Bob’s Red Mill | FreshNess

Chocolate Pear Muffins

by ness | Jan 15, 2012 | Breakfast, Cakes & Cupcakes

I propose that ‘high coffee’ be the new ‘high tea.’ On new year’s day, my parents treated my hubby, sister, and me to a lovely high tea. Full of delightful pastries, finger sammies, and fancy teas, it was a luxurious and decadent way to ring in the new year. Honestly, I was slightly hungover and as much as I love tea, I could have really used a huge cup of coffee to help perk me up. That’s when D proposed that ‘high coffee’ should be a thing. And I couldn’t agree more.

So we decided to host a ‘High Coffee’ at our place for some good friends and put out a massive spread. I admit I went a little overboard. The great thing about hosting a high coffee/tea/brunch is that you can totally do a combo of store-bought and homemade treats and keep it low effort/cost and stress-free. It’s generally more relaxing to have brunch at home where instead of trying to flag down a waiter for coffee refills, you can just keep the caffeine and mimosas flowing. And at our place, we always serve mimosas for brunch. Why? Because brunch is great and all, but mimosas make it a better brunch.

Also, if my guests are gluten-eaters, I tend to do more gluten-y items than gluten-free. I just adapt whatever I’m serving to suit my own dietary restrictions. So I just made gluten versions of the chive cream cheese/cucumber/chicken open-face sammies by swapping the bread for a gluten-free rice tortilla. Same for the smoked salmon cream cheese Montreal bagel. Also, swapped cream cheese for dairy-free Tofutti version. Easy pea-sy dairy-free cream cheese-y.

I also try to get as much of the prep done the day before. So, plan plan plan. Prep the veggies, condiments, fruit platters, set the table, and have a list of what you need to do the day of. This makes it a breeze to put together and allows you the time and energy to actually relax and enjoy the fruits of your labour. These muffins were baked a day ahead and so were the mini potato crusted quiches we served. So next time you’re thinking of hosting a brunch, try delightful finger sammies, and sweet bite-sized treats. And try these tasty chocolate pear muffins that are healthy and will help minimize the chances of getting a muffin top.

‘High Coffee’ spread. Did I mention this is for only 4 people? I say ‘Let them eat cake (and muffins)!’

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Chocolate Pear Muffins

These muffins were baked a day ahead and so were the mini potato crusted quiches we served. So next time you're thinking of hosting a brunch, try delightful finger sammies, and sweet bite-sized treats. And try these tasty chocolate pear muffins that are healthy and will help minimize the chances of getting a muffin top.

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: Bob's Red Mill, chocolate, coconut, corn-free, cupcakes, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, muffin, nut-free, soy-free, yeast-free

Servings: 12 muffins

Author: ness

INGREDIENTS

2 cups bob’s red mill GF all purpose baking flour
2 teaspoons baking powder (aluminum free)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tsp xanthum gum
1 tsp salt
½ cup coconut oil (melted or canola oil)
2/3 cup agave nectar
2/3 cup unsweetened soy or rice milk
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup canned pears cut into 1/2” cubes
½ dark cup chocolate chips (gluten free, vegan)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthum gum, and salt. Add the oil, agave, milk, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and stir until batter is smooth. Add the pears and chocolate chunks and stir to combine.
Pour 1/3 cup batter into each muffin tin cup. Bake on the center rack for 22 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. The muffins are done when a wooden toothpick or skewer inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean.
Let muffins stand for 15 minutes in the pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Adapted from BabyCakes by Erin McKenna

Chocolate Crinkles

by ness | Dec 20, 2011 | Cookies & Bars, Desserts

I love the holidays. For the first time in a long while, I’ve been home for the holidays and fully able to enjoy the prep – baking, gift wrapping, decorating, and entertaining. We got a tree (fake), centerpieces (leftover wedding + dollar store), cool wrapping paper (silver + black), and most of the gifts are done. I even snuck in a week in Punta Cana for my cousin’s wedding last week. And now, it’s time to bake Chocolate Crinkles – a truffle-y rich cookie to put under the tree for Santa.

Before going gluten free, I used to make these amazing chewy chocolate cookies by the talented Anna Olsen. I loved her show ‘Sugar’ on the Food Network and remember loving the dreamy white set. She made it look so simple and even though it’s a few extra steps than say my Neiman Marcus cookies, they’re so decadent that it’s worth it. There is only 1/2 a cup of flour in the original recipe which I swapped out for a GF combo of Bob’s GF All Purpose Flour mix, coconut flour and xanthum gum.

To make this recipe mostly dairy-free, I swapped the butter for heart-healthy coconut oil. Chopping the chocolate helps it melt quickly over the double boiler. A double boiler is just a heatproof bowl set over a pot with about a 1″ or so of lightly simmering water. The steam from the water heats the bowl, melting the chocolate delicately. It’s important not to let the water touch the bottom of the bowl or the chocolate will get weird and nasty.

