Chocolate Crazy Cake and Frosting - GF, DF and EF!

CHOCOLATE CRAZY CAKE

"These cakes were created during the Great Depression, when eggs, milk and butter were very hard to come by. The cakes are also known as Depression Cakes. People were pretty resourceful during those hard times.   It took some creativity and baking science to create a cake without eggs or butter.  You don't even need a mixer. Genius!" ~Mary via http://www.sweetlittlebluebird.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup GF flour blend (I use Wendy Wark's)
• 1/2 cup Sorghum flour
• 3 Tbsp. cocoa (unsweetened)
• 1 Cup sugar (All purchase sugar - Granulated Pure Cane Sugar)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp.  salt

• 1 tsp. white vinegar
• 1 tsp.  pure vanilla extract
• 5 Tbsp. vegetable oil 
• 1 Cup water (sometimes I add 1/2 tsp of instant decaf for depth of flavor)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix first 5 dry ingredients in a greased 8" square baking pan.  Make 3 depressions in dry ingredients - two small, one larger. Pour vinegar in one depression, vanilla in the other and the vegetable oil in third larger depression.  Pour water over all.  Mix well until smooth.

Bake on middle rack of oven for 35 minutes.  Check with toothpick to make sure it comes out clean.  Cool.  Top with your favorite frosting.  Enjoy!

Note:  Oven cooking times may vary, be sure to check your cake to make sure you do not over bake.

My note: This recipe is pretty versatile  you can make it mocha by using coffee instead of water, or different flavor extracts to change up the tastes, add spices or zest for more variety. For a full list of Mary's variations see original recipe. 

This cake was developed by Mary of sweetlittlebluebird.com and I just changed up the flour blend to make it GF. 

FROSTING

Ingredients: 

• 2 oz. Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance butter or GF/DF butter flavored shortening 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 to 6 tablespoons dairy free creamer or coconut milk fat
• pinch of salt (optional)

Directions: 

• Place chocolate in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until smooth OR melt in small sauce pan with 1 TBL of creamer. Stir constantly until melted, remove immediately from heat. Combine powdered sugar, salt, melted chocolate, shortening and vanilla in mixing bowl. Slowly blend in milk to desired consistency. Beat on high 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy.
• Variations: 

• MOCHA FROSTING: Follow the recipe above, substituting 1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water for 1 tablespoon of milk.
• PEANUT BUTTER CUP FROSTING: Follow the recipe above, adding in 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter. 
• Frosting recipe originally pulled from Pillsbury.com.

Real Delicious Chai

You will never drink the stuff out of a box or happily order chia from coffee shop ever again, not after making this.  I wish I could remember where the recipe came from (somewhere online, she was a genius!) If you find this and it's your recipe, please let me give you credit! It's so good with just the right amount of spice and sweet.  You would be remiss to not try this.

1 TBL peeled chopped ginger root
1 cinnamon stick
3-4 peppercorns
1 tsp fennel seed
1/4 cup sugar
loose black tea (or two tea bags)
milk or cream

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil.  Add ginger, cinnamon, peppercorns and fennel seed.  Keep at a low boil for 3-4 minutes.  Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Add tea and simmer for 4 minutes. Strain into tea pot. Pour into cups and add milk or cream.  Drink and enjoy!

Pork Roast with Cranberries

This sweet and tart recipe for pork roast cooked in your crockpot is delicious and so easy - with just five ingredients! It was the perfect Christmas Eve dinner with so much else going on at the time the last thing I really wanted to worry about was cooking.  We paired this with mashed potatoes and Christmas green beans. Delish!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours, 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 (2-1/2 lb.) boneless pork shoulder roast
• 1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 cup cranberry juice cocktail, divided
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Preparation:

Trim fat from pork shoulder roast. Place in 3-1/2-4 quart slow cooker. Combine cranberries, broth, 1/2 cup of the cranberry juice cocktail, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours.

