Molasses Cookies

Molasses cookies are a Christmas tradition at my house.  The original recipe was passed down to me from my grandmother and is my father's favorite cookie.  I have been making these with my mother since I was a child.  They were one of the first cookies I made on my own as a pre-teen.  

Now many years later my girls love making them with me.  Their favorite part is rolling the cookie dough balls in the sugar.

The only change I have made from my grandmother's recipe is substituting palm oil shortening for soybean oil shortening (aka Crisco) to eliminate GMO's.

I strongly recommend that you double to recipe as these will disappear fast!


1 cup sugar
3/4 cup shortening (Spectrum palm oil shortening)
4 TBS molasses
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger 
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt

Using a stand mixer, cream together sugar and shortening.

Add in molasses and egg.  Then blend well.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt.  Combine dry and wet mixture.  

Using a kitchen scoop or your hands, make 1 inch balls of dough.

Roll each ball in sugar until well coated.  Please on cookie sheet.  Do not flatten.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-16 minutes.

Carrot Cake Lara Bars

I have a confession.  I am addicted to Lara Bars.  Specifically the Chocolate Chip Brownie Lara Bars. I love that Lara Bars use all real ingredients.  I eat one almost every day as a snack or dessert.


While pursuing the Lara Bar website I saw a Carrot Cake version.  However, I have not been able to find it in the stores. So I decided to create my own copy cat version.  It is amazing that a grain free and refined sugar-free bar can taste just like carrot cake.

Ingredients

10 baby carrots, organic
10 large dates, pitted
1 oz raisins (snack box size)
1 cup of whole raw almonds
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 TBS coconut oil (optional)
1 TBS maple syrup
3 TBS almond butter
1 TBS water (if needed)


In a high speed blender or food processor, chop the carrots until finely diced.

Add in dates, raisins, and almonds. Blend on high for several minutes.

Add all additional ingredients. Continue to blend on high speed, scraping down the sides as needed.

Dump contents on to a large piece of wax paper. Using hands or a spatula shape into a square. Refrigerate bars.

Apple Crisp {Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free, and NO refined sugars}

Apple picking at Huber's leads to lots of apple recipes.  Apple crisp is one of my favorites. This version uses no butter, no margarine, no flour, and no refined sugars.  Still tastes amazing!  

Ingredients

1 tsp coconut oil
6 apples (peel, core, and thinly slice)
1 TBS lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
1/3 tsp salt
1/2 TBS coconut flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon

For the crisp-
1 cup oats (gluten-free)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 TBS coconut flour
1 TBS coconut oil

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a large pie plate with the 1 tsp of coconut oil.

In a large bowl, mix together the apple slices, lemon juice, honey, salt, coconut flour, and cinnamon.  Place apples in greased pie plate.

In a small bowl, mix together the oats, maple syrup, coconut flour, and coconut oil.  Spoon mixture onto apples, spreading evenly.

Bake 30-35 minutes.  Apples will be soft and crisp will be lightly browned.

Chocolate Cake {Vegan, Dairy free, Soy free}

This is the easiest chocolate cake you will ever make!  Just as simple as opening up a boxed cake mix and much healthier!  Plus I bet you have all the necessary ingredients in your pantry right now!

Have you looked at the ingredients list from a Duncan Hines Classic Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix recently?  And don't think that Pilsbury or Betty Crocker's products are any better.
Ingredients- Duncan Hines Classic Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix

Sugar, Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Vegetable Oil Shortening (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Propylene Glycol Mono- And Diesters Of Fats, Mono- And Diglycerides), Cocoa Powder Processed With Alkali, Dextrose, Leavening (Sodium Bicarbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate). Contains 2% Or Less Of: Wheat Starch, Salt, Polyglycerol Esters Of Fatty Acids, Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum.

The number one ingredient is sugar! Yes, my recipe has sugar too but not nearly as much. They use partially hydrogenated soybean oil which comes from GMO soybeans. There is large list of words that are hard to pronounce like 'propylene glycol mono- and diesters of fats, polyglycerol esters, and cellulose gum' just to name a few. I don't know about you but I do not have cellulose gum in my pantry!

Real food tastes good but is not laden with chemicals and GMO products!

Chocolate Cake

This recipe is adapted from the book The Joy of Vegan Baking.

1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1 TBS white distilled vinegar
1 cup cold water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly oil a Bundt pan or a 9-inch square cake pan.  Or if making cupcakes line a muffin pan with paper or silicone liners.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl.  Mix together vanilla, oil, vinegar, and water in a separate bowl.

Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  Mix in wet ingredients until just combined.

Pour into prepared pan.  Bake cake for 30 minutes.  Check cupcakes at 15 minutes as they cook much faster.

Makes one 9-inch cake or about 12 cupcakes.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

1/4 cup non-dairy, non-soy, non-hydrogenated butter, softened (Earth Balance soy-free)
1/4 cup palm oil shortening
3 cups powdered sugar (approximate, may need more)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extra
3-4 TBS non-dairy milk (chocolate almond milk, plain almond milk, coconut milk)

With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and shortening until smooth.  Add in cocoa power and vanilla.  Then add in powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing at low speed until smooth.  Add in the non-dairy milk one tablespoon at a time mixing at high speed until the frosting is light a fluffy.

Allow cake to fully cook before frosting.  Store unused frosting in the refrigerator.



Allergy tip-  Freeze extra frosted cupcakes in individual plastic containers for a quick treat for class parties or birthday celebrations.  Cupcakes defrost quickly at room temperature.