Gluten Free (Vegan) Chocolate Chip Cookies

OK, I am going to brag - everyone says my chocolate chip cookies are the best. I have to believe it is because of the ingredients I use, which is specifically the unbleached spelt flour. They are delicious with the spelt but they are not gluten free, and some people must have gluten free. So, I set out to make a gluten free version following my same guidelines so that everyone can have this tasty treat. OMG! They are delicious, light and very flavorful and they are higher in protein because of the almond flour. Eat them as a snack or even for breakfast - and did I mention, they are so delicious!!!

Ingredients:
1 cup rice flour
1 cup almond flower
1 cup coconut oil
1 cup coconut sugar
2 tsp double acting baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp flax meal
½ cup water
¾ cup chopped walnuts
¾ cup shredded (dried) coconut
¾ cup dark chocolate chips
½ tsp Celtic Sea Salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add flax meal to ½ cup water and 2 tsp of vanilla, and let it sit while you combine the other ingredients.

Combine the rice, almond flour and baking powder together in a large bowl. Mix in the coconut sugar and coconut oil. Then mix in the flax and vanilla mixture. Mix well.

Fold in the shredded coconut, walnuts and chocolate chips.

Lastly add the salt.

Assemble cookies on parchment paper and bake at 350 for about 20 to 25 minutes. I like to bag my cookies and/or put them in a ball jar and freeze after they cool slightly. This keeps them very fresh.

Note: My famous cookies that are not gluten free are made the same way except with spelt flour instead of almond and rice (not the bleached spelt flour).

Enjoy!!

Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread - Radically Good!

Are you ready for the bread of a lifetime? This vegan banana with millet is what makes this moist bread have a nice crunch to it. Make this for your friends for the holiday. Or, just for you. Hide it somewhere you can find it for a late night snack, or first thing in the morning. Such a yummy!

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 cup)

3/4 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp chia seeds soaked in 2 1/2 cups water for about 20 minutes (use flax as well)

3 tbsp melted coconut oil

1/2 cup of brown sugar

3 1/2 tsp double acting baking powder

3/4 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup sesame milk (blend 1 heaping tbsp of hulled sesame seeds with 3/4 cup water)

1 1/4 cup almond meal

1 1/4 cup gluten free flour or gluten free pancake mix (organic, of course)

1 1/4 cup millet (un-cooked)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line pan with a little coconut oil, the a sprinkle of flour of choice.

Mash bananas and combine all ingredients together, and blend thoroughly. Bake for one hour and 12 minutes, depending on your oven. Cool slightly before serving.

When ever I make this, I can hardly stand waiting till it cools. I go for it as long it is not too hot to hold. Notice it may be very moist at first, but it firms up after it cools. Yum, Yum, Yum

Happy Holidays! Chef Teton

Lemon Cake - Gluten Free - Paleo (sort of)

Lemons, lemons and lemons. I love lemon anything, particularly some sort of cake or dessert. Since I am a not a real sweet lover, I found a recipe which I would call "sort of Paleo". So, I adopted it and then topped it with fresh strawberries and blueberries. Here is the recipe:

Cake Ingredients

4 eggs

1 cup gluten free flour

1/2 cup almond meal

2 sticks of organic butter (I used Cultured Butter) softened

1/2 cup sugar (+ more if you want it sweeter)

2  tsp baking powder

Zest of one lemon and juice of one large juicy lemon

Topping Ingredients

Zest of 2 lemon rinds plus the juice

1/3 cup sugar or maple syrup

Mix ingredients for topping together and hold until cake is baked. 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease loaf or square baking pan.

Mix all of the ingredients together and then bake for 35 to 40 minutes. When the cake is firm, remove from the oven. Take a tooth pick and poke little holes all over the top. Then spoon the topping over the top of the cake. Let cool and enjoy. Refrigerate to store. 

This cake become firm, and quite dense. Since I am a lemon lover and not a sugar lover, I find I can sweeten things a little more if I use a little stevia with the sugar. The sweetness will also depend on how sweet the lemons are. If they are really sour, I would add a little stevia with the sugar or use more sugar. Up to you! 

Top with fresh berries. YUM!

Best Carrot Cake Ever

My 70th Birthday had another round of carrot cake, brought back by popular demand. Well, actually we begged for it. The only difference in the recipe below and the carrot cake we all love is the flour. My friend makes it for me with fresh Einkorn flour. This makes for a wonderfully rich and hearty cake. You can use less sugar as well and it will still be delicious. There was enough left over that I cut it into small pieces and froze it in a place no one would find. All for me. Well, it is my 70th after all.

This is my nephew, Landon, who is showing off his version of the Radical Carrot Cake. Yum!

Radical Carrot Cake

2 cups         Sugar

1 ¼             Coconut Oil

3                Eggs

2 tsp           Vanilla

2 ¼             Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

2 tsp           Cinnamon

¼ tsp          Nutmeg

2 tsp           Baking Soda

½ tsp          Salt

 

2 cups         Grated Carrots

1 cup          Chopped Walnuts

8 oz can      Crushed Pineapple (optional)

 

Blend dry ingredients. The blend wet ingredients. Blend together until smooth. Add carrots and walnuts and other optional fruits.

 

Pour batter into baking or muffin pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Frosting

 

12 oz                   Cream Cheese

¼  cup        Milk

4 cups         Powdered Sugar

1 tsp           Vanilla

 

Blend all ingredients until creamy smooth. Spread over cooled cake.