Tag Archives: Dessert

Decadent Macadamia Nut Cake (Gluten-Free Vegan Cheesecake & Pound Cake Fusion) + DIY Cake Decorating Stencil Tutorial

April 24, 2016 Leigh

This decadent macadamia nut cake is a unique fusion of rich cheesecake and dense pound cake, yet it’s gluten-free and vegan! I invented it on a random whim of culinary creativity with no idea of how delicious it would turn out. I found out that it tastes even better on the second-day… which makes it a fantastic make-ahead dessert for you next gathering of gal pals. Easily decorate it with a DIY stencil and confectioner’s sugar, and serve it with a variety of fruit preserves. Then all you need to do is wait for the compliments to roll in before shocking everyone with the news that it’s gluten-free and vegan. Who knew guilt-free could taste this indulgent?!

Ingredients:

2 cups raw macadamia nuts (or raw cashews… soaked overnight)

2 tablespoons coconut oil (or butter, shortening, etc.)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or other extract)

4 teaspoons lemon juice (or other citrus juice)

½ cup fresh water (or juice)

2 cups Arrowhead Mills gluten-free baking mix (or another baking mix… not just flour)

2 egg replacers (3 teaspoons dry replacer + 4 tablespoons warm water… or 2 whole eggs, or 2 chia or flax “eggs”)

1 ¼ cups confectioner’s sugar (or powdered sugar)

1 teaspoons guar gum (or xanthan gum)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 dash sea salt (= ⅛ teaspoon)

Optional toppings: fruit preserves

Instructions:

Remember to soak the macadamia nuts at room temperature the night before you want to bake the cake.

Drain off the soaking liquid, and blend the nuts at high speed with a fresh ½ cup of water plus the lemon juice, vanilla extract, coconut oil, and prepared egg replacer. (Mix the dry egg replacer well with warm water until it’s a frothy white liquid.) Now add the dry ingredients to the wet concoction, mixing it very well. (For those of you with corn allergies… note that confectioner’s sugar and guar gum are the corn-free alternatives to powdered sugar and xanthan gum.)

Pour the batter into round metal cake tins. (Metal conducts heat better for gluten-free baked goods.) Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until golden brown, in a 350ᵒ oven. (My oven has been running low and slow… so vary the time according to your oven’s temperament.)

While letting the cakes cool completely, find a piece of clean copy paper to make a stencil / template with. Fold it in half, and draw one side of a heart (with the center of it running into the folded edge). Cut this out, and unfold it to reveal a perfect heart.

Lay down the open heart and sprinkle additional confectioner’s sugar over the opening.

Remove the stencil and sprinkle more around the edges of the cake.

Another option is to lay down the solid heart template and sprinkle confectioner’s sugar around it.

This is a great way to easily decorate this kind of cake for a gathering. Then you can top individual servings with everyone’s favorite flavor of fruit preserves.

Make your cake peachy keen by topping it with scrumptious peach preserves straight from Fredericksburg, Texas… the town is known for its perfect peaches! (You can buy these delicious preserves, along with other amazing products from the Hill Country, at the affiliate link in the sidebar for Fredericksburg Farms.)

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. A little birdie told me that a smidgen is ¹̷32 teaspoon, a pinch is ¹̷16 teaspoon, and a dash is ⅛ teaspoon… who knew a pinch of salt could be so technical!

Parties & Tablescapes

Quick & Easy Informal Gathering Fondue Dessert Party Idea

November 8, 2014 Leigh 1 Comment

One may easily spend the fall and winter bouncing from one holiday into the next, and often those celebrations are hosted at someone else’s abode. Why not extend thanks by inviting those friends and family to a small gathering that doesn’t involve candy, pumpkins, or trees. This easy fondue theme can be quickly pulled together the evening before. See my accompanying Quick & Easy Chocolate Coconut Fondue Recipe here. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare just before everyone arrives. It is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free so no one has to be left out. (Just be sure to buy or prepare gluten and dairy-free items to dip also.) An informal dessert party can accommodate a larger number of people without adding more work, which is great not only during the busy holidays but at any time of year.

I chose the warm and inviting colors of purple and green in order to distance my theme from those traditionally used for the holidays. They were a lovely contrast to the ivory dishware and dark brown of the chocolate and leather. Color accents were seen in the throw pillows, trays, glassware, dishes, and even the foliage. It extended to the cloth napkins that were set on the coffee table and lazy-Susan. Adding the rotating tier not only eased food accessibility, but also created separation between the serving and eating areas which was visually more appealing.

Seated on an end table was a painted tray that contained a basket of coordinating napkins in wood beaded rings, a glass holding fondue skewers, and Portmeirion Pomona plates.

I only used the plates with the pear and fig motif because they matched so perfectly, but even pretty paper plates would be fine for such an informal gathering.

Another table held a larger tray with purple bubble glasses and a matching pitcher seated on a wooden riser. An ice bucket was placed on a taller stand behind that. A cloth napkin was draped to preemptively contain any spills. Preserved lavender sat in a painted pot to soften the visual edges.

