Deceptively Healthy Dessert: Gluten, Dairy, and Grain Free Chocolate Loaf Cake

Hello health food fans, vegans, and gluten free folks!

This recipe was suggested to me by my little brother, Kirby. I know, shocking, right?! Turns out he saw the picture of the original trending on buzzfeed. He didn't know what was in it and I changed the recipe anyway when the consistency wasn't what I wanted. Reading the recipe, I was a little skeptical, but it was better than I expected!

The Recipe: 

Cake:

• 1/2 cup plus 7 tsp pumpkin puree
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp applesauce
• 1 egg (***Dairy free by using 1/2 cup applesauce instead of egg)
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 2 tbsp cashew butter (almond butter or peanut butter would work as well!)
• 1 1/2 tsp nutella

Glaze: 

• 2 tbsp almond milk
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 2 tsp powdered sugar

The Process: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix the salt, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and ground flaxseed in a small bowl. 
3. Whisk the pumpkin, almond milk, applesauce, egg, nutella, vanilla, and cashew butter in a larger bowl using a fork.
4. Add the dry to the wet bowl and mix. 
5. Grease a 1 lb loaf pan. 
6. Add batter to pan. 
7. Push chocolate chips into batter. 
8. Bake for 30 minutes. 
9. Mix glaze in a small bowl. 
10. Apply to cake while hot. 
11. Allow cake to cool. 
12. Enjoy! 

The Calories: 

Pumpkin: 53 calories

Applesauce: 2 calories

Cashew Butter: 150 calories

Egg: 70 calories (dairy free substitution has 30 calories)

Salt: 0 calories

Baking Powder: 0 calories

Baking Soda: 0 calories

Cocoa Powder: 98 calories

Vanilla Extract: 12 calories

Honey: 384 calories

Flaxseed: 365 calories

Chocolate Chips: 201 calories

Almond Milk: 10 calories

Nutella: 33 calories

Powdered Sugar: 20 calories

__________________________________________

TOTAL: 1398 calories

This genuinely surprised me! The cake was about 9 slices, which means each slice was only 155 calories of mostly healthy ingredients. The dairy free version contains 150 calories per slice, though applesauce is less protein than eggs. 

What went right:

          The cake tasted great and was gone in one night! Kirby ate three slices and my parents really liked it too. It was rich and moist with the bitterness of dark chocolate and nicely satisfying. It came out of the pan very easily and displayed well. 

What went wrong: 

          Once Kirby was told what was in the cake, he decided he was no longer a fan. We've decided he's no longer allowed to know what's in food. I think I'll make it again and tell him it's different (shhh! ;) )

What I would do next time: 

           While shopping for almond milk, I noted that there is such a thing as dark chocolate almond milk. That is something I definitely want to try, as well as adding more glaze so it covers the entire cake. I would also like to try using half as much cocoa powder and a square of melted baking chocolate (like in brownies). It would also be interesting to use almond butter or peanut butter instead of cashew butter; the consistency of using almond might make the taste more consistent. Additionally, adding pecans or walnuts on top would add some much needed texture. Finally, I would like to serve this with a frozen yogurt, sorbet, or ice cream. Something cold and fruity would go very well with this cake. 

Overall, an amazing and simple cake that I can't wait to play with!

Gluten Free Mint Chocolate Cookies

Hello and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Welcome to yet another of my holiday baking experiments gone oh so right! 

                                  

Originally based in the Chewy Chocolate M&M Cookies, this recipe became something entirely new and unexpected, but still equally loved and appreciated by my gluten free friends :) 

The Recipe: 

• 1 egg white
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 tbsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup melted chocolate
• Crushed Candy Canes (as desired)
• Water (as necessary)

The Process:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176.7 degrees C). 
2. To separate egg, crack and turn such that the yolk falls into one half of the shell. Carefully transfer yolk between shell halves, allowing white to drip into a container below. 
3. Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe container in 30 second bursts, stirring the chocolate after each burst. 
4. Mix egg white, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, vanilla, melted chocolate. 
5. Add water in small portions until the batter holds together and is moldable. 
6. Roll batter into balls and "thumbprint". 
7. Add candy cane pieces as desired 
8. Bake for 6 minutes. 
9. Enjoy and share! 

