Mustard-Orange Pork Tenderloin

• half of a 12oz pork tenderloin
• 1 Tbsp apricot preserves (or orange marmalade)
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 C sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 C sliced green onions
• 1 Tbsp orange juice

1.  Trim fat from meat.  Place meat in a shallow roasting pan.  Insert an oven-safe thermometer into center of meat.  Roast in a 425°F oven for 10 minutes.
2.  In a small bowl, stir together apricot preserves and mustard.  Spoon 2 teaspoons of the mustard mixture over the meat; set remaining mustard mixture aside.  Roast for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until the thermometer registers 160°F.
3.  Meanwhile, lightly coat a medium saucepan with cooking spray.  Heat over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and green onions to saucepan.  Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.  Stir in the orange juice and remaining mustard mixture.  Cook and stir until heated through.
4.  To serve, thinly slice meat.  Spoon the mustard mixture over meat.

Robyn's notes: this was quite easy, and actually tastier than I expected.  The sauce mixture smelled so strongly of mustard that I expected that flavour to be overwhelming, but it turned out to have a nice balance.  That said, the meat was way too dry.  My thermometer is accurate, so I think if making this again I would pull it a couple degrees early and let carry-over get it the rest of the way. 

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Sourdough Discard Biscuits

• 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 rounded teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter discard

1.  Preheat the oven to 425°F, with a rack in the upper third. Grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment.
2.  Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Work the butter into the flour until the mixture is unevenly crumbly.  Add the starter, mixing gently until the dough is cohesive.
3.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gently pat it into a round about 1"-thick.  Use a sharp biscuit cutter to cut four rounds, cutting them as close to one another as possible. Or slice with dough cutter into four irregularly shaped biscuits.
4.  Place the biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2" between them; they'll spread as they bake. Bake the biscuits in the upper third of your oven for 20 to 23 minutes, until they're golden brown.
5. Remove the biscuits from the oven, and serve warm. Or cool completely, wrap in plastic, and store at room temperature for several days. Freeze, well-wrapped, for longer storage.

Robyn's notes: even though I use the tiny starter method, I still get a lot of discard, so I was making these biscuits often for awhile.  Sourdough starters can vary in how liquid they are. If the dough seems very dry, dribble in a bit of milk or buttermilk until it comes together.  These come together easily and are quite good, especially with butter and honey.

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Butter Crackers

When you have a little extra time to spend, it's absolutely worthwhile to spend it "puttin' on the Ritz" and making these crackers at home, instead of purchasing them.  They're actually quite straightforward to make, tasty, and homemade means you know exactly what's in them.

• 1 C flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp cold butter
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/3 C water (or as needed)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp melted butter
• 1/4 tsp salt for topping

1.  Preheat oven to 400F.  In a mini food processor, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Add cold butter a few small pats at a time, pulsing to combine.  Pour in oil and pulse to combine.  Add water about a half Tablespoon at a time, pulsing with each addition, until dough comes together forming a ball, scraping down sides if necessary.
2.  Roll dough very thinly and cut out with cookie cutter.  Poke 5-6 holes in each cracker with a skewer or the back of a toothpick.  Bake on a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet for 10 minutes, or until crackers are just beginning to brown.
3.  In the last minute of baking, combine melted butter and salt for topping.  When crackers are fully baked, brush each with melted salty butter and allow to cool.

Robyn's notes: I have never used all of the water, I generally use about half of what's called for, but I'm also baking at high altitude and often when it's pretty low humidity.  If the dough has come together, stop adding water. These make very tasty crackers, which I keep going back to. As I do with the bought version, I enjoy them plain, with cheese, and with peanut butter.  For the price of ingredients in my area, this is an item it's financially reasonable to make instead of buying.  It's also a good option for recipes that call for a crushed Ritz crust, avoiding buying a full box of crackers and having leftovers (since avoiding leftovers is one of my missions in life).  Watch me demonstrate this recipe on youtube!

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Mint Chocolate Cookie Butter Truffles

With just enough mint but not too much, the creamy chocolate centers nearly melt in your mouth!

• 1 Cup mint chocolate cookie butter (see notes, below)
• 1 1/2 C milk chocolate chips, divided

1. Line a large baking dish with cling film or parchment paper. Pour prepared cookie butter into dish, spreading out as thin as possible. Refrigerate at least one hour.

2. Line another dish with cling film. Using a spoon or scoop and rolling quickly in your hands, form the chilled cookie butter into balls about one inch in diameter, placing each ball onto the cling film where they will not touch. Refrigerate at least one hour.

