Peanut Butter "Breastcakes" with Chocolate Buttercream {vegan}

A friend of mine (a worthy opponent in the cake-off 2011) recently asked for my assistance in baking vegan cupcakes for the NYC Dyke March benefit bake sale. So in support of my friends and the March, we came up with these "breastcakes" or "peanutbuttery nipples" (the puns go on and on) to sell at the Punk Rock Dykes show last weekend at Public Assembly in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Though our original plan was to include various flavors and use fondant to make the "nipples" we came up with a much tastier (and less obvious) version of the cakes using melted chocolate piped into circles with a chocolate chip on top. Rumor has it, these tasted great, and I couldn't have had a better time baking them with a friend.

{recipe will be posted shortly}

S'mores Cupcakes {vegan}

Pardon the delay in the post; but it came to be that time of year where I go through the process of moving. Thankfully, I'm in a great new place in Brooklyn, this time, complete with countertops. At any rate, a few weeks ago, some friends and I developed a "cake-off" themed party. Battling for the title of best cupcake, complete with a chart for rating cakes based on both taste and appearance, some great contenders were brought to the table. The cupcakes shown above happen to be the winner, and I'm rather proud to say, even received a rating of 100 (even though the scale was from 1-10). Thanks to you who boosted my ego. :)

{VEGAN}

S'MORES CUPCAKES WITH VEGAN MARSHMALLOW BUTTERCREAM

RECIPE BASED ON S'MORES CUPCAKES FROM "VEGAN CUPCAKES TAKE OVER THE WORLD"

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. canola oil

2 tbsp. molasses

1/4 c. soy yogurt

1 1/4 c. soy milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

GANACHE

3 Tbsp. soy creamer

1/3 c. dark chocolate chips

VEGAN MARSHAMALLOW BUTTERCREAM

1/2 c. vegan margarine

1/2 c. vegan shortening

1 jar vegan marshmallow creme

1 c. confectioner's sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Mix the brown sugar, oil, molasses, yogurt, soy milk, and vanilla in a large bowl.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a separate bowl and mix. Add the graham cracker crumbs and mix it up. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in three batches, mixing well after each addition. Fill cupcake liners full. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before decorating.

Ganache: Simmer soy creamer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Set aside and cool for 10 minutes.

Buttercream: Beat margarine and shortening in mixer bowl on high speed until creamy. Beat in marshmallow creme. reduce speed and beat in confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Increase speed to high, beat until fluffy.

Assembly:

Spread a layer of chocolate ganache onto cooled cupcakes. Pipe top with buttercream. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs, cocoa, or chocolate shavings, or just garnish with a graham cracker piece and chocolate chunk.

Mexican Chocolate Brownies {Vegan+Gluten Free}

Vegan brownies have been a struggle for me. Making gluten-free brownies had never been a problem in the past, in fact, it was one of the easiest recipes I had ever translated. However, with the absence of eggs, my gluten-free/vegan brownies have always ended up too flat, too sticky, or too fluffy. Seven recipe developments later (and yes, I did strictly follow some vegan recipes, which failed to satisfy) I came up with the following recipe. Finally: the perfect blend of rich chocolate cakey-ness and fudginess.

{GLUTEN-FREE/VEGAN}

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

1/2 c. vegan stick margarine, melted

1-1/2 c. sugar

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 c. gluten-free flour (1/4 c. tapioca starch, 1/4 c. potato starch, 1/4 c. white rice flour)

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 c. extra firm silken tofu, blended until smooth in a food processor

2/3 c. quality cocoa powder (I use ghirardelli or scharffen berger)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. xanthan gum

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on your taste)

1/4 tsp. ancho chile powder

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 c. vegan chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease (or line with parchment paper) an 8 inch square baking pan.

Combine margarine, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Add tofu and beat well with a whisk. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, cayenne, chili powder, and cinnamon and gradually add to wet ingredients, mixing until well blended. Add chocolate chunks and mix until just combined. Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cool completely and enjoy!

