Pumpkin Mug Cake (oven-free)

I found this recipe online and had to try it gluten free. I am addicted to pumpkin, and sometimes I just don’t want to bake. Well, it’s not the baking I don’t want to do… It’s the cleaning up. This recipe is made in a mug and is ready to eat in 5 minutes. That’s what I call the perfect lazy dessert.

Pumpkin Mug Cake

• 7 tablespoons GF flour (I used 3 tablespoons of brown rice and 4 tablespoons of sorghum)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice
• 2 tablespoons coffee (or milk of your choice)
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 2-3 tablespoons walnuts
• 1 egg

In your microwavable mug, mix together your dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin spice). Mix in your pumpkin and coffee until it’s well incorporated. Then, add your egg. Mix it well and then stir in your walnuts.

Pop it in the microwave for 4.5 minutes (I did 3 minutes like the recipe suggested, but then you are supposed to turn your microwave to 50 percent power for 2 additional minutes. I don’t have that option, so I just microwaved it for 1.5 more minutes)

Be careful, your mug will be hot! Let it cool for a minute and then tip it out over a plate. So cool, right? You could make a powdered sugar glaze, but I just poured some sugar free maple syrup on it.

Delish!

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Carrot Banana Cupcakes (vegan and gluten free)

Well, folks… I have some news. I went to the doctor and have to do another elimination diet to see why I am still so sick. What am I eliminating? Eggs, dairy, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant…. I cried. For an hour. It’s a huge change, and of course happens right in the middle of me discovering my new passion.

That being said, it’s all for the greater good. Hopefully I will figure out what is making me sick! I’m not letting this get me down. I am going to attempt some gluten free/vegan (egg & dairy free) baking.

Now, I was going to use an egg replacer- but here’s where things get tricky. All of the egg replacers I found have potato starch- and of course I can’t have potatoes! This recipe has applesauce and a banana to replace the egg. I tried the finished product when it was still warm, and it was good- but a little gooey. I think it will be better tomorrow. I will let you know!

Whatcha Need:

Preheat oven to 350

¼ c sorghum
¼ c tapioca
½ c brown rice
¼ c white rice
¾ tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
1 c sugar
2/3 c applesauce
¼ c soy milk
½ c vegetable oil
1 mashed banana
1 tsp vanilla
1 c grated carrots
2/3 c chopped walnuts

Wisk together all of your dry ingredients into a large bowl. Make sure everything is combined. Then, with your hand-held mixer add the sugar, applesauce, milk, vegetable oil, banana, and vanilla until everything is blended. Stir in the carrots and walnuts.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and pop ’em in the oven for 21-24 minutes.

Let cool and frost. These would be delicious with cream cheese frosting, but I couldn’t find vegan cream cheese today so I made a dairy free buttercream.

Pecan & Pumpkin Choco-Chip Cookies

Wowsers! These cookies are fabulous. I looked at various recipes to find one that fit everything I had in my cupboards…. It turned out pretty great. My only issue is the baking mix I used is a little “grainy.” Next time, I will use Pamela’s Products Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix… (2 cups) which is my favorite mix so far.

Whatcha need:

Preheat oven to 350… Use a cookie pan that is lined with parchment paper.
2 Cups (one 12 oz box) Hodgson Mill Multi Purpose GF Baking Mix
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix the dry ingredients (above) together..

and in a separate bowl beat together until combined:

1 c. canned pumpkin
3/4 c. shortening
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 c. brown sugar
Add the dry “stuff” to the wet.
After beating well, stir in:

1 c. chocolate chips  (less if you want them less chocolate chippy)

(You will need the pecans to put on the cookie after you have put the batter on the cookie sheet… keep reading, yo!)
Put about a tablespoon of dough on and smooth it down into a relatively circle cookie shape (so it’s even… about 1/2 inch thick). Leave about 1/4-1/2 inch between each cookie “blob” because they do expand some and I’m not a huge fan of having to cut a cookie mass apart. 🙂  Put a pecan on top and press it gently in.

Bake them for about 15 minutes- until they are firm .

Cool (or eat them delicious and gooey). They are amazing with a glass of milk. Overall, these cookies are to die for.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Brown Sugar frosting

I’m obsessed with pumpkin. I crave it in all forms ( lattes, chai, cake, pie, cupcakes….)

I bought 5 cans of pumpkin the other day (which for someone who was a non-baker 1 week ago seems like a big step), and have decided to use one of them on Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes.

The recipe I used (again from Karina’s Kitchen: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2006/10/brown-sugar-spice-pumpkin-bars.html ) was supposed to make bars. However, I made them into cupcakes (so I wouldn’t eat half the cake in one sitting). I didn’t have any cupcake liners, so I used aluminum foil (and it worked!). I baked them for about 17 minutes and made sure to pre-heat my oven the entire way this time. Success!

The frosting isn’t as amazing as the maple cream cheese frosting I loved (maybe I made it wrong?). I will make them with that frosting instead next time or maybe just with whipped cream. Num!

Delicious Pumpkin Cake

It was my first attempt at baking something from scratch other than chocolate chip cookies. (I mean, real baking… Not just the add water, comes in a box kind.) Overall it was a huge success!

I am obsessed with Karina’s Kitchen and her wonderful gluten-free recipes (http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/). I decided to tackle one of her baking recipes and thought it necessary to try something with pumpkin. Thanksgiving is coming up after all, and I’ll be damned if I don’t have a gluten-free pumpkin dessert to scarf down (while the family is eating delicious, gluten filled pumpkin pie)!

I brought this cake to school and everyone loved it. They couldn’t believe that it was gluten-free and many people asked for the recipe.

Here’s the recipe: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2005/12/maple-frosted-pumpkin-cake.html

My cake sunk a bit in the middle which (thanks to Karina and her advice) might have been because
a. my oven wasn’t completely pre-heated (I tend to rush and just throw stuff in the oven)
b. the ingredients were cold, humid, or damp (who would’ve thought!)
c. my measurements were off (once again, I am horrible at using measuring cups and didn’t realize there was a difference between wet/dry measuring cups…. besides the fact that they are easier to use. I’ll learn!!!!)

I highly recommend it. I’m pumped to show off my new baking skills to my family come Turkey Day… My aunt is hosting Thanksgiving this year, so now I just need to figure out how I will get the rest of my turkey fix (and all the necessary side-dishes) gluten-free…. One thing at a time, right? 🙂