Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes (Gluten, Soy, Casein Free!!)

For a month I have been placed (willingly, I might add!) on a rebalancing diet which essentially means no wheat, cow's milk products, refined cane sugars, soy products, or yeasts.  This can be extremely tricky for the uninitiated - fortunately I have virtually been cooking this way for a year since my daughter India, and husband Greg, have also been on this diet and chosen to eat this way permanently because of how wonderful they felt afterwards.

I have my annual book club meeting tonight at the house of my girlfriend, Kathy (who is also on the same rebalancing diet!) and so, I decided to whip up these little treats for us to snack on!!!  They are really yummy and I obtained almost all of the ingredients at my local "Bulk Barn"!  The recipe comes from an amazing blog ~ gingerlemongirl which you should all check out!  As you can see from the photos, I made a dozen mini-cupcakes for the book club, and the others were for India and Devon as an after-school treat!!  This recipe will make a dozen regular sized cupcakes (there was one large and small cupcake that I didn't photograph as they are presently in my stomach!!!)

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES

Ingredients:

Cupcakes ~

1/3 cup brown rice flour 

1/3 cup tapioca flour

1/3 cup sorghum flour

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

3/4 cup sugar (I used coconut sugar)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 eggs, slightly beaten

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cupcake cups and dust pan lightly with sweet rice flour.
• In a medium sized bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Add milk, oil, vanilla, and beaten eggs. Whisk together until combined and pour into prepared cups.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not over bake as these can dry out quickly!!
• Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

 Frosting ~

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (I used agave syrup)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 - 4 tbsp non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

Glaze ~

 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used Callebaut chips)

1 tbsp oil (grapeseed, coconut, or olive)

3 - 4 tbsp water

• In a large bowl mix peanut butter with powdered sugar. Add vanilla and non-dairy milk. You can add more or less milk to create the consistency you prefer.
• Spread peanut butter icing over completely cooled cupcakes.
• In another bowl melt chocolate chips and oil over a pot of simmering water, until melted. Whisk in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get a drizzling chocolate sauce consistency. Drizzle glaze over frosted cupcakes.
• Serve immediately or chill.

Almond Flour Pizza Crust (Gluten, Casein, Grains and Yeast Free!!!)

I have joined India and Greg in a rebalancing diet which excludes casein, wheat, refined sugar and yeast - this is a little tricky when it comes to one of my favourite foods - pizza.  Stumped, I decided to surf the web and found this fantastic website by "Ginger Lemon Girl" After reading this recipe I immediately went out and purchased "Bob's Red Mill" almond meal/flour and decided to treat us all to homemade pizza.  It was not only super-easy to create, but has a great texture and taste!!! YAY!  Pizza is back in my diet!!!

ALMOND FLOUR PIZZA CRUST

Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

 1 tsp each; dried oregano, garlic powder and dried basil

3/4 cup pureed white beans (I used white kidney but cannellini or navy beans are also good!)

3 eggs

3 tbsp EVOO 

• Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a 12" round pizza pan or rectangular baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together.  In a smaller bowl mix the last three ingredients.  Combine dry and wet ingredients.  The dough is wetter than the average pizza dough, but don't worry!
• Using a spatula, gently spread the mixture over the pan to a thickness of 1/2" and place in the oven for 10 - 12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.
• Add your choice of toppings and bake for an additional 10 - 15 minutes, or until you toppings are cooked through or melted.
• ENJOY!!!!

Basic Waffle Recipe

As the vegan recipe only made two waffles, I made these for the kids (because Greg and I gobbled up the other ones!!)  This is an old stand-by recipe that comes from "The Complete Canadian Living Cookbook" and works perfectly every time!

BASIC WAFFLE RECIPE

Ingredients:

2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

2 cups buttermilk*

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 tbsp coconut, vegetable, grape seed or avocado oil

• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk and butter.  Pour over flour mixture and stir until just combined.
• Heat waffle iron and set at desired temperature.  For each waffle either spray the waffle plates, or lightly brush with some oil.  Pour 1/2 or 1/4 cup (according to the manufacturers directions for your waffle maker) of batter and spread to the edges.  Close lid and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp, golden and steam stops.
• Serve with pure maple syrup and butter, or fresh berries, applesauce, whipped cream, ice cream, chocolate sauce...the topping possibilities are endless!

