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Vegan Chocolate Tart with Hazelnut and Orange (Gluten Free!)

Chocolate, Gluten-free, Tarts, Vegan, Wine and Unwind May 28, 2019 1 Comment

I realize I’ve fallen down on the job of blogging our Backstage Baker’s creations. The last post had him creating an amazing cake for “Mother of Maid” at the Public (starring Glenn Close) way back in October of LAST year! Here’s that link if you missed it.

After that, he went on to work with Ethan Hawke and Paul Dano on Sam Shepard’s limited run of “True West.” While there certainly were baked goods and Wine and Unwind’s there, there were no new recipes, hence no blog posts.

Now, our Backstage Baker is stage managing yet another Broadway show, this time the blockbuster production of “Oklahoma” now playing at the Circle in the Square Theatre. It’s nominated for ton of awards, so good luck trying to get tickets anytime soon!

Since many people in that cast are gluten-free and/or vegan, James has been experimenting. Here’s the recipe for his most recent creation:

Vegan Chocolate Tart with Hazelnut and Orange (Gluten Free)

Ingredients:

Hazelnut Crust:
1 1/2 cup almond meal
1 cup toasted hazelnuts
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons maple syrup
zest of one orange
1/4 teaspoon salt

Truffle Filling:
24 ounces 2 bags vegan chocolate chips
1 can full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 tablespoon orange juice

Toppings
Toasted hazelnuts, chopped
Additional orange zest strips

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly spray a 10″ tart pan and set aside.
In a food processor, chop the hazelnuts until they are a coarse crumb. Add the remaining crust ingredients and process until well combined. The crust should hold together when pressed between your fingers. Spread evenly onto tart pan, pressing it up the fluted sides. Bake for 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool.
To make the filling, place the chocolate chips, rum, and orange juice in a medium sized bowl. In a small saucepan bring the coconut milk and coconut oil to a scald (just before boiling point). Pour over chocolate chips and cover for 3 minutes. Remove lid and gently stir together until thick and dark. Pour evenly into cooled crust.
Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts and orange peel and return to refrigerator for another hour, until chilled all the way through.
Store in the refrigerator. Delicious!!!

Dream Ballet Dancer Gabrielle Hamilton, Jimmy Davis who plays Will Parker and Mallory Portnoy who plays Gertie

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Cookies, Gluten-free, Vegan September 2, 2017 Leave a comment

Gaaah! James posted this photo on Facebook last week, and people were clamoring for the recipe:

“Seems like there was a lot of interest in this recipe so here it is. You don’t taste the chick pea at all and they are REALLY delicious. I will be making them again.

Giving credit where credit is due I found this recipe from an email from Pinterest. It took me to the site of Texanerin.com”

Hmm, the phrase “You don’t taste the chick peas at all” strikes fear into my heart, especially in connection with cookies. But since it’s from James and we trust him, here’s the recipe. I’m still trying to get up the courage to make them.

UPDATE 9/3/2017: I made them and you know what? They really are good! You absolutely would not know they contained the dreaded chickpea. (Dreaded only because chickpeas have no place in a cookie. Yes, I’m judgey that way.) I would recommend NOT pressing the balls down to look like cookies because they do not have a cookie crispness at all and you will be disappointed. They really should look like dough balls because that is what they are!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups roasted and salted peanuts (or 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of all-natural peanut butter)*
1- 15.5 Ounce can of chickpeas, well-rinsed, drained and patted dry with a paper towel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup honey (agave or maple syrup for vegan)
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips (use vegan and dairy-free chocolate chips, if desired)

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Put the peanuts in a food processor (a blender will NOT work). Process for one minute then scrape down sides. Continue processing and scraping at one minute intervals. In four minutes, you should have delicious, amazing peanut butter. NOTE: At the 2 minute, 30 second mark or so, the peanut butter will be extremely thick. Do NOT be tempted to add oil or liquid, just keep processing. You can also use store bought natural peanut butter (1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons).

Leave 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons in the food processor (store any remaining in the refrigerator). Add all the other ingredients except for the chocolate chips and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they’re combined.

Add the chocolate chips and stir them in. The mixture will be very thick and sticky. At this point, I put the bowl of dough in the freezer to firm up the dough.

