Is it a cake? Brownies? Some sort of loaf? Really these terms are arguably interchanging depending on the shape of the treat in question, and of course some slight nuances in texture. To me, brownies are more dense and fudgey, while a cake is still moist, but much more light and fluffy. A loaf is somewhere in between, lending well to slicing and toasting and smearing some delicious delight on top of it. But what pray-tell is the following recipe?
Read moreWalnut Date Muffins with Orange Zest
I just love the combination of dates, walnuts and orange. I use them in salads, side dishes, and even to add a little life to my mains like chicken or halibut. Because of this apparent affinity to these ingredients, I often have all three taking up space in my rather modestly sized fridge. Another thing I often having lingering around and overflowing out of my cupboards and refrigerator drawers is a plethora of alternative fours...
Read moreGrain-Free Gingerbread
In North America, when we think of “gingerbread” we often think of people-shaped cookies with gumdrop buttons and icing sugar smiles. While these are more accurately referred to as “gingerbread men” the only thing they have in common with traditional gingerbread is that telltale spicy flavour profile. Classic gingerbread is just that, bread. Or perhaps more accurately, a loaf. Because of this, it is also known as gingerloaf, pain d'épices ("spice bread") in French, or lebkuchen (“loaf cake”) and pfefferkuchen ("pepper cake") in German. Whatever you call it, it’s damn tasty and wonderfully warming especially during the winter months when most mouths savour the spicy flavours of this delightfully dense folk food...
Read moreSpiced Sweet Potato Loaf
The fall baking frenzy has officially begun in the Whole Happy kitchen! To be quite honest, I bake a tonne all year round (if you haven’t already noticed, coming up with alternative baked good recipes is one of my favourite things to do), but there’s something special about baking during this season. Perhaps it’s the inherently warming and comforting nature of baked goods that lend so well so that cozy fall vibe. Perhaps spending time indoors when the whether gets colder and wetter doesn’t feel so bad when you have something sweet and aromatic wafting from the oven. Or perhaps it’s because autumnal produce lens so well to sweet treats like pumpkin spice muffins, apple cinnamon pudding, and spiced plum cake, and as I’m sure you can guess…sweet potato loaf...
Read moreLeftover Coffee Loaf
I’ve made chocolate cake with leftover coffee before, but wanted to make something a bit denser and loaf-like that would pair well with some melty butter and a warm beverage of sorts. Plus, I was missing the baking soda and a portion of the almond flour from my Chocolate Espresso Cake recipe and had some leftover coconut cream on hand that I was itching to use up...
Read moreManuka Honey Turmeric Lemon Tarts
Now, as you can probably imagine, the course was rather heavy in the dairy, gluten, and refined sugar department – all things that as you can see I often avoid with my Whole Happy recipes – so many of my old cooking school recipes have been recently adapted to suite my GF and DF amis, including this delightful tarte au citron creation below...
Read moreDark Cocoa Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Icing and a Praline Topping
Incredibly simple, and seriously decadent chocolate cupcakes. Perfect for birthday parties, baby and wedding showers, job promotions, or “just cuz” (I mean do we really need an excuse to eat cupcakes?), this recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, refined-sugar-free, and dead easy! Super moist, yet still perfectly buoyant...
Read moreLight and Fluffy Grain & Nut-free Waffles
You may have noticed that a lot of my recipes are rather nut-heavy. Why? Well, so many of my clients avoid grains for their wellness goals, and nut-based flours can be a fantastic alternative in baking, crusting, and pancake-making (amongst many other things). However, I always caution clients that switching one bad habit, or problematic food, with another isn’t a good idea either...
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