MAGIC VEGAN CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Yale calls these cupcakes magic.  Magic because they taste good, magic because they make you smile, and magic beccause cupcakes make you happy.  I call them magic because they are made without white sugar and white flour.  Gordy calls them magic because he can make them disappear real quick.

This recipes makes 12 cupcakes.

This recipe was developed by my friend Karen from Nutrilicious and myself. We spend many afternoons baking, testing and eating these cupcakes. Thanks to our personal testers Mark, Marcy, Haley, Gordy and Yale, you worked hard eating the dozens we made!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 cup gluten-free flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp espresso powder (optional)
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • ¼ cup agave
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 3/4 cup safflower, canola or melted coconut oil
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2.  In a small bowl, mix apple cider vinegar and soy milk. Let it sit for a few minutes.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Mix well with a whisk.
  4. Beat the milk mixture again.  Add the agave, maple syrup, oil and vanilla to the milk mixture, whisking until well combined.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well until only a few lumps remain.  Do not overmix.
  6.   Spoon into greased or lined muffin cups.
  7. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
  8. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp Earth Balance or vegan margarine, softened
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • ½ cup maple syrup

Directions:

  1. Process all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth and creamy.
  2. Spoon onto cooled cupcakes.
  3. Shave or grate some dark chocolate to top your cupcakes, (optional).

APPLE, PEAR, CRANBERRY AND PECAN CRISP

Gordy and I are in training, our motivation is to get in shape for our 10k hike in Algonquin Park.  Gordy’s idea is to run up and down the Baldwin Steps at Spadina and Davenport, located just between Casa Loma and The Spadina House.  Not sure if this put us in shape for the hike but it sure was a good workout.  After climbing the stairs (five times), we wandered through the gardens at the historic Spadina House, did you know we have an apple orchard right here in Toronto?  Just when you think you know your city you can be surprised.  Time to make an apple crisp.

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Whichever type of apples and pears you use, make sure to choose the best local varieties.

This recipe is a classic and is adapted from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. I added pecans for some extra crunch.

This recipe serves 8 to 10.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (4 pears)
2 pounds firm apples (6 apples), I use whatever I have in my fridge.
3/4 cup fresh cranberries
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 cup peacans
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Peel and core the pears and apples and cut them into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and toss with the cranberries, zests, juices, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish.
  3. For the topping:
  4. Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, pecans and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.
  5. Place the baking dish on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

HONEY CAKE – A HEALTHY CAKE FOR A SWEET NEW YEAR

Honey cake is traditionally made with lots of oil, eggs, white flour, sugar and of course honey. I wanted to make a healthy honey cake without using to much oil and refined sugars so last week for Rosh Hashanah I tested this cake on my family. Both Gordy and Zach said it was good but I could tell by how quickly they gulped a glass of water that it must a little dry. Yale told me to make it again and try adding zucchini.  Guess what..?  This cake is now perfectly moist. The spelt flour makes the cake mildly sweet and has a slight nutty flavour that adds real character. The additions of applesauce and zucchini make it light and moist. Happy New Year.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups spelt flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1  teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger or fresh
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1 cup applesauce
  • 1 medium zucchini, shredded
  • 1/2 cup safflower  or grapeseed oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds, optional

Directions:

  1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine the first 6 dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir together until the wet and dry ingredients are thoroughly combined.  Add the zucchini with the wet ingredients.
  2. Cut two pieces of baking parchment to fit the bottoms of two 8-inch loaf pans. Lightly oil the pans. Divide the batter between the two lightly oiled loaf pans. Sprinkle the almonds over the tops of the loaves.
  3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of a loaf tests clean.
  4. Allow the cakes to cool completely. Remove the loaves from the pans.
  5. Cut each loaf into 10 slices to serve.

If you want to make this cake vegan substitute 1/2 cup of agave and 1/2 cup of maple syrup for the honey.

I like to make this honey cake at least a day or two before serving as the taste gets better.  If not using store in the fridge.

THE RAW CHOCOLATE BROWNIE

Sorry Gordy, the oven is not turned to 350 degrees. The butter is not coming to room temp and the sugar and the flour are still in the pantry, but on the counter are raw walnuts, almonds, fresh soft dates and cacao powder. I am making raw chocolate brownies.