Once the chocolate is melted, remove from heat and let it cool down. Next up is prepping the egg mixture. A stand mixer is great but if you don’t have one, no worries. A hand mixer will work great and burn a few extra calories too. Just keep whipping until the egg mixture is pale and thick.

After you have the egg mixture ready, it’s time to add in the melted chocolate. Whisk in together until fully incorporated. I love the swirly pattern – so pretty.

Next up it’s time to add in the dry ingredients. Mix together the dry ingredients with a whisk and add into the chocolate egg mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for 4 hours. I know I know, it’s a lifetime to wait for cookies. I’m all for instant gratification, especially after all that melting and stirring (and dirty dishes) so I cheat and wait 2 hours, bake up about a dozen, and put the rest of the batter back in the fridge to fully chill.

These cookies are pretty rich so I like to keep them fairly small and dainty so I use a melon baller to scoop out the chilled dough. Roll into balls and then gently roll in some icing sugar and voila, they are ready to bake.

This makes a pretty big batch of cookies (especially if you make little ones) so it’s perfect for your cookie plate or gifting. I know it seems like a lot of steps, and truthfully, it is. So give yourself enough time, make sure your ingredients are all sorted out, and blast those Christmas carols and give it a go. They’re a real treat whether you’re gluten-free or not since you can’t even tell they’re GF. These crinkles are so rich they’re naughty and so gluten-free they’re nice.

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Chocolate Crinkles

This makes a pretty big batch of cookies (especially if you make little ones) so it's perfect for your cookie plate or gifting. I know it seems like a lot of steps, and truthfully, it is. So give yourself enough time, make sure your ingredients are all sorted out, and blast those Christmas carols and give it a go. They're a real treat whether you're gluten-free or not since you can't even tell they're GF. These crinkles are so rich they're naughty and so gluten-free they're nice.

Course: Dessert

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword: Bob's Red Mill, chocolate, cookies & bars, corn-free, eggs, gluten-free, soy-free, yeast-free

Servings: 36 large or 60 small cookies

Author: ness

INGREDIENTS

½ cup coconut oil
10 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (chopped)
4 eggs (room temperature (preferably organic))
1 ½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
¼ cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
¼ cup coconut flour
1 Tbsp arrowroot flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp xanthum gum
¼ tsp salt
6 ounces white chocolate (chopped)
2/3 to 1 cup icing sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Over a pot of filled with 1" to 2" of simmering water, place a heat-proof bowl (metal or glass) and add coconut oil. Stir until melted halfway and add chopped chocolate. Stir until just melted and remove from heat. Set aside.
Whip eggs with sugar, vanilla and espresso powder with hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment, until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine GF flour, coconut flour, arrowroot flour, baking powder, xanthum gum, and salt.
Whisk melted chocolate into egg mixture until incorporated. Whisk in flour mixture and stir in white chocolate chunks. Cover batter with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours before baking.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Spoon cookie dough with a melon baller or teaspoon and gently roll to shape into a ball. Roll cookie in icing sugar and place on a parchment paper (or silpat) lined or greased cookie sheet, leaving 2" of space between cookies. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. To test doneness, lift a cookie off the tray – if it comes off cleanly, then cookies are done.
Storing: Cool cookies before storing. Cookies will keep up to 1 week at room temperature in airtight container. Batter also freezes well.

Adapted from Anna Olsen's Chocolate Crinkle recipe.

Apple Crumble

by ness | Dec 1, 2011 | Breakfast, Desserts, Fruits

So the holidays are here. It’s official – Movember is over, holiday party invites are streaming in, and tis the season for baked goodies, egg nog, and shopping until you drop. Many of us are hosting parties and attending potlucks (or like me, doing both this weekend), and finding a dessert that everyone can eat can be a challenge. I’m gluten-free and mostly dairy/egg-free and I have friends who have nut/sesame allergies. So what dessert do you make to delight everyone’s taste buds that’s actually satisfying? It’s this gluten-free vegan apple crumble. I made this a few weeks ago for a friend’s dinner party and it was described as ‘Christmas in a bowl’. How sweet is that?

The ingredients for the crumble are pretty basic and are usually in my pantry – Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free oats, vegan butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, brown sugar, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. The apples are usually ones I bought in a big bag and forgot to eat during the week, either Gala, Granny Smith or Honey Crisp. And lemon is optional.

After peeling the apples, you just slice them into 1/4″ slices. This helps them cook evenly and faster. What’s great about apple crumble is you can make a huge one like this for a crowd or a smaller one (halve the recipe in an 8″x8″ baking dish). Leftovers are awesome on hot oatmeal for breakfast (love desserts for brekkie).

