Deep Dark Fudge Brownies (GF)

Let's talk about babysitter slices for a minute.

You know, the kind you take when you're babysitting and they have MUCH better snacks at their house than you do at yours.

I'm talking entenmanns fudge frosted cake.

Or like two day old glazed munchkins.

Capri Sun. Ugggghhhhhh. 

The best houses though are the ones with a tray of boxed brownies. Shiny and crinkled studded with chocolate chips. You would slice off millimeter by millimeter of those brownies so the parents wouldn't know that you ate all of their snacks, right?

Now, as a functioning adult, I am totally aware of the fact that the parents would not give a hoot about whether or not I was eating their snacks. In fact, they probably would want me and my 15 year old metabolism to help them with that tray of brownies. But for whatever reason it felt like a scandalous secret to sneak slices of sugar after the kids went to bed, did it not? 

These brownies are reminiscent of that simple add oil water and egg boxed mix you made when you were a kid except they're about a billion times fudgier and gooier and yummier. 

Deep Dark Fudge Brownies
(this recipe is kind've in weight. Please don't hate me. I promise it makes a difference)

85g Gluten Free Flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
300g sugar
3 eggs
75g cocoa powder
1 TBSP vanilla (for real no joke)
4oz dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 and line an 8" square pan with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a different bowl, whisk together the eggs, cocoa and vanilla for about a minute until super smooth and glossy.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and sugar over medium low heat whisking constantly. Don't let it bubble! Keep it low until the sugar has dissolved! Rub a tiny bit between your fingers to see if it's smooth. 

Slowly stream the melted butter mixture into the egg/cocoa mixture while whisking constantly until combined and then whisk for another whole entire minute- this is what will give you that glossy cracky top! Fold in the dry ingredients juuuuuust until combined, tossing the chopped chocolate near the end and folding that in too!

Spread evenly into the parchment lined pan and bake for 25 minutes, until the center is just set and doesn't jiggle when you wiggle the pan.

Let cool in the pan or be impatient like me and dig in with a spoon and burn the roof of your mouth with melted chocolate, both ways are totally okay.

Let's go have some brownies about it, shall we?

xo
Audrey

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake (V/GF)

It wouldn't be fair to this dessert to call it a brownie. 

There are hundreds of health food junkies out there running around calling recipes similar to this 'Sweet Potato Brownies' but that's just not okay. 

Because a brownie- a brownie needs to be dense. A brownie feels like dead weight in your hands. It sticks to the roof of your mouth it's so fudgy. It has a crackly shiny top and just a 1" square is enough to satisfy.

That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with what this is- it's just simply not a brownie. It's a light, fluffy chocolate cake with a depth of flavor and ZERO DAIRY, GLUTEN or REFINED SUGAR! 

Are you kidding me? I wouldn't have believed it either. This cake is unbelievably decadent and moist and you won't even miss the sugar- I promise.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake (vegan/gluten free)

1/2 c almond butter
1/2 c cooked sweet potato (from an actual baked sweet potato, not canned puree)
1 flax egg (1 TBSP flaxseed meal + 2.5 TBSP water)
6 TBSP maple syrup
1/4 c cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 c coconut manna
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1 can full fat coconut milk, chilled overnight
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP maple syrup

Start by making the flax egg- in a small bowl combine the flaxseed meal and water and set aside for five minutes until it firms up.

Preheat the oven to 350 and line an 8x8" pan with parchment.

In a medium bowl, combine the almond butter and sweet potato with a fork or whisk until smooth and creamy. Whip in the flax egg and maple syrup until combined. Whisk in the cocoa powder, vanilla and baking soda. 

Pour the batter into the parchment lined baking pan, bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Once the brownies have cooled completely in the pan, prepare the peanut butter frosting.

DO NOT SHAKE the can of coconut milk. Open the can and scrape the top into a small bowl, saving the transparent liquid in the fridge for smoothies at another time. Beat the coconut cream until it's light and fluffy like whipped cream. Set aside. 

In a medium bowl, beat the coconut manna with the peanut butter and maple syrup until completely combined. Fold in the whipped coconut cream until smooth and spread over cooled cake. 

Store cake in fridge until you're ready to serve. Prepare for people to propose to you when they take a bite. And then tell them it's made with all wholesome ingredients!

xo
Audrey

Watermelon Sherbet

There are plenty of words in the English language that I avoid saying altogether. 

Having grown up in a very Italian area, I am distraught when I have to speak, "ricotta" aloud. 

Mozzarella is not a simple one either.

