The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking (24 page)

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Authors: Peter Reinhart

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Cocoa-Nut Brownies
,
Pumpkin and Pumpkin Seed Blondies

Cocoa-Nut Brownies

MAKES 12 BROWNIES

There is nothing quite like the satisfaction of biting into a warm chocolate brownie, and this recipe makes a wonderful, guilt-free version. For added indulgence, serve these brownies with sugar-free ice cream. Or win some popularity points by packing them into bagged lunches—including your own! Note that this recipe is written to use unsweetened chocolate soy milk or almond milk. If you happen to find a sugar-free sweetened chocolate milk, or if sugar isn’t an issue and you use sweetened chocolate milk, omit the liquid stevia.

2 cups (8 oz / 227 g)
pecan flour

1 cup (4 oz / 113 g) almond flour

2 cups Splenda or Stevia Extract in the Raw, or ½ cup New Roots Stevia Sugar

½ cup (1.5 oz / 43 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 eggs (5.25 oz / 149 g)

½ cup (4 oz / 113 g) unsweetened chocolate soy milk or chocolate almond milk

¼ cup (2 oz / 57 g) salted butter or margarine, melted

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon liquid stevia

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, then mist the pan with spray oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the pecan flour, almond flour, Splenda, cocoa powder, and baking powder and whisk until well mixed. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, soy milk, butter, vanilla, and liquid stevia together until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture and whisk or stir with a large spoon until all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated to make a smooth, sticky batter (see
Using Texture as a Guide
).

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, spreading it in an even layer if need be. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate and bake for 10 minutes, until the brownies are just slightly springy but still jiggly when pressed gently in the center. If you like fudgy brownies, remove them from the oven at this point. If you prefer them to be more cakelike, continue baking for a few more minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the brownies comes out clean.

Let the brownies cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes. You can either cut the brownies in the pan, or transfer the whole piece to a cutting board before cutting. Cut them in a 3 by 4 grid, to yield 12 brownies.

VARIATIONS

Nutty Brownies:
For another layer of texture and flavor, add ½ cup (1.75 oz / 50 g) pecans or walnuts, lightly
toasted
and chopped, when mixing the dry ingredients.

Chocolate-Glazed Brownies:
Once the brownies are completely cool, spread
Chocolate Glaze
evenly over the top.

Pumpkin and Pumpkin Seed Blondies

MAKES 9 LARGE OR 16 SMALL BLONDIES

These spiced bar cookies have the consistency of a chewy brownie, but without the cocoa. To up the flavor factor, serve them with a dollop of
Sugar-Free Whipped Cream
and a dusting of ground cinnamon.

1½ cups (6 oz / 170 g) hazelnut flour

½ cup (2 oz / 57 g)
pecan flour

1½ cups Splenda or Stevia Extract in the Raw, or ¾ cup New Roots Stevia Sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cloves (optional)

2 eggs (3.5 oz / 99 g)

1 can (15 oz / 425 g) unsweetened pumpkin puree

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup (3 oz / 85 g) coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, lightly
toasted

Preheat the oven to 360°F (182°C). Line the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, then mist the pan with spray oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the hazelnut flour, pecan flour, sweetener, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves and whisk until well mixed. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla together until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for 1 to 2 minutes to make a smooth, sticky batter (see
Using Texture as a Guide
). Fold in the pumpkin seeds.

Use a spoon or rubber spatula to transfer the batter to the prepared pan, then spread it in an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes, then rotate the dish and bake for about 30 more minutes, until springy when pressed in the center and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the blondies comes out clean.

Let the blondies cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes. (You can either cut the blondies in the pan or transfer the whole piece to a cutting board first.) Cut into 9 large squares or 16 small squares and serve.

VARIATIONS

Blondies with Cream Cheese Frosting:
Once the blondies are completely cool, spread
Cream Cheese Frosting
evenly over the top.

Blondie Ice Cream Sandwiches:
For a treat kids of all ages will enjoy, slice a blondie horizontally, then put a small scoop of slightly softened sugar-free ice cream between the 2 halves. Press gently to distribute the ice cream. Place back into the freezer for 10 minutes, then serve. While you’re at it, make a few and store them in the freezer for those times when you need a special treat.

Tip:
Toasting Seeds and Nuts

Here’s an easy way to toast pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds: Preheat the broiler. Spread the seeds on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer and toast them on the lowest rack of the oven for just 2 to 3 minutes. (Nuts may take a bit longer.) Watch them closely, as they can easily burn. When they get just a bit darker and smell aromatic, they’re done. You can also toast seeds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until they start to pop. Keep stirring them or shaking the pan for a minute or two, until the pan cools down, or transfer the seeds to a bowl or other container to stop the cooking process.

