Baking for Brendan

Dairy Free Cashew Dill Dip

Thanksgiving is coming and I have appetizers on my mind. I could just make my meal out of the appetizers and call it a day. Am I allowed to say that "dip" is my favorite food and "snack" is my favorite meal of the day?

If you don't already know, cashews are amazing little nuts. When you soak them in water and blend them they can create a beautiful non dairy cream that has endless possibilities. Last Christmas my sister in law brought some cashew cheese over and I was shocked at how good it was! Even my cheese loving dad thought it tasted pretty good, and you can not trick him with very many foods.

I didn't originally set out to make a veggie dip today, but this mid recipe discovery was too good not to post as it's own delicious treat. **Disclaimer** before you get excited about making this you MUST have a high powered blender. I am not fancy enough to have a VitaMix, but you will want something with a little power behind it. I use a Nutri Ninja and I think it gets the job done for almost all of my blending needs.

To make this dip, you start out by soaking the raw cashews in water overnight and then basically blend the heck out of them until they are smooth. It could not be easier! It takes a little bit of time to work the mixture, but I promise you will get a great texture with a little bit of patience. Once you get the hang of it, you can add any kind of herbs and spices to get the desired flavor.

Dairy Free Cashew Dip

Makes: About 1 cup
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups Raw Cashews - soaked in water overnight.
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs water
2 1/2 tsp. dill
1 1/2 tsp. beau monde seasoning (Spice Island Brand makes this)
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Soak the cashews in water overnight - drain excess water before using.

2. Combine all ingredients in a high powered blender

3. Blend until smooth. You will have to work at this, being sure to scrape down the sides and making sure everything is smooth. If the mixture seems too thick add a small amount of water and keep blending. (It should be about as thick as hummus)

4. ENJOY!

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, by Sarah Catherine

In chocolate, cookie

"Free" Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hi There! Remember me? It's been some time.... we got engaged...and married! Life has been quite busy, but now that things have slowed down and I am back in the kitchen making my HUSBAND some tasty treats.

One of my dear friends just found out that her sweet baby has some very serious allergies, and that means that momma bird needs to avoid those foods as well. We are entering into the holiday season, and nothing is worse than going to a holiday get together to find a delicious spread of treats that you can not touch. It is seriously depressing. I promise that these gluten free, dairy free, egg free and nut free cookies are good enough for EVERYONE to enjoy.

As you may know from past postings, I am pretty confident in my chocolate chip cookie making, which is why I used these as my first experiment. I was a little intimidated having to make them free of so many things, but the food world is a wonderful place these days and a few key items made this recipe a success.

Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour - this is my best friend for GF baked goods.

Bobs Red Mill Golden Flaxseed Meal - 1 TBS of this plus 2.5TBS water = 1 egg

These little gems are free of pretty much everything!

A perfect butter alternative! .

Once I had my ingredients I followed my recipe as usual. The dough came together just as it always does, and tasted pretty amazing, so my hopes were high. Just look at this gorgeous batter.

It took about 10 minutes for the cookies to turn golden brown, and they did spread quite a bit. If you like the look of them when they come out of the oven just leave them as is, or if you are OCD like me.....take your spatula to nudge them back into perfect little rounds. You must do this quickly right when they come out of the oven before they have time to set up.

Try to wait for them to cool before gobbling them up! I promise it is worth the 5 minute wait! Let me know if you have questions or comments after making these!

Enjoy!

FREE Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes: 5 dozen
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups Bobs Red Mill 1 for 1 GF Flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup Earth Balance "Buttery Sticks" (2 sticks)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tbs Golden Flaxseed Meal + 5 TBS HOT water (mix and let sit 10 minutes)
2 cups Enjoy Life chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

2. Combine Flaxseed meal and hot water. Mix and let sit 10 minutes.

3. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.

4. In a separate bowl using a hand mixer, beat "buttery sticks", granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla with the hand mixer until creamy.

5. Add Flaxseed mixture, leaving about 1 tsp out - discard this extra bit.

6. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips.

7. Using a tablespoon, form round balls of dough, and place onto un-greased baking sheet. (Be sure to use a washed and cooled sheet for each batch)

8. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until JUST golden brown. If the cookies have spread, use the back of your spatula to form them back into perfect little cookies, just give them a little nudge back into place.

9. Let cool a few moments on the cookie sheet before transferring them to the cooling rack.

10. ENJOY!

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, by Sarah Catherine

In chocolate, dessert

Dark Chocolate Buckwheat Cake

My favorite holiday is coming, and it is all about sweets and treats! So, I had to start thinking of things that you all could make for your special Valentines. I think that this holiday should be celebrated all year long, but I go a little crazy with the pink, hearts, treats and glitter from about mid January to February 14th. Valentine's Day is on a Tuesday this year, and who doesn't love a good reason to have dessert on a weekday.....

The main ingredient to this cake is buckwheat flour, and I think that people are on the fence as to if this is a grain or not. It is absolutely gluten free, despite the word wheat in it's name.... When I consulted Google, it said that it comes from a "grain-like" seed....hmmmm grain or seed?!? I am going to focus on the word seed, and call it a day. However, I will only mark this as a "guten-free" treat to be safe.

