Baking | The Wannabe Chef

Tag Archive: Baking

Homemade Granola Bites

Written on February 25, 2013 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

I don’t believe that things always taste better when they’re homemade; there are plenty of things that I’d rather just buy at the grocery store because it’s easier or tastier that way.

These thankfully are one of those things that taste better made yourself and the recipe couldn’t be easier. They’re slightly soft and chewy—a perfect snack in the afternoon or something to nibble on before a workout. And because you make them yourself you can adjust the flavor to be whatever you like. Personally I’m a fan of almond butter and chocolate chips.

To make these gluten-free make sure you’re using oats that are certified gluten-free. Make sure to mix the ingredients evenly and well to prevent them from falling apart in the oven.

Homemade Granola Bites

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 14 bites):

1 1/2 cups oats
1/2 cup natural almond or peanut butter
3 Tablespoons honey or maple syrup
1/4 cup chocolate chips or raisins
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Method:

Preheat your oven to 250.
In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients until it starts to form a dough. If there isn’t enough moisture to hold the oats together, add almond butter by the tablespoon until there is.
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on a non-stick baking surface.
Bake for 20 minutes until the outsides have browned.
Let the granola bites cool and store them at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.

Homemade Granola Bite Baked

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White Chocolate Almond Blondies

Written on February 19, 2013 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

*National Almond Day may have been two days ago but there’s still time to enter to win an almond prize pack.*

I get asked a lot whether almond flour can be used in a recipe in place of almond meal and vice versa. I’ve never found much of a difference when baking with either one. Almond flour is lighter and finer than almond meal and generally better for light and airy baked goods.

I used a very fine almond flour for these and couldn’t believe how much they melted in your mouth for something that’s grain-free. The almond butter and almond flour together make a great flavor that’s more than your average blondie has.

White Chocolate Almond Blondies Butter

These are definitely on the cakier side of blondies. I would love to figure out how to make them more fudgy, but still had no complaints with this recipe. Next time I would consider making a buttercream frosting to put on top of them.

White Chocolate Almond Blondies

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour or almond meal
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1/4 cup natural almond butter
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
Beat in the eggs and almond butter until fully incorporated.
Slowly mix in the melted butter and vanilla extract until evenly mixed.
Pour the batter into a greased 8 x 8 baking pan.
Sprinkle the white chocolate chips over the batter and gently press them in.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the center of the blondies has set.
Let them cool before cutting.

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Brown Rice Flour Banana Bread

Written on February 4, 2013 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

I’ll be the first to admit that gluten-free baking is tougher than baking with flour. Instead of just wheat you have a hundred different varieties of flour and starches to work with and if you’ve never used them before you have no idea how they work in recipes. It’s a hassle.

I’m always drawn to making recipes that use just one type of flour because I don’t like to have to go out and buy 6 or 7 to make a single loaf of bread. This recipe only uses brown rice flour, which is a gluten-free whole grain flour that bakes well and doesn’t overpower any of the other flavors. You’ll have a hard time telling this bread is gluten-free.

I used Bob’s Red Mill’s brown rice flour for this recipe which is the least grainy I’ve found and has a great texture when baked. In baking, weight’s always the most reliable measure so if you can

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 60 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 loaf):

2 large bananas
4 eggs
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups(240 grams) brown rice flour
1/2 Tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup water

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Mash the bananas until they’re completely smooth.
In a large bowl, stir together the bananas, eggs, sugar, peanut butter, and oil until mixed.
Add in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla, and chocolate chips and stir.
Slowly add the water until the batter has a loose consistency.
Grease a 9-inch loaf pan.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes until the center has set.
Remove from the oven and let the loaf cool before cutting in.

I found my loaf got stale sitting on the counter after a day but microwaving a slice for 60 seconds between two paper towels made it taste fresh out of the oven.

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Lemon Cornmeal Cake

Written on January 12, 2013 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

When it comes to dessert, I love lemon just as much as any chocolate torte or cake. Even though it’s typically a Summer flavor, I think it’s great to end a heavy Winter meal on a light and refreshing note.

Cornmeal is one of my favorite underrated gluten-free flours. It’s made to use polenta and corn tortillas all the time but hardly ever makes it into desserts. The texture is certainly more coarse than your typical flour but it has a charming rusticness to it.

Make sure to find a finely ground cornmeal rather than a coarse one. The cake will bake either way but the coarse cornmeal will have a tougher texture to it once baked.

