Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are not just gluten-free - they are also egg and dairy free too. Perfect for someone with allergies but not willing to compromise on taste.

These are chewy, sweet and filled with mini chocolate chips. These puff up during baking and take on a lovely golden brown color. As they cool the cookies settle and become more flat in nature. The texture is super moist but won't fall apart when you are indulging in them.  

Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

This is a fantastic cake based on Dorie Greenspan's recipe for Classic Banana Bundt Cake.  It is reminiscent of banana bread but has a finer crumb. Perfect to serve for dessert topped with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream!

I love the flavor of banana and chocolate so adjusted the recipe and added dark chocolate chips. I am also a huge fan of spices when bananas are the main player in a recipe so cinnamon and nutmeg were a must for me.  The flavors all work together incredibly well and result in an exceptionally delicious cake. Lastly, I wasn't keen on adding the required 2 cups of sugar to this recipe so exchanged it for coconut sugar.  Great results!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cream Pie

I love pudding but when you put that velvety heaven in a bed of crunchy graham crackers crumbs - well let's just say the word "nirvana" comes to mind.

Your first bite is like a texture and flavor explosion!  The crunch and sweet taste of buttery and cinnamon spiced graham crackers....then the smooth richness of a delectable chocolate cream.  My, oh my.  Take it a step further and top it with a cloud of lightly sweetened whipped cream.  Yes, folks - we have a winner.

Double Chocolate Buns

Are these muffins?  Nope.  Cupcakes?  Nope.  These are in fact what the British refer to as a chocolate "buns".  They are a cross between a cupcake and a muffin. They have a somewhat cake-like consistency, though not nearly as sweet yet are definitely richer than a muffin.  They are also frosting-free.  These are wonderful eaten plain and without any fuss needed at all.

They are named Double Chocolate Buns because of 2 types of chocolate in the batter:  Dark Cocoa Powder and White Chocolate Chips (the latter not really being a chocolate at all).

You can make these all in one bowl and you don't even need your mixer as long as you have some decent upper body strength to blend the butter and sugar.  Everything else gets folded in and blended just until combined then baked up for 20 minutes.

These rise up beautifully and your house will be infused with the smell of chocolate. They are tender, moist and hard to resist.  My daughter inhaled 2 while they were still warm.

Chocolate Shortbread

I love shortbread - plain, lemon, cut into bars or triangles.  I love the crumbly dry texture and the heavy scent and taste of butter.
I get a great thrill out of dipping mine into a cup of hot tea.

I cannot recall the last time I made shortbread.  I am like a lot of you and buy the cookies all packaged up in those sweet, red boxes at the local grocery store.  You know the brand - Walkers. Boxes of Walkers shortbread fill this house at Christmas. Yum, Yum, Yum.

But here we are slowly moving into spring and not a Walkers box to be found in my pantry.  What's a girl to do?  This type of situation is one of the main reasons why I love to bake.  When I really want something, when the craving takes over so bad I can taste it, I know that any sweet treat I truly desire is one I can whip up myself in my own kitchen if I choose to do so. How great is that? What a liberating feeling!

And a few days ago I did just that and created a darn good, if I do say so myself, chocolate shortbread.  Yes, these are exactly the kind that melt in your mouth.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

This is my first post as a proud new member of The Secret Recipe Club.  This month I am sharing with you a recipe from The Daily Dishes Recipes site for Simple Chocolate Chip Cookies.

You know me, I love easy to make recipes when running short on time and this one was quick and simple to prepare.  Plus anything with chocolate is a winner in my books.  This recipe gets an A+ !

Everything begins in the bowl of your stand mixer.  First you combine the dry ingredients (except cocoa) then gradually add in wet until finally mixing in the crowning glory - 1/2 cup of heavenly cocoa powder. That's it - cookie dough is done!  No sifting, no multitude of mixing bowls...nada.  Just one bowl, a few key ingredients and you are good to go.

