Chocolate Honey Cake

I've been feeling the pull for the past few weeks of chocolate cake.  There is a gluten-free, vegan chocolate cake which I have made many times (my friends know it well), but for two reasons, I've been dreaming of a new cake.  I've become bored with making the old stand-by and the old stand-by recipe has xanthum gum, which try to stay away from these days.  So, I've been keeping my eye out for something new to try...

I started with Nigella Lawson's recipe for Honey Bee Cake which I converted to gluten-free and veganized.  It is by no means health food - there is a great deal of sugar and fat.  But, it would be a lovely cake for a special occasion.  Its a dense, very rich, almost gooey cake with a beautiful chocolate taste and the floral notes of honey in the background.  I didn't want to change everything about her recipe the first time out, and I'm sure I'll be making this again and plan to try it with less fat and much less sugar, (I found it extremely sweet for my taste - although I'm sure some folks will like it super sweet).  I'd also like to try it with another liquid sweetener, such as maple syrup, which is wonderful with chocolate. 

And, this is an incredible easy cake to put together, especially in the food processor.

Nigella and her kids of use marzipan to make little bees, decorated with the chocolate glaze and sliced almonds - I suppose if one has kids about, this might be fun, I skipped it.

Cake:

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

4 tablespoons ground golden flaxmeal

6 tablespoons coconut milk

1 1/3 cups soft light brown sugar

2 sticks earth balance buttery stick (room temperature) 

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup sweet sorghum flour

1/2 cup brown rice flour (ground superfine is best)

3/4 cup arrowroot flour (or tapioca flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt 

1 tablespoon cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup boiling water

Sticky Honey Glaze:

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup honey

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and oil and line the bottom (with parchment paper) a 9-inch springform pan.  Also, because the batter is quiet liquid, I wrapped the pan with foil very tightly (although my pan did not leak at all).  Also, place the springform pan on a sheet tray (if there is some leakage, you don't want it all over your oven).

Combine ground flax meal and coconut milk and allow to sit for a few minutes (this is the substitute for 2 eggs).

Combine all dry ingredients: (sweet sorghum flour, brown rice flour, arrowroot flour, baking poweder and soda, salt, and cocoa)  and whisk until combined. 

In a food processor, beat together softened earth balance sticks and brown sugar until creamy, then add the honey and process another few seconds.  Add half of the flaxmeal & coconut milk mixture and about 1/2 of the dry ingredients.  Add remaining flaxmeal & coconut milk mixture and remaining dry ingredients.  Add the cocoa pushed through a tea strainer to ensure you have no lumps, and add vanilla and the boiling water. Mix everything well to make a smooth batter and pour into the prepared tin.

(don't have a food processor?  Do the same as above in a large bowl with a hand held mixer)

Cook for up to 1 1/2 hours, though check the cake after 45 minutes and if it is getting too dark, cover the top lightly with aluminium foil and keep checking every 15 minutes.  Let the cake cool completely in the tin on a rack.

To make the glaze, bring the water and honey to a simmer in a saucepan, then turn off the heat and add the finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate, swirling it around to melt in the hot liquid. Leave it for a few minutes, then whisk together. Add the powdered sugar through a sieve and whisk again until smooth.

Choose your plate or stand, and cut out 4 strips of parchment paper and form a square outline on the plate. This is so that when you sit the cake on and ice it, the icing will not run out all over the plate. Unclip the springform pan and set the thoroughly cooled cake on the prepared plate. Pour the glaze over the cold cake; be sure a good deal of the glaze dribbles down the sides. The glaze takes awhile to harden, so give it least an hour before you plan on serving it.

Notes:

- this cake rose beautifully in the oven, but then fell a bit in the middle (this is common occurrence with gluten-free baked things) - it didn't bother me at all.

- this recipe would make a beautiful cupcakes and there would not be the issue of the middle falling.
- I found the addition of the glaze over the top for me.  Next time, I will try the cake (or cupcakes) with just a dusting of powdered sugar.  And, because the cake is so deeply chocolaty, I'd like to try it with raspberries or raspberry jam - now that's something I could get excited about.

Blackberry Pandowdy

What the heck is pandowdy?  - turns out it is a very easy and rustic fruit dessert with pastry on the top.  The the word pandowdy refers to breaking up the crust half-way thru the cooking time so that the fruit bubbles up between the pieces of the crust.  You end up with pieces of crisp crust and pieces of crust submerged in the fruit - just like a pie.

Breaking up the pastry immediately caught my attention - this means the pastry does not have to be perfect!  The word 'dowdy' brings to mind something unfashionable, without style...  Warm, sweet fruit with a yummy, whole-grain pastry on top and I'm there stylish or not.