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes {vegan+gluten free}

An "ugly sweater party" (though I might note, there were hardly any ugly sweaters present...) prompted the creation of these cupcakes. Simple, dark chocolate is blended with subtle notes of peppermint, all adorned with a cap of vegan vanilla-peppermint buttercream. The cake is fluffy and moist, balanced by a not-too-sweet frosting. These pleased both vegans (with rave reviews) and non-vegans alike. Irving Berlin may have been dreaming of a white Christmas, but I'm dreaming of a red, white, and chocolate Christmas. (That's right...I used a cheesy White Christmas reference. Rent it. Or buy it. And watch. It. And then make some cupcakes).

[insert recipe here] <----I'm too tired. I'll do this part tomorrow.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies {vegan/gluten-free}

Clearly I've been into making cookies lately. A sub-par attempt at vegan/gluten-free brownies led me to believe I should continue making cookies, this time to satiate some sort of chocolate craving I was having. I originally made these cookies (using oil instead of margarine for chewiness) in the ice cream sandwiches I made this past summer. They're just as good sans-ice cream filling and were received with great welcome by friends and coworkers alike.

{Vegan/Gluten-Free}

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

(Adapted from the Post Punk Kitchen)

3/4 cup vegan margarine (at room temperature)

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 tablespoon ground flax seed, plus 1 teaspoon ground flax seed

1/2 cup soymilk

2 cups gluten-free flour

1 tsp. xanthan gum

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups semisweet vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine the ground flax seed and soy milk in a small sauce pan. Whisk over medium heat until gently boiling. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking soda,

salt, and xanthan gum.

Cream the sugar and margarine using an electric mixer. Add the flax/soy milk mixture and mix well. Stir in the vanilla.

Slowly mix in the dry ingredients.

Mix in the chocolate chips. Roll dough into 1" balls and place on a cookie sheet prepared with a silpat or parchment papper. Flatten dough balls slightly with the palm of your hand.

Bake for 9-10 minutes. Let cool slightly, remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies Filled with Pistachio

Here are the other cookies I made with the leftover chocolate tart dough. I had an excess of shelled pistachios (I have no idea why) and I put those to good work in this delicious filling.

Dark Chocolate Cookies with Pistachio Filling

1 1⁄2 cups flour (make it gluten-free with a gf baking blend)

1⁄4 cup plus 1 tbsp. dutch-process unsweetened
cocoa powder
1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1⁄2 cup plus 2 tbsp. confectioners' sugar
2 egg yolks, preferably at room temperature
1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract

FOR THE CHOCOLATE TOPPING

4 oz. melted chocolate

pastry bag (or ziploc bag with tiny corner cut off)

FOR THE PISTACHIO FILLING

1/3 C. shelled unsalted pistachios, husks rubbed off

1 c. confectioner's sugar

6 tbsp. softened butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

Heat oven to 350˚. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until mixture is pale and fluffy; mix in yolks and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Separate the dough into three balls, and roll out between two sheets of parchment paper. Place on baking sheets. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Cut into 1.5"-2" rounds. Bake for 5-7 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies). Cool on a wire rack.

Make the filling: Combine pistachios and powdered sugar in food processor. Grind until a fine powder. Add the remaining ingredients to food processor and mix until well combined.

Assembled the cookies: Spread desired amount of filling on one cookie half, top with another. Place on baking sheet prepared with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining cookies. Melt chocolate in microwave and place in pastry bag. Drizzle over cookies. Place in refrigerator to set completely.

Dark Chocolate Cookies with Salted Caramel filling

Upon making a caramel tart with dark chocolate ganache finished with sea salt for a coworker's birthday, I suddenly found myself commissioned to make two more for another coworker. Because I only have 11-inch tart pans (as to why, well, I explain by saying "but these go to 11!") I had to make one and a half times each tart recipe. This required math skills, but perhaps contradictory to what people may think about me, I did my math correctly and the tarts turned out perfectly. Because I was making two 11 inch tarts, I had an excess of tart dough so I decided to put it to good use and bring in some cookies to the hovering coworkers, wishing they had access to the delicious tarts. I hear these ended up being delicious (I didn't make them gluten-free but I know they would work out well substituted with a gf flour blend). I also made pistachio filled cookies as well, since i soon ran out of caramel, but I'll put those in a separate entry.

