Gluten Free "Hostess" Cupcakes

My husband's birthday was a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to bake him a gluten-free cake from scratch, but I really didn't have time when I got home from work and so I made cupcakes using Pamela's Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix.  They were absolutely delicious...moist, rich and super chocolatey!  For the egg substitute, I used Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer, but ground flax meal/water would work just as great.

To be honest, my husband probably would of preferred if I made Hostess Twinkies instead of the cupcakes, but Twinkies are so boring...it's just a vanilla sponge cake with piped in frosting.  No creamy ganache icing or fun squiggly decoration on the top...just a boring sponge cake.  Anyway, he loved them and I think that I made a chocolate lover out of him!

For the filling I used the same buttercream recipe that I used for my Veggie Cupcakes, but only made half of the recipe and I added a little more cashew cream about 1 Tbsp to make the filling smoother.  Using a small plain piping tip and squeezed in enough frosting to cause the cupcake to puff up, but not to break.

 

For the ganache topping I used 1/2 cup Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips and about 3 Tbsp cashew cream.  I placed it in the microwave for about 30 seconds until melted and then stirred in 1 tsp Earth Balance Butter.  Before decorating the cupcakes, I let both the cupcakes and the ganache cool to room temperature and the iced the top of the cupcakes using a small off-set spatula. 

And for the squiggle design I used a 1/2 cup sifted confectioners sugar with 1 Tbsp cashew cream and stirred until smooth.  You want this to be really thick so that when you pipe the icing will hold its shape.  Also, let the ganache set-up completely for about 30 minutes before piping the squiggly design.  To speed up the process you can place the cupcakes in the fridge for about 10 minutes until the ganache sets.

Berger Cookies...My Mom's Favorite Cookie!

Mother's Day is a tough day this year because my mom passed away in August.  Normally on this day we would talk on the phone and I would send her a card, flowers (usually tulips) and a box of cookies...she had a sweet tooth...especially for Berger Cookies, a local Baltimore favorite.  So in memory of my mom today I decided to make homemade Berger cookies which are unlike any other cookie in the universe!  They are a cake-like vanilla cookie covered with chocolate-fudge ganache.  The cookie to ganache ratio should be 50-50, so don't skimp on the chocolate! 

In addition to Berger Cookies, Baltimore is known also for Old Bay Seasoning and steamed crabs, UTZ Potato Chips (puts Lays to shame) and Natty Boh (National Bohemian) Beer.  My mom could care less for the beer (she preferred wine), but she loved Old Bay Seasoning, UTZ potato chips and of course her Berger Cookies!  My mom was an excellent cook and it was hard deciding what to make in her memory (I could of gone with a savory dish), but I believe that she would be in Berger Heaven after eating these, and I know that she is!

Cookie Base:
Makes about 30 cookies

1 stick Earth Balance Butter
3/4 cup pure organic sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
1 1/2 Tbsp Egg Replacer powder, whisked with water according to package directions (I used Bob's Red Mill, but you could use Energ instead...you just want the equivalent of 1 1/2 eggs.  You could also use flax eggs but the cookie will be even more cake like without any crunch.) 
2 1/4 cups organic unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup cashew milk (see below)

Cashew Milk:

1/2 cup cashews soaked for 4 hours and drained.  Place in a high-speed blender with 1 1/4 cups filtered water and blend on high for a couple of minutes.  If you don't have a high speed blender then strain milk before using.  You will have enough milk for the cookie as well as the ganache frosting.

Method:  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Using the standard cookie creaming method, cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer until fluffy, add vanilla extract and the egg replacer mixture and mix until combined.  In another bowl whisk together, flour, salt, and baking powder and add alternating flour and milk to the mixer and only mix until combined.  Line a sheet pan with either parchment paper or a silpat and scoop dough using a teaspoon or a 1-teaspoon ice cream scooper (which is what I used).  Take your fingers and press the dough lightly to flatten.  Bake cookies in the middle of the oven rack for 9-10 minutes (turning halfway through the baking process).  Remove the cookies immediately with a spatula onto a cooling rack and cool completely before icing.

