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.

Gingerbread Cupcakes {Vegan+Gluten Free}

The weather has turned, the sweaters have been donned, the halls have been decked: The holiday season is here. In honor of the season of giving, I only found it fitting to spend a bit of my time on Tuesday baking treats for my much-deserved office mates. Visions of gingerbread were dancing in my head as I thought about cupcakes and rich, creamy frosting. I had a vegan gingerbread cupcake recipe, but I didn't love the idea of a citrus frosting with which the author intended it to be paired with. The recipe was also far from being gluten-free. A bit of experimenting later, I came out with these moist yet fluffy cupcakes that were all but devoured by everyone in the office. A hit!

{Vegan+Gluten Free}

GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES WITH "EGGNOG" FROSTING

(Recipe adapted from Gingerbread Cupcakes in "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World")

CAKES:

1 1/4 c. Gluten-free flour (I used a combination of tapioca starch, corn starch, potato starch, white rice flour and Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Baking Blend)

3/4 tsp. xanthan gum

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/3 c. molasses

1/2 c. maple syrup

1/4 c. soy milk

2 tbsp. tofu sour cream

1 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

1/4 c. finely chopped crystallized ginger

FROSTING:

1/2 c. shortening

1/2 c. margarine

3 1/2 c. confectioner's sugar, sifted

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. cloves

1/4 tsp. nutmeg (try adding more spices if you deem necessary - I didn't really measure mine).

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 soy creamer

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.

Sift the flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt into a bowl.

Whisk the oil, molasses, maple syrup, soy milk, sour cream, and lemon zest in separate large bowl. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just smooth. Fold in the crystallized ginger.

Fill cupcake liners two thirds full. Bake 19-22 minutes, until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Prepare frosting:

Beat the shortening and margarine until fluffy. Add sugar and spices and beat for about three minutes. Add the vanilla and soy creamer and beat another 5-7 minutes until fluffy.

Garnished with slices of crystallized ginger, if desired.

Pumpkin Pie {Vegan + Gluten Free}

We had a Thanksgiving Potluck at Pearlfisher (the design studio for whom I work) today, at which my chosen dish-to-pass was dessert. In keeping with true American Thanksgiving spirit, I needed to make a pumpkin pie. (I also made an apple pie...which will be posted shortly). I wanted to make both pies gluten-free and vegan, while remaining appealing to the masses. I was pleased with the gluten-free pie crusts I had made in the past, however, I often wondered if they could be made more flaky and less crumbly/cookie like. Success was achieved with the recipe I will post when it's not an ungodly hour...

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.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes {vegan/gluten-free}

In due tribute to the fall season, I have turned a bit "pumpkin crazy". But honestly, I wait all year for the vegetable-that- is-rarely-eaten-as-a-true-vegetable to arrive and it would be a crying shame if I didn't take advantage of it. This recipe was developed on a rainy fall day as my mom was visiting me in New York (hence the flowers on the table - I got a bit fancy and placed wildflowers all over the apartment). As my mom slept peacefully, I was busy in the kitchen filling the apartment with the warm, spicy smell of these pancakes and the earthy scents of vegan maple-sage sausage (I can't give you this recipe because I didn't use one...but let me tell you, I don't like sausage very much and these impromptu patties were delicious). As my mom was learning about veganism (she's already had to learn plenty about my gluten-freeism) I felt like whatever I made better live up to any "normal" person's expectations. From her remarks (yes i know she's my mother but she isn't obligated to say nice things about my cooking) she could "eat vegan everyday if it tasted like this! (she) would never miss meat or anything!" And there you have it; my goal achieved.

{Vegan/Gluten-Free}

PUMPKIN SPICE PANCAKES

1 1/4 c. non-dairy milk (I used hemp milk because I had it, but normally I would use almond milk)

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

3/4 c. canned pumpkin puree

1/4 c. canola oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. sweet white rice flour

1/4 c. sorghum flour

1/2 c. oat flour

1/2 c. tapioca flour

1/4 c. potato starch

1/4 c. sugar

3/4 tsp. xanthan gum

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon*

1/2 tsp. ground ginger*

1/4 tsp. ground cloves*

1/4 tsp. ground allspice*

Pinch of salt

*(please note that all spices are an estimate as i didn't actually measure them....oops.)

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the first five (wet) ingredients. In another medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, ensuring they are equally distributed. Gently whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, breaking up any lumps. Let the batter stand for 3-5 minutes. If the batter seems too thick, add a bit more almond milk until it is to your desired consistency; just be aware that over-mixing can mean a slightly tougher pancake.

Preheat griddle or skillet on medium heat. Spray pan with non-stick cooking oil.

Using a 1/4 c. measuring cup, pour batter onto the hot griddle (you will likely have to spread them out a bit with the back of the measuring cup). When bubbles are on the surface of the cakes, flip and cook a bit longer, until bottom is golden (avoid frequent flipping as over flipping pancakes also makes a tougher cake). Be patient, vegan and gluten-free pancakes take longer than normal pancakes to cook.

Serve with REAL maple syrup and enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Tea Cakes {vegan/gluten-free}

Get these cookies away from me. I have eaten so many of these that I'm not sure when I'll be able to make them again. That being said, they are delicious. They aren't quite a cookie, so I've started calling them "tea cakes" which I'm not sure is an appropriate name, but hey, I'll run with it. As the name "tea cakes" implies, they are very cakey and soft, instead of crisp or chewy like most cookies. The flavor is akin to a good pumpkin bread and, dare I be this cheesey?; harkens the fall. That's right, it's officially fall. Now go make some tea cakes.

{Vegan/Gluten-free}

PUMPKIN SPICE TEA CAKES

2 1/2 c. gluten-free baking blend (I used a mixture of tapioca starch, potato starch, sorghum flour, white rice flour, oat flour, and garfava flour).

1 tsp. xanthan gum

1 tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. all spice

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

A pinch of salt

1/2 c. Earth Balance, melted

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/4 c. canned pumpkin

1 tbsp Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 2 Tbsp water

1 tsp Vanilla extract

FROSTING

1/4 c. Earth Balance, Softened

1/4 C. Tofutti Cream Cheese, softened

2 c. confectioners sugar, sifted

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients

In a large bowl, mix together the wet ingredients.

Add the dry mixture to the wet, being careful not to overmix.

Drop scoops of dough on prepared baking sheets using a rounded scoop. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned. Cool completely.

Beat together Earth Balance and Tofutti cream cheese until combined. Add the sifted confectioner's sugar slowly until smooth. Frost tops of cooled cookies and sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.