Elmo Cake

I made this cake for my Daughter's 2nd birthday. I had all the right colored frosting to decorate it and then I had this idea to put M&Ms on the frosting so it would look more clean. It was my first try with this technique and it worked.  It is time consuming but much easier than piping frosting, in my opinion.


I used this vanilla cake recipe.  I doubled it since this cake pan is big. This is a good basic white cake recipe. You can make cupcakes with it and add fruit, maybe melted chocolate to make marble cake and so on. I recently used it to make plum cake and it turned out really well. We ate it all before I could take pictures... sorry :(

Vanilla Cake

1/2 cup non hydrogenated shortening or butter
1/2 cup brown sugar or 3/4 cup white sugar (I think brown sugar is sweeter)
3 eggs
2 tsp Amaretto
1 tsp vanilla paste / extract


Dry:
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
2 tsp baking powder
Zest of 1/2 lemon

- Preheat the oven to 350F
- Grease and line a 9" round pan.
- Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
- In a mixer bowl with paddle attachment (if using Kitchen aid) whip the shortening/ butter and sugar until it is fluffy. Take your time this will create a better texture.
- Add eggs one at a time.  Make sure each egg is well incorporated before adding the next.
-  Add vanilla and Amaretto.
- Slowly add dry ingredients while mixing.
- Pour into pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes

Enjoy!

Teff and other Ancient Grains Bread

I like this bread because I feel healthy when I eat it. 

Instead of eating bread that is made from just

empty carbs like rice and tapioca, this bread has plenty of grains that have lots of fiber and protein.

Yeast mixture:

1 cup warm water

½ cup almond milk (can be replaced with water)

1 ¼ tbsp yeast (2 packets)

2 tsp sugar

Dry:
¾  cup teff

¾  cup amaranth

¾ cup millet 

½ cup quinoa

½ cup tapioca

½ cup potato

1 ½  tbsp  xantham gum

2 tsp salt

Wet:

3 egss

4 tbsp oil of choice

1 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp brown sugar

 

- Mix yeast mixture ingredients and set aside until frothy.

- Mix dry ingredients in the mixer bowl.

- Add yeast mixture to dry ingredients and mix. 

- Add wet ingredients.

- Pour into an oiled loaf pan. I used Pullman. I highly recommend it.

Let rise for 30-50 minutes. 

I rise my breads in a turned off oven with a pan filled with hot water.

The steam creates a warm and moist environment for the bread which is very conducive for yeast growth. If you use this method of proofing check the bread after 30 minutes to make sure it doesn't over flow.

Bake at 375F for 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn on to a cooling rack and cool for a few hours. I slice it and keep a few slices on the counter and I freeze the rest.

Chocolate Coffee Cake (dairy free)

Chocolate cake for me is a staple in every birthday and... on any other day actually.
This cake is light, easy to make and super tasty.

I made it dairy free since I prefer to avoid dairy and also my sweetheart suddenly found out he can not have dairy! So all my recipes from now on will be dairy free. Of course you can replace the ingredients and put butter and milk. It will be just as delish. You might have noticed that my recipes are relatively low on fat and sugar. I just think all the excess fat and sugar in commercial goods are totally unnecessary. My baked good are delicious and satisfying without being too fatty, heavy and sugary. Try it and see. By the way, if in some weird scenario you are "stuck" with left overs keep the cake in the fridge. To enjoy it, put in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, that will remelt the chocolate in the cake and give it back its moistness. YUM!


Wet:

100g bitter sweet chocolate, chopped. I used Enjoy Life mini chips

1/3 cup oil or 1 stick of butter

½ cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

¾ cup hot water mixed with 1 tbsp instant coffee (allow to cool)

Dry:

¼ cup cocoa powder

½ cup almond flour

½ cup cornstarch

1 tsp baking powder

- Preheat oven to 350F. Oil and line a 9” round cake pan.

- Mix the hot water with the coffee and set aside to cool.

- Melt chocolate and oil/ butter in microwave or in double boiler. 

- Whip  eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture.

- Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture alternating with the coffee.

-  Pour into the pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. If testing with a toothpick there should be moist crumbs on it.

I came up with this glaze recipe so I can have a quick and easy to remember multi-purpose chocolate sauce. You can put it on cakes, ice cream, or even use it as fondu... as if I need to tell you what to do with chocolate sauce!

2,3,4,5 Chocolate Glaze:

2 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp cocoa powder 

4 tbsp water

5 tbsp Enjoy Life chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients excepts for chocolate chips in a small pot and whisk until combined. Put on medium heat until it boils gently. Remove from heat and add the chips. Whisk until smooth. If there are chunks left put it back on low heat and constantly whisk until they melt. 

I have used this recipe to make cupcakes, mini cookie monster cupcakes and a "Like" cake. If you make them into cupcakes or mini cupcakes make sure to adjust the baking time. About 15-20 minutes for cupcakes and 12-15 for mini.

I used DAIRY cream cheese frosting (1 stick butter, 1 8oz package cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar), sugar store bought eyes and for the mouth I used GF "Oreos" or a piece of chocolate pellet I broke in half. To create the hair like texture I just used a butter knife.

"Like" cake with the M&M's coating.

