Allergy-free Brownies (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan)

This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, AND vegan.

Recipe*:

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

1 cup potato starch

1 cup rice flour (brown or white)

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.

Mix potato starch, rice flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in large bowl. Blend bananas, oil, and water in a separate bowl. Stir the dry mixture into the banana mixture until blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan.

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and cut into squares.

*Altered version of All Recipe's "Brownies-Allergy Free!"

Basic Sugar Cookies

Recipe*:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature (or Earth Balance)

3/4 cups granulated sugar

1.2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 large eggs

1 1.2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl.

Beat the butter and both sugars in another medium-sized bowl with an electric mixer (or use a Kitchen Aid) on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (appx. 30 seconds). Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until fully incorporated. Slowly add the flour mixture and continue beating until dough comes together, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Divide dough in half, pat into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours).

Generously flour a clean work surface. Gently roll chilled dough about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters, working as quickly as possible so that the dough remains chilled. If dough gets too soft, refrigerate on a lined baking sheet until firm again (appx. 30 mins).

Transfer cut cookies onto an ungreased baking sheet, leaving appx. 1 inch between cookies. Refrigerate the formed cookies for at least 30 minutes. (Excess dough can be pressed into a disk, chilled, and rerolled.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake the cookies until the bottoms are golden, appx. 12 - 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets until firm enough to transfer to rack. Cool completely on rack. Cover with Basic Frosting as seen in the Lemon-Raspberry Cake or Cupcakes recipe (I recommend not adding any of the optional additions seen in the recipe, but rather sticking to just the frosting) or Dairy-Free Basic Butter Frosting.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

*This recipe is from Food Network.

Lemon-Raspberry Cake or Cupcakes

Cake Ingredients*:

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups sour cream (dairy-free substitute: Amande almond yogurt plus 1 teaspoon baking powder)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (appx. 2 lemons)**

2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small pieces (dairy-free substitute: Earth Balance)

2 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest**

5 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For cake, lightly brush 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with shortening, butter, or Earth Balance. Line bottoms with buttered parchment paper and dust with flour. For cupcakes, simply put cupcake tins into the cupcake pan.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium-sized bowl. Whisk to combine evenly. Stir sour cream (or substitute), lemon juice, and vanilla together in a liquid measuring cup, and set aside.

Beat the butter (or substitute) in a standing mixer, preferably with the paddle attachment, on high until light and creamy (appx. 2 minutes). Stop and scrape butter off the sides of the bowl. Continue beating while gradually adding sugar; it should take a couple minutes to add all the sugar. Continue beating until very light and fluffy, appx. 3 - 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the lemon zest. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

At a low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the sour cream in 2 parts, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.

For cake, divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the top with a knife.

For cupcakes, fill in cupcakes. Makes appx. 36 cupcakes.

Bake the cakes/cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (35 - 40 minutes for cake, 30 minutes for cupcakes). Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then turn cakes/cupcakes onto the rack to cool completely.

Frosting***:

1/3 cup butter (or Earth Balance)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 lb (3 1/2 cups) sifted powdered sugar

3 - 4 teaspoons coconut milk

Optional: 1 - 2 containers fresh raspberries

For cupcakes, frost and serve!****

Filling (for cake):

1 1/4 cups sugar

5 large egg whites

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice**

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small pieces (or Earth Balance)

1/2 cup red raspberry jam

Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a mixer's bowl above the water. Whisk the sugar, egg whites, lemon juice, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves, appx. 1 - 2 minutes. Transfer the bowl to a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat the whites at medium-high speed until they almost hold a stiff peak and are cool (appx. 10 minutes). Beat in the butter, a little at a time, until the icing is smooth and spreadable. (If the icing separates, just keep beating and it will come back together.)

Assembling the cake:

Slice each cake in half horizontally. Place one layer on bottom and top with 1/3 of the filling mixture. Place a second layer on top and repeat. Do the same for the third layer, then add the final layer and top it with the frosting.

