Reed - Decadent Gluten-Free Vegan Baking: Delicious, Gluten-, Egg: and Dairy-Free Treats and Sweets

Think vegan, gluten-free baking means settling for something less-than-delicious? Think again! Decadent Gluten-Free Vegan Baking proves that you can be ingredient-conscious without compromising on fun or flavor. NATALIE SLATER, author of Bake and Destroy Whether you are craving a cookie, a cupcake, a donut or a scone, just pour a tall glass of ice cold almond milk and get your taste buds ready for the foods you thought youd have to go without. JONI MARIE NEWMAN, author of The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet, Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen and many more Caras debut cookbook proves that eating vegan and gluten-free can be fun! Her allergy-friendly takes on old favorites are an absolute delight. ALLYSON KRAMER, author of Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats and Sweet Eats for All DECADENT GLUTEN-FREE VEGAN BAKING Delicious Gluten-, Egg- and Dairy-Free Treats and Sweets C ARA R EED creator of the popular site ForkandBeans.com The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law.

If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the authors copyright, please notify the publisher at: http://us.macmillanusa.com/piracy.

Unlike cooking, baking has an entire science to it. It takes a certain amount of knowledge to understand how many eggs a recipe needs in order to give it a beautiful rise, how much fat requires a baked good to taste a certain way, and even what the right amount of liquid is needed without weighing it down. Take away the gluten, eggs and dairy, now we are talking about a whole new set of rules to abide by. This is why the task of initially learning how to bake gluten-free and vegan can be so overwhelming. I can recall the first six months of adjusting to this new science.

They were some of the most frustrating times ever! With trash bags full of rocks, which were supposed to resemble breads and muffins, that crumbled with the slightest touch, I was ready to give up altogether. Maybe that is you right now. You are ready to throw in your towel and apron and cry into the big bag of gluten-free flour mix in your pantry. Maybe you are completely new to baking without gluten, eggs and dairy and have no idea where to start. I completely understand that feeling. Or maybe you have a few years of experience under your belt and are looking for new recipes to add to your collection.

Wherever you are at I guarantee you that, like it was for me, persistence and tenacity will lead you to a better understanding of this world of gluten-free vegan baking. Anything is possible if you are willing to commit (after all, I am writing this cookbookme, the girl who years prior, would sit on her kitchen floor sobbing because she just baked four different batches of cookies that all tasted like doo-doo). Dont be shy, grab ahold of my hand and believe me when I say you can so do this! Make sure to check out my Resources section () for tips, tricks and basic recipes used throughout the book. This will be a guide for you to understand how to substitute certain ingredients in my recipes that you are unable to consume.

Growing up as a little girl, I had two favorite activities: watching TV and eating. A really good day was when I was able to combine both activities.

Its true that I had developed some rather bad habits as a kid. Its why I ended up on the chubbier side. As I have grown older, wiser and more knowledgeable about how to properly feed my body (I know now that a bag of Doritos and a can of Coke is nowhere near a perfectly balanced meal), I have in return watched my waistline shrink. But the old saying is still true: You can take the girl out of the junk food, but you cant take the junk food out of the girl. Okay, so I made that one up. Despite the fact that I treat my body entirely differently as an adult doesnt mean that I can no longer enjoy foods that bring me back to my childhood, like a homemade Oreo cookie dunked in a cold glass of almond milk.

Put that apron on, sister (or brother), and lets get baking. Who wants homemade Pop-Tarts or better yet cinnamon sugar churros with a homemade chocolate dipping sauce? I had a feeling you would like that

Despite the fact that they always come in 2nd behind the triumphant Thin Mints, Samoas will always remain my favorite Girl Scout cookie. A crispy cookie bottom coated with chocolate and topped with caramel and coconut is in my opinion neck and neck with chocolate and mint. One of my favorite ways to eat Samoas is by breaking them apart and throwing them into a big bowl of nondairy ice cream. FOR THE COOKIE BASE 1 c/206 g Caras All-Purpose Blend ()3 Tbsp/45 ml maple syrup2 Tbsp/28 g non-hydrogenated shortening2 Tbsp/28 g vegan butter1 Tbsp/15 ml nondairy milktsp baking powdertsp salt FOR THE CHOCOLATE COATING 2 c/352 g nondairy chocolate chips, melted1 Tbsp/15 ml non-hydrogenated shortening or coconut oil, melted FOR CARAMEL AND COCONUT Date Caramel Sauce ()1 c/90 g sweetened shredded coconut, toasted Preheat oven to 325F/170C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix everything for the cookie base together with a fork in a medium bowl until dough begins to form. It might be a bit crumbly; simply place the dough on a piece of parchment paper and gently knead until a smooth ball is formed. Roll between 2 pieces of parchment until inch/3 mm. Cut into circles with 2-inch/5-cm cookie cutter. Using a -inch/12-mm circle cutter, make a hole in the middle of each cookie. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Allow to fully cool. Dip each cookie bottom into the melted chocolate and coconut oil. Allow to set on a piece of parchment paper. Mix together the caramel sauce and coconut in a small bowl. Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon/15 ml of the mixture onto each cookie and spread around so it covers it completely. Place the leftover melted chocolate in a plastic bag, cut a tiny hole in the corner and drizzle lines on the top.

Freeze the cookies for 10 minutes to completely set. CARAS TIP: You might have leftover date caramel sauce for this recipe, and you are better for it! Simply place into an airtight jar and store in the refrigerator for up to one week. Drizzle over nondairy ice cream or a slice of pie, or spoon it right out of the jar for a sweet treat.