52 Sweet Treats

I've Moved!

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 17:59:00 +0000

I've moved my blog to its own little home on the web. You can now find me at In Johnna's Kitchen.

Please do me a favor and sign up for e-mail updates when you visit, even if you are currently receiving updates. I've switched services and am sadly losing my current reader list in the move. I'd love it if you would make the move with me!

You'll notice a few things are different in my new spot. I've combined all of my blogs (52 Donuts, 52 Sweets, 52 Foods on a Stick and Johnna's Beyond 52) into one blog. You can now read about all of the fun in one place. I've been dreaming of a place where I could talk about donuts, quirky fair food, healthy gluten-free eating, living and traveling and now I have that. Drop over for a visit and tell me what you think.

Thanks for making the move with me. See you over at In Johnna's Kitchen real soon!

Cherry Chocolate No-Bake Donut Holes

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 19:10:00 +0000

I've spent much of my baking time recently learning to un-bake, honing my skills in creating Living Foods desserts. That's fancy speak for what is often referred to as raw vegan. I've dabbled a little in the past, like when I first offered the original variation on No-Bake Donut Holes, and now I've jumped all the way in.

Don't leave yet...you'll like these! See, I've combined what I know about traditional baking with my new-found skills as a Certified Living Foods Chef. I'll still be sharing baked desserts that will wow you and your family plus I'll be sharing an occasional treat that is primarily created with Living Foods. While not a huge change, it has been a really fun journey in my kitchen learning to incorporate more whole, uncooked foods into the treats we indulge in occasionally.

These No-Bake Donut Holes are created almost entirely with living foods. Then I tossed in a handful of chocolate chips to balance the Universe. See, I haven't strayed entirely off course. Just adding a few more healthy options to my dessert repertoire. I can't wait for you to see what else I've got in store! But first...here they are, Cherry Chocolate No-Bake Donut Holes!

Cherry Chocolate No-Bake Donut Holes
Makes 24

1 cup Medjool dates, pitted & sliced in half (I like the ones from the produce department best, softer)
1 cup raw cashews (if you only have roasted, use those!)
2/3 cup dried cherries, not sweetened with sugar
1/3 cup non-dairy chocolate chips, I use Enjoy Life
1 t. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract or scrape one vanilla bean
1/4 t. sea salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder

In the bowl of food processor, add dates and process until they form a ball. Remove from the food processor.

Next, process cashews, cherries and chocolate chips until they are finely chopped. Stop before the cashews turn into a powder.

In a mixing bowl, combine the dates, cashews, cherries and chocolate chips. Add in the vanilla and sea salt. Mix very well with your hands until everything is well incorporated. This is like kneading dough. You'll have a very sticky mixture.

Roll into 24 equal sized balls. Roll each ball in cocoa powder. If you like a lighter coating, use a pastry brush to remove a bit of the cocoa powder.

These keep well in an air-tight container for 3 to 4 days, a week or so in the refrigerator and can also be frozen! This is one of my favorite on-the-go snacks and they pack very well in a lunchbox.

Pumpkin Donuts

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 19:06:00 +0000

Don't these look tempting? Baked pumpkin cake donuts, hot from the oven...

And they are nearly guilt-free. Gluten-free. Egg-free. Dairy-free. Refined sugar-free. Perfectly delicious, brushed with maple syrup and sprinkled with a little coconut sugar and cinnamon.

I'll be sharing the recipe in my Power of Pumpkin class on Monday, October 1st in Liberty, MO. Click here for details and registration. Join me, won't you?

Exciting Announcement! Simply Gluten Free Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 19:23:00 +0000

I'm so excited to share this news with all of you! By excited, I mean can't hardly sit still, grinning from ear-to-ear excited. Big news, folks. Big!

When I eliminated gluten from my diet, one of the things I missed most was thumbing through a beautiful magazine, one filled with gorgeous food photos, lifestyle features and of course, recipes. Until recently, there just wasn't anything on the newsstands I felt was equivalent to mainstream food and lifestyle magazines, not aesthetically or by content. That's about to change...

A new magazine is hitting the stands soon, Simply Gluten Free. Carol Kicinski and editor-in-chief Wendy Gregory Kaho have put together an incredible team of writers and gluten-free lifestyle experts. The magazine will include recipes, crafts, entertaining ideas, beauty product information, travel tips, nutrition and information on leading a gluten-free lifestyle.

I couldn't be more happy to tell you I am a contributing writer for this exciting new publication. And because I know you want to subscribe today, click here. The introductory price is a steal, less than $2 an issue.

The official press release is below. Please join me in congratulating all of the folks involved in making this magazine happen!

Gluten-free Living Expert Carol Kicinski Launches

Simply Gluten Free Magazine

Gluten-free cookbook author and TV chef teams with top bloggers from the Web’s gluten-free community to create informative, high-quality publication celebrating the abundance of choices available to everyone dedicated to living a gluten-free/allergen-free lifestyle

Dunedin, Florida, (August 8, 2012) - Gluten-free living expert Carol Kicinski, author of the books, Simply...Gluten Free Deserts and Simply…Gluten Free Quick Meals, has announced the launch of Simply Gluten Free Magazine, a high-quality, aesthetic, highly informative bi-monthly publication with a mission to provide knowledge, support, and an abundance of creative solutions to those seeking optimum health for themselves and their families by embracing gluten-free and/or allergen free lifestyles. The magazine, which will also be published in digital format at www.simplyglutenfreemag.com, will be loaded with great tasting and easy-to-prepare recipes brought to life with page-after- page of gorgeous food photography. Kicinski says the quality, styling, and content will rival even the most well-established mainstream food and lifestyle magazines on the market.

“Simply Gluten Free Magazine is a magazine that I very much wanted to read, but unfortunately it just didn’t exist anywhere; so I decided to create it,” said Kicinski, who in addition to operating one of the top 60 Must Read Health Blogs in America at SimplyGluten-Free.com, is now appearing in her 3^rd year of monthly gluten-free cooking segments broadcast on Daytime TV, a nationally syndicated morning show.

Working in tandem with the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Wendy Gregory Kaho, (a veteran magazine editor, blogger, freelance writer, and a mother of two celiac children), Kicinski has recruited the talents of a team of well-respected and highly popular bloggers from the Web’s allergen-free community to serve as the magazine’s writing staff.

“Each of our contributing writers focuses on their own areas of special interest and research,” says Kicinski. “They are all amazing people who are dealing with creating an allergen-free lifestyle for themselves and their families every day, finding and testing various products and then blogging about their own experiences and reactions. These writers are all very involved in allergen-free issues on the front line, fighting the fight and walking the walk.”

Kicinski says the magazine’s content will be filled with plenty of articles and recipes about gluten-free cooking, suggestions for fun gluten-free crafts and allergy-free

projects using allergy-free materials, as well as articles on what she calls allergen-free “Homekeeping”. She also says that a section of the publication will be devoted to featuring relevant advice from various experts from the fields of health and medicine.

“The magazine will also have a Beauty section where authors will discuss gluten-free and allergen-free beauty products,” says Kicinski. “Also included in each issue is a section called ‘Beyond Gluten Free’, which features diet tips and recipes for those on special allergen-free diets including Sugar-free diets, Paleo diets, Vegetarian and Vegan diets, and Dairy-free diets.”

Kicinski says readers can expect to find plenty of advice on how to keep children of all ages gluten-free (and loving it) in a section called ‘The Gluten Free Family’. A Nutrition section will feature taste-tested recipes and tips for healthier, more nutritious meals.

“Those worried about staying gluten-free while on the road can find plenty of advice in our Traveling section, and our Dining Out section will feature suggestions on how to keep things gluten-free at your favorite restaurant. We’ll also have a section addressing Special Needs Diets, which will provide allergen-free nutritional advice, recipes, and insights for parents caring for special needs children with autism, ADHD, or ADD.”

Kicinski says on the magazine’s New Products page her writers will be reporting on both established brands and the new gluten-free and allergy-free products hitting the marketplace, and they’ll also be analyzing and reviewing the latest books on the topic of allergy-free living in the magazine’s Book Reviews section.

Kicinski says for the November/December premier issue, the magazine’s Holiday Entertainment section will be filled to the brim with informative articles on how to celebrate in style with an assortment of gluten-free food ideas:

Mix & Match Holiday Dinners: Creative combinations of gluten-free entrees and side dishes to delight your guests

Tips for Lowering the Costs of Gluten-free Diets

Holiday Cocktails: How to Get the Party Started and Stay Gluten-free

Preparing a Paleo Holiday Dinner

Glitch-free Holiday Baking

Easy Allergen-free Substitutions

Vegan Holiday Dessert Recipes

Breaking Medical and Scientific News and Information by Leading Doctors

Simply Gluten Free Magazine will be distributed in supermarkets, health food stores, doctors’ offices, and nutritionists’ offices, and is projected to have an initial combined monthly readership of over 250,000 (15,000 print and over 235,000 online).

