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Tag Archives: food allergies

Island Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Coconut Caramel Drizzle

05 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by createdforjoy in Cook

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

cake, caramel, chocolate, coconut, coconut flour, coconut milk, cook, cream cheese, cupcake, dessert, devil's food, food allergies, frosting, gluten-free, moist, sulfite-free, tender

coconutcupcakes

When my husband, Landon, was in kindergarten, someone’s mother brought a batch of coconut cupcakes to share with the class to celebrate her child’s birthday. Landon had never had coconut before, but he knew a thing or two about baked goods, and he positively drooled over the mounds of fluffy white frosting and clouds of coconut. When his turn came, he eagerly stuffed a bite in his mouth, and then proceeded to experience one of the biggest culinary disappointments of his little life. It seemed someone had accidentally switched out his precious cupcake with a mouthful of dry grass, possibly mixed with bits of shredded string. After he was done retching and spitting (I’m sure the mom and teacher just loved that), he was left with one resounding sentiment: I hate coconut.

Finally, three decades later, comes coconut’s redemption. This recipe was inspired by a bag of coconut flour I spied in the baking aisle at Whole Foods. Coconut flour is made of finely ground dried coconut, so it carries the fruit’s sweet aroma without the fibrous texture. Apparently, it also transforms fairly good cake into something so ridiculously moist that you feel the need to talk with your mouth full in order to urge others to eat it too: “Seriously, mmfff, you have got to try this!”

This recipe started life years ago as one from a King Arthur Flour catalogue, but it doesn’t bear much resemblance to the original now. Coconut flour requires extra liquid, so I figured I might as well stick with the theme and use coconut milk. I think the combination of the two is what is responsible for the tender, almost-melting texture — although frankly, after the first bite, you won’t really care. Their diminutive size and the tang of the cream cheese frosting make it a little more reasonable to finish the tops with a drizzle of caramel, in which I also substituted coconut milk for the regular old cow kind.

You would think something with coconut products present in triplicate would be absolutely redolent with its flavor, but somehow these cupcakes manage to come out only barely scented of the stuff. I did feel the need to nod to the coconut flour in the recipe name, but you really wouldn’t know it was there if I didn’t tell you. In other words, this is the perfect recipe for people conditioned by years of shredded coconut with the mouth-feel of lawn clippings. As an added plus, coconut flour has more fiber and vitamins than wheat flour, and it’s a great alternative for people who eat gluten-free. Something that tastes better than it should, transforms the food it’s in, and is good for you to boot: that’s the kind of culinary alchemy that keeps me happily inventing and baking. Now, seriously, mmmfff, you have got to try these… ;)

coconutcupcakes05

Island Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Coconut Caramel Drizzle
makes about 90 mini-cupcakes

For the cake:
3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened (12 Tbsp. or 1 1/2 sticks)
1 c. demerara sugar (also called turbinado or raw sugar, see these recipe notes for more info)
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 tsp. salt, not coarse
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract
2 tsp. espresso powder (optional, enhances the depth of the chocolate flavor)
1 c. all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur)
1 c. coconut flour
1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
4 eggs
one 14 oz.-can coconut milk plus enough regular milk to equal 2 1/2 cups

For frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened (3/4 stick)
4 c. powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. salt, not coarse
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. coconut milk or regular milk

For caramel:
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 c. demerara sugar
1 c. coconut milk
1/2 tsp. salt, not coarse

Oven 350F. Use electric mixer to blend butter, demerara sugar, granulated sugar, salt, baking soda, vanilla, and espresso powder until light and fluffy, 5 or 6 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula once or twice to be sure it blends evenly. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together both types of flour and cocoa and set aside.

Add the can of coconut milk to a large measuring cup, then add regular milk until it totals 2 1/2 cups. Now whisk them together until evenly mixed. (The coconut milk always separates in the can. Don’t let this put you off, it’s just the water coming out of the thicker part of the fruit puree.) Add a third of the flour mixture to the cake batter, then mix well. Add half the milk, then mix again. Alternate this way until all ingredients are completed blended into a thick, fragrant batter.

