Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Individual Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Coffee Cake

Individual Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake 2

Yesterday I had a bunch of overripe bananas that needed to be used.  I made one of my favorite things with most of them—this Absolutely Delicious Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake.  My family likes this cake and they ate the whole thing last night.  I think everyone ate two pieces!  I felt a little left out.  I knew making the cake I wasn’t going to eat any, but was still a bit bummed.

It hit me—I could make my own little cake using gluten free flour and some organic brown sugar.  While they ate, I got to work and whipped up this Absolutely Delicious Individual Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Cake!  It was so easy and done in minutes and I was in heaven.  Next time I’ll make it ahead and eat cake with the family.  I used Enjoy Life (gluten, dairy, soy, refined sugar free) mini chocolate chips.  Love these!  You might recall my Individual Gluten Free Chewy Brownies from a few months back.  This is the same concept with some different ingredients.  I actually think I might make a few ready-to-make packs of all the dry ingredients for these and the brownies.  How awesome it would be to just grab a little bag/container with everything I need already premeasured.  This banana cake and the brownies just have a little added coconut oil and almond milk.  I love using powdered egg/egg whites in these and have quite a bit in my food storage.  If you don’t have that, you need to get some.   They are great to have on hand and I do not notice a difference in things I’ve used them for.  I wouldn’t make scrambled eggs out of them, but they are great in baked goods.  The directions tell you to add water to the powdered egg, but I have used them many times just adding the powder to my dry ingredients.  I knew with the banana cake there was enough moisture in it.  If you do use them for something like cookies, you can add a tablespoon or two of water to the ingredients.

Honeyville Grain has 2 1/4 pounds cans of it, which is what I have.  You can also buy powdered egg whites in cake decorating stores or aisles and they might be called meringue powder.  I’ve used that before in individual baked things as well.  Honeyville has egg white powder and whole eggs powder.  Handy for lots of things.

Individual Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Cake, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

3 tablespoons gluten free flour blend (I used Premium Gold ancient grains blend)

2 tablespoons organic brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon egg white powder

1  1/2 tablespoons almond milk

1  1/2 tablespoons (21 grams) organic coconut oil, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons (40 grams) mashed banana

dash or two of ground cinnamon

For topping:

1 tablespoon Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips

1 scant tablespoon organic brown sugar

cinnamon to taste

*nuts—optional  (I forgot them!), walnuts or pecans, 1-2 tablespoons, chopped

Put the flour, sugar, salt and egg white powder in a small bowl.  Whisk together to combine.  Add the almond milk, coconut oil and vanilla and stir to combine.  Add the mashed banana and a couple dashes of cinnamon and stir to combine.   Grease a ramekin lightlywith coconut oil.  Pour the banana in to the ramekin and spread evenly.  Stir together in a small bowl the chocolate chips, brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts.  Spoon/sprinkle it over the batter.  Cook in a microwave for 45-60 seconds.  Let sit to cool for a few minutes. 

Individual Microwave Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

Try not to eat the whole cake in one sitting.  Oh wait---you can, it’s all yours and isn’t too big!  Go for it! ;  )

Individual Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Monday, April 21, 2014

Coconut Mango Ice Cream (Paleo, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free)

Coconut Mango Paleo Ice Cream

Does that not look like the most delicious bowl of ice cream?  Yeah, I know, there’s no chocolate.  I live in a world of chocolate and prefer it most often.  But this ice cream is delicious and basically health food.  You’ve got to make this!

I started with a couple mangoes.  Then I added a little raw honey and some lime zest and lime juice.  Mango and lime are a match made in heaven.  Instead of dairy cream, I used a full fat coconut milk.  That’s it.  So easy, fresh, healthy, delicious.  This ice cream is Paleo, dairy free, and void of refined sugars, but you’d never know it isn’t there and you won’t miss it.  I happened to have some toasted unsweetened coconut, so I sprinkled that on the ice cream and drizzled it with a little honey.  Love the texture and flavor it added!

Coconut Mango Ice Cream, Dairy Free 2

Course, it’s good “plain”, too.  The first photo is right out of the ice cream maker.  The second photo is after it hardened in the freezer.  Both are good!  the mango flavor comes through, the lime is there and you can taste the coconut, even without the toasted coconut on top. 