Don't even get me started on bruschetta.

The worst part is, I loved Italian class more than all of my others. I love love love the language and I know how to annunciate these things properly, I just know I'm opening myself up for unwarranted ridicule by doing so.

Sherbet fits in that category too. It's a word that sounds wrong no matter how it falls out of your mouth. The kind've word that when you order it at Friendly's, you just point to it on the menu to dodge the discomfort of saying it out loud to your server and everyone else around you. 

The best part about this being a blog and not a Youtube channel is that I get to share this magical recipe with you and none of us have to say the word. Which most definitely is not sher-bert.

I see you in your mid-summer glory, cubed melon sitting in the back of your fridge that's juuuuuuust starting to get a tiny bit slimy around the edges. Not slimy enough to throw out yet but also not crisp enough to eat right now. Let's do something about it, shall we? 

I made this with nothing but watermelon but I suspect it would work well with cantaloupe and honeydew as well, or perhaps a combination? MAYBE A MANGO?!

You don't even know it yet but you're like an hour away from the dreamiest creamiest fruitiest sherbet on the block.

Watermelon Sherbet
Makes 1 quart

~4-5 cups cubed watermelon, frozen solid (at least 1 hour)*
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 tsp salt

*This is a rough estimate because we all have a different definition of cubed. My cubes are about 1". For me, this was 1/2 of a smallish watermelon (not a personal tiny one, a regular small one).

In a food processor, combine all three ingredients and process for about five minutes until all of the chunks and seeds have been swallowed up by the sea of pink. 

Freeze in an airtight container for about 3 hours before serving.

I served mine with cacao nibs and lime zest, reminiscent of the ever-nostalgic watermelon roll! 

xo
Audrey 

Meyer Lemon Blackberry Cake (GF)

I started my first business when I was 14 without having ANY idea what I was getting myself into.

It really all started when I was in 3rd grade, and I really REALLY wanted the book "A Smart Girl's Guide to Money" from the Scholastic Book Fair (best day of the year). I think this might've been the only time I ever once in my life heard the word 'no' from either of my parents (I am extremely lucky and I know it). It was the best no I could've ever gotten. My mom's reasoning was that she always bought me these books that I never read, and that if I really cared that much about this book I could take it out from the library and take notes on it. 

I ended up doing exactly that, filling out an entire spiral bound notebook that I titled, "I Wanna be an Entrepreneur" and that was it for me. I wrote business plans for everything from a birthday party business, to a craft summer camp that would be held in my backyard (I was planning on being the head counselor at eight years old), to babysitting services (again- I was 8).

I am so grateful for that no, because without it I would not have read that book nearly as thoroughly as I had to when I was copying it down into my notebook. 

Fast forward to the end of 9th grade. I had been decorating cakes with my mom for a few years for various cousin's birthdays, communions and every holiday under the sun. I decided that I had gotten good enough at my craft that people were going to pay me for it! It can't be that hard, right? At the time it felt so simple, all I had to do was say, "hi, this is a thing I do and you can pay me for it". So I did what anyone would do in 2009 when they want to get paid for something, I created a blogspot website complete with prices and a few photos of my creations and Plays With Food went live. 

I had the lemonade stand effect at first after handing out my first batch of business cards (actually business magnets) to everyone within a 1/2 mile radius of Wantagh High School. People ordered cupcakes and cakes from me because I was undeniably sweet as pie and it was cute that I started a business. Looking back at my work, it wasn't all that great and to be honest most of it was made from a box with canned frosting. It might've been full of processed sugar and strange stabilizing substances, but it was also full of passion and drive and effervescent love that only a kid can create when they are excited about something. 

I remember the first time someone told me I wasn't charging enough for what I was doing- I was handing Mrs. Harclerode her daughter's communion cake for 100 guests that I had charged her $60 for, which I felt pretty good about at the time! Holding three $20's feels like a lot when you're 16 and you seemingly made this money appear out of thin air by doing something you love! She took the cake from me and with the most genuine shock looked at me and said, 'you should be charing $200 for this cake!'. That's when I started taking myself seriously. I switched to scratch-baking almost immediately and realized that this was more than a fun thing I did for the heck of it. 

Here I am, nine years, thousands of cupcakes, countless wedding cakes, dozens of baby showers and first birthdays and Christmas pear tarts later- diving back into the catering world. I took a bit of time off to explore being a young twenty something, traveling alone and staying up until the sun came up and moving across the country. I took time off and realized that I miss it. I miss being part of everyone's celebrations. The happy days- the ones where people that love each other gather and eat and drink and be merry. 

