Chocolate Brownie Cake -- a double layer extravaganza

It's Papa Ed's birthday. That means chocolate cake. Here's hoping today's effort pleases!!

ingredients:

4 tbsp agave

1/2 cup bittersweet callebaut chocolate morsels (or any other very high quality bitter sweet chocolate morsel you prefer) (100g)

6 tbsp coconut sugar

6 tbsp organic coconut oil

1 cup boiling water

4 tbsp ground chia seeds

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

3/4 tsp sea salt

pinch chili pepper finely ground

a little black pepper finely ground

3 dark roast or espresso beans, finely ground

2 tbsp finely ground black sesame seeds

1/2 cup raw cacao

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups almond flour 

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. pour boiling water over room temperature butter and chocolate morsels to melt them

2. when they are melted, add the agave and coconut sugar, 

3. add the ground chia seeds, ground sesame, vanilla, sea salt, chili pepper, and black pepper

4. add the raw cacao

5. add the eggs and mix well, followed by the baking soda

6. add the almond flour, and combine fully

then

8. scoop the batter into prepared muffin cups

9. bake for approx 30 minutes, until the cakes feel firm and springy to the touch

or

10. pour the batter into prepared pans (buttered and lined with parchment

11. bake for 35 minutes, until the cake feels firm and springy to the touch

makes 2 x 8 inch round layers

or 18 baby cakes

Post dinner follow-up: The cake is a roaring success. It is delicate and dense and moist and light all at the same time. This is a very dark cake, and the glaze ventures towards truffle. Served with a light and delicate honey vanilla ice-cream, it was a phenomenal taste sensation. I am not a huge dessert person, and I will simply say fabulous. Fab. U. Lous. Try it.

Chocolate Glaze for Chocolate Brownie Cake

This glaze is super easy to make, looks really nice (and glossy!) and tastes pretty truffley. Need I say more?

ingredients:

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup callebaut bittersweet chocolate morsels -- 200 g

pinch  sea salt

2 tbsp butter

directions:

1. heat milk, vanilla, sea salt, and butter until just before simmering

2. pour over chocolate to melt

3. let sit for 2 minutes

4. stir slowly until chocolate is melted

5. chill slightly

6. when in a workable condition -- i.e. spreadable but not too firm -- use a little between the 2 layers of your chocolate brownie cake. Spread it and then place the top layer on. Pour the remaining glaze on the top, and gradually swirl and swoop it out to the edges and down the sides. I do this on a plate, and then use a damp cloth to clean up the edge of the plate around the cake to make it look pristine. Or a close facsimile of pristine.

Pink Apron

If I don't wear an apron, I get covered in ingredients. Just one of those things. I like this pink one. My son chose a matching yellow one. Holy freakin' muffin-paloosa batman. It looks like a bakery exploded in here.

A Giant Dinner pancake -- gluten free, vegan, grain free

We enjoy breakfast for dinner around here. Today it was a giant 'pancake' in the truest sense of the word. I baked this the way I bake socca -- on a large square cast-iron skillet -- and cut it into squares.  We kept it simple for an easy week-night dinner, and just sided it with some yummy broccoli. It could also easily go nut free, if the ground cashews are subbed by hemp hearts or some other yummy alternative.

ingredients:

2 cups water
2 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup ground chia seeds
1/4 cup ground cashews
1/2 cup flax meal
1/2 cup sesame meal
1/2 cup shredded coconut, ground up


1. combine the above, and pour onto a cast iron skillet
2. bake at 345 for 50-60 minutes
3. cut into pieces and serve drizzled with maple syrup, if desired


Delicious with or without maple syrup and or butter. And or apple sauce.

Pre-baked Mini Pizza Crusts -- Aka Flat Bread

Pre-fab pizza crusts. I bet you could stick a stack of these in the freezer, and grab some out for pizza that bakes up in only a few minutes. Anyway, Kim needed flat bread for pizza, so I one upped and made mini pizza crusts proper. Check it!

each one is 50 g of dough

ready to roll

ready to bake

ready to bake

ready to use

lil' cute pizza crust

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp yeast

3 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup ground chia seeds
1 1/2 cups almond flour
3 + cups kamut flour (whole grain, finely ground)

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano



directions:

1. proof yeast ( combine warm water, honey, and yeast in a bowl or large measuring cup)
2. combine the other ingredients
3. add the yeast and water mixture to the other ingredients
4. mix and knead, adding more kamut flour if needed to achieve an elastic and soft but not sticky dough
5. knead for a while (or use a mixer -- that's what I do)
6. divide dough into 50 g balls
7. roll each one flat and bake it. If you are not going to use it for pizza, give it an extra sprinkle of sea salt, and some rosemary for good measure, if you like. I kind of curled the edges up because these are for pizzas that are to be baked on the barbecue, and I thought that would help keep stuff from running off into the fire. If you are just going to bake it, or just use it for flat bread, you can certainly skip the edge rolling extravaganza.