Lemon Cornmeal Cake

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups finely ground cornmeal
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
3 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk, divided
1/2 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lemon extract, divided
1/2 Tablespoon lemon zest
1 cup powdered sugar

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, sugar, cornstarch and baking soda until mixed.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, 6 1/2 Tablespoons of milk, 1/2 Tablespoon of lemon extract and the lemon zest.
Mix the dry and wet ingredients and whisk well.
Grease an 8-inch cake pan on all sides.
Pour the batter into the cake pan. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is browning and the center is cooked.
Remove from the oven and let the cake cool.
After the cake is cooled, make the icing by mixing the powdered sugar with the extra milk and lemon extract until it’s smooth and runny. If you need to, add 1/2 – 1 extra Tablespoon of milk to get it to the right consistency.
Drizzle the icing on top of the cake before slicing and serve.

An icing is an easy and light way to frost this but you could also make a lemon or vanilla buttercream for something richer.

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Loaded Coconut Cake Squares

Written on January 9, 2013 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

As I’ve been eating my way through yogurt that Chobani sent me, I’ve been trying to get creative on new ways to cook with it. Everyone knows yogurt is a great low-fat alternative for baking so I took that as my starting point and took off from there.

While a good base recipe is essential, a lot of the fun of cakes and brownies is what you put inside or on top of them. Chocolate chips and coconut are among my favorites. These might not seem healthy but with Greek yogurt in place of oil and butter and craisins and coconut filling it up(in addition to some chocolate chips, of course) these won’t do you wrong or steer you off your New Year resolutions.

If you want to make this more of a healthy snack, swap in 1/2 cup of crushed walnuts or slivered almonds in for the chocolate chips. Either way it’ll taste great.

Loaded Coconut Cake Squares

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 8 x 8 pan):

1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup vanilla Chobani greek yogurt
2 eggs

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl sift together the gluten-free flour and baking powder.
Add in the craisins, 1/4 cup shredded coconut, white and dark chocolate chips and mix.
In a separate bowl, mix together the yogurt, brown sugar, and eggs until homogenous.
Mix the wet ingredients in with the dry until the batter is well mixed.
Lightly grease an 8 x 8 baking pan.
Pour the batter into the pan and press down evenly.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup coconut on top of the batter and press in lightly.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the center of the cake has set and the coconut on top begins to toast.
Remove from the oven and let cool before cutting into squares.

Don’t forget to add caramel or fudge sauce just in case this doesn’t have enough flavors going on for you.

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Vegan Rosemary Hasselback Potatoes

Written on January 3, 2013 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

Potatoes are one of my favorite foods. You can mash them, hash them, fry them, roast them—cook them just about any way imaginable(you can also distill them and make vodka but that’s a whole different blog post entirely). And they’re so healthy, too. It’s funny how many times I get asked if I can eat potatoes and if they’re gluten-free; they’re probably one of the foods I eat the most.

Hasselback style is just one more ingenious way to enjoy potatoes. Slicing them creates more surface area for the fat to coat the potatoes and cook in, adding tons of flavor. It also gives the potatoes a nice presentation that’s sure to brighten up a meal.

You can use any oil or solid fat in making these. Truffle oil would be a great way to add an expensive flavor. If you want to use butter or a butter substitute, melt it first before mixing it with the salt and rosemary and pouring it onto the potatoes.

Vegan Rosemary Hasselback Potatoes

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

4 medium-sized russet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon dried rosemary

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Slice each potato about 1/4-inch apart most of the way through without cutting through the entire potato.
Place the potatoes on a baking tray.
In a small bowl, quickly whisk together the olive oil, salt, and rosemary.
Drizzle the infused oil over each potato, letting the oil drip into the slices.
Bake for 60-70 minutes until the potato is cooked through and the edges are crispy.
Serve hot.

Enjoy!

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Iced Vanilla-Almond Butter Cookies

Written on December 27, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

I never understood why Christmas cookies are a thing, why cookies take priority over cake or mousse or any other number of desserts. But in reality who ever has time to sit down for desserts around Christmastime? Between cooking, opening presents, and talking everyone is usually standing or in the other room, and cookies are the perfect grab-and-go dessert for that.

When I think of iced cookies, I usually think of the stale ones from the grocery store with neon pink frosting that taste like pure sugar. I would always eat the frosting(because who doesn’t love pure sugar?) but the cookie usually got left behind. These are far from those iced cookies. There’s nothing quite like a fresh cookie with a smooth and soft icing on top to step up the game for the rest of the desserts.

The almond extract is the special ingredient that makes these cookies irresistible. If you don’t have any it’s worth running out to the store to find. Making an icing that’s part butter adds a touch of richness to the balance out the sweet.

Iced Vanilla-Almond Butter Cookies

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 18 cookies):

1 cup almond butter
3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the icing:

1/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 Tablespoons milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the almond butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt.
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and put them on a non-stick baking tray. Press down on the balls lightly to flatten them to about 1/2-inch.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges of the cookies begin to brown.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool.
Combine the butter and milk in a medium-sized bowl.
Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl.
Beat together the sugar, butter, and milk until smooth. Add in the vanilla and almond extract and continue mixing until smooth.
Spread a Tablespoon of frosting on top of each cookie. Let the cookies sit at room temperature uncovered until the frosting sets.