Coconut Mango Ice Cream, Dairy Free, Paleo, Refined Sugar Free, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

2 mangoes, peeled and cubed

1-14 ounce can of full fat coconut milk

2 tablespoons raw honey ( a little more to taste)

zest of half a lime

juice of 2 limes

*optional topping—toasted coconut and honey

Put all the ingredients in a blender (or a food processor would work, too).  Blend until smooth.  Put the mixture in the bowl of a frozen, prepared ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions.  Serve as soft-serve ice cream with toasted coconut and a drizzle of honey if desired.  Put ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer.

Coconut Mango Lime Honey Paleo Ice Cream 4-10-14

Mmmm, you’ve got to try this!

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Ghirardelli Spring Impressions Chocolates

Ghirardelli Spring Impressions

Thanks once again to Ghirardelli for the wonderful box of chocolates!  If you haven’t tried these, you need to.  I can’t take a decent picture and do them justice, but they are so cute and fun and delicious as well. 

I’d love to have given them away as gifts, and some I did here and there to a few friends, but the biggest reason why is because my ten year old loves them and wouldn’t leave them alone.  He keeps snitching them from my cupboard!

So I’m telling you, run out and get some of these for your Easter celebrations, Easter baskets, or for your own indulgences.  I’ve seen them in lots of stores wherever Easter/spring goodies are sold!

Ghirardelli Spring Impressions Chocolates

Can you guess by the photo which ones my son likes the best?  The white chocolate of course, since when I took this picture, there were only two of those left.   They would be so fun to just open and add to any dessert tray for the holiday!  Thanks again, Ghirardelli.  Love these!  Hope to see them around for every holiday. 

Sunday, April 06, 2014

Snickerdoodle Granola Bars, Gluten Free—Secret Recipe Club

Snickerdoodle Granola Bars, Gluten Free

Gluten Free Snickerdoodle Granola BarsT

These are sure tasty!  I know they look kind of plain and boring, but I assure you, there is some great flavor there!  Do you like Snickerdoodles, those cinnamony, chewy cookies?  These taste like those cookies, but in no bake granola bar form.  And of course, I made them gluten free with gluten free oats and a glluten free flour blend and used raw honey and organic sugar.  I decided to splurge a little on the sugar, I consider organic cane sugar not to be a 100% natural, unrefined sugar, but sometimes I use it—so sue me. ;  )  I also don’t use butter much anymore as I’ve been using coconut oil for the most part, but these called for butter and I decided to splurge there, too, and use real butter.  Mmm, I thought the butter flavor came through nicely with these.

Hey, I found these bars over at my Secret Recipe Club blog assignment for this month.  I really enjoyed Aimee’s blog, See Aimee Cook.  New to me, but I sure spent a lot of time there.  I had the hardest time deciding what to make.  Check out Aimee’s awesome Recipe Index.  I love that she posts weekly menus and browsing through some of those I wanted to make everything I saw.  Let me correct that, I wanted Aimee to cook everything I saw for me.  There is a lot of good stuff there.

Snickerdoodle Granola Bars

These are making for a great little snack for me the last couple days.  I have this silly little trick—when my boys ask what certain things are, I tell them they are gluten free or sugar free and they cringe their noses and won’t even try most things.  Little do they know, they taste great and they’d never know if I didn’t tell them.  Makes them all for me that way and they last a lot longer, too.  Hehe

Snickerdoodle Granola Bars, Gluten Free, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted from Aimee at See Aimee Cook

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup (168 grams) raw honey

1/4 cup (35 grams, not packed) organic light brown sugar

1/4 cup (45 grams) organic pure cane sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3  1/2 cups (315 grams) gluten free quick cooking oats

3/4 cup gluten free blend flour (I used Premium Gold Ancient Grains blend)

Line a 9 inch square pan with nonstick foil, enough to use the edges to remove the bars easily from the pan.  Spread a light coating of butter or coconut oil over the foil. 