When done, place roast on platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Pour juices from crockpot into medium saucepan. Combine remaining 1/4 cup cranberry juice cocktail with cornstarch in small bowl and mix well. Add to juices in saucepan and cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, about 3 minutes. Serve with pork roast. 6 servings

Calories: 330
Fat: 15 grams
Sodium: 140 mg

Source

Nutella Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Flour Mix
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup sugar

8 tablespoons unsalted butter or Earth Balance, at room temperature
15 oz can of  Pumpkin Pie Mix  (like canned pumpkin but with a bit of sugar and spice added to it already)
1/8 cup ground chia seed
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered egg replacer
4 TBL warm water
1/8 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

12 - 24 teaspoons Nutella

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with greaseproof liners and set it aside.
• In a large bowl, place the flour,  baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and sugar, and whisk to combine well. In a separate bowl combine the chia seed, powdered egg replacer and warm water.  Let stir and let set until thick.  Cream the butter and add in the chia seed/egg replacer mix, pumpkin pie mix, maple syrup and vanilla. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until well combined. 
• Fill the prepared muffin cups to just under the lip of the liners with batter.  Drop a teaspoon or two (according to taste)  of Nutella onto the top of the muffins.  Use a tooth pick to swirl the chocolate into the top of the muffin batter.
• Place the muffin tin or baking sheets with muffin cups in the center of the preheated oven and bake until lightly golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean (30 minutes).
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the cups (or muffin tin) before serving.
  
  Inspired by: http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/chunky-apple-muffins/

Steak Sandwich with Peppers & Onions

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb flank steak, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 poblano or Cubanelle pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 sm whole wheat submarine rolls (or to make GF, use a teff wrap or gf bun)
• 4 slices reduced-fat provolone or Swiss

Directions

1.

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine steak, cilantro, and garlic in medium bowl and toss to coat.

2.

Heat large frying pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add steak and cook, turning twice, until edges are lightly browned but center is still pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

3.

Coat same skillet with cooking spray and add onion, bell pepper, chile pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers are soft, 7 to 8 minutes.

4.

Put rolls on baking sheet and lay 1 cheese slice on each. Warm in oven until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.

5.

Add steak and onion-pepper mixture to rolls and serve immediately.
Source: http://recipes.runnersworld.com/Recipe/steak-sandwich-with-peppers--onions.aspx

Apple Maple Muffins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (210 g) high-quality all-purpose gluten-free flour
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar, plus 2 tablespoons more

8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (240 g) dairy free sour cream (I use Follow Your Heart Vegan Sour Cream) 
1/8 cup ground chia seed
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered egg replacer
4 TBL warm water
1/8 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (200 g) peeled, cored and diced firm apples (I used Honey Crisp) – about 2 medium-sized apples
Lemon Juice
1 tsp lemon zest
cinnamon
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with greaseproof liners and set it aside.
• In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and sugar, and whisk to combine well. In a separate bowl combine the chia seed, powdered egg replacer and warm water.  Let stir and let set until thick.  Add to the flour mix, the butter,  sour cream, egg replacer mix, maple syrup and vanilla, one at a time, mixing to combine after each addition. Set the bowl aside.
• In a separate medium-sized bowl, place the diced apples, and add a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, about 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon juice to just coat, lemon zest and the cornstarch, and mix gently to combine. Place 2/3 of the diced apples (about 1 cup apples with cinnamon, sugar and cornstarch) in the batter, and mix until evenly distributed throughout the batter. Fill the prepared muffin cups about 3/4 of the way full with batter and smooth the tops with wet fingers. Place 3 to 4 of the remaining diced apples on top of the batter in the cups, and press in gently to secure them.
• Place the muffin tin or baking sheets with muffin cups in the center of the preheated oven and bake until lightly golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean (30 minutes).
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the cups (or muffin tin) before serving.
  
  Inspired by: http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/chunky-apple-muffins/

Peach Blueberry Pie

1 1/2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca (reserve one to sprinkle on pie crust bottom)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3 pounds peaches, peeled and sliced (6 cups, about 6 peaches)
12 ounces blueberries (2 cups)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 homemade or store-bought double-crust pie dough
1 large egg, separated, white lightly beaten or veganaise/creamer blend
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, 5 TBL tapioca, and salt. Add peaches, blueberries, and lemon juice and toss to combine; let sit 15 minutes. Lightly flour a rolling pin and work surface and roll out half the dough to a 12-inch round. Place in a 9-inch pie plate and sprinkle with a tablespoon of tapioca. Pour in fruit filling and dot with butter.

Roll out remaining dough to a 12-inch round and place over fruit filling. Trim excess and crimp edges to seal. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg yolk with 1 tablespoon cold water or use a TBL of Veganaise with a tsp of creamer. Brush top of dough with mixture of choice. With a paring knife, cut several small slits on top to vent. Set on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is deep golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 60 minutes. (Tent loosely with foil if crust browns too quickly.) Let pie cool completely on a wire rack, about 3 hours.

Based on a Martha Stewart Recipe. Altered slightly to accommodate my modified diet.