Author: thesweetcaffeine

These blondies are requested by my little ones, especially my son, at least a few times per week although I can usually get away with making one batch on the weekend.  You would never know they’re gluten free and they are super easy to make which makes this either the best recipe thats ever happened or the worst, if you have no self control like me.  I make these to bring along to BBQ’s, cookie swaps, holiday parties, you name it.  And they always disappear.

Ingredients:

2 sticks of salted, melted butter (Kerry Gold is my fave)

2 cups light brown sugar

2 eggs (Pete and Gerry’s please!)

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups Bob’s Red Mill One to One flour

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chips of choice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and line a 9×13 with parchment.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and whisk throughly until lightened in color.  Add in the vanilla and almond extract, stir to combine.  In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, including the chips to coat in the flower so they don’t all sink. Add the dry to the wet and mix well.

Spread evenly into the baking pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until browned around the edges.  Let cool in pan, then use parchment to remove and cut

Enjoy!!!

This recipe is exactly why I enjoy cooking.  Almost every ingredient for this soup is to taste (as well as interchangeable) making it super easy to make and enjoyable, too.  Crank up the spice or leave it more on the mild side, make it completely vegan or use bone broth and ghee to up your protein and healthy fats!  It’s completely up to you!

Ingredients:

Roasted Cauliflower:

• 1 small head of cauliflower
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• pinch chipotle powder (to taste)
• pinch cayenne pepper (to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 4 tablespoons ghee, melted, or oil of choice (make sure to use oil that is safe at high heat such as coconut or avocado)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Chop head of cauliflower and throw into a bowl with all of the above listed ingredients and toss to coat evenly.  Spread onto baking sheet and bake until well roasted, around 40 minutes.

Ingredients, continued:

• 2 tablespoons Kerry gold butter
• 1 small onion or half large, chopped
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• pinch salt and freshly cracked pepper
• 1 15 ounce can of Eden Brand chick peas
• 1 cup stock of choice (vegetable to keep it vegan, or chicken stock/bone broth work well here)
• 1 cup milk of choice (almond, making sure its unflavored, or grass-fed, organic milk work well, can also add more to thin if preferred)
• maple syrup, to taste (yes, maple syrup!  Plays well with the spice and rounds the flavor out well. I used about 1 tablespoon)

While cauliflower is roasting, sauté the onions and garlic with the salt, pepper and thyme.  Once slightly browned/mostly translucent, transfer to your Vitamix, making sure to use the largest container you have to leave room for blending.  Add the chick peas and their liquid (this is why I love Eden Brand since there is no BPA in their liners).  Once cauliflower is done, let cool for a few minutes then add to blender.  Add the stock and once cup milk of choice and blend until creamy and hot.  This is where you can stop to taste to add more salt, maybe a little more cayenne or chipotle power, and maple syrup.  Once it is to your liking, it is ready to serve!  Add a few bread crumbs, drizzle of syrup and a little extra spice (as pictured above). Delicious!!!

Optional GF breadcrumbs:

• Ends of leftover GF bread, I always end up having those hanging around in the freezer.
• 2 tablespoons Kerry Gold butter
• Pinch salt, pepper and thyme

Over medium heat, toss chopped bread with butter and salt/spices until nicely toasted all around.  Top the soup with these!!!

Nothing beats a good ol’ fashioned brownie but these black bean brownies hit the spot for me when craving chocolate but not wanting to eat something completely void of nutrition.  Eden Brand black beans are perfect for these, they are organic and come in a can not lined with BPA.  Full of folate, fiber, iron, copper, magnesium and more.  In other words, they are healthy.  I add in some organic cocoa powder, organic cane sugar, free range eggs, grass-fed butter, vanilla, a little espresso powder and of course semi sweet chocolate chips.  Easy to whip up and even maybe you’ll be able to sneak some beans into your little ones.

Ingredients:

• 1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 large eggs (you know what I’m gonna say, PETE & GERRY’S!)
• 4 tablespoons melted Kerry Gold butter (or butter of choice but Kerry Gold is grass-fed and has extra nutritional value like more vitamin K)
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• few drops of almond extract (optional but helps with masking beans even more)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder (Dagoba makes an amazing organic, fair trade cocoa powder!)
• 2/3 cup organic cane sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Rinse well!

2 of my favorite ingredients

Always use this for mocha flavored anything!

Eden is one of the only brands that come without BPA in the can. The less chemicals, the better!

Directions:

Grease an 8×8 or 9×9 pan then line with parchment

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a Vitamix, or blender of choice, blend the beans, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, almond extract and espresso powder until well blended but not overly processed.

In a large mixing bowl add the sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips. Whisk to blend well.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until completely incorporated.

