Crazy Cake Cupcakes

There is a type of cake called Crazy Cake or Wacky Cake.  It does not contain butter or eggs and gets its leavening from chemical reactions between the baking soda and vinegar.  If you have ever had one, you know that it is absolutely moist and delicious and that you would never know there was anything different about it. 

What I love about this type of cake is that it’s so simple to prepare.  My twist on it is the addition of avocado.  Although avocado contains fat, the majority of it is in the form of monounsaturated fat (the good fat).  Avocado is also  heart-healthy, a good source of fiber, and is rich in vitamins.

And, no exaggeration, you can’t taste the avocado in this cupcake, and I mean not even a hint of it!

This is a quick, no fuss, feel-good-about-eating cupcake for any occasion.  I top it with a ganache or a dusting of powdered sugar.  To keep my ganache on the lighter side, I use milk instead of the more commonly used heavy cream.

Crazy Cake Cupcakes

1 1/2 cup flour

2 tbsp. flaxseed meal

1 tbsp. Stevia Powder

1/2 cup sugar (if you want to omit Stevia, use 1 cup sugar)

1/2 to 2/3 medium avocado, well mashed with fork

3 tbsp. cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tbsp. vinegar

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup cold water

Ganache:

¼ cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 scant tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Use a whisk to blend.  Make three holes in mixture.  Put oil in one hole, vanilla in the second, and vinegar in the third.  Add water and avocado.  Blend using a whisk (about 50 strokes).  Line a muffin tin with baking liners or coat with cooking spray.  Fill each cup 2/3 full with batter.  Bake about 16 - 18 minutes.  Allow to cool.

To make the ganache, place chocolate chips and milk in a small microwaveable bowl.  Microwave for 20 seconds.  Stir until smooth.  If needed, microwave for an additional 10 seconds and stir.  Spread over top of the cupcakes.  Store ganache topped cupcakes in the refrigerator. 

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Baked Coconut Chicken Tenders

I love coconut, but I know many little kids who do.  The only other person in my household who liked coconut was my daughter, but somehow she has grown out of favor with it over the years.  However, the entire family does like to eat coconut shrimp and coconut chicken.  In my attempt to also share my love of coconut with the daycare children, I came up with my version of coconut chicken for them.  

The one thing that I discovered about kids and chicken is if it looks like nuggets or chicken strips, but appears a little odd, many of the children will be reluctant to even try them.  There will be THE LOOK, the one that clearly says, “Ewww! I’m not going to eat THAT!”  My strategy is to make the chicken look as much as possible like the ubiquitous nuggets and strips in order to entice them to try it.

My secret to achieving this is to alter the look of the coconut.  Shredded coconut usually gives the chicken a bristly look, one that children would not associate with nuggets.  To remedy this, I fine-chop the coconut in the food processor, resolving the bristly appearance.

To provide additional goodness, I added flaxseed for fiber, lignans (antioxidants) and Omega-3s and almonds for healthy fats, vitamin E, potassium and magnesium.  Why not, right?  Just make sure that no one has nut allergies before serving.

These baked tenders actually look as if they were fried.  My secret is to toast the coconut and panko crumbs first to give the tenders an absolutely delicious golden brown finish without frying and without drying out the chicken.  The result, baked coconut chicken that looks good enough for all kids, big and small, to enjoy!

I tested this recipe a couple of times with my group of one, two and three year olds.  Although some of the kids embraced it, others were not impressed.  Even with the mildly favorable results with the youngest of children, I decided to post this recipe because it was a hit with the older kids and adults and actually won over non-coconut lovers.

 

Baked Coconut Chicken Tenders

2 lbs. chicken tenters (about 14 pcs)

1 1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

2/3 cup panko crumbs

1/3 cup slivered almonds

2 tbsp. flaxseed meal

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 eggs + 2 tbsp. water

Pinch of salt and pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Bake coconut and panko separately on greased cookie sheets.  Panko crumbs will take about 4 minutes to become golden brown and the coconut about 5 minutes.  Keep a close eye as they will brown quickly.  Remove from oven and allow to cool. 

Place coconut and almonds in food processor and grind until crumbly.

Combine coconut, panko, and almonds on a plate.  On another plate, combine flour, flaxseed meal, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Beat eggs and water, a pinch of salt and pepper to make an egg wash in a third plate.

 toasted coconut

coconut and panko crumb mixture

To assemble chicken, dip each piece first in the flour mixture, then egg mixture, then coconut mixture.  Placed on a greased cookie sheet.  Generously spray the top of the tenderloins with cooking spray.  Bake for about 20 minutes, turning over after 12 minutes.  Smaller pieces of tenderloin might be done around 20 minutes while the larger pieces might require a couple of additional minutes.  To test for doneness, make a small slit in the thickest part of the chicken; it should no longer be pink.

Serve with heated apricot preserve, sweet and sour sauce, or a sauce of your choosing.

Banana Peaches and Cream Pancake

                                                                                                                                                                   QP3T3X6G3R3P

Start the family's morning right with delicious and fruit packed pancakes.  The banana and peaches make them perfectly moist.  I freeze leftovers for a quick, convenient breakfast at a later time.

Banana Peaches and Cream Pancake

1 cup flour

2 tbsp. golden flaxseed

1 tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1 ¼ tsp. baking powder

1 egg slightly beaten

1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp. vegetable oil

15 oz. can peach slices in 100% juice, drained and pureed (use only 3/4 cup of the puree)

1 ripe medium banana, pureed

Combine dry ingredients.  Add remaining ingredients until blended, be careful not to over mix.  Preheat a large skillet on medium heat.  Spray skillet with cooking spray.  For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup batter to skillet, spreading in circular motion with a spoon.  Leave a couple inches of space between each pancake.  Allow the bottom to turn lightly brown and top to slightly bubble, turn over pancake and cook for an additional 1 -2 minutes.  Repeat until all of the batter is used up.  Makes about ten 4-5 inch pancakes.

Topping options:

My favorite topping is margarine, light whipped cream and a dusting of powdered sugar. Or, serve with heated (to liquefy) peach preserves and light whipped cream.   Or, use your own creativity and have fun with the topping!