3. Fill the bottom of a double boiler with a couple inches of water, bring to a simmer. In the top section, melt 1 Cup of chocolate chips until the chocolate is 105°F. Remove top section from heat and stir in remaining 1/2 Cup of chocolate, a bit at a time, letting it melt before adding more. Allow chocolate to cool to 82°F. Return to the double boiler until it warms to 86°F. Remove from heat.

4. One at a time, drop chilled balls of cookie butter into melted chocolate, using a spatula or fork to completely cover each ball and to gently remove from chocolate. Place each ball on parchment paper to set. If temperature of chocolate drops below 82°F while coating the balls, return it to the double boiler briefly to heat to about 87°F. Allow truffles to rest while they set.

Robyn's notes: prepare cookie butter as instructed in that recipe, but using mint Oreos instead of plain. The cookie butter is really sticky, when it's chilling you want as much of it exposed to the air as possible, or you won't be able to form it into balls. If you don't want to temper the chocolate you can just melt it, but you won't get the same snap, and since the inside of the truffles will be soft, that firm coating helps.

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently.

InstantPot Applesauce

Usually, I make a good-sized batch of applesauce and can it, so I have plenty on hand for just a little bit of work. However, if I don't have time to do those extra canning steps, I can make a smaller batch in the InstantPot Mini.

1 1/2 lbs apples (about four medium)
1 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened apple juice
1/4 C sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1. Peel, core, and slice apples into eighths. Cut each segment in half crosswise.
2. Place apples in the inner pot of Instant Pot Mini. Add apple juice.
3. Lock the lid in place. Select Pressure Cook or Manual, and adjust the pressure to High and the time to 4 minutes. After cooking, release the pressure naturally for 15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
4. Unlock the lid. Add sugar and cinnamon. Smash with a potato masher to desired consistency. Carefully taste and adjust seasoning, adding more sugar if needed. Be aware that the apples will taste sweeter when hot.

Robyn's notes: if you're not sure which varieties are sauce apples (as opposed to eating or pie apples), feel free to ask the produce manager. Some options are Fuji, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Cortland, Crispin, McIntosh, Liberty, and Rome. The best sauce is made with a combination of two varieties. It's good to keep a few juice boxes on hand in the pantry for this use, since the recipe calls for such a small amount of juice. Don't think you can skip the juice, the IP won't come up to pressure without the juice inside.

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently.

Status

Just as I was prepping a new feature for this site and its accompanying YouTube channel, I had emergency surgery.  Between the hospitalization and the recovery, I wasn't able to work on anything for Our Small Table for an extended period.  About the time I was feeling up to it again, things got extra complicated, between my mom getting a cancer diagnosis and subsequently starting treatment, and an unusual summer with me travelling back and forth from one state to another.  Then I moved, had serious vehicle issues, and my beloved mom passed away. The hope is that now that we're more properly settled, and I have a vehicle again, I'll be able to end the extended hiatus for Our Small Table.  He's been talking about wanting to add gardening videos to the YouTube channel, so that's a possibility, and I have three videos already recorded for the new feature I was working on.  I've also been testing small batch InstantPot recipes, and I have a few "just for fun" recipes planned (Firefly fans? Watch this space!).

Instant Pot Parmesan Pasta

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 C penne or other medium pasta
• 1/2 C water
• 1/2 C heavy cream 
• 1/2 C chicken broth
• 4 Oz Parmesan cheese, grated

1.  With Instant Pot on saute mode, melt butter, then add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. 

2.  Add pasta, water, heavy cream, and broth; stir well. Seal pot lid and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. 

3.  Quick release pressure, then open the lid. Stir in cheese until melted. 

Robyn's notes: I made this several times and it was the only recipe from the source that worked. I have completely rewritten it, because it was in sorry state originally.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often. 

Mushroom Fried Rice

This great and simple vegetarian dish will use up any leftover rice and mushrooms in the house.

• 1/4 C fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 Tbsp chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 C cold cooked rice
• 1/4 C frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 egg, beaten

1.  In a medium skillet, cook mushrooms and onion in oil until tender.  Stir in the rice, vegetables, and soy sauce and cook over low heat for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are cooked through and most liquid is evaporated.
2.  Add egg; cook and stir for1-2 minutes or until egg is set.

Robyn's notes: I'm really very much a scent cook, certain ingredients make a dish smell so good that I get much more excited about it than you would expect.  Soy sauce is one, as soon as I add it to the skillet my tummy starts rumbling!  Try Chicken Fried Rice for another tasty version.  Watch me demonstrate this recipe on youtube!

