Upside down Apple Cake -- gluten-free, vegan, nut-free

My Bubbi Sarah was a tiny and tough old woman who came here from Poland when she was a young girl. She'd witnessed a tremendous amount of change in her life by the time she died after the new millennia at the age of 102, but one thing was constant -- her love of making the old traditional favourites for her family's eating pleasure. She'd make mandelbrot, poppy seed cookies, roasted eggplant, and her famous apple cake. With a nudge she'd say "Did you try the apple cake? It's good. I made it."

I miss that. So I always think of Bubbi Sarah when I bake an apple cake.

Now, I can't claim to hold a candle to her apple cake. This one is lovely, however. The cake is delicate, soft, spongey, and moist, with perfect integrity, and a light sweetness and spiciness. I'm sure Bubbi Sarah would have been baffled by my use of millet and buckwheat flours, but I like to think she would have enjoyed it.

If, like me, you are allergic to wheat, or if you simply want a change, this gluten-free, nut-free, vegan cake is wonderful.

I love the way an upside down cake looks, with a pretty pattern in apple slices on the now-top. I sprinkle coconut sugar liberally to affect a sort of caramelization on the now-top, and it's a thing of pleasing deliciousness.

equipment:
round 8 inch pan, coated with coconut oil and parchment
mixing bowl
mixing spoon
knife
cutting board
measuring spoons
measuring cups
whisk
oven


ingredients:

a)
1/2 cup millet flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour

b)
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp tonka bean powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

c)
1/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup warm water

d)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

e)
2 tbsp coconut sugar
1 apples, cored and sliced


directions:

preheat the oven to 345 degrees

1. prepare the apple and the pan
2. cover the bottom of the pan with parchment, then cover the parchment with coconut sugar sugar and apple slices (e)
3. combine the warm water and coconut oil (part c) and set aside
4. mix together the dry ingredients from a) and b) in a bowl
5. mix the ingredients from d) into the ingredients from e)
6. using a whisk, combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients
7. pour the batter over the sliced apples
8. bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 345
9. cool and invert onto a plate

Maple layer cake

Waaaaay back in the way back machine it was summer. And it was good. And we made these little, spongey maple baby cakes. (Not for babies. Baby cakes because they are little. Like babies. Like babies, not for babies. Little.)

Fast forward: it hit zero over night. What? And additionally, it's mi madre's birthday. She likes maple. So I thought, what could be more fitting than a fabulous maple layer cake? The baby cakes became two small layers, and I made a beautiful whipped chocolate maple frosting. And this cake came together,  simple and yet decadent.

equipment:

1. kettle
2. mixing bowl
3. mixing spoon
4. whisk
5. measuring cups
6. measuring spoons
7. 2 * 8" round cake pans, coated with coconut oil and  lined with parchment
8. oven


ingredients:

a)
2 cups of water (warmed up a little but not hot)
2 tbsp coconut oil (the warm water will melt it)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp raw apple cider vinegar

b)
4 tbsp ground chia seed
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 3/4 cups kamut flour

c)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean (optional but awesome)
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
(you can use 2 tsp baking powder instead of cream of tartar and baking soda)



directions:

1. preheat the oven to 345!
2. in a mixing bowl, combine the warm water and coconut oil and let the coconut oil melt
3. add the rest of the ingredients from part a)
4. using a whisk, mix in the ingredients from part b)
5. still whisking, mix in the ingredients from part c)
6. pour the batter into the pans
7. bake at 345 for 40 minutes, or until the top springs back when gently pressed



(Thick Gooey Ganache Frosting:

equipment needed:
kettle
measuring cups
measuring spoons
mixing bowl
mixing spoon
mixer with whisk attachment

immersion blender

ingredients:

1 1/2 cup pitted honey dates
1 cup very hot water (just boiled is good)
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup cacao butter
6 tbsp maple syrup


2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup raw cacao

directions:

1. In a bowl, combine the boiling water , the cacao butter, and the coconut oil.
2. add in the dates
3. add in the maple syrup
4. let it sit for 15 minutes
5. add the sea salt, vanilla extract, and raw cacao
6. blend until smooth with an immersion blender
7. allow to  cool until it starts to resolidify. This will take a long time.
8. when it's cool enough, it will whip up and transform from dark and glossy to lighter and fluffy
9. frost the cake generously when it's ready.