The great thing about these brownies is that I keep them frozen. This means that you can just open up the freezer and cut yourself off a bite when a sweet craving hits which is just about every night, ask Yale she is just as addicted as I am!  I have even tempted Gordy to have a taste, it is chocolate after all… he still loves his cupcakes and lately donuts but I think I can get him to come on over to the raw brownie side!

Here is a very easy recipe. You can make it your own by adding some unsweetened coconut, orange zest, cacao chips, dried cherries, apricots, you get the idea.

The Raw Chocolate Brownie

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups whole walnuts (or pecans)
  • 2 ½ cups Medjool dates, pitted
  • 1 cup raw cacao powder
  • 1 cup raw unsalted almonds, roughly chopped or any nut you like.
  • ¼ tsp. pink Himalayan salt

Directions:

1. Place 2 cups of walnuts in food processor and blend  until the nuts are finely ground.

2. Add the cacao powder and salt. Pulse to combine.

3. Add the dates one at a time through the feed tube of the food processor while it is running. What you should end up with is a mixture that when pressed with your fingers will  stick together, (if the mixture does not hold together well, you will need more dates).

4. In a large bowl  combine the walnut-cacao mix with the chopped almonds. Press into a lined cake pan, (I line my glass Pyrex with parchment paper).

Place in freezer or fridge until ready to serve, best to eat when they are very cold or frozen.

RAW ORANGE-DATE SQUARE

“RAW DATE SQUARES” …well that’s what Gordy said.  He was a bit disappointed that the house did not have that what are you making , you are driving me crazy smell, but when he tasted them that was all forgotten and I was Queen!

Ingredients:

For the Filling:

  • 2 cups chopped, pitted dates
  • 2 Tbsp. water
  • Juice of 1 large, organic orange (1/2 to 3/4 cup)
  • Zest of 1 large, organic orange

For the crust:

  •  2 cups of walnuts (or any other nuts you like)
  • 1 cup raw oats ground (I used my Cuisnart to pulse into a flour like consistency)
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 3 to 4 Tbsp pure maple syrup or agave (taste for sweetness)

Directions:

1. Soak the dates in the water and orange juice for about 30 minutes, until they become a bit soft.
2. Coarsely grind the nuts in a food processor, then add theoats and pulse to mix.
3. Add cinnamon and then maple syrup one tablespoon at a time until the mixture holds together.
4. Lightly oil a 9-inch square pan or round cake pan with coconut, grapeseed oil or any vegetable oil. (I like the taste of coconut oil).
5. Press a little over half of the nut mixture into the bottom of the pan, reserving the rest for later.
6. Puree the date and orange juice mixture until smooth but with a bit of chunks left.
7. Crumble the remaining half of the crust mixture over the dates and press lightly with your hands.
8. Sprinkle some quick oats on top for garnish.
9. Refrigerate or freeze before serving.
10. I like to snack and keep the leftovers in the freezer.

GLORIANNE’S MOCHA CAPPUCCINO MERINGUES

My cousin Glorianne is a one-of-a-kind kinda girl. We have spent many summers together at Lake Simcoe but time has moved on and so has she and last weekend we visited at her beautiful cottage near Haliburton, Ontario on Coleman Lake. When we arrived there was a big cookie sheet in the oven, the oven door was slightly ajar, we could peak inside, hm-mm are these for us we wondered, a welcome to Colman Lake home baked treat?  Well it was 11 o’clock after all and we had been driving for 3 hours… and doesn’t that mean milk and cookies? Maybe, but Gordy was digging in…  “ Wait they are for a party tomorrow,” cried Glorianne.  Just one, and then one more… they were so delish that before we knew it the cookies were gone. Oh well, tomorrow is another day and now Glorianne can show me how she makes these one of a kind melt-in-your mouth meringue’s.

Thank you Glorianne, Tom and Gwynne for a great weekend and for sharing your recipe with me. There is nothing like a good cookie made with love!

