Baking High

Don't ask me why, don't ask me how, but I can officially say I have fallen in love with baking. This is big for me because for a long time I considered myself a lost cause with baking and cooking. It felt as if everything I touched turned to dirt and because of all my failed attempts it was never an enjoyable experience. However, on Christmas Eve this all changed. I decided to take on a grain, sugar and dairy free coffee cake from a blog I follow called The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen. For some reason, I couldn't get that coffee cake out of my head. Maybe it was because the picture reminded me of the coffee cake my mom used to make for us when we were kids, or maybe it was because the ingredients were all clean and healthy for the most part and I knew I wouldn't feel guilty eating it. I knew my mom was planning on making her annual heart attack sticky bun Christmas breakfast and I didn't want to succumb to the misery I felt last Christmas after consuming probably ten too many butter and sugar drenched buns. So I took it in my head to break out of my baking phobic shell and bake from this healthy and rather risky recipe.

The conclusion? The cake was DELICIOUS! It was a huge hit with even the least healthy eater in the family! Might I even add, it was actually better than my mom's! (But shhhh, don't tell). We decided right then and there to make it every Christmas in addition to my mom's sticky buns for those who don't want to eat the dangerous sticky buns. The very next week I made another batch for our house guests. The weird secret ingredient? White beans! My sister was afraid they wouldn't taste good because of this, but I proved her wrong! This recipe was actually taken from the website The Spunky Coconut which I have been baking almost exclusively from ever since. I am obsessed with Kelly's gluten, casein and sugar free baked goods and have already decided to buy her cookbook once I can afford it. Every recipe has been a success and I love knowing that I'm not going to feel sick after eating them.

I love how this banana bread turned out! Banana bread has always been one of my favorite breakfasts of all time and my yearly requested birthday breakfast.

These chocolate chip muffins are moist and absolutely delicious. The almond butter adds a rich nutty taste. I will definitely be making them again!

I was so crazy busy making these deliciously rich flourless vegan brownies on New Years eve before a big party that I didn't get a change to take pictures. This photo is taken straight from the blog. Let me just say that mine didn't turn out quite as pretty and perfect looking as this, but they satisfied my chocolate craving right away.

My latest creations, chocolate walnut scones taken from today's GOOP newsletter about the Elimination Diet (or the Clean 21 Day Cleanse). These scones are so simple and easy to make and are gluten free, vegan, and sweetened with dates! My mistake? I added chunks of bakers chocolate instead of slightly sweetened dark chocolate so they are more bitter than they should be. Other than that they are delicious and end up in cute little petite sizes. After reading today's GOOP, my mom and I were both inspired to do the elimination diet for a week and to take turns cooking from the recipes given. They all look delicious and relatively simple like this scone recipe. Check out the website (click on the GOOP link above) for more information. Hopefully we will both feel better and healthier after all our holiday sugar and greasy food overload. My stomach has been practically wailing in agony ever since.

Do you have any favorite baking recipes? What was your favorite baked good growing up? Please share!