Black Bottom Cupcakes

A few Fridays ago, the Foods and Fashion teacher at my school made some black bottom cheesecake cupcakes for our get-together after school.  Of course I sat there wanting to try one, but knew the amount of sugar and white flour used would not sit well with my digestive system.  I asked her to see the recipe and knew I could make a gluten free version that would be equally delicious.  I know I am biased because I didn't actually taste her cupcakes, but for the sake of myself and anyone who tries these, I am sure you will be happy with the results. 

Gluten Free Black Bottom Cupcakes

Cream Cheese Topping

1/2 cup goat cheese
1/2 cup organic cream cheese
1 egg (whisked)
3 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Blend the above ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. *1 cup of cream cheese can be used if you do not like goat cheese.

Preheat oven to 350'C. Line one and a half muffin tins with parchment paper liners (18 total). 

Chocolate Batter (black bottom)

3 cups almond flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unpasteurized honey
1/2 apple sauce
3 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 dark chocolate chips

Combine/shift the dry ingredients (first four ingredients) in a large bowl.  Whisk the honey, apple sauce, eggs and vanilla in a small mixing bowl.  Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients.  Using a hand mixer, mix the cake batter for about 1-2 minutes until thoroughly mixed.  Fold in chocolate chips. 

Place a large tablespoon of chocolate batter into the lined muffin tins.  Place two cherries (or a teaspoon of fruit only jam) into the middle of the batter.  Push down slightly to create a hole.  Spoon 1 teaspoon of the Cream Cheese topping on the top. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry. Let cool completely before serving.

Brad's Birthday Cake

I recently asked my grade 9 students to think about what they are passionate about.  I really emphasized the point that each one of us has something that makes us happy and (most likely) brings a sense of contentment to others.  I told them about how much I love baking and how no matter what I am making that I always enjoy creating something delicious.  I can't even begin to explain how proud I am when people comment on my baking -  this usually happens with a mouthful of something delicious, but nevertheless, it makes me happy.  I live for the moment when everyone takes that first bite and there is quiet around the room while they realized what they just put in their mouth.  Last Sunday, I made a birthday cake for my brother Brad.  It was to celebrate his 25th birthday, but also to acknowledge his completion of his first CrossFit workout earlier that morning.  I was proud of him and put everything I had to make that cake delicious. 

The combination of fluffy whipped cream and the dark chocolate ganache layer makes this a perfect choice for a special occasion.

Brad's Birthday Cake

3 cups almond flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unpasteurized honey
1/2 cup apple sauce
3 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350'C.  Place a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of a 9'' round springfoam cake pan.  Grease the paper and sides of the pan with grapeseed oil.

Combine/shift the dry ingredients (first four ingredients) in a large bowl.  Whisk the honey, apple sauce, eggs and vanilla in a small mixing bowl.  Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients.  Using a hand mixer, mix the cake batter for about 1-2 minutes until thoroughly mixed.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry. Let cool completely. 

Ganache Filling

2 Green and Blacks 85%  dark chocolate bars chopped (or equivalent to 1 cup)
3/4 cup organic heavy cream
1/4 cup unpasteurized honey
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

In a medium saucepan, bring cream to a boil.  Remove from heat immediately and stir in dark chocolate until fully melted.  The mixture will thicken slightly as you stir.  Add honey, vanilla and salt and stir.  Let it cool at room temperature for about 5 minutes.  Place in the fridge for up to 25 minutes until the mixture is thick - you should still be able to stir it with a spoon (a bit thicker than pudding consistency). 

Whip Cream Icing

1 1/2 cups organic whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp unpasteurized honey

Using a hand mixer, whip the cream until firm peaks form.  Fold in the vanilla and honey.  Set aside for decorating.


Completing the Cake

Remove the cake from the pan and slice it in half horizontally.  Spread the ganache mixture over the bottom portion of the cake.  Place the top half gently on the ganache.  Complete the cake by spreading the whip cream on top and on the sides.  If your whip cream does not hold on the sides, you will have to whip it longer.  Sprinkle with grated dark chocolate.