Ingredients:

  • 2 large egg whites – at room temperature

  • 1/8 tsp salt

  • 1/8 tsp cream of tartar

  • ¾ cup white sugar

  • 1 tsp instant coffee

  • 1 tsp coco powder

  • ¾ cup of Skor bits

Directions:

  1. Set oven to 300F

  2. Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper

  3. Add the sugar, coco and coffee together in a small bowl – mix well.

  4. Beat egg whites at high speed for 30 seconds and add salt and cream of tartar to egg whites. Continue to beat until you have soft peaks.

  5. Continue to beat the eggs at high speed and slowly add the sugar, coco, coffee mixture.

  6. Continue to beat until it is well mixed and you get hard peaks.

  7. Stop beating the meringues and gently fold the Skor bits into the mixture with a spatula, until just mixed.

  8. Spoon the mixture in teaspoon size mounds

  9. Place in the oven for 25 minutes. Then open the oven door 2 inches and let the meringues cool in the oven for another 30 minutes.

  10. Eat all at once!

You cannot make these cookies on rainy days.

PEACH AND BLUEBERRY CRUMBLE

Zach is coming for dinner, all year long I make his favourite desert, a crumble. He loves it made with any fruit, with any topping, in any season.  At the fruit store today I found fresh Ontario peaches and wild blueberries so that’s what I will be baking tonight. I know he will be happy and as always take home the leftovers!

Ingredients

For the fruit:

  • 6 to 8 peaches
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2  cups fresh blueberries

For the crumble:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  1. Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until their skins peel off easily. Place them immediately in cold water.
  2.  Peel the peaches, slice them into thick wedges, and place them in a large bowl.
  3. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour. Mix well.
  4. Mix in the blueberries.
  5. Spoon the mixture into a well greased 9 x 13 pyrex or a deep dish pie pan.
  6. For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the butter in the bowl of a food processor.
  7.  Mix using the on/off  pulse switch until the mixutre looks crumbly.
  8. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit.
  9. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is browned and the juices are bubbly.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

MORE BLISS BALLS – FOUR FLAVOURS

My sister-in-law Jill and my niece Laura have been on a spring detox all week.  I thought they could use a little something sweet to keep them on track and I have just the treat for them.  Like most raw foods, these are healthy and will help when you get that  craving for something sweet.  

These keep really well when stored  in the fridge or freezer.

The recipes:

Tahini Almond Date Bites

  • 12-14 large dates, pitted
  • 1/2 cup raw almonds
  • 1/3 cup tahini
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds to coat 

In food processor, pulse almonds until crumbly, partly smooth. Add dates, tahini and salt, continue to process. Texture will still be slightly crumbly – add water (1 tablespoon at a time) and dough should quickly form. Form into 1 inch rounds, roll in sesame seeds to coat, and roll in hands to flatten sesame seeds into ball. Store in the fridge.

Vanilla Bliss Balls

  • 2 cups raw walnuts
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup cashews
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts for rolling

 Put walnuts in the processor and process until smooth. Add maple syrup, vanilla, salt and process until well combined.  Add cashews and raisins and process until evenly distributed but not completely smooth. Form into 1 inch rounds, roll in crushed walnuts. Store in the fridge.

Chocolate Cherry

  • 2 cups of walnuts
  • 8 pitted dates
  • 1/3 cup of cacao powder
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries
  • ½ tsp of vanilla extract
  • 1 TBS maple syrup or honey
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tsp of water

Place the walnuts in the food processor and process into small chunks. Hold back 1/4 cup of walnuts.  Add the salt to the chopped walnuts and process until finely ground. Add the dates and process until the mixture becomes sticky.  Add the cacao  and vanilla and process again.  Add the water if needed.  Add in 1/4 cup of the remaining walnuts and stir through the mixture.  Form into 1 inch round balls.  Roll in cacao powder. Store in the fridge. 

Raw Carrot Cake Balls

  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup carrots
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon raisins, chopped
  • unsweetened shredded coconut for rolling (optional)

Combine almonds & oats in a food processor and pulse until almost flour consistency. Add carrots and process until finely chopped and incorporated.  Add remaining ingredients except raisins and process until dough comes together and almost forms a ball in the food processor.Transfer mixture to a small bowl and fold in chopped raisins. Roll into balls. They look really pretty when rolled into shredded coconut. Store in the fridge.