Devil Food Cupcakes

Wishing you all a wonderful day filled with pink hearts, red roses, dark chocolate and LOVE!  Valentine's Day would not be the same without a sweet treat and cupcakes are a great way to celebrate the day.  These cupcakes are rich devil's food topped with a creamy, buttery frosting tinted pink for the occasion.  I piped on a rose design but swirls would look great too.

The cupcake crumb is light, fluffy and  simply of divine - nothing dense or dry about these guys. The rich frosting is the perfect topper and super simple to make:  just butter, powdered sugar, some cream,  vanilla extract and voila - an amazing frosting!  Tint it with some red or pink gel until you have the color you want.  Initially I was thinking a deep red for these but when I saw the pink color I fell in love.

Black Chocolate Party Cake

A short and super sweet post that is a MUST read with a MUST bake recipe link!  This all boils down to chocolate and my love of it.  Dark, bittersweet, milk..I'll take it.  I particularly love chocolate in the form of rich cocoa powder - the darker, the better in my opinion.  What better way to use my fave Valrhona cocoa powder than in a Rose Levy Beranbaum recipe for Black Chocolate Party Cake.

I have been a proud owner of Rose's Heavenly Cakes cookbook for quite a while now and have tested and loved many a recipe within those gorgeous bound pages.

I have eyed up her Black Chocolate Party Cake for quite a long time too but never got around to making it.  I think the fact that the batter contained walnuts that you need to first toast , remove the skins and then grind was the deterrent.  But then, as if my magic/destiny/fate, I stumbled upon an adapted recipe on Technicolor Kitchen and the rest, as they say, is history.

Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcakes

Nearly everyone I know, young and old, loves brownies. Dense, rich and fudgie are the words that come to mind when I think of sinking my teeth in a decadent chocolate brownie. Nothing beats a good brownie.

I have made plenty of brownies in my lifetime from milk chocolate to dark chocolate; ones filled with nuts, caramel, even swirled with cream cheese but I have never made peppermint ones or have I made them in the shape of a beloved cupcake.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Donuts

These are truly incredible. Gluten-free, low carb and delicious! Little did I know that today was also National Peanut Butter Day in the USA so this recipe also has perfect timing.

My daughter is a chocolate and peanut butter fanatic. My son is on a gluten-free diet and I try to follow a low carb eating plan so these are truly a miracle for all of us wrapped up in one sweet and tasty treat.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies

Finally, an amazing gluten-free brownie recipe that comes together in one bowl, no mixer required, and has only a few key ingredients! No need to mash up black beans or add baby food prunes to this recipe. No weird blend of various gluten-free flours either and that means no funky aftertaste. This recipe uses almond flour as its base and then a few other ingredients we all have in our pantry. If you have a really good quality dark cocoa powder then have that handy; the better the cocoa powder, the better the brownie - guaranteed!

Now be forewarned, the batter is really thick. In fact when I was mixing it I kept checking the source recipe to ensure I didn't omit any liquids by mistake but I didn't. Then I read the little note in the recipe that said "batter will be thick". They weren't joking. First you need to really stir the batter well to get everything incorporated. I just kept folding with a rubber spatula and that worked very well. Then you need to be careful when you add the batter to the prepared pan. It is hard to move it around once added because it is very sticky so I recommend dolloping scoopfuls evenly throughout the pan then smooth it all over on top with buttered fingertips.

These bake up in 40 minutes and you need to be careful not to overbake or they will get very crusty on the edges and dry out in the insides. Once a knife inserted in the center comes out relatively clean then they are done. Also, don't let them rest in the pan long because you want to stop the baking process once they are out of the oven. Just lift them out gently by holding onto the sides of the parchment paper and place them on a cooling rack. My last tip for you is this - don't cut them (or any brownie for that matter) until they are cool. The reason behind this is that cutting a brownie while warm and then letting it come to room temperature will result in very dry sides rather than that dense gooey texture we love in a brownie.

So if you are ready, let's get baking!