Fudge-Ganache:
I made my ganache the day before and kept it in the refrigerator so that it would set-up be ready to frost the cookies after they cooled.  Also, my ganache was just a tad soft.  It still set up fine, but it could of been a little firmer.  Perhaps it is because of the cashew cream or because I ran out of chocolate chips.  But here's what I did--if you want it firmer then add a little bit more chocolate.  Also, I don't like using light corn syrup, but this will give the chocolate a glossier finish.

1 1/2 cups good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
3/4 cup cashew cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
1 1/2 cups organic confectioners sugar, shifted

Method:  Cashew Cream and chocolate can easily burn and so I placed the chocolate and cashew cream in a bowl over a pan of slightly simmering water for about a minute until the chocolate melted.  You could also microwave in increments of 25 seconds, stirring in between until chocolate is melted.  Once melted, whisk in melted butter, vanilla extract and stir in powdered sugar and beat with a spatula until creamy and combined.  Chill in the fridge for about 4 hours to chill and harden.  Before icing the cookies, beat the ganache lightly.  You can either hand dip the cookies (the traditional method) or use a small off-set spatula or pipe the ganache with a plain tip, like I did.  Let the icing set for about 30 minutes before eating (if you can wait that long).  My teeth hurt from all the chocolate!

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Mother's Day and if you ever get a chance surprise your mom with a batch of homemade Berger Cookies on her special day!

 

   
 

Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've been bad...so bad...I'm still drinking fresh juices daily but it was rainy and chilly on Saturday and I just wanted to turn on the oven and bake something yummy.  The good thing about making chocolate chip cookies is that they can satisfy your sweet tooth within 30 minutes.  The bad thing is that it's hard to eat just one!  So I've had my fill over the past three days.  There's nothing like drinking healthy juice and eating cookies at the same time--my body is really confused!  The daffodils are just because they brighten up a gloomy day and are my second favorite flower to tulips!

 
So here's the recipe...not that you need another chocolate chip cookie recipe but I found these to be perfect.  Crunchy out the outside while moist on the inside and they were better the next day, and the next day...unfortunately. 

Ingredients

(Makes 2 dozen)

1 1/2 cups organic whole grain spelt flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 stick Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (I used 6 Tbsp Earth Balance Buttery Sticks and 2 Tbsp Spectrum Organic All Vegetable Butter Flavor Shortening Non-Hydrogenated).  I like the crunch and airiness it gives the cookies--but using all Earth Balance is fine too.)

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup organic unbleached cane sugar

1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flaxmeal with 3 Tbsp room temperature filtered water, whisked)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 and position racks on upper and lower portion of oven.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer place room temperature butter and sugar and mix on medium for about 3 minutes until creamy.  Add flax egg mixture and vanilla and mix until combined.
• In another bowl, sift and whisk together dry ingredients (not including chocolate chips) and then add to butter-sugar mixture and mix until ingredients are just incorporated.  You don't want to over mix the flour and develop the gluten or your cookies will be tough.  Then with the motor running add the chocolate chips until combined.
• Using a small ice cream scoop (about 1-1/2 Tbsp) place 12 evenly spaced scoops on two cookie trays and flatten slightly with your fingers.  Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes (turning and switching the trays after 7 minutes) until golden brown around the edges, but tender in the center.  Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Hope you enjoy and stay tuned for more juicing recipes once the gloomy rain goes away!       

 

 

Baked Gingerbread Doughnuts

I grew up eating gingerbread--my mom's background was German-Pennsylvania Dutch and she always made gingerbread around Christmas. Come to think of it we always had gingersnaps in the house and she would use them to make German dishes like Sauerbraten with Dumplings.

 
Most people are not a big fan of gingerbread because they don't like the flavor of ginger--my husband included.  When I told him that I was making gingerbread doughnuts he was not jumping with joy.  His response to me was..."out of all the doughnut choices you're making gingerbread doughnuts?" But what would Christmas be without gingerbread and I'm not a big fan of gingerbread cookies...so gingerbread doughnuts it was!

This recipe makes 10-12 doughnuts and the batter is very thick.  It helps using a small spoon to spread the batter in the pan.  For the powdered ginger I used China Ginger from Penzeys Spices.  During Thanksgiving were up in Portland visiting family and we stopped by their retail store and purchased this ginger.  It has a clean flavor with a nice kick from the heat--truest to actual fresh grated ginger.