The magazine, published by Edgewater Park Media, Inc., in Dunedin, Florida, will of course contain Kicinski’s signature touch – her loving, caring, and humorous attitude.

“The magazine is about forwarding the positive side of living an allergen-free lifestyle, constantly celebrating the abundance of solutions, and the joy of living gluten-free,” says Kicinski.

ABOUT CAROL KICINSKI (www.simplyglutenfreemag.com)

Carol Kicinski is the founder of the food blog, "SimplyGluten-Free.com" which was recently voted one of the top 60 Must-Read Health Blogs in America today. She has appeared on The Fine Living Network and is in her third year of monthly segments on Daytime TV, a nationally syndicated morning show. She was a featured speaker at the Gluten Free & Allergen Free EXPO (Chicago, April 2011); the Gluten Free EXPO (Dallas, Oct. 2011) with celebrity appearances at Natural Products East and West (2011, 2012). She authors gluten-free recipes for Cooking Light and for Martha Stewart’s Whole Living. Carol also founded the Gluten Free Global Community – a group of over 350 Gluten Free Bloggers Worldwide. Carol publishes a very popular monthly newsletter – Simply Gluten Free – and is socially active on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SimplyGlutenFreeMagazine

and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/simplygfmag

For general questions email: info@simplyglutenfreemag.com,

For advertising information email: ads@simplygludenfreemag.com

No-Bake Donut Holes

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 04:12:00 +0000

When I started teaching baking classes, I needed a way to tell the folks in my classes how I came to be a gluten-free blogger, baker and recipe developer. These No-Bake Donut Holes helped me to explain...

See, I was a donut blogger. I was writing 52 Donuts when my amazing doctor said no more gluten for me. (Is donut blogger really a title? It's not like there are oodles of us writing only about donuts, but that's what I was doing.) I tried all of the store-bought gluten-free donuts I could find and none really tasted like a donut from a donut shop to me. I had just about given up on ever having a donut again. Don't worry, I've since bought and baked many terrific gluten-free donuts...

While searching for a good gluten-free donut, I was introduced to raw vegan desserts. I know, that term is either unappealing or intimidating to many. What I found was that in many cases, I could whip up a dessert in no time and it would be delicious, plus it would work with my dietary restrictions. I thought the whole world would be as excited as I was at this discovery!

So at the first few baking classes I taught, I would whip up a batch of these and share with the students while introducing myself and telling them about my journey to gluten-free baking/unbaking. It's always great to start off a food class with a nibble anyway and the donuts, albeit raw vegan ones, tied in nicely with my journey to finding gluten-free.

But many people would pass when these delicious donut holes were shared. They didn't want to eat anything called RAW or VEGAN.

Fast forward two years and I hear the lovely Amber of Almost Vegan is going to be on a local news station talking about her new cookbook. They were showing her Famous Five-Minute Blondies, but instead of saying they were RAW VEGAN, they kept saying NO BAKE. I was miffed, annoyed, why not call it what it is?!? Then it hit me, they were no bake. They were also raw vegan but calling them no bake would make them much more interesting to those with a less-than-open mind when it comes to eating. I've since softened my stance on this. I get how this could work for many more people and that's really my goal, to help more people move in the direction of food that works for them. I don't fit into any one single dietary box and doubt you do either. So why not soften the name on these yummy treats, too?

In upcoming months, you may notice more NO BAKE or UNCOOKED recipes here and at Johnna 52, where I share non-sweet creations. I'm learning, studying, diving in and will surely have lots to share with you. But for now, I'm sharing my favorite no bake/raw vegan sweet with you.

No Bake Donut Holes (Makes 24 in 10 minutes or less)

1 cup medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 cup nuts of your choice, raw
1 cup unsweetened dried fruit of your choice, coarsely chopped
5 T. unsweetened coconut (I used Let's Do Organic)
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped OR 1 t. vanilla bean paste if raw status is not applicable
1/4 . sea salt

In bowl of food processor, place dates and turn on high. Let process until the dates form a ball. Remove the ball from the food processor and place in a large mixing bowl.

Next place your dried fruit into the food processor. Again, process until a ball starts to form. Remove from the processor and put it in the mixing bowl with the dates.

The last step with the food processor is the nuts. Process on low just until they are chopped well, don't over process into a nut meal or butter. Put the nuts with the fruits in the mixing bowl.

Add 2 T. coconut, vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste and sea salt to the ingredients in the mixing bowl. Knead well with your hands until the ingredients are well-combined.

Since this makes 24, I split the mixture into half, then half again so I have 4 clumps on the mix. Each of these clumps will make 6 donut holes. Splitting it like this helps me keep the balls all similar in size.

With your hands, roll into round balls. Roll in the remaining 3 T. of coconut. You may eat these immediately or refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to combine.

My favorite flavor combinations:
I like several combinations of fruits and nuts and thought I'd share a few of this with you. But please make these your own, try out different combinations of fruits and nuts to find what you like best today. And tomorrow, shake it up again with another fun new combination!

Here's a tip to remember about this recipe: It's always 1 cup dates, 1 cup nuts and 1 cup dried fruit. If you keep that ratio consistent, any combination will pull together. It's so much fun trying out different combinations. I get giddy when I see a new dried fruit at the market, knowing it will soon find its way into these donut holes!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake: almonds, dried baby pineapple and bing cherries, from Trader Joe's.

Umbrella Drinks: This one reminds me of a tropical vacation! Macadamias, Just Mango , dried baby pineapple and Flat Banana, all from Trader Joe's.

Cherry Pie: Cashews and dried cherries

Blueberry Cobbler: dried blueberries, 1/2 cup of pecans and 1/2 cup of almonds

Apple Pie: Dehydrated apple rings, pecans or walnuts and a dash each of cinnamon and nutmeg

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. And you can call them anything you'd like, raw, unbaked, no bake, whatever works for you. Just enjoy them, that's the only rule!

A Fun Bar and Cookie Class in the KC Area!

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 22:09:00 +0000

It's almost back-to-school time! Join us to learn how to make granola bars, fruit and nut bars and breakfast cookies that are perfect for this time of year. No need to fill your kids lunchboxes with processed junk from the store when you can make it yourself quickly and with ingredients you can pronounce!

All the info is below, drop me an e-mail or give me a jingle on the ringy-dingy to sign up. This is going to be a super fun one!

Did I mention how excited I am to be teaching in this new venue? This is the first healthy eating class at Fit By Burn, a fitness studio you need to know about. Click on through to read all about Mendy and the fun offerings and people who do what they do best at her studio, including my favorite massage therapist Carrie. I love seeing fitness, healthy eating and living with intention coming together in one spot.

Hurry up! Call me! Send me an e-mail! I wanna make bars and cookies with you...

DIY Cupcake and Ice Cream Sundae Party, Everyone's Invited!

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 18:07:00 +0000

I've been watching for an excuse to host a party that could serve as a bit of a guide for how to host guests with food intolerances, restrictions, allergies or other limitations. I wanted to share information on how to make everyone feel invited, to feel welcome, to feel like they were included in a party. And I wanted it to be relatively easy to do, so anyone could pull it off. I really wanted you to be able to say, "Everyone's Invited!"

I invited my friends over for a Summer Solstice celebration. Even though I'm in the special event business and am a Go-Big-or-Go-Home girl, I like a fun, informal backyard soiree. Not a lot of planning, not everything from scratch and certainly not everything in place in my house. I hope my guests overlooked that I didn't have time to mop before they came over, that my lawn furniture is a mish mash of what I can round up at the last minute. If I waited for everything around here to be perfect, we'd never have company!

While I mentioned I wanted to make this a guide, it ultimately became a list of resources for an easy backyard gathering. When I started writing this post, I quickly realized it could become more of a book than a blog-post if I wrote everything I wanted to about hosting allergen-friendly events. So I'm going to keep this simple, just a starting point.

To meet the needs of my guests, everything offered was gluten-free and dairy-free with options for Vegans, those who are soy-free and those who limit their refined sugar intake. It was absolutely not difficult, all but two ingredients used were available at my local super market. What I'm sharing is really just the tip of the iceberg. It does show you can host an event that most can attend and feel comfortable enjoying the food, an event where everyone is invited!

A couple of tips: label everything you serve. I used these cute flags from HGTV for food markers and added a simple GF, DF, V, etc...to each item. Those of us who have to be dairy-free will understand DF and Vegans will get the V. It is also a good idea to keep the full ingredient list handy for those with additional dietary concerns. If you are not gluten-free and are hosting a gluten-free guest, have a discussion with them about how to best handle their visit. We're happy to share what keeps us safe, which includes keeping anything with gluten-full ingredients away from anything we can eat.

I kept it simple with cupcakes, baking a batch each of chocolate and vanilla. I made them gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, refined sugar-free, soy-free but far from flavor free. I wanted to make sure everyone could indulge in a cupcake and still respect their dietary plan. And I also wanted to test both recipes on children, because they are a tough audience, they will tell you if your cupcakes aren't tasty. These pass the test!