Pour evenly into baking dish, making sure to distribute chips well.   Bake for around 30 minutes, or until set.  Let cool completely and serve.

Enjoy!!!

Tangy.  Sweet.  Tart.

Delicious!

My daughter loves Starbucks lemon loaf so I decided to make a gluten free version at home.  This loaf has a great crumb and is moist and just perfect for along side that cup of tea or coffee.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs (Pete and Gerry’s were used in this particular cake)
• 3/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 1 cup full fat greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup melted butter (Kerry Gold is the best and lends the perfect natural color for this loaf)
• Zest from 2 large, preferably organic, lemons
• Juice from those lemons (add a third if lemons are small)
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups Bobs Red Mill One to One GF flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups confections sugar
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• Zest of one lemon and enough juice from same to make preferred texture of glaze. The more you add, the thinner it will become.
• Optional:  few drops of almond extract

Mix all together and set aside until loaf cools.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and lightly flour a 9X5 loaf pan and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs and yogurt making sure to completely incorporate.

Whisk in melted and slightly cooled butter, vanilla, almond extract, lemon zest and juice.

Toss in the flour, baking powder and salt and, you guessed it, whisk until the batter is uniform.

Pour into your loaf pan, should hit about 2/3 way up the pan, and bake for approximately 50 minutes.  Check at the 45 minute mark, don’t over bake.  Loaf is ready when it bounces back or toothpick comes out clean.  Turn out the loaf after about 10 minutes of cooling and let cool completely on a rack.  Once cooled, add glaze and let set for a bit before serving.

I usually make the same ol’ banana bread or banana muffins with the brown bananas that linger on my counter top.  This time I was inspired to make something different.  I used two of my go-to recipes and combined them to make this hybrid of crumb cake and banana bread.  It’s awesome.  Enjoy.

Cake:

• 3 over-ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup butter, melted (Kerry Gold is the freakin’ best!)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups gluten free flour (LOVE Bob’s Red Mill One to One GF flour)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons whole milk

Crumbs:

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 cup and 1 tablespoon gluten free flour
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Glaze:

• 2/3 cup confections sugar
• However many teaspoons milk to reach preferred consistency.  Mine took around 1 tablespoon.
• pinch salt, pinch cinnamon, few drops of almond extract
• Mix together to make glaze

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease and lightly flour a 9 inch round cake pan.

Combine all crumb ingredients but the melted butter and mix with fork or hand.  Stir in melted butter with fork until crumbs form, set aside.

In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flour, walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas. Whisk in melted butter and mix well.  Add in sugar, eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.

Add 2 tablespoons of milk and stir until fully incorporated.

Pour into prepared cake pan and evenly top with crumbs, slightly pressing down.

Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Do not over-bake!  Let cool for about 10 minutes before (carefully) turning out of the pan.  Let cool and top with optional glaze.

If you’re like me you went apple picking and brought home way too many apples and now you’re stuck with figuring out how to use them.  This is one of my go-to recipes for using up some of that beautiful fruit.  Enjoy!

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon melted, salted butter
• 2 cups organic cane sugar
• 3 large eggs (Pete & Jerry’s are my fave)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free One to One Flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 apples, peeled and chopped into little cubes

Cinnamon Swirl

• 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (my secret for a rich, dark swirl.  Doesn’t really add chocolate flavor but adds a nice depth.  I love Dagoba cocoa powder.)
• 3/4 teaspoons allspice
• a little freshly grated nutmeg
• pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a 9×13 pan and cover with parchment, set aside.  Melt butter and set aside while you peel and chop apples.

In a large mixing bowl add the slightly cooled butter and sugar and mix well, until incorporated.

Add eggs one by one and mix well.

Add vanilla and baking soda and stir until thoroughly mixed.  Add flour, spices and salt then top with apples.  Lightly toss the apples with the flour mixture then fold in with a spatula until all everything is completely blended.

Spread into the prepared baking dish and let sit while you prepare the cinnamon swirl.  To the melted butter, add the sugar, spices, salt and cocoa powder and stir.

Spoon it over your cake batter in clumps, or in lines as shown.

Take a sharp knife or toothpick and swirl the mixture until spread somewhat evenly.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, checking near the 40 minute mark for doneness.  Edges will be nicely browned and the cake should bounce back. Cool for an hour before serving.  To store, loosely cover with plastic wrap or foil but allow to breath so it doesn’t become too moist.  Keeps well for 3 days, if it even lasts that long.  🙂

Cinnamon Sugar filling:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder
• Pinch Kosher salt

Cake:

• 3 cups Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free One to One flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 sticks of butter, softened (3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup avocado or organic canola oil
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar (organic works well here)
• 2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
• 6 room temp eggs  (I use my personal fave, Pete and Gerry’s)
• 1/2 teaspoons organic almond extract
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (I love Califia)

Brown Butter Glaze:

• 1/4 cup salted butter, browned (melted on medium heat until light brown flakes appear/smells fragrant and nutty)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• Pinch kosher salt
• However much almond milk or coconut milk mixed in until it reaches preferred consistency.  Don’t make it too thin or else it will fall off the cake.

