Thank you to all who voted for my gluten-free, dairy-free Brownie Sundae’s recipe on the So Delicious – So Much to Love contest!

Guess what?!  It won the desserts category!  Yippee!  Here is the recipe which is a perfect summer dessert for entertaining.

This recipe is kid tested and adult approved!  Everyone loves these brownie sundaes!  It is fun to create a Brownie Sundae bar at a birthday party or dinner party and guests can build their own creation using any variety of So Delicious Frozen Dessert.

Dark Chocolate Brownie Sundaes

Gluten-free/Casein-free

Makes 8 Sundaes

1 recipe Dark Chocolate Brownies

1 recipe Chocolate Agave Sauce

2 pints So Delicious Vanilla Almond Milk Frozen Dessert

1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Prepare dark chocolate brownies (recipe below) and let cool.  Prepare Chocolate Agave Sauce (recipe below).   Cut brownies into 2 ½ by 2 ½ inch squares.  Place brownie on dessert plate.  Top with large scoop of Vanilla Almond Milk frozen dessert.  Drizzle with Chocolate Agave Sauce and top with chopped nuts.

Dark Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups gluten-free/dairy-free chocolate chips

2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

½ cup coconut oil

3 tablespoons chia seeds

3/4 cup hot water

1/3 cup So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Yogurt

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 ½ cups organic All Purpose Baking mix from The Pure Pantry

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350˚F.   Grease a 9 x 12 inch baking pan.

Place semi-sweet and dark chocolates and coconut oil  in double boiler on medium heat and stir until melted.  Remove from heat and set aside. Place chia seeds and hot water in large bowl.  Whisk together and let stand for 3 minutes.  Stir until mixture is gel like.  Using an electric mixer, add coconut yogurt, sugar and vanilla and continue beating until well blended.  With mixer on low, add melted chocolate and blend.

In a medium bowl combine baking mix and sift in cocoa powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with mixer on low setting.

Pour mixture into baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Cool completely – this is very important otherwise they will crumble.  Once cooled, cut into squares 2 ½ by 2 ½ squares.

Options: add 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder for an “adult” brownie; fold in ½ cup chopped nuts after adding dry ingredients

Chocolate Agave Sauce

Gluten-free/Dairy-free

Ingredients:

2 cups dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup raw agave nectar

½ cup So Delicious Coconut milk, regular flavor

1 teaspoon vanilla

In double boiler pan, place chocolate chips over low heat.  Stir until melted.  Add agave nectar, coconut milk and vanilla and continue stirring until combined.

Recipe from “Fresh from Elizabeth’s Kitchen: Gluten-free & Allergy-free Recipes” by Elizabeth Kaplan

Gluten-free Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting

Cupcakes:

2 cups organic gluten-free All Purpose Baking Mix from The Pure Pantry

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature or ¾ cup coconut oil

1 1/3 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup coconut milk, So Delicious Brand regular flavor

Frosting:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature, or 1 cup coconut oil

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup coconut creamer, So Delicious Brand

Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

For cupcakes:

Preheat to 350°F. Line eighteen 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners.  Using electric mixer, beat butter or coconut oil in large bowl until smooth.  Add sugar and beat on medium-high speed until well blended.  Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.  Beat in vanilla.  Add half of baking mix and beat on low speed just until blended. Add 1 cup coconut milk and mix just until blended. Add remaining flour mixture on low speed and blend until combined.

Divide batter among cupcake papers. Bake cupcakes until tops spring back when gently touched and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes 10 minutes. Carefully remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on rack.

For frosting:

Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, coconut creamer, seeds from vanilla bean or vanilla extract.  Beat on medium speed until blended.   Increase to high and beat until light and fluffy.  Using pastry bag fitted with large star tip, pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with coconut.

