The Elusive Cheese-less Cheesecake

When I went dairy free I pretty much assumed that I would be saying goodbye to cheesecake. I mean, the word "cheese" features predominantly in the name and up to this point I haven't had good experiences with cheese substitutes.
Not. So. Fast.
There is a way.... a very strange way; involving tofu based "cream cheese." Wait, hold on. I'm sure I just lost some people there, and I know this because initially it freaked me out too.
My first exposure to a milk free cheesecake was thrust upon me at a dinner party. I relinquished dessert to a trusted friend (and those of you who know me know that this is a HUGE step for me!) and when she shared her plan to make a cheesecake I was VERY skeptical, but I trusted Janine to pull through and she truly did. We raved and raved about her cheesecake and even my hubby, who is not a cheesecake fan, enjoyed the cheesecake. He described it as being lighter and less dense than traditional cheesecake but with the same flavor.
When I asked my friend for the recipe, she surprised me by giving me the link to a Jewish website. I wondered why there were so many dairy free desserts on their site and discovered that when keeping Kosher, families traditionally do not eat dairy in a meal containing meat. JACKPOT! This information expanded my recipe repertoire exponentially! Since that time I have explored their site and found a number of amazing milk free recipes to try!
Even better, with this post there are no adaptations, the original recipe was perfect.


CHABAD.ORG'S CHEESELESS-CHEESECAKE
Serves 8-10
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/435069/jewish/Cheeseless-Cheesecake.htm

Ingredients:

• 2 containers of plain Tofutti "Better than Cream Cheese"
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Ready to use graham cracker pie crust (9 in)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients together. Easiest when the "cream cheese" is first mashed with a fork. Use an electric hand blender for a few seconds just to get rid of any remaining lumps.
Pour into the pie crust. Should fill exactly the top.
Cook uncovered for 1/2 an hour at 350 degrees. If after 1/2 hour the top is still liquidy, cook another 10 minutes or so until it is starting to turn brown. Cool completely before serving. Enjoy!

This dish is amazing! Don't fear the Tofutti! My 16-year-old male cousin devoured multiple pieces and even my cheesecake-loving sister thought it was delicious!

Peace,
Laura

Strawberry Fields Forever! Milk Free Strawberry Ice Cream

There are some memories that will live on in your mind forever as the BEST memories; Dad singing Beatles songs, getting up WAY too early with my sisters on Christmas morning, and going out for ice cream with the family... Ahhhh, warm fuzzies.

With tomorrow being the Vernal Equinox and the official first day of Spring; I have a one track mind:  Ice. Cream.

We have the most amazing local "ice cream" stand, Strickland's, which has been a landmark in Akron since 1936. Not only is this place historically significant to Akron, but it's historically significant to my family; both my grandfather and father worked there as teens, and almost all of my favorite childhood memories involve Strickland's Frozen Custard. Spring always marks the seasonal re-opening of the original Strickland's stand and I strive to never miss opening weekend.

With my new diary free diet it's pretty obvious that ice cream is out, and custard too, oh and don't forget gelato... Boo! Now this would be all fine and good if I could just stop the thoughts of smooth, velvety, soft serve deliciousness dancing through my head; but Strickland's takes this merciless taunting to the next level. Every day they feature a "flavor of the day" and thanks to social networking you can now have this information delivered straight to your Facebook wall, your e-mail or via the Strickland's App.

Last week (and I can still see the picture in my head) Strickland's featured a lucious, smooth strawberry cone, one of my favorites!! Gah!

So today I was inspired (or pinspired, you know where this is going). I'd seen a number of pins claiming that if you throw a frozen banana in a blender you have instant ice cream. I was VERY skeptical, but I decided to give it a shot. What do I have to lose!

Most of the recipes on pinterest include 1-2 cut frozen bananas + coco powder or bananas + peanut butter. I had no interest in experimenting with coco or peanut butter. I wanted the flavor of pure spring sunshine; STRAWBERRY!

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM
Serves 1 (yes just one, don't judge)

• 1 to 2 (I used 1 1/2) frozen bananas, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 4 frozen strawberries, hulled and cut into 1 inch pieces

Place the bananas and strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor (I used my Cuisinart Mini Prep) or a blender. Blend. Devour.

Yup, it was really that easy.

The first thing I noticed was that it looked exactly like strawberry ice cream. The second thing I noticed was that it didn't really taste like banana. Hm!

