Chipotle Cheese Buckwheat Crackers

I don't know about you, but around here the family loves cheese. Especially if that cheese happens to be in that semi-crispy state that only comes after being baked or broiled - like a really good sandwich-maker style grilled cheese, slightly over-baked pizza or perfectly broiled lasagna. When it comes to snacking, my mom in particular is a fan of cheese and crackers - and being a fan of the dark, earthy flavours of whole grains like me, we love looking out for new combinations in the crispbread aisle.

When I received Casey Barber's Classic Snacks Made from Scratch almost a year ago, I made her version of "goldfish" crackers (which I titled Gold Stars), but kept the recipe bookmarked because I wanted to try out a gluten-free version. I finally got around to it - using a blend of gluten-free all purpose and buckwheat flours which I then perked up with smoky chipotle pepper and sweet onion powder. A delicate balance between nutty, salty, tangy and spicy, they are perfect topped with Hot Pepper Pomegranate Jelly or fruit chutney for your next party platter, or for tucking into your lunchbag as a side for a bowl of soup.

This Bread Baking Day we're covering crispbread recipes from all over the world. Check out our host, Kochpoetin, as well as our creator Zorra's pages for more info! Also shared with Gluten Free Fridays

Bloglovin'

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Nutella - Inspired Mocha Latte #RecipeRedux

Have we killed the Nutella trend yet? I don't know if it's dead yet, but I think Biscoff has taken hold in the world of "spread obsession" these days, at least in the blogging world. We can't get Biscoff around here, though, and even if we could my Italian stepfamily and my chocoholic mom and sister wouldn't likely stray to that side of the table. After all, we're the family that currently has 5 "family sized" jars of the stuff, not to mention the five kilo vat my stepbrother hoards in his bedroom:

Being in a household of Italians, we also indulge in our fair share of espresso-based beverages. While my stepbrother and I are the only two that actually enjoy the flavour of the strong coffee straight (since graduating from my childhood of cafe au laits with a shot of Baileys in the cold mornings of camping, I've always been a black-coffee person - unless Baileys or Godiva liqueur is involved!), my mom and stepdad are more into the cappuccinos, Americanos, mochas and lattes.

It was this combination of Nutella and latte love that inspired me to try creating a drink that embodied the best of each part - the creamy, slightly nutty chocolate flavour and the unmistakeable aroma and punch of espresso. Rather than use the spread itself (which is not only a hot commodity in this household but not overly good-for-you either (what with the palm oil, sugar and fake vanilla), I went back to one of my favourite "buttery" ingredients to cook with - natural, roasted and unsweetened cashew butter. It lends a decadent "thickness" to the drink and a hint of cookie-like flavour, which also plays very well with the unsweetened almond milk I used. Of course, for a real Nutella taste, I had to add in some sort of hazelnut element, and I was all out of Frangelico... so

LorAnn's Chocolate Hazelnut Extract it was! 

The result is something you could only dream about finding at your local cafe - full of heart-healthy unsaturated fats, potassium, vitamins D & E and even a touch of protein, it's a 90-calorie treat that packs in so much more, and is delicious freshly made and piping hot or chilled into a delicious iced drink.

This month for the #RecipeRedux we are covering all things drinkable - if it's served in a mug, glass, or stein, we're showcasing the healthier side of the cup.

An InLinkz Link-up

Flourless Chocolate Brownies

Now that I've armed you with that to-die-for Cocoa Icing, you had to know I'd be sharing a killer platform for it too! As my teacher training course has very (very) few people at my location (only about 9 if everyone comes), we rotate through the group to bring some sort of snack for our morning and afternoon breaks. Some weeks the coffee table is laden with boxes of storebought cookies or muffins (with an obligatory fruit platter), but since one of my classmates also happens to be my old boss from my Dietary Manager days at the school, I can't get away with too many shortcuts.

Besides being too "cookie cutter" for my tastes, the problem with most of those pre-boxed treats is that they're not necessarily allergy-friendly (and if they are, they're often bland and dry). Along with my own slew of intolerances, we have one vegan, two vegetarians and a girl with celiac and a dairy allergy. I made two different desserts at Christmastime (one with wheat, eggs and dairy, the other GF / vegan) but this time around I wanted to promote inclusiveness with something everyone would not only be able to eat, but would enjoy. I was so grateful to stumble onto Chrystal's recipe which, with a few easy modifications, is almost entirely allergy-free and diabetic friendly to boot. If you can believe it, absolutely zero flour goes into these rich, fudgy vegan bites of awesome! Yes, zero - the bulk of these chocolatey, (mostly) stevia-and agave-sweetened squares is made up of purple sweet potato (ube), vegan protein powder, ground flax and Ghirardelli Chocolate Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa - no nuts, no flours or starches, no gums, no eggs and no milk. Now, the Ghirardelli does contain a small amount of sugar, so these aren't 100% sugar free... but that too is easily remedied with a switch to regular cocoa and a few extra pops of stevia.

My favourite thing about these bars was when I cut into them and hit a pocket of not-quite-pureed sweet potato. All of a sudden a flash of violet appeared in the middle of the rich brown, giving a marbled, unique appearance without really changing much in the way of texture or flavour. After it cooled, I proceeded to thoroughly drench the pan in that shiny Cocoa Icing, creating a dessert that looked and tasted absolutely sinful and verboten for restricted diets but in reality was anything but!

Shared with Gluten Free Fridays and Wellness Weekend

Cooked Vegan Cocoa Icing

I've mentioned before that I'm not a fan of making frosting. It's too fussy, seems like it takes far too much butter and sugar to make it "perfect", and in the end I'm a horrible piper when it comes to cake decorating. Most of the time when I bake, the results are adorned with a sprinkle of raw sugar, if anything, with notable exceptions being celebration cakes. However, I do have a bit of a thing for minimalist, not-too-sweet icings and glazes, especially on brownies - and doubly especially if they are of the rich, bittersweet fudgy variety. My university cafeteria used to make the best blondies crowned with a thick layer of that dark chocolate heaven, and to date I never knew just what they did to make it so good!

That said, I'm willing to give it the old college (sorry) try, and I think I've found something close - not to mention vegan, gluten free, glossy and perfect to dip everything from cupcakes to cookies as well as for pouring over brownies or cake. Setting up like a firm, yet slightly soft fudge, it also and has a delicate hint of coconut flavour thanks to the Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil I used as a base. The recipe doesn't use any chocolate, but instead gets its colour, flavour and (never-blooming) shine from my favourite cocoa powder, icing sugar and potato starch.  All in all, it's definitely spoon-worthy and a definite keeper in my file!

Shared with Gluten Free Fridays