Author Archives: Dawn Allen

Peanut Butter “Cookie” Cupcakes

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PBcupcakes

Imagine a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie topped with a peanut butter cup with creamy frosting on top of that. Then imagine promising yourself you won’t eat 10 of them!

PS. I created this recipe for an Earthbalance contest, so I featured their products but substitutions work just fine.

Peanut Butter “Cookie” Cupcake Recipe
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COOKIE
3/4 cup almond meal/flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup Earth Balance Coconut and Peanut Spread (or peanut butter plus 1 teaspoon coconut oil)
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 tablespoons buttery spread or butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

TOPPING
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup Earth Balance Coconut and Peanut Spread or peanut butter

FROSTING
1/4 cup Earth Balance Coconut and Peanut Spread or peanut butter
1/4 cup 100% vegetable shortening
2-3 tablespoons agave nectar

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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare mini muffin tins with paper cups (about 24).

In a large mixing bowl combine the almond meal, baking powder, 1/3 cup Coconut and Peanut Spread, 1/4 cup agave, Buttery Spread, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine then mix in 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

Scoop one level tablespoon of cookie dough into each muffin cup. Gently flatten each one with your finger.

Bake for 6-7 minutes. Take them out just as the edges are barely starting to get color. If these over-cook they will be dry. (They will continue to cook in the hot pan after being removed from the oven.)

Place the muffin tins on a cooling rack until fully cooled.

Melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips in a double boiler. Mix in a 1/4 cup Coconut and Peanut Spread. Pour the mixture over each cookie, filling the paper to the top.  Set aside until the chocolate is set (you can speed this up by placing it in the freezer).

In a mixing bowl combine 1/4 cup Coconut and Peanut Spread, shortening, and 2 tablespoons of agave. Whip the frosting with an electric mixer until smooth. Taste and add more agave if desired.

Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and serve or store covered in the refrigerator.

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I am sharing this recipe on Wellness Weekend, Whole Food Fridays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays,

Nightshade-Free Chili

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chili

I love bean chili. I had a version of this that I made with salsa which I made several times a month before giving up nightshades. This is is not only a great substitute for that chili but also well-loved by my daughter. I know this ingredient list is long, I apologize for that, but the flavor really needs to be developed, and thus the long list.

Nightshade-Free Chili Recipe
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1 (15-ounce) can black beans- including liquid
1 (15-ounce) can chili beans (I use Westbrae’s mix of three beans)- including liquid
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 shallot, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dillweed
1-2 teaspoons whole grain prepared mustard (not Dijon- use to your tastes)
1/4 teaspoon tamarind concentrate (adds a nice tang but optional because let’s face it- you probably don’t have any)
1 cup petite green peas (frozen- thawed)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt to taste

Serve with:
Basmati rice
Cashews

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In a large sauce pan combine all of the ingredients except the peas and vinegar. Bring to a simmer then add the remaining ingredients, salt to taste and enjoy!

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I am sharing this recipe on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesday, Wellness Weekend, Whole Food Fridays,

Peanut Butter, Caramel, Chocolate Bars

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Candy Bar

I love candy bars. I love Snickers Bars. I don’t eat them anymore. But I don’t mind, because I know how to make my own delicious chocolates! I use the chocolate recipe from my cookbook, but you can use melted semi-sweet chocolate. For the caramel, the recipe is also in my cookbook or you can use a different caramel recipe or purchase pre-made caramels. I purchased the chocolate mold at a local craft store- very inexpensive.

Here is a photo in progress to give you a sense of how these are assembled:

Chocolate Bar Recipe
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1/2 cup melted chocolate (approximate amount)
1/3 cup peanut butter (estimate) crunchy, lightly salted, all natural peanut butter
1/4 cup caramel (use the recipe from my cookbook in the Turtle recipe, but cook it for less time so it is looser)
peanuts

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Freeze the chocolate mold.

Pour a bit of chocolate into the mold and place it in the freezer for about 5 minutes to set.

Add about a teaspoon of peanut butter to each section. Press a divot into the peanut butter and fill that with caramel. (More caramel is tasty but messy… I go for maximum caramel personally!)

Place two peanuts on top of each section and place in the freezer for about 10 minutes.

Pour chocolate over everything and once again place it in the freezer to set.

I store these in the refrigerator and try not to eat them all in one day.

