Gluten-Free Nutella Muffins

Soft, cakey and swirled with Nutella.  Even better they are gluten-free, sweetened with coconut palm sugar and can be dairy free to with just a few changes.

These are best served warm from the oven topped with a dollop of your fave vanilla ice cream (rice and coconut varieties are wonderful).   A decadent dessert!

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.  

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.

Gluten-Free Apricot Tea Squares

I rarely bake with apricots but I saw a gluten-free recipe that sounded amazing and one I had to test out asap.  In fact, I think this is the one and only apricot recipe on Lemon Drop to date.

These Apricot Tea Squares are simple to make, use wholesome ingredients and get this - contain NO SUGAR or sugar substitutes!  The apricots and natural sweetness of coconut is all you need. That, my friends, is a winner in my book.

The other great thing about these squares is the easy preparation. Everything comes together in minutes with your food processor then you simply press the dough into a prepared pan.

Gluten-Free Banana Muffins

I stumbled upon this gorgeous muffin recipe while surfing foodgawker the other day.  The photo lured me in and once I saw the ingredients list I was hooked.

Now, as is the norm for me, I switched things up a bit - adding some extra spices and going with my all-time fave Agave Nectar as sweetener.

These muffins are light, moist and taste just like banana bread.  Consider tossing in some mini dark chocolate chips or chopped walnuts too. They would make great additions to this yummy baked 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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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 !

Also seen here:

Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Cookies without the gluten? Absolutely? Do they taste good? They taste GREAT ! The secret is almond flour. It is a wonderful baking ingredient that takes gluten-free from so-so to superb! Add some dark chocolate cocoa powder and a slew of peanut butter chips and you have one rockin' cookie.

My son follows a gluten-free diet and I am always looking for new baking ideas. I love baking cupcakes - they are my specialty - but cookies are fun, easy and a wonderful way to spice up school lunches.

If peanuts are a no-no at your school the just replace the peanut butter chips for chocolate chips or butterscotch chips and you are in business.

I highly recommend you use a parchment lined baking sheet when baking these cookies. They slide off , don't stick and clean-up is a breeze.

Use top quality almond flour. Though Bob Red Mill's products are lovely, I find their almond flour too grainy. So try some other brands and see which one works for you. I have always used the JK Gourmet brand.


I used my KitchenAid stand mixer for this recipe but a bowl and whisk would work just as well. Just ensure the ingredients are blended well and no almond flour lumps can be seen.

So are you ready? Let's get to it !

RECIPE:
*adapted source recipe: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies, Joyful Abode

WHAT YOU NEED

5 tablespoons butter at room temperature
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/4 cup almond flour
1/8 teaspoons of baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons cocoa powder ( I use Cocoa Barry - Extra Brute)
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
LINE a baking sheet with parchment paper

IN MED BOWL, thoroughly whisk together first 4 ingredients
IN LARGE BOWL, combine remaining ingredients except chips. Whisk thoroughly
ADD wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk thoroughly until well blended
FOLD in peanut butter chips
DROP batter by teaspoonful onto baking sheet leaving 1/2 inch space between (these do not spread much at all)
BAKE 12 minutes
IMMEDIATELY remove cookies from pan using a stiff spatula and transfer to cooling rack
LET cool completely

ENJOY !


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Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cupcakes

Another fall recipe and expect many more! I love this time of the year and cannot get enough of fall baking. Spices abound!

What better way to welcome in this cooler season with Gingerbread Cupcakes? These are gluten-free and contain coconut flour vs a wheat-based flour. They are rich, super moist and spiced to perfection. I topped them with a vanilla bean buttercream but a cream cheese frosting would also be incredible.

For depth of flavor I added 1/4 cup of molasses to accompany the honey as a sweetener. It adds a dark spicy flavor so well loved in gingerbread.

These little cakes are perfect for back to school treats or to savor with a hot drink on a cool night. I will be making many more of these !

