Here's another flourless cake for those looking for an alternative to almond flour or in search of a nut-free recipe.  My husband and older son loved this fruity chocolate cake.  I was thinking that with a nice strawberry frosting this cake would make a delicious banana split type dessert.

This gluten-free, grain-free cake is quick and easy.  You'll just want to make sure that your bananas are quite ripe to ensure its sweetness.  If you can do dairy, this cake would be delicious with a dollop of whipped cream.

Flourless Chocolate Banana Cake (Gluten Free)Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
3 large eggs, separated
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ cup agave nectar
¼ cup grapeseed oil
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 bananas)
½ cup cocoa powder

1. In a Vita-Mix (or other high speed blender), whip egg yolks, agave and salt on medium for 1-2 minutes
2. Add grapeseed oil and mashed banana and blend for another minute or two
3. Blend in cocoa powder
4. In a bowl, whip egg whites to stiff peaks
5. Gently fold contents of Vita-Mix (or other high speed blender) into bowl with egg whites
6. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and pour batter into pan
7. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes

The inspiration for this recipe came from a Passover feature on gluten-free desserts in Living Without magazine, though that one was a bit heavy on the eggs, as Passover desserts can sometimes be.  This cake (as I made it) is very moist and mousse-like.

In other food related news, this week, we will have a drawing with a prize.  That's right, a drawing.  Everyone who leaves a comment will have the opportunity to win a free DVD copy of the movie The Future of Food, an important documentary by Debra Koons Garcia (wife of late Gerry Garcia). Here is a brief description:

This movie is about the revolution taking place in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America, a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat. The documentary explores the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled grocery store shelves for the past decade. It also examines the complex web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat as huge multi-national corporations seek to control the world's food system.

The San Francisco Chronicle named this a "must see."  I loved this movie.  Michael Pollan makes an appearance in it and it is an all time favorite of mine.  I cried when I saw it, it's quite moving.  If you're interested in food, this is an important movie.

So leave a comment below and at the end of the week, I will put the names of all the people who left comments in a hat (a New York Yankees baseball hat).  I will choose a name from that hat.  That person will be the winner.  I will then contact the winner to obtain a shipping address and send out your copy of The Future of Food.

Update: Check out my Lemon Almond Biscotti post to see the winner of the DVD! Also, per Maeve's comment below the instructions for this dish have been updated.  Thanks Maeve!Similar Posts:

Lee’s Banana Birthday Cake
or Roasted Banana Coconut Ice Cream

Food is politics.  More than ever.  So, imagine my surprise when I found this comment the other day, right here on my little ol' blog saying:

"I love your recipe blog, but really don't agree with your political views or comments.  Try to stay more focused on the food instead of politics. You may keep more friends that way."

I'd never thought of being less than genuine and hiding my views as way to gain friends.  Call me naive, that's one strategy I haven't tried.  In terms of what I write on this site, I share my personal (which are of course political) philosophies and also enjoy hearing other people's views, whether they agree with me or not.

So everyone, I want to thank you for your comments and all of the diverse perspectives.  I appreciate hearing your views, even if we don't always exactly see eye to eye.

In terms of my opinions, I hope you all enjoy what I write and totally understand if you don't.  Of course, if you are a big fan of Sara Palin then this site might not be the most comfortable place for you to hang out, given that I am pretty much a bleeding heart liberal.  And then some.  That's not something I ever have or ever will try to hide.

Here's yet another delicious gluten-free kosher for Passover recipe; it is based on a recipe I found on epicurean.com.  My husband was very enthusiastic about this dessert, eating the crumbs off of the serving plate.  Just a word of caution, this moist tart can be a bit crumbly this is normal and does not mean you've done anything wrong.