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Sirloin Steak with Balsamic Mushrooms

As a careful shopper, I got the smallest sirloin steak available at my market in order to make Sweet & Salty Beef Salad, which meant I had 8oz remaining after making the salad.  I went digging through my recipes and found this little dish, which only required the purchase of mushrooms--the rest of the ingredients were already in the house!  That's how we keep from wasting food!

• 2 tsp + 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, divided
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 8 oz boneless sirloin steak, trimmed of fat, halved
• 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 6 oz button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 C beef broth

1.  In a medium (nonmetallic) bowl, stir together 2 tsp vinegar, garlic, oregano, and pepper.  Add steak, turning to coat.  Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours, turning several times if marinating longer than 30 minutes.
2.  In a large skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom.  Cook steaks for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until browned and of desired doneness.  Transfer to plates.  Cover with foil to keep warm.
3.  In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tsp oil, swirling to coat the bottom.  Cook mushrooms over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until they start releasing their juices.  Pour in the remaining 1 Tbsp vinegar and the broth, scraping to dislodge any browned bits.  Cook for 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.  Serve over the steaks.

Robyn's notes: this is actually a fairly low-cal dinner!  Each serving of steak with mushrooms will be about 200 calories (try to use beef broth without extra salt and fat-free if you can find it).  This would go well with a spinach salad and maybe some garlic toast.  Watch me demonstrate this recipe on youtube!

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream

My favourite sweet flavor combination is chocolate and peanut butter, so this really hits the spot!

• 1/2 C good quality peanut butter
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1/2 C whole milk
• 1 C heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Small-Batch Chocolate Ice Cream

1.  In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to combine peanut butter and sugar until smooth.  Add milk and mix on low speed until sugar is dissolved, about 1-2 minutes.  Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla.  Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours
2.  Process mixture in ice cream maker until soft, creamy texture is achieved.  Stir together with chocolate ice cream, creating a swirled pattern.  Freeze at least one hour until both flavours are the same consistency.

Robyn's notes: the peanut butter ice cream on its own does taste good, but it becomes too much very quickly.  Another option is to add chopped Reese's five minutes before the ice cream is completely mixed, making peanut butter cup ice cream, instead of swirling it with the chocolate.  

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Sweet & Salty Beef Salad

A filling dinner salad with just 340 calories, this will help keep you on track, starting the year on the right foot!

• 1 1/2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce (or fish sauce, if preferred)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
• 2 tsp canola oil, divided
• 8 ounces sirloin steak, trimmed of fat and thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 orange, peel and white pith removed, coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
• 1 Tbsp chopped dry-roasted peanuts

1.  Stir soy sauce (or fish sauce) and brown sugar together in a small bowl and set aside.  Divide lettuce between two plates.
2.  Heat 1 tsp oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking.  Add beef and cook, stirring, until browned on the outside and still pink inside, 1-2 minutes.  Spoon over the lettuce.  Add remaining 1 tsp oil, jalapeño (or serrano), onion, and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add soy sauce mixture, remove from heat and stir in orange (and cilantro, if using).  Spoon the sauce over the salads and sprinkle with peanuts.

Robyn's notes: there is a prep time component to this, because the lettuce has to be sliced, the steak has to be trimmed and sliced, the pepper, onion, garlic, orange, and peanuts...a knife must be taken to all of them.  But once the ingredients are prepared, it moves quickly and the kitchen starts smelling like a dream right away (I love all citrus smells as well as the scent of soy sauce).  Watch me demonstrate this recipe on youtube!

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Small-Batch Chocolate Ice Cream

A nice, simple, creamy chocolate ice cream, just right on its own or perfect to swirl with another flavour.

• 1/4 C + 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 C sugar
• 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp packed dark brown sugar
• pinch salt
• 1/2 C whole milk
• 1 C heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla

1.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, and salt.  Add the milk and whisk to combine until the cocoa, sugars, and salt are dissolved.  Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla.  Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours.
2.  Process mixture in ice cream maker until soft, creamy texture is achieved.

Robyn's notes: I don't often pick up chocolate ice cream, because I find it too one-note.  This, however, I quite enjoyed, and since it's a small batch, I didn't have time to get tired of it.  Use this recipe with the recipe for Peanut Butter Ice Cream to make a great swirl.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Coconut-Lime Chicken & Snow Peas

During the winter and over the holiday season, many of us eat a lot of rich, heavy meals.  Come January, a lighter entree is often very welcome.  This dinner salad is a good choice for those trying to keep to resolutions to eat more greens.

