GF Chocolate Banana Muffin

I really should just call my blog "Muffin Mama" cause seems that's my passion! I just don't get tired of any variation of muffin - endless love for making and eating them.  I also don't tire of soup of any kind and I'm just checking out a lovely recipe using basmati rice and carrots to put on tonight's supper table.

There is a fine line between muffins and cupcakes and I'd say this one could go either way! I just want to feel healthy eating them so I'll just say it's a muffin :)

Applesauce Oat Muffins GF

Put following into a large mixing bowl:

1 cup quick oats
1 cup soy milk + 1 tbsp. vinegar
3 tbsp. agave syrup

Stir and let sit while you prepare the eggy flax mixture:

1 tbsp. golden flaxseed
3 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. olive oil

Stir and let rest while you sift together the dry ingredients:

1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. almond flour
3 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. tapioca flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Grate one of the following:

an apple
a carrot
a small zucchini

Mix into 1/2 cup applesauce.

Mix eggy flax, oatmeal and applesauce mixture together. Stir in your dry ingredients. Divide between 12 muffin cups (lined with paper cups or sprayed with oil).  Use about 1/4 cup batter each. Bake at 375 for about 20-22 minutes. Drizzle with a small amount of icing glaze (icing sugar plus water) and sprinkle with cinnamon. I did not have any icing sugar in the house so if you have a magic bullet it's easy to make a small quantity from any white sugar you have. The nice thing about making your own is that there is no added cornstarch like there is in commercial icing sugar.

Red Lentil Soup Thai Style

olive oil - 1 tbsp
1/2 cup onion - chopped fine
1/4 cup parsley - chopped fine
2 white button mushrooms (large), chopped fine
2 carrots - sliced thin rounds
1 small potato- diced tiny pieces
1/4 cup cabbage - chopped fine
spices - curry, chili, garlic, ginger

1/2 cup dry red lentils, washed
spring water to cover.
2 tbsp. basil tomato pasta sauce

1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water

salt/pepper/hot sauce to taste

Amazing how far two large button mushrooms go when finely diced. 

Saute the onions, add mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, parsley, potato and spices.  After about 5 minutes add some water to cover.  Steam another 5-10 minutes. Add the dry lentils and 2 tbsp. pasta sauce and enough water to cover plus about another cup or so. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for about 45 minutes or so. Keep an eye on it and add more water if required. Once lentils are tender add the 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1/2 cup water - simmer on low for another 10 minutes.

I found a great little cube container at Babies R Us to freeze excess tomato pasta sauce and coconut milk in.  I never use the whole container of each so this is very handy to have on hand.  Once cubes are frozen - remove and place in plastic bag or other container and you can have it freed up to make more. Easy to wash container and I was happy that the tomato sauce does not stain this at all!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Toll House Style

Fit for a prince - Prince Nico that is!  His Royal Highness requested these tonight at 9 p.m. The loyal subjects' payment for completing this late night task was a: Mema, Mema - I L-o-v-e You!! You had to hear the dramatic flair he added to the whole statement but needless to say it made me smile and made it all worthwhile.

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegan Becel margarine
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 - 8 tbsp. soy milk or cream
3/4 cup chocolate chips (camino)

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat margarine, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add 6 tbsp. soy milk and beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Add extra soy milk if it seems to dry. Stir in chocolate chips  Use 2-3 tbsp. of dough for each cookie and place onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake in preheated 350-degree [Fahrenheit] oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.


The Prince with best buddy Thomas having a good time at birthday party (Padmanadi Restaurant)! Sheila made the best ever spicey chocolate cake for Thomas! Put in a special request ahead of time and you too can have this great vegan chocolate cake to wow your family and friends with. Also Padmanadi has a beautiful VIP room at the back of the restaurant available upon request. Makes any get-together extra special indeed! I've enjoyed many happy times there!

Connoisseur Vodka Filled European Dark Chocolate

These vodka filled cholates by Connoisseur are quality chocolates and hopefully available at a Giant Tiger near you!  Unfortunately the Giant Tiger in southwest Edmonton is closing down this week but the manager told me that the remaining three stores in north Edmonton are going to continue to do business. I picked up the last three boxes they had in stock so don't go to the southwest location! Here's the back of the label for further info. No weird ingredients and no nasty artificial taste! Note they are Made in Germany - enough said when it comes to chocolates! I believe I paid $2.77 for the box but perhaps that was close-out price? Worth far more.

I was in the mood for some fun, festive baking so decided to go with some snowflake sugar cookies - glazed with icing and sprinkled with crushed peppermint. I used a recipe I previously posted back in 2009. Check it out here.  I liked the result - pretty, pink and sparkly!

