Gingerbread cake (vegan)

Source: https://www.cookwithmanali.com/vegan-gingerbread-cake/

• 1.5 cups all purpose flour 
• ▢2 teaspoons ground ginger
• ▢1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• ▢1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢1 cup non-dairy milk 
• ▢1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ▢1/4 cup oil 
• 1/4 cup molasses 
• ▢1/2 cup granulated white sugar 
• ▢1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dairy free buttercream frosting

Source: Vegan Dessert Cookbook

1 cup vegan butter, at room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• Pre-heat oven to 350 F degrees. Spray a 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
• To a large bowl add all purpose flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

  Sift these ingredients together into another bowl. Set it aside.
• To a measuring jar, add 1 cup of non-dairy milk and then add 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to it and stir. Let it sit fir 5 minutes.
• To another large bowl, add oil and molasses and mix until combined. Then add the sugar, vanilla extract and and mix until well combined.
• Now start adding the milk-vinegar mixture (after it has rested for 5 minutes) and the flour mix in parts to the oil-molasses-sugar mixture. Add half of the milk mixture and mix until combined.
• Then add half of the flour mix and mix until combined. Add the remaining half of the milk mixture followed by the remaining flour mix.
• Mix until you have a smooth batter but remember not to over-mix.
• Transfer batter to the prepared loaf pan.
• Bake at 350 F degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once done, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cake has cooled down, frost and decorate as desired.  (or option to eliminate frosting and dust with powdered sugar)

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Protein Bars

Source: simplyquinoa.com

Ingredients

• 1 flax egg: 1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp water
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 1 cup mashed banana about 2 large bananas
• ¾ cup quinoa flour
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ cup hemp hearts
• ¼ cup raspberries
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment and set aside.
2. Whisk together the flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes.
3. Once gelled, blend the flax egg, chickpeas and banana in a food processor until completely smooth.
4. Add the dry ingredients (minus the hemp hearts, chocolate chips and raspberries) and blend again until smooth. Pulse in the remaining ingredients.
5. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips and raspberries if desired and bake on the center rack for 25 - 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Let cool in the pan for 10 - 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.
7. Slice into 12 - 16 bars. Store in an airtight container for 2 - 3 days.

Dark Chocolate Avocado Brownies

Source: skinnyms.com

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, optional almond flour for a GF recipe
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 small eggs
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled & pitted
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray an 8X8 inch pan with non stick spray.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In blender, blend eggs, avocado, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and maple syrup until smooth. Add to flour mixture and stir well. Gently fold in chocolate chips and spread into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before cutting. Store refrigerated in an airtight container.

Lemon butter cookies

Source: delish.com
Makes 24 cookies
These cookies are soft & chewy- not too sweet either!

INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

10 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

1 (8-oz.) block cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 c. granulated sugar

2 large eggs

3 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

powdered sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. 
2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese with sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, lemon zest and juice, vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients until just combined. Cover bowl with plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. 
3. Preheat oven to 325° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough into 2" balls. Place about 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheet and bake until cookies crackle and are set but still slightly soft in the center, 17 to 19 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely; dust with powdered sugar.

Pumpkin Pie Crisp

A delicious twist on pumpkin pie with a cinnamon streusel topping!  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Source: dixiecrystals.com

INGREDIENTS
1 (15-oz.) canned pumpkin purée
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup heavy cream

Topping:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 12-inch cast iron skillet or a medium casserole dish. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and vanilla extract. Whisk in heavy cream until smooth. Pour into prepared skillet and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add melted butter and stir with a fork until crumbly. (Can also beat with a hand mixer until crumbly if needed).
4. Spread cinnamon streusel topping on top of pumpkin pie mixture in an even layer. Bake until the filling is set and the top is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.

Ultimate Flourless Brownies

Source: Oh She Glows Every Day

1 TB plus 1.5 tsp flaxseed meal
3 TB water
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
2 TB arrowroot starch
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup almond butter
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9 x 5 loaf pan with parchment paper, with overhang so it can be lifted out).
2. In large bowl, whisk together flaxseed & water; let sit a few minutes.  Stir in salt, baking soda, syrup, vanilla, arrowroot starch, cocoa, & sugar. The batter will be thick.
3. In separate small bowl measure almond butter & whisk until creamy (best not to use the dry almond butter at the end of the jar... should be creamy).  Transfer to mixture & stir until thoroughly combined.  Stir in chocolate.
4.  Scoop the thick dough into the prepared pan. Use moist hands to spread out evenly. If desired, scatter the walnuts on top & press gently into dough.
4.  Bake for 25 minutes or until the edges start to firm up (the middle will look underdone and sunken in a bit). Let the brownies cool in the pan 20-30 minutes.
5. Place the pan in the freezer another 20-30 minutes (brownies will slice cleaner when chilled). Lift the parchment paper to remove brownies from pan.; slice into small squares.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Makes enough for 2 dozen cupcakes at least

2 sticks butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
3 tsp vanilla

Beat butter with mixer until smooth. Add in sugar & vanilla; slowly mix in milk until desired consistency (add more if needed).

