Endangered Species Chocolate

                Some people say there isn’t anything better in life than chocolate.  Here is an opportunity to enjoy chocolate, help the world become better, and be gluten free.

                How do you accomplish all that?  Well, by Endangered Species Chocolate.  With many varieties of flavors, my favorite ones are the Dark Chocolate bars made from 72% cocoa.  This was the case with the Dark Chocolate with Hazelnut Toffee I tried recently, but I also liked the Dark Chocolate with Caramel & Sea Salt that had 60% cocoa.  

                Be sure to look at the inside of the wrappers as they each have different animal facts.  Also, each bar sold helps conservation efforts as 10% of the net profits are donated to different wildlife conservation charities.

                Endangered Species Chocolate can be found at Target, Woodman’s, Outpost Natural Foods, and Whole Foods.  For more information about Endangered Species Chocolate, visit www.chocolatebar.com.

Annie’s Homegrown Cocoa & Vanilla Gluten Free Bunny Cookies

              I know I have talked about Annie’sGluten Free Bunny Cookies before, but I am writing about them again because we have found an entirely new way to use them.

                Recently my mom and I were trying a recipe where graham crackers were needed.  As we were trying to make the mix we were creating gluten-free, we decided that in place of the graham crackers we would use Annie’s Homegrown Cocoa & Vanilla Gluten Free Bunny Cookies.  They don’t taste like graham crackers, but we thought of them because of the regular mixed Bunny Grahams I so much like to eat.  We could not use those, of course, because they have gluten, so we thought the Cocoa & Vanilla Gluten Free Bunny Cookies were worth a try.

              They worked perfectly.  While yes, we were missing the graham taste the recipe required, our mix turned out just as we wanted.  The bunny cookies broke up the sweetness that was created by the caramel and the chocolate as well as added an extra surprise flavor once we bit into one.  This successful use of these cookies as a substitution made us wonder what else we could have them stand in for.  So far we have not tried anything yet, but I am curious as to how they may work as a crust or coating of some kind.  Once we get a chance, it will be interesting to find out.

                With Annie’s Homegrown products showing up all over the place (I’ve even seen some at Sam’s Club), it’s worth checking whatever grocery story you happen to be in for these cookies.  The two places where I have personally seen them most recently is Woodman’s and Outpost Natural Foods.

Let us All Eat Cake: Gluten-Free Recipes for Everyone's Favorite Cakes by Catherine Ruehle with Sarah Scheffel

           We have suggested several cookbooks over the months to take care of your sweet tooth.  They have consisted of what I would call “house baking”: cookies, brownies, pies, and cakes.  The cookbook Let Us All Eat Cake by Catherine Ruehle with Sarah Scheffel is what I would call a wonderful visit to a patisserie. 

When picking up this book, right away you are hooked by the cover.  It is a picture of a Caramel Cream Cake, consisting of a white cake with caramel filling and caramel buttercream.  The start of a beautifully photographed cookbook, this cake is just the thing to make you want to open the cover and explore every page.  As you look through the pages, you will see that a gluten free regimen does not mean you can’t have a wonderful dessert.

Check out Let Us All Eat Cake from the library or purchase it from your preferred bookseller. It is available for order from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Boswell Book Company.

The Baker’s Treat Mysteries by Nancy J. Parra

Image obtained from www.penguin.com.

             While at the library one day, my mom and I came across an entire set of mystery books centered around a gluten-free bakery.  The series is called The Baker’s Treat Mysteries.  Set in the state of Kansas, the books follow Toni, a celiac, as she tries to run a gluten-free bakery in her hometown.  The area she is in is very strong in wheat production, making it difficult for Toni to get her bakery off the ground.  Many of the people don’t understand what Toni is trying to do, nor are they very supportive, but Toni is determined to make her bakery a success.  Now if only the people around her would stop getting murdered.                  

            There are currently three books in The Baker’s Treat Mysteries series: Gluten for Punishment, Murder Gone A-Rye, and Flourless to Stop Him. They are all fun books with a good mystery and have the added benefit of having gluten-free recipes in the back. I suggest you check these books out from the library or purchase them from your bookseller of choice. These books are available for order from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Boswell Book Company.

                                                                                                   Image added 9/1/16.