Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake June 6, 2008

This is the second try for the perfect apple cinnamon coffee cake. I got closer this time, using an adapted version of the Awesome Blueberry Cake. This cake is dense, moist, and full of apples.  I made it last night and it’s almost gone!

Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Batter:
1/3 cup applesauce
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup soymilk
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cup whole spelt flour or 1 cup spelt 3/4 cup barley
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

2 cups chopped apples (with peels if organic)

Topping:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup whole rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp light agave nectar
1 tbsp canola oil

In one bowl, mix the wet batter ingredients and flaxseed. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients, minus the apples. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix well. Mix together the topping, and spread evenly on the top of the batter. Bake in a greased 9×9 pan at 350 for 45 minutes.

I appreciate this recipe for its lack of eggs.  I grew up not being able to eat the cookie dough because it had raw eggs in it, and I’m always kind of grossed out by them anyway (uncooked anyway).  I have yet to crack an egg without having a little egg explosion all over my hands. 

My husband’s great-grandmother who lived until 97 is famous for making floating island  for her guests.  Ideally, egg dishes are cooked, but this was not.  I guess my husband didn’t mind as a child, until he realized that his delicious dessert was undercooked eggs floating in undercooked egg custard.  I do not want him to relive this in any way, so I’m extra careful with my egg dishes, or, better yet, I just make a vegan cake.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies May 24, 2008

I made up this recipe a while ago, and I find them to be quite easy to make and enjoyable to eat.  They don’t store particularly well, so eat them within a few days of baking.  Or, save part of the cookie dough and bake some later too! 

These oatmeal cookies can be gluten free if you make them with gf oats.  They are only sweetened with fruit and inside when they bake they get soft inside but a little crusty on the outside.  I can’t explain it well, just try the recipe and you’ll see what I mean!

Fruit-Sweetened, Vegan, Wheat Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 cup raisins
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup apple juice
1 cup oat flour or finely ground rolled oats
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins or walnuts

Bring the raisins, dates and apple juice to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, covered.  Mix together dry ingredients.  When the fruit is done cooking, blend it in a food processor or blender.  Add to dry mixture, and drop by the tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until golden.