Honey Macadamia Banana Breakfast Bake

I've been on vacation for a bit.  Did you miss me?  Even though I didn't blog while vacationing,  I spent plenty of time coming up with new baking ideas and scouting out fun food finds I'm excited to share with you.

The first few finds come from Paradise Meadows Farm.  While on the Big Island of Hawaii, we went on a tour at Paradise Meadows.  I'm fascinated by the aquaponics system they are using to grow greens and many other edibles!  We were treated to a honey, macadamia and coffee tasting while at the farm and I brought back lots of goodies to bake with.  In today's recipe, I'm using macadamias and honey.  I'm glad I can order more on-line. The cinnamon bun macadamias, as I was warned by the folks on the farm, are addictive! I hope to tell you more about our farm visit soon, it was a highlight of the trip.

Oh, one other quick thing before I share the recipe.  I was torn about whether I should post this here at 52 Sweets or over on my non-sweet blog Johnna 52.  I chose to share it here because it's pretty darned sweet.  If you want to make this more savory, use a non-sweetened nut and add a sprinkle of breakfast protein, like a tempeh sausage or coconut bacon crumbles.  Today I was in the mood for sweet. I've been singing Jack Johnson tunes in the kitchen since coming back from Hawaii (see the banana pancake inspiration here?) and had all of these amazing Hawaiian goodies to bake with, so sweet it is!

Heavenly Honey Macadamia Banana Breakfast Bake
Inspired by this recipe for Honey Cloud Pancakes from Claire at Things We Make.  Thanks, Claire, for letting me modify your delicious recipe!

• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup of warmed, unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon honey (I used Paradise Meadows winter blend)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1 teaspoon Earth Balance vegan butter
• 1 small banana, sliced (on my Hawaiian kick, I used a tiny apple banana)
• 2 Tablespoons chopped macadamias (I used cinnamon bun macs from Paradise Meadows which added a little additional sugar to the top)
• additional honey for drizzling

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat a small 6″ oven proof frying pan on the stove top.  I used the 6 1/2" pan from Lodge.
3. Carefully separate one of the egg yolks from the white.
4. In a small bowl, whisk one egg white until it is white and holds soft peaks. 
5. Mix the egg yolk and the entire second egg with the flour, baking powder, salt, honey, and vanilla bean paste,  then whisk in the warm almond milk.
6. Gently fold the whipped egg white into the batter.
7. Melt one teaspoon of butter sub in the hot pan.
8. Pour the fluffy batter in and cook for a few minutes over medium heat on the stovetop until starting to set at the edge.
9. Sprinkle banana slices and macadamias on top.
10. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until puffy and browning on top.
11. Drizzle with honey and serve.  This makes two small servings or one large. 

$5.20 Sweets: Docinhos De Abobora, Brazilian Pumpkin Candy

My friend Sue recently embarked on a grand adventure, moving from the Midwest to Brazil.  Many of her friends came together for a Brazilian Bash, a beautiful going away soiree.  It was a lovely evening, filled with fun people, food, dancing and of course, lots of laughter. 

I met Sue a few years back through our mutual friend, Largo. One of the things I've learned from these ladies, both event coordinators, is that it is perfectly okay for special events to have little touch of BIG, of crazy, of totally over the top.  And so, when it was time for Sue's going away party, I wanted to go a little over the top. Well, kinda.  I made six Brazilian desserts.  What?  You'd do that for your friends, too, right?

Because many Brazilian foods are already gluten-free, this wasn't particularly challenging but oh my, was it ever tasty!  Half of what I baked was naturally gluten-free and half I needed to modify.  Even the Brazilian foods that contain gluten have been easy to modify.  And they have all been incredibly delicious.  I'm already planning more Brazilian baking. I am also thinking any additional Brazilian baking may require a research trip, a chance to visit Sue!

I started with a tried-and-true recipe from my own recipe box, Broinhas or corn cookie. Instead of making 10 large cookies as the recipes suggests, I made 24 small cookies.  The smaller size was great for sharing at a party.

Next I made this recipe, Brazilian Jubilee Cookies.  To modify, simply use my favorite gluten-free flour blend and 1 teaspoon of guar gum.  Otherwise, bake as directed in the recipe.  Easy!

Then I made Bolo de Banana, Banana Upside Down Cake.  This, too, was easily modified to gluten-free.  Where the recipe calls for breadcrumbs, use almond meal instead.  I made this in a greased 9 x 13 and then used a 2" round cutter to make little cake circles that I inverted and served in these cute nut cups from Sweet! Well, except for that corner that is cut out.  I put that directly into my mouth.  So good!

Moving on from cookies and cake, I made a variety of Brazilian candies.  These are all super easy to make and would be fun to make with kiddos in the kitchen.

Fourth on my list, Brigadeiros.  These are my favorite Brazilian treat, a slightly chewy chocolate truffle rolled in chocolate sprinkles or chopped nuts or coconut.  Not a single modification necessary here, just make sure the chocolate sprinkles you use are gluten-free. 

The fifth creation from a recipe at In Search of Delicious was Beijinhos de Coco, Brazilian Coconut Candy.  Beijinhos means kisses in Portugese.  If Brazilian kisses are coconut-y, rich, butter-y and sweet, then I must visit!  These are a perfect little treat, even better if you can wait a day to eat them.   Again, not a single modification necessary, already gluten-free!

And last on my list, Docinhos De Abobora, Brazilian Pumpkin Candy.  These are gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free.  They could be vegan if you chose your sugars carefully. 

