Chocolate Cupcakes: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, vegan

Halloween cupcakes, beautifully decorated for Halloween by my children.

I am a huge fan of Bob's Redmill products. Their website offers a ton of recipes to choose from. Many address food sensitivity and food allergy issues. I still find that I have to make my own personal alterations. This post is a great example of that.

My mom loves to have fun with our kids for Halloween. She was so sweet and planned to do cupcake decorating with our kids during our one of our October Sunday dinners. She wanted to be sure to make them so they accomidated my kids, my Dad, and myself, so she asked me for a recipe. I pointed her to the Bob's Redmill site for ideas. She found this gluten free chocolate cake recipe that I link to here that is gluten free.

Here's how I used it as a base and change it into a recipe for gluten free, dairy free, and egg free chocolate cupcakes. This is a great example of how you can make a few subsitutions to accomidate your specific needs.

Chocolate Cupcakes: gluten free, dairy free, egg free

Makes 12 cupcakes.

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Ingredients

1-1/2 cup Bob's Redmill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour

1 cup Organic Evaporated Cane Sugar

1/2 cup Cocoa powder, unsweetened

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Flax Meal

3/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 cup vanilla So Delicious Coconut Milk or other dairy free milk

1/3 cup Earth Balance

3 tbsp apple sauce plus 1 tsp baking powder mixed

1 tsp. Vanilla

3/4 cup warm brewed Coffee or decaf chai tea (this brings out the chocolate flavor)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepared cupcake tins with cupcake papers.

Place all ingredients, except coffee, in large bowl and blend with wisk or your favorite mixer. I use my Vitamix and so does my Mom.

Add coffee and mix until thoroughly blended.

Pour batter into cupcake papers in cupcake tins and bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean.

White Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients

2 - 4 cups powdered sugar

2 tbsp clear vanilla extract (using clear keeps your frosting white. Regular vanilla extract will turn your frosting a bit off white)

1/4 - 1/2 cup Earth Balance (sticks or spread works)

Directions

Mix the above ingredients in you favorite mixer. I use the Kitchenaid for this with the paddle attachment.

Be sure your cake or cupcakes have cooled before frosting them. Spread over your cupcakes or scoop into a plastic zip bag with the end cut, or your favorite piping bag and pipe onto your cupcakes.

Mummy faces created with white frosting and orange and black cake decorating gel.

My son made his own version of a cupcake ghost.

Here are some gluten free, dairy free, egg free mummy cupcakes. My mom got this idea by searching for images of "mummy cupcakes" on-line. There are several interpretations. This is what we came up with.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pancakes: gluten free, dairy free, egg free

We carve pumpkins for Halloween and we eat pumpkin for Thanksgiving. I actually like to make as much as possible with pumpkin, even Pumpkin Pancakes! They are tasty, healthy, and super easy to make. They are the perfect breakfast during Halloween, Thanksgiving, or anytime! This recipe is super similar to my Banana Flax Pancakes but with pumpkin and some cinnamon instead. I also add a little extra sweetness since pumpkin is not as sweet as banana.

Pumpkin Pancakes:

gluten free, dairy free and egg free

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Ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tbsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. flax meal
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups So Delicious Coconut Milk
2 tsp. lemon juice

2 tbsp honey (or organic sugar for vegan)

1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 cups Bob's Redmill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
(optional: Earth Balance for pan or for on pancakes.)

See my post on Banana Flax Pancakes for detailed pictures of the pancakes cooking.

Directions:
Measure and pour ingredients in order listed above, from wet to dry in your blender and blend until smooth. You may need to blend some as you go with a regular blender. I personally use a Vitamix. Once it's blended, you can put the batter in the fridge to chill or just set it on the counter while you heat up your frying pan to medium heat.

I put a little Earth Balance, about a 1/2 tsp. in the bottom of your non-stick pan for the first pancake. Once it bubbles, you know the pan is hot enough to start cooking your pancakes.

Pour 1/4 cup of batter in the non-stick pan per pancake. Wait until you see bubbles form before you flip the pancake with a spatula. If bubbles don't form, your pan isn't hot enough.

Cook on the other side until cooked though. You will get a feel for the timing after your first pancake.
WARNING: The first pancake is usually your tester to see if your pan is hot enough or to hot.

