thislittlecookie

I have been on a minor hiatus, baking away up at McFadden Farm in Potter Valley, CA.  I highly recommend their Zinfandel, which is organically grown.  The baking project we are working on up there is full of gluten, dairy and sugar and I have come home for a few days with crazy sugar cravings.  All I want on this rainy Saturday afternoon is a warm chocolate cupcake filled with sweetness and a smooth chocolate flavor.  We have been working with Valrhona 72% Araguani chocolate and it is AMAZING.  We have found every excuse in the book to put chocolate in our mouths and let its delicate, warm flavors wash over our tongues and hearts.  What makes Araguani special is its extra high cocoa butter content and delicious chocolate flavors from beans grown in Venezuela.  The chocolate is described on the Valrohna website as a  blend of Criollos and Trinitarios cocoa beans; A powerfully bitter base with strong liquorice, raisin and chestnut notes. Burnt aromas of honey and hot bread.  YUM, YUM and YUM.  This chocolate is emulsified with soy lecithin and it does contain a 27% sugar content, for those that have allergies, but it is a little taste of heaven.  You can buy your own stash of Araguani chocolate at Chocophilia.  Watch out this website looks incredibly dangerous, proceed with caution.

Here is a decadent chocolate cupcake recipe for keeping the heart happy when the weather is so grey.

Chocolate Cupcakes:

2 cups coconut sugar

1 3/4 cups brown rice flour

1/2 cup arrowroot

2 Tbsp potato starch

3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder

2 1/4 tsp baking powder 

2 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

6oz melted bittersweet chocolate

1 1/2 cups coconut milk or almond milk

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp hot water

Salty Sweet Coconut Almond Schmoo

1/4 cup almond milk

2 Tbsp arrowroot

3/4 cup coconut milk

1 cup coconut sugar

1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut, lightly toasted

1/2 cup roasted and salted almonds, roughly chopped

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 Tbsp whisky or brandy

For the cupcakes: preheat oven to 350 degrees and postion rack in center of oven.

line 2 12 space cupcake pans with liners.

1.  Melt the chocolate with coconut milk or almond milk, in a heat proof bowl over a sauce pan with about two inches of barely simmering water.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.

1. In a large bowl mix together coconut sugar, brown rice flour, arrowroot, potato starch, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Whisk by hand until well combined.  Set aside.

2.  In a liquid measuring cup measure out the oil and whisk in the eggs and vanilla.  Pour into the dry ingredients.  Then stir in the chocolate coconut milk and hot water, fold into dry ingredients.  Fold in melted chocolate and make sure all ingredients are well combined.  Batter will be loose.  Use a large ice cream scoop and divide into prepared cupcake pans.

3.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean or with crumbs attached.

Set aside to cool.

For Salty Sweet Coconut Schmoo:

1.  Whisk together rice milk, and arrowroot in a small bowl.  

2.  In a large stainless steel saucepan stir together coconut milk and coconut sugar.  Over medium heat cook, stirring occasionally, till mixture starts to boil.  Turn heat down to low and cook, stirring every once in a while, for five minutes.  Whisk rice milk mixture once more and slowly pour into the coconut milk mixture, stirring constantly.

3.  Stir mixture sontinuously till it darkens again, gets very thick and smooth and arrowroot is cooked about 6 to 7 minutes.  Remove from heat and beat in with a wooden spoon vanilla and whiskey, chopped almonds and coconut.  Make sure everything is well combined.  Let cool completely and smother chocolate cupcakes with schmoo for an afternoon delight!!!!

P.S. The word "Schmoo" is a technical cooking term reffering to all wonderful things that can be dolloped onto something else wonderful.  I recommend using it as often as possible because it tends to bring smiles to people's faces and raise the amusement around serious foodies.

After discovering I had severe allergies to gluten, dairy and sugar,  I sat down and cried.  Once I did that, I tried to eat a piece of chocolate cake and my throat swelled up and my tummy bloated and guess what, I sat down and cried again.  Then I got really angry and yelled at the chocolate cake and cursed the gods.  Strangly, a calm set in after all of this and I realized "Cool now I get to play with something new, let's see what I can create...."  I happened to be surrounded by people with allergies so I was connected with places like Cafe Gratitude and many new great ingredients like coconut oil.