A few notes on buckwheat flour before we get to the recipe below. I learned the hard way that there are two kinds of buckwheat flour. Light Buckwheat Flour and Whole Grain Buckwheat Flour. YOU WANT LIGHT! The whole grain version is the entire seed ground into flour, and it has tiny black specs in it that will turn your entire batter black! I was making a lovely carrot tart one day, and as I mixed my wet ingredients into the buckwheat flour....it turned black. Had it been Halloween time, this would have been funny. The taste does not change, it is simply an aesthetic For this recipe that would be OK, but for anything that you want to turn out light in color avoid the whole grain version.

On to the cake.....

I should call this the Oprah cake, because...... IT. IS. RICH! Crispy edges and a gooey middle give it a similar texture to brownies, but I would be shocked if you could eat more than a sliver of this at a time. I thought that for sure when I tasted it that Brendan was going to hate it.....this is some serious chocolate flavor. However, he exclaimed it was delicious, and has been sneaking bites of it every time he passes through the kitchen. With his approval....I give you The Oprah Cake! (Let's just call it that now, ok?)

Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Buckwheat Cake

Makes: 1 Round Cake
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 Cup + 2 TBS Buckwheat Flour

1 Cup coconut sugar

1/2 Cup Dark Cocoa Powder

2 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup grass-fed butter, melted

1 tsp Vanilla

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350*

2. Grease your round cake pan, and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom.

3. Whisk together the dry ingredients.

4. Add in the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir until you have a thick batter. (It will be too thick to use a whisk at this point)

5. Pour the batter into the cake pan, and spread it evenly with your spatula.

6. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. The edges should be crispy and the middle should be soft like a brownie.

7. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, and turn onto cooling rack to finish cooling.

8. Top with berries or fresh whipped cream.

9. Enjoy!

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, by Sarah Catherine

In chocolate, cookies

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

For THREE years I have not had a homemade chocolate chip cookie! And as a member of the List family, this is unheard of! If you know the List family at all, then you have probably had my mothers chocolate chip cookies! The truth is, only she and I can make them.....we try to teach it to others, but for some reason everyone else's cookies turn out different. The best part about this is....it's just the Nestle recipe with a few minor changes!

The other day Brendan said.....I think you should give me the recipe and see if I can make them.... But I told him to be fair, I had not made them gluten free before, so I needed to make a batch to ensure they turned out correct. It would only be fair. So Friday night, I subbed out the flour and crossed my fingers for success....and just like the good old days, the perfect cookie came out of the oven!

I've tests out all brands of 1 for 1 flour, and Bob's Red Mill 1 for 1 is by far the best out there! Use this in any recipe for almost guaranteed success! Make sure to get the blue bag as shown below....the red bag has chick pea flour in it and tastes like metal.....YUCK!

I've put my minor changes in the recipe below, so I HOPE you will have success! I want to know if you make these and how they turn out, so post a comment or a photo for me to see!

Good Luck Bakers!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes: 5 dozen
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups Bobs Red Mill 1 for 1 GF Flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla with the hand mixer until creamy.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. To get the 1/2 egg, beat it in a separate bowl and pour half into the batter.

5. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips.

6. Using a tablespoon, form round balls of dough, and place onto un-greased baking sheet. (Be sure to use a washed and cooled sheet for each batch)

7. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until JUST golden brown. If the cookies have spread, use the back of your spatula to form them back into perfect little cookies, just give them a little nudge back into place.

8. Let cool a few moments on the cookie sheet before transferring them to the cooling rack.

9. ENJOY!

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, by Sarah Catherine

In almond flour, bacon

Bacon Cheddar Waffles

What a week! We had a 4 day work week, but getting back into the swing of things felt like it was the longest week ever. Plus I had car trouble....UGH. Let's hope that when I get my car back on Monday that will be the end of the drama.

Since I have no car, Brendan has been my chauffeur for most of the week. I absolutely hate driving, so it's not the worst thing for me....but I need my freedom to go to Target without supervision. :)

After making the more classic waffles with syrup last weekend, I was dreaming up something a little more savory for this week....and behold, the bacon cheddar waffles were born. If you do not eat cheese, just leave it out - they will still be delicious! Add a little hot sauce on top for an extra kick, and I am sure you will be satisfied with this savory brunch.

Again, you can half the recipe, but they freeze great and that saves time during the workweek when you need breakfast fast!

Just look at how delicious that is.....

Go on....get your waffle on!

Bacon Cheddar Waffles
Makes: About 3 large waffles (12 triangles)
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
6 egg yolks
6 egg whites
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 Cups Almond Flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

2 TBS maple syrup

6 pieces of thick cut bacon
1/2 Cup shredded sharp cheddar Cheese
Eggs for frying

Directions

1. Chop your bacon into bite sized pieces and cook until crisp. Blot the grease and set aside.

2. Preheat your waffle iron.

3. Separate the eggs, and begin whisking the egg whites in the mixer until they form stiff peaks.

4. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and coconut milk together, then slowly whisk in the almond flour, salt and pepper.