Because I've not yet perfected a refined sugar-free frosting, I did use a vegan powdered sugar to make my buttercream frostings. I also used backyard eggs to make this wonderful marshmallow fluff, which proved to be a popular topping on cupcakes AND ice cream! The kitchen torch was available for adults to toast the fluff. A few of us had s'mores cupcakes, so fun!

For ice cream, we had two flavors from So Delicious, chocolate and vanilla. I scooped the ice cream into individual cups ahead of time and stored them in the freezer, which made things much easier. So Delicious is my absolute favorite non-dairy ice cream. It fools "regular" ice cream eaters every time I serve it. We had Creamy Vanilla which contains soy and Chocolate, made from coconut milk and sweetened with agave. I was careful to watch the refined sugar in as many ingredients as possible.

Initially, I planned to have separate cupcake and ice cream toppings, but realized many work for both. Here's a list of what I served:

Ah!Laska Organic Chocolate syrup (this is decadent, very rich, love it!)
caramel agave from FunFresh Foods
strawberry agave from Wholesome Sweeteners
Udi's Au Naturel Granola
Udi's Chocolate Chia muffin tops, broken up for brownie-like bits in sundaes
Kinnikinnick K-Toos
Kinnikinnick S'moreables

Fresh strawberries
Fresh blueberries, local goodness!
Toasted coconut, I like Let's Do Organic's variety
homemade maraschino cherries, free of refined sugar and food coloring!
SurfSweets gummy bears, swirls and worms (Should have bought more, they were popular!)

Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips
Butterscotch and white chocolate chips from Lieber's
Glutino pretzels
Dandies marshmallows
Sprinkelz organic confetti sprinkles

An easy self-serve drink station with water and lemonade worked really well for our group of friends. Striped and polka dotted paper straws are always a hit!

We had so much fun making cupcakes and sundaes...

We chased chickens around the yard...

Hula hooped, sometimes while making cupcakes...

And made giant bubbles.

Nothing fancy about it, just simple cupcakes and ice cream. Everyone could enjoy the food and the fun. Everyone's invited!

Do you have tips to share on making everyone feel welcome at a gathering? I'd love to hear from you!

Full disclosure: A few products featured in this post were provided to me at no charge. So Delicious provided ice cream for this event. Udi's Gluten Free provided granola and muffin tops. Ah!Laska provided organic chocolate syrup. The opinions expressed are my own. I used these products because they are my absolute favorites.

Plain Ol' Vanilla Cupcake with Meyer Lemon Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 17:04:00 +0000

Plain Ol' Vanilla. Well, actually there's nothing plain or old about vanilla, it's a very intriguing flavor. There's a lot to be said about a good vanilla cupcake, no exotic flavor combinations, just the basics. And it's tricky to perfect.

I started my quest to perfect a vanilla cupcake with The Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake recipe from Stefani at Cupcake Project. Stefani assembled a team of 50 Cupcake Explorers to test her recipe last year and worked through several variations of the recipe to attain a high approval rating from her team.

While I don't have a team of Cupcake Explorers assembled, I did bake several variations Stefani's recipe. I made them gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan. I tried replacing gluten-full flour cup for cup with my gluten-free flour blend. I tried several variations on flour combinations, nut meals, dairy and egg substitutes. After two weeks of trial and error, I finally baked up a version that I'm tickled to share. I shared with no fewer than twenty friends, asking for feedback. I got approval from most and the only complaint was from my favorite fella, who was upset to hear the latest batch went to a birthday celebration and he got only one. My only complaint is the color isn't as white as I'd like, since I've used coconut sugar and flax meal. It's an easy trade-off though for a terrific vanilla flavor and a texture that rivals any gluten-full, non-vegan vanilla cupcake I've tried.

That last batch was topped with a Meyer Lemon Buttercream frosting, which suits a Plain Ol' Vanilla cupcake really well. I'll share that recipe with you, too. Enjoy!

Plain Ol' Vanilla Cupcakes
Inspired by The Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake at Cupcake Project

Makes 15 Cupcakes

1 cup Blonde Coconut Sugar (I use Madhava)
1 1/4 cups of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1/2 cup almond meal
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. guar gum
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/4 cup Earth Balance vegan butter-y sticks, room temperature
2 T. flax meal in 6 T. hot water to make an egg- replacer slurry
2/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 container, 6 oz., So Deliscious plain Greek-style cultured coconut milk
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 T. vanilla bean paste*

*I usually say you can substitute vanilla extract for vanilla bean paste. I do not suggest that in this recipe. The appearance of the vanilla bean flecks and the deeper flavor of the vanilla bean paste really make this recipe. Splurge, buy yourself some VBP!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 15 muffin tin cavities with cupcake papers.

In bowl of stand mixer, mix coconut sugar, flour, almond meal, baking powder, guar gum, baking soda and salt.

With mixer on low, add in Earth Balance. Mix until a slightly crumbly texture is reached.

In a separate bowl, mix flax meal slurry, coconut milk, Greek-style cultured coconut milk, grapeseed oil and vanilla bean paste.

Once mixed, add wet ingredients to dry in the stand mixer bowl. Mix on medium just until combined.

Fill muffin tins with a scant 1/3 cup of batter.

Place muffin tins into oven. Immediately reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Bake for 20-22 minutes. A cake tester or toothpick inserted into center will come out clean when done.

Cool on a baking rack completely before frosting.

Meyer Lemon Buttercream Frosting
1 cup Earth Balance vegan butter-y sticks, room temperature
4 3/4 cups vegan powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla bean paste
sprinkle of salt
zest of 2 Meyer lemons*
1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice

*This frosting works with any lemon, however I like the flavor of a Meyer lemon, the combination of lemon and mandarin orange.

In bowl of stand mixer, whip Earth Balance until it is light and fluffy. A cup or so at a time, add the powdered sugar, mixing each time until it is incorporated with the Earth Balance. Once all sugar is added, mix in the salt, lemon zest and vanilla bean paste. Add in the lemon juice one tablespoon at a time until you have the desired consistency. I use the entire 1/4 cup. Whip for 4 to 5 minutes to make the frosting light and fluffy.

My Favorite Chocolate Cupcake

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 21:45:00 +0000

I've been working feverishly to come up with a basic chocolate cupcake that could be used as the foundation for a multitude of frostings. I hesitate to call anything this tasty work, but I did labor over this one for awhile. It needed to be light and fluffy, yet moist. It couldn't fall apart when the paper was removed, yet didn't need to be solid like a brick either. After testing more versions than I'll admit to, I've finally nailed it!

For a couple of years, I've relied on my Chocolate Ale cupcake for most of my chocolate cake needs. Sometimes I've substituted root beer for the ale when serving wee ones, as I'm not sure all of the alcohol bakes off and I'm a bad enough influence without that hanging over my head. Really, just serving sugar to kids these days is enough to have some folks whispering impolite things about me. So I've made these without refined sugar. I also made them without eggs. Without gluten. Without Dairy. Without soy. My friend Tina might say all that's left is pre-digested protein from space and she might be right. Tasty, tasty pre-digested protein from space.

Ok, so I didn't really make them with anything from space. I did make them with coconut sugar, coconut milk and the super delicious, always-in-my-fridge So Delicious Greek Style vanilla cultured coconut milk. We call it coco-yo here, short for coconut yogurt, which I guess it technically isn't, but it is one of my favorite treats right out of the cup and even better when used to bake cupcakes.

I know you'll enjoy these...so rich and chocolate-y. Here's the recipe. Enjoy!

My Favorite Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 18 regular sized cupcakes

1 cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1 cup of almond meal
2 cups of blonde coconut sugar (I use Madhava.)
2/3 cup cocoa powder (don't skimp on this, buy a good one. I like Askinosie.)

1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. fine sea salt
1 t. guar gum

2 T. flax meal, added to 6 T. hot water to make a slurry (this is an egg replacement)
1 container, 6 oz., So Delicious Greek Style Vanilla cultured coconut milk
1 1/4 cups So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
2 T. vanilla (I know it sounds like a lot, trust me on this one)
2 t. instant coffee (I use the Trader Joe's variety)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with liners for 18 cupcakes.

In bowl of stand mixer, mix the flax meal slurry, So Delicious cultured coconut milk (the yogurt-y stuff), coconut milk, canola oil, vanilla extract and instant coffee. Mix just until well combined.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together my favorite gluten-free flour blend, almond meal, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and guar gum.

Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the stand mixer bowl. Mix on low until combined. Repeat two more times, incorporating the dry ingredients into the wet. There's no need to over-mix, just mix until it's combined.

Fill each well of the muffin tins with a scant 1/3 cup of batter. Place in oven that has been pre-heated to 350 degrees. Close the door. Turn the temperature down to 325 degrees. Bake for 20-22 minutes. A cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean when they are done. (The temperature instructions will result in a slightly better dome on top of the cupcake. If you like a very flat or concave cupcake top, bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes.)

