Allison Cafe

Babycakes Vegan Chocolate Cupcake

By Allison Baloglu, for YourSmartKitchen

Something struck me as funny today. Chocolate is so often associated with sweet treats, but actually if you have ever sampled pure cocoa, it is actually bitter. And if you have ever read the ingredients on most chocolate bars, they have to add sugar to get the sweet flavor we enjoy. Sometimes the milk chocolate bars we have grown to love are less than 50% chocolate. Which means that for milk chocolate lovers, you may actually be more addicted to the sugar than the chocolate. And white chocolate does not even contain chocolate solids, it is simply cocoa butter, sugar and milk. But some good news for you dark chocolate lovers out there: dark chocolate is full of healthy antioxidants. Dark chocolate treats are usually over 65-70% chocolate solids, or cocoa, content.

So what’s so healthy about dark chocolate anyway? Chocolate contains flavonoids, which act as antioxidants. Antioxidants, which are found in a variety foods, protect the body from aging and promote good cardiovascular health. They do this by neutralizing “free radicals” in the body, which are molecules that cause cell damage. Dark chocolate contains a large number of antioxidants. And while there are several studies pending to determine exactly how many antioxidants there are in chocolate, there is significant evidence to suggest that a small serving of chocolate contains equal amounts to red wine, or other fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids can help lower blood pressure, lower LDL cholesterol, and balance certain hormones in the body.

Dr. Oz on Oprah, Antioxident Rich Foods

Still not sure I completely understood what an antioxidant really did, I watched an episode of Dr. Oz on Oprah’s television program. He conducted a visual representation that really clicked with me and helped me to understand how they perform. Common antioxidants are vitamins C, E and beta-carotene. So as an example Dr. Oz had a lemon, which contains vitamin C, and some apple slices on a table. He explained that the term antioxidant means just that, it combats oxidation. When you slice an apple it will turn brown when left out and exposed to oxygen. But, if you squeeze lemon juice on the apple it prevents, or at least delays, the oxidation process. Seeing that example made sense to me. So imagine those antioxidants, like vitamin C for example, are hard at work inside your body too. This is why consuming these vitamins has so many benefits, including keeping your skin looking young and firm. That must be why the Greeks say to make food your medicine!

Now, this does not mean that just because cocoa powder and dark chocolate contain all these health benefits that you can over indulge. Like with anything else in your diet, moderation is key. Chocolate when consumed as part of a balanced diet can be a heart healthy treat. In addition to tasting good and lowering blood pressure, it also stimulates endorphin production, which gives a feeling of pleasure; it contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant; and it contains theobromine, caffeine and other substances which are stimulants. Theobromine by the way is the ingredient that makes this substance so toxic for pets. Their systems are not able to unable to metabolize the chemical effectively. So keep it to yourself and enjoy!

P.S.

I am going to be whipping up some tasty Valentines Day creations this week, stay tuned for Flourless Chocolate Cake, or Chocolate Souffle, whichever sounds tastier later this week!!

What is your favorite chocolate recipe? And remember, chocolate can be savory or sweet, it isn’t just for dessert!

Babycakes NYC Chocolate Cupcake and Chocolate Frosting

Babycakes NYC Cookbook (More than just cupcakes!)

Well after months of experimenting with the recipes from the new Babycakes NYC cookbook, (which by the way would make an excellent holiday gift for any baker in your life) I have finally successfully made the famed frosting! The frosting is gluten-free and vegan, so the only ingredients include soy milk, coconut oil, vanilla and a few other ingredients. It is the most unusual frosting I have ever made. For starters it only involves a blender and refrigeration to make the frosting.

I called this my Goldilocks frosting attempt because the first time I made it, the frosting was too runny. The next time I made it, the frosting was too thick. And the third time I made it, the frosting was just right! If you are new to vegan baking, the ingredients can be hard to find. The first time I made the frosting I could not locate the dry powdered soy milk which the recipe called for, so I substituted powdered goat’s milk. Hence the sub-par results in texture. It tasted good, but it didn’t set up right no matter my efforts to follow Erin‘s tips. I think the goat’s milk must not have the same properties as the soy milk perhaps. I’m not sure, I unfortunately wasn’t into the science of it, I just wanted it to work!

