All posts in Baked Goods

Loaded Blueberry Muffins

 

As you guys can probably tell by now, I am a huge advocate of muffin making. I bake them often, and many times I like to feature them here on the blog. This is because, in my eyes, muffins may be the world’s most perfect food.

They are simple to prepare, they taste kinda like cake, and there are endless variations to be thought up. I could probably make muffins every single day and never repeat a flavor combo even once… at least for a year or so. And I’d relish every single minute of it.

You know what else I love about muffins?  My picky two year old will eat them for breakfast. She has a hard time agreeing to putting anything in her mouth that’s not a “leaf” (kale salads, raw spinach, etc.) or a cookie. Yet, every single muffin I’ve ever fed her has been happily gobbled up–mostly by her, sometimes by the dog. She’s also into sharing.

When I make muffins these days, I like to jam them full of mix-ins to balance out all those leaves. ;) These are typical blueberry muffins with a few extras–buckwheat, zucchini, and banana–added in for good measure.

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Jalapeño Cheddar Bagel

Hey, lovely readers! Happy Thursday! I bring you this bagel as part of a group blogging challenge entitled, Gluten-Free Dream Day at Panera Bread.

What’s a Gluten-Free Dream Day at Panera Bread?

Well, basically a bunch of us bloggers came together and we each re-created our favorite Panera Bread bakery treat into a gluten-free vegan version. Pretty cool, huh? Some very talented folks are participating, and I’m excited to be part of it.

When I was invited to work on this idea with Marly, of Namely Marly, the same genius who brought us Top Ten Sandwiches: Veganized , I was all about it. But, I have to admit…. I haven’t been to a Panera Bread chain in a very, very, very long time. In fact, I think the last time I was in one was about 4 years ago, and that was only to pick up some grub for my office friends’ lunches. I did however get myself a soy latte, and from what I remember, it was pretty tasty.

Once I finally took a looksy at Panera’s menu and realized they had a Jalapeño Cheddar Bagel, I decided I wanted to recreate it in my own gluten-free and animal friendly kitchen. I love bagels… so I thought this would be right up my alley. Even though I had never had the actual Panera bagel, it sounded like something I would totally be into. And, man, was I right.

Chewy, crunchy (once toasted), spicy, and cheesy, this is definitely my kinda bagel. I’ve always been much more of a savory breakfast kinda gal, and I could get used to waking up to this deliciousness each morning with a piping hot cuppa joe… couldn’t you?

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White Chocolate, Raspberry & Sage Tart

Homemade white chocolate, berries from the backyard, and fresh sage from the garden all add up to a ridiculously easy, yet sophisticated, tart.

As I was making this tart (at this point, I had only finished baking the crust) my husband kept begging me to let him try it. So, by the time the whole thing was said and done and photos had been shot, he managed to eat HALF of said tart in about 10 minutes. And he’s not even a white chocolate fanatic like moi. My son and I were equally impressed with how much he liked this recipe; but, given its delectable and slightly minty flavor from the sage, neither of us were surprised. This is a really great tart.

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Lemon Olive Oil Cookies

Friends, today I set out to share a delicious new cashew cream truffle recipe with you, while trying to juggle a multitude of other tasks. And I failed. Miserably. :\ I won’t go into details, but let’s just say my kitchen was definitely a pathetic sight to see.

But! Then I remembered I had this bag of lemons kickin’ around, and the fresh smell of lemon always pulls me out of a funk. So I cheered myself up by baking a batch of these citrusy morsels. And man, am I ever glad I screwed up those truffles; these cookies are really good.

Soft, tangy, and similar to a snickerdoodle in texture, these cookies are a nice treat on a warm summer day — especially alongside a refreshing scoop of lemon sorbet. If you don’t like the flavor of olive oil and would prefer a milder cookie, feel free to sub it out with melted margarine or coconut oil.

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Pineapple Walnut Muffins

I’ve been on a major muffin kick lately; during the warmer months I truly appreciate having portable and easy snacks around. Makes life just a wee bit easier. I’ve also been raiding my pantry trying to use up some of the goodies I’ve had tucked away, and today I found a can of pineapples and a ton of walnuts. Perfect for muffin makin’!

These guys are moist, spongy, and laced with the tropical tang of pineapples and the earthy crunch of walnuts.

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Raspberry Pecan Tart

This humble little dessert turned out to be quite a big hit with my family. There’s just something about toasted pecans and tangy raspberry jam that make for a delectable combo. My husband likened it to an extremely delicious (and much more appealing) nutra-grain bar. Yeah, I can get behind that.

