Sugar!

My co-sleeping munchkin used the sidecar bed last night for the first time. The crib has been attached to the bed  for a long time, mostly collecting toys.  But for the first time she moved over there on her own and stayed for at least 8 hours. Sigh, talk about bitter sweet.
Perhaps that's why I went on a sugar frenzy this weekend... I whipped up:

• chocolate chip and date cookies based on the Gluten-Free Gourmand's Scone recipe
• experimented with orange coconut milk ice cream
• attempted candy orange peels - not a success, I guess next time I'll have to actually pay attention to the sugar temps
• chocolate coconut milk ice cream with double the maple syrup and 2 T arrowroot - super yum!
• and to add something really good for me, started my first batch of fermented carrots.

Note the still solidifying homemade chocolate candy shell over the ice cream. Clearly I have a sugar issue. But oh my, that ice cream is wonderful. The munchkin can't have eggs (or wheat or a few other things) and the spouse can't have pasteurized dairy, so I've had to alter my ice creamaholicism to special brands that are rather pricey and don't help our budget... So, I am thrilled to find a handmade ice cream that is actually edible with little 'ole me as the ice cream maker. Coconut milk seems to be a natural ingredient in 'ice cream', since it is full of healthy fat and hardens creamily when put in the freezer.

Gluten free scones

My dad is mostly Scottish, so I've a fascination of things Scottish. Shortbread and scones are part of that. My wee one is allergic to eggs (plus onions, leeks and cabbage) and we're avoiding a few other allergens (garlic, wheat/gluten, milk, peanuts, nuts) until we verify they are safe. So, I haven't had 'real' shortbread in a long time. But we found a box of delectable shortbread cookies in the gluten free section, so I'm satiated with those. Although, I'm working on finding a good GF/DF/EF shortbread recipe.
Then I ran into a recipe for scones...  I somehow missed trying a scone when last in Scotland. And I haven't been thrilled with the options at Starbucks, etc. So, I'm not exactly sure what they are supposed to taste like, but I liked what I made.

The recipe calls for cardamon, which I don't have. But cinnamon and dates worked well. Walnuts and chocolate chips are even better. It also called for arrowroot flour, I substituted tapioca starch flour.
My first batch disappeared so quickly I couldn't take a picture. This time I made a double batch and added the dates, nuts and chocolate combinations after dividing up the batter. I used the sugar on top to mark what's in them. The baby gets the plain nut-free ones.