It was creamy, smooth, bursting with strawberry flavor and just perfect! I decided to take it one step further though and top it with a cloud of whipped cream (you know how I get). He he he. Well, not really whipped "cream" but a suitable sub! I'm a big fan of this Soyatoo Rice Whip as a convenient sub for canned whipped cream and I can't tell the difference  though my hubby says it tastes "different."

The most amusing thing was that I even fooled the cat. Our 9 year old tortoise-shell tabby, Bella, is a dairy loving fool. She will sit and patiently wait to clean out your cereal bowl, yogurt cup or ice cream dish (at least she did). These days she doesn't seem to care what I have because she knows it's not her beloved dairy. Today she couldn't wait to get her face in my bowl!

Eventually I'm sure I'll try the cocoa and peanut butter versions, but for now I'm content with my delicious strawberry "ice cream!"

Peace,
Laura

Laissez les bons temps rouler

Hubby and I ADORE New Orleans and Mardi Gras Season; to us it means amazing food and soulful celebrations. Mardi Gras season warms and brightens the cold, dark days of winter with warm food, smooth jazz, strong drinks and good friends.

This year, in lieu of visiting New Orleans, we decided to bring a little of the Big Easy to Ohio, and host a Mardi Gras Party.  I immediately started planning my menu.... is there really anything else to plan? Oh, yeah, I guess decorations... and guests... and play lists and...sure, sure I guess there are other things.  

So let's get back to talking about the food. I might have been on Pinterest, and there may or may not be a "secret" board that I created so that I could food stalk in private. I knew I wanted an assortment of classic New Orleans favorites, and what says New Orleans more than beignets? Well, jambalaya for one... or gumbo, or muffalettas, or oysters, or pralines, or bananas foster, or.... I could go on. So I needed to narrow my list a bit.

Ultimately, here's my recipe for a successful Mardi Gras party: A full on, meat loaded but dairy free red beans and rice, a vegetarian/vegan jambalaya, muffalettas (both vegetarian and meat lovers, easily converted to dairy free), dairy free king cake, vegan pralines and classic beignets.

My mother had given me a box of Cafe' Du Monde's world famous beignet mix, so I felt compelled to try that out, and ended up making a batch of "beignet balls" (which turned out kind of like dense donut holes). They were nothing to write home about, especially since they were not dairy free and are WAY better fresh from the fryer in NOLA. But to paraphrase one of my guests "Who doesn't love deep fried dough covered in sugar." Touché, my friend, touché.

Next on my list; tackle the muffalettas! This was something I felt would be pretty easy to re-create as not only a classic muffaletta, but with a meat free and dairy free adaptation too. I used a loaf of Italian bread, layered on Swiss and provolone cheeses, topped with ham and salami and then added a store bought olive salad; for the vegetarian version I omitted the meats, and for my dairy free sandwich I left off the cheese. Ta-da! Muffaletta!

Next, let's tackle the red beans and rice. After my first trip to New Orleans I immediately returned home and began searching for a recipe to do justice to this hearty and filling NOLA favorite. Here's the link to my favorite http://allrecipes.com/recipe/authentic-no-shortcuts-louisiana-red-beans-and-rice/detail.aspx However, I make a few alterations: cut the water to 8 cups (and make at least 2-3 of those cups veggie, beef or chicken stock) and omit the basil.  {Sorry, no photo, we ate it all up!}

Ok, we're on a roll! The "easy" stuff was done: namely, those things not being made from scratch and those that required no alterations to make them dairy free. But wait! I was able to find an AMAZING recipe for vegan pralines at Manifest Vegan!  http://www.manifestvegan.com/2009/12/vegan-pralines/

These pralines were perfect and delicious with zero changes to the recipe. I did have to stir quite a bit longer than the stated 1-2 minutes for them to cool and pull away from the sides of the pot, but it was worth it!

On to the fun stuff! The recipes I get to tamper with! I found about a bazillion jambalaya recipes and once I decided to make it vegetarian that number only dropped to several hundreds of recipes. Now there are two types of jambalaya - Cajun (without tomatoes) and Creole (with tomatoes) - and once I had decided on a Creole jambalaya I was left with a few good options. I must have read about 20 different recipes and ultimately decided to take my favorite parts of each and create my very own recipe.