makes 30 mini (thinnish) pizza crusts (Same amount of dough as would make 3 large rectangular thin crust pizzas)

fudgesicles -- dairy free, gluten free, sans sugar (only honey, yo)

I'm not sure which is more delicious, the boy or the fudgesicle ...




directions:

1 can organic coconut milk 400 ml

1/4 cup honey

2 tbsp raw cacao

pinch sea salt

1 tsp ground vanilla

black pepper

directions:

1. combine

2. pour into popsicle molds

3. freeze

4. enjoy ...

This recipe makes about 500 ml, so depending on the size of your popsicle molds, you'll get as many as you get. 

Chocolate Breakfast Muffins

Breakfast around here comes once a day -- no joke. Never mind that we like to eat pancakes for dinner sometimes. My son enjoys a muffin, some slices of apple, and a glass of milk for a quick, no fuss breakie. I like him to have something with staying power, so these are a really excellent choice.

ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil (organic and unrefined)

1 cup pitted honey dates

2 cups hot water

4 eggs

1/2 cup raw cacao

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1 tsp sea salt

4 tbsp ground chia seeds

1 cup shredded coconut -- ground

1/4 cup hemp seeds 

1/4 cup ground flax

1/4 cup ground sesame seeds
1/4 cup ground raw cashews

1 cup almond flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

directions:

1. combine the dates, coconut oil, and hot water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Then, puree with an immersion blender. Alternately, you can use a food processor, or a regular blender.

2. add the cacao, vanilla, salt, chia seeds, shredded coconut, hemp seeds, ground flax, ground seseame seeds and blend again

3. add the baking soda and blend
4. add the eggs and blend
4. stir in the almond flour
5. scoop into prepare muffin cups and bake at 345 for 40 minutes

Chocolate cookie revisited -- gluten free, sugar free, chocolate cookies

Chocolate is much loved in this household. My son's friends all like it too. So, these little cookies are a big hit with those young and those old. A great thing about these cookies is they are great for you. Another great thing about these cookies is they are really delicious. And they have a lovely texture! Nom nom nom ...

ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil (organic and unrefined)

1 cup pitted honey dates

1/4 cup water

2 eggs

1/2 cup raw cacao

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup ground flax

1/4 cup ground black sesame seeds

1/4 cup white sesame seeds

1/2 cup ground raw cashews
1/4 cup ground chia seeds

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup almond flour

directions:

1. combine the hot water and dates, then puree with an immersion blender. Add the coconut oil and puree again. Finally, add the eggs, and process with the immersion blender until smooth. 

2. stir in the raw cacao, vanilla bean, and sea salt. If you are nuts like me, you can add a little black pepper.

3. mix in the shredded coconut, ground flax, ground sesame seeds, ground cashews, ground chia seeds, and baking soda (I gave the shredded coconut a whirl in the grinder to make it more ground than shredded).

4. finally stir in the almond flour.

5. I chilled for a few hours before baking because I had to go out. This allowed me to roll the dough into small balls for very round little cookies

6. scoop small spoonfuls onto lined  baking sheets

7. flatten with a wet fork and bake at 345 for 14 minutes

8. cool on a wire rack

9. store in an airtight container when cool

makes 4 dozen (depends on size!!!) but watch out they'll disappear before they are cool enough to pack up ...

Savoury Lunch Muffins -- a gluten free, grain free, sandwich maker

In a search for something to reduce systemic inflammatory reaction, we've decided to try going grain free for a few weeks to see if that helps.  Alas we are traditionalists, and we favour sandwiches for lunch. These are perfect for cheese, tomato, and spinach sandwiches. The batter is too fragile to bake as a loaf -- would make far too fragile slices to have good functionality in that form, but as muffin shapes, they are great, and make cute little sandwiches.

ingredients:

2 cups warm water
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil (organic and unrefined)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sea salt
black pepper
pinch chili powder
1 tsp marjoram

1/4 cup ground chia
1/2 cup flax meal
1/4 cup coarsely ground sunflower seeds
1/4 cup coarsely ground pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds)
1/4 cup ground sesame seeds
1 cup shredded coconut, ground a little

4 eggs

1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups almond flour




directions:

1. combine the ingredients in the order listed
2. scoop into 24 prepared muffin cups
3. bake at 345 for 35 minutes
4. let cool partially before removing from cups, then fully cool on a rack
5. store in an airtight container


makes 24 little lunch buns

Spinach salad

spinach leaves, washed and torn

coconut oil
balsamic vinegar
sea salt
black pepper
oregano