Chocolate Fudge Cookies (GF & DF!)

Central Market makes a gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate "crispy" cookies that are my kryptonite. So I went in search of a recipe for them that I can make for the holidays. These turned out even better than the store-bought ones!

Ingredients
2-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional but good
1 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-process preferred
3 large egg whites
1 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract
optional - chopped pecans, walnuts, or chocolate chips (these are really rich cookies, so the nuts help to 

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Then beat in egg whites and vanilla. The mixture will be dry until you add the third egg white. The dough will be very sticky. Stir in nuts or chocolate chips.

For smaller cookies, scoop a teaspoon-size of dough onto a lined backing sheet. For large cookies, use a tablespoon of dough. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes for small cookies, 12-15 for larger cookies, or until they are dry looking and cracked on top. Let the cookies cool.






Sources:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/flourless-fudge-cookies-recipe
http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Chocolate-chewy-cookies-333815

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Spiral Bakery, the vegan restaurant and bakery in Fort Worth, makes these huge vegan chocolate peanut butter cups. For Halloween this year I decided to make my own. Not only were they delicious, but they were easier to make than I thought. Sorry Reeses, mine are better!

Ingredients
1 package bittersweet baking chocolate bar (or your favorite chocolate)
approx. 1 cup of peanut butter (I used freshly-ground honey roasted peanut butter)
mini cupcake liners (candy size)

Directions
Put the peanut butter in the freezer for about 20 minutes.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler on medium heat.

Place the mini cupcake liners on a baking sheet or plate. Spoon 1/2-1 teaspoon of melted chocolate into the bottom of each mini cupcake liner, just enough to cover the bottom.

Then roll the cold peanut butter into small balls (about 1 teaspoon each, depending on if you like more or less PB-to-chocolate ratio).  Place one PB ball in each mini cupcake liner. Then cover the PB with more melted chocolate.

Refrigerate the PB cups until the chocolate is solid. Consider yourself warned: these are addicting!

Next time I'm going to make the huge PB cups, like Sprial Diner's, using the regular cupcake liners and more chocolate and PB.

Mango Flan

This is a yummy, summer twist on traditional flan. I made dairy and non-dairy versions, and my guests liked the non-dairy version!

Ingredients
1 - 14 oz can of coconut milk
14 oz of pureed mango (I used canned, sweetened mango that I bought at the Indian store, if using fresh you may want to add more sugar)
5 eggs
2 Tbs brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
Optional - splash of vanilla or dark rum

Baking Dishes
You can use ramekins to make individual flans, or one small pan with tall sides. This recipe makes 6 small ramekins, or one 7-inch round flan. You'll bake the flan in a water bath, so make sure that the ramekins or pan fit inside a larger baking dish.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place white sugar in a pan and heat on medium until sugar melts into a brown syrup. Once melted, immediately pour into flan dish(es).

Boil water in a separate pan.

In blender, mix eggs, coconut milk, mango puree, brown sugar, and optional flavoring. Pour mixture over melted sugar in flan dish(es).

Place flan dish(es) inside larger baking dish on the rack in the oven. Then pour hot water in the larger baking dish so that the level of the water is higher than the level of the flan in the dish(es). (In other words, you want the flan to be surrounded by hot water so that it cooks evenly.) CAREFULLY slide the rack into the oven and bake.

The ramekins take approx. 25-35 minutes, and the pan takes approx. 35-45 minutes.  Test with a toothpick or butter knife. When the tester comes out clean, then it is done. It will set up more as it cools. Don't over bake.

CAREFULLY lift the large pan out of the oven. Then lift the flan dish(es) out of the hot water and let them cool completely before serving.

You can make these a day ahead and refrigerate them over night. Then let them come to room temp before serving.  They are pretty fragile and don't transport well. It still tastes the same, but it looks like "h-e-double-l" after even a short car ride.

White Bean Chocolate Cake (Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free)

This recipe was originally for a white bean vanilla cake, but I like to add chocolate to everything! Truth be told, my friend was looking for a sugar-free, gluten-free cake to make "Dirt Cake" for a party.