RECIPE:
* adapted source recipe: Guilt-Free Brownies, Chatelaine Magazine

WHAT YOU NEED

8" square baking pan lined with parchment paper so there is 2-3 inch overhang of paper on all 4 sides

2 1/2 cups icing (powdered) sugar
2 cups almond flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder - I used Valrhona
1/8 tsp salt
4 egg whites
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
IN LARGE BOWL, whisk together first 4 ingredients
ADD egg whites and vanilla extract
FOLD well to combine all ingredients
DOLLOP batter evenly into prepared pan and smooth top
BAKE 40 minutes
REMOVE from oven and immediately remove brownies; transfer to cooling rack
LET cool completely before cutting into bars

ENJOY !


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Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Mud Pie

Rich, chocolatey goodness all wrapped up in a mud pie. What could be better? Well make the crust gluten-free and you have a top notch dessert that even someone with gluten intolerance can thoroughly enjoy.

Last week a lovely cookbook arrived in the post. One, to be honest, I had forgotten I had pre-ordered. I was grinning like the Cheshire cat when I opened the parcel and found this beauty of a book waiting for me!



This cookbook is absolutely gorgeous! It is jam packed with fantastic recipes, baking tips and stunning photos. For example:


But the recipe that caught my immediate attention was Mud Pie. Does it have chocolate in it? Uh, ya, LOTS of dark chocolate. A crazy amount in fact. The chocolate is melted with butter and then mixed with eggs and two kinds of brown sugar. The filling is then simply poured into a cookie crumb crust and baked to perfection for 50 minutes.

Which brings me to the crust. The original recipe called for chocolate digestive biscuits. I wanted to make this pie totally gluten-free so I was initially a tad stumped until I remembered the box of GF chocolate animal crackers in the pantry. I simply swapped out the digestive biscuits for the same weight in crackers. I used my trusty little food processor to grind them up to a fine texture them simply combined them with melted butter and pressed the crust into the springform pan. I was worried the gluten-free crackers wouldn't hold up during baking time or worse, fall apart when it was pie cutting time. I obviously had no reason to fear either because the pie turned out perfectly. If you want to use regular cookies though then just measure out 250 grams of chocolate biscuits or Oreo cookie crumbs. Grind whole biscuits to a fine texture.

I used this brand of GF cookies and they were wonderful.
I will definitely use these again in any crust requiring a cookie crumb base.

You can serve a slice of this pie plain but it is also lovely topped with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce.

The family LOVED it and I can guarantee this is now on our list of fave desserts.

Are you ready? You will need your kitchen scale handy because all ingredients are weighed, not measured. Let's get baking !

RECIPE:
*adapted source recipe: Mud Pie, The Great British Bake Off, How To Bake The Perfect Victoria Sponge and Other Baking Secrets

WHAT YOU NEED

BASE
250 grams dark chocolate biscuits
50 grams unsalted butter, melted

FILLING
200 grams 70% dark chocolate, chopped
200 grams unsalted butter, cubed
4 large eggs at room temperature
100 grams light brown sugar
100 grams dark brown sugar
200 grams heavy cream (35%+ fat) - measure cream and leave out at room temperature for 1 hr before making the filling

MAKE IT

GREASE a 9" SPRINGFORM pan with cooking spray
PREHEAT oven to 350F

IN FOOD PROCESSOR, grind biscuits to a fine consistency
IN MEDIUM BOWL, stir together biscuits and melted butter
WITH FINGERS, press the biscuit mixture into the pan creating a crust - cover the bottom and 1/2 way up the sides with crust mixture
IN A DOUBLE BOILER, gently melt chocolate and butter . Stir to combine and set aside to cool
IN BOWL OF STAND MIXER, fitted with whisk attachment, beat eggs on high speed for 2-3 minutes or until frothy
ADD in sugars and continue beating on high speed for 5 minutes. The mixture will take on a thick mousse-like consistency
ADD cooled chocolate mixture and heavy cream
WHISK just until combined
POUR filling into crust
BAKE on middle rack of oven for 50 minutes
REMOVE pie and place tin on cooling rack
LET pie cool for 5 minutes then run a knife around the outside of the crust to help prevent breakage later on when removing from pan
LET cool completely
UNCLIP pan and gently release sides from pie

DIG IN !

