Black Bean Brownies (Gluten free, Sugar free)

Lifestyle change.  Sounds better than saying I'm on a diet right?  Many will argue, it's not a diet!  So, that is what I'm doing.  A lifestyle change.  WHY? It's well overdue.  But I still needed a push... okay a big shove.  I got it.  My bongga cousin S is finally engaged and I'm thrilled and honoured she asked me to be co-MoH (along with the other bongga cousin Ice) at her bongga wedding. THE PROBLEM?  The total dress size for the other four in the bridal party will still be less than my own ( 0+1+2+3 < Me ).  Unless I do something about it, I will literally (figuratively and physically) be the elephant in the room.  I have one year.  Help me.

A cousin (I have 53 first cousins #truth) from T dot gave me this recipe about a year ago but I never tried to make it.  One of my main problems was I don't have a food processor.  Super Momma J kindly let me borrow her Cuisinart during spring break and I fell in love with the machine!  I made many things: brownies, muffins, dressings, even quinoa chocolate cake.  One success was these shockingly delicious and fudgy brownies.  It's not shocking for brownies to be delicious or fudgy but when they are made with black beans and are sugar free, yes, it's shocking.  The key was to make sure you process them until very smooth.  Scrape the sides down as needed.  Also, make sure you let them cool completely in the pan.  I love fresh outta the oven baking.  I made the mistake of trying these then and they were um... pastey, beany, gummy...not good. So, just wait.  Cool them completely before trying.  I promise they will have a soft, fudgy texture like you would expect from brownies.

Black Bean Brownies

Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 15 min

Yields: 24-30 mini brownies

Created by: Sonja Secker

INGREDIENTS

1 can (14 fl oz) black beans, rinsed, drained

⅓ cup coconut oil, melted (I used Canola oil)
⅓  cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
15 pitted dates (if too hard, soak in water first to soften)
3 eggs (lightly beaten)
⅓ cup walnuts (chopped – these are optional)
½ cup chocolate chips (get real chocolate chips – again choose organic)
⅛ tsp sea salt (I used Trader Joe's pink Himalayan salt crystals because it's pink)

METHOD OF PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place all ingredients in a food processor except for the choc chips and walnuts and blend until smooth
Fold in chocolate chips (and nuts)
Drop by the spoonful into a mini muffin tray (greased) and sprinkle sparingly with sea salt

Bake for 15 minutes
Allow to cool completely before removing form pan

A lot of chocolate cake

Chocolate cake...I've been on a mission to find chocolate cake that's like what I remember from growing up in the Philippines.  Chocolate so dark, it's black.  Not brown, not dark brown, not even black/brown.  It's black.  Well, last summer my mission accomplished!  My parents came home from their visit to the motherland with this:

Caro & Marie Black Cocoa Powder

I promptly whipped up a pure black chocolate cake using my favourite chocolate cake recipe from Sweetapolita.  It was so black, I had a terrible time taking it's picture.

It was good and not super sweet and very, very black.  But, I found that it lost "chocolatey-ness".  

I made another attempt when my friend, Ms. Physio specifically requested a dark chocolate cake for her birthday.  This one was perfection. Probably the best cake I've ever made so far.  It was SO good.  The cake was rich, very dark, moist, chocolatey and not overly sweet.  The frosting was light, mousse-like and the perfect sweetness to compliment such a rich cake.  I used the exact same recipe but instead used half Dutch processed cocoa and half black cocoa for the cake.  For the frosting, I used Dutch processed because I wanted to see contrast between the cake and frosting.  My favourite part about this recipe is you get to throw all the ingredients in one bowl and mix.  Even if you don't have black cocoa, make this cake and you'll love it too.

Rich Dark Chocolate Cake with Malted Belgian Chocolate Frosting

Yields: 8" 3 layer cake

Recipe adapted from Sweetapolita

For Chocolate Cake:
2-1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon (330 g) all-purpose flour
3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
1 cup + 1 tablespoon (135 g) dark cocoa powder (I used 1/2 cup black cocoa)

1 tablespoon (15 g) baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons (7.5 g) baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons (12 g) salt
3 eggs, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups (360 mL) buttermilk, room temperature
1-1/2 cups (360 mL) strong black coffee, hot
3/4 cup (180 mL) vegetable oil
1-1/2 tablespoons (22.5 mL) pure vanilla extract

For the Malted Belgian Chocolate Frosting:
1 lb butter (4 sticks)(2 cups)(454 g), at room temperature
4 cups (500 g) icing sugar (confectioners' or powdered), sifted
3/4 cup (75 g) Ovaltine Classic (brown in colour)
1 tablespoon (15 mL) pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
8 oz (250 g) quality Belgian chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled
1/2 cup (120 mL) whipping (35% fat) cream

Instructions:

For the Chocolate Layer Cake:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare three 8" round cake pans (line bottom with parchment paper and spray sides with non-stick spray).