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour a bundt pan.  Make sure to get all the nooks and crannies or else it is very difficult to get it all out in one piece!!!

• Mix the ingredients for the cinnamon swirl mixture and set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda and powder, and salt.  Whisk until combined and set aside.
• In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the butter, oil and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla and almond extract.  Next add in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated being sure to scrape down the sides.  Next add the flour mixture alternating with the almond milk, beginning and ending with the flour.  Mix until fully incorporated.

• In the bundt pan pour or scoop 1/3 of the batter and then smooth.  Top this layer with 1/2 of the cinnamon swirl mixture and swirl with a sharp knife or skewer.  Repeat with another 1/3 of the batter and the other half of the cinnamon swirl mixture.  Finally top with the remaining batter.

• Bake in the oven for 55-60 minutes, making sure the top bounces back.
• Remove from oven and let cool for only about 5 minutes.  Run a knife around the pan and invert onto a cooling rack.  While cooling make the glaze.  Mix the browned butter with the sugar and salt then slowly add your liquid of choice until it reaches a nice consistency.  Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until the cake has completely cooled.  Add glaze then enjoy!!!
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Don’t let the name dissuade you.  If you are trying to incorporate more veg into your life but are tired of the same old this simple recipe is perfect for you.  Spicy, crunchy and a bit sweet, it hits all of the flavor notes in one bite.

Dressing:

• 1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/8 cup avocado oil
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 heaping teaspoon Sriracha (or more if you love a lot of heat)
• pinch garlic powder, salt and ginger powder.

Whisk and set aside

*Feel free to double this recipe for an entire package of Trader Joe’s Cruciferous Crunch Collection

Salad:

• 1/2 package Trader Joe’s Cruciferous Crunch Collection
• handful of organic snap peas, cut on the bias
• 1/2 cup toasted and slivered almonds
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Add the cruciferous salad to a large bowl first and lightly “massage” (it brings out the flavor and color in the kale).  Add the rest of the salad ingredients and dressing and toss. Let sit for a few minutes and then serve!  Truly delicious and healthy.

Enjoy!

Easy, delicious and free from grain!  Perfect snack or even a simple breakfast.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 3/4 cup finely shredded, unsweetened coconut flakes (Bob’s RedMill for these)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 5 tablespoons coconut flour (Bob’s again)
• 1 cup organic raisins, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
• pinch of kosher salt
• More coconut flakes to coat the balls

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients into a medium sized mixing bowl.  Begin stirring with a spoon and then finish by kneading a bit with your hands.  If the mixture is too sticky feel free to add just a little more coconut flour.  Once fully mixed, take a small portion of the “dough” and squeeze then roll into balls.  It’s optional, but I like to coat mine in more coconut.  It helps to keep them from sticking and it tastes and looks great.  Store in the fridge and enjoy for breakfast or snack.

Crisp on the outside and moist in the middle, these grain free scones taste similar but have a different texture than it’s grain-ful sister.  That doesn’t mean that these are any less delicious.  These are easy to make and you can adjust them with custom add-ins such as chocolate chips, dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, etc.  If you are going grain-free, give these a try!

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill for the nut flours in these scones)
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 pasture raised egg (or organic, range-free)
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk (I’m sure almond milk could work well here too)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons Nutiva Shortening (a mix of red palm oil and coconut oil)
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds with more for the top
• 1/4 cup raisins (I use organic Thompson raisins from Trader Joe’s.  They are nice and small)
• 2 teaspoons coconut sugar for topping
• KerryGold butter for option topping and serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  In the bowl of your mixer add the flours, honey, egg, coconut creamer, lemon juice, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Mix well until incorporated.

With a pastry blender, cut in the shortening and then gently stir in the caraway seeds and raisins.

Pour out onto a piece of parchment dusted with a little coconut flour and shape into a dome about an inch and a half tall.  Cut into eight pieces and brush with a little coconut milk and sprinkle with coconut sugar.  Bake for 15 minutes then remove from oven to gently pull pieces apart a bit so they cook in the center.  This is optional, but at this point I love to add just a little dab of grass-fed butter to the top of each scone, then return to the oven for another 10 minutes or until browned and crisp.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the sheet for a minute or two then place on a cooling rack.  Serve warm along with little more grass-fed butter.  Best eaten within a day or two.

Slightly adapted from Danielle Walkers, Currant Scones