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Chocolate Butterscotch Halloween Cupcakes

I know - it's still September but I think it is time for some Halloween treats, don't you? Besides, there is meaning to my madness in posting these lovelies even though Halloween is a little over a month away. That is because giveaway time is fast approaching. Stay tuned to see my post this coming Saturday for a Halloween themed giveaway here at Lemon Drop!

In addition to my desire to make Halloween inspired treats and the upcoming giveaway, it is also Wednesday in our household and Wednesday is dessert night. It is not just any normal dessert night either but gluten-free dessert night. My son is on a gluten free diet . Why? Well he definitely has food sensitivities to wheat. No question about it. Plus, he is autistic and a gluten-free diet (dairy too but that doesn't seem to be an issue for him) is high up on the list of strategies many use to help manage the disorder. Honestly, I am still on the fence with the latter but it can't hurt! As a result, all of my baked goodies that he enjoys must be gluten-free.

His favorite type of dessert? You guessed it : Cupcakes! And that is why I am here today posting my recipe for Chocolate Butterscotch Cupcakes. Ok, it is not really my recipe but rather an adapted one by Elana Amsterdam. Her recipe was for triple chocolate cakes of sheer delight. I swapped out the dark and white chocolate additions for butterscotch. I also made a few more changes to the base recipe as I went along. My frosting is my beloved buttercream recipe but this time it is tinted brightly with orange icing gel. Then topped off with Halloween sprinkles !

If you like the sprinkles then be sure to pick up Wilton's new Halloween Test Tube Sprinkles pack.


For the liners I once again tested out Reynold's new StayBrite liners and again, true to their word, they stayed bright and vibrant.

I frosted these with a 1M Wilton Swirl tip but feel free to use any tip you want. The french tip is also quite nice.

No almond flour in these this time around. Instead the dry base is a mixture of coconut flour, deep dark cocoa powder, some salt and baking soda. The sweetness comes from honey and the moisture comes from 3 eggs (and yes, the honey too of course). Some people worry that the flavor of coconut will come through. Trust me it doesn't. Plus a little bit of coconut flour goes a long way. This type of flour is very "thirsty" so you only need a small amount. This recipe only calls for 1/4 cup and believe me, that is all you need.

These are rich and luscious. The recipe only makes 9 cupcakes so if you want more then go ahead and double up the ingredients.

Don't worry about the batter being runny. It will bake up nice and fluffy. Just fill the cups 3/4 full with batter and bake away.

So without further delay, let's get baking !




RECIPE:
*adapted source recipe for cupcakes only: Triple Chocolate Cupcakes, Gluten-Free Cupcakes by Elana Amsterdam

WHAT YOU NEED

CUPCAKES

1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, that darker the better
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
3 eggs
1/2 cup honey (or agave nectar)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/3 cup butterscotch chips

FROSTING

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons whipping cream
orange coloring gel

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
LINE 9 muffin cups with liners

IN LARGE BOWL, whisk together first 4 ingredients
IN MEDIUM BOWL, thoroughly whisk together honey and eggs
ADD WET INGREDIENTS TO DRY INGREDIENTS and whisk well until fully blended
FOLD in chocolate chips
DIVIDE batter between muffin cups filling each one 3/4 full
BAKE 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

MAKE FROSTING

IN BOWL OF STAND MIXER FITTED WITH PADDLE. beat butter on HIGH speed for 2 minutes
ADD sifted sugar and continue beating until it starts to come together
ADD vanilla and cream
BEAT on HIGH speed for 5 minutes
ADD a little bit of coloring at a time, combining after each addition, until desired color is reached
PIPE frosting onto cooled cupcakes
TOP with spinkles

ENJOY !

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