Dark Chocolate Cookies with Salted Caramel Filling

1 1⁄2 cups flour (make it gluten-free with a gf baking blend)

1⁄4 cup plus 1 tbsp. dutch-process unsweetened
cocoa powder
1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1⁄2 cup plus 2 tbsp. confectioners' sugar
2 egg yolks, preferably at room temperature
1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract

FOR THE CARAMEL FILLING
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
3 tbsp. light corn syrup
1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. crème fraîche or full fat sour cream

FOR THE CHOCOLATE TOPPING

4 oz. melted chocolate

pastry bag (or ziploc bag with tiny corner cut off)

sea salt

Heat oven to 350˚. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until mixture is pale and fluffy; mix in yolks and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Separate the dough into three balls, and roll out between two sheets of parchment paper. Place on baking sheets. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Cut into 1.5"-2" rounds. Bake for 5-7 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies). Cool on a wire rack.

Make the caramel: Combine heavy cream and creme friache or sour cream in a small bowl. Set aside. Whisk the sugar and corn syrup with 6 Tbsp. of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes. Stir and boil hard for 5-6 more minutes until medium amber. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and heavy cream mixture. Let cool slightly.

Assemble the cookies: Spread desired amount of caramel on one cookie half. Place another cookie on top. Set on a baking sheet prepared with parchment paper. Repeat with all cookie halves. Melt chocolate in microwave and place in pastry bag. Drizzle over cookies. Let set slightly, and sprinkle with sea salt. Place in refrigerator to set completely.

Mint Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (Gluten-Free)

These sandwich cookies are like a mint oreo. But softer. And more chocolatey. And gluten-free. Oh, and did I mention chocolate dipped? (but only if you want to). Overall, they're just good. Damn good.

GLUTEN-FREE MINT CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIES

1 c. unsweetened Dutch Process cocoa powder (like hershey's special dark)

1/4 c. tapioca starch

1/8 c. sorghum flour

1/8 c. oat flour

2 tbs. potato starch

1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

MINT FILLING:

6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 c. confectioners' sugar

1-2 drops pure mint extract (or 1/4 tsp)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 drop green food coloring (or as desired for color)

GLAZE:

8 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Whisk together cocoa powder, flours, and xanthan gum in a bowl. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg until well blended. REduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Divide dough in half or thirds, and shape each half into a disk; roll out between two sheets of parchment paper and place on baking sheets. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Using a small round cookie cutter, cut out circles and place on baking sheet in preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. (you may re-roll scraps, if desired).

Filling:

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in flavorings. Use immediately.

Cool cookies on wire rack. When completely cooled, spread one cookie with mint filling. Press another cookie on top. If dipping in chocolate, heat chocolate in a double boiler and dip cookies in chocolate. place on waxed paper and refrigerate for a while.

Chocolate Dipped Homemade Marshmallows

2010 has proven to be a busy year thus far, hence the lack of recipe additions. That being said, it's not too late to add a few great holiday recipes to the blog. These chocolate covered homemade marshmallows were a hit at my New Years bash, and I'm pretty sure that (minus the crushed candy cane topping) they'd be equally delicious all year long.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS

based off of the french laundry cookbook recipe

3 envelopes of unflavored Knox gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cups corn syrup

1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Confectioners' sugar for dredging

CHOCOLATE TOPPING

12 oz. of quality dark chocolate

1 tbsp. shortening

In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Soak for 10 minutes.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil hard for 1 minute. Pour boiling syrup into gelatin and mix at high speed. Add the salt and beat for 12 minutes. Add vanilla and incorporate into mixture. Scrape into a 9 x 13 in pan lined with plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and spread evenly. (Note: Lightly oil hands and spatula) After pouring marshmallow mixture into the pan, take another piece of oiled plastic wrap and press mixture into the pan.

Let mixture sit overnight. Remove from pan and using a very sharp knife, cut marshmallow slab into squares. Dredge each piece of marshmallow in confectioners' sugar and shake off excess.

TOPPING:
Melt chocolate and shortening in double boiler or metal bowl place over (but not touching) a pot of boiling water. Using a skewer and/or fork, dip Marshmallows in chocolate making sure not to leave in too long (mallows will melt). Let excess chocolate drip off and place on waxed paper lined baking sheets. Top with crushed candy or sprinkles if desired and refrigerate briefly, until chocolate has hardened.

