Chocolate Cupcakes
Chocolate can brighten you up no matter what is happening at that moment! Great for traveling or when you want an individual dessert neatly wrapped in its own packaging. Kids love this at parties! Adults can eat this small portion with much less guilt than a large piece of cake!
Yields: 24 cupcakes, regular size
Ingredients:
3 cups gluten-free flour (I like Bob's Red Mill oat flour best), or Amaranth, Quinoa, Buckwheat, Millet or combination
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1 teaspoon sea or Himalayan salt, fine
½ cup grapeseed oil or avocado oil
½ cup real maple syrup
¾ cup coconut nectar(low glycemic sweetener)
2 cups unsweetened alternative milk*(almond or sunflower are best)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional or 2 drops coffee extract, optional
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Oil pan with vegan Earth Balance or grapeseed oil or place paper liners into cups.
- Sift all dry ingredients into the bowl of an electric stand mixer.
- Measure out all liquid ingredients, set aside.
- If using vanilla beans, cut in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds with the back of a knife.
- Whisk the vanilla bean into the wet ingredients to evenly distribute the seeds.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Place paddle attachment onto mixer and mix on low speed just until incorporated.
- Stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl, mix briefly until smooth.
- Pour batter into cupcake pan or liners filling ¾ of the way to the top.
- Place muffin pan on a baking sheet.
- Bake on the middle rack of oven for 20-30 minutes.
- Insert a toothpick in the middle of the cupcake and it is done when it comes out clean. If it does not come out clean continue baking approximately 5 more minutes and continue to test.
- Cool on a rack until completely cool. Frost with "buttercream" or Ganache. Decorate with fresh berries or whatever you like.
For transporting place cupcakes back into a clean cupcake pan or disposable cups. Insert a toothpick into all four cupcakes in each corner and one in the center so they are sticking up ¾ of the way out the top. Gently cover with foil, put into a large shopping bag with handles and place on the floor of your car and take it slowly around those corners! Trust me on the driving tip!
*Any nut or seed milk may be used. Coconut milk makes the cake too gooey.
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
This makes a thick and fudgy frosting that can be piped onto cupcakes or spread over a cake.
Yield: 3 cups-enough to frost one 9x12 cake or double layer 8 inch round cake or 3 dozen cupcakes
Ingredients:
12 ounces good quality dairy-free dark chocolate or chocolate chips(Enjoy Life) or Lilly's Stevia Chocolate Chips
1 ½ cups/1 can regular coconut milk (not light)
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
For sweeter frosting you can add ¼ cup coconut nectar or raw honey to the coconut milk, optional
Directions:
- Place chocolate in a metal or glass bowl and set aside.
- Put coconut milk in a sauce pot and bring to a boil, remove from heat and add chopped chocolate. See note for sweeter frosting above-if using chocolate chips it will be sweet enough. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes and then stir with a whisk until smooth and well mixed.
- For a shiny glaze over cake: pour directly over cake and let it set at room temperature for a few hours-do not refrigerate. Best when the cake is in a pan. If you are doing it over a round cake on a stand, pour half over it and let it set and then pour the other half so it doesn't all run to bottom of the cake onto the stand and not on your cake
- For a fluffy frosting: Chill the Ganache in the refrigerator, uncovered, until it is completely set and thick like fudge. Put into an electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on medium-high speed until it is fluffy. For a really deep, dark chocolate flavor, add ½ cup dark cocoa powder, and mix on low speed until smooth and completely incorporated. For sweeter frosting you can add ¼ cup coconut nectar or raw honey to the coconut milk, optional. The amount of sweetener will depend on the bitterness of the chocolate that is used. Spread onto the cake or frost cupcakes with a star tip; and leave at room temperature or refrigerate to use later. These may be frozen and kept for up to 1 month!
Dutch Baby Pancake
This is baked in the oven and is like a combination of a crepe and a pancake.
Yields: 1 (8-10 inch pancake)-will feed 1-2 people
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons grapeseed or avocado oil
½ cup gluten-free flour(oat or sorghum or a combination of both)
2 Tablespoons coconut nectar or agave nectar or pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon sea salt, fine
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
2 lg. organic eggs
1 lemon, washed and sliced in wedges
Topping: real maple syrup and citrus olive oil and lemon
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put an pie pan into oven and heat for 10 minutes.
- Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Measure all wet ingredients together, except 1 TBSP. oil. Pour into dry ingredients and whisk until combined, set aside.
- Using pot holders, carefully put 1 Tablespoon into the sauté pan and spread evenly to coat bottom of pan, not the sides.
- Gently pour the batter into the hot pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.
- Serve immediately with lemon wedges and real maple syrup and citrus olive oil. You can also coconut nectar or lemon curd or fruit spread. Top with fresh organic berries or fruit if you wish.
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