Category: Treats

Double SunButter HiHat Blondies

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These SunButtery blondies are the perfect vehicle for even more SunButter, whirled into a hihat frosting coated in a chocolate shell. The hihat topping is inspired from the Two-Bite Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cupcakes in my second book, The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Cakes and Cookies.

Sunbutter Blondie HiHats 2

I’m excited to be working with SunButter for a trio of upcoming recipes, and this is the first of the batch. They look fancy-schmancy, but they’re easy to create, and you can make the blondies and freeze them in advance, if desired, to allow for quicker assembly in preparing the full dessert.

You can head on over to the SunButter website for the full recipe here: Double SunButter HiHat Blondies, and be sure to Like them on Facebook to see even more allergy-friendly (and oh-so-good) recipes, too.

Sunbutter Blondie HiHats - Cross Section

(Disclosure statement: I received monetary compensation and free product from SunButter from a recipe development partnership. I only, however, promote and partner with companies I love and use regularly in my own kitchen. As always, all opinions and recommendations expressed are completely my own.)

Banana Bread Cookies with Chocolate Chunks, Raisins, and Pecans

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I really love banana anything — cakes, pie, bread, cookies, muffins, pops, soft serve, splits, trifles, icings… You name it. Well, except for smoothies. But anyway… these cookies? They’re a cross between a cookie and a bread, so they have those slightly crisp edges, and a bit more density than a banana loaf, and house a mixture of chocolate and raisins and pecans that can be substituted with your favourite add-ins. In other words, make these your own, and enjoy them any time of day.
Banana Bread Cookies with Chocolate Chunks, Raisins, and Pecans2

Banana Bread Cookies with Chocolate Chunks, Raisins, and Pecans

  • Servings: 12 large cookies
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1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
1/3 cup millet flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegan buttery spread, such as Earth Balance
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chocolate chunks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the sorghum flour, millet flour, tapioca flour, and xanthan gum in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.

Mix the baking soda into the mashed bananas. Set aside.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the vegan buttery spread and brown sugar until combined. Add the vanilla extract and the banana mixture. Beat just until mixed. Add the flour mixture, and beat until combined. Stir in the walnuts, raisins, and chocolate chunks.

Spoon generous two tablespoonfuls (about 1/4 cup each) onto a baking sheet for each cookie. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Let cool 5 minutes on directly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: If you make these smaller, you’ll want to reduce the baking time.

Banana Bread Cookies with Chocolate Chunks, Raisins, and Pecans

Triple Chocolate Yule Log

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A gluten-free, top-8 allergy-free, and vegan yule log? Yes, please. This one features a rich chocolate truffle mousse inside chocolate sponge cake topped with a creamy buttercream. A typical yule log recipe includes a lot of eggs and little fat, lending itself to the texture typical of a jelly roll sponge. Using the right combination of flours, baking powder, a bit of xanthan gum, and just enough oil to make up for the amount in the eggs helps deliver the same result.

For a variation, add grated orange zest to the filling, or spread a thin layer of raspberry jam on top of the filling before rolling. I originally developed this recipe for Allergic Living‘s 2014 holiday newsletter.

Festive Holiday Yule Log1

Triple Chocolate Yule Log

   

For the cake:
1/2 cup icing sugar, for dusting the towel and for decoration
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
2 tablespoons quinoa flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I like Hershey’s Dark)
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened nondairy milk
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon coconut oil, plus more for oiling the pan
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cider vinegar

For the filling:
1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
8 oz (226 grams) nondairy semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the frosting:
1/2 cup nondairy buttery spread, such as Earth Balance
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 to 5 tablespoons unsweetened nondairy milk
2 1/3 to 2 2/3 cups icing sugar, sifted

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 375º F. Lightly oil a 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly-roll pan (a baking sheet with sides). Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease the paper with coconut oil. Dust a clean dishtowel with icing sugar, laying it out flat (you will invert the hot cake onto the dishtowel immediately after baking, so you want to have this ready.

Put the sorghum flour, quinoa flour, arrowroot flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk well to combine.

Put the nondairy milk, ground flaxseed, and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the mixture starts to steam and the oil is melted, whisk well to combine. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer.

Add the sugar and vanilla to the nondairy milk mixture. Beat on high for about 2 minutes, until well combined. Turn the speed of the mixer to low. Add the flour mixture, beating until just mixed, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Turn off the mixer and stir in the vinegar.

Spread the batter onto the prepared pan, leaving a border of about 1-inch from the sides. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Carefully invert the cake onto the dishtowel. Peel the parchment off of the top of the cake. Starting at one of the long sides, and using the towel as an aid, gently roll the cake jelly-roll style (you will be rolling the towel inside of it). Cool completely in the towel.

As the cake cools, make the filling. Put the coconut milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Place the chocolate chips in a heat-safe bowl. Once the coconut milk is steaming (but not boiling), pour it immediately over the chocolate chips. Let stand 10 minutes, then stir until the chocolate chips are completely melted. Refrigerate for about 1 hour until cool (it should be like pudding). Transfer the mixture to the stand mixer and whip on high for about 1 minute until the texture of mousse. Put the mixture back into the refrigerator.

Once the cake is cool, remove the filling from the refrigerator and unroll the cake, removing the towel. Spread the filling evenly over the cake to about 1-inch from the edge. Reroll the cake to form a log. Place the cake, seam side down, on a serving platter. Refrigerate while making the frosting.

To make the frosting, put the buttery spread in the stand mixer. Beat on medium-high for about 3 minutes, until fluffy and smooth. Turn the mixer to low speed. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of the non-dairy milk. Beat until well combined. Add 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar. Beat until smooth. Alternately add the remaining confectioners’ sugar and non-dairy milk until the mixture is smooth. Turn to high speed and beat for 4 to 5 minutes, until creamy and fluffy.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator. To make a branch coming out of the side of the log, cut a 4-inch diagonal slice off one end of the cake, placing the cut side of the piece on the side of the remaining cake. Spread the frosting over the whole cake.

Use the tines of a fork to create a rustic “bark” effect in the frosting. Dust with icing sugar for “snow”. Serve at room temperature.