Chocolate Frosted Peanut Butter Bars

1 c butter softened (we use Earth Balance - it's vegan) Chocolate Frosted Peanut Butter Bars

1 1/2 c packed brown sugar 1 c sugar 1 c peanut butter 1 egg 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups quick oats (I actually used Old Fashioned oats and it was great) 2 c all purpose GF flour (I use Bob's Red Mill baking flour) 1/4 tsp xanthum or guar gum 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt

PB Chocolate frosting: 6 tbsp butter, softened *3 c powdered sugar *1 1/2 c Omanhene cocoa mix (*Or 4 c powdered sugar and 1/2 c baking cocoa) 1 tsp vanilla ( I think I added extra though) 4 heaping tbsp peanut butter 6-8 tbsp milk (I used cashew milk)

1. In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugars. Add I cup peanut butter, egg and vanilla; mix well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda, xanthum gum, baking soda, and salt; then add to creamed mixture. Spread into a greased 15"x10"X1" baking pan. ( I only had a 9x13, and it just had to bake about 10 min longer.)

2. Bake at 350 degrees for 13-17 (+5-10 min if using deeper glass pan) or until golden brown. Cool completely.

3. In a mixing bowl combine all frosting ingredients except peanut butter. Use just enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. (I only needed 4 tsp of the cashew milk.) mix in additional peanut butter. Spread over cooled cake layer. Cut into bars.

There is an editors' note that reduced fat peanut butter is not recommended.....bring on the calories!!!

Featherweight Breakfast Cake

This is a recipe based on one from a cookbook my mom gave me one year at Christmas.  The book is a home made one from 2009 by her friend Patty Reik and is a collection of her mother "Frieda Schuh's best loved recipes."  I probably use this cook book more often than all of my fancier store bought books combined!

The original recipe was smaller, but I found doubling it fills a 9"x13" pan nicely.

FEATHERWEIGHT BREAKFAST CAKE

Cake ingredients:

   1/2 c non-dairy butter

   2 eggs

  1 c almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)

  2 c sifted gluten free all purpose baking flour.

       (Another fine texture flour will probably work fine but may affect the flavor.)

  1 c granulated sugar

  2 tbsp baking powder

  1 tsp salt

  1 tsp xanthum gum

Topping:

  4 tbsp sugar

  1 tsp cinnamon

For cake, melt butter.  Cool slightly and mix well with egg and "milk."  Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, xanthum gum and salt.  Add to egg mixture and wisk to smooth lumps.  Pour into a greased 9"x13" baking pan.  Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle on top.  If desired, use butter knife to cut in toppings to feather design.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until toothpick pricked in center comes out clean.

This recipe tasted similar to a fluffy oven baked pancake.  I kept it covered overnight and made a wonderful breakfast even the next day slightly warmed up.  I topped it with real maple syrup, but it would be delicious with a fruit sauce topping!

Simple Banana Cake Recipe

In the search for recipes there will always be some wonderful new discoveries.  My search has led me to follow a fantastic woman named Marissa on her blog Little House Living.  She has all kinds of tips for frugal living, homesteading, DIY projects,vand because of her own son's food intolerances, many recipes that I have just begun exploring.  This week I tried out her Simple Banana Cake Recipe.  I did not have to make any changes to the recipe, and it turned out wonderful!

To play with the texture a little, I plan on making this again but adding a bit of Xanthan gum to the dry ingredients.  I also plan on trying a little extra applesauce as my cake came out just a little dryer than I like (although that could be because I used one of my son's GoGo Squeez apple-banana sauce blend packs instead of straight applesauce.)





We also used a frosting recipe from Melissa's site-- the Old Fashioned Caramel Frosting.   Be careful with this recipe, I slightly overcooked the sugar and it affects the flavor.   It still was very good, but took on a more maple-like flavor.  A basic sugar frosting or a chocolate creme would also be delicious.  Perhaps a fruit-flavored mix like strawberry?  Banana cake opens a lot of flavor combination possibilities, or is completely delicious on its own!

Flourless Peanut Butter and Banana cookies

Ingredients:  
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 med size banana
Granulated sugar
*1/2 cup chocolate, carob, or other chips (optional). We used non-vegan pumpkin spice chips, but carob or some dark chocolate chips work for a vegan recipe.

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, beat banana with mixer until paste-like.    Add brown sugar and peanut butter and mix at a medium speed until well blended.