The topping for this crumble is so easy – just a mix of oats, GF flour, vegan butter, and brown sugar. Just mash crumble it up with your fingers all together until the butter is the size of peas and spread over the apple mixture. Then it’s ready to bake. To make ahead, I prepare the crumble until this point, cover it, and put it in the fridge until I’m ready to bake it. That way you get the warm apple pie smells wafting through the house while it’s baking.

And don’t forget some dairy-free vanilla ice cream – my fave is Purely Decadent Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk ice cream. Made from coconut milk, it’s got a unique flavour that is amazing that everyone, no matter what their food sensitivities are, will love.

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Apple Crumble (gluten/nut-free, vegan)

So what dessert do you make to delight everyone's taste buds that's actually satisfying? It's this gluten-free vegan apple crumble. I made this a few weeks ago for a friend's dinner party and it was described as 'Christmas in a bowl'. How sweet is that?

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: apples, Bob's Red Mill, butter, coconut, dairy-free, egg-free, fruits, gluten-free, nut-free, yeast-free

Servings: 8

Author: ness

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

9”x13” baking dish

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs apples (peeled and cored and thinly sliced)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Canola oil or vegan butter for greasing the pan

Topping:

½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
3/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats
6 Tbsp packed brown sugar
Pinch of salt
½ cup vegan butter (cut into small pieces (1 stick))

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and toss until apples are evenly coated. Grease the baking dish and pour ingredients into dish in an even layer.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar and salt and mix until combined. Add butter and using your fingers or a fork, work in the butter until they are pea-sized chunks.
Spread the topping evenly over the apple filling and bake for about 25 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and topping is golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Chip Cookies a la Neiman Marcus

by ness | Oct 7, 2011 | Breakfast, Cookies & Bars, Desserts

Some folks look for new ways to jazz up their Thanksgiving spreads, but personally, I’m a traditionalist. I like everything about Thanksgiving just as it is. In my family, this means the juiciest turkey on the planet, creamy mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy. Traditional right? But then there’s also chili chicken, biryani, shrimp balls, lasagna, BBQ pork, shrimp and veggie stir fry, duck, beef curry, bread, dumplings and salad. Not so typical, but in our Hakka household, we take the best of Indian, Chinese, and Canadian food and feast. These spreads are legendary and friends of the family often hope for an invite, or at the very least, some leftovers.

I’m also a traditionalist when it comes to chocolate chip cookies. Honestly, some gluten-free cookies can be really terrible. There are some packaged ones out there that are just disappointing (especially since they cost a fortune – like really? expensive cardboard? I’ll pass). I’ve also tried a few from bakeries, and while tasty, they’re nothing like the chocolate-y chewy Neiman Marcus cookie.

Do you know the urban legend of the Neiman Marcus cookie? Well you can ready about it here. Apparently it’s a myth which is why NM posts the recipe on their website, for free. It’s honestly the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever made (before I went GF) – moist, flavourful, and super simple to whip up. Tender and chewy. Traditional and tasty. Love NM.

During the holidays, I used to bake countless batches of these cookies and give them out as gifts. Since going GF, I thought I’d never have them again. Until now. I figured out a way to swap out the ingredients to create a healthy, ~~just as tasty~~ maybe even tastier version. Bye bye butter, hello coconut oil. Exit flour, enter quinoa flour. I also cut down the chocolate chips again so they hold together better.

The quinoa flour is great because it adds protein and a subtle nutty flavour (even though it’s nut free) – healthy enough for breakfast in my opinion. The coconut butter is great too both for flavour and for those who are dairy intolerant. They bake up so beautifully and fill the whole loft with a warm chocolate chip cookie aroma that is intoxicating. This gluten-free version of the NM cookie is definitely going to be a new tradition in my home. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

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CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES A LA NEIMAN MARCUS

During the holidays, I used to bake countless batches of these cookies and give them out as gifts. Since going GF, I thought I'd never have them again. Until now. I figured out a way to swap out the ingredients to create a healthy, just as tasty maybe even tastier version. Bye bye butter, hello coconut oil. Exit flour, enter quinoa flour. I also cut down the chocolate chips again so they hold together better.

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword: Bob's Red Mill, chocolate, coconut, cookies & bars, corn-free, gluten-free, quinoa, yeast-free

Servings: 24 cookies

Author: ness

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup coconut oil (at room temperature)
1 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup quinoa flour
3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp baking powder (aluminum free)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
1 cup dark chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, add oil and sugars and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 30 seconds.
Add egg and vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds.
In a separate bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder and whisk together until blended. Beat dry ingredients into wet ingredients slowly until combined, about 15 seconds. Stir in chocolate chips.
Using a 1 ounce scoop or 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto greased sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the top of the cookie with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. For a crisper cookie, bake for an extra 2 minutes.