Chocolate Walnut TorteNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
5 eggs, separated
½ cup agave nectar
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao
2 cups walnuts

1. In a cuisinart, pulse the chocolate until it becomes a coarse mixture, the consistency of gravel
2. Pulse in the walnuts, briefly, until they are coarsely chopped -bigger chunks than the chocolate
3. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks until pale in color, then gradually beat in the agave
4. In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, then beat in the salt
5. Fold the chocolate-walnut mixture into the egg yolk mixture
6. Then fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture
7. Place in a well greased 9-inch springform pan
8. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, then turn the oven off and leave in for 10 more  minutes, until firm to the touch and golden around the edges
9. Cool in the pan, then serve

This gluten-free flourless torte is another less expensive way to make higher-protein, lower glycemic, nut-free desserts, without the expense of almond flour.  Not that I don't love almond flour, it's still my favorite ingredient!

I'm not sure if this torte would work with yacon, though it might be a worthy experiment.  It might also be worthwhile to experiment with other nuts, if walnuts aren't your thing.Similar Posts:

Almond Joy Chocolate Bark
or Cranberry Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's amazing what you can do without any flour!  I made this gluten free chocolate cake using beets.  Being "Deceptively Delicious" I fooled my husband.  While my children are game to eat pretty much anything I make, my husband is known as the "picky" eater around here.

Because of his strong critiques and my perfectionist bent, I often find myself testing a new recipe four, five or more times.  Though this one I nailed the second time, it was that easy.

As I whipped up beet cake 2.0, I did find myself thinking, "How can I hide this mystery ingredient from him?"  He had scoffed at beet cake 1.0, spitting it into the sink.  "How can I fool him?" I thought as I stirred the batter.  I guess that would make me Jessica Seinfeld to his Jerry.

Though unlike Ms. Seinfeld, I found myself sneaking beets in not to add nourishment (all of my recipes are fairly nourishing with high protein almond flour and low glycemic agave).  I was rather, trying to figure out a way to make a less costly cake.

Almond flour is fabulous to cook with, though pricey.  I wanted to come up with a cake that would be cheaper to make -though do keep in mind that this cake while cheaper, does not offer the same nutritional benefits that one made with almond flour would.

Here's my "deceptive" purple velvet torte.  Enjoy!

Purple Velvet Gluten Free TorteNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
2 ½ cups grated beets
1 cup agave nectar
4 eggs
½ cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup cocoa powder
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the beets and agave to a boil, then cover
2. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until beets are soft
3. Transfer beet-agave mixture to a Vita-Mix (or other high speed blender) and puree on highest speed until smooth
4. Blend in eggs, oil, vanilla, almond extract, cocoa and salt until thoroughly incorporated
5. Pour batter into a well greased 9-inch cake pan
6. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean
7. Cool and serve

My older son has been steadily working away on this blog with me.  He is 10 years old and every week he discusses what "we" will be posting.  He often sneaks down after I put him and his brother to bed, for a blogging session during which we take photos or write copy here.

This week, as I was on a deadline for another project, he decided that he would be the one shooting the pictures of the purple velvet torte.  So, please welcome my new phototgrapher!  He took these pictures on his own as I proofread another document, knocking the camera over only once.  Besides that incident he was a total pro!  Really.

He was however, very disappointed as he "proofread" this copy that I used the word "sneaks" above.  He wanted me to say that we "work together," and I must say, he is correct.  I guess that would make me Heather to his Leta (once her daughter starts reading dooce Ms. Armstrong may have her hands full).

Update: I've edited the cooking time in this recipe thanks to one of the comments below.  The one in the recipe above is now correct and my family is very happy since they are eating this gluten-free torte yet again (since I made it a third time to verify the cooking time).  As always, thanks for your comments!Similar Posts:

Passover Torte
or Chocolate Cake — Coconut Flour Continued

Recently I was paid a visit by the lovely Eve who not long ago gave up gluten and white sugar.  We had tea in my kitchen and chatted about things, oh, I don't really remember what, just that we had such a pleasant time together.  It wasn't really the content of our conversation (that was great), it was more about making a connection.