Gluten-Free S'mores

Over Labor Day Holiday, I spent some time in northern Michigan. I had been craving a s'more for quite some time, and there is no better place to eat a gooey-chocolatey-cookie combination than around a campfire beneath the stars (yes, you can see them there). Normally I would also make homemade marshmallows, but due to lack of time (and ingredients) sake, I had to forego that idea and use packaged mallows. I used high-quality dark chocolate (a 70% Uganda bar) which added a slightly more "sophisticated" taste to the traditional s'more. The grahams themselves taste very much like a regular graham cracker. Mine weren't very crispy but the thinner you roll the dough, the more crisp the grahams will be. Regardless of what marshmallows or chocolate you use, I ensure you will have a great tasting s'more.

GLUTEN-FREE GRAHAM CRACKERS FOR S'MORES

Originally published in "Living Without" magazine, summer 2007.

2 ¼ cups gluten-free flour mix (3/4c. tapioca starch, 1/2c. sorghum, 1/2c. potato starch, 1/4c.arrowroot starch, 1/4c. sweet rice flour, 1/4c. oat flour)
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 ¾ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons cold water
3 tablespoons honey or agave
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Mix together gluten-free flour mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt.
2. Using your fingertips, work butter into dry ingredients.
3. Stir in 3 tablespoons cold water, honey and vanilla. If dough is too dry, add a little more cold water, a teaspoon at a time.
4. Gather dough into a soft ball. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and line with parchment paper.
6. Cut two zip lock bags (gallon size) down each parallel side so that each opens out into one long sheet. Roll a piece of dough between the two sheets to about 1/8-inch thickness, depending on how thick you like your graham crackers. Cut into 2 x 3-inch pieces and prick lightly all over with a fork. Remove top zip lock sheet. Take remaining sheet with dough on it and turn it over. Lay it flat, rolled dough side down, onto prepared pan.
7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. If cookies spread and bake together, re-cut while still warm and loosen them. Let cookies cool slightly before transferring to cooling rack.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes

This past weekend, I was searching for a dessert recipe to take to my cousin for her birthday. The dessert had to travel well, seeing as I would be taking the bus to her house. I also knew I wanted to make something chocolatey, as she is my only other relative that loves chocolate almost as much as I do. I kept thinking of making brownies, but that just didn't seem right for a birthday. I decided I wanted to make cupcakes and for some reason all I could think of was this chocolate-avocado cupcake recipe I gave to my friend Leanne, who received rave reviews from co-workers when she made the cupcakes. I also came up with the idea of a peanut butter frosting because the original cupcakes called for a chocolate glaze and I don't get all that excited about most glazes on cupcakes. Out of my selfishness I also wanted to make the recipe gluten-free so I could try them. The result? The frosting was DELICIOUS. I'm not even much of a frosting person and I could have eaten the whole bowl of frosting. The cupcakes were dense and fudgy, more of a brownie texture than a cupcake, really. The chocolate chips were a great addition as well, adding even more chocolate flavor to the cupcakes.

GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE AVOCADO CUPCAKES WITH PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

1 1/2 c. all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (tapioca starch, potato starch, arrowroot starch, sweet rice flour, sorghum flour)

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1 avocado, pitted and peeled

1 c. agave nectar

3/4 c. non-fat milk or soy milk

1/3 c. canola oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c. gluten-free chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 f.

Prepare muffin tin with muffin papers.

Combine the first five ingredients with a whisk in a large bowl.

Set aside.

In a blender or food processor, puree the avocado, agave nectar, milk, oil and vanilla together until smooth.

Mix the puree with the dry ingredients. Add the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into a muffin tin prepared with muffin papers, bake about 25 minutes until done.

When cooled, frost with peanut butter frosting.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

4 oz (1/2 package) cream cheese, softened

1/2 stick unsalted butter (4tbsp), softened

2/3 c. smooth peanut butter (not natural/refrigerated kind)

2 1/2 c. confectioner's sugar (you may need 3 c.)

2-4 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar, mix slowly to combine, then beat in milk and vanilla on medium high until smooth. Add more powdered sugar if necessary, to your liking.