Top with your choice of frosting. I've shown them here with a chocolate caramel buttercream, but I also like them with basic buttercream frosting, a smear of Justin's chocolate hazelnut butter, even unfrosted. I'll eat these any way I can get them!

Pie Party 2012, Chocolate-y Goodness

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 03:54:00 +0000

I can't believe it's time for the second annual Pie Party already! Has it really been a year?

It didn't seem like a whole year had gone by, so I dug up my post from last year. Pie Party, meant to be one day, turned into Pie Week for me in 2011. I baked with friends, with the children of friends, I shared pie with those I love, taking the time to slow down and really enjoy what having a slice of pie means to me. Man, I LOVE pie!

This year is no different. I still love pie, any kind of pie. Doesn't have to be a perfectly crimped crust or thinly sliced fruit laid out just so. My pie for Pie Party 2012 isn't fancy. I made it from what I had on hand. I'm sharing it with my favorite fella after a dinner of carryout. I hope he is surprised that we're having homemade pie after I made a frantic phone call to tell him I hadn't gotten around to dinner tonight, would he please pick up something on the way home. But I've always got time for pie. Will you make time today for a slice, too?

The Un-Recipe for Chocolate-y Goodness Pie

You'll need a 7" pie pan. It's little, enough for four slices or so. I bought mine at Sur La Table.

For the crust: make the crust for this cheesecake. I keep a container of this mixture in the freezer for an impromptu crust. Let it come to room temperature, then pat it into the pie pan.

For the filling: Make half of this Alton Brown recipe for Moo-Less Chocolate Pie. Substitute Frangelico for the coffee liqueur, your pie will have a nice hint of hazelnut. If you are dairy-free, choose a dairy-free chocolate. I used Baker's chocolate in mine.

For the whipped topping: I keep a can of full-fat coconut milk in the refrigerator most of the time, just so I can have whipped topping in a hurry. Put the can in the refrigerator overnight, open the can and skim the thickened cream off of the top. Save the liquid in the bottom of the can for a smoothie later. The hardened cream part will whip up nicely with a hand mixer. I add a touch of vanilla bean paste. I served this with just a dollop on top of each slice.

So, tell me how you are celebrating Pie Party 2012? Going out for a slice of pie with a friend? Baking pie to share? Having pot pie for dinner? I wanna hear about your pie adventures!

$5.20 Sweets: Chia Pudding in a Jar

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Did you read the title of this post and think, "Oh, good grief! How many different chia puddings can there be floating around?" Perhaps that was followed by, "Oh, please. I'm over this in-a-jar thing. That's so last year." You might be out of luck with this one.

Or maybe not.

See, here's the thing. My chia pudding isn't earth shaking, it's not a whole lot different than the others you've seen floating around. Except for one ingredient. I've used a rich, dark honey molasses for sweetener. It's got a sweetness unlike anything I've tasted before.

And about those jars. Well, one of the processed foods that had a hold on an unnamed fella I cook for was pudding cups. You know, those little plastic cups full of dairy, artificial flavorings and who knows what else that Sandra Lee scoops out to use for desserts on her barely-homemade show? Yeah, those. They were in our refrigerator often, a favorite snack. I had to find a way to make a healthier substitution. Chia pudding in jars keeps well throughout the week and hits the spot when the craving is for pudding. A glass jar filled with pudding is as close to a plastic pudding cup as I'm gonna get.

Here's the price breakdown on this:
Almond Milk: 0.68
Honey: 0.88
Chia Seeds:1.94
Total for 4 servings: $3.50
That leaves $1.70 for a little fresh fruit to sprinkle on top if you'd like!

Chia Pudding in a Jar
You'll need two 1/2 pint jars (eight ounces) with lids. Each jar will hold TWO servings. Or if you prefer, you can use four jars that each hold four ounces, the squat little jars that are about cupcake size. Each of those makes one serving and you'll need to use your math savvy skills to halve the recipe below. It does that easily.

In each eight ounce jar, put in the following ingredients:
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk OR the new almond coconut milk blend
2 t. honey or honey molasses* (vegan option: use agave)
2 T. chia seeds

Combine all ingredients in the jar, stir well to incorporate honey. Put lid on tightly and place in the refrigerator. Every time you open the refrigerator the first day, give the jars a shake to mix things up. The pudding is best eaten after it has been in the refrigerator at least 3 or 4 hours. I like it best after it has had at least a full day to sit in the refrigerator, for the chia seeds to really puff up like tapioca pearls.

*About the honey molasses: Remember when I talked about visiting Paradise Meadows farm in Hawaii? Honey molasses is one of the goodies I brought home from there. The folks at the farm tell me it is the incredibly rich tasting honey that is released from gently heating the beeswax that covers the honey frames just to the melting point. The flavors and color of the honey are concentrated in the process, resulting in a pure, natural honey with an amazingly intense flavor and the dark color of molasses. It's delicious!

Lately I've been sprinkling fresh blueberries on top of the pudding. They are in season in my area right now and are very tasty with the pudding. Give me another 6 weeks or so and I'll switch out to Colorado peaches. I'd love to hear what fruit you like to use with this chia pudding recipe!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies, with a Fluffer Twist!

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Mon, 28 May 2012 19:44:00 +0000

I love a PB&J sandwich and I love cookies. You, too? I combined the two for this sweet treat. And then I gave them a twist with marshmallow fluff, Fluffer Nutter Butters if you will. Get your peanut butter ready, you need to make these!

Peanut Butter Cookies (Makes 30 cookies or 15 sandwich cookies)
1 stick Earth Balance Vegan Butter
1/2 cup peanut butter, I use creamy natural
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 t. vanilla bean paste
1 1/2 cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 cup additional sugar (for rolling cookies in)

1/2 cup of your favorite jam (I use an all-fruit spread)

In bowl of stand mixer, beat peanut butter, Earth Balance, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, a couple of minutes on medium. Add eggs and vanilla bean paste, mixing until well combined. With mixer on low, add in flour, baking soda and baking powder. Mix until combined.

Put your dough into the refrigerator for a couple of hours. I've put mine in the freezer when I'm in a real big hurry but the refrigerator is best.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.

Roll dough into 1" balls. Roll in the extra 1/4 cup of sugar. Place on baking sheet and flatten a little bit with the back of a spoon. If you like the look of a traditional peanut butter cookie, you can use the tines of a fork to create a cross hatch pattern.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges are slightly browned. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. I love this spatula from OXO for this job.

Once completely cool, pair up the cookies with a similar shape and size buddy. Spread a generous teaspoon of filling on one cookie, top with its mate.

Fluffer Nutter Butter Twist

If you like the combination of peanut butter and marshmallow fluff, you'll love this!

Make one batch of this marshmallow fluff from 1FineCookie or buy the store bought kind if you must. I've mentioned numerous times, like here and here, how much I love the 1FineCookie fluff. I will never buy store bought fluff again, even though I like a convenience product now and again. This fluff is simply divine.

When you roll the dough into balls, roll it in sugar and flatten it slightly into a shape that reminds you of a circus peanut. It's sort of a log shape that you squeeze together in the middle. Place on baking sheet and use a fork to create lines in the cookie. Bake as above.

After cooling, spread with the yummy fluff instead of using jam. So good!

A Tip For You:

This dough freezes really well. If you want to make just a few cookies, freeze the rest of the dough for another time. I like to keep a little cookie dough in the freezer for impromptu visits from friends. A quick sweet to share makes visits even more fun!

Fauxstess Cupcakes, gluten- and dairy-free

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:01:00 +0000

Next month it will be three years since I've had any of those store-bought snack cakes. You know the ones, cream-filled, individually wrapped in plastic, full of ingredients you can't pronounce.

That sounds appetizing, huh? Well, I have to confess I actually miss a few of those things. I have seen quite a few recipes floating around the internet and in cookbooks for fake Hostess/Fauxstess cupcakes but had not come across one that fit my dietary requirements, so I set off to make one that would quell my desire for a store bought chocolate cupcake with creamy filling and waxy frosting with a white squiggle on top.

And here's the thing...I used my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe, so the cake is actually good. I also worked on getting the creme filling to taste just like I remember, except I used no dairy and only ingredients I could pronounce. And then I dipped it in store bought frosting. I didn't want to totally stray from this cupcake's roots, getting all fancy and pure. I felt it needed just a little not-so-good-for-you, a little naughty in it somewhere.

Speaking of the frosting, I had a scary run-in with gluten at the grocery store. On the rare occasions when I've used canned frosting, I've gone with a name brand. At least two of them are clearly labeled gluten-free. I picked up a can of the store brand frosting and I'll be darned if it didn't include wheat starch in the ingredients. So choose carefully, y'all!

Fauxstess Cupcakes, gluten- and dairy-free
Makes 12

Chocolate Cupcakes

1/2 cup Green's Amber Ale, Gluten Free
1/2 stick plus 1 T. Earth Balance vegan butter
1/3 cup Askinosie cocoa powder
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup Tofutti Sour Cream substitute
2 eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 cup almond meal/flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 cup teff flour
1 1/4 t. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line muffin tins with 12 cupcake papers.