Serve immediately or refrigerate even freeze to eat later. Top with your favorite pancake toppings, syrup, jam, chocolate. I like 100% maple syrup. I've been known to use the pancakes to make a sandwich with Sunbutter and honey to pack in our kids lunch boxes.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Muffins: vegan, gluten free, dairy free, egg free

As I was baking up some pumpkin muffins for the kids today I was realizing how  my baking has changed over this past year. I used to be into mixing various types of gluten free flours to see what the results would be. I soon realized that that was intimidating to my BFF and others who were new to this style of baking. When you are first starting out cooking and baking this way, you need the recipes to be simple and the ingredients easy for you to find. There are a lot of gluten free all purpose flours on the market today. I really like Bob's Redmill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour mix and you can find it just about everywhere these days. I get it at QFC, Albertsons, PCC, and Whole Foods. I recently ordered a case of it from Amazon.com. I also use flax meal, which is fantastic for you, and rarely use xanthan gum and Energ Egg Replacer. Flax meal and fruit or veggie puree can replace an egg and hold your baked goods together. These pumpkin muffins are a great example. I wanted to make a simpler version of my pumpkin muffin recipe from last year.

Pumpkin Muffins: gluten free and vegan

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By Kendra Hubbell

Ingredients:

1/4 cup canola oil (or other favorite oil)

4 tbsp flax meal mixed with 6 tbsp warm-hot water

15 oz pureed pumpkin

1 ¼ cup organic sugar

2/3 cup coconut milk (or apple juice)

1 tbsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1tsp salt

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ginger

2 ½ Bob’s Redmill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour

Directions:

Add wet ingredients in Vitamix, (or blender or mixer of your choice) followed by the dry ingredients and blend well.

If you don’t have a mixer, you can mix the wet ingredients in a bowl with a whisk. Add all dry ingredients in another bowl and stir to combine. Then combine the wet with the dry and mix well.

Put ¼ cup of the batter into muffin tins that have been sprayed with your favorite gluten free vegan cooking spray or muffin and cupcake papers.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12 – 15 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Shallot Sage White Bean Soup

 I love making soup. Most of the time I just take a look at my food inventory and something evolves from there. White beans pureed are a great way to get a creamy soup without actual cream. Think of them as a cream subsitution that provides lots of protien and vitamins. You can make a fully blended soup with them or only blend part and leave the rest whole as I did here. Honestly one of my children were asking me to blend it and the other asked to keep it whole. I proposed that we do half and half and they went with it and so did I.  Here's what it looks like both ways.

Shallot Sage White Bean Soup

By: Kendra Hubbell

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion

1 large shallot bulb

4 carrots

1 leek

Sage bunch or 1 tbsp ground sage

½ - 1 tsp tarragon

½-1 cup white wine

White pepper and salt to taste

1 lb soaked white beans

1 box organic chicken or veggie broth

Directions:

Put olive oil in a medium to large soup pot.

Chop the onion and shallots and cook on medium to high heat.

Chop your carrots and leek and add them to your pot and cook until tender.

Add chopped or ground sage, tarragon, and white wine.

Add 1 lb. of white beans that have been rinsed and soaked in water in the refrigerator overnight.

Add the chicken broth and cook until it boils.

Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

At this point you can choose if you want to keep the soup whole or blend it in your blender or Vitamix. My family requested a half and half approach. Carefully scoop a portion of the soup; I did about 2 cups, into your blender and blend until smooth. Transfer the blended soup back to your soup pot and stir. This leaves part of your soup whole and some blended for a creamy yet chunky soup. If you decide to blend all the soup simply repeat the blending process, transferring your soup to another container, until all the soup is blended.

Serve immediately topped with grated pecorino Romano.

Refrigerate any leftovers for 2 days then freeze or freeze immediately.

You can serve it with some bread (gluten free or other) and pecorino romano (sheeps cheese).

