C&C in the Kitchen

When I saw this recipe on Making Thyme for Health for Flourless Vegan Gluten-free Double Chocolate Banana Bread I knew I had to try it.

Here's what her bread looked like.

And here's mine!

Truth be told, in the chaos of baking with two first graders, we completely forgot the coconut oil, but it turned out totally fine. I did add slightly more almond milk to the blender which was likely to compensate for less liquid.

And there is also a recipe for a plain version that is next on my list (here). Try them both! You won't be sorry!

Flourless Vegan Gluten-free Double Chocolate Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS:
2 medium-size ripe bananas
1/4 cup Almond milk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup unsweetened creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 and 3/4 + 1/2 cup rolled oats, divided
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
Grease or line a loaf pan then preheat the oven to 350°F.

Starting with the bananas and working down to the list to the melted coconut oil, place all of the ingredients (except for 1/2 cup rolled oats and dark chocolate chips) in a blender. Blend on high for about 10 seconds, until a smooth batter forms. It’s okay if it’s not perfectly smooth. You don’t want to over blend the batter or it could become gummy.

Add the remaining oats and the chocolate chips to the blender and stir everything together with a spoon. (I didn't add the extra oats and layered in the chocolate chips once I poured it into the pan). Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. A knife should come out clean when you stick it into the center of the loaf.

Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

C&C in the Kitchen

Last week I hosted a holiday luncheon and cookie exchange, so I thought I would share what I served and the cookies I exchanged. I decided to keep it simple and serve soup and bread. I made two soups, the first a butternut squash, leek & apple soup from My New Roots.

And the second, one of my favorites, Thai sweet potato and carrot soup from The Wanderlust Kitchen. 

I made three types of cookies: 

Peppermint Brookies from Weelicious which were so dang good and were a big hit with the Mini Fashionista. 

Peanut Butter Blossoms from Hummusapien which were equally as delicious. The Mini especially loved helping with these. Unwrapping the kisses and placing them on the cookies was the perfect job for a 6 year old. 

And lastly, I had to include one "healthy" cookie, so I decided on these gingerbread chocolate chip almond butter cookies from Recipe Runner that are paleo and gluten free. I was a bit skeptical of how they would turn out, but they were super moist and tasty (although mine looked nothing like this picture)!

I highly recommend trying all of these recipes! I will be adding them all to my list of favorites. 

C & C in the Kitchen

In last week's "My Favorite Things" post I promised to share what I baked for the sweet swap. You know we're big fans of health treats, but this was no occasion to keep it healthy. And Regan found me just the indulge-worthy recipe - dark chocolate, pistachio, and sea salt cookies from Two Peas & Their Pod. This cookie delivers big time. They have all the components of pure baked goods bliss. 

One of my friends is gluten free, so I had to make sure she could indulge in the sugar mania. If this is your first introduction to The Detoxinista, consider your life changed. She has awesome recipes and the raw brownie bites are no exception. All you need are walnuts, cocoa, vanilla, dates, sea salt, and water! I put mine in the freezer after I made them giving them that little extra je ne sais quoi. 

And finally, while I didn't bake these...they are worth the mention - i.e. a trip (or order) to Baltimore. Hilary brought the most delicious salted caramel brownies from Charm City Cook. I'm not really a caramel fan....until now. These are hands down the best brownies I've EVER had. No joke. 

I saved one for Dr. B...but didn't have enough self control to leave it until he got home. Now I've got an excuse to have them again!

I hope you try out some of these treats! You won't regret it. 

C&C in the Kitchen: Healthy Rice Crispy Treats

It's time for another sweet treat post. You know we love dessert here at C&C, and we love a "healthy" dessert even more.

If you liked my "healthy" fudge recipe, you will go equally crazy for these "healthy" rice crispy treats. I wish I could take credit for the recipe, but I can't. It was shared with me by my friend Robyn (thanks Robyn) and can be found here.

It's really so simple. All you need are the ingredients in this photo, a saucepan, a baking dish and your freezer. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bar

CRUNCH BAR

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

5 tablespoons liquid sweetener (maple syrup, agave, etc.),

1 pinch of fine grain sea salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup rice crisp cereal (I used gluten free brown rice crispies)

PEANUT BUTTER SHELL DRIZZLE

2 tablespoons all-natural peanut butter (or any nut/seed butter of choice)

1.5-2 teaspoons coconut oil, as needed to thin out

1 teaspoon liquid sweetener (maple syrup, agave, etc.)

Directions:

For the crunch bar: Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with two pieces of parchment paper, one going each way. In a pot over low heat, gently melt the coconut oil and then whisk in the rest of the crunch bar ingredients (except the rice crisp) to taste. Once the mixture is smooth remove from heat and stir in the rice crisp cereal. Pour mixture into prepared pan, smooth out, and then freeze for 10-15 minutes, or until the chocolate is solid.

For the PB drizzle: Melt the coconut oil and then whisk in the peanut butter and liquid sweetener. Adjust to taste if desired. Scoop into a plastic baggie. Snip a tiny hole in the baggie and drizzle the PB mixture onto the bar (you can also try drizzling it with a spoon, if desired).

Return bars to the freezer until the PB drizzle is solid, about 5 minutes.

Serve straight from the freezer or fridge. Bars will melt slightly at room temperature so I don't suggest keeping them out long. Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer.

And here is the final result! Tasty and not too terrible for you...my favorite combination!