For the toppings have fun with it, but flavors that pair well with ginger are chocolate, dark berries and cinnamon.  I made a cashew milk chocolate-ganache, a white icing glaze mixed with wild blueberry preserves, and the old standby of cinnamon sugar.  My favorite flavor was the wild blueberry, but they all were delicious!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger (more or less to taste)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 1/2 tsp coffee extract
2 tbsp molasses
1/4 cup cashew milk or other non-dairy milk
1/2 cup organic applesauce
1 tbsp ground flaxmeal mixed with 3 tbsp warm water to make a flax-egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil (plus more for greasing the pan)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease doughnut tin and set aside.  
• In a medium sized bowl, sift all dry ingredients together.
• In a larger bowl, whisk all wet ingredients together.
• Using a spatula add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.  If batter seems too thick then add one tbsp cashew milk or non dairy substitute.
• Spoon batter into doughnut tin and smooth with spoon.
• Bake on the middle rack for 10-12 minutes.
• Let cool for about two minutes before turning out on a cooling rack and repeat with remaining batter.
• Let doughnuts cool completely before dipping in icing and decorating.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays to All!  



 

  

"Drunken" Rum Balls

Just wanted to wish everyone Happy Holidays!  My husband and I will be heading down to San Diego for a week and we're looking forward to warmer weather and spending time at the beach.  I'll be back in the New Year with really healthy and nutritious recipes that will definitely help shed all the unwanted excess from the past two months!  Until then, I wish you and yours a safe and wonderful holiday, wherever your travels take you.

The reason why I call these rum balls "drunken" is because if you were to eat more than one and drive and a police officer pulled you over--you would probably fail a breathalyzer.  So not advisable.  

Rum balls are usually made with finely ground vanilla wafers, but I made a small batch of vegan snickerdoodle cookies and used them for the base.  Other ingredients that I used were the usual...dark rum, toasted pecans, unsweetened cocoa powder, confectioner's sugar, agave syrup (instead of corn syrup) and vanilla extract.  To garnish I rolled them in finely ground pistachios, powdered sugar and cocoa powder--but they are also good dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with toasted coconut!    

Chocolate-Raspberry Parfait

Making this ice cream parfait was so easy that no recipe is required.  The only thing I would do differently would be to add a layer of vanilla ice cream and make the ganache topping a little thinner.  But if you like chocolate, then this for you.  

For the crust, I made a standard shortbread cookie dough, rolled it out to a thin layer, baked it off, and pulsed it in a food processor, along with some toasted almonds to a fine crumb.  I then added melted butter and pressed it into the bottom of a ring mold and baked it until firm, just like making a cheesecake.  This can be made in a springform pan, but I happen to like the individual servings.  If you use ring molds, make sure that you line them with acetate sheets after baking the crust, but before adding the melted ice cream.  Also, freeze the ice cream for at least an hour between layers.  The ganache ratio is equal parts chocolate to liquid--I used almond milk. 
 

Chocolate Almond Croquant

Last year, I worked at a high-volume pastry/bakery shop for eight weeks because I wanted to learn about pastry techniques and also to see if I would want to own my own vegan bakery.  We'll...I can tell you that I do not want to own a high-volume bakery.  I worked in the restaurant industry for five years and it was a "piece of cake", no pun intended, to working in a high-volume bakery.  The owner/employees work until 3am or all night decorating beautiful cakes and preparing product to be ready by 7am.  It takes an incredible amount of skill, patience and endurance!  But I can tell you the one thing I loved the most about working at the pastry shop was learning about chocolate production.  I found it fascinating and so when I left, I enrolled in a course at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone and received my Certification in Chocolates and Confections.  The course was taught by the former Executive Pastry Chef of the French Laundry in Yountville and it was excellent.  So much so, that I was really serious about continuing my education to become a Vegan Chocolatier and open my own shop.  But in the end...I love food more than chocolate and if I ever open anything, it will be a vegan cafe/restaurant.