As it turns out, Coconut Oil is a bit of a rockstar ingredient.  Not only is it a *healthy* fat, but it helps raise your metabolism.  No one has come out and said that coconut oil helps you loose weight, but it is a lot easier on the plumbing.  There is acctually a Coconut Research Center looking into all the wonderful and amazing properties of coconut.  Could this be the Manna of life? Basically, everyone start growing coconut trees in your backyard or when in doubt, eat something made of coconut.

Organic Facts has a great list of all the super power properties of coconut oil.

Of all coconut oils I have been introduced to, I like Spectrum Coconut Oil and Artisana Coconut products.  Spectrum makes a variety of coconut oil products that can take different amounts of heat.  This is important to take note of because when a low heat oil is used in a high heat application it starts to smoke and burn turning the *healthy* fats into trans-fats.  When baking with coconut oil, I only use 2/3 the amount of fat the recipe calls for.  So say, for example, the recipe calls for 1 stick unsalted butter I use 2/3 the amount coconut oil.  Coconut oil comes as a solid.  It can be used as a solid in a creaming method and it can be warmed up over a bain marie as a liquid.  So if your recipe calles for melted butter you can just melt a bit of the coconut oil and substitute it in.  I always stick to the 2/3 ratio because coconut oil is a powerful fat.  You use too much of it and your mouth will be coated for the rest of the day.

On a neat side note, coconut oil can also be used to detox your taste buds, it's called "Oil Pulling"  You can swish around about a tablespoon of liquified  coconut oil and it will pull all the buildup in the pores of your tongue and mouth out. To find out more about the science and research behind this and how to do it properly, click on the link above.

I went searching for information on coconut sugar today and boy did I hit jackpot!  I discovered the world of Mr. Coconut and the great products over at Essential Living Foods.

Coconut sugar has a lot going for it:

• Coconut Sugar is rated as a GI 35. By comparison, most commercial Honeys are GI 55 and Cane Sugars are GI 68.
• Coconut Sugar has a nutritional content far richer than all other commercially available sweeteners.
• Coconut Sugar is especially high in Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc and Iron and is a natural source of the vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and C.
• Coconut Sugar is a 100% Organic, unprocessed, unfiltered, and unbleached natural sweetener. And contains no preservatives.
• This coconut sugar is produced by smallholder farmers. 100% of the money from growing, harvesting and primary processing of this ingredient stays in the local community.
• Through market access and production training, smallholder sugar tappers have risen well above the poverty line and are able to earn an increase in personal income of close to 200%, while maintaining a competitive market price as a cane s ugar alternative!
• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the World Bank has reported that palm sweeteners like this coconut sugar are the single most sustainable sweetener in the world!
• Coconut Sugars are not produced from the same palm species as is used for the production of Palm Oil.
• Coconut Palms produce an average of 50-75% more sugar per acre than Sugar Cane and use less than 1/5th the nutrients for that production.
• Tropical palms are an ecologically beneficial tree crop that grows in diverse, wild-life supportive agro-ecosystems, restore damaged soils and require very little water.
• Coconut Palms are considered the “Tree of Life” by many traditional communities throughout the world as they provide over 100 smallholder accessible products from which to make livelihoods. The production of Coconut Sugar has the single highest potential for lifting these farmers into a better life while creating a net benefit to their surrounding environment.

When baking with coconut sugar you are not going to get the same moisture or sweetness as you would with refined sugar, but it does make for a pretty easy substitution. You can use it as a direct substitute for brown sugar or white sugar, but I would add 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup more liquid to your recipe.  If you are looking for a sweeter flavor to your baked goods, do not add MORE coconut sugar, but mix in a couple tablespoons of honey or one packet of Stevia powder.  I usually get the box of Stevia packets from Trader Joe's.  If you are using the big bottle of Stevia powder just add 1 teaspoon.

Although you can not change the nose and ears on Mr. Coconut like good old Mr. Potato Head I think coconut sugar is a great new alternative sweetner to play with in baked goods, which also promotes good health and wellness!

I am working with a cinnamon roll recipe out of "Gluten-Free Baking Classics" by Annalise G. Roberts on page 38.

