Raw and Gluten Free Magic Bars & Blog Birthday!

"Happy birthday to my blog! Happy birthday to...oh wow. FOUR years?!" Those were the thoughts that coursed through my mind while getting ready for this post. I cannot believe I have been blogging about my baked goods (and sometimes my life) for four years. It doesn't seem like four years. It seems like two and a half. It's been so fun and cathartic and, well, delicious!

 

I must admit that I was a little saddened to read last year's blogiversary post...and the year before's post...and the blogiversary post from 2009. Besides travelling more (yay!), it seems like not much has changed in my life over four years except for the apartments I live in and my hair. (Which is nice and "long" now compared to when I had a pixie cut.)

(Yes, that IS me eating a fried oreo in Little Italy.)

 

Besides these two things I'm still working the same day job, I still sing operatically, I still run (well, I did until my injury last week), and I still love hanging out with my friends whenever possible. (And sometimes I do more than one of these things at a time!)

It's not that I was expecting some drastic change in my life within the last fours years, and quite frankly I can be very thankful that nothing drastic HAS happened. Whew!

 

But then I realized that one thing has changed (besides me joining pinterest...). It doesn't seem like that big of a deal to me so maybe that's why I didn't think of it right away, but, in the grand scheme of my blog, it IS rather important:

 

I enjoy eating healthy!

 

Yes, ever since Feb, 2012, I've incorporated more fruits, veggies, and nuts in my diet. There are also many weeks when I do a raw foods diet.

 

Don't worry. I still love desserts and still completely believe that life IS too short to skip dessert. But my taste buds have become a little more picky and I prefer artisnal, lightly crafted desserts more than the heavy, super processed, and preservative heavy desserts. The fact that there is an abundance of blogs out there with posts on those kind of desserts makes me feel ok about the lack of them on my blog. (Mind you, I'll still bake them from time to time...especially around Christmas time.)

 

I've actually been enjoying baking vegan, gluten-free, raw,  or just healthy desserts recently (which I'm sure that you, my awesome readers, have noticed.) It's so fun to make up my own recipes as well, like the recipe for this post. I loved my raw and gluten free magic bars so much that I've been making single serving parfaits for myself each day this week.

Besides this "hits the spot" recipe, some of the other recipes I loved/am proud of that I made this last year are:

•Overnight Coffee Loaves I was so proud of myself for making these. They were perfect, just perfect (and even more so when eaten right after they came out of the oven.) I hope to make them again when I have more time to take better photos of them.

•Homemade Donuts This recipe pushed me out of my baking comfort zone which resulted in amazing donuts. Once again, I was very proud of myself for the success of these donuts.

•No Bake Peanut Butter Cup Granola Cookies  These were an instant hit and it's hard to eat just one. I'm currently wishing I had one to eat right now...maybe I'll make a healthier version of them soon...

•Raw & Gluten Free Honey Bunches of Oats Bars I made up this recipe after making my own almond butter for the first time. I was proud of my own recipe and happy with the yumminess of the bars.

•Heart Shaped Italian Macarons This recipe required a lot of attention and I'm happy to report that both times I made macarons in the last year they all turned out to be scrumptious. These heart shaped ones were so cute! Next time I'll try to make some without splits on top.

•Cherry Poppyseed Cake I'll just reiterate what I wrote about this cake back in summer: This cake is so lovely, especially for summer seeing it's somewhat light in consistency and uses cherries. I added a nice whipped cream that helped bring out the flavors of the poppy seeds and the cherries. I highly recommend making this cake.

•"Almazing" Almond Bars I am dead serious about these bars being amazing. I'm craving one right now just thinking about them!

•Cherry Lemonade Bars with Lavender Frosting Thankfully I decided to enter a baking contest this year. While I didn't win, this is hands down my favorite recipe of the year. I made it three times within a week since it was so amazing. (And part of the recipe is mine!)

 

There are plenty more recipes I loved this past year, but these are the ones that stick out in my mind the most.

 

Hopefully my next year of blogging will be just as successful when it comes to baking. I can't wait for another delicious year! 

Raw and Gluten Free Magic Bars (an Erika Beth original recipe)

1 cup raw & pitted dates (I used medjool dates)

2 Tablespoons of nut milk (I used a mixed nut milk)

1 Tablespoon of raw honey

1 cup pecan butter (I made my own - feel free to substitute a different nut butter)

1/2 cup of gluten free dried oats

1/4 cup of unsweetened, dried, and shredded coconut

2 Tablespoons of cacao nibs

 

In a medium bowl, stir the honey into the nut milk and then soak the dates in the mixture for an hour. Then put the dates and the milk into a food processor and process until the mixture becomes sticky and like caramel. Mix the pecan butter with the oats and spread evenly on the bottom of a small square container (about 4x4 inches. *see photo below). Once an even layer is on the bottom of the container, spread the date "caramel" evenly on top of that layer. Then sprinkle the coconut on top of the caramel layer. Then sprinkle the cacao nibs on top of the coconut. Refrigerate for at least an hour and then cut into small squares and enjoy.

