Vegan Ice Cream

4-5 very ripe bananas

1 large avocado

2 tablespoons smooth, salted peanut butter

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Peel bananas and avocado. Cut into small chunks. Separate to two airtight containers and freeze until solid (preferably overnight). 

Add frozen bananas and avocados to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy (be sure to scrape down the sides of the food processor as needed). The mixture will go through different stages: crumbled, oatmeal-like texture, gooey to finally creamy. At this point, add the rest of the ingredients to combine.

You can enjoy this right away. For best result, freeze until set. Will keep for up to two days.

Lemon Mascarpone Layer Cake

2 cups superfine sugar

3 cups cake flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup salted butter (room temperature)

1 cup whole milk (room temperature)

4 large eggs (room temperature)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste

1/2 cup lemon curd

1 large lemon (zest and juice)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 2 round cake tins. Line the bottom with parchment paper.

Sift flour and baking powder. Combine milk and lemon juice. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add lemon curd, and zest to combine followed by eggs one at a time, beating well in between. 

Add flour and milk mixture, alternately to the batter, making sure to start with flour end with flour.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until a stick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pans to cool completely. 

Mascarpone Lemon Frosting:

2 small tubs mascarpone cream (room temperature)

1 cup fresh lemon curd

1 32 oz bag powdered sugar

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat mascarpone and lemon curd until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed; after every two additions, raise speed to high and beat 10 seconds to aerate frosting, then return to medium-high. This process should take about 5 minutes. Frosting will be very pale and fluffy.

Slice each layer in half. Place one cake layer (golden side down) on a cake platter. Spread a third of the filling evenly over the layer, leaving the outer edge of the cake bare. Repeat with another cake layer (again, golden side down), applying just a bit of pressure so the layers adhere, and then spread on another third of the filling. Repeat the process until you get to the final layer. Cover the cake in frosting. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Raspberry Bars

2 cups oat flour

1 cup brown rice starch

1 cup almond flour/meal

3 teaspoons gluten free baking powder

2 teaspoons guar gum

2 cups coconut sugar

1 cup cold grass fed salted butter, cut into small chunks

Cold Milk

4 cups fresh raspberry preserve or jam

1 cup powdered sugar

1 large lemon, juiced

Preheat oven to 350 F

Combine all the dry ingredients. Cut butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles large crumbs. Add enough cold milk to form a dry dough (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup).  

Press half the dough into a medium size cookie pan and spread the preserve to cover the top. Scatter the rest of the dough over the top and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

Remove from the oven to cool completely.

Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice to make a frosting and drizzle over the top to set.

Slice into bars. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container.

Gluten Free Almond Chocolate Cookies

1 3/4 cup almond flour/meal

8 tablespoons grass fed  unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup coconut sugar

2 teaspoons pure almond extract 

1 large orange, zest

2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups dark chocolate chips

1 small bowl coconut sugar (to dip dough in)

Preheat oven to 350 F

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add almond extract and orange zest, followed by the dry ingredients.

Drop tablespoons of the cookie dough into a small bowl of sugar and toss to fully coat and add to a cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until cookies are golden brown.

Remove from the oven to cool completely before frosting

Frosting:

1 1/2 cups powdered/icing sugar

1 large orange, juice and zest

Whisk ingredients until creamy and smooth. Drizzle a generous amount over the cookies.