Fabulous Fudge

I am in love with the recipes from the Toronto Vegetarian Association bake off!  I think I should try each and every one as they truly are winners.  I made this one exactly as written and it turned out beautifully.  They hold up well even at room temperature for about an hour or so (well that is the case in my kitchen as it is fall/winter here on the prairies and it is snowing lightly as I write) and the taste is reminiscent and superior to that of traditional peanut butter chocolate bars. Even my niece Cristina, who normally does not like chocolate, loved these and said she plans to make them for her office annual Christmas cookie exchange. Here is the recipe as posted by TVA. I used my favorite Camino baking chocolate and my favorite creamy peanut butter (the one with the two bears on it)! Key to best flavor is a neutral tasting margarine (I opted for vegan Becel).

Dashing Dan’s Fabulous Fudge
Dan Pitman
Winner Vegan and Gluten-Free - TFVBO 2010
Recipe from “Peanut Butter Planet” by Robin Robertson (now out of print). Used with permission. Check out Robin’s website: www.globalvegankitchen.com or blog: http://veganplanet.blogspot.com.

Ingredients
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margerine
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan.  Place the chocolate, peanut butter, and margarine in a heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.Turn off the heat and whisk in the sugar and vanilla until smooth and well-blended.Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and cool until firm.  Cut into squares, Keep refrigerated.

Rachel's Birthday Cupcakes GF

I was so excited with how beautiful these cupcakes turned despite not being made from traditional white flour that I had to post them here for you all to see.  The taste was really delicious and I hope I can replicate them again!  I don't always do everything exactly the same each time - the only way to get the best results is by look and feel.  Even remaking my own recipes the measurements don't always work out. I believe it really does depend on the humidity in the air, brand of flour, type of sugar and heavens knows what other factors.  So learn to trust your own eye when deciding whether to add another tablespoon or two of flour if batter looks too runny or another tablespoon or two of liquid if it looks too dry.

The revision was based on this previous post dated 9/17/2011.  When making GF I tend to add more batter per cupcake than what is traditionally called for as due to being vegan and gluten free you're not going to get the same rising power.  I was really pleased with the height of these - exceeded my expectations. Lucky day, right humidity etc. I started with 1/2 cup organic brown rice flour, 1/4 cup almond flour and 1/4 cup of potato starch but ended up adding a couple of more tablespoons of each as my batter was much too runny. I used soy milk (silk original). I did not have vanilla pods or maple extract so only used 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract.

The caramel burns very fast  so do heed her warnings and for one dozen cupcakes I think 1/2 the recipe is totally sufficient.  I had lots left over - not a big problem as it does taste like yummy homemade toffee once it hardens! If you like to have super high frosting I suggest doubling recipe below and do use electric beaters (makes it much creamier and thereby significantly improves the taste)! Personally, I prefer vegan Becel for frosting instead of Earth Balance spread. It has a lighter taste and feel in your mouth.  For baking though I love the convenience and flavor of Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks! I used my beautiful, retro Glo-Hill cake server to display my cupcakes and used nutella wafers ( that my niece Cristina bought back from Italy for me this fall) as dividers between them.

Here is the original recipe: by Sherry Vanstone.(Winner Vegan Cupcakes and Best in Show - TFVBO 2010).


Vanilla Cake Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
(mix dry ingredients in one bowl)
1 cup soy or almond milk
(almond milk will separate- don’t sweat it, it turns out fine)
2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla extract + the seeds of one whole vanilla pod
1/2 tsp maple extract
1 tsp vinegar

(mix wet ingredients together, then add to dry)
Pour batter into cupcake liners in a muffin tin.  Bake at 350 for 18-20
minutes. Take out as soon as the risen centre springs back.

Frosting
1/3 cup Earth Balance Margarine
2 cups icing sugar
1 tbsp soy creamer
1 tsp vanilla extract and more vanilla seeds
Whip on high until fluffy.
Once you have your cupcakes frosted- then make the caramel.   The caramel needs to be warm to drizzle.

Caramel
1 cup white sugar
2 tbsp Earth Balance Margarine
1/4 cup soy creamer
Using the stove top, melt the sugar on medium heat in a heavy pan.  Stir constantly.  It burns FAST!  When completely melted, take off heat and immediately add your Earth Balance.  Use a metal whisk to incorporate completely and work out any lumps.  Work quickly.  Pour in all the soy creamer and whisk (it will bubble up a lot).  Keep whisking until it’s smooth and creamy. Drizzle over cupcakes and add a few grains of sea salt.