VEGETARIAN JAMBALAYA
Serves - "a metric shit ton" of people - or at least 8

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped orange or yellow bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped white  or sweet onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 6 cloves of garlic - minced
• 2 cups converted rice - uncooked
• 4 cups of vegetable stock 
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
• 2 tbs cajun seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's)

Directions
Heat a very large pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil,  sauté the veggies and garlic in the pan until they are semi soft. Add the rice and cook 1-2 minutes.
Add the veggie stock, diced tomatoes and seasoning to the pan, heat to boiling, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes. Do not stir during this time.
The liquid should be mostly absorbed after 20 minutes, but if you would like a drier jambalaya you can cook uncovered for an additional 5 minutes until the liquid is completely absorbed.

This was a big hit with vegetarians and carnivores alike! I most certainly will be making this recipe for years to come!

NOW, the moment you've all been waiting for: THE KING CAKE. Who am I kidding? The whole purpose of blogging this event at all was for the king cake!! A king cake is the traditional celebration cake of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Traditional cakes are rolled brioche dough with cinnamon, sugar and pecan filling. The dough is typically butter and milk laden, so this would be my biggest challenge! Again, I sifted through numerous recipes and ultimately ended up deciding to create my own from my favorite bits and pieces. 

MILKFREEME KING CAKE (Post edited on 3/9/14 based onYeast Bread Resolution results.)

Serves 12, Makes 1 large King Cake

Ingredients

• 1 package (1/4 ounce or 2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water (run tap water to hot, should be very warm to the touch)
• 1/2 cup warm almond milk (warm in the microwave a few seconds until very warm to the touch)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup shortening (melted)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• Zest of 1 orange
• 3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

In a large bowl mix the warmed water, almond milk and sugar. Sprinkle with yeast and allow to sit for 5 minuets or until frothy. Add the shortening, salt, egg, zest and 3 cups of flour. Stir to combine and turn out onto a well floured surface. Knead in up to 1 additional cup of flour until a soft and slightly tacky dough forms. Knead for an additional 6 to 8 additional minutes until soft and elastic. 

Place in an oiled bowl. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a 16 x 10 inch rectangle. Spread with the pecan filling (recipe follows). Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with the long side; pinch to seal. REALLY make sure to seal this up or all the goodness will ooze out. Place seam side down on a parchment paper/Silpat lined baking sheet, pinch the ends together into a ring (again, pinch REALLY well). Cover and allow to rise until doubled, 1 hour. 

Preaheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Brush with an egg wash (one egg and 1 tsp water) and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and a the bread sounds hollow to a gentle knocking. 

Cool on a wire wrack. 

Glaze (recipe follows) and sprinkle with purple, yellow and green sprinkles. 

PECAN FILLING

• 4 tbs light corn syrup
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbs cinnamon

GLAZE

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• scan tsp or 2 to thin the glaze to a spreadable degree

It truly was a thing of beauty! I must say I was very proud of myself for this effort! Thankfully, my guests seemed to enjoy it as much as I did!

With that, my Mardi Gras extravaganza must come to an end... at least until next year! Gumbo anyone!?

Peace,

Laura 

A Little "Pick Me Up"

Now, I've had Tiramisu in Venice and I've had Tiramisu at the Olive Garden, and I can honestly tell you; I'm an equal opportunity Tiramisu lover. I'll eat it anytime, anywhere.... well, not anymore because it's loaded with dairy. Frown, big frown.

An Italian dessert, Tiramisu translates to "pick me up." The pick me up comes from the espresso/coffee soaked lady fingers, layered with a fluffy cream mixture of mascarpone cheese, whipped cream, and eggs. It's probably the closest thing to heaven on earth.

When my girlfriends and I decided to have a pasta night I decided this was the perfect time to try out a dairy free version of my all time favorite dessert. I figured if I supplied enough wine I'd have a captive audience to try my dairy free Tiramisu. A double pick me up; good friends and good food!

Here's the original recipe from LuaLosAngeles: http://www.lualosangeles.com/2011/02/tiramisu.html#more

TIRAMISU
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs separated
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 (8 oz) container of mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup chilled heavy cream
• 2 cups strong brewed coffee or espresso, cooled to room temperature
• 2 tbs sweet Marsala wine
• 18 crisp good quality Italian lady fingers
• 1/4 cup fine-quality bittersweet chocolate shavings
• 2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:
Beat together yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Beat in mascarpone until just combined.
Beat whites with a pinch of salt in another bowl with cleaned beaters until they just hold soft peaks. Add remaining 14 cup sugar a little at a time, beating, then continue to beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks.
Beat cream in another bowl with cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks. Fold cream into mascarpone mixture gently but thoroughly, then fold in whites.
Stir together coffee and Marsala in a shallow bowl. Dip 1 ladyfinger in coffee mixture, soaking it about 4 seconds on each side, and transfer to an 8 inch glass baking dish (2 quart capacity).
Repeat with 8 more lady fingers and arrange in bottom of dish, trimming as needed to fit snugly.
Spread half of mascarpone mixture evenly over lady fingers. Make another layer in same manner with remaining ladyfingers and mascarpone mixture.
Chill Tiramisu covered at least 6 hours.
Just before serving, sprinkle with chocolate and cocoa.