In bowl of electric mixer, sift all dry ingredients. Combine eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla in a measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. Add milk mixture to the dry ingredients mix for 2 minutes on medium speed (you may need the plastic splash-guard that comes with mixer). Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. (Batter will be thin.) Bake for 20 minutes and rotate pans in oven. Continue to bake until toothpick or skewer comes almost clean (a few crumbs), about 12 more minutes. Cool on wire racks for 20 minutes then gently invert onto racks until completely cool.

Black vs Dutch Processed Cocoa

For the Malted Belgian Chocolate Frosting:

In a bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine the icing sugar and butter and beat on low speed for about 1 minute.
Add malt powder, vanilla and salt, and beat on low until well combined. Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes).
Add whipping cream and beat on med-high speed for another minute.

Assembly:

Once the cakes have cooled completely, I wrap it up in plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer for about 30 mins.  Alternate layers of frosting and cake and make sure you have a good amount between the layers.  Cover the top of the cake and sides with more frosting.  Chill for at least a hour to let the cake set then allow to come to room temperature before serving.

A Soup and A Cookie (Chicken Kale and Quinoa Soup / Toffee Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies)

Here's a double recipe post for you.  One savoury and one sweet.  A healthy, hearty, delicious Chicken Kale and Quinoa soup and a chewy, nutty, sweet Toffee Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookie.  Yup, I made both today and ate both today, just so I blog this for you.  You're welcome.

Part 1: Chicken Kale and Quinoa Soup

It snowed this weekend.  Like a lot.  I was happy because I really wanted one last blast of the white stuff before spring.  When the snow started I doubted that it would last but the flakes kept coming.  I love snow covered trees and watching snow fall.  The girls were happy...I already fed them, bathe them, coloured, played games and watched some Disney Jr.  I was even willing to play outside again (we played Sunday afternoon) but Little Miss C said no thanks.  So, on a very snowy Monday, I let them entertain each other and while I spent the afternoon sitting on the couch reading (Insurgent, book 2 of the Divergent series) and watching the winter wonderland outside my window.

Front

Back

I felt guilty about my lazy Monday so I told myself to be more productive today (Tuesday)...I digress. My point is: it's snowy, it's super cold and I wanted to make soup for dinner.  I found this recipe because I liked the ingredients in it but I didn't really follow it.  I made my own version.

Chicken Kale and Quinoa Soup

Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: About 45 mins
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 4 pieces of bacon, chopped
• Ground chicken (or use boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 cups of chicken stock (low sodium)
• 1 Knorr homestyle chicken stock concentrate (no water needed)
• 1 cup of baby carrots
• 2/3 cup of quinoa, rinsed
• A bunch of kale
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In large soup pot, pan fry the bacon until crisp. Drain on a plate covered with paper towel, set aside. Remove all but about one tablespoon of bacon fat in pot. Cook the chicken until no longer pink. Remove from pot. Add onion, garlic and bay leaves and sauté until fragrant. Deglaze the pot with some chicken stock. Be sure to scrape all the brown bits from the pot. Add the rest of the chicken stock and Knorr concentrate. Return the chicken to the pot. Add carrots, quinoa and kale. Stir and simmer for about 15 mins until quinoa is cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve in bowls and garnish with bacon bits.

Classic: soup and a sandwich

Part 2: Toffee Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Really, these should be called Toffee Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal cookies but that's just ridiculous.  They also taste ridiculous.  In a great way.  I don't have much else to say.  The name says it all.  This is my adaptation of monster cookies found from this recipe and this recipe.  My house smelled scrumptious while these were baking.  They're great warm and still chewy when completely cooled.  So good.  So, so good!

Toffee Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen large cookies

INGREDIENTS:

3 1/2 cups oats

1 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1tsp cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
½ cup butter (1 stick), at room temperature
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 tbsp maple extract (I used maple syrup)
1 package of Heath toffee bits

1 package of chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.

Mix together oats, almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, set aside.

Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.  Add peanut butter and maple and beat for about 2 minutes.  Scrape down the bowl then add dry ingredients.  

Mix on low until all ingredients are combined.  

Add toffee and chocolate chips and mix until distributed.  

Use a large cookie scoop or form about ¼ cup balls.  

Bake for 8-9, until edges are starting to brown.  

Remove from oven and leave on cookie sheet for about 5 mins then transfer to cooling rack.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hubby is anti-Valentines so I didn't have any big plans for V-day.  This is exactly his opinion of it.

Lucky for me, I have 2 little girls so no matter how he feels, I still get to make a semi-big deal about it.  First, I decided I wanted to do a mini photo shoot with the girls.  Thanks a lot Pinterest.  I buy a couple of Valentine banners, blow up some balloons and make some tissue puffs.  Luckily it was a gorgeously sunny-but-freezing-cold-super-windy day. I bundled up my girls and thankfully, they were happy and cooperative.  Here are a few favourite shots.  