Dark Chocolate Cranberry Biscotti

Christmas is over and I am very sad about that, but I am happy to still have quite a few days left of my Christmas holidays. Over the last few weeks I made pecan shortbread, gingerbread, pecan and raisin mini-muffins, chocolate macaroons, and dark chocolate truffles.  The highlight of my holiday baking was being given the responsibility, along with my cousin Courtney, to make dessert for Christmas day supper.  We made a Honey Ricotta cheesecake courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis recipe here and Elana's Dark Chocolate mousse recipe here.  Both were delicious and, best of all, I ensured they were gluten free.  I made some changes to both recipes to bring down the amount and kind of sweetener that was in them.  There were no complaints on Christmas day! 

I recently tried the biscotti recipe from The Cavewoman Cafe. While making the biscotti, I made some slight changes to their recipe.

Dark Chocolate Cranberry Biscotti 

1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla
3 cups almond flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 chopped dark chocolate (I use Bernard Callebaut)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or blueberries)

Preheat the oven to 325'F.  Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients - almond flour, salt and baking soda.  In a smaller bowl whisk together the eggs and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients.  Combine until all dry ingredients are blended in.  Fold in the dark chocolate and cranberries.

Sprinkle the parchment paper with about a tablespoon of almond flour (dusting).  Place the biscotti dough in the middle of the parchment paper and create a log. You can fold the parchment paper over the dough to avoid your hands sticking to the dough.  Your log should be about 12'' long.  Press down (flatten) the log so it is about 3/4'' thick.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove and let cool.  Once cool, gently slice the biscotti into slices.  Place the slices back on the tray and bake for 3 minutes, flip the slices onto the other side and bake for 3 more minutes.  Serve with goat's milk (Michael's favourite) or a nice cup of tea!

*Optional - melt some dark chocolate and drizzle over the top of the biscotti.

Birthday Cupcakes - Best Saved for Special Occasions

I made chocolate coconut flour cupcakes with Cheryl yesterday and we decorated them to look like Angry Birds.  We did this for her four year old son, who was thrilled with the results.  He was our little helper yesterday when we were decorating.  What a great opportunity for him to get involved, help his mom and I, and to create his very own cupcakes that would be served to his friends today.  This is what I loved about the whole experience -  he knows that if he wants cupcakes, he can actually make them!  This is exactly what my mom taught me.  Yes, it is easier to go to the store and buy a cake or cupcakes, but that takes all the fun and learning out of it.  For me, baking is my fun and sharing that with Cheryl and B was a great experience.

Now, the problem is that baking usually equals sugar.  Whether it's agave nectar or honey or any other sweetener, it all boils down to having very little nutritional value for us.  The lesson: sugary treats have to be saved for special occasions.  If you plan on trying Elana's chocolate coconut flour cupcake recipe, chocolate cupcakes, trust that the cupcake will be enough of a treat for you.  If you eat too many of these cupcakes with the icing and the decorations, you risk turning into quite an angry bird. And trust me, nobody likes an angry bird!

Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

After four very long days of school, I was exhausted.  When I came home last night, I wanted to make a delicious treat, but really challenged myself to make something without any sweetener.  Most baking recipes, even the gluten free ones, include some kind of sweetener, whether it's agave nectar, honey or something else.  I did some research and decided to go with macaroons knowing that coconut is naturally sweet and dark chocolate also has a bit of sweetness.  Once I completed the recipe, I worried that these treats would not be sweet enough, but they received Michael's approval (and I liked them too).  I am proud to say that I created this baking recipe and it turned out great!

Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

1/2 cup dark chocolate (chopped)

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 tbsp. vanilla
4 egg whites
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups unsweetened medium shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350'F.

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate, coconut oil, coconut milk and vanilla.  Remove from heat once melted.  Separate the egg whites and whisk in a small bowl until stiff peaks form.  In a large bowl, combine cocoa powder, salt and shredded coconut.  Pour the melted chocolate into the dry ingredients and combine until evenly coated.  Gently fold in the egg whites.  Drop batter one tablespoon at a time onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  I used my 1/8 measuring cup (you could also use an icecream scoop).  Bake for 15 minutes.  Let cool and enjoy!