Yesterday was Mother's Day and my Mom (and sister) love chocolate and Chai Tea so I thought that I would make them Vegan Chai Tea Truffles.  But since they live 3,000 miles away and with the weather I couldn't guarantee that they would arrive in good condition, even though I would use tempered chocolate.  You see, most people who make truffles at home don't temper chocolate and you don't need to because you can keep them refrigerated until ready to use.  But if you're going ship chocolates in May then you need to temper both the ganache (the creamy filling) and the outside coating to make sure that they are stable.  This requires a lot of time and effort.  Making chocolates at home is rather tricky and even at the pastry shop it took a lot of time to produce beautiful chocolates and they used an expensive tempering machine.   So I decided to make an easy chocolate recipe and make Chocolate Almond Croquant Clusters.  "Croquant" in French just means "crunchy" and this is something that my Mom loves as well!

In terms of equipment, I would recommend that you purchase a good quality thermometer and a good quality scale that can register both grams and ounces, regardless if you're making chocolates or just baking.  Working with grams is so much easier and when you have a good scale, you can convert back and forth between both forms of measurement.  So for this recipe, we're using grams and if you don't have a scale and want to convert, just divide the grams by 28.3495 to get the ounces.  It's really easy so keep reading!

Note:  Whenever you temper chocolate, you need about 1 1/2 pounds (682 grams) to make it work.  However, to coat the almonds, you'll only use 250 grams (a little over 8 ounces), but you can save the leftover tempered chocolate for another use.  Actually, if you're not going to ship the chocolates, or leave them out for a long period of time, then you can just skip the tempering and toss the almonds in melted chocolate.  Regardless of what method you use, purchase a good quality chocolate with a chocolate liquor in the range of 55%-70%.  I used a 61% chocolate.

There are two methods of tempering chocolate:  the "seed method" and the "slab method".  For this recipe, we're using the "seed method".  This just means that you melt most of your chopped chocolate to a certain temperature (112-115 degrees) and then stir in the remaining chopped chocolate to bring the melted chocolate to the "tempered stage" of 87-90 degrees.  This guarantees that your chocolate will be shiny, have a crisp snap and will not melt when you hold the chocolate in your hands. 

Ingredients:

682g (1 1/2 pounds) good quality dark chocolate for tempering

100g granulated white sugar

15g filtered water

400g raw slithered almonds

12g Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks (not whipped)

250g of tempered chocolate to coat almonds

Method of Tempering Chocolate:

• To temper the chocolate, chop all the chocolate into small 1" pieces.  Divide chocolate into two metal bowls (456g for the melted chocolate and 226g for the seed chocolate).
• Add 1-2" of water to a small sauce pan, place the larger amount of chocolate on top of the simmering water.  It's very important that no water or steam come in contact with the chocolate or the chocolate will seize and become useless.  Therefore, keep the heat low and stir with a spatula until melted.  Remove from heat when it reaches 112 degrees.
• Let the temperature of the chocolate drop to about 100 degrees and then slowly add the remaining "seeded" chopped chocolate, stirring and checking the temperature until it drops to between 87-90 degrees.  You may not need to add all the remaining chopped chocolate.  You can check if the chocolate is in temper by placing a small amount of chocolate on parchment paper and letting it dry.  It should harden and have a snap. 
• The chocolate should remain in temper while you prepare the almonds.

Preparing Caramelized Almonds:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place raw almonds on a sheet tray and toast for about 3-5 minutes, depending on your oven.  Toss and make sure that they don't burn. Remove from oven and set aside.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat and set aside, along with a large bowl. 
• In a large 10-12" heavy bottom pan, add sugar and water and cook on medium heat until white bubbles start to form.
• Add toasted almonds and stir to coat with sugar mixture.
• Turn off heat and allow the sugar to crystalize--it should form a sandy textured coating on the almonds.
• Turn heat back on medium and cook almonds, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the sugar caramelizes, about 5 minutes.  You want it to be a deep amber color, but as long as you keep stirring , you won't burn the almonds.
• Remove from heat and then add butter to almonds and stir to coat.
• Immediately pour almonds out onto the lined sheet tray and spread out in an even layer and break up any clusters with a spoon.
• Let almonds cool for about five minutes and then place in a large glass bowl. 
• Pour 250g of the tempered chocolate over the caramelized almonds and toss to coat.
• Using a teaspoon, scoop almond mixture into a onto the lined sheet tray, and refrigerate until hardened.
• And of course enjoy...Happy Mother's Day Mom!!!