Pomegranate-Lavender Poppy Corn Bread

Today I will tell a tale of two very different corn breads. The first is this teacake variety inspired by a recipe in the BabyCakes cookbook, infused with the sweet pomegranate molasses we featured in our pomegranate-dream cake post. The second is a wheat-free variety more suitable for sides. Chili, perhaps? I'll post the wheat-free one a little later in the day. Just to keep you guessing :)

Anyway, this corn bread is beautiful.. As Erin McKenna writes in BabyCakes: "Adding teacakes to your repertoire may just serve you better than any other less you take away from [her] book." Simply put: teacakes are easy, usually turn out well, and are general crowd-pleasers. And by adding a generous 1/3 cup pomegranate molasses (made from the 100% pomegranate juice sent to me by the kind folks at POM Wonderful) . . . this creation is sweet and unique.



If you need a refresher, to make pomegranate molasses all you do is mix together 1 cup pomegranate juice, 1 tablespoon raw sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon lemon juice. Simmer until reduced and thick (coating the back of a spoon is a good measure of thickness). (Can be used, I learned, in place of agave nectar, honey, maple syrup, or regular molasses.)



POMEGRANATE-LAVENDER POPPY CORN BREAD


What you'll need . . .

• 2/3 cup soy milk (or other substitute for the real deal)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup whole wheat bread flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon flax meal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (plus more for pan)
• 1/3 cup pomegranate molasses (or agave, honey, maple syrup)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lavender
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9.25 x 5.25 x 2.75 inch pan with the coconut oil.
2. Pour soy milk and cider vinegar into a small bowl and set aside. It will thicken into a buttermilk.
3. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream together the coconut oil, pomegranate molasses, applesauce, and vanilla.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, flax meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until full incorporated.
5. Fold in the lavender and poppy seeds. The batter will be grainy.
6. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake on center oven rack for approx. 30 minutes, rotating the pan after 20 minutes. (Finished bread will "bounce back" when you press it slightly.)
7. Let the bread stand in the pan for 20 minutes, then gently run a knife around pan edges and invert to release from pan. Flip so it's right-side-up again to cool on a cooling rack.
8. Uncut bread will last for 3 days in room temp. covered in plastic wrap. We threw ours in the fridge.

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Double Chocolate Chip & Walnut Cookies

Ah, another adventure with the BabyCakes cookbook. Last time we brought you a basic chocolate chipper recipe which has fast soared to my favorites list. This  time around, I thought I'd try something more sinful. More chocolate-y. And while I love the cookbook -- my only critique is that I don't ever see myself routinely stocking my cabinets with evaporated cane juice, xanthan gum, and some of the more exotic (but frequently used) flours.

(Fava bean flour? Why does that somehow make me think of Hannibal Lecter? Oh, that's right.).

I have been putting out some extra cash for coconut oil because I like it so much, but with our budget -- I'm thinking of calling a stop to that, too. The stuff is like $9 a container -- more than double the price of Earth Balance. It works SO incredibly well, though. So I have one more container left and will use it up like a rock star.

These cookies turned out just as good if not better than their plain chipper counterparts. I added the walnuts for some extra crunch, and I would highly recommend you do as well. The flavors blend famously. And the texture is undeniably amazing.






What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup coconut oil (though I imagine you can use Earth Balance or butter)
• 1-1/4 cups raw sugar (pulsed in your food processor so it's finer grains -- or just use brown sugar)
• 1/3 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour (or gluten free -- book recommends Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum (BUT I read you can just substitute more flax meal, and I did)
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
• 1/2 to 1 cup whole walnuts (crushed just slightly)

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
2. In bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream together the coconut oil, sugar, applesauce, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla -- until fluffy.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, flax meal, baking soda, and xanthan gum (or more flax meal to sub.).
4. Carefully add dry ingredients to wet and mix until dough is formed.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts until just distributed evenly.
6. Scoop out heaping tablespoon amounts of dough onto the cookie sheets. Space 1-inch apart and gently press with the heel of your hand to flatten.
7. Bake on center rack for 14 minutes -- rotating the sheets after 9 minutes to help evenly bake.
8. Cookies are "done" when they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Let cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

I hope you all enjoy the recipe. As I wrote earlier, it's one of the best cookies I've ever consumed.

