Happy Birthday Cake

Happy Birthday to me…

My birthday was last week, but I couldn’t make a cake because John and I can’t eat a whole cake by ourselves …. or so I thought.

But yesterday we had some friends over for dinner so I made this cake for dessert.

It was a bit of work, but well worth it.

I have discovered that it keeps well in the freezer, so I could have made it last week and it would have been fine.

Live and Learn.

This cake is grain, dairy, and sugar free.  It is also very rich so cut small pieces.

Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting

For the Cake

8 ounces dark chocolate (I used Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips because they are soy-free)

1/2 cup fake butter

1 cup honey

6 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 cups almond flour

2 teaspoons coconut flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoon baking powder

Place the chocolate and butter in the bowl of a double boiler. Melt, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool (the mixture needs to cool for at least 10 minutes).

While the chocolate mixture is cooling, place the honey and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment. Whisk for6-8 minutes until very fluffy

Slowly whisk in cooled chocolate and vanilla extract.

Sift almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder over egg mixture. Gently fold to incorporate.

Divide batter between two buttered 9-inch cake pans (I prefer to line my cake pans with a round piece of parchment paper to ensure the cake will come out properly). 

Bake cakes for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool cakes for 10 minutes in the pans, then run a knife around the edges and invert cakes onto a cooling rack. Cool completely. You can put them in the fridge for about 20 minutes to cool them if you are in a hurry.

For the buttercream frosting

4 large eggs

1/2 cup honey?

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/8 tsp of sea salt

1 cup fake butter

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled (I use Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs, honey, vanilla and salt with the whisk attachment. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 160 degrees, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat. 

Beat egg mixture on medium-high with whisk attachment for 8-10 minutes until light and fluffy. 

Reduce the speed to medium and add butter one tablespoon at a time. When all of the butter is added, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

Whisk the mixture for 1-2 minutes on high until light and fluffy. Slowly pour in the chocolate and mix until incorporated.

Assemble

Place 1st layer on plate frost. Place 2nd layer on top and frost.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Stores well in the freezer.

Not Necessarily a Snap

I had a request for this recipe.  It is fairly easy, but you have to love ginger snaps to make it worth your while.

Ginger Snaps

These are very spicy and very crispy.  If they are too spicy for you, just cut the spices in half and keep everything else the same.  They are excellent with hot tea.  They keep their crispness even after freezing.  They will keep for a week or more in an air tight container.

Ingredients

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons coconut crystals

2 tablespoons butter substitute

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup almond meal flour

1/4 cup arrowroot powder

1 tablespoon coconut flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the honey in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it starts to bubble, reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes.   Add the coconut crystals and continue to simmer for 2 minutes longer. 

Remove from heat and whisk in the butter substitute and vanilla extract.

Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer.  

Pour in the melted ingredients and mix on medium  until a ball of dough forms.

Divide the dough in half and form each half into a ball then roll it out to 1/4-inch thickness between 2 pieces of parchment paper.

Use cookie cutters or biscuit cutter to cut shapes of the dough, then peel away the dough between the shapes.

Transfer the bottom sheet of parchment with the cookies to a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until browned and crisp around the edges.

Add the trimmed dough to the next ball and repeat the rolling, cutting process.  Re roll the trimmed part until all the dough is used.

Slide parchment paper off the cookie sheet onto a cooling when you take it out of the oven.

Quick Easy Hamburger Adobo

Since the holidays I have done nothing new in the cooking department.  I have been remaking all the wonderful holiday treats and old faithful recipes from my collection.

The dish below, Hamburger Adobo, is one of our favorites.  It is one of the few dishes of which John almost always gets seconds.  It also makes great left overs.  It does not freeze well, however, but it is versatile. There is a bit of prep involved, but only one pan gets dirtied.

This dish is a stand alone dinner, but I usually serve some fruit or pickled beets with it.

Hamburger Adobo

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound lean ground beef (or shredded chicken, steak, or pork.)

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup green bell pepper, cut into thin matchsticks

1 cup red bell pepper, cut into thin matchsticks

2 cups matchstick-cut carrots

1 small head broccoli, cut into florets (or cauliflower)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons coconut crystals

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons coconut aminos

salt and black pepper to taste

2 cups green beans, cooked (or lima beans, or peas, or other vegetables as desired.)

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  I use my electric skillet for this dish.

Cook the ground beef (or other meat) in the hot oil until completely browned, 5 to 7 minutes. 

Add the onion, garlic, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, carrots, broccoli (or cauliflower), apple cider vinegar, crystals, Worcestershire sauce, aminos sauce, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just losing their crispness, about 20 minutes. 

Stir in green beans (or other vegetable) about 5 minutes before serving.

Oh Fudge! It's Christmas Time

Growing up in my family, Christmas time was the only time we got fudge.  Mom would cook it up on the stove and then we would wait for it to harden.  Then we would gorge ourselves on it.  It was delicious.  Then Christmas was over and we had to wait a whole year to have it again.  

