RECIPE - Gluten Free Chocolate Coconut Cake!!

Sometimes you just can't decide between chocolate and coconut. It's ok, you can have both.

This recipe is so EASY, you won't believe it at first.

First, take a package of gluten free chocolate cake mix. I use Bob's Red Mill. Second, make the cake batter, substituting the milk in the recipe for chocolate milk or chocolate soy milk. Next, bake the cake.

Now for the coconut. Just take a container of vanilla frosting (make sure it's GF!), add about 1/3 - 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, and stir. If you have coconut extract, add about 1/2 tsp and stir again. Let sit for about an hour to help soften the coconut.

Frost the cake, then sprinkle on some extra coconut shavings.

 don't worry... this was not just ONE slice.

Ta Da!! Easy as pie... I mean... cake. You'll also remember the raspberry chocolate cupcakes I made a few months back with another gluten free chocolate cake mix. The possibilities are endless. Here's a few other ideas on how to modify gluten free cake mix:

• Add white chocolate chips to the chocolate cake mix. frost with white frosting and add extra white chocolate chips
• Add white chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts to vanilla cake mix. 
• replace any water in vanilla or yellow cake mix with pineapple juice. fill the center of the cake with less frosting and fresh pineapple chopped up. sprinkle coconut shavings on top of cake.
• Mix any flavor of metled fruit preserves into frosting. if it has seeds, remember to strain them out! Make sure the frosting has cooled before icing the cake.
• Create a four layer cake. split the 2 layers each in half, then alternate laying fillings with sliced strawberries/splash of booze (fruit liquor? chocolate liquor?) and fill the other layers with traditional icing. The booze helps keep the cake super moist, and using fruit instead of frosting means that you won't need to buy and extra frosting tub to finish the cake off!

RECIPE - GF Chocolate, Coconut and Almond Cookies

Question: What is the best holiday?

Answer: Halloween!!

You may be thinking: Why would you ask that when Christmas is just around the corner, and Hannukah is going on now???

Let me explain.

Reasons why Halloween is the best holiday:
1. Free candy
2. No requirement to dress up (they HAVE to give you candy)
3. Zombie movies
4. Non-family parties
5. There's a parade (at least in NYC)
6. After Halloween, all the leftover candy is on massive sale at the store.

So, about 3 weeks ago, I purchased way too much candy while making a trip at Duane Reade. More specifically, I bought about 3 lbs each Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Almond Joy.

Then, recently, I've been trying to think up new and interesting cookie recipes. I've been wanting to use the Coconut Flour that I got from Bob's Red Mill. The texture is very light and the smell is super coconut-y. And then it hit me: Chocolate + Coconut + Almonds + Cookie = An Awesome Almond Joy-inspired Delight!

I can't take credit for the idea. I found this recipe on All Recipes and made some tweaks. First, I havled the recipe (I don't need 4 dozen cookies lying around). Then, I swapped out 3/4 cup flour for the coconut flour, and then used a GF all purpose flour for the rest. Finally, I used equal proportions chocolate chips, almonds, and coconut. I realized after the first batch that I needed some extra butter and an extra egg to make up for all that coconut. The result is amazing! Think a cross between an almond macaroon and a chocolate chip cookie. Really... they are that good! Please do yourself a favor and try them.

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour
3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill GF Organic Coconut Flour
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup toasted chopped almonds
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup unsweetened grated coconut

Directions:
Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugars and butter until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix until well combined.

Add in the dry ingredients in batches (I usually do 4 batches), stirring in each addition until combined.

Add the chocolate chips, almonds, and coconut. Stir to combine.

Drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon (these cookies don't spread much due to the coconut). Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-11 minutes, or until golden brown on bottom.