You can decorate these with green and red or white sprinkles to make them a little more festive.

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Chocolate Cranberry Pavlova

Written on December 25, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Lately it’s felt like Christmas is a week and not just a day. This is a dessert I made a couple of days for friends. It was so good I thought about making it again for Christmas Day.

Pavlovas are a light and simple gluten-free dessert. You just need to have enough foresight to make them the night before so that the meringue can set overnight. On their own they don’t have much flavor, but add anything on top and they become much more exciting.

This dessert has a lot of flavors and textures going on in it. The meringue is crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside. The chocolate is velvety and bitter and the cranberry sauce is slightly chunky and tart. There’s a little something for everyone.

Chocolate Cranberry Pavlova

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 8 hours

Ingredients(Makes about 8 servings)

4 egg whites
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon corn starch
6 Tablespoons chocolate chips
3 Tablespoons butter

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Beat the egg whites in a large glass bowl until they’re frothy.
In a separate bowl, sift together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and cream of tartar.
While beating the egg whites, slowly add in the sugar and cocoa powder mixture until it’s fully incorporated. Continue beating until soft peaks form.
Spread the meringue out on a non-stick baking tray. Place the tray in the oven, turn it off and leave the oven door shut overnight or for 8 hours until the meringue has set.
Combine the cranberries and about 2 cups of water in a medium pot over the stove and boil for 10 minutes with a lid on the pot.
After 10 minutes, drain most of the water leaving just a thin layer to cover the bottom.
Add in the sugar and salt and stir. Continue boiling for 2-3 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.
Mix the corn starch with 2 Tablespoons of warm water until it’s dissolved and add it to the cranberry sauce.
Remove the cranberry sauce from the heat and mix it well until it thickens. Set aside to cool.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a small bowl and mix together until smooth.
To assemble the pavlova, spread the chocolate out in an even layer on top of the meringue.
Add the cranberry sauce on top of the chocolate and spread it out to cover the top.
Serve at room temperature.

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Reese’s Pieces Granola

Written on December 10, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

My favorite thing about this time of year is going present shopping for friends and family but boy does it eat up a day. After going to several stores and eventually CVS for wrapping paper and tape, I couldn’t help but do some grocery shopping and pick up the bag of Reese’s Pieces that was conveniently on sale.

I’ve made peanut butter granola before and chocolate granola but never chocolate granola with peanut butter. That was an oversight seeing how peanut butter and chocolate has to be the best combination known to man. Just think of Reese’s cups and Fastbreak bars and—of course—Reese’s Pieces. I’m not quite sure if adding candy to granola still makes it breakfast food but it has peanut butter so it must be healthy.

This is a great granola to make if you like granola with clusters since the peanut butter holds the oats together. Just be sure not to break it up too much after it’s done cooking to keep most of the clusters.

Reese’s Pieces Granola

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 3 cups):

2 cup rolled oats
6 Tablespoons peanut butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
6 Tablespoons to 1/2 cup maple syrup(or any liquid sweetener)
1/2 cup Reese’s Pieces
1/2 cup peanuts(optional)

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl mix together the oats, peanut butter, cocoa powder and maple syrup. If the peanut butter you’re using is the no-stir kind, melt it in the microwave briefly before mixing it in.
Spread the oats out onto a non-stick baking tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the granola cooks together.
Remove from the oven and break the granola into clusters using a utensil.
Let the granola cool completely before adding in the Reese’s Pieces.
Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.

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Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes

Written on December 2, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert, Recipe Round-Up

I’m starting to get the impression that I’ll be craving cookies all December. They’re the perfect dessert to end a meal because they aren’t too decadent or messy but still delicious. I’m always drawn to peanut butter cookies; then again I’m drawn to peanut butter anything.

These are a few of my favorite peanut butter cookies I’ve made before that are tried and true. I’ll be doing a lot of baking over the holidays and I’m sure I’ll need one or a few of these recipes. I hope other people can enjoy them, too.

Chewy Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies. I only made these for the first time 2 weeks ago but I’m hooked. The combination of texture and flavor is perfect for a peanut butter cookie. These are the good ol’-fashioned kind.

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies. If anything makes peanut butter cookies better it’s undoubtedly chocolate. So why not use chocolate peanut butter? A perfect mix.

Quadruple Peanut Cookies. You have to know a recipe’s going to be good when it involves Reese’s Pieces and peanut butter chips.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Macaroons. I haven’t made these in over a year which is a crying shame. They’re probably one of the easiest to make for beginning bakers and they’re vegan and gluten-free.

Egg-Free Peanut Butter Cookies. These are certainly less hearty than the other cookies and more airy. They’re the best for making sandwich cookies with a thick layer of peanut butter buttercream in the middle.

TGIChristmas Cookie Season

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