Holiday Party

Don't you hate when you remember five minutes before a holiday party begins that you forgot to bring something? And then maybe you have the wherewithal to remember that the host loves sauvignon blanc so you find a liquor store to grab a bottle so that you aren't empty-handed. But what if the party is on a Sunday and you live in Minnesota so the stores are closed. You are out of luck...and irritated by those ridiculous blue laws.

I have a better idea. Make some beautiful cookies (a cookie press makes any cookie prettier), cover them with sparkly sugar, throw them in the freezer and bring a small box to each party you are invited to.

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(Allergy Free) Chocolate Chip Cookie

I was given the task of creating a flour free, nut free, and egg free chocolate chip cookie. I've said this before, but I usually avoid substitutions as there are chemical properties in wheat and eggs that are close to impossible to replicate. BUT when your closest friend asks you very nicely to do something...you do it.

I don't have experience playing around with recipes that exclude these ingredients and, to be honest, I didn't have the desire to spend hours upon hours in the kitchen trying to figure it out. So I did what any not-too-proud baker would do: I turned to Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour....and the recipe printed on the back of the bag.  

I have testimony from five different people (including my husband) that these cookies are good. Surprisingly good. Surprisingly hearty and nutty and chocolate-y and cookie-y.

I have now baked these four different times and here are a few things that I have learned:

1. Bake the cookies right away; the dough does not get better over time as oil starts to seep out.

2. Use good chocolate. Come on. The chocolate must always be good.

3. And last but not least, sprinkle them with salt, it makes everything better.

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Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten free, nut free, dairy free, egg free)
from Bob's Red Mill

1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour
1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
1 1/2 tsp xantham gum
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp melted coconut oil or canola oil
6 tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips (use dairy free if need to fully avoid dairy)
Maldon flaked sea salt

Make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 325°. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, flaxseed meal, arrowroot starch, xantham gum, baking soda and salt. Add the oil, applesauce, and vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula until a thick dough forms. Stir in chocolate chips.

Using a size 20 scoop, scoop dough onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and bake for 14-16 minutes depending on desired consistency.

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Apple Cake

Maybe you're like me and have had a deep rooted desire to bake an apple cake in a Star of David shaped pan since you were little. Or perhaps you showed up to a Chanukah party once empty-handed and wished that you had brought a cake in the shape of a Jewish Star. If you have never felt that way, feel free to stop reading right now. But if you love a bit of kitsch and a lot of cake, then keep scrolling.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of these bundt pans this month. And while it looks like it would be tough to bake in (soooo many edges), the right amount of baking spray--and some magic with a pastry brush--will make it disaster-free.  

This apple cake is made in one bowl. This cake tastes like fall. This cake is moist and cinnamony and full of sugar. This cake can be baked in any shape that you desire so for those of you who don't have a Chanukah party to attend (I have many, if you would like to join), make it in a square, a cupcake, a layer cake, a parallelogram, and bring it to one of the many holiday-like events you will have this winter.

Sidenote: Some of you may be thinking, hey, Betsy uses a lot of Nordicware products for baking, why? The quality is great, the items are fun, they are nearly all made down the street from me, and I am also fortunate to have access to some of these fun items as a blogger. 

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Apple Cake
from King Arthur Flour

2 1/3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp Apple Pie Spice or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger and ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
4 cups peeled, cored, chopped apple, about 1 1/3 pounds whole apples
 

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 9/10 cup bundt pan or 9" x 13" pan. Make sure to use a spray made for baking. And if making in a bundt, use a pastry brush to get the spray into every crevice.

Mix all of the ingredients except the apples and nuts in a large bowl. Beat until well combined; the mixture will be very stiff, and may even be crumbly.

Add the apples and mix until the apples release some of their juice and the stiff mixture becomes a thick batter, somewhere between cookie dough and brownie batter in consistency.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan, smoothing it with your wet fingers.

Bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few wet crumbs clinging to it.

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