The Calories: 

Egg White: 17 calories

Cocoa Powder: 65 calories

Powdered Sugar: 389 calories

Vanilla Extract: 3 calories

Melted Chocolate: 80 calories

Candy Canes: 30 calories

______________________________

TOTAL: 584 calories

And that's for the ENTIRE recipe!! Each of the 25 cookies made has only 23 calories, and they're gluten free! 

What went right: 

          While I thought the consistency was totally wrong because it didn't match the consistency of the Chewy Chocolate M&M Cookies, they turned out amazing regardless. 

What went wrong: 

           Ditto :) 

What I would do next time: 

           It would be fun to try this recipe as a vegan recipe as well, by replacing the egg white with applesauce. Additionally, if dipped in unsweetened chocolate, this could make a delicious vegan truffle! 

Overall, a very successful recipe despite its deviation from the original. It worked quite well with my Spritz Cookies as well ;)        

No Bake Caramel Truffles

Hello and welcome! 

Today's recipe is almost too easy...

The Recipe: 

• 1/2 cup caramel 
• 1 bar dark chocolate

The Process:

1. Spoon and shape caramel onto baking pan. 
2. Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe container for 30 seconds. 
3. Stir. 
4. If not fully melted, repeats steps 2 and 3 until it is. 
5. Cover caramel in chocolate. 
6. Freeze to harden. 
7. Share! 

The Calories:

Caramel: 150 calories

Chocolate: 210 calories

____________________

TOTAL: 360 calories

Okay, so it's not really healthy. But it is vegan and gluten free if you use unsweeetened chocolate, and for 20 servings, each one is only 18 calories. Worry not if you only eat a couple! 

What went right: 

          They tasted great and were good to have around for my Vegan and Gluten Free hallmates. 

What went wrong: 

           When they were not in the freezer, the caramel did not stay solid, but reverted to its stickier plasma form. Perhaps some cornstarch would fix that next time. 

What I would do next time: 

            Add cornstarch or heavy cream to help the caramel solidify when room-temperature. 

Overall, a super easy, tasty treat! 

Apple Truffles

Happy Holidays! 

Welcome to my blog, thanks for visiting :) 

                                  

Today's recipe was inspired by the massive amounts of dark chocolate Lauren gave me for Secret Santa (thank you Lauren!!) and the classic chocolate covered pretzels we usually make back home. 

This recipe is super quick, easy, and great for serving to guests, bringing to parties, and making with friends/kids!

Thanks to Addie and Justin for helping me chocolate dip, as chocolate covered anything is more fun with friends :) 

The Recipe: Apple Truffles

• 5 Apples
• 2 bars of 85% Cocoa Dark Chocolate
• Crushed Candy Canes

The Process: 

1. Line baking sheets with tin foil.
2. Cut apples into slices, removing the core. 
3. Break Dark Chocolate bars into small pieces. 
4. Microwave chocolate in a microwave-safe container in 30 second spurts, stirring in between. It should take at most 1 minute total. 
5. Dip apples in chocolate.
6. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. 
7. Freeze to harden chocolate. 
8. Try not to eat them all!!

The Calories: 

Chocolate: 420 calories

Apples: 570 calories

Candy canes: 30 calories

____________________

TOTAL: 1020 calories

Let's be real: this recipe makes around 60 servings, and is essentially just apple slices. Each slice has about 17 calories. Indulge guilt-free ;)

What went right: 

          Everything! These were super delicious and loved by everyone who ate them. They were also a great treat for my Gluten Free/Vegan friends who could not eat the toffee or most other treats we made. 

What went wrong: 

          I didn't have pretzels :( 

What would I do next time:

          Potentially use caramel as well to make them Turtle Apples, or try dipping in butterscotch or white chocolate. 

Overall, a super quick, easy, healthy recipe for everyone to enjoy!! 

Deceptively Healthy Dessert: Gluten Free Chewy Chocolate M&M Cookies

Welcome Gluten Free Eaters and Dessert Lovers!

