Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Gingerbread - Vegan and Allergen-free!

My grandmother made the best chocolate chip cookies. The best. When I was at college she made a big box of them and send them to me in care packages every few weeks. There were always plenty to share with my friends. When my dormmates figured out the source of these cookies, they would hover around the front desk waiting for me to arrive to pick up the box. Grandma’s cookies made me very popular, very quickly. What was her recipe? Well, you can find it on the back of the bag of Chocolate Chips!

Recently, I have incorporated another manufacturer’s recipe into my life. I have worked off the basic recipe for this cake-bread which I found on the company’s website. This has become a staple in our household.

My gluten free family is big on bread. It can get very expensive trying to buy pre-made allergen-free breads from the store. You pay a lot for mediocre quality. This recipe can be flexible based on ingredients on hand. It is moist and freezes well, retaining its moisture upon thawing. This Pumpkin-Ginger variation is my tribute to the autumn and I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

·         2 cups all purpose baking flour (try one that incorporates several different types of grains and legumes rather than mostly rice flour for better texture and flavor)

·         2 tsp baking powder

·         2 tsp baking soda

·         1 tsp xanthan gum

·         1 tsp cinnamon

·         SPICE

o   1 tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp clove for pumpkin bread

o    1.5 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp clove for pumpkin gingerbread

·         1 cup sugar (evaporated cane juice or turbinado sugar are great as well)

·         ½ cup coconut oil (or canola oil)

·         2/3 cup non-dairy milk

·         ½ cup applesauce, unsweetened

·         PUREE

o   1  cup pumpkin puree (with 2 tbsp molasses if making pumpkin gingerbread)

o   1.5 cup mashed very ripe banana for banana bread

o   1.5 cup shredded zucchini  for zucchini bread

·         1 tbsp vanilla

·         Optional: 1 tbsp nut butter

·         ½ cup add-ins: chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease 2 bread loaves or line them with parchment paper and set aside.

Blend together all dry ingredients.

·         If you are making banana or zucchini bread, simply add the cinnamon.  

·         If you are making pumpkin bread,  add 1 tsp nutmeg and ½ tsp clove.

·         If you are making pumpkin gingerbread add 1.5 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp nutmeg and ½ tsp clove.

Blend in all wet ingredients one at a time, except the PUREE, until smooth. Finally add PUREE.

·         If you are making banana or zucchini bread, add 1.5 cup of mash/shreds.  

·         If making pumpkin bread, add 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling).

·         If making pumpkin gingerbread, add 1 cup pumpkin puree and 2 tbsp of molasses.

 Mix until well batter and add-ins are incorporated. Divide the batter equally between the two pans. Bake for at least 40 minutes, rotating pans after 20 minutes. The baking time will vary according to the type of flour oil, and puree used. The top should be hard and dull in appearance. Also, tap your fingernail on the top. You should hear an audible “tap tap.” When inserting a toothpick, it should come out clean. The recipe makes 2 loaves with approximately 13 slices per loaf.

Homemade Chai - Yoga in a Cup!

Another fantastic recipe I'm sharing from the most lovely Rebecca of my 2005 yoga teacher training. We often enjoyed this during the cooler months as we listened to our beloved teacher, Diane, talk to us about yoga philosophy. Every cup brings me back! There are real benefits to sipping a delicious cup of chai. The spice mixture enhances warmth, digestion, and circulation.

• Fresh Ginger - sliced, and you can leave on the skin if it is organic
• Black Pepper
• Cardamom Pods
• Cinnamon Sticks 
• Cloves
• Allspice
• Your choice of Loose Tea - black for a more traditional chai, rooibos for earthy flavor without the caffeine, peppermint is very soothing, especially in the evening - it is your choice!

Start with the whole spices, and crush in a mortar and pestle.No proportions to stick with. Add a little of everything and play with it until you've developed YOUR individualized version.

WET VERSION: Combine ingredients and add to a pan filled with cold water. Heat on high until it comes to a rolling boil, then turn the heat down and allow chai to simmer on low with a cover on for a good while (at  least 20 minutes... can leave simmering for hours.) The longer it simmers, the stronger and the better! You can leave your pot of chai out on the stove for a couple days, reheating and enjoying. When you've used half the pot, add more water and reheat. the spices are so strong and like to be used to their full potential.

Serve with milk of your choice and some honey.

DRY VERSION: A different way of creating this chai is to combine all the ingredients dry. Dehydrate the ginger and add as well. Place in a large air-tight container and use as desired for individual batches. I bulk-ordered organic rooibos and made a 2-quart container of chai mixture. A great place to purchase your spices bulk and at a lower price is your local Indian grocery. They usually have great selections and pricing on tea as well. It probably won't be organic, though. You can also go on-line for wholesale pricing on spices if you really love this tea as much as I do and plan to drink it often. The jar I made has lasted several years. I need to replenish my supply soon! When you are ready to make chai tea, follow the instructions for the wet version above.