Combine the beer and butter substitute, chopped into small pieces, in a large sauce pan. Heat to melt butter. Remove from heat, whisk in cocoa and brown sugar.

In mixer bowl, mix non-dairy sour cream and eggs with vanilla extract. Add beer mixture. Whisk together flours and soda in separate bowl and then mix into liquid mixture. Pour a scant 1/3 cup of batter into cupcake papers and bake for 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean when done. Cool completely on a rack before frosting.

Cream Filling
Inspired by this recipe from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen, one of my very favorite blogs!

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/4 cup boiling water
3/4 cup vegetable shortening (I use Crisco sticks)
3 T. cold Earth Balance vegan butter, cut into pieces

To make the filling: In the bowl of stand mixer, combine powdered sugar and vanilla. Add boiling water and whip with the whisk attachment on medium until smooth and cool, about room temperature. Add Crisco and Earth Balance, beat on medium until combined. Bump speed up to high for 4-5 minutes, until smooth, fluffy, shiny and about twice the volume. (I dare you to not eat a bunch of it right off of the whisk...)

Frosting
1 can of your favorite chocolate frosting, just make sure it is gluten-free and dairy-free.

Assembling
Once cupcakes have cooled and you've made the filling, now you need to fill them. I use this gadget from Williams-Sonoma, but a large open tip on a pastry bag works just as well. Insert the tip into the top of the cupcake (you don't need to cut out any of the cake, just have at it) and pipe in filling until you notice the top of the cupcake swelling. That means the cupcake is full of yummy filling!

Next, put the container of frosting in the microwave. Make sure all of the foil safety seal is removed before you do this. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir. Continue heating in 15 second increments until the frosting folds back into itself when drizzled off of a spoon. Invert the cupcakes and dip into the frosting.

After dipping them, place them on a rack. Once the frosting has set up, you can pipe a cute swirly line on top if you'd like. I used leftover filling for the first batch of these to make the swirly line and on the second batch I used a bit of leftover buttercream from another project. Both worked really well.

There you have it, a gluten-free, dairy-free cupcake that tastes almost like it came from a cardboard box. Well, not exactly but you get what I'm saying. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did. They were like a store bought treat, only better.

So tell me, what store bought treat do you miss? Any of those Little Debbie treats you'd love to de-gluten?

A Sweet Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:45:00 +0000

Just a quick note to let all of you Sweet folks know I'm hosting a Plum District giveaway over at Johnna52.

Click on through for your chance to win a six-month subscription for Gfree Cuisine, an on-line menu planning and grocery list generating service.

See you soon right here with more Sweet recipes!

Peach Bourbon Push-Up Pops

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Wed, 09 May 2012 03:08:00 +0000

Ever since I received a review copy of Courtney Dial Whitmore's Push Up Cake Pops book, I've been a little obsessed with the push up pop. I can't stop thinking about things to put inside these little contraptions that remind me of childhood frozen treats.

The cookbook is so easy to use for us gluten-free folks, even though it isn't a gluten-free cookbook. The majority of the recipes modify easily. The book is also full of great inspiration and beautiful photos. I've been inspired by it to move beyond and create my own push up cake pop recipe.

This recipe uses a delicious almond bourbon cake I've recently developed, peaches (I used frozen Palisades peaches I put up last Summer) and marshmallow fluff buttercream, my latest frosting creation. These go together quickly and have been well-received by my test audiences, which have ranged in age from 7 to 73.

I'm still unsure on how practical the Push-Up Cake Pops really are. The ones I have used came with a lid, which made them transport well. A friend took one home in her purse and it arrived intact. So that's nice but the trouble I'm having is that I like each bite to have a little cake, a little frosting, a little fruit. I haven't figured out quite how to make that happen. And one last point of concern for me, I served these at a party and I don't think most folks considered the container to be re-usable. Next time I would put a container for the empties near the dessert table. I bought my containers here and they were quite affordable, but they are re-usable and I like that from a green perspective, not just a frugal one.

Alright, here we go. Enjoy these Really, what's not to like? Peaches, bourbon, marshmallow...

Peach Bourbon Push-Up Cake Pops
(Makes 15)

Cake:
1 cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1 cup almond meal
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

1/4 c. Earth Balance non-dairy butter, softened
1/2 cup Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
5 large eggs
5 T. bourbon (or 1/4 cup plus 1 T. if you prefer)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Mix dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Combine wet ingredients using a hand mixer, mixing until well combined.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix well, this makes a thick batter.

Pour into an oiled 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. If it appears to be browning early, before the middle is set, you may cover it with foil. Remove from oven when toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

While the cake cools, you've got time to make frosting!

Marshmallow Fluff Buttercream Frosting
You'll be making two separate concoctions here and then mixing them together.

First, you'll need to either purchase or make marshmallow fluff. I absolutely LOVE this recipe for marshmallow fluff from 1 Fine Cookie. I make it often, using it for s'mores, the filling for homemade Fluffer Nutter Butter cookies and for this frosting. If you make your own from 1 Fine Cookie's recipe, double it just to be sure you have enough. You won't regret having extra anyway.

Second, you'll need to make a batch of Martha Stewart's Basic Buttercream Frosting. Substitute Earth Balance non-dairy butter if you'd like to keep this dairy-free.

Third, you'll mix the two together, cup for cup. So mix together 1 cup of marshmallow fluff with 1 cup of buttercream. That's about all you will need for this recipe. Just a gentle folding motion is enough. Save the leftover frosting and marshmallow fluff for another project. Or eat it off of a spoon. I did. That marshmallow fluff from 1 Fine Cookie does not stand a chance in this house. I'll never buy marshmallow fluff again. Not kidding.

Constructing the Push-Up Cake Pops

It isn't necessary to use a special cookie cutter to cut out the circles of cake, just use an empty push-up container. Cut 30 circles out of the cake. (You'll have odd shaped leftover parts and pieces to nibble on, another great use for the leftover frosting!)

Put frosting into a piping bag with a large, open tip.

Have your fresh or frozen peach slices ready to go. I sliced mine in half, as the push up containers aren't super huge.

First place a circle of cake in the container, then pipe in a bit of frosting and top with a peach slice or two if yours are sliced thin. Repeat, ending with a cute piece of peach.

I had good luck freezing these and thawing them to share with friends later. They fit perfectly in a small cookie sheet.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Push-Up Cake Pop trend. Are you making them? Are you re-using the containers or tossing them? Have you figured out a way to get cake, frosting and filling in each bite? Do tell!

Upcoming Class In KC, Power Up With Bars!

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:14:00 +0000

Join me and my fabulous friend Stacy on Wednesday, March 21st for a fun class packed with healthy recipes!

We'll show you how to make your own energy bars, granola bars and breakfast cookies. These are all healthy and made with whole foods. They are easy to make and can take as little as two ingredients or as many as you would like to put in them. Ingredient variations to fit your preferences and needs will be covered. These recipes are great for anyone on the go, as a snack, a lunchbox surprise or before or after a workout.

Recipes shared will be gluten-free. Variations to make them vegan, paleo and dairy-free will be discussed.

I'm super excited to be teaching a class with Stacy. Stacy is a wife, teacher and mother of 3 beautiful daughters who realized 5 years ago she needed to make some changes to become healthier and lose that pesky baby weight! By switching to a diet of whole foods and avoiding gluten, she dropped the weight and has maintained her weight loss for five years! She also increased her fitness level and is currently training for her sixth half marathon, her second half ironman triathlon and has completed over a dozen triathlons! Stacy keeps a steady supply of healthy bars available for her family and will share her technique for making them with us.

The class will be held at the Liberty Hy-Vee from 6:30 to 8 in the evening on Wednesday, March 21st. The cost is only $20 (the equivalent of about 6 of those expensive pre-made energy bars you've been buying). Register by calling Renae at 816.792.3210.

As with all of my classes, you'll sample everything we make and take home a booklet of recipes. And I promise you'll laugh at least once. What could be better than making healthy food and having a great time? I'll see you there!

Honey Macadamia Banana Breakfast Bake

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:18:00 +0000

I've been on vacation for a bit. Did you miss me? Even though I didn't blog while vacationing, I spent plenty of time coming up with new baking ideas and scouting out fun food finds I'm excited to share with you.

The first few finds come from Paradise Meadows Farm. While on the Big Island of Hawaii, we went on a tour at Paradise Meadows. I'm fascinated by the aquaponics system they are using to grow greens and many other edibles! We were treated to a honey, macadamia and coffee tasting while at the farm and I brought back lots of goodies to bake with. In today's recipe, I'm using macadamias and honey. I'm glad I can order more on-line. The cinnamon bun macadamias, as I was warned by the folks on the farm, are addictive! I hope to tell you more about our farm visit soon, it was a highlight of the trip.