As you may recall I've been on a quest to find a good substitute for whipped cream. I found a viable option called Mimicreme - however both amazon and my local natural foods store were out. I'm determined to find it in the near future, but for now it's back to the chilled coconut milk.

Here's my adaptation:
DAIRY FREE TIRAMISU
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs separated
• 3/4 cup sugar (divided)
• 1 (8 oz) container of dairy free cream cheese, such as Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese (softened to room temp)
• 1 can organic, full fat coconut milk such as Thai Kitchen (refrigerated 12 hours or overnight until the liquid and solids separate, open the can from the bottom, drain off the liquid mixture and reserve the solids). 
• 2 cups strong brewed coffee or espresso, cooled to room temperature
• 2 tbs dark rum (I prefer this to Marsala). 
• 18 crisp good quality Italian lady fingers
• 1/4 cup fine-quality bittersweet chocolate shavings  I omitted this. 
• 2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder (or as much as your heart desires)

Directions:
In a double boiler or a large glass bowl set over simmering water; beat together yolks and 1/2 cup sugar at medium speed until thick and pale and warm, about 2 minutes. Beat in the dairy free cream cheese until just combined.
In a second bowl, beat whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue to beat whites until they hold stiff peaks.
In a third bowl, whip the coconut milk solids until soft and fluffy. Gently fold the coconut "whipped cream" into the cream cheese/egg mixture, then fold in whites.
Stir together the coffee and rum in a shallow bowl. Soak each lady finger in the coffee/rum mixture for about 4 seconds and line the bottom of an 8 inch glass baking dish (2 quart capacity). (I actually like to make this in a bread/loaf pan because I feel it's easier to serve, whatever is left over I put in a separate small dish).
Spread half of the cream cheese mixture evenly over lady fingers. Make another layer in same manner with remaining ladyfingers and cream cheese mixture.
Chill Tiramisu covered at least 6 hours (after enjoying my leftovers the next day I highly recommend overnight!).
Just before serving dust with the cocoa powder.

I was pleasantly surprised by how authentic this dairy free Tiramisu tasted. Everyone seemed to enjoy it  and I truly couldn't tell the difference in flavor. This version was a little more "soft" and didn't set up as firm as the dairy laden version, but we cleaned our plates so fast it didn't seem to matter.

Turns out the dairy free version of Tiramisu was a very successful pick me up!

Peace,
Laura

Buche de Noel... what, no, it's like a big HoHo.

I LOVE feeding people. It brings me such joy to cook and entertain, and what better time of year than Christmas!? (OK, I'm not fooling anyone, every holiday and non-holiday is an good excuse to bake...)

To date I've tackled a few excellent cookie recipes, but what about that one big SHOWSTOPPER dessert that you roll out after the holiday feast!? That's when you announce to your dinner guests that you've prepared a Buche de Noel; a classic French Christmas roulade of chocolate sponge cake filled with buttercream or whipped cream coated in a rich chocolate ganache... Drooling yet?

I've made this gorgeous show stopping dessert in the past with rave reviews.... and LOTS of cream and chocolate. I was eager to make it again this year with the hope that my chocolate loving brother in law and sister in law could bliss out in a chocolate coma after Christmas Eve dinner. Alas, my milk free diet doesn't exactly allow for mounds of pillowy sweetened whipped cream rolled up in a chocolate sponge cake and smothered in chocolate....

As you know I've been hunting down the elusive ideal frosting for my cupcakes and have eagerly been searching for a fluffy sweet sub for my sweetened whipped cream. My experience with the faux cream cheese was borderline traumatic; my experiment with shortening based frosting left me feeling like trans fats weren't exactly a "healthy" substitute for the dairy I had given up; and commercially produced frostings have that unpleasant "hint" of preservatives and plastic. What's left?

