Dairy Freed

Old Fashioned Gingerbread

Fall is officially here and so is the cooler weather.  When we were growing up, that first brisk day usually meant one thing...Mom was going to make gingerbread.

We'd come home from school and I'd look for a 9-inch square pan and 2 metal mixing bowls sitting on the counter.  She'd already have measured out the dry ingredients in one and the molasses and other liquid ingredients in the other.  That way she could quickly mix it together as we were sitting down to dinner and it would be ready when we finished. 

Strawberry-Mango Salsa with Cinnamon Crisps

News flash...salsa isn't just for tomatoes and peppers. 

After dinner, try putting a big bowl of Strawberry-Mango Salsa out with some of these simple, easy and virtually fat-free cinnamon crackers. 

What is the Perfect Brownie?

When it comes to brownies, people have very  definite opinions on what perfection looks like. In my family, it would have a moist, almost underdone texture, is full of nuts and is never frosted. This was a hard and fast fact you would never think of deviating from. That was until my sister falls for a guy who delusionally believes perfection is nut-less with a thick layer of frosting (and yes, I know delusionally isn't a word but I like the sound of it). Ten years later, this is one of the few things my sister and brother-in-law disagree drastically about. I think each one is secretly trying to sway the kids to their side.

Lyle's Golden Syrup Marshmallows

While visiting the Ferry Building last Saturday with our friend Laurie, we stopped in Recchiuti Confections to get a few pieces of amazing chocolates and candies. I ended up getting a vanilla bean marshmallow, to which Laurie asked how they were made.  Anyone who knows me knows this is all the incentive I need.  Yup, we came home and made marshmallows.  

Dairy-Free Lazy Daisy Cake

Happy Birthday Uncle Jim Jim Jim Jim Jim Jim Jim!!!!!!!

My sister called the other day to tell me Rosie wants to grow up to be "a chef like Grandma and Uncle Jim".  Now I know she's only 4 and her career plans are hardly set in stone, but I have to admit, it made me a more than a little happy when she told me this.  So when I went home last weekend, one of the things I looked forward to most was being Chef Rosie's sous chef while she made my birthday cake. 

Dairy-Free Tres Leches Cake

According to my sister, when my nephew had his very first bite of Tres Leches cake, "His eyes started to sparkle, a huge smile appeared on his face and pure joy radiated out of him."

This iconic Hispanic dessert is typically made with three types of milk (evaporated, condensed and whole milk).  Making this dairy-free turned out to be easier than I thought and I actually like it better than the original.  By using coconut milk, cream of coconut and almond milk I was able to add a lot more flavor than you typically see in this dessert. 

Although you may be tempted to eat this cake the same day you make it, you really need to let it sit overnight in the refrigerator in order for the three milks to fully absorb into the cake.  If you don't you'll end up with the outside edges of the cake very soggy while the interior is still dry.  Trust me, it's worth the wait. 

Chocolate Silk

One of the hardest things about going dairy-free is you end up constantly comparing what you're eating with it's dairy counterpart.  Sometimes it's better than the original while other times you end up being disappointed.

Tofu-based puddings always fell in the disappointment category for me.  I've tried a number of versions and not one of them was even remotely close to dairy-based puddings. My solution...stop comparing the two. 

Pumpkin “Cheese”cake Tart

It may not be pumpkin season but when you find a can of pumpkin puree about to expire in the cabinet what do you do? 

How about cheesecake? Dairy-free of course. 

Almond Milk Pudding with Bourbon Vanilla Bean Syrup

Even after switching to soy milk a number of years ago, I still can't say I'm totally in love with it.  I long for the days when things didn't have that 'toasted marshmallow' flavor I typically associate with soy.  So I was happy to see almond milk recently show up in my local store. It's still fairly new on the market and may not be available everywhere so if you can't find it bug your grocery manager. 

I was surprised how good it was in my morning latte but the true test came when I tried to make it into pudding.  In making a pudding or custard you want a nice, rich mouth feel when you're eating it.  Since almond milk is pretty thin, the texture of the first batch was also thin.

Caramelized Peach Cobbler

Besides Dolly Parton and Lynyrd Skynyrd, two of the best things to ever come out of the South, have to be peaches and bourbon.  It's no secret I love bourbon, so when I was creating this recipe and wanted to give it a bump in flavor I naturally reached for the bourbon bottle.

I'll also confess, the caramelized peaches was a happy accident; I turned my back a little too long when the peaches were cooking. When I smelled the sugar start to caramelize I knew I had a winner. 

Needless to say I would serve it with a little bourbon on the side, and of course Lynyrd Skynyrd's Gimmie Three Steps should be playing in the background!