Eve emailed me yesterday asking for a gluten free Hamantaschen recipe.  While I do have this one from last year, I wanted to create something for Eve that was every bit as tasty, though maybe just a bit less fussy.  I do love my old Hamanataschen recipe, however, sometimes we want Hamantaschen express, also known as McHamantaschen.

And here it is!  Your drive through gluten free, dairy free treat for Purim.

Raspberry HamantaschenNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
2 cups blanched almond flour
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water
some raspberry jam

1. In a large bowl, combine almond flour and salt
2. In  a smaller bowl, combine oil, agave, vanilla and water
3. Mix wet ingredients into dry
4. Chill dough in refrigerator 1 hour
5. Roll out dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper ¼ - ½ inch thick
6. Cut dough into circles (size of your choosing)
7. Make a light indentation with your forefinger in the center of each circle
8. Drop ½ teaspoon of raspberry jam into the center of each circle
9. Fold the dough in to create 3 sides; pinch each of the 3 corners to form a triangle shaped cookie
10. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes until cookies are golden brown around the edges
11. Serve

.  I used a scalloped cookie cutter that was 1 ¾-inches in diameter and rolled my dough to approximately ¼ inch thick; my yield was around 2 dozen little cookies.  It was challenging to get an exact yield as my younger son was eating these almost as fast as I baked them.

Tonight, my older son and I sat and discussed the ingredients list and method for this recipe.  He was not happy that I did not have an exact measurement for the raspberry jam.  I don't. Again, that is really dependent on the size of your cookies and how much of a jam-a-holic you are.

We also talked about the corners of the Hamantaschen.  In some of the first batches I made, the corners opened up during baking.  To remedy this, I pinched them together while still warm and they looked just fine.

In later batches I pinched the dough very firmly and it did hold together during the baking process.  He and I were debating which adverb to use in order to describe how to pinch the dough.  His suggested phrase was, "pinch the dough a little bit more than tenderly."  That'll work for me!Similar Posts:

Linzer Hearts
or Hamantaschen

One of my favorite readers, Courtney, requested this brownie recipe in a comment last week.

Here is what she said, "Can we have another VOTE??  Every post I am hopeful that I might open it up to find your recipe for scrumptious dark chocolate brownies... I am NEVER disappointed by your posts, but I am still hopeful that I may experience this recipe in the future..."

Now that is just too cute.  How could I say no to this sweet request?  Courtney lives in Tennessee and I was fortunate enough to meet her at one of my cooking classes here in Boulder, Colorado.  She has a great website with all kinds of interesting natural products on it.

Furthermore, this is my older son's favorite treat.  Whenever I ask him what he would like me to bake for him, he says, "brownies."  He loves packing these higher-protein treats in his lunch for dessert.

So, there you have it, everyone!  Brownies.

Chocolate Chip BrowniesNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
1 (16) ounce jar salted almond butter, smooth roasted
2 eggs
1 ¼ cups agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup cocoa powder
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao

1. In a large bowl, blend almond butter until smooth with a hand blender
2. Blend in eggs, then blend in agave and vanilla
3. Blend in cocoa, salt and baking soda, then fold in chocolate chips
4. Grease a 9 x 13 pyrex baking dish
5. Pour batter into dish
6. Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes

Makes about 24 brownies

Last spring, I discovered this great recipe from celiacchicks.com which gave me the idea to make treats out of nut butters.  When I coached my son's little league team, I brought either these nourishing brownies, or blondies to just about every baseball game.

I recently discovered a fun website called Flavorista.com.  Low and behold, I checked it out this morning and saw a fantastic write up on gluten-free by the site's author, Barr.  What I liked best about her take on this timely topic, is that she is one of the few mainstream chefs to offer an "outsider's" perspective on the world of gluten-free.  Very refreshing, witty and informative.  Thanks Barr!Similar Posts:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
or Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

We will be making this Gluten Free German Chocolate Cake (and many other dishes) in my next cooking class at the Culinary School of the Rockies, March 17th.  If you want to sign up there is still some space left.