Line a mini-muffin tin with paper liners, then put one teaspoon of batter in each cup. (I use a small ice-cream scoop for this.) Bake mini-cupcakes for 12-13 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with the faintest hint of moist crumbs. Let cool in pan for one minute, then transfer to baking rack to cool completely. Repeat as needed until all batter is baked, about four batches for my 24-cupcake pan.

While the cupcakes bake, make the caramel. Cook the butter, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until sugar melts (3-4 minutes). Carefully pour in the coconut milk — it will bubble and splash furiously, so be careful that you don’t get burned. Some of the melted sugar may solidify in the bottom of the pan or on the whisk. Every time I make caramel, this is the moment that I have doubts, but trust chemistry and soldier on. Keep stirring constantly as it simmers over low heat for seven minutes (use a timer, no skimping). The caramel will smooth and thicken. Turn off the heat, stir in the vanilla, and leave in the pan to cool.

While the caramel and cupcakes cool, it’s time for frosting. Put the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until lighter and thoroughly mixed, 2-3 minutes. Add half the sifted powdered sugar and mix well. Add coconut milk, mix again, then last half of sugar. Mix until completely combined to a creamy spreading consistency.

Gently frost cooled cupcakes, leaving a bit of a well in the top where the caramel can pool. Drizzle the frosted cupcakes with cooled caramel, then top with chocolate sprinkles or toasted coconut shavings as desired. I made these small for three reasons: I love tiny baked goods; these are very rich; and smaller servings help my family better control portion size. It’s hard to walk away from half a regular-sized cupcake, but having one or two of the minis feels like plenty.

If you prefer a traditional-sized cupcake, I would estimate baking time at around 25 minutes, but start testing a few minutes before to be sure they don’t dry out. If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, use 2 cups coconut flour (instead of 1 c. coconut flour, 1 c. all-purpose) and add an additional 1 c. of either coconut milk or regular milk; bake and assemble as directed above.

coconutcupcakes07

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Just Granola

29 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by createdforjoy in Cook, Read

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

almond, breakfast, cherries, coconut, cook, food allergies, granola, oats, parfait, read, sulfite-free, yogurt

granola02

Granola can be tricky. It is one of those foods that cries out to be made from scratch, but there are so many variations and ingredients out there. I have tried at least a dozen recipes over the years, but I never made any of them more than once. One version had so many seeds, I felt like I was at a bird feeder instead of the breakfast table; the next had enough sugar to qualify as dessert. Then there’s the whole food allergy issue, which leaves me without many dried fruit options. (Almost all dried fruit is sulphured, meaning sulfites are added to help with the preservation process. It’s not really very hard to decide between breathing and eating dried apricots, but it does limit my granola options pretty mightily.)

After so many granola misfires, I finally narrowed down my requirements. I don’t expect my granola to be a portable superfood, substantial enough to nourish me on a three-day hike. I don’t want a multi-tasker — I’m not planning to add it to anything except milk and yogurt. No flax, no wheat germ, no goji berries, no exotic spices. I want something simple, crunchy, toasted, a little sweet, a little salty… just granola.

I think I finally found my recipe this time. It’s from Brunch! by Gale Gand and Christie Matheson. To show you how serious I am, I resisted most of my usual recipe-fiddling ways. I only made two substitutions: dried cherries instead of dried cranberries and clementine juice instead of plain orange. I resolutely kept the door of the spice cabinet closed, and I even measured out my ingredients instead of eyeballing it. My self-restraint was amply rewarded with every simple, tasty bite.

I don’t judge, though. If you are of the fancy granola ilk, more power to you. This recipe could easily handle the addition of cinnamon, ginger, or cardamom, and you could substitute banana chips or raisins for the dried berries. If you crave more texture, try some sesame seeds or sunflower kernels with your chopped almonds. After it cools, add a big handful of chocolate or peanut butter chips, and you’ve got something a little more indulgent that would be a great topping for fruit crisp or ice cream.