Somehow, I have carried that tradition into my own family.  The only time I make fudge is December.  I don’t know why.  Fudge is so good, and would make such a great summer treat.  Summer time is the time we are more active and can burn up the calories.  Plus, the recipes below are stored in the freezer or fridge, so they would make for a cool summer treat.  I'll try to remember this in August.

After hours of reading sugar-free and paleo fudge recipes, I felt ready to make some on my own.  Well, it worked.  All three of the flavors I made turned out perfectly and taste absolutely delicious.  Once I knew the secret was Coconut Oil, it was a piece of cake...er...fudge.  They are so creamy and don’t have that dry, sugary, consistency.  They remain smooth.

They must be kept in the fridge or freezer, however, or they melt.  They have coconut shortening in them and it softens at room temperature, so, in order to keep the fudge firm, it must be cold.  If you make it for a party, put out a few pieces at a time and replenish the plate as it disappears —as it surely will.

All of these recipes can be doubled or tripled or whatever.  If you double them (except the Nut Butter), use a 9 X 13 inch cake pan instead of 9 X 9.  You could also use a double batch to make chocolate swirl or nut butter swirl.  Double both the Chocolate and Nut Butter recipes.  Pour half of each one into separate 9X9 inch, parchment-lined pans.  Then put 1 tablespoon blobs of the other flavor in several locations on top and drag a knife through the blobs to swirl.  Then refrigerate.

Once the fudge is set (chilled for an hour or more), lift the parchment paper out onto the counter and cut the fudge on the paper.  I tried cutting it in the pan and it tended to mash down or crumble, or stick to the knife.  After I figured out to lift it out of the pan before cutting, it worked perfectly.

I'm going to work on Maple Fudge next.

Chocolate/Coconut Fudge

This one is John’s favorite.  It tastes a lot like Mounds candy bars.  If you want it to be like an Almond Joy, just put a toasted almond on top of what will be each piece before you put them in the fridge.

Ingredients

1 cup Earth Balance Soy-free butter substitute (any butter substitute will do, or just use 2 cups of coconut shortening)

1 cup coconut shortening

1 cup Cocoa Powder

1/3 cup Honey (use up to 1/2 cup for sweeter fudge)

1 cup shredded coconut (I use unsweetened)

Directions

Line a 9 X 9 inch  square pan with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip on medium speed, butter substitute and coconut oil until fluffy (2-3 minutes).  You will need to scrape the sides several times. 

Add cocoa powder and honey and continue to whip until completely combined which takes about 1 minute or so.  Scrape the sides down a couple of times. 

Add coconut and mix just to combine. 

Spread on top of the parchment paper.

Chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour until set.  

Cut into squares and enjoy (store in the fridge or freezer).

Nut Butter Fudge

I used peanut butter this time and did not put in any chocolate chips, but it is good with the chips.  I had to double this recipe to get the thickness I wanted.  The fudge is very runny when you pour it into the pan.  It does set up nicely after a couple of hours in the refrigerator.  I am storing my left overs in the freezer.

Ingredients

3/4 cup almond butter (or other nut, peanut, sun butter)

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla

1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

 Line a 9 X 9" pan with parchment or waxed paper.

In a microwave safe bowl (or double boiler which is what I used) combine nut butter, coconut oil, and honey - heat until melted.

Add vanilla and mix until smooth.

Add in the chocolate chips if using.

Pour mixture on top of the parchment paper and let sit in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Chocolate Fudge

This is the creamiest fudge I ever tasted.  This one does not need to be doubled to make a nice thick piece of fudge.  It does need to be chilled and stored in the freezer, however.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa, not packed

1 1/2 cups real maple syrup

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

Directions

 Line a 9 X 9" pan with parchment or waxed paper.

 In the bowl of a stand mixer at low speed, combine cocoa powder maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt.

Slowly pour in melted coconut oil and stir until thoroughly combined. 

Pour on top of parchment paper and freeze until fudge is firm and set, at least 1 hour.

Cut into 1" pieces 

Dust pieces lightly with 1 teaspoon cocoa powder if desired.

Serve cold; store leftovers in freezer.

Discovering Cranberries

Cranberries are much more versatile than we thought as kids.  All we knew was cranberry sauce in a can.  Then there came cranberry juice, which was so exotic.  

Nowadays, however, cranberries seem to be everywhere.  Dried cranberries can replace raisins in just about everything from muffins and cookies to chicken salad. 

Cooking with cranberries is interesting.  When cooked, they turn very sweet and the bitterness found in the canned, jellied sauce is simply not there.  

And in addition to the wonderful flavors cranberries add to pork, chicken, and salads, they are good for you.  Or so I’ve read.

This dish is delicious and quite rich.  The left overs (if there are any) can be chopped up for a tasty chicken salad for lunch the next day.  I did not have enough left over to freeze, but I see no reason why it would not freeze well.

Cranberry/Bacon Chicken

Ingredients.