Martha Stewart to the rescue!! I don't know where I stumbled upon this recipe... whatever, you know I was on Pinterest, but I was reminded of a fluffy white frosting I'd used in the past called Seven Minute Frosting. Sweet? Check. Fluffy? Check. Milk free? Check. Game on.

MARTHA STEWART'S SEVEN MINUTE FROSTING
Makes 8 cups

• 6 large egg whites
• 2 tbs light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine sugar, corn syrup, 1/4 cup water and the egg whites. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 2 minutes.
2. Attach bowl to a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat mixture on high speed until glossy and voluminous, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Use immediately.

Next to tackle the chocolate sponge cake. This too was easily accomplished without milk as the original recipe was already dairy free. The recipe for my favorite Buche de Noel (or Yule Log as it's called here) is from Jenny Hughson on Allrecipes.com http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-yule-log/detail.aspx

CHOCOLATE YULE LOG

Makes one 10 x 15 sponge cake

• 5 eggs separated 
• 1 cup white sugar (divided)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

1. Line a 10 x 15 x 1 inch baking sheet with parchment paper, grease the paper. Place egg whites in a small (medium at least) mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks on high until light and fluffy. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until thick and lemon-colored. Combine flour, cocoa and salt. (I sifted these together to prevent lumps.) Gradually add to egg yolk mixture until blended. 

2. Beat the egg whites until foamy, add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating on high until stiff peaks form. Stir a fourth into the chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites until no streaks remain. 

3. Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cake springs back (do not over bake it will get crumbly). Cool 5 minutes. Invert onto a linen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Peel off parchment paper. Roll up in the towel starting with a short side. Cool on a wire rack. 

4. Unroll the cooled cake, spread the filling (Seven Minute Frosting) to within 1/2 inch of the edges, roll up again and chill. 

Here's where you smother it in chocolate... Typical chocolate ganache involves taking a small amount of heavy cream, heating it just until you start to get small bubbles on the stove top, taking it off the heat and stirring in chocolate until melted. Here's how I prepared my chocolate ganache. 

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Smothers one yule log 

• About 6-8 oz of dairy free chocolate chips
• About 1/4 cup Silk Original Unsweetened Almond Milk

Directions:

1. Heat the almond milk in a small heavy bottomed sauce pan just until small bubbles start to form. You don't want to boil the milk. 

2. Stir in the chocolate chips until smooth and about the consistency of hot fudge sauce. You can keep adding chocolate until it's thick enough. 

3. Smother your Buche de Noel with the chocolate sauce and refrigerate until firm. 

Show-stopping success! I think we have a winner. I served mine with a handful of fresh raspberries because I love the combination of fresh fruit with chocolate. It was beautiful and delicious!

I hope you've enjoyed a beautiful holiday season with friends and family!

Peace,
Laura

Cookie Swap {Formerly known as Butter Bonanza}

Swapping cookies? Nope! Swapping ingredients? Yes!

In my previous life as a milk-aholic this would be the perfect season for fresh baked Christmas cookies, rich with butter, and washed down with a cold glass of milk. I'd cozy up to watch the snow fly, put on some Christmas tunes, grab a stack of snickerdoodles, cut-outs, peanut butter blossoms, chewy gingerbread, my tall glass of milk (or hot cocoa, or egg nog or... sigh, I really have a problem) and settle in for a long winter's nap.

I guess if it's currently pushing 50 degrees in Ohio in December, and no snow in sight, there's room for adaptation in other areas as well. At least I have my Christmas music!

So I found this recipe on Pinterest (Surprised! No, I'm sure you're not) and it sounded delicious! So I fired up the oven.

CRANBERRY ORANGE OATMEAL COOKIES
from http://trickschefs.com/showthread.php?tid=1056

Makes 4 Dozen

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened (I used 1/2 cup coconut oil + 1/2 cup Earth Balance)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbs grated orange zest (I used the zest of 1 whole orange)
• 1 tsp orange extract (I used orange juice)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• (1/2 tsp salt, I added because I always put salt in my cookies)
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
In a large bowl, cream the butter (oil/Earth Balance), brown sugar and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla, zest, and orange extract (juice). Combine the flour, baking soda and cinnamon; stir into the butter mixture. Stir in the oats and cranberries.
Drop by rounded tablespoon onto an un-greased cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes (13 worked well for me), or until golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool for 1 minute before moving to a cooling rack.

