Yes, you will need your fat pants after eating this one

Not long ago I was at our local library and I ran across a cookbook that I hadn't seen before....



...and I was totally excited to get it home and check it out.

Just a few pages in, I knew this book was for me. I have been interested in vegan baking and trying out new flours for a while now, and everything in this book looked so I have to make this now scrumptious.

And so that evening, while Peter and I were reading on the couch, I slid this book over to him. He flipped through it, then he zeroed in on one particular recipe:



I mean, seriously. How can you go wrong with something that combines chocolate cake, cookies, and frosting?

This cake uses several different ingredients I had never used before, two of them being garbanzo-fava bean flour and evaporated cane juice.



It also called for arrowroot and coconut oil, but I used cornstarch and canola oil instead.

So first, I preheated the oven to 325-degrees, then revisited kindergarten by tracing three circles onto sheets of parchment paper to line my three 9x3 cake pans.

Next, I whisked together the flours, cocoa powder, evaporated cane juice, potato starch, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt in a large mixing bowl.



Whew.

After that, I added the canola oil, applesauce, vanilla, and hot water to these ingredients and stirred until the batter was smooth.



Then I added the chocolate chips and stirred.





Next, I put equal amounts of batter into the prepared cake pans.



Bake at 325-degrees for about 24 minutes, rotating the pans half-way through.

Take out of the oven, and let them cool for 20 minutes.



After 20 minutes, gently lift them out of the cake pans and place on a wire rack to cool completely.



Now it is time to start the frosting/cookie crumble process. Transfer one cake layer to your serving platter or cake stand, and spread a thick layer of frosting on it.



Then break up some of your favorite chocolate chip cookies and sprinkle them over the layer of cake.



Put the next cake layer on that, and repeat the process.





Finally, place the third layer on top of that and put a thick layer of frosting over the entire cake.



Then you finish that of with a good layer of crumbled cookies.



And there you have it.

Once you finish this cake, you will want to dive in right away and have a slice. Go ahead. Don't be shy.



Just make sure you have your fat pants on.

To make this cake, you will need:

3/4 cup garbanzo-fava bean flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups evaporated cane juice
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup arrowroot (or cornstarch)
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup coconut oil (or canola oil)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup hot water
2 cups vegan chocolate chips
chocolate chip cookies
vanilla frosting (store bought or homemade)

Storage: This cake needs to be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. But I don't think it will last that long.

Gluten-Free Italian Almond Cake

Be prepared. This cake is not the easiest thing in the world to make, but it is so worth it. And since it's not too sweet or sugary, it's the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea or coffee in the evenings.

Or for breakfast with your first cup of tea or coffee.

I have adapted this recipe from Nancy Harmon Jenkins book, Cucina Del Sole.

First, preheat your oven to 350-degrees, then grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Next, toast the slivered almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes, or until they are nice golden brown.



Cool, then transfer them to a food processor along with 2 tablespoons of sugar.



Process until the almonds are finely ground. Be careful not to over process, else your almonds will turn into almost paste.



Then set this aside while you continue with the rest of the cake.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar.



Add 1 cup of the almonds to the flour and stir well.







Then you might want to think about separating your eggs.



Set aside two more tablespoons of sugar, then put the rest in a mixing bowl and add the butter. Beat until the butter and sugar form a thick cream.



Add each egg yolk one at a time.



Continue beating until a thick, lemon-colored batter forms.



Carefully fold in 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/3 of the milk. .



Continue alternating between the milk and flour until they are gone, and all ingredients are thoroughly combined.





Set this aside while you work on the egg whites.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.



Add the 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.



Fold in about 1/4 of the egg whites into the batter.



After that, gently fold in the rest of the egg whites just until they are combined.



Pour the batter into the prepared pan and pop it in the oven for about 40-60 minutes.



The center should be firm to the touch and the sides should pull away from the sides a little bit.

It's best served warm sprinkled with a bit of powdered sugar on top.



To make the almond cake, you will need:

1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups of gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of gluten-free cake flour
1 teaspoon of xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature
5 eggs, separated
3/4 cup of milk
confectioners sugar for dusting

Gluten-Free Cream Puffs

Sometimes I amaze myself.

There. I said it.

More often than not, after I make something....a meal or a baked goodie...I immediately start to critique it and think of ways to improve it. Especially with gluten-free things, because it is my quest to make delicious gluten-free equivalents of what Peter and Emma love but can no longer eat.

So one afternoon I decided to try my hand at making gluten-free cream puffs, using a recipe out of the book Pastry by Michel Roux.

And this time I was quite surprised by the results. They were so good, in fact, that I immediately made another batch, this one regular, just for myself.

Preheat your oven to 350-degrees, then you need to make the basic choux paste, which is a very simple pastry batter. To do this, you combine milk, water, butter, salt, and sugar in a small saucepan.



Bring to a boil over low heat.



Once it is at a boil, take it off the burner and gently sprinkle in the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely incorporated in the mixture.



Return the pan to the burner and stir over medium heat for about a minute, to dry out the paste a little bit.

After that, place the paste into a bowl and stir in each egg, one at a time, thoroughly mixing each egg into the paste before adding the next.



Once you are finished with that, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then make little mounds of the paste on the sheet, either with a pastry bag or using a teaspoon. Since gluten-free batter is thicker than regular flour, I would recommend using a teaspoon.

Just use about half a teaspoon of batter for each puff, like so:



Place each mound about an inch or so apart.





Next, brush each with an egg wash of 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of water.





Bake the puffs for about 20 minutes, or until the outside of each is dry and crispy.





Once they are completely cool, you can slice off each top to fill them, or you can use a pastry bag to fill each one with the custard or cream of your choice. I used a very sugary cream and piped a bit into each one.





They didn't last very long. During dinner Peter sneaked Emma one, and I told them that I would have to hide the rest. Emma's response?

"I have a very good nose to sniff them out!"

To make the cream puffs, you will need:

1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of water
8 tablespoons of unsalted butter, diced
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 generous cup of gluten-free all-purpose flour
4 medium or 3 large eggs
eggwash consisting of 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of water