Banana Flax Pancakes: NO gluten, cow's milk, egg, soy or nuts

I LOVE Pancakes and so does the rest of my family. I make them on the weekends, when we don't have the usual morning rush. Banana makes these tasty and really takes over the role that eggs usually play in traditional pancakes. The flax meal is so good for you.  Flax seed meal has high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids as well as protein, dietary fiber and lignans. Studies show that flax meal may help in the fight cancer, lower cholesterol, and improve digestive health

I came up with this recipe attempting to make more pancakes so I could freeze them to eat during the week. The funny thing is, they all end up gone no matter how many I make. I'm going to just have to make two batches and get the second out of sight and in the freezer before the little hands in my household can get to them.

 

Banana Flax Pancakes: NO gluten, cow's milk, egg, soy or nuts

Makes 16 pancakes (1/4 pour of batter).

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Ingredients:

1 banana (or 1 cup of a fruit or veggie puree.)

1 tbsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. flax meal

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 cups So Delicious Coconut Milk

2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

2 1/2 cups Bob's Redmill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour

(optional: Earth Balance for pan or for on pancakes.)

Directions:

Measure and pour ingredients in order listed above, from wet to dry in your blender and blend until smooth. You may need to blend some as you go with a regular blender. I am using a Vitamix here.

 

Once it's blended, you can put the batter in the fridge to chill or just set it on the counter while you heat up your frying pan to medium heat.

Here is what the batter will look like.

I put a little Earth Balance, about a 1/2 tsp. in the bottom of your non-stick pan for the first pancake. Once it bubbles, you know the pan is hot enough to start cooking your pancakes.

Pour 1/4 cup of batter in the non-stick pan per pancake. Wait until you see bubbles form before you flip the pancake with a spatula. If bubbles don't form, your pan isn't hot enough.

This is what your pancakes should look like when you flip them over. Cook on the other side until cooked though. You will get a feel for the timing after your first pancake.

WARNING: The first pancake is usually your tester to see if your pan is hot enough or to hot.

Serve immediately or refrigerate even freeze to eat later. Top with your favorite pancake toppings, syrup, jam, chocolate. I like 100% maple syrup. I've been known to use the pancakes to make a sandwich with Sunbutter and honey to pack in our kids lunch boxes.

Enjoy!

Pomegranate Banana Chocolate Cupcakes and Pomegranate Blueberry Frosting: NO gluten, dairy, egg, soy or nuts

Each year I look forward to our Playgroup Summer Potluck, where we celebrate each year since having our first children. Our Playgroup was introduced at the hospital and nearly nine years later, we are still friends. It's fun to see the kids playing together, remembering when they were tiny babies.

I signed up to bring the cupcakes. I swung open the fridge and was instantly inspired by the cute little bottle of POM Pomegranate Blueberry juice, the ripe bananas waiting patiently in my fruit bowl, and a Bob's Redmill Chocolate Cake Gluten Free recipe. I made my own modifications and a brand new cupcake emerged. 

   

Pomegranate Banana Chocolate Cupcakes with  Pomegranate Blueberry Frosting:

NO gluten, dairy, egg, soy or nuts

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Makes 12 cupcakes (Recipe can be doubled.)

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour

1/2 cup Cocoa Powder, unsweetened (I used Chatfields All Natural Cocoa Powder)

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Xanthan Gum

3/4 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:

1 banana, pureed with 1 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup Spectrum Canola Oil (emulsified by blending in the Vitamix)

1 cup Organic Evaporated Cane Juice Sugar (You can also use brown sugar or other sweetener in same amount.) I get mine at Costco.

1/2 cup So Delicious Coconut Milk

1 tbsp. vanilla

1/4 cup POM Pomegranate Blueberry juice.

3 tbsp. coffee (to enhance the chocolate flavor) or 3 more tbsp. POM juice.

Optional: Marshmallow Fluff can be used for the inside of the cupcakes if you and your guests can tollerate egg whites.  You can also get rice whip by searching on Amazon.com.

(WARNING: Including Marshmallow Fluff will make your cupcakes contain chicken eggs.)

Directions:

Puree (by hand or in a blender or mixer) 1 medium to large size banana with 1 tsp baking powder and set aside in your refrigerator.

In Kitchenaid or other mixing bowl add oil, sugar and mix on high speed until combined and the oil is emulsified.

Add to the mixer, the banana puree mixture, So Delicious Coconut Milk, vanilla, and POM juice. Add coffee or additional tablespoons of POM if desired.