Oh, one other quick thing before I share the recipe. I was torn about whether I should post this here at 52 Sweets or over on my non-sweet blog Johnna 52. I chose to share it here because it's pretty darned sweet. If you want to make this more savory, use a non-sweetened nut and add a sprinkle of breakfast protein, like a tempeh sausage or coconut bacon crumbles. Today I was in the mood for sweet. I've been singing Jack Johnson tunes in the kitchen since coming back from Hawaii (see the banana pancake inspiration here?) and had all of these amazing Hawaiian goodies to bake with, so sweet it is!

Heavenly Honey Macadamia Banana Breakfast Bake
Inspired by this recipe for Honey Cloud Pancakes from Claire at Things We Make. Thanks, Claire, for letting me modify your delicious recipe!

2 large eggs
1/4 cup of warmed, unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1 teaspoon honey (I used Paradise Meadows winter blend)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon Earth Balance vegan butter
1 small banana, sliced (on my Hawaiian kick, I used a tiny apple banana)
2 Tablespoons chopped macadamias (I used cinnamon bun macs from Paradise Meadows which added a little additional sugar to the top)
additional honey for drizzling

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Heat a small 6″ oven proof frying pan on the stove top. I used the 6 1/2" pan from Lodge.
Carefully separate one of the egg yolks from the white.
In a small bowl, whisk one egg white until it is white and holds soft peaks.
Mix the egg yolk and the entire second egg with the flour, baking powder, salt, honey, and vanilla bean paste, then whisk in the warm almond milk.
Gently fold the whipped egg white into the batter.
Melt one teaspoon of butter sub in the hot pan.
Pour the fluffy batter in and cook for a few minutes over medium heat on the stovetop until starting to set at the edge.
Sprinkle banana slices and macadamias on top.
Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until puffy and browning on top.
Drizzle with honey and serve. This makes two small servings or one large.

$5.20 Sweets: Docinhos De Abobora, Brazilian Pumpkin Candy

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:35:00 +0000

My friend Sue recently embarked on a grand adventure, moving from the Midwest to Brazil. Many of her friends came together for a Brazilian Bash, a beautiful going away soiree. It was a lovely evening, filled with fun people, food, dancing and of course, lots of laughter.

I met Sue a few years back through our mutual friend, Largo. One of the things I've learned from these ladies, both event coordinators, is that it is perfectly okay for special events to have little touch of BIG, of crazy, of totally over the top. And so, when it was time for Sue's going away party, I wanted to go a little over the top. Well, kinda. I made six Brazilian desserts. What? You'd do that for your friends, too, right?

Because many Brazilian foods are already gluten-free, this wasn't particularly challenging but oh my, was it ever tasty! Half of what I baked was naturally gluten-free and half I needed to modify. Even the Brazilian foods that contain gluten have been easy to modify. And they have all been incredibly delicious. I'm already planning more Brazilian baking. I am also thinking any additional Brazilian baking may require a research trip, a chance to visit Sue!

I started with a tried-and-true recipe from my own recipe box, Broinhas or corn cookie. Instead of making 10 large cookies as the recipes suggests, I made 24 small cookies. The smaller size was great for sharing at a party.

Next I made this recipe, Brazilian Jubilee Cookies. To modify, simply use my favorite gluten-free flour blend and 1 teaspoon of guar gum. Otherwise, bake as directed in the recipe. Easy!

Then I made Bolo de Banana, Banana Upside Down Cake. This, too, was easily modified to gluten-free. Where the recipe calls for breadcrumbs, use almond meal instead. I made this in a greased 9 x 13 and then used a 2" round cutter to make little cake circles that I inverted and served in these cute nut cups from Sweet! Well, except for that corner that is cut out. I put that directly into my mouth. So good!

Moving on from cookies and cake, I made a variety of Brazilian candies. These are all super easy to make and would be fun to make with kiddos in the kitchen.

Fourth on my list, Brigadeiros. These are my favorite Brazilian treat, a slightly chewy chocolate truffle rolled in chocolate sprinkles or chopped nuts or coconut. Not a single modification necessary here, just make sure the chocolate sprinkles you use are gluten-free.

The fifth creation from a recipe at In Search of Delicious was Beijinhos de Coco, Brazilian Coconut Candy. Beijinhos means kisses in Portugese. If Brazilian kisses are coconut-y, rich, butter-y and sweet, then I must visit! These are a perfect little treat, even better if you can wait a day to eat them. Again, not a single modification necessary, already gluten-free!

And last on my list, Docinhos De Abobora, Brazilian Pumpkin Candy. These are gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free. They could be vegan if you chose your sugars carefully.

Docinhos de Abobora, Brazilian Pumpkin Candy
(Makes 25 candies)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (I use canned)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup finely shredded coconut
1/4 t. ground cloves
non-stick cooking spray
powdered sugar for rolling

Place all of the ingredients except for the cooking spray and powdered sugar into a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Cook over medium heat while stirring constantly. Mixture needs to reach 240 degrees and will be very thick.

Once at 240 degrees, turn off burner and remove pan from heat. Turn out onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.

Allow to cool until easy to handle. Spray hands lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Roll into small balls and then roll in powdered sugar.

Here's the price break-down:
Pumpkin $1.35
Sugar $0.40
Coconut $1.25
Powdered Sugar $0.37
4.6% Sales Tax $0.16
Total: $3.53 for 25 candies

While I'm going to miss Sue being in the same city, I'm so excited to hear about her adventures in Brazil. I'm hoping once in awhile she'll share a new recipe with me so I can share even more gluten-free Brazilian treats!

Chocolate Hazelnut No-Bake Cheesecake, World Nutella Day 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:46:00 +0000

Yep, I'm at it again, making more Sweets for World Nutella Day. Except I'm yet again not using Nutella. I'm using Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter, which is like Nutella, only slightly thicker and with a hint of sea salt. Good stuff!

In a world free of dietary restrictions, food allergies and intolerances, I'd call this Nutella Oreo No-Bake Cheesecake. But since I plan on eating this, I've eliminated the dairy and gluten. Know what else? It's vegan. It's also free of Brussels Sprouts, because my Nutella fiend husband doesn't like them. Oh, don't put it past me, I've used them in cupcakes. Why not cheesecake, too? ;)

This recipe is inspired by the No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake from Jamie at My Baking Addiction . It's sure making the rounds on Pinterest! Her version looks delicious, beautifully garnished and the photography on the blog post is gorgeous. Click over there and take a look!

Chocolate Hazelnut No-Bake Cheesecake
Makes 2 generous servings or 4 small servings

6 K-Toos, gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies
1 T. Earth Balance vegan butter-y substitute, melted

1 can coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk (14 oz.), refrigerated overnight
2 T. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

4 oz. Better Than Cream Cheese
1/3 cup Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
1/2 cup whipped coconut cream

additional whipped coconut cream
cocoa powder for garnish

CRUST: Crush the K-Too cookies in a small bowl. Add the melted Earth Balance, stirring to combine. Pat into the bottom of dishes to make a crust. (I used two large ramekins, however this would easily make 4 small desserts.) Refrigerate while preparing filling.

WHIPPED CREAM: Open can of coconut milk or cream. I've used cream in this recipe as I wanted a slightly heavier consistency than the full-fat milk, however either would work. Skim the solidified cream off of the top of the liquid in the can. Set the liquid aside, reserve for use in a smoothie later in the day. Using a hand mixer, whip the solidified cream until it doubles. Add in powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste, whipping to combine.

FILLING: Combine the Better Than Cream Cheese and the Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter using hand mixer. Add in 1/2 cup of the whipped coconut cream, mixing to combine.

Spoon this filling on top of the cookie crusts. Top with a dollop of the remaining whipped coconut cream and a sprinkle of cocoa powder. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

Need more World Nutella Day ideas? Here are a few of my favorite Nutella recipes:

Chocolate Hazelnut Twist Donuts

Johnna's World Nutella Day 2011 Round-Up: Nutella French Toast, Nutella Nachos and Nutella Apple Pizza

Banana Nutella Stuffed French Toast

Nutella Cupcakes

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Chocolate Hazelnut Twist Donuts

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:29:00 +0000

It's time to fire up the oven for World Nutella Day! I've been working on a few chocolate hazelnut recipes to share with you, but first up is a yummy baked donut. A yummy baked donut that is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, almost vegan, chocolate-y, hazelnut-y...it's just good!

Because I'm trying to put a stop to the dairy bender I've been on (yes, that was a pound of cheese on the pizza I ate Tuesday), I'm using non-Nutella products to celebrate World Nutella Day. I'm know, it's blasphemous, but I gotta get back on track.

