When baking this holiday season do it the eco-friendly way. One of my favorite earth-friendly baking products is the 'If You Care Brand.' Not only is this brand of cooking and house cleaning products earth-friendly, the quality is unparalleled. The 'If You Care' Unbleached cupcake liners work flawlessly with each batch of muffins. I don't even use canola/olive oil spray on the liners - they peel right off the stickiest of confections. The parchment paper works great for Gingerbread or your favorite holiday cookies.
'If You Care' Brand Mission Statement (from their website)
"If You Care kitchen and household products are carefully and deliberately crafted to have the least environmental impact and the lightest carbon footprint possible, while at the same time, delivering to the consumer, the highest quality and most effective results
If You Care is committed to protecting the environment by producing high-quality alternatives to conventional kitchen and household products. The materials we use are specially chosen to reduce their impact on our environment. We use unbleached paper, recycled materials and wood and paper coming from sustainably managed forests. We replace petroleum based ingredients with natural and renewable resources. We use paper from pulp and paper mills practicing the highest levels of clean water management. Every care is taken to ensure that each step– from factory to store shelf – conforms to strict standards for the conservation and protection of our greatest asset – the environment."
Their product line includes all your baking needs (wax paper, cheese cloth, FSC certified baking cups, foil...the list goes on) to laundry detergent and trash bags.
I highly recommend 'If You Care' - the price is affordable (around $1.99 for a pack of baking cups) and is a quality product. It is an added bonus that 'If You Care' is good for the environment.
I've included two holiday recipes below that I have used 'If You Care' products with success (wax paper and baking cups):
Gluten Free Gingerbread People:
Have fun with this recipe, use Santa cutouts, or Wildlife like Moose or Bison, you can make royal icing or cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick of butter) softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1 egg
1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup white rice flour (Bob's Red Mill works great)
1/4 cup Tapioca Flour (Bob's Red Mill)
2 teaspoons baking soda (if you live in a high altitude climate like me only add a pinch of baking soda or none at all)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
pinch salt
1. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl and electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add molasses and egg; beat until well blended
2. Combine sorghum flour, rice flour, tapioca flour BS, salt, xanthan gum, ginger, allspice and cinnamon in a large bowl. Gradually at flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat at low speed until dough forms. Shape dough into disc; wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours until firm (the firmer the better for rolling out)
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use if you care parchment paper (greasing optional) roll out dought on lightly rice-floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets
4. Bake 10-15 minutes or until set. Cool completely, Decorate as desired.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
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Citrus Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons Canola Oil (or Olive Oil)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (organic)
1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour (If you want Gluten Free, use this mix: 1/4 cup Brown Rice Flour, 1/4 cup White Rice Flour, 1/4 cup sorghum flour, 1/4 cup Tapioca Flour 1/4 cup corn starch - mix together - you can multiply to make many cups worth at once - measure out 1 1/2 cups of flour and add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum per cup.
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Fair Trade Baking Cocoa
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips (semisweet mini chocolate chips)
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1. In a small bowl, beat the orange juice, water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into the orange juice mixture until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
2. Coat muffin cups (If you Care) with cooking spray (I usually skip the spraying and it still peels off), fill half full with batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and garnish with orange.
I hope you enjoy these recipes. Be sure to stock up on 'If You Care' products - they are good for the environment and work great in the kitchen.
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