As we all know, there are many ways to make German Chocolate Cake.  An entire chocolate cake can be frosted with a coconut pecan icing as I did a while back in this post.  Alternatively, the sides of the cake can be covered in chocolate frosting while the center and top are smothered with a coconut frosting.  This is what I did in the photo above.

Although this is a complicated and time consuming recipe, it makes a great birthday cake and is perfect for special occasions.

Gluten Free German Chocolate CakeNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
¾ cup coconut flour, sifted
½ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 eggs
1 cup grapeseed oil
1 ½ cups agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. In a small bowl, combine flour, cacao, salt and baking soda
2. In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, blend eggs, oil, agave nectar and vanilla
3. Add dry ingredients into large bowl and continue to blend
4. Oil (2) 9 inch round cake pans and dust with coconut flour
5. Pour batter into pans and bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes
6. Remove from oven, allow to cool completely then remove from pans

Coconut Pecan Filling
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup agave nectar
pinch celtic sea salt
5 teaspoons arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon water
1 ¼ cup coconut oil
1 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 ½ cups pecans, toasted and chopped

1. In a medium saucepan, heat coconut milk, agave and salt, simmer for 10 minutes
2. In a small bowl, combine arrowroot and water to form a smooth paste
3. Pour arrowroot mixture into saucepan
4. Whisk the contents of saucepan vigorously and bring to a boil, briefly
5. Remove pot from heat and very gradually blend in coconut oil
6. Place pot in freezer for 30-40 minutes, until frosting solidifies and turns white
7. Remove from freezer and blend again, until fluffy, then stir in shredded coconut and pecans
8. Spread frosting over cake and serve

Vegan Chocolate Frosting
1 cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao
½ cup grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch celtic sea salt

1. In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate and grapeseed oil
2. Stir in agave, vanilla and salt
3. Place frosting in freezer for 15 minutes to cool
4. Remove from freezer and whip frosting with a hand blender until it is thick and fluffy

If this process looks too daunting, I would recommend making the cake the night before (leave in the pans and cover them with a plate, to keep fresh) and then making the frosting's and doing the assembly the next day.  This will break up the work a bit.

I hope you enjoy this super rich cake as much as we have!Similar Posts:

German Chocolate Cake
or Chocolate Cake — Coconut Flour Continued

Here's a quick Valentine's Day recipe round up for all you procrastinating sweethearts out there (myself included).

I hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day!Similar Posts:

Vegan Chocolate Frosting
or Linzer Hearts

Recently, I created a flickr group so that all of you can share photos of recipes that you make from elanaspantry.com.  I know that some of you enjoy uploading photos to the comments section and I love seeing your shots of my concoctions.  So please, feel free to upload your pictures to the elana's pantry flickr group.  Can't wait to see 'em!

The vegan cookies above are pictured with my cashew milk and were quite a lot of fun to make.  Even more fun to eat.  Here's my story.

I like to cook.  Let's face it, I'm cooking all the time.  It's an outlet for me.  Kinda like painting a wall.  I find the repetitive nature of baking especially soothing.  Combine the dry ingredients, mix into the wet, bake, cool, etc.  For me, it's pretty much the same every time.

I'm not always focused on the outcome of my baking adventures, though I am usually satisfied.  Generally speaking though, it's not often that I get pumped up about a dish I make and become emphatic.

Today however, is altogether different.  These cookies taste so good that I cannot stop eating them --they're slightly addictive, so watch out!