For today's project, I've used the one-hundred-times-better-than-Nutella Askinosie Chocolate Hazelnut Spread. Yes, it's about four times the price of Nutella and worth every penny. It's really not right to compare it to Nutella, the only similarities being that they both contain chocolate and hazelnuts. The Askinosie version has a very creamy consistency, yet has noticeable bits of DuChilly hazelnuts throughout and makes a divine fondue. It is also made with a very rich, single-origin chocolate. You should just try it. I wouldn't steer you wrong. :-)

Chocolate Hazelnut Twist Donuts
Makes 6 twists or 12 large donuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1 1/2 cups of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1/3 cup hazelnut meal/flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. sea salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. guar gum
1/2 cup blonde coconut palm sugar (or regular sugar)
1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey (sub agave to make vegan)
2 T. vanilla bean paste
1/3 cup hot water

Mix all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add all liquid ingredients except for the hot water. Mix by hand until well combined. Slowly add in the hot water.

Lightly oil the donut pan. Fill each cavity of the donut twist pan with a scant 1/2 cup of batter. Bake at 325 for 18-21 minutes. Tops will be lightly browned.

Let cool in pan for 5 minutes or so, then invert on cooling rack.

While donuts are still warm, glaze tops with chocolate hazelnut spread.

These were very good warm, but also were good at room temperature. Enjoy!

cupcakes, cookies & pie, oh, my!: A Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:19:00 +0000

A couple of years ago, I went to a book signing and cupcake decorating demonstration with Karen Tack & Alan Richardson, the amazing duo behind the Hello, Cupcake! and What's New, Cupcake! cookbooks. It was such a fun day, packed full of info on making super cute cupcakes. At the time, I couldn't imagine what they would create beyond cupcakes.

Now I don't have to imagine, they've got another book! Cupcakes, cookies, and pie, oh my! includes not just cupcakes but also hand pies, rice krispie creations, cookies and so many clever decorating ideas. I'm fascinated with the candy clay in this cookbook and can't wait to try it out, along with a gazillion other ideas that are going to make their way into my kitchen soon.

If you've read this far, you're probably asking, "Why is Johnna telling us about a cookbook that isn't gluten-free?" Well, because almost everything in this cookbook is easily made gluten-free. Swap out the store-bought pound cake for Amy's Organic Gluten-Free Pound Cake. Use a gluten-free cake mix in place of a regular one. When the recipe calls for refrigerated pie crust, whip up a batch of my pie crust. And the same for the sugar cookies, try this recipe instead. Pay close attention to the labels on the candies used to decorate (licorice is especially suspect), but know that you can come up with easy substitutions so you can make your own fun gluten-free creations. What I've learned from this series of books is that a stroll down the candy aisle (and a few minutes reading labels and confirming gluten-free status) can result in confectionery creativity with no boundaries!

I made the "Piece of Cake" cake pops and wanted to share them with you. So fun to make, even though I have a storied history of making cake pops. While mine didn't turn out as pretty as the ones pictured in the book (boy, this book is rich with photos!), they are pretty darned cute and were quickly gobbled up.

*Please note, the recipe below calls for ingredients that contain gluten. Below the recipe, I have included the modifications I made to this recipe to make it gluten-free.*

"Piece of Cake" Cake Pops
(makes 15 cake bites)

Sweet party pops look like perfect pieces of cake, and are a piece of cake to make, too. Mini wedges of pound cake on forks are coated in melted vanilla frosting, with lines of red gel to create the layers.

1 frozen pound cake (16 ounces; Sara Lee Family Size), thawed*
16 assorted colored plastic forks
Sugar
1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
1 can (16 ounces) milk chocolate frosting
3 tubes (0.68 or 0.75 ounces each) red decorating gel (Cake Mate)
2 tablespoons mini candy decors (Cake Mate)

1. Line two cookie sheets with waxed paper. Place the pound cake on a work surface with one long edge facing you. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake crosswise into quarters. Starting from the short end, cut each piece into four 1 1/2-by-2 1/2 inch triangles. Insert the tines of a plastic fork into the base of each piece of cake to secure, without breaking the cake. Transfer the pieces to the cookie sheets. Freeze for 15 minutes.

2. Fill several wide-mouthed glasses with sugar to help support the cake pieces once they are frosted.

3. Spoon 1/4 cup of the vanilla frosting into a Ziploc bag. Spoon the chocolate frosting into 2 separate Ziploc bags. Press out the excess air and seal the bags. Spoon the remaining vanilla frosting into a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Microwave, stopping to stir frequently, until it has the texture of lightly whipped cream, 20 to 30 seconds.

4. Remove the cake pieces from the freezer. Holding the fork over the measuring cup, spoon the melted frosting over the 2 long sides of cake to cover, allowing the excess frosting to drip back into the cup. Insert the base of the forks into the sugar-filled glasses. Repeat with the remaining cake pieces. If the melted frosting becomes too thick for dipping, microwave for several seconds and stir. Refrigerate the frosted cake pieces until set, about 20 minutes.

5. Use a toothpick to lightly score 2 lines in the frosting on each side of the cakes to mark the layers. Pipe a thin line of the red gel over each line.

6. Snip a medium (1/4-inch) corner from the bags with the vanilla and chocolate frostings. Pipe a thin layer of chocolate frosting on the top and back of the cake pieces. Use the back of a small spoon to make swirls in the frosting. Pipe a dollop of vanilla frosting on top and add some candy decors.

7. Return the cake slices to the sugar-filled wide-mouthed glasses and serve.

"Piece of Cake” Cake Pops from CUPCAKES, COOKIES & PIE, OH, MY! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. Copyright © 2012 by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

*I used an Amy's Organic Gluten-Free Pound Cake. It is smaller than a Sara Lee cake. Instead of cutting the cake into quarters, I cut it into thirds, creating only 12 cake pops. I read the labels on the frosting, gel and candy decor that I used carefully to make certain they were gluten-free; you should, too!

Karen and Alan are soon embarking on a book tour. You can find the schedule here. For my local readers, there are TWO appearances in Kansas City on February 8th and 9th, both hosted by Rainy Day Books. Look me up, I'll be there!

Disclosure: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt provided a review copy of the book to me. No compensation was received and the opinions expressed are my own.

$5.20 Sweets: Rice Krispie Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:55:00 +0000

I'm all about Valentine's Day right now. If it's pink and red, I've stuck it to the wall, used it to decorate the kitchen table and cooked with it. Not even a container of pink frosting could evade me.

I made these adorable rice krispie treat cupcakes and topped them with ready-made (gasp!) frosting. I spent most of an afternoon exclaiming aloud to anyone who would listen, "Have you had FROSTING on top of a Rice Krispie Treat?!? You HAVE to try this!" Sure, a sugar coma will follow but since this recipe only makes 6, you don't get to indulge in many of them anyway. Moderation, right? ;)

While I could have made these for even less moolah with a jar of fluff from the store, I chose to make homemade marshmallow fluff. I based the fluff on this recipe from Jasmin at 1FineCookie. Remember when I made those S'more Stuffed Strawberries? It's the same delicious marshmallow fluff. Once you try this, you'll be hooked. It's sticky, ooey-gooey and makes the best rice krispie treats I've ever had. Thanks, Jasmin, for creating one of my very favorite sweets. Love this marshmallow goodness!

Marshmallow Fluff
1 egg white, room temperature
1/8 t. cream of tartar
1/4 c. corn syrup
1/4 t. vanilla extract
2 T. Sugar and 1 1/2 t. sugar (separate)
1 T. plus 1 t. water

In bowl of stand mixer with whip attachment, white egg white and cream of tartar until soft peaks begin to form. Slowly incorporate 1 1/2 t. sugar. Whip only to incorporate, you don't need stiff peaks. Let rest in bowl while you do the next step.

In a tiny sauce pan, combine 2 T. sugar, water and corn syrup. Over medium heat, cook until it reached 250 degrees, hard ball stage, on your candy thermometer. Remove immediately from heat.

Return to your mixer. Turn it on low and slowly drizzle in the molten sugar mixture. Once all is added, turn the mixer on high and whip for 4 minutes. Turn off, add vanilla extract and whip for two more minutes. That's it!

Rice Krispie Treat Cupcakes (makes 6)
2 T. Earth Balance vegan butter-y stick
1 cup marshmallow fluff (the recipe above makes just about 1 cup)
2 cups gluten-free Rice Krispies

Prepare 6 cavities of either a silicone cupcake pan or a regular cupcake pan sprayed with non-stick spray.

In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt the Earth Balance butter in microwave. Remove and stir in the marshmallow fluff. Stir to completely incorporate. If it is still too thick to incorporate the cereal, pop into microwave for no longer than 30 seconds. Stir in the rice krispies, mixing until well combined.

Place mixture into each of 6 cupcake cavities. You may allow these to set up at room temperature or if you are in a hurry, place them in the refrigerator or freezer.

I topped these with 1/2 of a can of Pillsbury frosting. I had a good coupon, it's labeled gluten-free, so I thought I'd give it a go. It's pretty good! I usually make my own frosting, but I would use this again. It only took about half a container of whipped frosting for 6 of the rice krispie treats.