Today's recipe comes once again from my lovely bio lab group <3

Meet Team Hunar: Hunar, Caitlin, Caroline, Me

 

Our first cooking experiment together (Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oat Cookies) was such a success, we decided we should bake again while putting together our lab report presentation. That, and, we wanted an excuse to hang out and bake together again. 

The major stipulation for all lab group baking projects is that they have to be Gluten Free, because Caitlin is Gluten Free, and we love her, so we need to make sure she can enjoy the cookies too! 

                                                             

Thanks to Caroline for finding this recipe and suggesting it to the group :) 

Thanks to Caitlin for reinventing the recipe with M&Ms and being an awesome DJ :) 

and of course...thanks to Hunar for bringing "the spunk" ;P

Objective: 

Bake delicious, gluten free, addictive, healthy cookies that will please the "god" of Lab 116. 

Hypothesis: 

Removing the egg yolks and not using flour or butter will increase the health value of cookies and adding cocoa powder and M&Ms will increase the deliciousness. The powdered sugar, when baked, will form a coating for the cookies, to give these soft fudgy cookies some crunch. 

Materials:

• 3 egg whites
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup melted chocolate
• 1/4 cup M&Ms 

Protocol:

1. Use sterile technique. 
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
3. Mix all dry ingredients together
4. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe container (preferably ceramic) in small spurts of 30 seconds each, stirring between each spurt (If you do not follow this protocol you are guaranteed to burn the chocolate and potentially burn the container!!)
5. Add eggs and melted chocolate and mix
6. Add M&Ms and mix
7. Spoon onto baking sheet
8. Bake for about 10 minutes, watching carefully for when they expand, as each oven is different. 
9. Allow to cool
10. Enjoy!!

Results:

The Calories:

Egg Whites: 51 calories

Sugar: 1167 calories

Cocoa: 128 calories

Chocolate: 200 calories

M&Ms: 253 calories

Vanilla Extract: 6 calories

____________________

TOTAL: 1805 calories

For 30 servings, this is about 60 calories per serving. It's a lot of sugar, but the egg whites and lack of butter and flour really make a difference for the health value. 

What went right:

         They're absolutely delicious, and again, our instructor loved them!! 

What went wrong: 

          Nothing :) 

Would I make these again: 

          I'm pretty sure I'm morally obligated to make these again...a few of my hallmates saw me bring them upstairs and I couldn't give them any because they were for the lab class...so look out T3, we'll be having these cookies at some point :) 

Overall, a delicious and relatively healthy dessert! 

If you really need to work this off, it doesn't take a lot of work. 60 calories can be burned off with: 

• 30 minutes of yoga
• 20 minutes of playing pool
• 20 minutes of bowling
• 20 minutes of playing darts

As you can see, these are relatively light activities. That said, every little bit helps!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oat Cookies

...if the name alone isn't a tantalizing mouthful, how about this mouth-watering photo?

And this is a healthy cookie!! 

The credit for this recipe goes to pinterest, which continues to inspire delicious smells and delighted smiles. 

The inspiration for this recipe came from my Bio lab instructor, Dr. K. I was early for lab last week, and we were talking about food. I mentioned that I like to cook, he asked if I bake, and I, of course, said yes. He jokingly requested cookies, I excitedly said, "Sure!". At that point, my lab group had arrived and jumped at the excuse to bake cookies together. Thanks to Caroline, Caitlin, and Hunar (Team Hunar) for baking and doing labs with me, and overall being amazing. I look forward to lab every week just to hang out with you all <3

The following week, the night before lab, we met at my dorm. Everyone brought some ingredients, we made the batter together (feeling intense deja vu, as if we were once again in the lab together, measuring starch and amylase) and while it was baking, we worked on our lab reports. 

Being the geek that I am, I decided it would only be fitting to write today's post like a lab report. Happy Incubating! 

Objective: Bake stunning, delicious, flour-less, butter-free Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oat Cookies

Hypothesis: Cookies will be primarily held together by the oats and peanut butter. They will rise because of the baking soda, be chewy because of the brown sugar, flavorful because of the vanilla extract, and appease chocoholics with chocolate chips. 

Prediction: This cookie will become a new healthy, addictive favorite!

