Mandie - safe "Fudge" Pops

MANDIE-SAFE FUDGE POPS

These are the reason I made the Carob Syrup recipe in the first place - so that I could make "fudge pops" for Mandie like I was going to make for the boys.
For the carob "fudge" pops - Put 1-2 Tbsp. of Carob syrup into a small glass jar.  Add safe milk (for Mandie it is Living Harvest Hemp Milk or Pacific Hazelnut Milk), and shake to combine.  I pour mine into silicone molds, like these from Amazon.com and freeze for 24 hours.   This is what they look like when they are done... a very happy little girl!

 

For the boys, I simply chill a carton of Chocolate Coconut Milk in the fridge, then pour it into their molds.  We use separate colors for each child, so we avoid mistakes and cross contamination. A very simple, safe way to help the kids enjoy summer!

Carob Syrup

I found a wonderful recipe for homemade chocolate syrup the other day, and decided to modify it for Mandie, so that she could enjoy "carob milk" when the boys are drinking chocolate milk.  When it was finished I poured it into a clean glass maple syrup container.  It has stored wonderfully in the fridge, and Mandie's loving having carob milk once or twice a day!

CAROB SYRUP

1 cup cane sugar

¼ cup carob powder

1 cup water

¼ tsp. homemade vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp. baking soda

Pour water in to a small saucepan and whisk in carob until dissolved.  Heat over medium heat, adding sugar and continuing to whisk.  KEEP WHISKING and watching the pot as it heats, as it boils over very easily.   Once mixture is boiling, turn heat to medium-low and whisk for 10-12 minutes until mixture is reduced and thickened.  Remove from heat, add salt and vanilla.  After 3 minutes whisk in baking soda.  It will foam quite a bit, but whisk until mixed and let cool.  Whisk once again, and pour into a glass jar (old maple syrup jars work well) and store in the fridge.  Use 1 Tbsp. syrup per 8 oz of hemp or hazelnut milk.   It also works wonderfully poured into freeze pop molds and frozen.  Mandie LOVES it!!!




Linked to Healthy Vegan Fridays     

Harvest Day Cake and Maple Frosting

This cake is my hands down fall favorite, and I often choose it for my October birthday - even over chocolate!!   Steve's birthday was Monday, and we got to celebrate with the kids Tuesday night.  I am not surprised that this is what he chose for his cake.   This cake is very moist and dense and is a fanatastic spice type of cake.  I love pumpkin in absolutely anything, and this is no exception. The frosting recipe is amazingly simple - even after making Powdered Sugar in my Magic Bullet!   The maple is an amazing compliment for the pumpkin in the cake.  I'm sure it will become as requested in your house as it is in mine!

Harvest Day Cake

1 cup sorghum flour

1 cup all purpose gluten free flour blend***

½ cup tapioca starch

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. Hain Featherweight Baking Powder

1 ½ tsp. guar gum

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. sea  salt

1 ¼ cups grapeseed or canola oil

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

3 Tbsp. flax meal combined with 9 Tbsp. hot water (let stand 5 minutes) **

1 can (15 oz) pumkin

¾ cup Craisins brand dried cranberries

¾ cup toasted chopped pecans

1.        Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom and sides of “9x13” pan, or two 9” round pans.  Set aside.   Combine flours, baking powder and soda, spices, and xanthan gum in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

2.         Add oil and flax goo, and  mix for one minute.  Add sugars and beat another couple of minutes.  Add in pumpkin and flour mixture.   Stir in cranberries and pecans.  Pour into greased pans.

3.       Bake rectangular pan for 47-55 minutes, and rounds 38-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and center feels firm.   Cool on a wire rack.  When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar or frost with Maple Frosting.

** May use 3 whole eggs instead of flax, or the equivalent of egg replacer

***Whole wheat or all purpose flours may be substituted for gluten free flours.

Maple Frosting

3 Tbsp. lard*

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/8 cup maple syrup**

Combine all ingredients in your mixer (I use my Kitchenaid) and whip until it reaches spreading consistency.  Sometimes I have to add 1/8 cup of additional maple syrup.

    * Instead of lard you may also use butter or shortening of choice

     **  Instead of maple syrup, you can use milk of choice

Linked to: Third Thursday Blog Hop , Gluten Free Fridays, Whole Intentions Weekend Whatever Linkup,            
LauraGluten Free Pantry Allergy Free Wednesdays
 

Energy Bites - Two Versions

I decided to make Energy Bites to take with us yesterday when we went to the air show in Waukegan.  Of course I had to modify recipes, and I found out that I didn't have any safe carob chips (see previous post) so I did what any good allergy mama does.  I improvised and reworked and came up with two  yummy recipes for energy bites - one for Mandie, and one for the rest of us.  Both are gluten, dairy, corn, and soy free, Mandie's are of course free of palm, coconut, chocolate, almonds, peanuts, oats, honey,  sunflower, etc.     Needless to say, they were a HUGE hit!  I do think that the next time I do the regular ones I may decrease the oats by 1/4 -1/2 cup to add shredded coconut. 

ENERGY BITES

2 cups Bob's Red Mill Quick Cooking oats
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup flax meal
1/2 cup chia seeds
1 cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips
2 tsp. pure vanilla (homemade)
dash of salt

Combine ingredients in a bowl.  Using wet hands and a plastic spoon, form into small balls.  Place on waxed paper to set up before storing in an airtight container.

CAROB ENERGY BITES

1 cup Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flakes
1/2 cup homemade cashew butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup flax meal
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup carob powder
1 tsp. homemade vanilla
dash of salt

With wet hands and plastic spoon, form into small balls.  Let set up on waxed paper before storing in an airtight container.       

To me, these smell like Larabars.  Mandie adores them!   

Linked to: Whole Food Fridays