With wet hands, form into 1 1/2″ balls. Place onto a Silpat- or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. If you want them to look more like regular cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They don’t rise much.
Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake. The dough balls will still be very soft when you take them out of the oven. They will not set like normal cookies. The bottom of the cookies will brown. Cool on wire racks.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature (or in the fridge) for up to 1 week.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

*1. If you opt for not making the peanut butter do NOT use regular peanut butter! The cookies will come out too oily. You MUST use natural peanut butter.

2. If you need grain-free baking powder, you can use 1 part cream of tartar + 1 part baking soda + 2 parts arrowroot.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Cakes, Vegan March 29, 2017 Leave a comment

VEgan chocolate cake

When you need a vegan dessert this one is easy, moist and delicious. Jitney’s associate director, Awoye Timpo, is vegan, so the Backstage Baker baked this for her birthday.

It’s amazing. And super easy to make. In fact, I think I’ll go bake one now.

Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup canola oil
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup cold water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Measure flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a sifter, sift twice. Sift all into and ungreased 9 inch square pan.

3. Make three holes in the mixture. Pour oil into one hole, vinegar in the second, vanilla in the third. Pour water over all. Mix with fork until smooth and blended. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes (no more).

This cake is so moist it doesn’t need frosting. Make like the Backstage Baker and top it with fresh raspberries tossed in powdered sugar and shave some chocolate on top. Mmmm, delicious!

Chocolate Covered Apricots Dusted with Ancho Chili

Candy, Gluten-free, Vegan, Wine and Unwind February 26, 2017 Leave a comment

I’ve been meaning to post this for weeks . . . This is one of those super simple recipes that only has a few ingredients and doesn’t require baking! Plus, it’s vegan and gluten-free. What’s not to love?

From the Backstage Baker: “We had so many cakes and cookies for Jitney’s opening, that I was trying to think of something else to do for WINE AND UNWIND. I took dried apricots and dipped them in dark chocolate, sprinkling the final product with ground Ancho Chile powder for a little heat. They were yummy and a big hit with the cast and crew. Try them for your next party.”

It almost seems silly to put this recipe format, but for those of you (me!) that are a little anal retentive, here it is:

Ingredients:
20 Turkish-style apricots
2 40z bar of dark chocolate (65% cacao and up)
Ancho chili powder

Method:

Place a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet.

Chop chocolate bars into small pieces, place in microwave-safe bowl. Melt carefully in 30 second bursts, stirring between each burst. When it is almost (but not quite!) all melted, remove from microwave and stir until smooth.

Dip apricots halfway into chocolate and put on wax paper.

When chocolate has hardened slightly, shake a bit of ancho chili powder on each apricot.

Pour yourself a glass of a bold red (the Jitney cast enjoyed a nice California Cabernet Sauvignon) and savor the flavors.

Secret Ingredient Brownies

Bars, Chocolate, Gluten-free, Vegan, Wine and Unwind October 9, 2013 Leave a comment

Lest you think James has abandoned baking for (gah!) supermarket treats, just know that he has been swamped with rehearsals and tech and rehearsals and previews and rehearsals and . . . Well, you get the picture. Opening a Broadway show is a very time-consuming endeavor, and A Time to Kill is a big one with lots of pyrotechnics, a turntable and lots of light cues. (Check out the Broadway trailer here.) Anyway, between it all, James has been practically living at the John Golden Theatre. So he’s had little time for baking. (Hopefully, after A Time to Kill opens on October 20, James will be able to share some more recipes!)

But before all the madness with tech and rehearsals and previews began, James created the following recipe for the Company’s last Wine and Unwind in the rehearsal space. There are a number of cast members who are gluten-free and/or vegan, which is quite the challenge. But our Backstage Baker is not to be denied — he is all-inclusive! Herewith, then, is a divine brownie recipe made with — drum roll please — BLACK BEANS!!

Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed very well)
2 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder- dutch or regular
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup pure maple syrup or agave (Honey will work, but not for strict vegans.)
2 nunaturals stevia packs or 2 tbsp sugar (or omit and increase maple syrup to 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup vegan chocolate chips* (not optional. Omit at your own risk.)
Optional: more chips, for presentation

* Enjoy Life is a good brand of vegan chips.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan.

2. Combine all ingredients except chips in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Really blend well. (A blender can work if you absolutely must, but the texture—and even the taste—will be much better in a food processor.) No seriously, keep blending. Stir in the chips, then pour mixture into pan. Optional: sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top.

3. Bake the black bean brownies for 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. Makes 9-12 brownies.

The happy cast getting ready to enjoy James’ treat!!

The Backstage Baker