Gluten-free Dark Chocolate Cake with Coconut Frosting

Ingredients:

1 package Dark Chocolate Cake Mix from The Pure Pantry

1 cup coconut milk, such as So Delicious regular flavor  (or almond, rice or regular low-fat milk)

3 eggs

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon vanilla

Coconut Frosting:

1 cup non-hydrogenated palm shortening from Spectrum Organics, or 1 cup coconut oil

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup coconut creamer, So Delicious Brand

Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Shaved coconut for decorating top of cake

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two 9 inch round cake pans.  Place cake mix in a large bowl.  In a medium bowl beat eggs with electric mixer for 2 minutes.  Add milk and oil.  Slowly add mixture to large bowl and blend on low.  Add hot water and blend until combined.  Pour batter into greased cake pans and bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool completely.

Prepare Coconut Frosting:Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, coconut creamer, seeds from vanilla bean or vanilla extract.  Beat on medium speed until blended.   Increase to high and beat until light and fluffy.  Run knife along edge of cake pan.  Turn cooled cake over onto round cake plate.   Spread about 1/3 of the frosting on the top of the cake.  Run knife around edge of second cake.  Turn over on top of frosted first layer.  Spread frosting on top and sides of cake.  Sprinkle top with coconut.

Easy Gluten-free Dark Chocolate Pound Cake

Looking for a simple dessert that is easy to bake and serve?  Try this dark chocolate pound cake recipe.  No need for complicated frosting: serve it with fresh berries and a dusting of confectionaire’s sugar or a dollop of whipped cream and you are good to go!  You will be in and out of the kitchen in less than 50 minutes!

Ingredients:

1 package gluten-free Dark Chocolate Cake Mix from The Pure Pantry

4 eggs or equivalent egg replacer

1/2 cup melted coconut oil or vegetable oil

1 cup hot water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

Using electric mixer, beat eggs for two minutes.  Add oil and blend.  Add package of dark chocolate cake mix and hot water and mix on low until combined.  Add vanilla and blend, scraping down sides of bowl with spatula.

Batter will be thick.   Spoon batter into greased pan and smooth over the top with spatula.  Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool completely.  Remove to serving plate.  Dust with confectionaire’s sugar and serve with fresh berries.

Strawberry Kiwi Pavlova with Agave Sweetened Cream

My husband’s mother is from Australia and his father from New Zealand.   The most celebrated dessert reining from down under is “Pavlova” named after the beautiful dancer Anna Pavlova.   Our family often serves this dessert at birthday parties, Passover, and dinner parties.  Aunt Lynette is the ultimate Pav maker and I owe this recipe to her.  I made a few changes to reduce the sugar in both the meringue cake and the cream topping.   Here is Anna Pavlova in a beautiful meringue like ballet tutu, quite resembling the cake itself.   I hope you enjoy this light and elegant dessert as much as we do.

Anna Pavlova (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

5 large egg whites, room temperature

Pinch of salt

1 cup superfine sugar

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 tablespoon corn starch

2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

1 teaspoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Strawberries and kiwis

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  There are two ways to bake Pavlova, one is free form on parchment paper and baking sheet, the other is in a spring form pan with a removable collar.  For free form look, use an 8-inch bowl as a guide, and trace the perimeter of the bowl onto a sheet of parchment paper. Transfer parchment paper, pencil side down, to a baking sheet. Set aside.   Form spring form pan, lightly grease entire plan and dust with cornstarch, set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt together until glossy peaks form. With mixer running, add sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating until meringue is stiff and glossy. Sprinkle in cornstarch and cream of tartar and continue whipping until stiff.  Add vinegar, and vanilla; gently fold to combine.

3. For free form look, mound the meringue in the center of the 8-inch circle. Using a spatula, evenly spread meringue out towards the edges.  For spring form pan, gently spread mixture in pan using spatula. Transfer to oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 250 degrees. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

4. Turn off oven and let meringue cool completely in oven with oven door slightly ajar.

5. Beat heavy whipping cream in mixer.  Add 1 teaspoon agave nectar and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  When meringue is cool and completely dry, top with whipped cream and arrange kiwis and strawberries on top.