Maple Vanilla Baby Cakes

Sometimes people ask me for recipes and then I realize that the only thing I have that's remotely like what they are looking for is way too complicated and esoteric. Ugh. So, when an awesome neighbour (who usually bakes with very traditional ingredients) asked me for a cupcake recipe that was sweetened with maple syrup, I could have sent her a recipe that involved 12 different types of flour. But I thought that would be mean. So instead I came up with this one, that uses kamut flour and tapioca starch. Simpler. Few ingredients. Quick to mix up. Super tasty. Taste Testers: The Kid and The Husband (who by the way never leaves his socks lying around) snarfed 3 of them before I could ask them how they were. In my husbands words: "They were so terrible I had to have another just to make sure. And then another. Terrible."

They are this perfect mix of plain and delicious.

equipment:

1. kettle
2. mixing bowl
3. mixing spoon
4. whisk
5. measuring cups
6. measuring spoons
7. cupcake or muffin cups -- I use the silicone ones on a baking sheet, but you can use a muffin pan lined with papers if you prefer!
8. oven


ingredients:

a)
1 1/2 cups of water (warmed up a little but not hot)
2 tbsp coconut oil (the warm water will melt it)
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp raw apple cider vinegar

b)
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 1/2 cups kamut flour

c)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean (optional but awesome)
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
(you can use 2 tsp baking powder instead of cream of tartar and baking soda)



directions:

1. preheat the oven to 345!
2. in a mixing bowl, combine the warm water and coconut oil and let the coconut oil melt
3. add the rest of the ingredients from part a)
4. using a whisk, mix in the ingredients from part b)
5. still whisking, mix in the ingredients from part c)
6. scoop the batter into muffin cups, leaving room for them to rise
7. bake at 345 for 25-30 minutes, or until the top springs back when gently pressed

made 20 quite small cakes

Allow to cool and then store in an airtight container!

Chocolate Cream Eggs -- vegan, unrefined, and utterly delicious

I remember eating a Cadbury cream egg as a kid. Man those things are sweet. I always liked the idea more than I liked the reality. Too sweet, no flavour. These ones, dear friends, taste really good. The centre is a creamy, smooth concoction that includes maple and cashew cream. The outer shell is a organic, fair-trade dark chocolate. I used a 71% chocolate made by cacao berry. This one melts beautifully. Some chocolates with higher cocoa content may not melt to a liquid state, making them harder to work with. Use a double boiler!! Use a double boiler use a double boiler use a double boiler.

The combination of the dark chocolate flavour with the maple cashew is just right. It's more sweetness than I can handle often, but really amazing. And certainly a much more body-friendly and environmentally sound option than the commercial preparation.


My fellahs and family all enjoyed very much.

I got little silicone moulds, and made half eggs. I made a few whole eggs, but that's really more cream egg than I really liked. Hard to use. Too big around. Too much commitment. The half eggs were perfect.

equipment needed:

double boiler

food processor

moulds for egg shape

mixing bowl

mixing spoons

measuring cups

measuring spoons

ingredients:

a) fair-trade organic dark chocolate, like cacao berry. Did you know that a lot of chocolate is harvested using slaves and slave-children. True story. Go for fair-trade, friends.

b)

1 cup raw cashews -- soaked for a few hours in filtered water with a little sea salt and then rinsed

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tbsp agave (or honey if you're not vegan)

4 tbsp coconut ol

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp sea salt

c)

turmeric

directions:

put your mould in the freezer to pre-chill

1. in a food processor, combine the ingredients in b)

2. pulse until chopped up, then  process until as smooth as possible. The smoother the better!!