Hazelnut-Coconut Coffee Cake

MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

In this cake, a double dose of coconut flavor from both coconut flakes and coconut milk nicely complements the flavor of the hazelnut flour. All cakes are good with a cup of coffee, but that’s particularly true of this one. It’s also wonderful with a dollop of
Sugar-Free Whipped Cream
or a scoop of sugar-free coffee ice cream.

3 cups (12 oz / 340 g) hazelnut flour, plus more for dusting the pan

1½ cups Splenda or Stevia Extract in the Raw, or ¾ cup New Roots Stevia Sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon xanthan gum

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup (1.85 oz / 52 g) unsweetened coconut flakes,
toasted

4 eggs (7 oz / 198 g)

1 cup (8 oz / 227 g) unsweetened coconut milk or any type of milk

¼ cup (2 oz / 57 g) salted butter or margarine, melted

½ teaspoon liquid stevia

Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C).
Grease
a Bundt pan entirely with butter or margarine and place it in the freezer.

In a medium bowl, combine the hazelnut flour, Splenda, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt and whisk until well mixed. Stir in the coconut flakes. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, coconut milk, butter, and liquid stevia together until thoroughly combined. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for 1 to 2 minutes to make a thick, sticky batter (see
Using Texture as a Guide
).

Remove your prepared pan from the freezer, then dust the entire inner surface with hazelnut flour. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and jiggle it to evenly distribute the batter into every nook and cranny. Bake for 30 minutes, then rotate and bake for about 25 minutes, until springy when pressed in the center and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack. Let cool for at least 20 more minutes before slicing and serving.

VARIATION

Nutty Coconut Coffee Cake:
To add more texture to the cake, stir in ½ cup (about 2.5 oz / 71 g) of almonds or hazelnuts, lightly
toasted
and chopped, when you stir in the coconut flakes.

Very Vanilla Coffee Cake with Nut Streusel

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Vanilla must be the most beloved flavor and aroma in the world, and this coffee cake delivers it in full force. A springform tube pan is best here, but if you don’t have one, you can use a Bundt pan or a regular tube pan.

3 cups (12 oz / 340 g) almond flour, plus more for dusting the pan

1 cup (4 oz / 113 g)
pecan flour, walnut flour, or hazelnut flour

2 cups Splenda or Stevia Extract in the Raw, or 1 cup New Roots Stevia Sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

5 eggs (8.75 oz / 248 g)

1 cup (8 oz / 227 g) unsweetened soy milk or other milk

¼ cup (2 oz / 57 g) salted butter or margarine, melted

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon liquid stevia

Streusel Topping

1 cup pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds, lightly
toasted
and coarsely chopped

¼ cup Splenda, Stevia Extract in the Raw, Truvia, or ZSweet, or 2 tablespoons New Roots Stevia Sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
Grease
a springform tube pan entirely with butter or margarine and place it in the freezer.

In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, pecan flour, Splenda, baking powder, and salt and whisk until well mixed. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, butter, vanilla, and liquid stevia together until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for 1 to 2 minutes to make a thick, sticky batter (see
Using Texture as a Guide
).

Remove your prepared pan from the freezer, then dust the entire inner surface with almond flour. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

To make the topping, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter, then lightly press the chopped nuts to embed them.

Bake for 30 minutes, then rotate and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and springy when pressed in the center and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove the outer ring. Let cool for at least 15 more minutes before slicing and serving.
Note:
If using a Bundt pan or tube pan rather than a springform pan, invert the pan onto a platter or wire rack after the first 5 minutes of cooling. Let it cool for 15 more minutes before carefully removing the pan, then let it cool for at least 15 more minutes before slicing and serving.

VARIATION

Caffe Latte Coffee Cake:
Add up to 1 tablespoon of instant coffee crystals when mixing the dry ingredients.

Vanilla Coffee Cake with Yogurt Topping:
Spread plain yogurt over the cake after it cools; the tanginess of the yogurt provides a wonderful flavor contrast to the sweetness of the cake. If you plan to use this topping, the streusel is optional.

Cinnamon-Raisin Coffee Cake

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

This delicious coffee cake is extremely easy to make. If you’re sensitive to the sugar in dried fruit, stick with just ¼ cup (1.25 oz / 35 g) of raisins; if not, you can increase the amount to as much as 1 cup (5 oz / 142 g). Also, feel free to substitute dried cranberries or other dried fruit for the raisins.

2 cups (8 oz / 227 g) hazelnut flour

2 cups (8 oz / 227 g) almond flour, plus more for dusting the pan

½ cup Splenda or Stevia Extract in the Raw, or ¼ cup New Roots Stevia Sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ to 1 cup (1.25 to 5 oz / 35 to 142 g) raisins, depending on sugar sensitivity

4 eggs (7 oz / 198 g)

¾ cup (6 oz / 170 g) unsweetened soy milk or other milk

¼ cup (2 oz / 57 g) salted butter or margarine, melted

2½ teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon liquid stevia