Sam's Gluten Free Recipes
October 1st, 2024
Bird's Nest Cookies
Yield: 12 cookies
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups gluten free pretzel sticks
1 1/2 cups peanut butter baking chips
2 teaspoons butter
1/4 cup candy eggs (I used peanut butter m&ms but Cadbury mini eggs would work)
Instructions:
Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water; cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Uncover the pan and place a medium heatproof bowl over the simmering water, allowing it to sit on the rim. Add peanut butter chips and butter to the bowl; using a rubber spatula, stir often, until just melted.
In the meanwhile, break pretzels into 1/2-inch pieces or roughly chop with a knife.
Once the peanut butter has melted, carefully remove bowl from the heat. Add pretzels and stir until fully coated in mixture.
Spoon onto the prepared baking sheet into small piles (about 1/4 cup per nest). Spread each pile out into a 2 1/2-inch circle, then make a small divot in the center to create a nest.
Fill each nest with 3-4 candy eggs and place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or until they are cooled and harden.
Irish Potato Candy
Yield: 18-22 pieces
Ingredients:
2oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups powdered sugar
3 cups packed shredded coconut (I use unsweetened finely shredded)
2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
Instructions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Place the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar until fully incorporated. Add the coconut and mix on low until just incorporated, about 1 minute.
Using a tablespoon measure, spoon out level tablespoons of the candy mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Using your hands, shape each spoonful into an oval potato shape.
Place the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Roll each potato candy in the cinnamon until fully coated and place back on the prepared baking sheet. Chill the candies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving. You can refrigerate the candies in an airtight container between layers of parchment or wax paper for up to a week.