Double Chocolate Mocha CookiesNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
2 ¼ cups blanched almond flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons organic decaf coffee, espresso grind
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ cup grapeseed oil
½ cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao

1. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, cocoa powder, ground coffee, baking soda and salt
2. In a smaller bowl, stir together grapeseed oil, agave and vanilla
3. Stir wet ingredients into dry and then mix in chocolate drops (or chunks)
4. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet
5. Bake at 350° for 7-8 minutes
6. Cool and serve

Makes 24 cookies

These cookies are based on a recipe by my favorite food blogger, Heidi of 101Cookbooks.  Her recipe is called "Triple Chocolate Espresso Bean Cookies" and has candy coated espresso beans in it which sounds absolutely amazing!

I find her blog to be a constant source of inspiration.  Further, in this recipe, I really like her use of ground coffee in the cookies.

Yes, this recipe uses plain old ground coffee in it!Similar Posts:

Double Chocolate Mocha Biscotti
or Chocolate Chip Cookies

In a break from all inauguration news all the time, I present you with these chewy, yet crispy ginger cookies!

Ginger CookiesNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
2 ½ cups blanched almond flour
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground ginger
½ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup yacon syrup
½ cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon lemon zest

1. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda and ginger
2. In a medium bowl, combine grapeseed oil, yacon, agave and lemon zest
3. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry
4. Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough at a time onto a parchment lined baking sheet
5. Bake at 350° for 7-10 minutes, until tops start to crack
6. Cool and serve

This recipe is based on Heidi's "Triple Ginger Cookies" from 101Cookbooks.  I've made them gluten-free, dairy-free and turned them into "single ginger cookies" as well.  Basically, I'm just too impatient to use three types of ginger.  Though I bet Heidi's cookies are every bit as amazing as they look in her photograph and well worth the effort.

Update: In response to many of the comments I've received thus far, I haven't tried making these without yacon, though feel free to experiment; just be sure to stop back here and let us know how your version turns out :-)  I use the yacon in place of molasses (it's a pre-biotic that aids in digestion). Yacon gives these cookies their dark, rich flavor.

Per the questions regarding the type of ginger called for in this recipe, I use dried ground ginger, the kind you can purchase in a bottle at the supermarket in the spice section.Similar Posts:

Many Hands Make Gingerbread
or Chocolate Chip Cookies with Yacon

Update: Please see my new Gluten Free German Chocolate Cake!

When I recently posted my Accidental Mocha Mousse recipe, Samantha requested this German Chocolate Cake so that she and her mother would not miss out on it during the holidays. I am more than pleased to add it to this blog, as German Chocolate Cake is a classic.

Although my boys are in a finicky stage lately, boycotting most of the things I make (even dessert!) they eagerly wolfed down this sweet, rich chocolaty cake.

German Chocolate CakeNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
¾ cup coconut flour, sifted
½ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 eggs
1 cup grapeseed oil
1 ½ cups agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. In a small bowl combine flour, cacao, salt and baking soda
2. In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer, blend eggs, oil, agave and vanilla
3. Add dry ingredients into large bowl and continue to blend
4. Oil (2) 9 inch round cake pans and dust with coconut flour
5. Pour batter into pans and bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes
6. Remove from oven, allow to cool completely then remove from pans
7. Frost and serve

Coconut Pecan Frosting
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup agave nectar
pinch celtic sea salt
5 teaspoons arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon water
1 ¼ cups coconut oil
1 ½ cups shredded coconut
1 ½ cups pecans, toasted and chopped

1. In a medium saucepan, heat coconut milk, agave and salt, simmer for 10 minutes
2. In a small bowl, combine arrowroot and water to form a smooth paste
3. Pour arrowroot mixture into saucepan
4. Mix contents of saucepan with a hand blender and bring to a boil, briefly
5. Remove pot from heat and very gradually blend in coconut oil
6. Place pot in freezer for 30-40 minutes, until frosting solidifies and turns white
7. Remove from freezer and blend again, until fluffy, then stir in shredded coconut and pecans
8. Spread frosting over cake and serve

Serves 12

Enjoy!Similar Posts:

A New German Chocolate Cake
or Chocolate Cake — Coconut Flour Continued