In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, and sugar until melted and smooth.  Let it come to a boil for 3 minutes.  Don’t let it boil to fast and high, if it is, turn the heat down slightly.  Remove from heat and add the vanilla, cinnamon, salt and cream of tartar.  Stir to combine.  Add the oats and stir well.  Add the flour a little at a time until well combined.  Spread the mixture evenly in the pan.  Press it down firmly (I like to use a potato masher for even pressing.)  Refrigerate for about 2 hours until bars are set.  Lift them out of the pan using the foil edges.  Cut into desired sized bars on a cutting board.  Store in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature or for a month in the refrigerator.  They also freeze well.

Gluten Free Snickerdoodle Granola Bars 2

These are perfectly soft and chewy at room temperature and obviously more firm out of the fridge.  They wouldn’t take long to come to room temperature, but after enjoying them room temperature for a few days, I have the rest stored in the fridge.  They have great cinnamon flavor and the butter really comes through.  I actually thought they’d be a little greasy, but they are not.  Great job on these Snickerdoodle Granola Bars, Aimee.  I’m totally thinking I’ll trick the boys and make other flavors of these.  We buy a lot of granola bars around here and I’d love to make them instead!

The night I made these, I decided to make this Blackened Chicken and Cilantro Lime Quinoa for dinner.  Course, I had to make it for the boys with rice and let them put it all in a flour tortilla like a burrito, blah, blah.  If I’d have just made quinoa with chicken, they probably would have all complained.  Whatever.  It worked just fine for me to make cilantro lime rice and some cilantro lime quinoa.  I followed Aimee’s recipe pretty much exactly.  I just didn’t make as much rice or quinoa so we wouldn’t have a huge abundance.  It worked perfectly.  I love quinoa and this was a great meal!

Blackened Chicken with Cilantro Lime Rice and Avocado Sauce 4-2-14

Check out Aimee’s blog, See Aimee Cook and all the other goodness from the Secret Recipe Club!

 

 

Friday, April 04, 2014

Cranberry Almond Date Balls, Grain Free (Paleo), Refined Sugar Free

Cranberry Almond Date Balls

Love how simple all the different grain free, refined sugar free treats I’ve been making are, as well as they are often no-bake.   I love that you can often just put together any nuts with dates you want, add any other flavors and end up with so many different tasty treats.

I recently made a couple different kinds for my sister-in-laws’ baby shower.  She requested nothing with chocolate and grain free, as well as no sugar.  I made a couple different versions of these.  Of course, you can probably tell in the photo that these particular ones do have chocolate.  It just seems strange to me to not have chocolate in there, so after taking a couple versions of these with no chocolate to the shower, I made some for myself a couple days later with chocolate. ;  )  There isn’t very much chocolate, but just enough for me.

Cranberry Almond Date Balls 4-3-14

Cranberry Almond Date Balls, Grain Free (Paleo), Refined Sugar Free, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1 cup almonds (I don’t toast them, but since I store them in the freezer, I put them on a baking sheet in the oven for a few minutes just to take the chill off them)

1 cup dried cranberries (sweetened with apple juice)

1 cup pitted dates (I always cut them in half to check for pits and I always find at least one)

2 tablespoons raw honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips (optional)

2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the almonds until they start becoming nicely chopped.  Add the dates and cranberries.  Blend until all ingredients are starting to be well combined.  Add the vanilla, salt and honey.  Pulse until it is all clumping together.  Add the chocolate and/or coconut and pulse a few times.  Form into walnut sized balls, squeezing it together and rolling it in your hands.  Set on waxed paper lined baking sheet/plate.  Store in an airtight container.  Makes about 18, depending on how many bites you snitch while rolling into balls. ;  )

Cranberry Lemon Pecan Date Balls, Grain Free (Paleo), Refined Sugar Free, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1 cup pecans

1 cup dried cranberries (sweetened with apple juice)

1 cup pitted dates

zest of one lemon

pinch of salt

1-2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Follow the same directions for the above recipe, if it is not all sticking together in well in the food processor, add a little honey until you like the consistency.  I didn’t add honey to this version.  Pecans may have more moisture.    I also rolled about half of these in coconut, which you can do to any of the date balls.

Cranberry Lemon Pecan Date Balls

Cranberry Lemon Pecan Date Balls

I love having a couple different treats like these stored away for me to snitch on now and then and I don’t feel one bit guilty!