In a seperate bowl combine your dry ingredients with a whisk.

Add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients a bit at a time until well combined.

Fill a cupcake pan with cupcake papers.

Scoop 1/4 of batter into each cupcake paper.

Bake at 350 for approximately 15 - 18 minutes, or until a tootpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean. Cooking time will depend on your oven so watch closely.

Remove cupcakes immediately from baking pan and allow to cool on a cooking rack.

Optional: (Marshmallow Fluff contains egg whites.): Once cupcakes have cooled completely, fill a sandwich bag with Marshmallow Fluff, cut the tip of one of the corners, poke a hole in the center of the cupcake with a gloved finger, and fill each hole with the Marshmallow Fluff. Frost the top of the cupcakes with Pomegranate Blueberry Frosting, recipe follows.

Pomegranate Blueberry Frosting: gluten, dairy, egg, and soy free

4 cups - up to 2 lbs/32 oz bag of Powdered Sugar

2 tbsp - up to 4 tbsp Earth Balance Soy Free

2 ounces - up to 4 ounces POM Pomegranate Blueberry juice.

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp creme of tartar

Directions:

In your mixer bowl first add your Earth Balance Soy Free, vanilla, and powdered sugar and mix until combined.

Add your POM juice until you've obtained your desired consistency.

If the texture is too liquidy, add more powdered sugar.

Decorate Cupcakes with India Tree Natural Decorating Sugar (I found it on-line and at Whole Foods Markets).

I used a spreader to spread the frosting on, so I didn't pipe on too much, and then gently dipped and turned each cupcake in a bowl filled with India Tree Natural Decorating Sugar.

You can see the technique I used for frosting and decorating the cupcakes in a previous post by clicking here. 

Copyright 2011 Kendra Hubbell Best Friend Food Project

S'mores: No Gluten, No Dairy, No Nuts

 

Ah, check out that gooey marshmallow, melting chocolate, and crispy cookie. It can only mean that it's time for S'mores! The traditional campfire treat of roasted marshmallow and chocolate sandwiched between two pieces of graham cracker is usually off limits for people dealing with food sensitivities or food allergies. Don't let that get in your way, just get creative. Below is a solution that I came up with. If you find yourself going to a BBQ elsewhere, you can bring along your own chocolate and cookies to go with the marshmallows.

We recently moved out of our home and our family's farewell ceremony consisted of roasting marshmallows in the fire pit that my husband built years ago. The kids really wanted to make S'mores but I wasn't about to make allergy friendly graham crackers in the middle of moving. I found Mary's Gone Crackers Ginger Snaps at the grocery store.

 

I also got our favorite vegan Theo's Chocolate. They are Organic, Fair Trade, and have several bars that are vegan, wheat free and nut free, depending on your needs.



I bought regular old Jet Puff marshmallows at the grocery store. Remember to check the ingredients list when buying your own marshmallows.

S'mores: No Gluten, No Dairy, No Nuts

A favorite summertime treat!

 

Ingredients:

Mary's Gone Crackers Ginger Snaps

Theo's Chocolate Bar, Vegan

Marshmallows

a stick

a camp fire, gas or charcoal grill, or even a microwave

Directions:

First have a responsible adult start a controlled fire in a fire pit or grill.

Set out your cookies and your pieces of chocolate so they are ready for you when your marshmallow is done cooking. We like to set the cookies with piece of chocolate next to the fire so the chocolate can begin to melt.

Find a long stick and put a marshmallow on the end of it. Be sure the stick is long enough for you to safely hold the marshmallow over the fire.

If the marshmallow catches on fire, don't freak out. Calmly blow it out or have an adult blow it out. If that doesn't work, just stick the marshmallow in the fire, let it burn and just get a new marshmallow.

When your marshmallow is cooked to your liking place the marshmallow between two Mary's Gone Crackers Ginger Cookies and a piece of Theo's Chocolate.

Enjoy the melted marshmallow goodness with family and friends!

If you are really feeling adventurous, you can make your own marshmallows.

Check out Alton Brown's recipe on the Food Network website.

You could even make your own allergy friendly graham crackers.

Check out my Alton Brown Inspired Graham Crackers: No Gluten, No Dairy, No Eggs, No Soy.

Enjoy!