Maple Walnut Bars

Source: Vegetarian Today

Shortbread Crust:
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt

Filling:
1 cup pure maple syrup
2/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350. Make crust: place butter & sugar in bowl and beat with electric mixer until smooth. Add flour & salt; mix until combined. Press crust into oiled 8 x 8 pan; refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. Bake crust until lightly browned, about 20 minutes,
3. Meanwhile, make filling: Beat syrup, sugar, eggs, & vanilla with electric mixer until combined. Stir in walnuts.
4. Pour filling over baked crust. Bake 40 minutes more or until set. Remove from oven & cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen bars from pan. Let bars cool completely before cutting into squares.

Key Lime Cookies

Source: Vegetarian Today

1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs plus extra for rolling
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 stick butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 TB Key lime juice (heaping)
1 TB lime zest (heaping)
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Stir together flour, 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, salt, & baking soda.
3. Place butter & sugars in large bowl and beat with electric mixer until light & fluffy. Beat in egg, lime juice, & zest.
4. Stir in flour mixture; fod in chocolate chips.
5. Scoop dough into 1-TB-sized balls; roll in graham cracker crumbs and place on baking sheets. Bake 11-14 minutes until edges start to brown.

Cannoli Dip

Source: delish.com

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup ricotta
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg

In large bowl, beat cream & sugar together until thickened. Fold in remaining ingredients. Serve with cinnamon-sugar pita chips or broken cannoli shells.

Red Velvet Brownies

Source: Vegetarian Times

Makes 16 brownies

2 large cooked beets or 1 14-oz. can beets, rinsed and drained

• ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup plus 2 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tbs. instant espresso powder
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Purée beets in food processor until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. You should have 1 cup. Set aside.

3. Whisk together butter and sugar in bowl until smooth. Add vanilla, then whisk in eggs, one at a time. Stir in beets.

4. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and espresso powder in separate bowl. Fold flour mixture into beet mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan.

5. Bake 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean. Cool, then cut into 16 squares.

Cookie Cake

Source: sallysbakingaddiction.com

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk1
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch pie dish or cake pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and beat on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Mix in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture & stir until well combined. (The cookie dough will be quite thick). Add chocolate chips and stir until evenly disbursed.
4. Press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden brown. You may want to cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil after 15 minutes to avoid heavy browning around the edges. Remove from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, use a sharp knife or metal spatula to loosen the sides of the cookie cake from the pan and transfer to a serving dish. (Or use can serve directly from the pan). Cookie cake remains fresh covered tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Banana Oat Bites (GF)

Source: Fit Foodie Mama adapted from amyshealthybaking

Makes about 32 small cookies

-1 cup oats (gluten free)
-3/4 cup oat flour (gluten free)
-1.5 tsp baking powder 

-1 egg
-1 mashed ripe banana
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/4 cup raw honey
-2T unsweetened applesauce
-1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325. In small bowl mix together oats, oat flour, & baking powder. 

2. In another larger bowl, beat egg. Stir in banana, vanilla, honey, & applesauce. Mix in oat mixture.

3. Place rounded TB-spoonfuls on oiled baking sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes.

Chocolate-Chili Brownies with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Source: Rachel Ray

Whipped cream by Aimee

• 8 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus extra for greasing the pan
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• pinch cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 TB pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . 
2. Place the chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring until smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove the chocolate from the heat and whisk in both sugars until smooth.
3. In bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, chili powder, baking powder and salt. Whisk the eggs, 1 at a time, into the barely warm chocolate mixture. Add to the flour mixture and stir until smooth. 
4. Spread the brownie mixture into an oiled 13 x 9 pan and bake until set, about 25 minutes. 
5. Meanwhile, make whipped cream: whisk together cream & syrup until mixture starts to thicken. Add cinnamon and whisk until desired consistency. 
6. Let brownies cool 5 minutes after cooking; top with whipped cream.

Cocoa Pudding Cake

Source: Kids Can Cook

3 TB plus 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 TB canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350. In medium bowl, mix together 3 TB cocoa, flour, baking powder, sugar, & salt.
2. In separate larger bowl, combine oil, vanilla, & milk. Stir dry ingredients into milk mixture until well combined. Spread into oiled 8 x 8 baking pan.
3. In small bowl mix together brown sugar & remaining cocoa; sprinkle over the top of the cake batter.
4. Pour 1 3/4 cups boiling water over the sugar/cocoa mixture. Bake for 45 minutes & serve warm.