Here I am in Denver, starting where I started almost a decade ago- a little less naive, a little more serious and a LOT more stoked to join your party. 

Let's have some cake about it, shall we?

Meyer Lemon Blackberry Cake (Gluten Free)
makes one 8" cake (enough for 8-10 guests)

3 c gluten-free flour
1.5 tsp xanthin gum
1/3 c cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks (16 TBSP) butter, softened
zest of 2 meyer lemons (or regular lemons)
2 1/3 c sugar
6 egg whites + 1 whole egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 c buttermilk (or 2 c almond milk + 1 tsp white vinegar)

2 c fresh blackberries
juice of two meyer lemons (or regular lemons) ((use the lemons that you zested for the cake!))
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp cornstarch

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 lb confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans, preheat the oven to 350.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the gf flour, xanthin gum, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Rub together between your fingertips until the zest is evenly distributed and the sugar is fragrant. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg whites, egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating until everything is totally combined (about 1-2 minutes more). 

Slowly stir in 1/3 of the flour mixture juuuuuust until combined. Now slowly add 1/2 of the buttermilk (or almond milk mixture) and stir just until combined. Repeat with 1/2 of the remaining flour mixture and the rest of the milk, finishing with the last of the flour mixture.

Distribute evenly between the three greased baking pans and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed into with a finger. Let cool in pans for no more than five minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

While the cakes are cooling, make the blackberry filling! 
In a small saucepan, combine the blackberries, lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a simmer over a medium flame then lower the heat to low and keep bubbling for about ten minutes, until the berries start to break down (you can push a few of them against the edge of the pan with a fork to help them along but don't break them all up!). Whisk in the teaspoon of cornstarch then remove from the heat and allow to thicken. Let this cool allllllll the way down before assembling the cake or you will be a very sad baker.

Make the buttercream!
In the bowl of your stand mixer, slowly mix the softened butter and confectioner's sugar until it's all cohesive. Once there are no more bits of sugar flying around your kitchen, crank up the speed on the mixer to high and add the vanilla. Let that go- scraping the sides of the bowl once in a blue for about five minutes. I mean it, five minutes. You want this buttercream to be hella fluffy.

To assemble the cake:
Level any layers that need leveling. What I mean by that is, get eye level with your cakes on their cooling racks and if they have a huge dome you're gonna want to cut across the top to make them all even. 

Place a little dollop of buttercream on the center of the platter you are assembling the cake on, center the first cake on the platter. Using a piping bag, pipe about a 1/2 border of frosting around the top edge of the cake (almost like you're making a fence to hold the filling in, which you are). Pipe a small amount of frosting inside the fence you just made and spread it out evenly so the entire topside of the cake is frosted. Spoon about half of the blackberry mixture on top and spread that out evenly as well. Top with the next cake and repeat this whole process.

Now you should have a three-layer, unfrosted cake. Dollop about 3/4 c of frosting on top of the cake and start spreading out until you get to the edges, then spread along the edges to kind've seal the filling in. Here's where you get to have some fun with it. I kept the top of my cake extra frosted and took a spoon to add bits of the leftover filling to the cake as I was frosting it to create that streaky thing that you see. 

You are the artist. This is the cake that you get to be the boss of. Go ahead! Tag me on instagram if you make this one @audreygebhardt, I'd love to see what you come up with!

xo
Audrey

Grilled Cinnamon Pineapple Shortcakes (GF)

I went to Hawaii kind've on a whim this week last year.

I was on a 'finding myself, I'm gonna buy one one-way ticket at a time and see where I end up' trip.

I showed up on Oahu at the same time that the first swell in months had shown up, which meant that the friends I had there were in the water for 18 hours at a time, surfing way above my pay grade while I explored alone.

The first day, I drove up to the North Shore and stopped at this roadside smoothie shack. I had heard such phenomenal things about the pineapples there that I ordered an entire pineapple and ate it all while chatting with the girl who worked there. I made plenty of friends that week exploring on my own, some of them I'm still in touch with!

An hour later I found myself writhing in pain on the beach, like my stomach was eating my body from the inside out.

Dear reader, do not eat an entire pineapple by yourself. You will probably regret it. 

Since then, I've discovered that if the pineapple is cooked (grilled), my stomach can handle more of it than if it's raw! I guess the heat changes the levels of acid or something like that. 

Not only that, but grilling pineapple gives it this caramelized sweetness. In this version, I added some cinnamon sugar just to up the dessert factor since the biscuits and whipped cream are not all that sweet.

