by jphilo | May 16, 2016 | Family
When I walked into Mom’s room last Wednesday, she was sitting in her favorite chair reading a book and munching on Russell Stover’s chocolates.
“Did my little brother give you those for Mother’s Day?” I asked.
“Yes,” she replied and, with a twinkle in her 87-year-old eye, held out the box.
“No thanks,” I answered.
“Oh, I forgot,” she replied, still twinkling as she flashed a mischievious grin, “you’re allergic to chocolate.” She took another bite. “Yum!”
We played a few games of Rummikub and went to Chili’s for supper. We ordered a fried pickles appetizer, a classic 6 ounce sirloin for her and margarita grilled chicken for me. While we waited for our food, we read the dessert menu to pass the time. When our food arrived, we both ate our fair shares of the fried pickles and dug into our entrees.
After 2 bites of mashed potatoes, 3 bites of meat, and not a speck of her steamed broccoli, Mom laid down her fork and declared, “I’m full.” Then she flagged down the waitress. “Bring me one of those toffee brownies,” she said.
Full as she was, she managed to down the ice cream, the caramel sauce, the hot fudge sauce, and over half of a good-sized brownie. “Mmmm,” she exclaimed and held out a spoonful of ice cream in my direction. “Want a bite?”
Some days, I thought while declining the offer and reflecting on Mom’s agenda for the day–reading a good book, eating chocolate for an afternoon snack, going to dinner with her darling daughter, eating fried pickles, ignoring green vegetables, and eating more chocolate for dessert–87 looks really good.
by jphilo | May 4, 2016 | Recipes
A couple weeks ago, our Connection Group prepared the meal for a church fundraiser. I was in charge of dessert–buttermilk brownies with ice cream, as well as non-dairy buttermilk brownies without ice cream for those who needed that option, and Rice Krispie treats for the gluten-free, dairy-free contingent.
The brownies were a hit, and I was assigned brownie duty for all upcoming fundraisers. In case you’re looking for an easy recipe that will please a crowd, here’s the dairy version as the non-dairy recipe has appeared on Gravel Road before.
Dairy Free Buttermilk Brownies
Bars:
1 cup butter
1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon soda
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 375°. In saucepan, combine butter, cocoa, and water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, soda, and salt. Stir in eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add cocoa mixture. Mix till well-blended. Pour into a greased 15 1/2 by 10 1/2 inch baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Immediately pour frosting over bars. Spread evenly. Cool and cut into squares.
Frosting:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
In saucepan, mix 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup buttermilk, and 3 tablespoons cocoa. Cook and stir until boiling. Remove from heat. Beat in powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Pour over bars as soon as they come out of the oven. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.
by jphilo | Jan 28, 2015 | Recipes
Yes, you read that right. Dairy free, “buttermilk” brownies.
Oxymoronic to be sure.
But it’s true. Thanks to the original Coffee Rich non-dairy coffee creamer, “buttermilk” brownies can now be part of a non-dairy dessert menu.
The original recipe comes from the 1983 Camp Crook Centennial Cookbook and was submitted by Betty Louks, the woman who babysat our son when he was just a baby. The recipe is super easy, as you will see, and it is delicious! The above picture shows a batch and a half because I needed enough for a church fundraiser.
Dairy Free “Buttermilk” Brownies
Bars:
1 cup Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks
1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon soda
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup soured original Coffee Rich*
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
Frosting:
1/4 cup Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Stick
1/4 cup soured Coffee Rich*
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 375°. In saucepan, combine Earth Balance, cocoa, and water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, soda, and salt. Stir in eggs, soured Coffee Rich, and vanilla. Add cocoa mixture. Mix till well-blended. Pour into a greased 15 1/2 by 10 1/2 inch baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Immediately pour frosting over bars. Spread evenly. Cool and cut into squares.
In saucepan, mix 1/4 cup Earth Balance, 1/4 cup soured Coffee Rich, and 3 tablespoons cocoa. Cook and stir until boiling. Remove from heat. Beat in powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Pour over bars as soon as they come out of the oven. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.
*To sour Coffee Rich, put 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar in a glass measuring cup. Fill cup to the 3/4 cup mark with Coffee Rich. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes before using.
by jphilo | Aug 20, 2014 | Recipes
Okay, I admit it. Lil’ Luna’s Facebook link to her recipe for lemon zucchini bread had me salivating with the best of them. But since the recipe called for buttermilk and had more sugar than the man of steel will eat, I ignored it for quite a while.
But it kept showing up and the zucchinis tucked into our CSA share for three weeks running brought me to the breaking point. So finally, I caved and got out the mixing bowl. I used a milk substitute for the buttermilk, cut the sugar in the bread and the glaze by half, and was very surprised to discover the results were delicious. In fact, the man of steel and I agreed it’s worth a second try with even less sugar. And, I’m going to add blueberries to the next batch and see what happens. Stay tuned for an update, but until then give this recipe a try. It’s a keeper!
Dairy-Free Lemon Zucchini Bread
Bread ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup buttermilk substitute
zest of one lemon (minus 1/2 teaspoon for glaze)
1 cup grated zucchini (do not peel first)
Glaze Ingredients:
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons almond milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Preheat oven to 350°.
Create buttermilk substitute by putting 1 1/2 teaspoons of vinegar into a 1/2 cup measuring cup. Add 2 tablespoons Coffee Rich and fill cup to 1/2 cup measure with rice milk. Let sit for 15 minutes.
In large bowl, beat eggs. Add oil and sugar. Mix until well blended. Add lemon juice, milk substitute, and lemon zest to this mixture and blend well. Fold in zucchini until mixed well. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and blend until all ingredients are combined.
Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake for 40–45 minutes. Remove from oven when toothpick poked in middle comes out clean. Let sit on wire rack for ten minutes. Then slide butter knife around edge of pan and flip over loaf pan to remove bread from it.
Put loaf on a plate right side up. (Poke some holes in the top with a fork if you want the glaze to soak in more.) Mix glaze while loaf is warm and spread over the top. Let cool before cutting and serving.
by jphilo | Jul 23, 2014 | Recipes
Today’s recipe is so easy I’m almost embarrassed to post it. But I know many, many parents of kids with food allergies. I know how much they dislike telling their children “No, you can’t eat those treats.” And I know that with a few simple ingredient substitutions, they can say, “Yes, you can eat what all the other kids are eating.”
That may not sound like a big deal to you and me, but for parents who have to say “no” to their children and to kids who can’t eat what their friends do, it can be a very big deal. So today’s post is for them. To make the gluten-free and dairy-free version, you’ll need gluten-free Rice Krispies and Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks. Both can be found at the grocery store. The pictures below can help make sure you get the right ones.
Once you have those ingredients, use them while following the traditional Rice Krispie treat recipe found at their website. You can click the link or follow the directions below.
Gluten-free, Dairy-free Rice Krispie Bars
Put 3 tablespoons of Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks in a large, heavy saucepan and melt over low heat. Add a ten ounce bag of miniature marshmallows and stir until melted. (Or put the shortening and marshmallows in a microwavable bowl. Put in microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes.
Add 6 cups of gluten-free Rice Krispies to the melted marshmallows and stir until cereal is evenly coated. Put mixture in a well-greased, 9 X 13 pan. Use a buttered spatula or waxed paper to press the mixture into the pan. (I just spray a little cooking spray on my fingertips and use my hands.)
Cool. Cut into squares and serve.