 Cinnamon roll dough recipe:

7 tablespoons milk, heated to 110 degrees F

1 tablespoon dry yeast granules (not quick-rise)

1/4 cup sweet rice flour, separated

1/4 cup granulated sugar, separated

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons canola oil or coconut oil

1 3/4 cups brown rice flour mix (see page 6)

 1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter

Flour mix for dough:

2 parts brown rice flour = 2 cups brown rice flour

2/3 part potato starch = 2/3 cup potato starch

1/3 part tapioca flour = 1/3 part tapioca flour

*This makes more flour mix than you will use in this recipe, so keep it in an air tight container in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Cinnamon roll filling:

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar or coconut sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or cardamom or both, optional

zest of one orange, optional

Glaze:

3/4 confectioner's sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

1.  Combine filling ingredients in a bowl and set aide.  Heat milk in a sauce pan and pour into a mixing bowl.  Instead of using a thermometer I just take a small drop of milk and touch it to the back of my wrist.  If it is warm to the touch then I know it is ready.  If you are working in a cool or cold environment then heat your milk until it is very warm to the touch.  Add yeast to the warm milk, 1 tablespoon of sweet rice flour, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar and stir until well blended.  If you do not want to use refined sugar you can use honey, agave nectar, yakon syrup or melted palm sugar.  Cover with a damp towel and let sit in a warm spot for 5 or 10 minutes or until bubbly and foamy.  If you do not see bubbles forming on the surface after 10 minutes then your yeast is probably dead or your milk was too hot or  too cold.  Always have extra yeast lying around.  
2. Mix eggs and canola oil together and set aside.  If you have a sensitivity to eggs you can use egg replacer no problem.  You can also use flax seeds as a substitute. To make a flaxseed egg, take 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds and add 3 tablespoons boiling water, mix and let cool.  To use flaxseed egg substitute do this in advance so they are cool when you need them.  
3. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan with coconut oil or butter.  I also like to add a layer of brown sugar, cinnamon and toasted pecans with small pieces of butter.  This is not in the original recipe, but it is delicious.  You can just double the filling recipe and use half of it in the bottom of the pan along with 1/2 cup chopped pecans or other nuts and 4 or 5 tablespoons of butter in small pieces sprinkled over the filling in the bottom of the cake pan.
4. Mix brown rice flour mix, xanthan gum, salt and remaining 3 tablespoons sweet rice flour and 3 tablespoons sugar, egg and oil mixture in the with yeast mixture.  Use your hands and/or a spatula to bring the dough together.  Mix until well combined.  About 4 minutes.
5. Liberally spread rice flour over surface of a wooden board or table and lightly flour both hands.  Move dough onto table or work surface, it will be sticky.  Sprinkle with flour and gently press into a rectangle.  Then roll the dough with a floured rolling pin until it is a 12 x 8 inch rectangle.
6. Cover the rectangle of dough with melted butter.  This recipe only calls for 1 tablespoon melted butter, but it will take more.  So go ahead and melt about 5 more tablespoons or more.  If you do not want to use butter you can use Earth Balance Butter or even veganaise.  Sounds weird, but works really well.  Now sprinkle the filling mixture over top and you may need to make another batch of filling depending on how much goodness you like in your cinnamon rolls.  I like a lot, but I have learned that if you try and spread too much cinnamon and sugar it all squishes out as you roll your dough into a log.  I also like to add about 1/2 cup chopped lightly toasted pecans.  Leave a half inch space at the bottom of your dough with no sugar which allows the log to seal easier.
7. At this point you can decide if you want to make small cinnamon rolls by cutting the dough rectangle into two 12 x 4 inch pieces or leaving it as one piece.  To make your log, I roll my dough from the top down making my first turn, which will form the center of the cinnamon roll, tight.  Then you roll down and at the same time gently push into the table to get a nice roll.  Then use a sharp knife to cut the dough log into eight 1-inch slices or if using two smaller rolls you will get 16 little rolls.  When using the little rolls you can use a muffin tin or cookie sheet instead of a cake pan to bake them.  Arrange slices in prepared pan of choice (recommended six around the outside of the pan and two in the middle.  Make sure to face the seam side of the cinnamon roll away from the outside of the pan.  Keeps them from unraveling). To maximize proofing, do not let your cinnamon rolls touch in the pan.  Cover with a light clothe and let rise in a warm place until rolls have doubled in size and filled the pan, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 
8. While dough is proofing, preheat oven to 375 degrees.  When rolls are ready, place on rack in the center of the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.  They are cooked through if the middle of the rolls bounces back slightly if you touch it.
9.   To make glaze combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix until smooth and creamy.  Drizzle with spoon over rolls or spread with a knife.  Eat warm.  I think I ate them all in a day.......oh sooooo good!!