We love berry pie around here - however, I've never been able to master pie crust, so I usually get away with berry crisp and cobblers.  I came across a recipe for Strawberry Pandowdy in the latest edition of Eating Well (June 2011). 

I used blackberries and converted the original recipe to gluten-free and vegan.  Use any fruit you want or combination of fruit.  You may want to adjust the amount of sugar depending on how naturally sweet your fruit is.  (some ideas: strawberry & rhubarb, peach & blackberry with cystalized ginger, apple & maple - the sky's the limit...) 

This reminds me of one of my favorite cookbooks, Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson, which is filled with intriguing recipes for crumbles, buckles, cobblers, pandowdies, and lots more.

I shared a link to this post at Gluten-Free Wednesdays.

Crust:
3/4 cup gluten free flour mix
1 teaspoon coconut palm sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoon earth balance buttery stick (or butter), cut into small pieces
2 - 3 tablespoon ice water

Berry Filling:
2 lbs fresh or frozen blackberries (about 6 cups)
1/3 cup coconut palm sugar (use less if you like your berries tart!)
3 tablespoons gluten free flour mix
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

To make the crust:  place 3/4 cup flour mix, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add butter, 1 small piece at a time, pulsing continually.  Mixture should resemble coarse sand.  Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until mixture begins to come together. 

(to make crust without a food processor: Mix together dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add pieces of butter and rub the into the dry ingredients with your fingers.  Stir in water 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture begins to form a ball.)

Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap, wrap tightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes or so. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for the berry filling and place in a 8 x 8 inch baking pan.

Roll the chilled dough out between 2 sheets of plastic wrap.  I've found that this dough does not  hold together like 'normal' pie crust dough, so I just place the dough on top of the filling in pieces, large and small so I end up with a patchwork - which looks interesting and very rustic.  If you've got just one big piece of pastry, cut a few slits for steam to escape.

  Tuck any overhanging dough into the edges of the baking dish. 

You may want to have a baking tray under your pandowdy to catch any drips - depending on how full your baking dish is.  Bake for about 30 mintues.

Remove from the oven and with a small, sharp knife, cut the partially baked crust into 2 inch squares.  Using a spoon or small spatula, press about half of the dough squares into the fruit until they are partially submerged.  This is called 'dowdying'.

(Note:  if your pastry looks 'beautiful' at this point, feel free to skip the step which breaks the pastry into pieces and submerges them into the fruit.) 

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 30 - 40 minutes more, until the crust is browned in places and the fruit is bubbly.  Allow to cool a bit.

Double the recipe (that's what I did!) and bake in a 13 x 9 inch pan.  We had it for breakfast with yogurt.

Pear Chocolate Crisp

This isn't really the time of year I usually think of pears, but I am still receiving them from our CSA - so gotta use them...

This is inspired by a Pear Crisp with chocolate idea from the Caprial and John Pence who are wonderful chefs and have a restaurant and cooking school in Portland - I got to know them thru their PBS cooking show.  This is where I first encountered the idea of a fruit crisp with chocolate, which, I think we can all agree, is genius. 

Please don't be put off by the picture which looks like a handful of dirt on a pretty plate.  You can eat it at room temperature, in which case you will stumble upon the bittersweet chocolate in small chunks, or warm it up a bit and the chocolate will be more melty - either way its yummy.

I shared a link to this recipe at this week's cravings at the blog Mom's Crazy Cooking and slightly indulgent tuesdays at the blog simply sugar and gluten free.

I love ginger in anything, but this may be a minority view - if you don't like it so much, leave it out or use less. 

I used maple syrup as the sweetener because I think it complements the deep chocolate flavor.  You can use agave, honey, or even brown sugar.

4 - 5 cups peeled, cored and sliced pears

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 - 4 tablespoons chopped candied ginger (depending on how much you love it!)

2 tablespoons corn starch

5 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate (I use Scharffenberger)

Topping

2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsalted butter (or coconut oil, melt before measuring)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.         

Mix together the pears, agave, ground ginger, candied ginger and cornstarch and mix well.  Place in an oiled 8" x 8" baking dish.  Top with the chopped bittersweet chocolate.

To prepare the topping, place the almond flour, cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons agave, vanilla, butter and salt in a large bowl and mix until you form a crumbly crust. Top the pears with the crust. Place in the oven and bake about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. 

Gluten Free Brownies

The almond flour in these brownies makes for a dense crumb, exactly right for brownies and, it is subtly sweet and rich, so you can get away with using less sweetener and fat.  If you have reservations about the almond flour, substitute part of the flour called for with another gluten-free flour (quinoa, millet, etc.) or a flour mix (such as Bob's Red Mill).

Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour is readily available, and produces an exceptable product - however, the texture is improved by using a more finely ground blanched almond flour (such as Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour available on-line).