*Dirt Cake: chocolate cake, gummy worms, and oreo cookies crumbled up and served in little pots. 

We tried this and loved it! It has a nice, smooth texture and isn't overly sweet, but you can definitely taste the coconut oil. If you don't like coconut try a different oil or fat substitute.

Ingredients
3 cups white beans (Great Northern), cooked and drained

1/2 cup coconut oil
1 (heaping) cup honey
6 eggs

6 Tbs of cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using canned beans)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract  (we used a real vanilla bean, scraping inside out of the bean)

Instructions
Grease 9×13 pan with butter or coconut oil.

Pulse drained white beans in a blender or food processor until completely smooth. Add remaining ingredients, and blend til thoroughly combined and smooth.

Pour into pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 – 35 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean.

Cool completely on wire rack, at least an hour. You can turn the cake out onto a plate and frost it or sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top. Or crumble it up for Dirt Cake!

Original Recipe:

http://themarathonmom.com/white-bean-vanilla-cake.htm

Molten-Chocolate Crackled Cookies (GF, DF)

A friend sent me this recipe asking if we could try to make these gluten-free, dairy-free cookies. I'm not sure if I've ever said no to cookies, but she definitely had me when the first ingredient was chocolate! 

They turned out even better than expected: little balls of molten-chocolate goodness! I've made them a couple of times since the initial trial, and I have to restrain myself from eating them all. Best of luck!

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (about 9 ounces), separated

3 large egg whites, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar, divided (plus 1/2 cup for cookie coating)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch (or arrowroot if you avoid corn)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, or spray it will cooking spray. 

Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in a double boiler over medium heat. Cool slightly.

Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow cream.

On low speed, add dry ingredients (1 cup sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt) into the meringue mixture.

Mix lukewarm chocolate mixture and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (dough will become very stiff).

Place 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. Roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball; roll in sugar, coating thickly. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart. (These cookies don't rise or grow like a typical cookie, so you can crowd the pan.)

Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10-15 minutes. Try to let the cookies cool a few minutes before devouring them. They are still yummy even after they cool, but the center will lose it's molten-chocolate quality. 

Source: http://www.picklee.com/2012/02/07/deep-dark-chocolate-cookies-butter-flourless/

Chocolate Mousse (soy-free) with Cashew Cream

This recipe was recommended by a friend a while ago. It sat in my recipe book untasted and untested, until today when my chocolate craving inspired me to give it go. Not only does it taste rich and delicious, and it has a perfectly smooth and creamy consistency, but it looks so pretty and shiny. (And it's ridiculously easy to make.) This is definitely a must try!

Ingredients
2 ripe avocados (don't be scared; it's delicious - I promise!)
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup coco powder
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
[NOTE: Since I like the flavor of coffee with my chocolate, I added a little cold coffee to this recipe.]

Directions
Place all of the ingredients in the food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into serving dishes and refrigerate until ready to serve.

The recipe called for a Cashew Cream topping, which I imagine would help cut the richness of the chocolate. I've used this cashew cream in place of whipped cream in other recipes, and it's really yummy, as long at you aren't thinking "whipped cream" while you're eating it.

Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews
1/3 cup water (you may need to add more)
3 Tbs agave nectar
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Directions
Soak cashews in water for 5 hours. Drain cashews. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until cold. Serve a spoonful (or two) on top of the chocolate mousse.

Torta de Zanahoria (Carrot Cake)

While our Tia Ida was visiting from Venezuela, she made this delicious torta (cake). We loved it so much that we insisted the she make it again and again. Enjoy!

Ingredients
4 cups of grated carrots (she will use sometimes up to 5 cups)
1/2 cup of oil (give or take)
5 eggs (she would use 3 whole eggs and 2 whites)
3 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
2 1/2 T baking powder
cinnamon and vanilla to taste
nuts (almonds) optional

Directions
Grease and flour the baking pans. 

In a blender, add the grated carrots, oil, eggs and vanilla. Blend until carrots are pasty.
In a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon.
Stir the flour and carrots mixtures together.

Bake at 350' for 1 hour. 

Buen provecho!