Gluten-Free and Vegan Apple Peanut Butter Cake

Ingredients for a 10 inch springform pan

We use grams instead of tablespoons in a few sections of this recipe. This allows for a more precise measurement, and a delicious outcome.

Ingredients:

• One large banana
• 150 grams of maple syrup
• 250 grams of peanut butter, unsweetened. Creamy and salted is what we prefer!
• 0.25 cup to 0.5 cup coconut milk (or almond milk or similar)
• 120 grams of rice flour
• 2 teaspoons organic baking powder
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 1 dash of vanilla
• 3 large Fuji apples
• 1 lemon

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 320°F.
2. Line the bottom of the springform pan with baking paper, grease and flour the sides.
3. Wash the apples, cut two apples into very thin slices and mix them with the juice of half a lemon.
4. Peel the third apple and cut it into very small cubes and mix with the juice of the other lemon half.
5. Purée the banana, stir in the maple syrup and vanilla with a spatula or cooking spoon.
6. Then stir in the non-dairy milk – depending on the thickness, add 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup coconut milk (for instance: add 1/4 cup if your peanut butter is very creamy and melty; add 1/2 cup if it's more firm.)
7. In a separate bowl, blend the dry ingredients (rice flour, baking powder, cinnamon.)
8. Stir the peanut butter in a mixing bowl, then add the banana mixture. Slowly stir in the flour mix using a silicon spatula or cooking spoon. Mix all ingredients well. 
9. Fold in the cubed apples, and fill your springform pan with the batter. Press the apple slices lightly in the batter and bake for 45-55 minutes.
10. Brush the apple slices with your remaining lemon juice periodically while baking. 
11. When the cake is finished (a toothpick or caketester will come out clean when inserted in the center) let the cake cook on a cooling rack. Brush with a bit of maple syrup when serving.

We found that this cake makes a delightful and filling breakfast, but it can be eaten with ice cream as a dessert too! 

We found this recipe online at Our Food Stories and adapted it for the Moscow Food Co-op! 

Gluten-Free and Easily-Vegan Waffles (Exclude the honey!)

These easy, gluten-free and easily-vegan (exclude the honey!) waffles are dense, packed with flavor, and can be seasoned to a sweet or savory variety.

We used crisped buckwheat to add a crunch on top, and added flax seeds to the batter for extra texture. Topped with bananas and peanut butter alongside beautifully sticky honey, these are a sweet treat perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

For the Waffles:

• 1 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1 3/4 cup gluten-free buckwheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp. flax seeds
• 1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
• 1/4 cup buckwheat groats

First, combine the almond milk and vinegar in a bowl to curdle. This makes a sort of "almond-buttermilk." Add the olive oil and maple syrup (or honey) and whisk until well combined. Set this bowl aside.

Next, mix your dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients and stir until well incorporated. If you like a sweeter batter, now is the time to test this out and see if it's to your liking. Add more honey or vanilla extract if you'd like. (We used a dash of vanilla.)

Toast the buckwheat groats by cooking them dry in a non-stick pan. These groats have a delightfully crispy texture and add a crunch to each bite. Once your waffle iron is ready, coat it with non-stick spray and add a heaping 1/2 cup of batter. Cook to your desired done-ness — avoid stacking waffles so they keep their crispiness.

Serve the waffles immediately with your favorite toppings — for these, we used the buckwheat groats, peanut butter, bananas and honey, but they are delicious with all fruit or maple syrup, or even savory toppings like mushrooms or fried eggs!

Adapted from The Minimalist Baker for the Moscow Food Co-op.