Grilled Cinnamon Pineapple Shortcakes
makes 6

gluten free biscuits
6 Tbsp butter
2 1/2 c gluten free flour (I like Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 c brown rice flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 c almond milk
3 Tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp white vinegar

grilled cinnamon pineapple
1 whole pineapple, peeled and sliced into 1" thick rounds
1 Tbsp white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon 

whipped cream
2 c heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Make the biscuits:
Preheat the oven to 450, line a baking sheet with parchment. 

Dice the butter into 1/2" cubes, freeze for fifteen minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the gluten free flour, brown rice flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Whisk to combine.

In a small bowl, combine the almond milk, heavy cream and vinegar. Allow to sit for five minutes or so (this will cause the milk to curdle, you want that! This adds the traditional buttermilk flavor you're looking for). Whisk in the egg until combined.

Using a pastry blender, mix the frozen butter chunks into the flour mixture until it's all cohesive and the butter is the size of small peas. 

Fold in the milk/egg mixture juuuuust until combined. 

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, pat the mixture out until it's about 1 1/2" tall. Use a 3" round cutter to cut the biscuits (or just slice into squares, we're not picky here).

Transfer the biscuits to parchment lined cookie sheet, bake for 15 minutes until they just begin to lightly brown around the edges. Cool completely.

Grill the pineapple:
Heat the grill to medium high, place the rounds of pineapple on the grill & close it.

In a small bowl, stir the sugar and cinnamon together.

After about ten minutes on the grill, flip the pineapple over (it should be pretty caramelized with nice char marks on this side already, if it's not give it a few more minutes).

Gently spoon the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the already grilled side of the pineapple (from this point on you won't flip it again or your grill will be hella sticky). Close the grill and cook for another ten minutes or so, until the cinnamon mixture is bubbling on top and the bottom side of the pineapple is nice and caramelized as well.

Remove from grill and cool completely.

Make the whipped cream:
In a medium bowl, add the heavy cream and vanilla. Beat with an electric beater for about two minutes until soft peaks form (don't overmix or you'll have butter!)

When the biscuits and the pineapple are completely cool, cut the pineapple into chunks (removing the hard core). Slice the biscuits in half, top them with a nice dollop of whipped cream and pineapple and repeat. 

These keep beautifully in the fridge for about a day in an airtight container! 

xo
Audrey

Vegan Hot Fudge that will Melt Your Face Off

This post kind've started as a disaster and turned into a masterpiece. A "happy accident" as my high school photo teacher, Ms. Beary would say.

I was trying to make Roasted Cherry Coconut Almond Vegan Ice Cream, and aside from it being way too many words it was also a rock solid block of ice after it hung out in the freezer for a day. 

Back to the drawing board. 

The greatest blessing about it was that I was planning on swirling the fudge sauce into the ice cream but the fudge was hot so I couldn't and I saved it to pour on top and OH MY GOD IT WILL MELT YOUR FACE OFF. 

You know, like in School of Rock when fake Mr. Schneebly Jack Black talks about the face melting solo? 

This fudge is the face melting solo. 

It can melt the rock solid ice block of cherries and coconut in your freezer into the most delectable swirl of flavors you've ever had. 

I found myself sneaking demitasse spoonfuls of the fudge for breakfast the next day.

Kind've like when I had 10x the sweet tooth I do now in middle school and kept a can of vanilla frosting in the back of the fridge for an after school pick me up every now and again. 

Make it, maybe/definitely double the recipe. 

I'll show you the ice cream that fed my garbage disposal anyway, since it turned into this gorgeous sunset lavender and who doesn't want to look at aerial shots of scoops?

Vegan Hot Fudge
makes about a cup
(adapted from Minimalist Baker)

1 can full fat coconut milk- DON'T SHAKE IT LIKE A POLAROID PICTURE
1/3 c cocoa powder
1/4 c sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
zest of one orange if you're feeling like Ina- maybe a splash of Grand Marnier as well?!
pinch salt

Open the very still can of coconut milk. If you have just gotten it home from the grocery store or you have shaken it recently, let it take a nap for about an hour. Scoop all of the thick white cream off the top into a saucepan and store the milkier thinner stuff on the bottom in the fridge for smoothies or whatnot.

Whisk in the cocoa powder, sugar and salt.

Cook over med-high heat until it starts to bubble and it's super shiny, about five minutes. Lower the heat if it gets too bubbly/starts to boil. You want a gentle simmer and you want to be constantly whisking so you don't have burnt flavored fudge on your hands.

Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and orange zest only if you're in the mood for orangey chocolate.

Serve over EVERYTHING.

Keeps well in a jar in the fridge for up to two weeks, just pop it in the microwave for a quick thirty or heat the whole jar in a pot with warm water like it's a baby's bottle before serving.

xo
Audrey

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies for real (V/GF)

I truly believe that chocolate chip cookies are always appropriate. 

I know this is the second post about cookies this week, but this is extremely important. 

I made these the other day and planned on sharing them at a later time so this doesn't turn into a cookie blog- but after eating them for three breakfasts in a row I decided you need this recipe and you need it right now. 

Meeting your new boo-thang's parents for the first time? Bring them cookies.

Snow day? Warm chocolate chip cookies.

Got home way too late and a little bit tipsy? Grab a stack of cookies and a tall glass of milk.

Your best friend decided to break up with her boyfriend...again? Show up with cookies.

It's Sunday morning? Cookies for breakfast. 

I dare you to tell me a situation that you wouldn't be happier with a plate full of these cookies.

Best Ever Vegan/Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/4 c almond butter
1/4 c applesauce
1/2 c sunflower oil
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 c raw sugar
2/3 c light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c all purpose gluten free flour (I like Bob's)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped**

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sunflower oil and all of the sugars. Stir in the almond butter, vanilla and applesauce until combined. Whisk in the baking soda and salt- then slowly stir in the flour and chocolate chunks. 

Scoop onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, two inches apart. Bake for 8 minutes until the edges just begin to turn golden brown. Right when you take them out of the oven, gently tap the sheet on the counter so the center sinks in a bit. This makes the cookies a consistent texture all the way through and gives them that gorgeous crackly top!

Allow to cool on baking sheet, store in an airtight container!

I froze half of the scoops until solid and now I have a ziplock bag full of cookie dough just waiting for the day that I come home and desperately need a pile of warm, chocolatey sugar. 

** The reason you want to chop your own chocolate instead of using chocolate chips is because chocolate chips are full of wax to help them hold their shape. While I use chips all the time for times that I'm melting chocolate (ganache, frostings, etc)- I always chop my own bars for cookies because it will give you layers of chocolate and flakes of chocolate all throughout the cookie. This is the difference between something that people eat, and something that people remember.

xo
Audrey

Strawberry Pavlova Cake

TALK ABOUT FANCY. 

I promise promise promise you- this is the sneakiest, simplest fancy dessert you ever will make. 

this is what your meringue should look like pre-oven!

You will garner ooohhhhss and aaaahhhhs from every guest. 

You will be begged for seconds. 

You will be told you are a magician (you are).

Best of all- you will make your gluten free buddies so so happy!

Strawberry Pavlova Cake

6 egg whites
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon juice
1 TBSP cornstarch

2 lb strawberries
1/4 cup sugar

1 quart heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste!)

Clean your mixing bowl. Using the lemon that's already been juiced, run the fleshy side all around your mixing bowl then wipe dry with a paper towel. This is to make sure there are no oils in your bowl which would prevent your eggs from forming peaks!

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the egg whites in the mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment and beat until stiff (so when you lift the beater up the peaks do not fall). Slowly add the (1 1/2 c) sugar a few tablespoons at a time and continue beating until thick and shiny. Gently fold in the lemon juice, cornstarch and vanilla. 

Separate the meringue into three even mounds on the parchment lined baking sheets, then working from the center, spread out with a spoon to create three circles about 9" in diameter and about 1" tall. You want the edges to be slightly higher than the center. Make sure the two on the same sheet are at least 3" apart or they will connect as they cook!

Bake at 300 for one hour until it looks dry around the edges. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Prep the strawberries (or any berries) while the meringue is in the oven. Wash and slice the strawberries then combine with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar- cover and set aside in the fridge until you're ready to assemble. 

WHEN YOU ARE READY TO SERVE AND NOT BEFORE THAT VERY MOMENT BECAUSE THIS IS INTEGRAL TO THE TEXTURE OF THE CAKE, assemble the Pavlova!

Whip the very cold cream with the vanilla until soft peaks form- do not over whip or you will have butter!

Place the first meringue on a large platter, top with 1/3 of the whipped cream and 1/3 of the strawberries. Repeat with the other two layers and LOOK AT YOU YOU JUST DID A THING! 

This does not hold up well once assembled, you're going to want to eat it all within an hour or the moisture of the berries will start to break down the meringue. I like to serve this super sloppy with a huge serving spoon and bowls- presentation is pretty, the way we eat it not so much. 

xo Audrey