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I am sharing this recipe on

Nutty Mushrooms

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This is an adaptation of a recipe from “Mollie Katzen’s Sunlight Cafe”. Her recipe, Nut Crusted Mushrooms, is so clever and delicious, but it contains dairy. So we modified it a bit, but all the credit goes to her for these tasty morsels.

I was trying to decide how to incorporate these into a cute bento, so I sought my husband’s advice. He suggested a canoe. Of course he would think of a canoe; racing canoes is his favorite hobby. Some of you might be thinking, “Canoe racing? Where do you do that?” Well, there a many races and a New England Canoe club set up for people like us! (I race too sometimes.) Here is a photo from a race several years ago. I was actually 8-months-pregant in this photo but I tried to choose the most flattering angle for the blog post.

So, I really just used what I had on hand for the backdrop of the bento. Yellow Rice, a simple recipe in my cookbook- along with grapefruit, pomegranate, pistachios, and sugar snap peas.

My husband suggests preparing a warming tray or the oven on low to store these after they are cooked as they seem to get cold quickly.

Nutty Mushroom Recipe
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2 Port0bello mushrooms
1 egg
1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/8 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
Pinch garlic powder
Olive oil

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Cut the mushroom caps into 1/2 inch slices.
Crack the egg into a shallow bowl and beat it.
Grind the almonds into a consistency of course sand. (Do not try to save time by using almond meal- it is too fine and doesn’t do well in this recipe.) Place the almonds, nutritional yeast, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder in another shallow bowl. (My husband suggests holding back some of the nut mixture as it tends to get clumpy when being dipped.)
Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Dip the mushroom slices in the egg, then in the nut mixture, and place it on the hot pan. Cook on each side until golden then place on a wire rack.

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I am sharing this recipe on And love it too,

Pumpkin Bars

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I have eaten pumpkin pie every thanksgiving for my whole life.  I can’t remember my mother ever making it any other time.  She always made the crust with whole wheat flour, the pie from a whole pumpkin, and sweetened with maple syrup.  When I was a kid I added an equal portion of whipped cream (also homemade) on top of my pie- sometimes more half-way through.  This recipe tastes a lot like pumpkin pie. In fact you could make it in a pie dish and call it pie if you want to!

Pumpkin Bar Recipe
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CRUST
1 cup almond meal/flour
1/2 cup quinoa flakes (found in the breakfast aisle)
3 tablespoons buttery spread
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt

FILLING
1/2 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon arrowroot
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1/2 cup canned coconut milk (full fat)
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

TOPPING
1 cup chopped pecans

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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.

Combine all of the crust ingredients together and press into the bottom of the prepared dish. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until the crust starts to turn golden.

Whisk together all of the filling ingredients and scoop on top of the pre-baked crust, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the top and bake for about 15-17 minutes until the filling has set.

Cool completely before serving.

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I am sharing this recipe on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten-Free Weekly Meal Plan, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Whole Food Fridays, Allergy-Free Wednesday

Pistachio Pesto Pasta and Scary Monster Bento

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Monster

Maybe I went too far. I didn’t realize how scary this was going to look! A few years ago my oldest daughter forbid me from making scary bento, so I haven’t until now; but I just felt so inspired! I put the vegetables on the bottom, pasta on top, cut the mouth out of a cucumber and put a strawberry behind it. The eyes are raw mushroom, cucumber, and strawberry.

Pistachio Pesto Pasta Recipe
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Pesto
1/4 cup salted pistachios
1 cup packed cilantro leaves
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
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Pasta and Vegetables
8-10 ounces gluten-free pasta
1-2 tablespoons oil
mushrooms (2 cups chopped)
2 cloves garlic
bunch of asparagus (2 cups chopped)
salt

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For the pesto, combine the pistachios and cilantro leaves (and garlic if using) in a small food processor and pulse until it is a chunky paste. Pulse in the olive oil and set aside.

Cook the pasta. (Remember to salt the water and if using rice pasta it tastes best if rinsed after cooking.)

Saute the vegetables in a bit of olive oil, then toss with the cooked pasta and pesto.

Enjoy hot or cold.

* If you make the pesto for another recipe, you might want to add 1-2 cloves garlic- I did not do that here because the garlic in in with the vegetables.

Shared on Bento Blog Network, Allergy Free Wednesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Wellness Weekend