• 1 C "lite" coconut milk
• 1/4 C lime juice
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 oz chicken tenders
• 4 C shredded romaine lettuce
• 1 C shredded red cabbage
• 1 C sliced snow peas
• 2 Tbsp minced red onion
• 3 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 400°F.  In an 8 inch square glass baking dish, whisk coconut milk, lime juice, brown sugar, and salt.  Transfer 1/4 C of this dressing to a large bowl and set aside.
2.  Place chicken in baking dish; bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
3.  Meanwhile, add lettuce, cabbage, snow peas, onion, and cilantro if using to the large bowl with the dressing; toss to coat.  Divide between two plates.
4.  Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and thinly slice.  Arrange the chicken slices on top of the salads.  Drizzle 1 Tbsp of the cooking liquid over each of the salads.

Robyn's notes: dinner salads are a challenge for me, because they include so many ingredients that I can't have.  This was a pleasant surprise, because the chicken was really good--I'd eat it with couscous or rice happily.  Watch me demonstrate this recipe on youtube!

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Small-Batch Simple Vanilla Ice Cream

Sometimes a smaller household wants just enough ice cream for one dessert, without any left over to tempt you the next day.  Since the man of the house gave me an ice cream maker for Christmas, my test of the equipment was this small batch of simple vanilla ice cream.

• 1/2 C whole milk
• 1/4 C + 2 Tbsp sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 C heavy cream
• 1/2 Tbsp vanilla

1.  In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk to combine milk, sugar, and salt until the sugar is dissolved.  Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla.  Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours or overnight (can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 3 days).
2.  Turn on the ice cream maker; pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and let mix until thickened, 15-20 minutes.  If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours (do not freeze in ice cream maker's freezer bowl).

Robyn's notes: very simple and straightforward, and I was pleased with the results.  I'm happy with the Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker (ICE-21): there's no real assembly involved, just a power button and no display, it does the job successfully.  The freezer bowl does take up quite a bit of space in our freezer, which is unfortunate, especially considering that I have a Zoku pop maker also taking up space in there, but I can accept that.  Additionally, if I want to make more than one recipe at a time (or more than one large batch), I'd need to buy additional freezer bowls or wait several hours between batches, as the freezer bowl must be completely frozen before each use.  It refroze quickly, though, was freezing up as I tried to wash it.  This simple vanilla ice cream recipe is good, it's creamy and has a good taste of vanilla, but it's not exactly what you'll get in stores (obviously).  There is a tendency to coat the tongue and the spoon with cream, so a custard-style vanilla recipe would be the way to go if you don't care for that.  Watch me demonstrate this recipe on youtube!

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Cookie Butter Treats

One batter of only three ingredients makes two different treats!

• 1/4 C + 2 Tbsp chocolate cookie butter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 C + 1/2 Tbsp flour

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Combine cookie butter and egg thoroughly, stir in flour until incorporated.
2.  For cookies: spoon onto parchment-lined baking sheet in rounds.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, immediately move to cooling rack.  If desired, frost underside of half the cookies and top with the other half, making sandwich cookies.
3.  For cupcakes: spoon into cupcake liners.  Bake for 15-18 minutes, cool in pan for 2 minutes before moving to cooling rack.  Frost when completely cooled.

Robyn's notes: The cupcakes are pretty dense, so feel free to drop a maraschino cherry into the center, if desired.  Watch me demonstrate this recipe on youtube!

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Chocolate Cookie Butter

You don't know what you're missing until you've tried it!

• 1/2 C milk
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 12oz Oreos (about 30 cookies)

1.  In a large saucepan heat and stir the milk, butter, sugar, and cocoa over medium heat until milk is warm and sugar is dissolved; cool.
2.  Place cookies in a food processor or blender; cover and process or blend until coarsely ground.  With machine running, gradually add milk mixture, stopping to scrape container as needed.

Robyn's notes: this is great over toasty bread or bagels, shortbread, pound cake, fruit, or used as frosting.  Of course, it's also fantastic just on a spoon!  You can use flavored Oreos, such as peanut butter or mint, very successfully.  Watch me demonstrate this recipe on youtube!

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Allergy-Free Pancakes

Time for breakfast!

• 1 1/4 C gluten-free baking flour
• 1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp corn-free baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 C dairy-free milk
• 1/2 C water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp sunflower oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add milk, water, oil, and vanilla.  Stir until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
2.  Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat.  Coat with cooking spray or oil.  Add 1/4 C of batter to pan.  Flip pancake when bubbles appear in center and underside is golden brown, repeat on other side.  Continue with remaining batter, serving warm.