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup apple juice or pineapple juice

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dried mustard

1/2 cup applesauce

2 slices bacon, fried crisp

2 sweet onions (such as Vidalia), cut in large wedges

Directions

Soak cranberries in apple juice in a bowl until cranberries are rehydrated, 1/2 hour

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F Coat bottom of a baking dish with cooking spray

Arrange chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish; sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

Whisk mustard and applesauce together in a small bowl; spoon over chicken breasts.

Lay two half-slices of bacon atop each chicken breast. Arrange onions around chicken.

Top chicken with cranberries, pouring any remaining juice over chicken.

Cover dish

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove lid and continue baking about 20-30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F.

The Onset of Winter Requires Quiche.

Today is the first of November and last night we had snow flurries.  This morning the sky is gray and I figured we needed a little cheering up so I went on a quest for dairy-free grain-free quiche.  Didn’t really find a perfect one, but I got some great ideas.

This takes a while to make and you probably should not mix it up the night before because it would separate, I think.  But, it would make a great brunch dish or a late breakfast.  It only takes about 10 minutes to mix it up, but it has to cook for about 40 minutes.

We like to be up an hour or so before we eat breakfast, so this is perfect for us.  I am going to try mixing up the ingredients to include sausage instead of bacon.  Perhaps add some onions and red bell peppers.  Maybe some shredded Brussels sprouts instead of spinach.  The possibilities are endless!

The fake parmesan we use is “Go Veggie!” and it made a perfect little crusty bottom for the quiche.  And I think you could use any of their cheeses and it should work.

Right now we both have happy little stomachs!

Crustless Spinach/Bacon Quiche

Ingredients

5 large eggs

1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. garlic powder

1  cup unsweetened almond milk

3 T fake parmesan

1 cup fresh baby spinach, chopped

3 strips crisp bacon crumbled

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until evenly yellow in color. 

Add the freshly ground black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and almond milk, whisking until well combined. Set aside.

Sprinkle 1 1/2 T of the cheese into the bottom of an ungreased quiche plate or pie plate, covering as much of the surface area as possible. Sprinkle the remaining cheese into the egg mixture and stir. 

Add in the spinach, mixing until evenly distributed, and gently pour the mixture into the quiche plate. 

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is slightly risen and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Allow quiche to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

Christmas Cookies Part 1

I have put together 10 cookie recipes into one PDF booklet.  If you would like a copy, just email me at:  ahrens.marsha@gmail.com.  The best part, it's free!

Every Christmas season, I make dozens of cookies and deliver them to various people— neighbors, old co-workers, chiropractor, etc.  This year I will be delivering healthy cookies.  

I love chocolate chip cookies.  Actually, I love cookies of all kinds.

Here are three recipes.

Grain-Free, Dairy-Free, Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

¼ cup palm shortening

¼ cup coconut palm sugar

2 tablespoons honey

1 large egg, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

1½ cups blanched almond flour

2 tablespoons coconut flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a food processor, cream the palm shortening, coconut sugar, honey, egg, and vanilla for about 15 seconds until smooth and fluffy.

3. Add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and sea salt and mix again until combined, about 30 seconds.

4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed in order to incorporate all of the flour. Pulse once or twice more.

5. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

6. Place golf-ball sized balls of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Using another sheet of parchment on top of the dough, flatten them slightly. The cookies don’t spread much so make them the size and thickness you want before baking them.

7. Bake for 9-12 minutes, until slightly golden around the edges.

Grain-free Peanut Butter Cookies or Almond Butter 

Ingredients

1 cup(s) peanut butter or almond butter

1 cup(s) sugar or coconut crystals

1 whole(s) egg beaten

1 teaspoon(s) baking soda

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325

2. In medium bowl, mix together all ingredients until well blended.

3. Refrigerate 1 hr.

4. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet flatten.

5. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes.
6.  Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes.

7. Move to wire rack to cool completely.

Grain, Sugar, and Dairy-free Spritz Cookies

3 eggs

1 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup butter substitute (cold, cut into chunks)

1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon honey

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper.

2. Put all of your ingredients into your food processor . Turn on and process for about 30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Process again for another 30 seconds. You will need to do this (stop, scrape, process) until your dough is completely smooth and there are no chunks of butter left (it takes me about 3 times).

3. Fill your cookie press with the dough and whatever disk shape you've chosen (trees, wreaths, flowers, etc). Pipe onto your parchment paper lined cookie sheet. The cookies will not spread or rise, so you can put them as close to each other as you like!

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes (wreaths are 8 min, flowers are 9 min, trees are 10 min). If you don't have a cookie press but still want to try these, you can also just bake the dough in round balls that you've pushed down until they are slightly flattened (bake for 10-12 min).

5. When they come out of the oven, let them cool on the cookie sheet for about 2 minutes (so they can firm up) before moving them to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. They cool very quickly! 

6. Makes about 3-4 dozen cookies. Store in the fridge or the freezer.