Sweet Potato Mini Muffins

This recipe came about as a desperate attempt to get my little girl to eat some (high fiber) veggies. These are moist, quick, yummy and best of all healthy! I know there are a lot of different flours here and the reason for that is the health benefits in each flour. You are welcome to use 1 and 1/4 cup of all purpose gf flour instead of the almond, quinoa, millet and tapioca flours.

Makes 24 mini muffins          

Dry:

½ cup almond flour

¼ cup quinoa flour

¼ cup millet

2 tbsp coconut flour (optional)

¼ cup desiccated coconut

¼ cup tapioca starch

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

Wet:

1 cup finely grated sweet potato (about half of a medium sweet potato)

1 egg

1/3 cup brown sugar

¼ cup oil

1 tsp vanilla extract or paste

¼ cup apple sauce

¼ cup almond milk or other milk of choice

2 tbsp peanut/almond butter or sunbutter (optional)

- Heat the oven to 350F and line a mini muffin pan with paper liners.

- Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl

- Combine wet ingredients and mix with a fork. The fork helps separate the grated sweet potato and mixes it better with the rest of the ingredients.

- Combine the wet and dry ingredients.

- Fill the liners almost to the top.

- Bake for 20-25 minutes.

- Keep on the counter for 3-5 days or in the freezer for a month.

- Feel free to add raisins, cranberries or pecans. Both my husband and daughter do not like the texture change so I keep it clean...

 

Pecan Macarons

I love going to farmers markets. The music, the smells, the fresh veggies... unfortunately, now a days, being gluten free, I do not have the privilege of tasting and trying the different foods. Luckily, lately gluten free options are slowly being added to markets. This cookie recipe was inspired by one of my trips to the farmers market where I ate a delicious gluten free pecan cookie. It is super easy to make, give it a try!

2 cups ground pecans

2 egg whites

2 tbsp white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp of cinnamon

- Heat oven to 350F

- Grind pecans in a food processor to a fine mill.

- Whip egg white with 1 tbsp sugar until stiff peaks. Fold in the rest of the ingredients. 

- Drop spoonfuls on a lined baking sheet or fill a half dome silicon pan.

- Bake for 15 minutes. The cookies will still be soft when warm so it is important to let them cool completely before sampling.

Olive Rolls and Focaccia

These rolls take me back to when I was about 11 years old and I went to visit my brother in the kibbutz. His wife (then girlfriend) made these amazing olive, cheese buns for me and I totally fell in love with them. Fast forward 20 years and I still can not forget the taste and wonderful texture of those tasty morsels, only now I can not have gluten and should stay away from cheese soooo... this is my gluten free, dairy free homage to those buns. If you can have dairy, add you favorite grated cheese, about 1/2 a cup and it will be even more amazing. The olive hidden in the middle is a great surprise for kids and adults. This is a great snack for parties and picnics as well.


1/2 cup white  rice 

1/2 cup tapioca

1 and 1/4 cups cornstarch

1/2 cup potato starch 

¼ cup quinoa flour

1/2 tbsp salt  

1 tbsp x. gum

1/4 cup honey

1 tbsp yeast

¾ cup water

½  cup almond milk or other milk of choice

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil or shortening 

1 egg for egg wash

Pitted olives of choice. I use green

- Mix yeast, honey, water and milk and let bubble for 5 minutes. 
- Mix dry ingredient in a bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment.
- Add yeast mixture to dry ingredient, then add eggs and oil/shortening/butter.
 - Mix for a few minutes until it looks like a smooth batter.

- Cover the bowl and let it rise for 1 hour. I put in a turned off oven with a bowl of hot water. That creates an ideal warm and humid environment for the dough.

- Heat the oven to 350F
- Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners and spray with oil. My liners stick to the dough.
- Scoop a little bit of dough into liners, put an olive in the middle and cover with more dough.
- Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds or salt.
- Bake for 25 minutes until slightly golden and sound hollow when tapped.

This recipe make a great focaccia. Just spread the batter on a lined sheet tray in a rectangle shape and about 2 inches thick. Sprinkle with herbs and bake for 20-25 minutes, You can add veggies, cheese or whatever.

These freeze beautifully for at lease 2 months.

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

These cookies are soft and pillowy with a crunchy, sweet exterior. I like using flavored chocolates in baking and here I used Ghiradelli's Cabaret Matinee which has notes of grapes and blackberries. It gives the cookies that extra mysterious flavor that no one can guess. 

Wet:

100g bittersweet chocolate – melted (I used Cabarnet Matinee by Ghirardelli)

½ stick of butter

½ cup light brown sugar

1 egg

vanilla

4 tbsp milk or brewed coffee (or 1 tsp of instant coffee mixed with 4 tbsp of hot water)

Dry:

¼ cup cocoa powder  

1 tsp baking powder

½ cup rice flour

¼ cup tapioca

Regualr and powder sugar for rolling

- Heat the oven to 350F

- Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave

- Mix dry ingredients

- Beat butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla

- Add chocolate, then dry ingredients alternating with milk/coffee

- Chill for 1 hour. Cooling the dough allows for easier scooping and rolling.

- Put granulated sugar in a plate and the powdered sugar in a different plate.

- Scoop balls into granulated sugar, roll them to coat and then roll in powder sugar.

- Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes

Devour with much pleasure!