3. Shape dough into balls of about 1&1/2" diameter and space about 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Dip fork into granulated sugar and flatten with criss-cross pattern to about 1/2" thickness.  If desired, press 3-4 chips on top of each cookie.

4. Bake 12 minutes or until set.  Allow to cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet before moving to wire racks. Cookies will be very soft.  Allow cookies to cool completely.  Makes 1 1/2 dozen cookies.

Feature Product: Omanhene Cocoa Powder

Omanhene cocoa is a product that I came upon without intention of ever using it for baking.  In fact, it is a product I use in my job as a barista daily, making hot chocolates and mochas with their hot cocoa mix.  Realizing that the mix is a vegan and gluten free product drew my attention and piqued my interest in Omanhene and what other products the company has to offer. By investigating the company I found more than just products that I like, I found a company and world philosophy I can stand by.

Omanhene products available at  Omanhene.com

According to Omanhene's website  the company has adopted a "Beyond Fair Trade" policy.  "The fair trade issue is a complicated and nuanced one.  I characterize Omanhene’s efforts in Ghana as “beyond fair trade” since we are concerned with the entire value chain, not just the initial transaction involving payments to farmers.  At the end of the day, there are many paths to creating a more just and peaceful world and I support all efforts to improve the human condition."   Omanhene adapts its business practice to the fairest practices for the farmers paying prices to farmers as set by the Government of Ghana rather than fitting into the narrow spectrum of Fair Trade Co-ops. 90% of cocoa farms of Ghana are independent and fair better from government set pricing as well the additional benefits Omanhene brings with the company, such as in-country processing plants and addressing child labor issues, among others. The ethical and business practices are a part of the same with this company, and that makes me admire them all the more.

Omanhene offers world class dark and milk chocolates, hot cocoa mixes, as well as pure cocoa powder and cocoa butter for confections and baking.  I look forward to trying a variety of their products in my baking endeavors!

Gingerbread - Gluten free vegan style

My assistant and chief decorator Haydn

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: approx 8 minutes

Ingredient list:

1/2 c dairy-free butter substitute ( my favorite is Earth Balance)

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c unsulfered molasses

1/2 t. vanilla extract

2 1/2 t. ground ginger

1 t. ground cloves

1 1/4 t. baking soda

1/2 t. Salt

1 t. Xantham gum 

2 1/2 c. Gluten free all-purpose baking flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350*

2.  Combine shortening and brown sugar in a bowl with mixer until fluffy

3.  Add in molasses and vanilla and continue to mix.

4.  Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to wet mixture.  Dough should be somewhat firm and good for rolling out.

5.  Roll out to 1/3-1/2" thick

6.  Bake about 8 minutes until slightly risen with a touch of color at the edges.  

7.   Allow to cool.  Store in an airtight container.

This is one happy kid!

New year, new recipes, new blog!

2015 might not have any huge significance yet, but it has been weighing on my mind to make some dietary changes.  Not necessarily with how I eat, but more so with what I eat.  I am what one might call an Intolerant Eater.  I feel guilty attending family functions because separate dishes always have to be made for me.  Just imagine how hard it is to not be able to eat dairy while living in the Dairy State?  I sometimes give in to the closest proximity of what I SHOULD eat with what is actually available and, in turn, pay for it later.  My plan is to do more cooking and baking to not only help myself, but others like me.

With the holidays so recently passed I have decided that there should be more resources for people like me.  I've picked up books on gluten free foods and vegan eating to try to find recipes for things I like, but many are either so complicated (do you know how many types of flour there are?!) or so foreign to me that the books do me no justice when I'm looking for easy alternatives to recipes I might already have in mind.  My idea with this blog is to put together a collection of easy recipes and tips specifically for baking...the part of cooking where my heart truly lies!  I would like to address dairy free, gluten free, allergen free and sugar free options as well as any other requests along the way.  I frequently turn to vegan baking since dairy is such a big issue for me, so you will see vegan options as well.  I look forward to trying and reviewing different products as well as coming up with creative yet simple problem solving solutions for baking.

The first recipes you will be seeing are a retrospect of things I made over this past holiday season....gingerbread, coconut macaroons, pumpkin pie (including crust recipe), and peppermint crispy balls.

Look for tags throughout this blog designating dietary issues addressed (gluten free, dairy free, etc.)  as well as type of baking you see (holidays, cookies, bread, etc.)

Delightfully yours,
 Annie