Honey Sweetened Peanut Butter Fudge

I have had a hankering for peanut butter fudge for a long time.  I searched high and low for a legal recipe--on the internet, in my sugar-free cookbooks, etc to no avail! The one that came the closest was a maple syrup recipe that I wasn't that thrilled with.  So last night, I decided to just make up my own see what I could come up with! I obviously wanted a recipe that would be legal and tasty.  I have succeeded and am now sharing just to prove that sugar-free living can be healthy AND tasty, too!! ;)


Peanut Butter Fudge
1 cup of honey
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

Heat honey and butter to boiling.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until butter is melted.  When butter is melted simmer/boil for 5 minutes.  Stir in peanut butter and cook for a few more minutes, mostly until the PB is melted and thoroughly incorporated.  Remove from heat, add vanilla and stir.  Butter an 8"x8" dish and pour mix in.  Refrigerate for several hours.  Cut into 1" squares and ENJOY! :)

Gluten-Free Christmas "Sugar" Cookies

Ever since we started the sugar-free and gluten-free way if eating, I have missed the tradition of rolling out sugar cookies and cutting them out in Christmas-y shapes.  Last year I came across The Food Lovers' Primal Palates' Grain-free Gingerbread Cookie recipe and somewhat satisfied my desire for cut-out cookies.  This year with the discovery of gluten-free pie crust I came to the realization that it just MIGHT be possible to make cookies very similar to what I grew up with.  So I pulled out the old sugar cookie recipe out and looked it over, and came up with this recipe! It's fantastic! I can't wait to eat more of them! :D

What you will need:

3/4 cup of butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
1/2 cup (4 oz) of cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup of honey
1 tsp vanilla

4 cups of Pastry Flour Blend, divided
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tarter


Making the Dough:

Cream together butter and cream cheese together.  Add egg, honey and vanilla.  Cream.

In separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together.

Add dry ingredients mixture to the butter mixture and mix together, kneading at the end.  Divide into 4 balls or discs and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Baking:
Preheat oven to 350.

Roll out dough to desired thickness (I like between 1/8"-1/4").  Cut with cutter[s] of your choice, place on baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes.  These bake fast, so keep an eye on the first batch ;)

If you want, you can also frost these.  We like these best cold, so we keep them in the fridge.

Frosting:
1 stick of butter, softened
2 Tablespoons of maple syrup
1/4 cup raw honey
Pinch of salt
Splash of vanilla

Cream ingredients together and spread on cookies.

Peppermint Frosting variation:
Add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon (depending on taste) peppermint extract (you may want to add a bit more honey if you use the full 1/2 tsp).

ENJOY!! :)