3. set a little of the mixture aside to combine with enough turmeric to make your 'yolk' colour.

4. chill the filling -- it will firm up and be easier to work with, imho

5. in a double boiler, melt your chocolate. I used about 2 cups total chocolate for these eggs, and had a little of the cashew cream mixture left over but was tired of making eggs by that point so ....

6. I painted the moulds using a silicone pastry brush, but some people spoon it in. Let it chill a few seconds, and then sluice the chocolate around the moulds. Practice until you find a technique that works for you!

7. When the chocolates thick enough, scoop a little white and a little yolk colour inside.

8. spoon a little melted chocolate over top of the filling to close it. Pop it in the freezer to firm up.

9. Gently remove from the moulds.

10. I kept them refrigerated.

11. The cashew cream filling will be quite soft and creamy at room temperature, and a little more firm when chilled. You can see which way you like them best.

** Apple and (Honey) Cake -- Apple Upside Down Cake -- gluten free, grain free

So, this cake was dubbed 'not bad' and also 'yummy'. As in: "Give me some more of that yummy." It's  a perfect holiday dinner cake -- we've used it for Rosh ha Shannah as well as for Thanksgiving. I know it's not vegan, and I think it would work beautifully with maple syrup.  For the love of all that is sacred and delicious though, please don't use corn syrup. I use royal gala apples because those are the little cuties we have on hand. If you've never made cake batter using chickpea flour and tapioca starch, it is a beautiful thing.

a)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 cup chickpea flour
1/4 finely ground chia seed
1 cup finely ground sunflower seed flour


b)
1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda

c)
1 cup hot water
1 cup honey or maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil


d)
3 small apples --cut into chunks


e)
 3 small apples, sliced
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt


1. grease a springform pan well with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment
2. put 1/4 cup of coconut sugar and 1/4 tsp sea salt into the bottom, and distribute evenly
3. cover the bottom of the pan with the apple slices in a beautiful pattern (circles)
3. preheat the oven to 345
4. combine the dry ingredients and set aside (a and b)
5. combine the wet ingredients and set aside (c)
6. cut an apple or two into chunks to make around 2 cups
7. mix part a and b
8. add in part c until well combine
9. fold in part d
10. gently fill the springform pan
11. bake for 60-65 minutes or until 'firm'
12. let cool
13. slide a knife around the edge before removing sides, and allow to cool completely
14. cover with a plate and invert
15. remove the bottom of the pan
16. remove the parchment

Maple Pecan Baby Cakes

Genius. Genius. Genius. Genius. That is all.

ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 cups water

1 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp ground vanilla bean
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

1/4 cup ground chia seeds
2 tbsp arrowroot flour

2 cups almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup pecans -- little pieces

pecan half to put on top of each one
maple syrup to drizzle on top of each one -- just a few drops, really



directions:

1. combine ingrediens in the order listed
2. scoop into muffin cups
3. bake at 345 for 60 minutes

Maple Pumpkin Pie! -- deep dish, vegan, gluten free

I made a very large pumpkin pie in a springform pan using roasted butternut squash. It's vegan, it's grain free, it's good for you, and it's delicious. Happy thanksgiving!

crust:

ingredients:

2 cups blanched almond meal

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp  ceylon cinnamon

1 tsp ground vanilla bean

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

directions:

1. combine the ingredients (I used a fork). It will be crumbly looking.

2. press the mixture into a lined (I use a round of parchment) and greased springform pan -- take it up the sides (I used my hands)

3. bake at 345 for 10 minutes

pumpkin filling
ingredients:

1 small butternut squash, roasted -- 3 cups of flesh after roasting
1 can coconut milk -- 400 ml
1/2 cup water

1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground vanilla
2 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 1/2  tsp sea salt
black pepper
4 tbsp arrowroot powder


directions for filling:

1. to roast the squash, I washed the butternut squash, and then cut it into large pieces, put them on a baking sheet, and put them in the oven for 1 hour on 345, or until they were soft. I then peeled/cut off the outer skin.
2. I then pureed the cooked squash with 1 can of coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, ground vanilla, ceylon cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, sea salt, black pepper, and arrowroot flour. I added 1/2 cup of water, because I found that baking the squash seemed to dehydrate it a little, and the whole mixture seemed too dry. If you roast yours in a closed dish, or if you use a wetter squash (such as a pie pumpkin, perhaps) you might not need the water
3. set aside your filling until you are ready for it.

pie:

1. taste the filling and adjust for seasoning

2. pour into par-baked crust

3. bake pie at 345 for 50 minutes

Maple Pecan Cookie Bars -- gluten free, grain free, vegan, good for you

It's good to mix things up. I tell myself this as I stubbornly force my infatuated gaze away from the peanut butter in my fridge. Shows strength of character, I tell myself. I can do this. I can make something that doesn't involve peanut butter.

 I make cookies every week to send with my son to preschool. So my cookies have to be kid friendly (what's the point otherwise?), and I don't mean just sans nudity and sans expletives. (Speaking of expletives -- I unwisely dropped the f-bomb in front of my son a couple of weeks ago, but managed to convince him that what I had really said was 'frog'. As in 'Oh FROG' when an error resulted in a large mess and much frustration. He still thinks I am being unfair blaming amphibians for my own missteps ... But I digress.) Cookies have to taste good enough that grubby little hands will stuff them in sticky little mouths and ask for more. Hopefully these will fit that bill. They also have to be real food and sustaining so a bunch of three year olds are properly fueled for art-making, mischief making, and general good-spirited learning. I made a similar concoction in the summer that vibed on walnut, raisin, and chocolate, and I do realize I am walking the line with these ones. But, heck, I had a bad week, and I'm in a mood to live dangerously. Maple and pecan is a long standing, well respected combination, so on the strength of that, I will challenge the kids this week to these cookie bars, and defy them not to enjoy them.

Eat the cookie bars!
EAT. THE. COOKIE BARS!

(Sorry, was that scary?)

ingredients:

3/4 cup boiling water

1/2 cup flax meal

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp ceylon

2 tsp ground vanilla

black pepper

1/2 cup hemp seeds (hemp hearts)

3 cups blanched almond flour

1 cup raisins

1 cup chopped pecans

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the flax meal, boiling water, and maple syrup and let sit for 10 minutes

2. add the coconut oil, coconut sugar, and apple cider vinegar

3. add the cinnamon, vanilla, sea salt, and black pepper

4. add in the hemp seeds

5. add the almond flour

6. add the raisins and pecans

7. press into a rectangular baking dish lined with parchment

8. bake at 345 for 50 minutes

9. cut into bars

10. store in an airtight container when cool

Mojo Ice Cream -- Maple Syrup and Almond Butter

I call this mojo ice cream because this ice cream makes me think I have my mojo back -- kitchen wise, at least. I had the freezing bowl of my ice cream maker in the freezer, so when the  spirit moved me, I threw some milk and maple syrup in it. I was going to make a simple maple ice cream type concoction. But then mojo took over, and I was moved to throw a pinch of vanilla and a scoop of almond butter into the mix. The result was so good that I ran outside like an idiot with a sample spoon for my neighbour. Truly delicious. Maybe next time I'll try honey and peanut butter ... Plus, the almond butter helps keep the protein high and your blood sugar stable. How great is that?!?

ingredients:

2 cups whole milk (I use 5%, but you can probably use your organic whole milk if that's what you've got on hand)

1/2 cup dark maple syrup (or light, or whatever you've got)

pinch or two sea salt

generous pinch ground vanilla bean

1/4 cup almond butter (or a little more)

directions:

1. throw everything in cold into your ice cream maker and turn it on. I guess you could pre mix it if you want to, but I did not. Or turn on your ice cream maker and then throw everything in. That's what you're supposed to do with mine.

2. freeze according to the manufacturers instructions

3. run outside with samples for your neighbours, because truly, it's too good to keep to yourself.