Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Gluten Free Zucchini Cookies (Also Vegan!)

I took my Grandma Tiny's Zucchini Cookies recipe and decided I needed to make it gluten free so I could enjoy them again.  It’s zucchini season!  These are perfect for the abundance of zucchini and pretty simple to make—you don’t even need a mixer.  I changed up the sugars a little so I wasn’t just using refined sugar and I used grape seed oil.  All changes I made worked perfectly and I’m happy that these are healthier and gluten free and they just happen to be vegan, so Parker was happy, too.  Sometimes the changes I make to things (especially when I make them gluten free AND vegan) make baked goods a bit dry and crumbly.  I’m still working on that issue.  But these cookies turned out great.  Parker even noticed and mentioned it.  And Kevin ate quite a few of them and he usually doesn’t eat something he knows is gluten free or vegan.  Win!
What more—since they’re vegan—you can eat the cookie dough!  (Not that in my past I’ve never eaten raw cookie dough of any kind.) ; )



Gluten Free Zucchini Cookies (They’re vegan, too!), by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

In a medium sized bowl, stir together with a whisk: (No electric mixer needed.)
1//2 cup organic cane sugar
¼ cup organic coconut sugar
¼ cup organic agave nectar (Note—I’ve used 1 cup of brown sugar before instead of the 3 sweeteners listed)
1 cup grated zucchini (I use the fine grater)
1/2 cup organic grape seed oil (or any other oil of choice)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift together in another medium sized bowl:
2 cups gluten free flour blend (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 blend)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped (or walnuts)—optional
1/3 cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips—optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until combined.  Stir in the nuts and raisins.
Drop by spoonfuls on parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Remove cookies to wire rack to cool.

Life is crazy and busy and probably a little boring around here.  I’m still here.  We had a great summer with lots of fun trips and everyone is happy to be back in school.  Shh, probably me more than anyone.

Saturday, February 17, 2018

TEN YEARS BLOGGING! Gluten Free Refined Sugar Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake 2-15-18

Hello, Everyone!  Would you believe it’s been 10 years since I started my blog!  Ten Years!  That’s so crazy to me.  Even crazier—I started my blog just before my baby turned one.  Yep, he’s almost 11 years old!  I keep wishing I could take the time to share things with you like I used to way back when.  Times have changed.  Blogging isn’t the same.  My boys aren’t the same and I think I’m definitely busier with three teenagers and a 10 year old.  My health isn’t the same.  So much change.  In my heart though, I’m the same—I still love food (treats especially) and want to share my favorites here with a good dose my life and family.  Sigh.  So here I am, blogging sparingly, but still here nonetheless.

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I still have this idea to revamp some of my favorite treats into healthier and gluten free versions, so I’ve done it again today with this Gluten Free Refined Sugar Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake—which I’ve taken from this heavenly Chocolate Zucchini Cake.  Took a few tries, but THIS recipe I’m sharing here today is great!  It’s not as healthy as it could be, but it’s still gluten free and refined sugar free and I’m happy about that.  I will work on another version that is grain free and maybe dairy free, but I’ve sure decided with baking lately and trying to make things vegan for one of my sons, that baked goods benefit greatly from eggs and butter!

Never, ever would someone even guess this decadent chocolate cake has a vegetable.  You cannot tell there is zucchini in it. 

Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake 2-15-18


Gluten Free Refined Sugar Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1 ¼ cups gluten free flour blend

6 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon xanthan powder (even if your flour blend has some, add this extra)

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup coconut sugar

6 tablespoons raw honey

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup milk (I used 2%)

1 cup finely grated zucchini, liquid squeezed out in a tea towel

½ cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips


Ganache—

3 ounces heavy cream

4 ½ ounces Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with non-stick foil (optional, but I love doing this for easily removing the baked cake from the pan), spray with cooking spray (here I prefer the no-propellants coconut oil spray). Set aside. Add gluten free flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan and salt to a medium sized bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. Cream the butter, coconut sugar and honey in mixer for 3-5 minutes, until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat another couple minutes, scrape the bowl to make sure all is combined. Add the zucchini and mix together. While the mixer is going, add part of the dry ingredients, then some of the milk, then more dry ingredients, the rest of the milk, then the rest of the dry ingredients. Beat it in the mixer for 3-5 more minutes. Since it is gluten free, it will be fine! Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean with just moist crumbs. Let cake sit on a wire rack to cool.

Make the ganache. In a glass microwave safe bowl, heat the cream in 20-30 second intervals until it’s bubbly around the sides (this can also be down in a pan on the stove). Pour the chocolate over the cream and let sit for a minute. Slowly stir the chocolate and cream until smooth. Remove cake from pan with the foil edges. Carefully remove the foil from the bottom, let cool completely while ganache cools more and thickens slightly. Spread the ganache evenly over the cake. Store in an airtight cake holder. Cut into nine squares and serve. (Next I’m going to bake this cake in a 9x9 inch pan for the cake to ganache ratio to be a little better!)