(Note: do not substitute almond meal for almond flour.  Almond meal is made from unblanched almonds)

3 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 cup dutch process cocoa powder
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of xanthum gum (optional)
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup agave or maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil (or olive oil)
2 teaspoons vanilla

Prehear oven to 350 degrees and oil an 10 x 7 inch glass pan.

Whisk together dry ingredients, breaking up any lumps of almond flour or cocoa. 

In a separate bowl whisk together remaining ingredients.  Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir well. 

Spoon batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 25 - 30 minutes (test with a toothpick).   Frost cooled brownies with Chocolate Ganache.  They are also really good without the frosting.

Option:
This batter can also be baked in 12 paper-lined muffin cups.  Bake about 25 minutes.  Allow to cool about 5 minutes in the pan and then remove to a rack.  Use the chocolate ganache to frost.  (or use your favorite frosting)

Chocolate Ganache

3/4 cup coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 ounces good dark chocolate

(add a small amount (1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and/or chili powder) - optional

Bring the milk to a simmer.  Meanwhile, break the chocolate into pieces and put into a bowl. When the milk comes to a simmer, pour over the chocolate pieces and add vanilla. This will melt the chocolate. Stir until it is smooth.  Cool in the frig or in an ice bath.  The ganache is quite liquidy at first, but will thicken as it cools.

Squash Cake

Not a very romantic sounding cake - but the flavor is wonderful.  The squash lends a mysterious something that can't quite be identified.  I've written the recipe as a gluten-free, egg-free, and dairy-free, but the cake can also be made with all-purpose flour, eggs, and butter.  Coconut oil and agave can be expensive but well worth the price as they are so much healthier then the alternative.  The use of agave gives gives a great deal of moisture to the cake.  Lastly, there is a choice of two toppings - or the cake can go naked.  This batter would be wonderful as muffins, add golden raisins or dried cranberries.

I shared a link to this recipe at with Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at the blog Simply Sugar and Gluten Free and Allergy Friendly Friday at Cybele Pascal's blog.

Note: This recipe uses the following gluten-free flour mix (mix together and store in fridge):

1 1/4 cup superfine brown rice flour

1 1/4 cup white rice flour

1 C. tapioca flour

1 C. sweet rice flour (also known as Mochiko, often on the Asian isle)

2 scant tsp. xanthan gum

(you can also use the gluten-free flour mixture of your choice, if it does not contain xanthum gum, add 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum per cup of gluten-free flour.) 

4 tablespoons flax meal

6 tablespoons full fat coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk, or water)

2 cups of the above gluten-free flour mix or (2 cups whole wheat pastry flour)

1/2 cup quinoa flour

1/2 cup corn flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon (or cardamom or a mixture of both)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup coconut oil (melt before measuring)

3/4 cup agave

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 cups cooked squash (about 1 acorn squash) - can also use pumpkin or sweet potato

ground flax meal slurry (or 2 eggs)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Streusel Topping

4 tablespoons melted earth balance buttery stick (or unsalted butter)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 - 3/4 cup pumpkin seeds (or chopped nut such as walnuts or pecans)

1/4 cup gluten-free flour (millet, sorghum, brown rice, etc)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Maple Glaze

2 Tablespoons earth balance buttery stick (or unsalted butter)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup icing sugar (confectioners')

Note: to cook the acorn squash: cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds.  Cook cut side down on a non-stick baking sheet (or a baking sheet lined with a silpat) at 350 degrees for about an hour until a fork penetrates the flesh of the squash very easily.  When cool, scoop out the squash out of the shell with a spoon.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Oil a 10" x 8" pan or a 13" x 9" - I always use glass or ceramic pans.

Mix together ingredients for Streusel topping in a small bowl (if using).

If going egg-free: mix together flax meal and coconut milk in a small bowl to make a slurry and let sit for a few minutes.

Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl.  Mix together oils, agave, maple syrup, cooked squash, flax meal slurry (or eggs), and  vanilla with a hand-held mixer.  Fold wet and dry ingredients together and add walnuts. 

Pour into prepared pan and if using the Streusel, crumble the topping over the batter.  Bake for 45 - 50 minutes (if using a 13" x 9" pan, adjust cooking time down a bit).  Check for doneness with a toothpick, a few moist crumbs will adhere to the toothpick when done.  The cake will be be moist and a bit delicate, let cool for at least an hour before cutting.

If using Maple Glaze: melt butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan.  Whisk in sugar until smooth, pour over hot cake. 

Options:

- 1 stick of softened butter can be subsistuted for the oils. 

- 2 eggs can be subsistuted for the flax meal slurry.

- other alternative whole grain flours can be substituted for the corn and quinoa flours -  such as whole wheat, buckwheat, teff, etc.
- substitue 1/2 - 3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats for an equal amount of flour