Materials: (Makes 30 servings)

• 1.5 tbsp Vanilla Extract (22.5 grams)
• 2 Large Eggs 
• 1 cup Peanut Butter (236.6 grams)
• 2/3 cup Rolled Oats (156.1 grams)
• 1 tsp Baking Soda (4.9 grams)
• 2/3 cup Brown Sugar, packed (156.1 grams)
• 1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips (236.6 grams)

Protocol:

1. Preheat the oven to 176.7 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit for those of us in the US). 
2. Combine Baking Soda and Rolled Oats in a small bowl. 
3. In a large bowl, combine Vanilla Extract, Eggs, Peanut Butter, and Brown Sugar. 
4. Mix with a hand mixer for approximately three minutes, or until the batter matches this picture: 
   
   5. Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl. 
   6. Mix in the dry ingredients with a spoon until the batter is relatively homogeneous (completely mixed). 
   7. Fold in chocolate chips using the same technique. 
   8. Using your hands, roll batter into 1 inch diameter balls and place approximately an inch away from all other cookie balls on a non-stick cookie sheet. There is no need to use butter or oil, as the peanut oil from the peanut butter will allow the cookies to separate from the pan. Do not be surprised if your hands become slick and covered with peanut oil while you form the cookie balls; the oil separates in most peanut butter because the peanut oil contained is not pure. 
   
   
   
   
   
   9. Bake for about 10 minutes in the middle of the oven. The cookies will bubble while the separated oil touching the pan cooks, you will think there is something very wrong, worry not! The cookies expand in the second half of the baking process, and will end up looking like this: 
   
   11. You will know the cookies are done if you poke one in the middle with a fork and it comes out clean. Be sure to observe the base of the cookies as well, to see if they have burned. 
   10. If the smell that extends throughout the entire first floor doesn't cause a stampede of hungry college students, suddenly very interested in your affairs, allow to cool for 1-2 minutes before eating to avoid a burnt tongue. 
   12. Try not to eat them all before lab! (This is the most difficult step...we decided to eat the small pan and bring the full pan to lab.)
   
   
   Data Collection: 
   
   
   The Calories:
   Vanilla Extract- 17 calories
   Rolled Oats- 240 calories
   Baking Soda- 3 calories
   Brown Sugar- 547 calories
   Chocolate Chips- 805 calories
   Eggs- 147 calories
   Peanut Butter- 1518 calories
   ____________________________
   TOTAL: 3277 calories
   
   
   Because the recipe made 30 cookies, each cookie is about 109 calories. 
   
   
   The peanut butter looks like a problem, because it contains a high amount of fat. However, it contains mostly unsaturated fat and a high amount of protein. Regular butter is 100% saturated fat, which is more dense than unsaturated fat. (If you're interested in the science behind this concept, please click here!)
   
   
   Discussion:
   What Went Right:
   Everything about these cookies was so right. They're exceptionally delicious; the class loved them, we loved them, and most importantly, our instructor loved them! Plus, we had a great time baking together and working on our lab. 
   
   
   What Went Wrong:
   The total prep time for these cookies is at most 10 minutes. The total bake time for these cookies is at most 10 minutes. That means from start to finish, 30 delectable cookies can be made in only 20 minutes. Need I say more? 
   Follow-Up "Experiment":
   There's nothing in particular these cookies NEED. This is one cookie recipe that I don't particularly want to change. It's wonderful the way it is and really should stay that way. 
   That said, we discussed the potential of combining them with two other cookie recipes we found: Apple Spice Cookies and Boyfriend Cookies. In the spirit of fall, it would be great to try adding diced apple to the recipe, and potentially caramel. I think these would add to the texture and flavor well.The Boyfriend Cookies contain M&Ms, pecans, a few different kinds of chocolate, and pudding mix. I think this is a bit extreme and eclectic, and would take away from the pure warmth of this recipe that blends together so beautifully. 
   Otherwise, I think it would be safe to exchange the milk chocolate for dark chocolate chips or raisins, if you wanted them to be that much more healthy. Exchanging the chocolate for raisins would make each cookie about 99 calories, so it's only worth it if you don't like chocolate. 
   Final Comments:
   Overall, this was a highly worthwhile endeavor which will be duplicated with a different "experiment" next week...stay tuned for more Lab Reports ;)