Flourless Candy Cane Chocolate Cake

Forget the cookies. This may be what Santa wants with his milk this year.

Santa would also like the Chocolate Icebox Cake on page 80 in Tastes & Treasures.

Flourless Candy Cane Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
One 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed 

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

1/2 cup (about 4 large) egg whites 

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 

1/3 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/4 cup Truvia spoonable calorie-free sweetener (or another no-calorie granulated sweetener
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 

1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt 

1/8 tsp. peppermint extract
1 tbsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 full-sized candy cane (or 3 minis), crushed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9" round cake pan with foil, and generously spray with nonstick spray. 


Place all ingredients except chocolate chips and candy canes in a food processor. Puree until completely smooth and uniform. 

Fold in chocolate chips.
Transfer mixture into the cake pan, and smooth out the top. 

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, 35 - 40 minutes. 
Immediately sprinkle with crushed candy cane(s).

Let cool completely, about 1 hour. 

Refrigerate leftovers. (This cake tastes great chilled.) 

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Thanks to Hungry Girl for the recipe.

Cookies for Santa

Nothing more fun than a 4-year old getting ready for Santa on Christmas Eve. We wore our Historical League aprons as we baked and decorated these yummy cookies. Easy and fun with wonderful memories for everyone.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
(makes 20-23)
Ingredients:
1 cup spelt or whole wheat pastry flour (130g) (Gluten-free recipe here)
3/4 cup rolled oats (60g)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp chopped walnut pieces
3 tbsp shredded coconut (15g)
1/4 to 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (40g)
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp vegetable oil (50g) (See substitution note in the instructions below.)
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (74g)
pinch stevia, or 1 extra tbsp pure maple syrup
If using the stevia option, add 1 tbsp milk of choice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a mini muffin pan or cookie tray. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir very well. In a separate bowl, whisk together all liquid ingredients. Pour wet into dry and stir to form a dough. Chill dough in the refrigerator at least 1 hour. Roll out chocolate chip oatmeal cookie dough balls by smushing the dough together with your fingers. Place in the greased tins or on the pan, smush down if you want flat cookies, and bake 7 minutes. The oatmeal chocolate chip cookies should still look a little undercooked when you remove them from the oven, but they’ll firm up as they cool. Set the tray aside for 10 minutes before removing the cookies.
SUBSTITUTION: Coconut oil may be substituted for the vegetable oil. If using coconut oil, roll cookie dough balls before refrigerating the dough, as coconut oil hardens when chilled.
Thanks to Chocolate Covered Katie for the recipe.