Bake well and prosper!

Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Cacao Nibs

Did you know that when you buy cacao nibs they are never ending? At least that's how it feels to me. It's like the chocolate that keeps on giving. 

 

In my kitchen I had an abundant smount of cacao nibs and a couple of ripe bananas. What to make was a no-brainer. 

 

Then I wondered what else I had that I could use to make this banana bread different. Whole wheat and buckwheat flour became the answer.

 

This yummy banana bread was the love child of all those ingredients mixed together (plus some others.) The wheat factor compliments the cacao nibs and creates a subtle smokey flavor.

 

I shared with my next door neighbors. I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did. Maybe next time I'll also add some bourbon to the batter...

Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Cacao Nibs

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2  teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed (about 3 medium bananas)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup cacao nibs + more for the garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add the mashed banana until just combined.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and cacao nibs. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread to distribute it evenly. Sprinkle on some cacao nibs on top of the batter. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Bake well and prosper!

Dark Chocolate Lovers Brownies

I created this recipe because I had many bars of dark chocolate and I had a bag full of cacao nibs.

 

Why did I have so many bars of dark chocolate? Because I was in Duane Reade (a drug store) and they had Sweetriot chocolate on sale for $1! ONE DOLLAR!!! So, naturally, I grabbed a lot. 2 each of 60, 70, and 85% dark chocolate bars. These are organic, fair trade chocolate bars. I should have bought the whole bin of chocolate!

 

After making these brownies with an 85% and a 60% dark chocolate bar I REALLY should have bought the whole bin full of bars! The rich and smokey flavor of the brownie satisfied everyone from the people who needed a sugar kick to the dark chocolate lovers.

 

The cacao nibs were a sweet extra touch that added a nice crunch on top.

Dark Chocolate Lovers Brownies (adapted from the NYTimes Supernatural Brownie)
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (try sweetriot's chocolate)
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, such as muscovado (Erika's Extra Note: light brown sugar works fine as well)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour
2 Tablespoons cacao nibs (or more)

1. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment paper. (Erika's note: This recipe is so buttery I've never needed to use parchment paper.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter and chocolate together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt, sugars and vanilla.

2. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle cacao nibs on top of batter.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in pan on rack.

Yield: 15 large or 24 small brownies.

Note: For best flavor, bake 1 day before serving, let cool and store, tightly wrapped.

 Bake well and prosper!

Raw Almond Joy Macaroons

I suppose I can add this recipe to my New Year's resolution: try new methods of baking/making dessert. The thing is, I'm very familiar with the raw foods lifestyle. In fact, and this might come as a shock to you, I eat a raw foods diet a lot.

 

Are you back on your chair yet?

 

I know. It's a little alarming. Someone with a baking blog who eats raw?!

 

Well, it's true!

 

And I am happy to say that I finally made a raw dessert!

Usually I buy raw desserts to consume. Then I saw a recipe for one that didn't require a dehydrator!

 

I found some cacao nibs and some dates and made these yummy treats. Try it for yourself or make it for your raw foodie friend or a celiac friend since they are also gluten free.

Raw Almond Joy Macaroons (adapted from Oh Ladycakes)

1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or un)

3/4 cup raw almonds
Pinch of salt
8 pitted medjool dates
3 tbsp raw almond milk (or water) (Erika's Extras: I used water)
1/4 cup cacao nibs

1+ Tablespoon of agave nectar

Blend the coconut, 1/2 cup of the almonds, and salt in a food processor. Blend until conformed into a thin constitency/dough. Add the dates and blend until combinded. Add the water or almond milk and continue to blend in or stir in with a spoon when transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir in the cocoa nibs. Coarsely chop the remaining almonds and add them into the mixture along witht he agave nectar. Grab a little less than a tablespoon of the dough and roll into a ball. Drop the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. After 30 minutes in the freezer they are ready to eat. Keep stored in a container in the freezer until they're all gone (which shouldn't be more than 3 days since they're so good!)

 

Erika's Extras: Feel free to reduce the recipe. Easy to do when there's no eggs involved.

Bake well and prosper!