5. Fold about 1/2 the egg whites into the batter to start, and once they are incorporated fold in the maple syrup.

6. Fold in the other half of the egg whites, being sure to keep the fluffy texture.

7. Fold in the cheese and bacon - leaving a small amount of bacon out to sprinkle on top.

8. Pour the manufacturer's suggested amount of batter into your waffle maker - I used about 3/4c.

9. While the waffle is baking, fry an egg to place on top of each waffle serving.

10. Top the waffles with an egg and sprinkle the remaining bacon on top for a crunch. And add a dash of hot sauce if that's your thing!

11. Enjoy!

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, by Sarah Catherine

In almond flour, breakfast

Almond Flour Waffles

Happy New Year! Maybe next year I will be more organized and I won't vanish from posting for 2 weeks during my time off.

It feels like we blinked and Christmas came and went....way too fast. We spent time in New York with Brendan's family, had my college bff's over for our yearly celebration, had my family over for a late Christmas celebration, did some reorganizing and rang in the new year with our two sweet pups. This was our FOURTH new years eve together! It's hard to believe how quickly the time has gone.

Now it's back to the real world tomorrow.....so I thought this morning would be the perfect time to use my new waffle iron! I see lots of waffle meals in my future....sweet, savory, breakfast, brunch and dinner....get ready!

When you are changing you eating to gluten or grain free you CRAVE anything that will taste normal and have the right texture. We had many failed attempts at pancakes and waffles....but I think that you could fool anyone with this recipe! The whipped egg whites give these waffles the light inside with the perfect crust.

This recipe made about 12 triangles, so you can cut the recipe in half or freeze the extras for a morning when you need a quick breakfast!

Almond Flour Waffles
Makes: About 3 large waffles
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
6 egg yolks
6 egg whites
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 Cups Almond Flour
1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp maple syrup

2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

2 Tbs coconut oil or butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat your waffle iron.

2. Separate your eggs, begin whisking your egg whites in the mixer until they form stiff peaks.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and coconut milk together, and then slowly whisk in the almond flour and salt, then the melted coconut oil

4. Fold about 1/2 the egg whites into the batter to start, and once they are incorporated fold the vanilla, maple syrup and cinnamon.

5. Fold in the other half of the egg whites, being sure to keep the fluffy texture.

6. Pour the manufacturers suggested amount of batter into your waffle maker - I used about 3/4c.

7. Enjoy!

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, by Sarah Catherine

In Christmas, dairy free

Honey Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

Well, it seems that winter has finally arrived. Last weekend I felt like I was living in a cozy little snow globe with all of the snow that we got. Rather than shoveling, I decided that it would be a good idea to make marshmallows and make a wonderful winter drink!

I've made marshmallows in the past, but they used corn syrup and powder sugar (which also has corn in it), and while they were delicious....I just could not bring myself to make those this year. But yes....I did put that corn syrup filled candy cane into my drink ;-) Ya win some....ya loose some.

Making these is not hard at all, but they key is to have a good candy thermometer to make sure you will get the correct consistency. Brendan was not believing that the syrupy mixture would some how fluff up into a marshmallow, but within 10 minutes of whipping - magic! Be sure to work quickly when spreading the mixture into your pan, because they will start to firm up as soon as you stop the mixer.

It's going to snow again this weekend, so grab these ingredients and make them for a perfect snow day treat!

Honey Vanilla Bean Marshmallows
Makes: About 25 squares
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1/2 cup water
3 Tbs grass fed gelatin
1/2 cup water
1 cup plus 2 Tbs local honey
1 vanilla bean
Candy Thermometer

Directions

1. First prepare the pan. Line it with parchment paper for easy removal and rub a little butter onto the paper.
- I used an 8x8 square to make THICK marshmallows. If you want to cut out shapes with a cookie cutter (aka to make snowflakes) I would spread them into a thinner layer using a larger pan.

2. Pour 1/2 cup water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and sprinkle gelatin over top. Set aside to gel.

3. In a saucepan set over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup water and honey. While stirring constantly, bring it to a low boil and cook until the mixture reaches 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.

4. Turn on the mixer to slowly whip the water and gelatin. Then with mixer on low, scrape the vanilla beans into the bowl and pour hot honey mixture into it.

5. Turn mixer up to high and beat for 10 minutes. The marshmallow will turn white and fluffy, and the bowl will feel cool to the touch.

6. Quickly pour the fluff into the pan and with smooth the top with your spatula. Transfer to the prepared pan and smooth out the top.

7. Let set 15 minutes and then remove from pan and slice into desired shapes.

8. Enjoy!

0Comments

, by Sarah Catherine

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Dairy Free Cashew Dill Dip

"Free" Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dark Chocolate Buckwheat Cake

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bacon Cheddar Waffles

Almond Flour Waffles

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Dairy Free Cashew Dill Dip

"Free" Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dark Chocolate Buckwheat Cake

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Honey Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

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