Robyn's notes: because of the homemade baking powder, these will not rise as high as standard pancakes, so you're unlikely to get that thick white edge we're all used to seeing.  If corn is not a problem for you, feel free to use store-bought baking powder, and your edges will be less lacy.  These pancakes are best when made small.  Instead of having a short stack of wide pancakes, have a higher stack of petite ones!  Watch me demonstrate this recipe on youtube!

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Instant Pot Hard-Cooked Eggs

I'm not breaking any new ground with this one, but having it here will help me remember the adjustments I made for yield and elevation.

• 1/2 C water
• 6 large eggs

1.  Pour water into the inner pot of Instant Pot.  Insert steam rack, handles up, into the pot.  Carefully set eggs, in a single layer, on the rack, and place the inner pot into the cooker.
2.  Close and lock lid of Instant Pot.  Turn the steam release handle to "sealing" position.  Press "Manual" and cook at High Pressure 9 minutes.
3.  While eggs cook, fill a large bowl with cold water.  When time is up, immediately open the cooker using Quick Pressure Release.  Transfer eggs to cold water to stop the cooking process.  Cool completely and store in refrigerator.

Robyn's notes: this is the only way I make hard-cooked eggs anymore, and I've been making tons of them since I started doing it this way.  It's quick, I don't have to stand watching for the water to boil, and they cook exactly the way I want them to.  I've also found that they've been peeling more easily than hard-boiled eggs, but that could be more a function of the eggs themselves than the cooking process.  I fill the bowl with water and place it in the fridge while the eggs are cooking, so I don't have to bother with ice, taking it out just before the time is up.  Remember that 9 minutes is the cooktime for my altitude, sea level will be lower (though not by much).  Experiment to find your perfect time.

For my IP Mini, it's 3/4 C water and 7 minutes.

***** 5 Stars: Excellent. A favourite for both of us, I will make this repeatedly

Allergy-Free Chocolate Cupcakes

Everybody deserves a chance to celebrate with cake, even if that cake has to be friendly to their allergies!  Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, corn-free, vegan, this should take care of all your eaters.

• 1/2 Tbsp ground flax seeds (flaxmeal)
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp warm water
• 1/2 C gluten free flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 rounded tsp xanthan gum
• 3 Tbsp vegan butter
• 1/4 C water
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 C + 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp dairy-free sour cream

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line four sections of full-size muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.  In a small bowl, whisk together flax and warm water, set aside.  In another small bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, and xanthan gum.  Set aside.
2.  In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter.  Stir in water, cocoa, sugar, and sour cream.  Remove from heat.  Stir in flax-water mixture; whisk in dry ingredients until combined.
3.  Spoon into prepared pan.  Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool completely before frosting with Allergy-Free Peppermint Frosting.

Robyn's notes: my only (minor) complaint about this recipe is that it's not quite as nice to lick the pan as it is with standard cake batter.  It doesn't taste bad--oddly it tasted a bit banana to me--it's just not as rich as the other type.  I really quite enjoyed the finished product, especially once the cupcakes were frosted.  There were no texture issues, and it was light and airy.  You may get 5 cupcakes out of this, I did, but I was using my "heart-shaped" silicone liners, which can't hold as much batter.  The finished product made in them has never once come out heart-shaped, but I needed silicone liners and these were 80% off so I chose them instead of the regular shape.  Watch me demonstrate this recipe on youtube!

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Allergy-Free Peppermint Frosting

Easily changed to other flavours, this makes just the right amount for a few cupcakes!

• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp vegetable shortening
• 1/2 C allergy-free powdered sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp dairy-free milk (almond, rice, soy, etc.)
• 1/4 tsp peppermint extract

1.  In a small bowl, beat shortening with whisk or fork until light.  Gently mix in powdered sugar until well combined.  Add milk, a bit at a time, and beat together until desired consistency.  Mix extract in completely.

Robyn's notes: change the extract to change the flavour, but be sure to check for hidden allergens in your extract choices: some may contain gluten or corn.  To make vanilla frosting without using extract, scrape the "caviar" from a vanilla bean and stir it into the milk before adding that to the bowl.  If you haven't ground the sugar very well when making your powdered sugar, there might be a slight grainy texture to this frosting, but if you've gotten a nice fine grind this will come out exactly like the standard homemade frostings.  Watch me demonstrate this recipe on youtube!

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently