Jules E. Dowler Shepard’s “Free for All Cooking“ contains many recipes using her Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour blend contained in the book. I love it that she gives you several choices of flours to use. This gluten free buckeyes recipe also is made with Jules All-Purpose-Flour Blend. You can make these dairy-free which may contain soy or just plain gluten-free. Enjoy!
These traditionally peanut butter–based candies are loved by all, but have been previously off-limits to the food allergic. Follow these simple modifications to make this wonderful treat enjoyable to all at your holiday table!
If you are avoiding nuts, sunflower “nut” butter and soy “nut” butter are tasty alternatives to peanut butter, but their consistencies are somewhat thinner, so the freezing steps in this recipe are essential to making pretty, not sticky, balls. Leave yourself some extra time to ensure you have time to freeze the balls in between each step, as noted.
Ingredients:
- 1 (16-ounce) jar creamy sunflower “nut” butter, soy “nut” butter, or use peanut butter if not making nut-free
- 8 Tablespoons (1/2 cup) shortening
- 1 pound (1 box) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend Recipe
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract, gluten-free
- 10 ounces chocolate chips (dairy or nondairy, e.g., Sunspire or Enjoy Life)
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
Instructions:
- Cream the nut butter and the shortening. If your shortening is refrigerated, bring it to room temperature before creaming. Beat together with the sugar, flour, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy (approximately 3–5 minutes).
- Divide into four equal amounts and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate or freeze until very cold.
- Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with wax paper.
- Removing only one of the four portions, pinch off a tablespoon at a time of the nut butter mixture and roll gently in your hands to form a ball. Place on the prepared cookie sheet. When all the balls have been formed, repeat with the other portions from the refrigerator or freezer to fill the sheet. When the sheet is filled, cover with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and place in the freezer until the balls are very cold or soft-frozen. Repeat if necessary with additional pans to finish the nut butter mixture.
- Using a double-boiler or placing a small saucepan in a slightly larger saucepan one-third filled with water, heat the water over low-medium heat. Melt the chocolate slowly in the smaller saucepan over the heated water. Stir in the canola oil when the chocolate has melted. Stir periodically to keep it evenly mixed and liquefied.
- When the balls are soft-frozen, remove one tray from the freezer and pick up one ball at a time by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the ball. Gently swirl the ball through the melted chocolate, covering the ball, but leaving the top center (about one-third of the ball) uncovered by chocolate. Replace onto the wax paper–lined cookie sheet. Repeat with all the balls. When they are all dipped, recover with the plastic wrap and foil and replace in the freezer.
- Serve cold, but not frozen. If these balls become warmer than room temperature, they will begin to sweat, so be sure to serve with toothpicks!
Excerpted from “Free For All Cooking” by Jules E. Dowler Shepard. Copyright © 2010 Da Capo Press Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
