Blueberry Pie sweetened with Maple Syrup

You can make a fine blueberry pie using dark maple syrup as a sweetener instead of granulated sugar. This pie is refreshingly fruity and not as sweet as the more common sugar-sweetened pie.

Here are the general rules:

for 5-6 cups of Maine wild blueberries, add the following in a large bowl:

1 cup of pure maple syrup

2 Tablespoons of cornstarch

3 Tablespoons of flavorless tapioca starch (Authentic Foods offers a tapioca starch) or 1/4 cup instant granulated tapioca. If you use instant granulated tapioca, let the whole mixture sit for 15 minutes before constructing the pie.

1/8 teaspoon salt

3-4 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to offset the maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Use a 2-crust recipe for pie crust, and use a 9 or 10 inch glass pie dish. If you use a larger pie dish, the pie will have less depth, and if you use a smaller pie dish then the pie will be more "heaped up." Line the pie dish with 1 piece of crust pastry, fill with the blueberry mixture, top with the second crust. Sprinkle the top crust with 1/4 cup of granulated sugar.

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 1 hour. If the blueberries are frozen, the pie may need a few extra minutes. Cool the pie on a rack before cutting.

Use all gluten-free ingredients!

© Gf-Zing! | Alice DeLuca

Homemade Hot Cocoa MIx

Hot cocoa mix from GfZing! is easy to make at home. Here's how to make an instant cocoa mix that will spice up your breakfast. Make sure that each individual component of the mixture is gluten free - the cocoa, the spices etc.

In a jar that holds 750 ml, place:

* 3/4 cup sugar (or the equivalent sweetening amount of a gluten free sugar substitute)
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional to add spiciness - you can grind up one dried cayenne pepper and add that)
* 1/4 cup finely ground skinned almonds (optional - this adds a gritty texture)
* 3.2 ounces of nonfat powdered dry milk (the amount to make one quart)

Shake this mixture up until it is completely homogeneous.

Use 3-4 Tablespoons of the mixture with 1 mug of hot water to make your cocoa.

© Gf-Zing! | Alice DeLuca