LET'S GET BAKING

RECIPE:
*altered source recipe for cupcakes only: Ginger Cupcakes, Gluten-Free Cupcakes, Elana Amsterdam

WHAT YOU NEED

CUPCAKES

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil (preferably grapeseed)
1/4 cup molasses (NOT black strap)
1/4 cup honey

FROSTING

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
3 tablespoons whipping cream

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
LINE 10 muffin cups with paper liners
IN LARGE BOWL, whisk together first 5 ingredients
IN MEDIUM BOWL, whisk together remaining wet ingredients
ADD wet ingredients to dry ingredients whisking briskly until fully combined
ADD 1/4 cup of batter to each muffin cup
BAKE 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
LET cool in pan 5 minutes then transfer cupcakes to cooling rack

MAKE FROSTING

IN BOWL OF STAND MIXER, fitted with paddle attachment
BEAT butter on high speed until light and fluffy
SLOWLY add in powdered sugar and once somewhat combined, mix on HIGH speed for 3 minutes
ADD cream and vanilla
MIX on high speed another 2-3 minutes
PIPE over cooled cupcakes

ENJOY !


Also seen here:

Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

Another fantastic gluten-free cupcake recipe that I wanted to share with all of you. This one is a blend of chocolate and banana. Sweetened with honey and rich with the flavor of dark chocolate cocoa powder. Then topped off with a smooth, creamy and decadent milk chocolate frosting.

I wanted to keep the icing style simple with these so I didn't bother piping the frosting onto the cooled cakes. Instead I simply spread it on with my small icing spatula. Initially, I considered topping them with sprinkles but thought banana chips would be a better idea. I love being able to look at a dessert and know by an "accessory" or decoration what truly rests within. Thank you, Ina Garten, for sharing my thoughts on this !

This cupcake recipe comes from Gluten-Free Cupcakes by Elana Amsterdam. I love this cookbook and have made many a recipe to date all with tremendous success. Even if you aren't sensitive to gluten you should pick up a copy. These delicious treats are worth baking. These taste amazing! These cupcakes are so moist and truly lovely in each and every way.

The frosting is my own concoction and one I use regularly. Feel free to swap out the milk chocolate for dark chocolate or white chocolate if you prefer. All those options also taste beyond fantastic !

During this baking experience I also had the pleasure to test out Reynolds new StayBrite cupcake liners which are said to be guaranteed not to lose their color as they bake. They did indeed keep their color and are amazing liners. The are stiff and hold their shape very well. The color too does not fade due to the foil interior. I will definitely buy these again.




So without further delay, let's get baking.

RECIPE:
*altered source recipe: Chocolate Banana Cupcakes, Gluten-Free Cupcakes by Elana Amsterdam

WHAT YOU NEED

CUPCAKES

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder, the darker and richer the better
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 large eggs
1/2 cup honey
1 cup mashed banana (2-3 medium very ripe bananas)

FROSTING

4 ounces milk chocolate
2/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/3 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
LINE 12 muffin cups with paper liners

IN LARGE BOWL, whisk together first 4 ingredients
IN SEPARATE BOWL, whisk together eggs and honey
FOLD wet ingredients into dry ingredients combining until fully blended
STIR in mashed banana
FILL each muffin cup with 1/4 cup of batter
BAKE 18-22 minute or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
LET cool in pan 5 minutes
TRANSFER cupcakes to cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting

MAKE FROSTING

IN SMALL DOUBLE BOILER, melt chocolate whisking continuously until smooth
REMOVE FROM HEAT and let come to room temperature
IN STAND MIXER fitted with paddle attachment, mix butter 2-3 minutes MED speed
ADD melted chocolate
BLEND until combined
ADD icing sugar and vanilla extract
BLEND slow speed 1 minute, scrape down sides and mix 3 minutes MED speed
SPREAD frosting onto cooled cupcakes
TOP with any decoration your little heart desires

ENJOY !

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