Chocolate Date Icing or Frosting (Dairy and Refined Sugar Free)

This weekend was my niece's second birthday, I was in charge of the birthday cake.  I went with my Grain Free Chocolate Cupcakes recipe and then piped this Chocolate Date Frosting from The Spunky Coconut.  This frosting turned out so well.  It piped very easily and tasted great, thanks Kelly Brozyna for this delicious icing.

Ingredients (makes enough for single layer cake or 12 cupcakes)

• 3/4 cup cashews
• 1 1/2 cup dates
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla
• 1 1/2 tablespoon arrowroot starch
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup raw cocao or cocoa
• pinch sea salt
• 1/4 cup ground palm sugar (optional-if you prefer it sweeter)

Directions

1. Soak cashews in 1 1/2 cup water for 2-4 hours to soften.  Drain and then rinse with clean water.  Set aside.
2. Soak dates in hot water for 1-2 hours to soften.  Drain water and set aside.
3. Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth.
4. Set in refrigerator to harden for 1-2 hours.
5. Pipe or spread over cake.  

Natural Food Colouring or Dyes That Won't Harm Your Body

This weekend we celebrated our youngest's 4th birthday.  She is a big fan of the Despicable Me movies and in particular the Minions.  Who doesn't love these adorable little yellow guys?  My husband and I had fun decorating the house and coming up with fun activities for the day.  I love and yet always struggle with the idea of the cake.  I want to make something that other children will like but without using the harmful ingredients.  For this year's cake, we decided on my Grain Free Chocolate Cupcakes.  The icing became the next challenge. How to make yellow and blue icing without using harmful food colours/dyes?

Warning!
Food dyes have been linked to everything from bladder cancer, brain tumors, attention deficits, bed wetting, migraines etc. Most artificial food dyes are petroleum based, yes the same stuff used to make fuel for your car.  According to Dr. Mercola, artificial dyes have the same effect on your child as lead. Yikes!  Why is this stuff even aloud.
I took the girls to the dentist a few weeks ago and was completely appalled that they handed the girls toothpaste and a mouthwash filled with blue dyes and not to mention fake sugars. Yuck! Sure, according to the food industry, there is so little added to your favourite pastas, chips, drinks, pickles etc. there isn't enough to cause an effect.  That doesn't work for me.  A little is still too much. Thankfully there are a few other countries who have already banned unnatural food dyes.

At home we try to completely avoid artificial food colouring.  We have managed to make birthday cakes by using natural foods to make our coloured icing. Here are a few ways we have created coloured frostings/icing.

Yellow
-Turmeric spice works awesome.  A little goes a long way so start slowly.  If you add too much you make alter the taste.  I love this spice but not in my dessert.

Purple
-Strained blue berries work wonderfully

Blue
-Strained blueberry juice with a pink of baking soda.  It will cause a chemical reaction and make a blue

Green
-I have not yet tried this one but apparently juiced spinach works really well and doesn't not give a spinach taste

Pink
-Juiced or boiled beets, a little juice goes a long way and not it doesn't taste like beets.
-Strained raspberries or berry jam also make beautiful pink colours

If you are not up for making your own colours I have heard good things about this natural food colouring India Tree Natural Food Colouring.


Here are a few pictures of the rest of our party, I figured my family may want to see these.

Happy Birthday Beautiful!

Cashew Cream "Cheese" (Dairy, Gluten and Refined Sugar Free)

I have been craving carrot cake and nothing goes better with carrot cake than cream cheese, well in my opinion anyway.  I wanted to make a dairy free version of cream cheese type topping.  I like how cashews can become creamy so they became the base.  I am very pleased with this recipe, it is very tasty and can be used on many cakes etc. The girls keep asking me now if they can have "frosting" on all of their muffins etc.

Ingredients (makes approximately 1.5 cups)

• water for soaking
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in the non dairy milk or water for at least 2 hours
• 3/4 cup water or milk (or more if too thick)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3-5 drops liquid stevia (or more to taste)

Directions

1. Soak the cashews in water, enough so there is an inch of water about the cashews.  Soak  for at least 3 hours.  I usually do it overnight.
2. Dump water and rinse cashews.
3. Using a blender combine all ingredients and purée until smooth.
4. Keep cover in the fridge.

Hazelnut Chocolate Spread "Nutella" (Dairy, Gluten/Grain and Refined Sugar Free)

Apparently Nutella has been in some "hot water" for claiming to be healthy.  I am pretty sure just reading the ingredients could tell most people that this is not considered healthy.  Its first ingredient is sugar and not hazelnuts.  Hmm
Anyway I decided to make my own as I do love this treat but have refused to buy it.  I does require some time but really is worth it.  Yum.  So far I haven't used it for anything but eating by the spoonful and making brownies. Not sure if I will any left for anything else.


Ingredients

• 2 cups hazelnuts
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1/3 cup honey (or other natural sweeteners)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons non dairy milk -I used coconut milk (may need more depending on desired consistency)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Roast hazelnuts for 12-15 minutes watching to make sure they don't burn.

 3. Place hazelnuts in a tea towel and rub together trying to remove some of their bitter coating. (I didn't        remove very much and it still tasted great.)

4. Place hazelnuts and remaining ingredients in a blender and grind until smooth.  This may take a long time depending on your blender.  It took mine 13-15 minutes. 

  

Almond Butter Chocolate Frosting (Dairy, Gluten and Refined Sugar Free)

I wanted to create an icing without icing sugar.  This frosting is quite thick but I am sure with additional milk it could be made a bit thinner.  If you warm it a little it will also be a bit more manageable and will set well when cooled.

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup raw almond butter
• 2 tablespoons softened coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons maple or honey
• 1/4 cup raw cocao powder or cocoa powder
• 1/8-1/4 cup unsweetened almond, rice or coconut milk

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth
2. Add additional milk if needed

I used the icing on my Chocolate Garbonzo Bean Cake.

Coconut Whipped Cream (Dairy and Gluten Free)

With all the Christmas treats and desserts I wanted to create a whipped cream without the dairy.  So after a little research I found way to create an excellent topping for dessert or just on its own.

Ingredients

• 1 can full fat coconut cream which has been chilled in the fridge for at least 4 hours *
• 1/3 cup icing sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons tapioca flour
• 2 teaspoons pure gluten free vanilla extract

Directions

1. Place bowl and beater in fridge for 30 minutes for better results.
2. Gently open can of coconut milk and scrape off all the thick cream leaving the remaining watery parts for another use.
3. Whip cream in chilled bowl and gently add other ingredients until thick and fluffy.
4. Keep in fridge until needed to ensure its form.   

        * be sure to look at the ingredients and try for fewer preservatives

It turned out beautifully and tasted amazing.  I would like to try this one again with a natural form of sweetener.  If anyone has done so please let me know it turned out.