Guilt-free Baked Goods..Even for the Vegan at Heart

So i saw a special on this bakery in New York called Babycakes. Like me, Erin Mckenna discovered she had a sensitivity to wheat,dairy,etc (although i am still stubborn and eat it). So she's created all these baked goods using everything from garbanzo bean flour and all natural sweeteners like agave nectar

She also put out a cookbook so you know what i am heading to the nearest Barnes for....

or click here to purchase So perphaps this holiday season you can feel a little less guilt, have a lot less allergies (thannnk God!!!) and make that Vegan in your life a little more happy. And if you wantt o know more about the ingredients that are used click here. Most of these can be found at your local Whole Foods or natural foods grocery store. Happy baking!

This Year's Thanksgiving Turkey

so honestly...i hate turkey...ok well i don't completely hate it but now that my father has passed it has never been the same to have a HUGE Thanksgiving feast for just me and me mum. Last year's Thanksgiving was me making Ina Garten's (the Barefoot Contessa's) fabulous version of turkey. It was just a boneless turkey breast with fabulous herbs and white wine.

this herb roasted turkey breast turned out soooooooooooooo delicious. This year though i knew Ina would come up with yet another fantastic way to make turkey interesting and this year i am attempting to make her Turkey Roulade....and of course i won't leave out the cognac gravy. Best thing is if there is just two of you it's the perfect size so you don't end up with a huge bird carcass in your fridge for the next few weeks.






COGNAC GRAVY
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter


1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Defatted turkey drippings plus chicken stock to make 2 cups, heated

1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy

1 tablespoon white wine, optional

1 tablespoon heavy cream, optional

Directions

In a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan, cook the butter and onions over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Don't rush this step; it makes all the difference when the onions are well-cooked.
Sprinkle the flour into the pan, whisk in, then add the salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock mixture and Cognac, and cook uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes until thickened. Add the wine and cream, if desired. Season, to taste, and serve.

Chocohotpots

The weather is starting to get chilly and there's nothing like staying in at night with a delicious flick and a wondrously comforting and warm Chocohotopot. I learned to make these from watching Nigella and they are soooooo easy. You have a nice chocolate cake texture surrounding this steaming molten hot goo of deep dark chocolate and nothing else tops it better then som fresh whip cream. The recipe makes 4 and i like to let the ramekins cool off after i fill them and put each one into a sandwhich sized Ziploc bag and put them in the fridge so all i have to do is pull one out, let the oven heat up and then pop one in and within 20 minutes i have something hot and decadent to spoil myself with. I usually keep them up to two weeks in the fridge....but i usually end up eating them way before then. :)

1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter


4 ounces semisweet chocolate, with 60 percent cocoa solids

2 eggs

3/4 cup superfine sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour



Special equipment: 4 (2/3 to 1-cup capacity) ramekins

Directions

Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
Butter the ramekins with 1 tablespoon butter.
Either in a microwave or in a bowl suspended over a pan over simmering water, melt the dark chocolate and 1 stick butter, then set aside to cool a little.In another bowl, mix the eggs with the sugar and flour with a hand whisk and beat in the cooled butter and chocolate mixture. Divide the mixture between the 4 buttered ramekins. Bake for about 20 minutes, by which time the tops will be cooked and cracked and the chocolate gooey underneath.
Place each ramekin on a small plate with a teaspoon and serve. Make sure to warn people that these desserts will be HOT!

Espresso Worth the $350

Ok so for those of you who genuinely know me..i mean REALLY know me (i'm still working on opening up to most people) you know that i LOVE me a cappuccino. So on my last trip to see the Laker's in Phoenix i had to do my usual rounds at my usual stores...Crate and Barrell being a must everytime (i'm partial tot he one in Kierland Commons). So they had a friendly gal sampling some espresso from a Nespresso Machine. I agreed to try some and immediately i was tripped out at the crema it had on top.

I have bought many an espresso/cappuccino machine and they are such a pain to clean,to set-up and don't get me started on the milk-frother. Well when i found out this machine used a capsule instead of having to use grounds i didn't believe it. The espresso was so deep and rich that i could hardly believe it came from a capsule. Well kiss my grits. Not only that but it comes with a detachable milk frother. All you do is pour the milk in, put it back on the unit, push a damn button and within a minute it froths the milk...without a sound!!!!
Plus it has a separate attachment to just warm the milk and it can do cold froth too for iced lattes (i didn't even know that was possible).

So they have a huge variety of pods varying in strengths and flavors and this machine is remarkable that George Clooney endorses it and even does commercials for it in Europe. What the? So when she told me the price i though for sure i would flinch but when you taste the product you are amazed. With going to Mc Donald's every day i could pay this thing off within 7 months....not to mention the pods come out to 60 cents a cup. For a espresso/cappuccino lover like me??? It's welllll worth the $350. You can get just the espresso machine without the frother but why the hell would you do that! And it comes with a sample of each coffee when you buy it so you can test them out. Yes, you do have to order them online but i still dream about how easy and simple and tasty that machine was. You can get it online at Crate and Barrel or William and Sonoma. The shipping is free and it comes in various colors....and you can order your pods from Nespresso direct. And if something goes wrong with the machine the lady said they will send you a new one. hell I'm sold.Now if i can just convince Santa to go halfers with me.