Here's the cost breakdown:
$1.52 for corn syrup
$.72 for rice krispies (I based this on $4 for a large box, but with cereal sales, you can do better!)
$.25 for egg
$.05 for sugar
$.04 for vanilla extract
$1.89 for frosting (watch for coupons on this, too. I got frosting for next to nothing.)
$4.47 plus tax of $.21 = $4.68 total

$5.20 Sweets: Chocomole

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:42:00 +0000

Happy 2012!

Instead of creating 52 Sweet recipes this year, I'm going to focus on Sweets that can be made for $5.20 or so. My goal is to create something that includes at least 4 servings and, as always, is gluten- and dairy-free.

The first Sweet this year is one you might remember from last year: Chocomole. This perfectly sweet mousse is made from avocado, dates, chocolate, agave nectar, coconut oil and a little vanilla. I've modified the recipe from this version I shared last year to make it a bit more economical.

Here's a little tip for serving chocomole. If you serve it in avocado shells, less adventurous eaters might choose to pass on this one. But if you put it in a pretty dessert dish, they may be none the wiser to the ingredients. It tastes nothing like guacamole with chocolate sprinkled on top.

Chocomole (Makes 4 servings)
2 ripe avocados
1 T. coconut oil
20 dates
2 T. cocoa powder
2 T. agave nectar
1 t. vanilla bean paste

In food processor, place 20 dates and process until finely chopped. They will turn into a mooshy ball in the food processor.

Slice the avocados in half carefully. Remove the pit and spoon out the fruit. Place the fruit into the bowl of the food processor. If you carefully clean out the shells, you can hang on to them and use them as serving bowls for the chocomole.

Add the cocoa powder, coconut oil, agave nectar and vanilla bean paste to the food processor. Process until smooth, at least a few minutes.

Spoon into avocado shells or other serving bowls and refrigerate. I piped the filling this time and really like how it looks. Refrigerate this for at least a couple of hours before eating. Enjoy!

Ingredient Cost
My ingredients were purchased at the local grocer and Trader Joe's. Here's the breakdown:

Two avocados on sale at Price Chopper: $0.69 each, $1.38 total
2/3 of a bag of Dole dates ($2.29 per bag) $1.53
Coconut Oil $0.37
Trader Joe's cocoa powder $0.08
Agave Nectar $0.34
Vanilla Bean Paste $0.50 (WOW! I knew it was pricey, but the per teaspoon price really got me on this one.)

Total: $4.20 plus $0.19 sales tax (I live in Missouri and pay 4.6% sales tax on food), $4.39 for four servings!

Sweet of the Week #52, Kale Kolada

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:52:00 +0000

Well, here it is, the end of another 52 Journey for me. And wouldn't you know it, my final ingredient is one I have chosen not to bake into a Sweet. Instead, I'm putting it into the blender.

You see, this is the end of three years of blogging about one Sweet every week. I've tried hard to limit my Sweet intake to only one thing a week, with exceptions for a few holidays and my birthday. And President's Day, every third Wednesday, Thursdays when the temperature is above 40 and the barometric pressure is climbing...

In all seriousness, what I have found is that I no longer have an issue limiting how many Sweets I eat. Some weeks there are plenty of them, there's an occasion to celebrate or a project that requires me to bake 9 or 10 recipes in just a couple of days. Sometimes I momentarily lose control, but I always get back on track. And then there are times when I am so tired of Sweets it becomes a task for me to create a recipe, to blog about a Sweet.

That's how I reached this place I'm at today, blogging about a green smoothie to wrap up this year's 52 Journey. Right now, today, I don't want to bake a Sweet. I'm okay without a piece of chocolate cake or a hand pie packed full of caramel-drenched apples. Instead, I'm having a green smoothie. Next week, I'll probably need a dessert to share at a friend's potluck or I'll be elbow-deep in sugar working on a recipe development project. But today, it's a smoothie.

And hey, real quick, a note about where I'm headed. Next year's 52 Journey is going to be much different. After three years of blogging about a Sweet every week, I'm done with weekly Sweets. I've got a really fun 52 Project going on over at Johnna52 (where you can find my non-baking adventures) and here at 52 Sweets, I'll be sharing an occasional Sweet, just not one every week. What I will be sharing has a great new twist...

I'll be blogging in 2012 about gluten-free Sweets that can be made for $5.20 or less. Get it? It's like 52, $5.20. Gluten-free baking can be so incredibly pricey, so I wanted to make some inexpensive Sweets, simple desserts, with a minimum of four servings that can be made for $5 or so. I hope you'll stick around for the Journey.

And now...here's the green smoothie you've been dying to read about!

Kale Kolada
(Makes two generous servings)

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
3/4 cup coconut water
6 oz. cultured coconut milk yogurt (you could use almond yogurt or Greek yogurt, I was going with the coconut theme here)
1 1/2 cups coconut tidbits, frozen
1 bunch kale, stems removed (I used 5 large stems of kale in this)

Blend on high speed until well combined. Super easy...and Sweet!

Wishing you a happy and healthy 2012!

Sweet of the Week #51, Absinthe and Bubbly Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Johnna) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:51:00 +0000

This week's Ingredient is Absinthe.

I first sampled Absinthe while visiting Austria in 2001. The owner of the guest house where I was staying invited me to join other guests for a nightcap. What he served to us was hausgemacht absinthe, homebrewed with a combination of herbs passed down through at least 3 generations. Austrians are known for brewing Absinthe with very little noticeable anise flavor, something I have sampled nowhere else. It had a gentle green color, which turned to a cloudy, milky white when served in the traditional manner of pouring cold water over a sugar cube resting on an ornate spoon into a serving of absinthe. One serving led to many servings. It produced a mighty headache the next morning...

Since my introduction to absinthe, I've seen it served many ways, including in the Bohemian fashion where an alcohol-soaked sugar cube is lit on fire and dropped into a glass of Absinthe, along with a shot glass of water. I've also seen it served with an ornate fountain of sorts, with a spigot that slowly drips water over a sugar cube. Properly serving Absinthe seems very tedious.

Ever since visiting The Fountain on Locust in St. Louis, I've had a thing for Absinthe and Champagne together in cocktails. I had a Hemingway while there, a drink attributed to Ernest Hemingway's Death in the Afternoon where he wrote of drinking 3 to 5 cocktails a day that included a shot of absinthe with the remainder of the glass full of Champagne.

While I'm not suggesting you eat 3 to 5 of these a day, I was thinking New Year's Eve often brings about a surplus of bubbly. So perhaps you'll make these cupcakes to ring in the New Year.

Tip: If you don't have absinthe and don't wish to purchase it (small bottles are hard to locate and it is often around $50 in the store), just double the champagne in the frosting recipe below. It works well without it and you'll have a delicious champagne flavored treat. These cupcakes are great with and without absinthe.

Absinthe Bubbly Cupcakes
Makes 24, gluten-free and dairy-free

1 1/2 cup of Johnna’s Gluten-Free Flour Blend

1 1/2 cup of almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill is preferred)

2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon guar gum

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cup sugar

1-12 oz. container Tofutti Sour Cream (or 1 1/2 cups non-dairy sour cream sub)

1 1/2 sticks butter or Earth Balance, melted and allowed to cool

1 T. vanilla extract

1/4 cup champagne

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together flours, baking powder and guar gum. Set aside.

Cream eggs and sugar in stand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes until a pale yellow color is reached. Incorporate sour cream, melted butter, vanilla extract and champagne. Slowly add in flour mixture, mixing well on medium until dough is smooth.

Insert cupcake papers into pans, fill ¾ full with cake batter, approximately 1/3 of a cup. Bake for 18-20 minutes. A cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean.

Champagne Creme Filling

1 cup Healthy Top (measured from the container, not from whipped)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup champagne

With electric mixer, whip Healthy Top until it doubles in quantity. Add powdered sugar and champagne. Continue whipping until well incorporated.

Absinthe Champagne Frosting

3 sticks Earth Balance or butter

1 lb. powdered sugar

2 T. Champagne

2 T. Absinthe

Cream butter in mixer. Slowly add in powdered sugar. Once all sugar is incorporated, add in champagne and absinthe. Mix until smooth and creamy, this makes a light and fluffy frosting if whipped long enough. If you prefer a stiff frosting, you may add a bit more powdered sugar.

Assembling

Allow cupcakes to cool to room temperature. Stick your index finger into the center of each cupcake, creating a divot. If you prefer, you can cut out a portion of the cake, but just pressing into it works quite well.

Fill pastry bag or frosting tool with the champagne creme filling. Pipe the hole full of filling using a large round tip. (I prefer something like a 1A or 2A.)

Frost top of cupcake using your preferred method. I used one of the ginormous cupcake frosting tips from Bake It Pretty.

On top of the frosting, I used two sizes of sugar pearls that I bought at Sweet! They remind me of champagne bubbles. I also baked the cupcakes in pretty nut cups from Sweet! I like baking cupcakes in these, no need for a muffin tin.

Enjoy the cupcakes. Wishing you a happy, healthy new year!