Serve immediately or set aside at room temperature for up to 2 hours before serving. If refrigerating the cake, bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving.

*This recipe is from Food Network.

**Do this before beginning the recipe.

***From Southern Food's Basic Butter Frosting Recipe.

****Make sure to refrigerate.

Easy Chocolate Mousse Cake* (CONTAINS DAIRY)

Recipe:

1 chocolate cake (either from-the-box cake mix or the chocolate birthday cake)

14oz can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 1oz squares (2oz) of unsweetened chocolate, melted

1/2 cup cold water

1 package Jello instant chocolate pudding mix

1/2 cup heavy cream, stiffly whipped**

In a large bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk and melted chocolate until well blended.

Gradually beat in water and pudding mix until smooth.

Chill in refrigerator for 30mins.

While mousse is chilling, prepare and bake cake mixes as directed. Use two round dishes, each 9inches in diameter.

Remove mousse from fridge. Beat until smooth, and fold in whipped cream.

Chill at least 1 hour.

Place one layer of the cake on a serving plate; top with half of the mousse mixture. Place second layer of cake on top.

Frost top and sides of the entire cake with the remaining mousse mixture.

*This recipe comes from Eagle Brand.

**I altered the amount of heavy cream. The Eagle Brand recipe says to use 1 cup, but I've found that, for a sturdier mousse, 1/2 cup is the right amount. However, if you want a runny mousse, 1 cup is perfect.

Chocolate Birthday Cake (family recipe)

Cake:

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup Earth Balance

1/2 cup sour cream (dairy-free substitute: 1 cup plain Amande almond yogurt plus 1 teaspoon baking powder)

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups cake flour

2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup hot water

Frosting:

3oz pkg cream cheese (Tofutti for you non-dairy people)

2 Tbs coconut milk

2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 square unsweetened chocolate

2 tsp vanilla

dash of salt

Preheat oven to 325. Beat together white sugar, brown sugar, Earth Balance, sour cream (or substitute), vanilla, cake flour and melted chocolate.

In a separate bowl, mix baking soda with water and add to above. Pour into a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan. Bake for 45 minutes.

Frosting:

Once cake has cooled, make frosting to add.

Blend cream cheese (or Tofutti) and coconut milk.

Add powdered sugar gradually, blending well.

Add melted chocolate, vanilla, and salt.

Add food coloring if desired, and apply to cake.

Easy Homemade Brownies

Recipe:

1/2 cup Earth Balance (melted)

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup flour

A pinch of salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9-inch square pan and dust with flour. (Optional: cover pan with parchment paper. This makes removing the brownies - and doing the dishes! - far easier.)

Microwave Earth Balance for appx. 1 minute, or until melted. Mix in the sugar (this can be done simply, with a spoon). Break eggs in large bowl and add appx. 1/3 of the Earth Balance-sugar mixture. Mix well. Add the remaining Earth Balance-sugar mixture and blend.

Add vanilla, cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder, making sure to mix after each addition. Pour brownie batter into pan.

Bake for 25 - 25mins, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Let sit about 20mins before cutting.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you wish.

Optional additions:

As you can tell from my photo, I added a couple extra touches. To achieve my exact brownies, you will need:

1 box of Jello chocolate pudding mix

Strawberries

The strawberries are simple; just wash them, cut off the tops, and chop the strawberries into quarters. As for the pudding, follow the instructions on the box. According to the box, the pudding has to sit for a mere 5mins before solidifying. I disagree; I think it takes about 1hr of refrigeration for the pudding to reach its prime.

Then just lop a couple spoonfuls of pudding on the brownies, and pile a few strawberry quarters on top of that. And voila! It'll be just like in the above photo.

Other common additions include nuts, marshmallows, and chocolate chips.

Never a Flat Cake

The first time I stuck a cake in the oven, my mother cautioned: Don't expect it to rise. Cakes fall flat all the time. Don't be disappointed.

It rose.

And every consecutive cake has risen as well. I've never had a flat cake. Or brownies. If it's supposed to rise, it has.

Enjoy the recipes.