To show you how accepting I am, I got a little extravagant with the photos and made a parfait with layers of granola, vanilla Greek yogurt, and orange blossom honey. But between you and me, I gave that one to my daughter to eat. I’ll take mine plain — just granola, please.

granola01

Almond Granola
makes about seven cups

1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. real maple syrup (not corn-based pancake syrup)
1/4 c. fresh-squeezed orange juice
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. almond extract
4 c. old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick cook)
3/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut (preferably unsulphured)
1 c. chopped almonds
1 tsp. sea salt
1 c. sweetened dried cherries or cranberries

Oven 325F. Combine honey, maple syrup, orange juice, butter, and almond extract in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter melts and ingredients come to a boil. Immediately reduce heat and simmer for about five minutes, stirring often, until mixture is slightly thickened.

Meanwhile, mix oats, coconut, almonds, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot honey mixture over the oats and stir well to coat thoroughly, then spread evenly on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring once. Add dried fruit, stir to combine, then bake for 20 minutes more, stirring a few more times to be sure granola browns evenly. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Break into smaller pieces and store in airtight container for up to two weeks. Can also be frozen for up to a month.

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Angela’s Sugar and Spice Pecans

01 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by createdforjoy in Cook, Think

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

cinnamon, cook, courage, food allergies, gluten-free, hope, new year, pecans, possibility, spice, sugar, sulfite-free

pecans2

It takes courage to cook for me. Severe food allergies can make the kitchen feel like a minefield — it requires a lot of attention to detail on the cook’s part (and a lot of trust on mine) to voluntarily enter this realm of label reading and ingredient monitoring. I love to cook and I love to feed other people, so I can understand that it must be frustrating to my friends and family for me to feel so off-limits when it comes to any kind of culinary care-giving.

This recipe is delicious, but it will always be among my favorites because it’s the first food gift anyone ever gave me after the onset of my food allergies in 2007. Angela certainly knew what she was getting into — she’s seen me through dozens of anaphylaxis episodes over the years and has even had the dubious honor of administering my epi-pen. It takes a real friend to stab you in the thigh with a syringe; it takes an even better one to make you food afterward, when she knows what’s at stake.

These only require a handful of ingredients, but the results are snacking perfection: salty-sweet, satisfyingly crunchy, warm with cinnamon and allspice. They have the added bonus of being gluten-free, sulfite-free, and stress-free. Everyone loves them, even the self-professed nut-haters. (You know who you are.)

For me, this recipe is just the right way to start off the new year because they are all about Possibility. The beautiful thing about hope is that it can bloom so unexpectedly: after a long, dark winter, in the midst of life’s compost. It can even come in the shape of a cellophane bag full of spiced pecans. When you make and share this recipe, I hope you can also share in a little piece of the comfort and faith they represent for me.

pecans3

Angela’s Sugar and Spice Pecans
makes 3 cups

1 large egg white
3/4 c. granulated sugar or vanilla sugar (see these Recipe Notes for vanilla sugar how-to)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
3/4 tsp. salt (not coarse)
3 c. pecans

Oven 250F. In medium mixing bowl, beat egg white with whisk or electric mixer until it holds stiff peaks. In separate small mixing bowl, stir together sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice until thoroughly mixed. Fold pecans into egg white until they are coated. Don’t stir too energetically, you don’t want to lose all that air you just whipped into the egg white. Sprinkle in the sugar-spice mixture, stirring until all pecans are thoroughly coated with thick, gooey cinnamon yum. (That’s a very technical cooking term, I know. ;)

Spread out pecans in even layer on large parchment-lined baking sheet. (You can try it without parchment, but butter your baking sheet copiously and get someone else to do the dishes.) Bake for 45 minutes, stirring thoroughly every 15 minutes with silicon spatula to bring the gooey bits to the surface. Add an extra 15 minutes baking time if they are not crispy and dry at the end of the 45 minutes; if your oven doesn’t maintain low temperatures well, it may take longer. Allow to cool on baking sheet completely before eating or storing in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 weeks.

Quick tip: this recipe easily doubles, just use larger bowls to mix and bake for a full hour. If you make more than a double batch, bake on two cookie sheets to be sure your layer of nuts is not too thick.

Prayers and wishes for a healthy, happy, fulfilling 2012 for you and yours. :)

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