I finally found dry powdered soy milk at Whole Foods, although it was not my first time looking there. I found it in a display by the produce and at a different location than the La Jolla store that I usually frequent. I found it across town, in Hillcrest (San Diego). Anyway, with the excitement of my find at Whole Foods, I hurried home to make the frosting again. This time the frosting was too thick. No matter how long I left it at room temperature, it never became smooth enough to use as frosting. I’m not sure what I did wrong this time, my only guess is that I might not have used the correct measurements. You see, I have a bad habit of loosely measuring items when baking. So I put the soy milk aside and didn’t think about frosting for awhile until I had a birthday in the family and a request for vegan cupcakes. As I started setting the ingredients on the counter I remembered my past lessons. I was obsessive this time about measuring accurately. And guess what? It worked! The frosting turned out just right.

It has a creamy texture and distinct coconut flavor. It does not have butter, but it does use coconut oil so it is not completely fat free. But I like to think it is a healthy version of frosting, or at least a safe option for mixed diets. The best part is that it tastes delicious! A little warning though, you do need to store the frosted cupcakes in the fridge until about 15-20 minutes before you plan to serve them. Otherwise the frosting might melt as it comes to room temperature. That is the only thing that makes this frosting a bit of a challenge. The best plan is to make the frosting the day prior and bake the cupcakes the morning of your event. Allow them to cool completely. And then frost just before serving. This way the cupcake does not become dry from being refrigerated.

P.S.

Babycakes NYC is getting closer to opening their LA location, stay tuned to their blog for updates!

This is my second attempt at making the healthy chocolate chip cookies from the newly released Babycakes cookbook. And I even though the first batch got rave reviews from my husband and his co-workers, I think this second batch turned out even better. Since Erin’s recipes in the cookbook have evolved from years of perfection, I followed the recipe EXACTLY last time. I learned my lesson when I didn’t read the recipe completely before making the cupcakes. Feeling a little more confident this time, I made some variations and they turned out scrumptious. Since I don’t have a gluten-free diet, I wanted to incorporate the whole wheat flour this time. And I also tried adding some shredded coconut as well. Yum! Once you try these, you won’t want to make the traditional version of chocolate chip cookies ever again!

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Recently I attended the book signing for Babycakes, a vegan and mostly gluten free baking cookbook by Erin McKenna. Enticed by the prospect of enjoying sweets with natural sweeteners and healthy ingredients, I made my first of several trips to Henry’s Market, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. As I walked the aisles seeking new ingredients, such as garbanzo-fava bean flour and coconut oil, I felt like I was entering a whole new world. I had never even thought to use these items in my baking before. Fortunately, I myself do not have any food allergies, that I know if anyway, that have forced me to experiment with gluten free baking. However, after learning about the many health benefits of coconut oil, flaxmeal, soy and natural sweeteners like agave nectar and evaporated cane juice, I was inspired to take my love for sweets to a healthier, and hopefully tastier, level.

I decided to start off by (more…)

Last night I attended the book signing and talk with Erin McKenna, founder of the famous NYC bakery BabyCakes NYC, at Warwicks in La Jolla, CA. Rarely do I actually read a whole cookbook in one sitting, but last night I found myself fascinated by her healthy recipes for cupcakes, muffins, cookies and other sweets. All of her recipes are Vegan, most are gluten-free, and all are free of refined sugar. She created the recipes in her newly released cookbook, BabyCakes, in the hopes of creating healthy alternatives to traditional sweets recipes, and due to her own wheat, dairy and sugar sensitivities. Fortunately, I do not have any food allergies, but I am fascinated by the idea that a cupcake can be made without butter and milk and still be tasty enough to win New York Magazine’s coveted Best Cupcake Award in 2006. I’m off to start experimenting, let the baking begin! Oh, and for those of us on the west coast, Erin talked about a new bakery that will be opening in downtown Los Angeles very soon. Road trip!

Erin McKenna and her new fan, Allison