Brownies and M&M cookies

I found this neat brownie recipe on Pinterest and tried it out. It was totally yummy. I would make these again. They are flour free which is great. No weird flours to buy or find. Because, let's face it, in the gluten free world, nothing is cheap or easy to find. Some recipes look great until I find that one bizarre flour that no grocery store near me sells and I need to turn to the internet.
Skinny Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
· 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (I used Jif Creamy)
· 6 oz. low fat vanilla yogurt (could use fat free)
· 1/4 cup skim milk (or almond milk)
· 1 egg
· 1/4 tsp salt
· 1 tsp baking powder
· 1 cup sugar (or Splenda)
· 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
· 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 8×8 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Place all of the ingredients except for the peanut butter into a blender or food processor. (Yes, a blender!) For easier blending, place the liquid ingredients into the blender first. Blend until mix is smooth and oats are ground up. You will have to stop the blender and scrape down the sides a few times.
Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Batter will be thin. Microwave peanut butter for about 30 seconds. Drop melted peanut butter by spoonfuls onto the batter, swirling gently with a knife to create a marbled effect. (Try not to overmix!)
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Brownies will be extra fudgy, so be sure to wait until COMPLETELY cooled – I stuck mine in the refrigerator for 2 hours, which allowed them to be cut very easily.
Cut into 12 squares and enjoy!

From: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/06/10/skinny-peanut-butter-swirl-brownies/



Then I tried this recipe I found when Googling gluten free m&m cookies. It wasn't bad. I used the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix. I would add some orange zest and or vanilla extract to it. I didn't taste much other then the M&M's. I was a little disappointed. I am sure the Better Batter Cake Mix was probably a little more flavorful.

Prep time: 7 minutes Cook time: 8 minutes Yield: About 36 cookies
Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) box gluten-free yellow cake mix, or 1 recipe Make-Your-Own Vanilla Cake Mix (page 193 of Gluten-Free on a Shoestring Quick & Easy)
6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 extra-large eggs (120 g, out of shell) at room temperature, beaten*
1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) M&Ms minis (or an equal amount, by weight, regular M&Ms), chilled
Directions
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.
In a large bowl, place the cake mix and whisk to break up any lumps. Add the butter and eggs, mixing well after each addition. The dough will be thick. Add the M&Ms, and mix until they are evenly distributed throughout, handling as little as possible so the colors don’t run.
Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies in the center of the oven until they are lightly browned on the underside and up the edges, 9 minutes. Allow to cool until set on the baking sheet until firm. They will flatten as they cool. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
From : http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/cake-mix-mm-cookies/