Wow, these were OUTSTANDING! Chewy and crispy, sweet with a hint of orange. I sent a batch in with Hubby to work and they were DEVOURED! Definitely on the Christmas Cookie Swap list for years to come! As an added bonus I recently picked up some SoDelicious brand Coconut "Nog" and I must say I was pleasantly surprised! So today I can settle in with a cold glass of "Nog" a stack of Christmas cookies, and hope for a White Christmas!

Happy Holidays to ALL!

Peace,
Laura

Chocoholics Unite! Milk Free Chocolate Cupcakes

November; a time for thanks. A time for gathering together to feast on turkey and pumpkin pie with the ones we love. A time to ring in cold and flu season. Sigh....

At this point in my life I accept cold and flu season. I work with kids and hubby works with money so germs are a given in our lives. I despise being sick, so I aspire to make the best of it. Over the years I've devised a tried and true ritual for all that ails.

#1 Watch "The Burbs," my all time favorite Tom Hanks movie. It wouldn't be unusual for me to watch it two or three times in a row while I'm home sick.
#2 Consume as much vitamin C as humanly possible; Zicam, Dole Pineapple Orange Juice, Vitamin C gummy vitamins... it's a good thing it's hard to overdose on vitamin C.
#3 Sinus Rinse (like a Neti Pot); a hot shower for your sinus cavity that soothes and prevents sinus infections. This is like heaven in a squeeze bottle.
#4 Bake. Yes, you heard that right, I bake. The best part? Being Typhoid Mary means I don't have to share any of my goodies.

Today I want chocolate (who am I kidding, most days I want chocolate) and right now I crave a rich, moist chocolate cupcake with piles of whipped cream frosting. Sounds like the cure for the common cold, right?!

The time has come to tackle a milk free adaptation of my FAVORITE chocolate cupcake recipe! Over the years I've tried many, many, many cupcake recipes and some of my favorites are chock full of butter, milk, heavy cream, buttermilk, or sour cream. Thankfully the one I love the most, Martha Stewart's One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes, contains only milk which is generally very easy to substitute. Hopefully my milk free sub will live up to the original!  If only I could cross my fingers and bake at the same time....

Here's the original with my substitutions noted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook (2005):

MARTHA STEWART'S ONE-BOWL CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
Makes 2 Dozen

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/4 cups milk (I used Silk unsweetened almond milk)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbs  vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups warm water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two standard 12 cup muffin pans with paper liners. In a large bowl combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add the eggs, milk, oil, vanilla and warm water. Mix until smooth and well combined. 

Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling 2/3 of the way full. Bake 20-25 minutes rotating the pans halfway through. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Cool slightly in the pan and then turn out on a wire rack to cool. 

So far so good! Now it's time for the frosting. Typically, my all time favorite way to top a cupcake (or anything for that matter) is with a cloud of sweetened whipped cream. Up to this point I have no solid substitution for heavy whipping cream and I really want to see what is available straight off the grocery store shelf. As I mentioned in my "Comfort Food" post from October 6, 2012 I had discovered that most commercially produced frostings are dairy free, but I was skeptical. Turns out there are a wide array of frostings from Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines that contain no milk. Well hot dog! 

I selected Betty Crocker's Whipped Fluffy White frosting for my adventures in frosting. Right out of the gate I remember why I went back to the tradition of making my own frosting; commercially produced frosting tastes... "preservativy." For the past few years Hubby and I have gradually been weeding out the prepackaged, pre-made, preservative and color laden grocery store staples and replacing them with whole foods obtained close to the source. Sorry Betty Crocker, but if I'm making milk free substitutions to improve my health, I'm pretty sure replacing whipped cream with partially hydrogenated anything doesn't make a lot of sense. 

But today, Betty is all I've got, so I'm going to make it work. I added a tsp of pure vanilla extract and a tsp of instant espresso granules to my frosting. Magically, that "preservativy" taste was mellowed by the vanilla and espresso. Ta-da! 

I brewed myself a hot cup of coffee, popped my copy of "The Burbs" into the DVD player and settled in to try my chocolate cupcake.... ahhhh perfection. The cake was moist and chocolatey with the slightest hint of almond from my substitution, the frosting was sweet and smooth a solid sub for my whipped cream.

In the future I am excited to work on a healthy substitution for my beloved whipped frosting, until that time Betty's not so bad.

In this season of thanks, I am whole heartedly grateful for a simple milk free substitution in my favorite chocolate cupcakes!

Wishing you all health and happiness this cold and flu season!

Peace,
-Laura

P.S. If any of you out there in Blogger Land know of a good dairy free frosting recipe please feel free to share!!