All of the furniture was rotated, for the evening, in order to accommodate an easy flow. An ottoman and a ceramic stool added seating to the arrangement, without blocking pathways. Pillows in coordinating colors were pulled from other rooms, to temper the masses of brown leather. For a smaller group, one could even pull furniture from the room, and just use stacked floor cushions around a coffee table.

Even the rock fireplace was included as a focal point with the addition of candles on green glass. These were placed at varying levels by means of a trunk and upturned basket. Statuary, a birdcage, and small trees added height and interest. Why not switch accessories for a night?

The serving pieces are actually comprised of two different sets of dishware. The center group is a small fondue set placed on a wooden stand for height. The ring of dishes surrounding that was actually meant to coordinate with a plain bowl for hors d’oeuvres, but worked beautifully to present a larger volume of food. Round bowls would also have been lovely surrounding the chocolate center.

Whether you choose to serve on paper plates or fine china, change up your décor or leave it all the same, bake your sweet treats or buy them at the store… your guests will be treated to a relaxing evening filled with delightful confections and camaraderie.

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

Recipes

Quick & Easy Chocolate Coconut Fondue Recipe (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

November 8, 2014 Leigh

This super easy yet delectable fondue recipe takes about 5 minutes to prepare from ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. It can be made last minute just before your guests arrive. It is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free so no one has to be left out. (Just be sure to buy or prepare gluten and dairy-free items to dip also.) It’s so quick and tasty that it’s great for a family movie night, and you can make it as healthy or sinful as you like with your choice of foods to dip into it. You might even want to make some just for yourself. The coconut is great for your skin, so it’s less guilt rousing than breaking into that stash of Rocky Road!

Ingredients:

~ 12 oz bag vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips (vegan = no milk fat added, but you can use whatever kind of chocolate chips you have on hand)

~ 2/3 cup coconut cream (from 1 can coconut milk, preferably organic)

Instructions:

There are a variety of chocolate chips to choose from, but the healthiest are the vegan varieties because they omit milk and butter fat (artery clogging and potential allergens). They are just as yummy… seriously. Many well-known companies add cheap sweeteners like corn syrup and milk fat solids to trick your taste buds into believing you’re getting more chocolate than you actually are. But chocolate ingredient labels may be used like “decoder rings” to tell you in advance just how authentic the product really is. Personally, I want to pay for real sugar and real chocolate, and not worry about anyone’s allergies.

Use your favorite brand of canned coconut milk to obtain the cream needed. Some recipes will advise you to refrigerate a can overnight, in order to separate the cream solids, but I’ve found that unnecessary unless you’ve stored it in a hot garage or had it in the trunk of your car. I just open it straight from the pantry and spoon out the thick part, leaving the liquid behind. For this recipe, don’t worry about strict amounts. Adding some liquid or using a few less chips won’t harm the taste (which is good because who can’t help “sampling” the chips before cooking).

Using coconut milk means not needing to bother with a double-boiler. Just use a ceramic or nonstick green pot because it helps dramatically with clean-up. Simply spoon in the coconut cream and stir constantly over low heat. It will liquefy when warmed.

Now add the chocolate, a little at a time, until it has melted down. Keep stirring to the bottom of the pot. It will thicken as all the chips are completely melted and mixed in.

Pour into the bowl of your fondue set. It will stay a thick warm dip so long as you keep a tea-light candle lit under it.

You may use any fruit or baked good you like, but please note that gluten-free is an all or nothing situation. Any glutinous crumbs left in the chocolate will contaminate it for any guests with celiac or wheat allergies. If you’d like to have both types of foods, you would need to separate a small bowl of fondue to keep it safely wheat-free. Although it’s become unfortunately popular to chide those going gluten-free, many are doing so without a choice. Serious health concerns must trump jokes made by uneducated individuals. Taking a little time in order to preserve the safety of a guest is a gracious blessing to anyone with allergies, and that concern is worth far more than any store bought gift.

Fruits such as sliced bananas, grapes, cherries, and strawberries are magnificent when dipped in chocolate and are a great alternative to the higher calorie baked goods. It’s an extra treat to include toasted coconut and chopped nuts to spoon onto the chocolate coated confections. (Just remember to ask your guests about tree nut allergies ahead of time.)

Most grocery stores have a gluten-free section, so it’s easy to include allergy free cookies that are ready-made. You can see two yummy varieties from “Enjoy-Life” pictured here. The brownies were quickly made from a gluten-free mix using shelf-stable “Ener-G Egg-Replacer” (1 egg = 1.5 teaspoons + 2 tablespoons warm water). Aside from being allergy friendly, the best thing about having replacer on hand is not running out of eggs, wondering if they’ve gone bad, or having to clean up potential salmonella germs. There are also many brands of gluten-free cake mix that may be baked successfully with egg-replacer. Just mix it, bake it, and cut it into dippable cubes. Or easier still… ask the bakery what they have available. Bon appétit!

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Living Faithfully ~ Embracing Creativity