Here’s what’s happening with my family lately--scottanddiana

Scott proposed marriage to his girlfriend!  He told us on Christmas, even though he asked Diana to marry him back in August.  Little sneak!  They are happy and plan to get married in a couple years after they get things more set financially. ; )

nickelmania

Parker has been busy with his first job at Target during the holidays.  He works at a thrift clothing store right now, but plans to go back to Target when they hire him back in March.  He’s also busy with school trying to get enough credits to graduate a year early.  He’s ready to go places!

tayloricecream

Taylor is busy in 8th grade with percussion and loves drumming!  He’s actually taking drum lessons on the side through someone Kevin knew at UVU.  It’s nonstop drumming around here, on drums and drum pads and counters and anything!  He was selected with a couple others to be in the school drumline and they got to go to all the home boys’ and girls’ basketball games and play during timeouts and halftime.  He loved it!  I enjoyed going and watching him and recording lots of his beats!  He’s actually written a couple of his own cadences.

tsdrumline  taylordrumming

Sam recently “earned” a trip to Disneyland with me, so we went and had a blast for two days with my friend, Bonnie, and her four girls.  Sam had never been to Disney or California.  We flew over in a flash and played hard and it was over before we knew it.  Sam LOVED Guardians of the Galaxy at California Adventures (me, not so much).  He also loved the Raging Waters ride.  That one WAS pretty fun—and wet.  My favorite at C.A. was Soaring Around the World.  So awesome!  It was fun to see Mickey and a bunch of other characters and lots of fun hanging with friends!

samandmedisney

bonnieandme

samguardians

samragingwaters

samteacup

mickey


You might be wondering about my health.  My MS (multiple sclerosis) is 100% stable and I’m doing well!  I’m super blessed and the medication I get (by a two hour infusion every 36 days) seems to be doing it’s job of keeping the MS in remission.  Lots of prayers and fingers crossed!  Again, I cannot believe ten years have passed since I started this blog.  It breaks my heart to not be doing as much as I used to with it, but we just go with the flow of life and do what we can, right?  I’m still going to keep updates around here from time to time and hope to keep sharing my healthier changes to the treats and desserts I make.  I still make “regular” things as well.  When I have something to share, I hope to get it done.  February 17, 2018—can you believe it? 






Thursday, January 25, 2018

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Banana Cookies with Chocolate Chips

glutenfreepbbananacookies

***Note—this wouldn’t post on National Peanut Butter Day for me.  sigh

Let’s not talk about how long it’s been since I’ve blogged.  There’s not really an excuse anyway.  Let’s talk about these cookies!  Hurry, National Peanut Butter Day is almost over!  That said, you have my permission to make these cookies anytime you’d like.  They are perfect for using up those two or three overripe bananas you have on the counter.  Admit it, you have some, don’t you?  Well, I always do.  I buy more than I think will get eaten just so there are plenty to freeze for my morning smoothie AND for making all kinds of banana treats--muffins, banana bread, coffee cake, and cookies!

I was thinking earlier today that I’d love to do something for National Peanut Butter Day.  And I remembered these Banana Peanut Butter Cookies I made from Picky Palate that long ago, like nine years ago, I dubbed as possibly my favorite cookie ever.  I’ve realized over the years I have many favorites and they change all the time.  

Probably the only thing in those cookies from yesteryear that I still eat is the bananas.  So I went to work changing them up to be similar and reminiscent of those peanut butter cup filled banana cookies and I threw all the ingredients together and am so happy with how they turned out on the first try!  No, they don’t have peanut butter cups and they aren’t even rolled in sugar, but they amazingly taste just like them, except that they have all good things—gluten free, refined sugar free, natural peanut butter and of course chocolate.   They are flying off the cooling rack and will be gone before I know it.  You now, usually when I make something and tell the boys they are gluten free and don’t have regular sugar, they won’t even try them, but they went for it with these and I’m a little sad they won’t last.  Never fear, I will make them again soon!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Banana Cookies with Chocolate Chips Gluten Free Peanut Butter Banana Cookies with Chocolate Chips, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1 cup pureed/mashed bananas

¾ cup coconut sugar

¼ cup raw honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg, room temperature

½ cup natural peanut butter (I used crunchy)

1 ½ cups gluten free flour blend (with xanthan)

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon sea salt

½ cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Add banana, coconut sugar and honey to a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Add vanilla and egg whisk well. Stir in the peanut butter. Add the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until combined. Mixture will almost be like a muffin or thick cake batter. Scoop cookie dough onto baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes. Let sit on baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack. Cool completely, store in an airtight container.

glutenfreepbbananacookies2

Hurry, you can whip these up in no time—there’s still tie for National Peanut Butter Day, that said, nothing will stop me from making these any day of the year!