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CRISPS WITH CARDAMOM, NUTMEG AND HAZELNUTS

I was shopping at Fiesta Farms today and the first thing that caught my attention was the big display of fresh Ontario strawberries, OK so they cost double of the ones from  California, but yeah, it is spring and my fridge is full of fresh local rhubarb – so I must make a strawberry rhubarb crisp.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups fresh rhubarb, 1-inch diced (4 to 5 stalks)
  • 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved, if large
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ cup hazelnuts, chopped
  • 1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) oatmeal.
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  1. FOR THE FRUIT: toss the rhubarb,strawberries, 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar  and the orange zest  together in a large bowl.
  2. In a measuring cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice and then mix it into the fruit.
  3. Pour the mixture into an 8-by-11-inch baking dish  and place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or tin foil in case of spill over.
  4. FOR THE TOPPING: , in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,(or food processor) combine the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, salt,  cardamom, nutmeg and oatmeal.
  5. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter and mix until the dry ingredients are moist and the mixture is crumbly.
  6. Mix in the chopped hazelnuts.
  7. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, covering it completely.
  8.  Bake for 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.

We ate the crisp warm with whipped cream sweetened with maple syrup.

WAFFLES TWO WAYS

For Mother’s Day Gordy bought me (well I think it is for me) a waffle maker.  I am not sure if I even like waffles but I know Gordy does! So for our first try I am going right to the best for basics, The Joy of Cooking, Buttermilk Waffles on page 241. (see recipe below).  These were a big success.

Forward to one week  later – It is Sunday morning and guess what, I have a craving for waffles! Yale is home for the weekend and I know she will want to help.  

 Though the waffles from the Joy were delicious Yale and I wanted to see if we could make a healthier version without eggs, wheat and dairy.  Gordy did not agree with our ingredient choices but when the kitchen started to smell sweet and we started to eat we all agreed that these waffles rock!

Both recipes made waffles that were slightly crunchy around the edges, but incredibly moist and chewy in the center.

The recipe from the Joy uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and fridge like butter, milk, eggs, flour, and baking powder, and only takes a few minutes to mix together. 

The vegan recipe uses ingredients that you may not have in your pantry like almond or quinoa flour, potato starch and coconut oil, but worth a trip to the health food store to stock up.

Here are both recipes for you to try. 

Recipe #1 from the Joy

Makes 6 waffles

Ingredients
Sift before measuring:
2 cups all-purpose flour
Resift with:
¼ tsp baking soda
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Beat in a Separate bowl until light:
2 egg yolks
Add and beat:
1 ¾ cups buttermilk
6 Tbsp melted butter
Combine the liquid and dry ingredients with a few swift strokes.
Beat until stiff, but not dry:
2 egg whites
Fold them into the batter.  

Follow the cooking directions for your waffle iron. Ours took about 1/2 cup of the mixture and about 5 minutes to cook.  We keep the waffles warm in the oven and this made them crispy on the outside and soft inside.  Serve with maple syrup and fruit.

Recipe #2 Vegan Waffles

This recipe was adapted from the site The Daily Dietribe, all recipes that are gluten free.

Vegan Waffles

1 1/4 cups of almond or quinoa flour
1/2 cup potato starch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (depending of how sweet you like your waffles)
2 Tbsp ground flax seed
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons coconut oil (or canola oil)
1/2 to 1 3/4 cups liquid

1. Whisk together your dry ingredients.
2. Whisk together the applesauce, oil, and 1/2 cup of liquid. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet, and stir.

If  batter is too thick, you can add more liquid.

 I love this pure dark maple syrup that I found at Culinarium .  It is from J C Nyman Farms  in Prince Edward County.

MAGNOLIA’S BAKERY VANILLA CAKE

My niece Alison has a big heart, a big smile and big glasses!

She will always be a kid no matter how old she gets.  She brings out the kid in everyone and on mother’s day she brought the kid out in me. Alison loves to bake brownies, cupcakes, and birthday cakes and today she baked our family a Mother’s Day cake.

Thank you Alison, your cake made me happy and the pink icing and sprinkles made me feel like a kid.

Happy Mother’s Day!