Then I decide I wanted to make a sweet treat for the girls and to give away with Valentines. When my long-time friend Nancy from gottagetbaked posted this recipe, the cream cheese caught my attention.  I thought V-day would be great to time to try because who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies? The only thing I modified is I added the Valentine m&ms.  These damn m&ms!  While Little Miss C was at preschool, I dragged Little Miss L to Walmart, Target, Superstore and Save On with no luck finding them.  Yes, pink and red Smarties were available but I'm an m&m girl.  Thankfully, CJB was heading to America and imported the goods for me.  Yup, that's right folks.  Had to leave the country for ingredients just to make these perfect little cookies.  I don't think you can taste the cream cheese, but it gave it a different texture.  The cookies were cakey, soft and chewy.  I don't like crisp, hard chocolate chip cookies so I loved the texture of these.  But I did feel that it needed more salt (it calls for a pinch) so next time I make them I will modify it to 1 teaspoon of salt.  

Hope you had a great Valentine's Day or Galentine's Day or regular Feb. 14th day!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

Yes, the word cake is there twice.  Yes, there are 2 cakes in this cake.

This is my first baking of 2014.  It's one of my favourite recipes.

I fell in love with red velvet a long time ago, about 10 years ago.  Before it "arrived" in Canada.  Before it was available as a cake mix, in ice cream, yogurt, as cookies or whatever else they're making red velvet these days.  What hooked me was The Cheesecake Factory's Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake.  This is a copycat recipe of that. I tried many red velvet cake recipes and this is the one I liked best and I've made it many, many times. My key to success is to make the cheesecake and cake 1 day ahead and freeze it so it's easy to handle and apply frosting.

It's fairly easy to make.  Step 1: Make cheesecake.  Step 2: Make red velvet cake.  Once cooled completely, pop both in the freezer.  Step 3: Make cream cheese frosting.  Layer the cakes and slather it with frosting.

I made this for an Elmo themed birthday.  It's red and white, a perfect match.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

Yield:12 to 14 servings

Prep Time: 1hr + cooling and chill times  Cook Time: I hr 15 min

Adapted from a recipe by Recipe Girl

Ingredients

CHEESECAKE

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

2/3 cup granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

RED VELVET CAKE (*See notes)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 l/2 cups granulated white sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs at room temperature

1/2 cup vegetable or Canola oil

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup (2 - 1 ounce bottles) red food colouring

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons white vinegar

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (**See notes)

1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened

1/4 c butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Cheesecake

Prepare the cheesecake layer. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place a large roasting pan on the lower third rack of the oven.  Place a kettle of water on the stove to boil.  Line the bottom of a 9” springform pan with parchment paper.  Wrap a double layer of foil around the bottom and up the sides of the pan.  You want to seal it so the water from the water bath does not seep into the pan.

Using the paddle attachment on your mixer, mix the cream cheese until it’s smooth, and creamy (about 1 min).  Add the sugar and salt  and mix for 2 mins.  Scrape the bowl down and add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Finally, mix in sour cream, whipping cream and vanilla until smooth.

Pour batter into spring form and set the pan in the roasting pan in the oven.  Carefully pour the hot water into the roasting pan, surrounding the cheesecake.  Pour enough water so it comes up to about 1” along the sides of the cheesecake.  Bake for about 45 mins.  It should be set to the touch and not jiggly.

Remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan and let cool on a wire rack for at least an hour.

Red Velvet Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line the bottom of two 9" cake pans with parchment paper.  

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt).  Add the eggs, oil, buttermilk, food colouring, vanilla and vinegar.  With the mixer on the lowest speed, beat for 1 minute until blended.  Scrape the sides down using a spatula.  Beat for 2 minutes at med-high speed until thick and smooth.  

Divide evenly between the 2 cake pans.  Bake 30-35 mins.  Cool in pan on wire rack  for about 10 mins then remove from pan and cool on wire rack completely.

Wrap cakes in plastic wrap and place on top of the cooled cheesecake still in the pan.  Place the 3 cake layers in the freezer and freeze over night or at least 3 hours.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Mix together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until well blended.  Add powdered sugar and mix on low until fully incorporated.  Beat on med-high for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. 

Assembly

Remove the cakes from the freezer.  Remove the cheesecake from the pan and place a wrapped red velvet layer on top.  Trim the cheesecake to size.  It's easier while it's still frozen.  Once the layers are all the same size, layer red velvet then cheesecake then red velvet.  Cover in frosting.  

NOTES:

*This cake recipe is fabulous on its own.  It yields 12-15 cupcakes, 24 mini cupcakes.  I've also substituted blue colouring instead of red without a problem.

**This cream cheese frosting recipe is different from the one posted on Recipe Girl.  This one is from the fabulous Serendipity 3's recipe book Sweet Serendipity.  I don't bother with a crumb coat because I like a few red velvet crumbs to show.  If I have intentions to frost it in a particular way like the pink ombre above, I double the frosting recipe and apply a crumb coat.