butter! We have baked with Sunbutter but it turns everything green when baked with. Cashew butter is difficult to find around here but stock up when we see it.

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon maple syrup (that is my brown sugar replacement)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg replacer egg
1-3/4 cup GF baking mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Chocolate chips - large, no minis
Little more sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 375 and line cookie sheets with parchment.

Beat together margarine, sugar, sugar mixed with maple syrup and peanut butter. Add egg replacer egg. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt.

Form into 3/4" balls, roll in sugar and place on parchment lined cookie sheet about an 1-1/2" apart.

Bake for 8-9 minutes. Push 3 chocolate chips in center of cookie straight from the oven. Cool on pan 2 minutes.

I put foil on my counters to cool cookies. My mom used to transfer them onto big, industrial sized jelly roll pans to cool.

Baking cookies is not as relaxing as bread making but it does have its own benefits.

Cookies were a HUGE part of my childhood. All our teachers couldn't wait for the big tray of Christmas cookies from my mom. I am the youngest of 4 so it was known you would be getting cookies if one of us was in your class!

We had a sort of 3 season room that was cold in the winter. My mom would have tables set up in there LOADED with tins and Tupperware and pans of cookies. Torrali, crescent, peanut butter bars, chocolate crinkles, pizzelle, anise toasted, chewy wreaths made with marshmallow and corn flakes, fudgy chocolate rum, fig filled cucchidati... I'm sure I am missing some! We would brave the cold and sneak out into that room, our feet shocked on the cold concrete step, and steal our favorites!

I sometimes feel I am cheating my kids by not being able to keep these traditions. But we all enjoy working and experimenting in the kitchen here and make our own memories. Even failed recipes make us laugh!