*If you do not want to buy buttermilk (as it comes in large quantities, usually), you can add one 1tbsp of fresh lemon juice to each cup of regular 2% milk.  Let sit for a few minutes so milk can slightly curdle/thicken, before using*
 **Any leftover waffles can be frozen for use later!  Just place small squares of waxed paper between the waffles and seal inside of a freezer bag.  When you are ready to eat them, simply place waffle halves in a toaster!**

Rhubarb Squares

This recipe came from a fellow CSA Member of "Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze" and it is nothing short of excellent!  My family absolutely loves this treat and eagerly look forward to the springtime when we receive fresh rhubarb in our CSA boxes!!!

RHUBARB SQUARES

Ingredients:

Filling:
3 cups rhubarb, chopped in 1/2" cubes
1 1/2 cups of white sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract
Crust:
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, cold and cut into 1/2" cubes

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Combine filling ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook until thickened.  Set aside.
• Combine the first 6 crust ingredients in a mixer and mix well.  Add butter and process until mixture is crumbly.
• Pat 2/3 of the crust into a greased 8"x12" pan.  Add filling.  Sprinkle the remaining crumbs evenly over the top.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
• Cool and keep in refrigerator until ready to enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Although India's Naturopath said that she is MUCH better now, we have to slowly reintroduce the previously restricted foods into her diet.  Therefore, I am still creating foods that stick to her diet (and frankly do us all the world of good as they have no dairy, wheat, refined sugar...after all it is only a couple of weeks until we head down to Mexico and have to squeeze our winter bodies into bathing suits!!!)
 I found this recipe in the "Get It Ripe" vegan cookbook by Jae Steele and all of the family LOVED them!!!

APPLE CINNAMON MUFFINS

Ingredients:

2 cups spelt flour (or 1 brown rice & 1 quinoa like I used!)

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 medium apple, peeled & diced

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup raisins

1/3 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

3 tbsp EVOO (or sunflower oil)

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• Preheat oven to 375F.  Prepare a 12 cup muffin tray with paper liners or a light coating of oil (I have silicone muffin trays so I didn't do either!)
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.  In a smaller bowl combine the raisins, apples, applesauce, milk, syrup, oil and vinegar (this will help rehydrate your raisins a little so they aren't so chewy)
• Add the liquids to the flour mixture and gently stir with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until just combined.*
• Portion the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 20 to 22 minutes until the tops are golden brown and domed and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• ENJOY!! 

*Ensure that you stir your batter gently as over-mixing can cause gluten to develop in the batter and your muffins won't rise as well.  Spelt has gluten but the amount is so minor that your body can process it much easier than if it were wheat flour!
**Make sure you remove the muffins from the tray 5 minutes after they've been removed from the oven - this will ensure that humidity doesn't build up in the bases of your muffins and cause them to become 'gluey'.
***You can also add flax or poppy seeds or chopped almonds or walnuts to the batter as well!!!

Double Trouble Chocolate Cookies

In my pursuit of creating yummy lunchbox treats for India that remain true to the restricted diet her Naturopath has her on, I came across "Get It Ripe" written by Jae Steele which features Vegan cooking and baking.  These cookies were enjoyed by all members of the family and remind me in texture, of a dense chocolate shortbread biscuit.  Worth a try even if you aren't looking to bake wheat, gluten, refined sugar, dairy or yeast free like I am!

DOUBLE TROUBLE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups light spelt flour (or 1 of spelt and 1 of brown rice like I did!)

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 cup less 2 tbsp of coconut oil*

1 1/4 cups sucanat (evaporated cane juice - Bulk Barn sells this!)

1 ripe medium banana, mashed

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1 /4 cups of non-dairy chocolate chips**

• Preheat oven to 350F.  Prepare a baking sheet or two with a sheet of parchment paper.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
• Cream together the oil and sucanat in a separate bowl; preferably with an electric mixture for about 1 minute.  Beat in the banana and vanilla until well blended.
• Add wet ingredients to dry and mix just until all flour is incorporated.  Fold in chocolate chips.
• Roll dough into walnut-sized balls with clean hands (so the dough doesn't stick!) and place them, spaced 2" apart, on the baking sheet(s).  Press each ball gently to flatten to 1/2" thick.
• Bake for about 13 minutes, until crisp on top but still soft.
• Remove from oven and enjoy them warm or cooled!!!

