gluten-free cookie shake...

Since finding out about my gluten sensitivity in October 2011, I've done a lot of research on gluten-free eating. Far and away the weirdest food that I've discovered can potentially be a no-no is ice cream. ICE CREAM. I really don't understand how they do it, but if you look at a lot of ice cream labels, you'll be out of luck if you're avoiding gluten.

Luckily I live in Texas and a lot of Blue Bell flavors are gluten-free, but I still love making homemade ice cream in my Cuisinart maker.  Before you write off making your own homemade deliciousness, you have to check out the 2-Quart Cusinart Ice Cream Maker.

Cuisinart 2-Quart Ice Cream Maker

The maker comes with a cylinder core that your freeze in your freezer... no messing with the salt and ice and all the things that are a hassle with making your own batch. Just freeze the core for 24 hours, mix your ingredients, chill in the fridge for an hour, dump them in the maker, and wait half an hour. IT RULES. The softest, creamiest ice cream in the world. And I always know that it's 100% gluten-free.

Because of the growing awareness of gluten-related health issues, along with some kind of bizzaro fad diets, you can buy a gluten-free version of just about anything. But I'm a sucker for ice cream (duh... I'm writing about homemade ice cream in February), and milkshakes are my main weakness. Yet even with the popularity of gluten-free, when it comes to a cookie/oreo shake, you're on your own.


So this afternoon I whipped up this little guy with my Cuisinart Hand Blender.

nom nom nom.

In addition to the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker, I highly recommend their Hand Blender. It comes with a mini-food processor attachment, an immersion blender attachment, and a whisk attachment. Totally useful and versatile while using minimal cabinet space.

Cuisinart Hand Blender Set

Here's how I made my shake:

I crumbled two Enjoy Life Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies into the measuring cup that came with my hand blender. Then I added in a cup and a half of homemade vanilla ice cream (using the "Simple Vanilla" recipe from the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker instructional booklet). I added in half a cup of milk and let my immersion blender go to work.

Delicious.



Loves and Hugs,

Rachel Elise

P.S. This was the first time I had tried the Enjoy Life cookies. They are really delicious and have a fantastic texture, but are pretty pricey for the number that came in the box.