It’s easy to toss together, and even easier to eat much more than intended. This is some addictive stuff; serve with caution.

By the way, there are some incredible double milled GF flours available from Authentic Foods. I was first introduced to the ‘superfine brown rice flour’ by the wonderful Julie Hasson (accompanied by raving reviews of the stuff by miss Kittee). But you guys, guess what? The fine folks at Authentic Foods also make a superfine sorghum flour (oh yes, my dreams have come true!)… and it’s the bees knees. For serious. I have been using it in everything lately, and I really enjoyed the results when I used it in this tart. I highly recommend trying it out if you’re up for a superfine splurge. Otherwise, just stick to regular sorghum flour for this recipe–it won’t hurt anything.

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Simple Rolled Sugar Cookies

I adore Spring, and I am always so excited when the official “first day of Spring” comes around, especially after a gruelingly cold winter. Yet, I never feel like I can fully appreciate the season during the first few weeks as it’s usually still quite cold in my part of the world.

But near the beginning of May, everything is budding and blooming and full of life. It’s a wonderful time of year! This warm spring weather puts me in the bestest of moods, even if it’s raining. And, when I’m in a good mood, I like to make cookies. And then I like to cover them in pastel colors!

We munched on these sugar cookies this past weekend– I think they helped put a little “spring” in everyone’s step!

So, even though it’s slightly belated….

Happy Spring, dear readers!

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Lavender Vanilla Bean Scones

Have you ever tasted a lavender scone?

One of the fondest food memories from my childhood was my first encounter with this fragrant breakfast treat. My mother had brought a box home from work one day–a client of hers had made them for her as a gift. Luckily, she shared them with me. I had never experienced anything like them before and will never forget their wonderfully unique flavor.

I’ve yet to see any lavender scones in the bakeshops around my hometown–especially vegan and gluten free versions. Sigh.

To enjoy such a scone, I must make it myself. But, please don’t get me wrong; I am not complaining. Baking these things in my own oven is pretty much the best type of aroma-therapy a girl can ask for. ♥

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Tartlets

If you peruse the archives of Manifest Vegan, chances are you will find a ton of recipes calling for chocolate and peanut butter. That’s because both chocolate and peanut butter are easy winners in my book. The combo of the two makes for an undefeated champ; add pretzels and you have yourself a legendary dessert.

After I secured myself a nice bag of Glutino brand pretzels the other day (so excited as I hadn’t eaten pretzels in over a year!), I knew they would be the perfect crust for a pb & chocolate tart. If you’re gluten free and you haven’t tried these pretzels, look for them at your next grocery outing. They are so good!

If you too love a good choco-butter combo, make these tarts… your taste buds will forever thank you.

And, if you are feeling not so adventurous with the tarts, feel free to put the filling into small cups and garnish with crushed pretzels… still excellent!

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Irish-ish Soda Bread

There’s not much difference for me these days between ”quick” bread and yeasted bread.

All bread is relatively quick. Now that I’m baking gluten free, I no longer have to incorporate kneading and long rising times into my bread baking endeavors.  I find the change liberating, as I now enjoy making a quick bread much more than I did when I was baking with gluten. Banana Bread: Meh… better with yeast. Beer bread? Only in emergencies. I just wasn’t satisfied unless my arms were about to fall off while making a loaf of bread. Even after I discovered the dough hook, I would still knead my soul into those ingredients–relishing every nuance of my aching hands squishing into the pillowy relief of the dough.

If there is one thing I miss dearly about gluten, it’s simply the kneading of the bread dough. I’ve tried kneading with many a gluten free flour combo–and let me tell ya, it just doesn’t do it for me. With gluten free bread dough, the whole process becomes slightly more clinical. I like to refer to it as the “mix and plop” method. Though, I cannot deny the lazy side of me welcoming this new, less sensual, approach to bread-making.

This loaf is made in the same vein as traditional Irish Soda Bread; the disclaimer here is that the texture is a bit off… not bad, just not quite as I remember an Irish Soda Bread to taste (hence the “Irish-ish”). I should add, in the bread’s defense, that I am actually part Irish. Yeah, I’ll take it wherever I can get it.

The texture of the loaf lends itself more to cutting into chunks rather than thin slices, and is best served slightly warm from the oven. Topped with some margarine, or soft avocado, it’s quite an addictive little snacking bread… authentic or not.

Today is also International Women’s Day! All you ladies–and men who have ladies in your lives–let’s celebrate!