Now, I've received a few emails and comments about providing nutritional information with my recipes. I just wanted to say that for now, I am unable to do so. Not only because I don't have a background in nutrition, but also because I'm unfamiliar with tools that will allow me to easily calculate without having to add up the caloric amounts of each separate ingredient myself. And if you know me, you know I'm horrible at math.

The BabyCakes cookbook does not provide nutritional info for these cookies -- however, in the future, if this information is included with a recipe I try -- and I tweak it (which I always do -- except with those PPK chocolate peanut butter pillows), I'll be sure to include as much info as I have. <3

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Babycakes Cookbook and Chocolate Chippers Recipe

(Psssst: If you haven't checked out our first giveaway yet -- head over there now! You have until 9PM EST to enter. 3 winners will be announced at some point tomorrow, 1/15/2010.)

This post is dedicated to my friend Liz who brought to my attention that I've included nuts in pretty much every single recipe on this blog. I can be a one-track mind. And I love nuts (THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!), peanut butter, Nutella, etc. But I realize many people have food allergies, so today's recipe should be safe for many special dietary needs.

I bought the Babycakes cookbook this week (my friend Emily made some amazing cupcakes from it recently) on Amazon for an impressive $16.32 (list price is $24). Last week, I almost bought the same exact glossy-covered book at Barnes and Noble for the full price. What can I say, I'm an Amazon convert. So, like with anything else -- don't pay full price! The book arrived at my house only days after I ordered it . . . with free shipping!

What is Babycakes? I've never actually been there . . . but it's a bakery -- initially opened in Manhattan -- that exclusively serves up gluten-free, vegan baked goods. But not the heavy, granola-y ones you might think about when you hear they've got nothing "normal" in them. We're talking legit, incredible cookies, cakes, and pies that even your MOM wouldn't suspect to be sans wheat, eggs, milk, sugar, etc.

I started safe with their chocolate chip cookie recipe. One critique I have of the book is that most recipes include at least one ingredient I don't normally use in my own baking. In this case, it was both xanthan gum AND evaporated cane juice. Here's what I did to fix the xanthan gum problem: NOTHING. I just left it out entirely . . . and my cookies turned out great. Crispy and light. A texture I've not achieved before. The evaporated cane juice required some research. I ended up taking some Sugar in the Raw and processing it until it was a fine powder (though not TOO fine like powdered sugar). Worked very well. These cookies actually snap (like ginger snaps) when you try to break them apart. It's so much fun!

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup coconut oil (you can get this at most grocery stores -- I believe this is the reason they turned out so delightfully crispy)
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cups raw sugar (pulsed in the food processor until it's a fine powder)
• 2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-purpose Baking Flour (I had bought some to try out -- however, you may use whatever flour you're comfortable with -- like wheat pastry flour)
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips (I used Sunspire)

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the coconut oil, applesauce, salt, vanilla, and sugar. Beat until fluffy.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, flax meal, and baking soda.
4. Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix until a "grainy dough" is formed. Then fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Using a tablespoon measure, scoop dough onto prepared sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart (they do spread). This next part's important: press each with the heel of your hand to flatten/help them spread.
6. Bake on center rack for 15 minutes -- rotating 180 degrees after 9 of those minutes.
7. Finished cookies will be crisp on edges, soft in middle.
8. Let cool completely on wire rack before storing.

Amid all the tasty recipes are several celebrity testimonials. Above is my favorite. Yes. I'm in love with Jason Schwartzman (though some people, including my husband, question why . . . and I question: HOW COULD YOU NOT LOVE THAT FACE?). Guess it's truly a topic for great debate, much like in that episode of The Office. The one where the characters bring about that eternal question: "Is Hilary Swank hot?"

I'm in need of Michael Scott's wisdom on this matter.

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