*Gently heat the coconut oil in a small pot over a medium low heat prior to using as coconut oil tends to be somewhat solid in the jar, but only requires a little heat to melt to an oil.
**I purchased "Callebaut" vegan chocolate chips in the Bulk Barn and then taste just like regular ones but lack the skim milk powder!

Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

My mother-in-law made her own pumpkin pie filling and then brought us a loaf of pumpkin bread that she made!  This inspired me to make my own and I must admit I used canned pumpkin (despite my best intentions to make my own from the pie pumpkins that we got from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze).  This was such an incredibly easy, delicious and moist cake that we just gobbled it up!!!

PUMPKIN & CHOCOLATE CHIP BUNDT CAKE

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin

1 tsp real vanilla extract

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves or ground allspice

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups walnut pieces or chocolate chips

  

• Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease and flour a 10" bundt pan or tube pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix the eggs with a large fork until well blended.  Mix in the sugar. Add the oil in a steady stream, mixing all the while, until the mixture is thick and smooth.
• Mix in the pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, clove and salt. Add the baking soda and baking powder in pinches, breaking up any lumps with your fingers. Stir in thoroughly.
• Stir in the whole wheat and all-purpose flours just until blended. Stir in the walnuts or chocolate chips.
• Pour and scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Invert, remove the pan, and cool on the rack for about 15 minutes more.
• ENJOY!

Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

For my Dad's birthday on August 17th, I wanted to create a cake that would be memorable...and boy, was a giant cupcake just the ticket!!! I bought the cake pan from Zehr's and used a recipe from Anna Olson's "Sugar" cookbook. It was absolutely DELICIOUS!!!!

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING

Ingredients

Cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup golden brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup water

4 oz (125g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 tsp espresso powder

1 3/4 cups cake & pastry flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

Icing:

4oz (125g) cream cheese, room temperature

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour 2 - 9" cake pans (or in my case, one giant cupcake pan!), shaking out excess flour. cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
• In a small saucepan stir water, chocolate and espresso powder over low heat until melted. Allow to cool slightly before beating into the butter mixture.
• Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and stir into batter alternately with sour cream. Divide evenly between the two pans and bake 25 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the centre of the cake, comes out clean. Allow to cool 15 mins. in the pans, then turn cakes out onto a plate to cool completely.
• Beat cream cheese until smooth, then stir in the sugar and vanilla extract. Ice both the centre and top & sides of the cake.
• ENJOY!!!!

Maple Tree Cake

Another one of my 'experiments' that turned out really well! I decided to make this cake for Saturday's dinner with Dave, Siobhan and the kids - it was relatively easy except for the fact that my cake pans were too large so I ran out of icing and had to press Skor pieces around the edge! A perfect fall cake as it has the woody and sweet flavour of maple syrup as well as dried fruits on top!

MAPLE TREE CAKE

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups sour cream

2 tsp maple flavouring

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

Dash of salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

FROSTING:

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp pure maple syrup

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter chips (could just as easily use butterscotch)

2 tbsp dried cranberries

2 tbsp golden raisins

2 tbsp chopped dried apricots

2 tbsp chopped dried apples

• In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar. Add sour cream and maple flavouring. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; add to sour cream mixture and mix well. Fold in pecans.
• Pour into 2 greased and floured 9" round baking pans. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near the centre comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
• For frosting, in a bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar. Add syrup and mix well. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake.
• In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate and peanut butter chips; stir until smooth. Transfer to a pastry or a heavy-duty reusable plastic bag; cut a small hole in the corner of the bag. Pipe a tree and branches on top of cake. Combine dried fruits and sprinkle around tree base and at ends of branches to resemble fall leaves.
• Serve & ENJOY!
  

A Great Way To Use Zucchini!!!

One of the CSA members from "Cooper's Farm" sent in this recipe as it is her favourite way to use zucchini - and after friends and family taste testing them, I think they're our favourite too!!

(And you know they have to be easy for a non-baker like me to make these!!!)

ZUCCHINI BROWNIES

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 - 3 cups shredded zucchini

1 egg

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Combine flours, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the shredded zucchini
• In a separate bowl, mix together the egg, sugars, yogurt, oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the zucchini mixture.
• Spread evenly in a greased 9" x 13" pan (these are lighter than regular brownies and rise more like a cake so a bigger pan is necessary).
• Sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips (and you can sprinkle nuts on top too if you choose to add these)
• Bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre, comes out clean.
• ENJOY!!