Banana Cream Crunch

My brother was trying to grab it off the screen ;).

Another "Hanunyah Creation", this sure was a hit! With many bananas and the Vita-Mix cream/pudding recipe I created (with a surprise ingredient), I made this interesting no-bake treat the other day.

For a quick run-down? - A soft oat-peanut crust + ripe, sweet bananas + Vita-Cream + the good stuff (peanuts and chocolate chips) = a quick and easy, no-bake, delightful snack or dessert.

This was very good, and it was gone in minutes - credit to my taste-testers, who were hungry for a sweet snack ;).

Banana Cream Crunch
Hanunyah Creation

Crust:
1 cup safe oats*
1/2 cup peanuts*

2 to 4 bananas
a few tablespoons peanuts**

Cream Pudding:
1 3/4 cups cooked rice***
3 to 4 tablespoons sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons vanilla
1 to 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup peanuts
safe chocolate chips (optional)

1. Add all crust ingredients to the Vita-Mix container. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to variable 6 to 10. Blend a few seconds, until the mixture is crumbly and moist.

2. Press into a 9x13 inch pan.**** Slice the bananas over the crust, and sprinkle with some peanuts.

3. Combine all cream pudding ingredients in the Vita-Mix. Blend on high for a couple minutes, adding enough water until smooth and desired consistency is reached. Pour over banana layer.


4. Top with peanuts and chocolate chips, if desired. Refrigerate until set. Cut into pieces to serve.


Notes:
*Instead of blending the oats and peanuts together for the crust, you may mix together oat flour and peanut butter, then proceed as the recipe instructs.
**If there are allergies, or if desired, you may use other nuts in place of the peanuts.
***Instead of using all rice, you may use cooked mashed potato for 3/4 cup of the rice. You may need to use more vanilla and sugar to cover up the potato taste.
****The crust was kind of soggy, so, if you like, you may bake the crust for a few minutes at 350 degrees F, until light golden brown.


~ Hanunyah


Linked to Foodie Friday by Not Your Ordinary Recipes

31 for 21: Pumpkin Carrot Spice Muffins with Orange Glaze

In the midst of the dew . . . 

These muffins, made with pumpkin, carrots and orange juice, have a tint of orange color. Tender, moist, fluffy spice muffins hide below a crunchy topping and fresh orange-brown sugar glaze - these were a first-time success of my creations the other night.

Carefully look - you can see the just-milked goats and my sister who just told me these muffins were yummy.

Looking for a great breakfast treat? ~ 

Pumpkin Carrot Spice Muffins with Orange Glaze (Gluten, Dairy, Corn-free)
Hanunyah Creation

1 cup carrots, boiled and pureed
1 cup pumpkin, boiled and pureed
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar*
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons each: baking soda, cream of tartar
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
1/2 cup rice flour
2 cups oat flour

Crunchy Brown Sugar Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
1 tablespoon oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Orange Glaze (optional):
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoon orange extract (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin pans**. Combine all topping ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Beat the carrot, pumpkin, oil, eggs and sugar. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

3. Spoon into prepared muffin pans about 1/2 to 3/4 full. Sprinkle topping over the muffin batter in the pan. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the topping is crunchy and medium-brown.

4. Combine all glaze ingredients in a jar. Shake well and drizzle a little on the cooled muffins.

Notes:
*I may cut back on the sugar in the muffins next time because of the topping and glaze that are both sweet.
**This recipe makes about 18 muffins.

Orange-brown sugar glaze

~ Hanunyah


Linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays (by The Gluten-Free Homemaker) and Home and Family Friday by Home is Where My Story Begins

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31 for 21: Disguised {Carrot} Fudge Brownies

Gooey carrot brownies standing in the morning sunshine in front of the sheep awaiting breakfast.

It's pretty common to use apple sauce instead of oil, but who would think to use carrots in brownies?

I boiled and pureed carrots and used them for most of the oil in brownies. Although most of the pan is gone the morning after I made them, most of my siblings still don't know that the brownies were made with carrots. They didn't even question it. So..........I guess they just taste like brownies! They're pretty fudge-y, too, although crumbly because made with oat flour and no gums.

~ Another great way to hide veggies ;).

Disguised {Carrot} Fudge Brownies (Gluten, Dairy, Corn-free)
Hanunyah Creation (Adapted from my brain)


3/4 cup carrots, boiled and pureed
1/4 cup oil
3 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa, dark*
1 1/2 cups sugar**
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cup gluten-free flour***
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

2. Beat the carrots, oil, eggs, cocoa, sugar and vanilla. Add the flour and soda. Mix well.

3. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Notes:
*Dark cocoa worked well for me, but you may use other cocoa. If you use regular cocoa, you may need to use 3/4 to 1 cup instead of 1/2 cup.
**I used 1/2 cup brown, 1 cup white sugar.
***I used oat flour, but you may use your favorite gluten-free flour or flour blend.