Adapted from Neiman Marcus recipe

Peach and Blueberry Crumbles

by ness | Sep 19, 2011 | Desserts, Fruits

This past weekend was perfect for strolling through Evergreen Brick Works Farmer’s Market. An early start meant lots of parking and first pick of the goods. It was my first successful visit; my original failed attempt was due to the psychotic parking situation which had me vowing to get there before 11 to avoid the near fistfights in the parking lot. The covered market was full of amazing local/organic produce, awesome eats, a greenhouse, and a few artisan crafts.

It’s the first farmer’s market I’ve been to where there was a variety of gluten-free options from multiple vendors. My standout GF snacks were: a vegan chocolate cupcake and sweet potato beignets from LPK Culinary Groove , JKKitchen‘s organic fries with cilantro aioli, and Roasted Tomatillo Avocado Salsa and artisan corn tortilla chips by The Mad Mexican. Definitely a recommended Saturday morning excursion – thanks to StylinMommy for posting about Brickworks.

Besides the snacks, the trip also yielded a massive haul of produce including a boatload of Ontario peaches, baby eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes, GF focaccia with poppyseed & onion, sweet potatoes, kale, and fancy mushrooms. The peaches were by far the best score – about 2 dozen peaches for $8 – but what do you do with that many peaches? I peeled and sliced up a few and froze them for future use and will give some away.

These crumbles were a great way to chip away at three or four of them. I feel like fruit desserts are as healthy as a dessert can be while still satisfying your sweet tooth, especially if they are homemade, vegan, and gluten-free. This recipe is an adaptation of Ina Garten’s recipe in Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook. I have a signed copy of the book – I met Ina after standing in line for about 2 hours to get her autograph at Chapters. She is as lovely and likable in person as she is on her cooking show.

The easiest way to peel a bunch of peaches is to immerse them in boiling water for about 30 seconds and then immediately dunk them in cold water. After this, the peach skin peels off very quickly and easily. I remember when my mom would can peaches and skinned bushels of peaches so we would enjoy her canned peaches throughout the winter.

The gluten-free crumble is mainly a blend of brown and white sugar, Earth Balance’s Vegan Buttery Sticks, and Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour (all staples in my pantry/fridge). You can make this for your gluten-eating friends and they won’t be able to tell that it’s vegan and gluten-free. Also, this recipe can easily be multiplied for a crowd. It’s both a satisfying way to end a meal and say goodbye to summer as we head into fall.

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PEACH AND BLUEBERRY CRUMBLES

The gluten-free crumble is mainly a blend of brown and white sugar, Earth Balance's Vegan Buttery Sticks, and Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour (all staples in my pantry/fridge). You can make this for your gluten-eating friends and they won't be able to tell that it's vegan and gluten-free. Also, this recipe can easily be multiplied for a crowd. It's both a satisfying way to end a meal and say goodbye to summer as we head into fall.

Course: Dessert

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: barefoot contessa, berries, Bob's Red Mill, butter, corn-free, dairy-free, Earth Balance, egg-free, fruits, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, yeast-free

Servings: 4

Author: ness

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

Four 6 ounce ramekins (mine are from Crate and Barrel - for $2.50 a pop they're a steal)

INGREDIENTS

Fruit

1 lb peaches (about 3 or 4)
1 tsp grated lemon zest (preferably pesticide free)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
2/3 cup blueberries (I used wild blueberries frozen)

Topping

1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks (diced into cubes)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium pot of boiling water, dunk the peaches in for about 30 seconds. Remove and immediately dunk in a bowl of cold water and remove after 30 seconds. Peel the skin off (it should slide off in large pieces very easily). Cut into 1" wedges.
In a mixing bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and flour. Add the peaches to the mixture and stir to combine. Add the blueberries and let rest for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl for a stand mixer, combine the ingredients for the topping and using the paddle attachment, blend on low speed until mixture resembles small peas. Using a fork, break up any large pieces. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can use a pastry cutter instead.
Place the ramekins on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spoon the fruit mixture into the ramekins in an even layer. Spoon the crumble mixture on top of the fruit, one table at a time, until the fruit is evenly covered. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature, scoop of vanilla ice cream is optional.

Chocolate Pear Muffins

Chocolate Pear Muffins

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Chocolate Crinkles

Chocolate Crinkles

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Apple Crumble

Apple Crumble (gluten/nut-free, vegan)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

INGREDIENTS

Topping:

INSTRUCTIONS

Chocolate Chip Cookies a la Neiman Marcus

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES A LA NEIMAN MARCUS

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Peach and Blueberry Crumbles

PEACH AND BLUEBERRY CRUMBLES

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

INGREDIENTS

Fruit

Topping

INSTRUCTIONS

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