Docinhos de Abobora, Brazilian Pumpkin Candy
(Makes 25 candies)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (I use canned)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup finely shredded coconut
1/4 t. ground cloves
non-stick cooking spray
powdered sugar for rolling

Place all of the ingredients except for the cooking spray and powdered sugar into a large, heavy-bottomed pan.  Cook over medium heat while stirring constantly.  Mixture needs to reach 240 degrees and will be very thick.

Once at 240 degrees, turn off burner and remove pan from heat.  Turn out onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.

Allow to cool until easy to handle.  Spray hands lightly with non-stick cooking spray.  Roll into small balls and then roll in powdered sugar.

Here's the price break-down:
Pumpkin $1.35
Sugar $0.40
Coconut $1.25
Powdered Sugar $0.37
4.6% Sales Tax $0.16
Total:  $3.53 for 25 candies

While I'm going to miss Sue being in the same city, I'm so excited to hear about her adventures in Brazil.  I'm hoping once in awhile she'll share a new recipe with me so I can share even more gluten-free Brazilian treats!  

Chocolate Hazelnut No-Bake Cheesecake, World Nutella Day 2012

Yep, I'm at it again, making more Sweets for World Nutella Day.  Except I'm yet again not using Nutella. I'm using Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter, which is like Nutella, only slightly thicker and with a hint of sea salt.  Good stuff!

In a world free of dietary restrictions, food allergies and intolerances, I'd call this Nutella Oreo No-Bake Cheesecake.  But since I plan on eating this, I've eliminated the dairy and gluten.  Know what else?  It's vegan.  It's also free of Brussels Sprouts, because my Nutella fiend husband doesn't like them.  Oh, don't put it past me, I've used them in cupcakes.  Why not cheesecake, too? ;)

This recipe is inspired by the No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake from Jamie at My Baking Addiction .  It's sure making the rounds on Pinterest! Her version looks delicious, beautifully garnished and the photography on the blog post is gorgeous.  Click over there and take a look!

Chocolate Hazelnut No-Bake Cheesecake
Makes 2 generous servings or 4 small servings


6 K-Toos, gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies
1 T. Earth Balance vegan butter-y substitute, melted

1 can coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk (14 oz.), refrigerated overnight
2 T. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

4 oz. Better Than Cream Cheese
1/3 cup Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
1/2 cup whipped coconut cream

additional whipped coconut cream
cocoa powder for garnish

CRUST:  Crush the K-Too cookies in a small bowl.  Add the melted Earth Balance, stirring to combine.  Pat into the bottom of dishes to make a crust.  (I used two large ramekins, however this would easily make 4 small desserts.)  Refrigerate while preparing filling.

WHIPPED CREAM: Open can of coconut milk or cream.  I've used cream in this recipe as I wanted a slightly heavier consistency than the full-fat milk, however either would work.  Skim the solidified cream off of the top of the liquid in the can.  Set the liquid aside, reserve for use in a smoothie later in the day.  Using a hand mixer, whip the solidified cream until it doubles.  Add in powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste, whipping to combine. 

FILLING:  Combine the Better Than Cream Cheese and the Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter using hand mixer.  Add in 1/2 cup of the whipped coconut cream, mixing to combine.

Spoon this filling on top of the cookie crusts.  Top with a dollop of the remaining whipped coconut cream and a sprinkle of cocoa powder.  Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

Need more World Nutella Day ideas?  Here are a few of my favorite Nutella recipes:

Chocolate Hazelnut Twist Donuts

Johnna's World Nutella Day 2011 Round-Up: Nutella French Toast, Nutella Nachos and Nutella Apple Pizza

Banana Nutella Stuffed French Toast

Nutella Cupcakes


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Chocolate Hazelnut Twist Donuts

It's time to fire up the oven for World Nutella Day!  I've been working on a few chocolate hazelnut recipes to share with you, but first up is a yummy baked donut. A yummy baked donut that is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, almost vegan, chocolate-y, hazelnut-y...it's just good!
 

Because I'm trying to put a stop to the dairy bender I've been on (yes, that was a pound of cheese on the pizza I ate Tuesday), I'm using non-Nutella products to celebrate World Nutella Day.  I'm know, it's blasphemous, but I gotta get back on track.

For today's project, I've used the one-hundred-times-better-than-Nutella Askinosie Chocolate Hazelnut Spread.  Yes, it's about four times the price of Nutella and worth every penny.  It's really not right to compare it to Nutella, the only similarities being that they both contain chocolate and hazelnuts.  The Askinosie version has a very creamy consistency, yet has noticeable bits of DuChilly hazelnuts throughout and makes a divine fondue.  It is also made with a very rich, single-origin chocolate.  You should just try it. I wouldn't steer you wrong. :-)

Chocolate Hazelnut Twist Donuts
Makes 6 twists or 12 large donuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1 1/2 cups of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1/3 cup hazelnut meal/flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. sea salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. guar gum
1/2 cup blonde coconut palm sugar (or regular sugar)
1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey (sub agave to make vegan)
2 T. vanilla bean paste
1/3 cup hot water

Mix all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.  Add all liquid ingredients except for the hot water.  Mix by hand until well combined.  Slowly add in the hot water.

Lightly oil the donut pan.  Fill each cavity of the donut twist pan with a scant 1/2 cup of batter. Bake at 325 for 18-21 minutes.  Tops will be lightly browned.

Let cool in pan for 5 minutes or so, then invert on cooling rack.

While donuts are still warm, glaze tops with chocolate hazelnut spread.

These were very good warm, but also were good at room temperature.  Enjoy!