~ Hanunyah

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31 for 21: Celery 'N' Peanut Butter Cake

Interesting, huh? It seems like I am using that phrase more as I experiment with more weird ideas, since we have all kinds of produce coming in these days.

Here is something I did with some almost rubbery celery we had - there was a pile of it in the fridge, and since the refrigerator is now breaking I thought it would be a good idea to get this stuff out of the way.

Although it sounds really weird (when I told my siblings what it was they frowned and said "what?"), they told me it basically just tastes like a peanut butter cake. So, if you are making a cake and want more vegetables in your diet - this is a good one!

Celery 'N' Peanut Butter Cake (Gluten, Dairy and Corn-free)
Hanunyah Creation

2 1/4 cups gluten-free flour*
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon each: baking soda, cream of tartar**
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup water
1 cup celery, boiled and pureed***
1/2 cup peanut butter****

Frosting:
1/4 cup celery, boiled and pureed***
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons lard
1 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease well a 9x13 inch baking pan.

2. Whisk all of the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients. Mix well using a whisk or fork, but do not over-beat.

3. Pour into prepared pan and bake about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool and frost if desired.

4. Frosting: Combine the celery, peanut butter and lard. Add the powdered sugar and beat well.

Notes:
*I used a mixture of mostly rice and a little oat flour.
**Or 2 teaspoons baking powder for baking soda and cream of tartar, if not corn-free.
***You may use other nut butters, too.
****To prepare the celery - use about 1 head of celery. Cut off the leaves and the white part at the end. Cut into pieces a few inches long. Place into a large pot and cover with water. Boil until soft, remove from heat and let sit in the water for a few more minutes. Strain and puree in the food processor or blender.


~ Hanunyah

Linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays (by The Gluten-Free Homemaker)
Linked to Food on Friday (@ Carole's Chatter)

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Disguised Dessert Pizza

Another dessert pizza . . . this one looking more like a real pizza - cookie crust, a unusual (but sweet) red sauce I came up with, and grated white almond bark for cheese.
      I was wondering around in the kitchen looking for ideas for making something that would taste good, but look like red sauce. First, I attempted some kind of brown sugar sauce, but after making it, it didn't look like that would work too well. I didn't want to mess with the stove anymore, since it was getting somewhat warm in the kitchen. So I thought I'd just make a quick no-cook topping. I picked up some kind of red hot pepper that looked like it needed used (I thought - why not? my mom likes spicy stuff, and remember how well the jalepeno peanut brittle went down? I ended up not using it though, because I debated how good it would be in this). Hmmmmmm . . . . carrots? If I could chop them up very fine, I might reach the somewhat grainy look of red sauce. They are also used in desserts sometimes, and have a mild, sweet flavor. And, since they're orange, that could help with the color, too. So, I decided - I put a carrot in the food processor. Since cream cheese went down very well in the Peanut Butter Cheesecake Dessert Pizza, I asked my sister if we had cream cheese. "Yes". Okay, that's what I'm going to use, then! I also added a little nutmeg and cinnamon, and poppy and flaxseeds to look like seasoning.

After all, this went over well. One of my sisters didn't get a piece since I took it over to the neighbors, where at least 25 people were. But, I still have a little almond bark left, so I can make it again. The neighbor/friend kids (where we go over almost every Monday for dinner, and they always look forward to my desserts), said it tasted like pumpkin pie (because of the little nutmeg and cinnamon I added). You can leave the spices out, if you want. Also, my brothers and sisters had a hard time trying to guess what was in the red sauce. They said it didn't taste like carrots.

Disguised Dessert Pizza
Hanunyah Creation


Crust:
1/2 cup lard
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon guar gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda + 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (or 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, if not corn-free)
1 1/4 cups flour


Sauce and Topping:
1 carrot, very finely chopped in the food processor
1/4 cup cream cheese
2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1/4 teaspoon poppyseeds
1/2 teaspoon flaxseeds
a few drops red food color


1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all of the crust ingredients. Spread in a greased round baking pan (I use a 11 inch stoneware baking pan).


2. Combine all of the topping ingredients exept the almond bark. Grate almond bark over the pizza (I used about 1/2 of a 2 ounce piece).

Carrots in the food processor. Make sure you get them very fine.

Enjoy!!

~ Hanunyah