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10-Minute Cracker Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla-bean paste
45 graham crackers (each 2 1/2 by 5 inches)
1/4 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped

Combine the pumpkin puree and the condensed milk in a large bowl.

Whip the cream, pie spice and vanilla paste in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.

Fold the whipped cream mixture into the pumpkin mixture with a flexible spatula in three additions, until no streaks remain.

Line the bottom of a 10-inch springform cake pan with a single layer of graham crackers, breaking up some of them to fill in any gaps. Spread 1 cup of the pumpkin-cream mixture evenly on top of the crackers. Add another layer of crackers and then spread with another 1 cup of the filling. Repeat until all the crackers and the filling are used up, ending with the filling.

Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the cake is completely chilled, at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.

To serve, remove the plastic wrap from the pan and run a thin paring knife along the edge of the cake. Remove the outer ring of the pan. Top with the toasted pecans.

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup creamy, salted peanut butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the peanut butter, brown sugar and egg to a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Roll pieces of dough into tablespoon-size balls and divide between two baking sheets. Flatten each ball with the tines of a fork to form a criss-cross pattern.

Bake until the cookies are set and just turning golden brown around the edges, about 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Taken from the Gluten, Wheat & Dairy Free Cookbook by Nicola Graimes.

Super Mocha Brownies

Ingredients:

150g/5 1/2 oz good quality plain dark chocolate (about 70 per cent cocoa solids)
100g/3 1/2 oz dairy free margarine, plus extra for greasing
1 tsp strong instant coffee
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g/3 1/2 oz ground almonds
175g/6 oz caster sugar
4 eggs, separated
icing sugar, to decorate (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Grease a 20-cm/8-inch square cake tin and line the base.

2. Melt the chocolate and margarine in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir very occasionally until the chocolate and margarine have melted and are smooth.

3. Carefully remove the bowl from the heat. Leave to cool slightly, then stir in the coffee and vanilla extract. Add the almonds and sugar and mix well until combined. Lightly beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl, then stir into the chocolate mixture.

4. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold a large spoonful of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remainder until completely incorporated.

5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until risen and firm on top but slightly gooey in the centre. Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out, remove the lining paper and cut into 12 pieces. Dust with icing sugar before serving, if liked.

3-Ingredient Banana Bread

Ingredients
4 large ripe bananas
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
One 15.25-ounce box spice cake mix


Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the longer sides.

Mash 3 of the bananas with a fork in a large bowl until very smooth, reserving the fourth and least-bruised banana for the bread topper. Whisk in the eggs and cake mix until just combined and no lumps remain.

Transfer to the prepared loaf pan, smoothing out the top with a small offset spatula. Slice the remaining banana in half lengthwise, then place the halves cut-side up on top of the batter, with the curves facing each other. Bake until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.

Transfer the loaf pan to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Run a knife or offset spatula around the edges of the pan, then invert the banana bread onto the wire rack and cool completely.

4 Layer Cheesecake

Ingredients
Layer 1: Chocolate Cake "Crust":

1/2 cup salted butter, softened, plus more for greasing
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch process baking cocoa

Layer 2: Baked Chocolate Cheesecake:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled (or packaged pre-melted)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Layer 3: Vanilla Cream Cheese Mousse

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons Mexican vanilla extract

Layer 4: Dark Chocolate/White Chocolate Ganache:

10 ounces dark chocolate, chopped or about 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips, for garnish

Directions

For the chocolate cake "crust": Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease the bottom only of a 9-inch springform pan that has been lined with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the extract and eggs, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and cocoa and mix well to combine. The batter will be stiff. Spread in the pan. Set aside.

For the baked chocolate cheesecake: In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese and ricotta with the sugar until smooth. Add a small amount of the cheese mixture to the melted chocolate and combine well. Once the little bit of cheese mixture and chocolate is mixed well, add it back to the rest of the cheese mixture and beat until well combined. Add the eggs and flour and beat well. Smooth over the top of the cake batter in the pan. Bake until the cheesecake is set in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Cover with foil during last 10 minutes to prevent over browning. Remove from the oven and cool.

A cheesecake is not like a regular cake. It is considered set when the center is still wobbly. After you chill the cheesecake, it will set without wobbling. At this point let the cake cool. Once it is cool, you need to chill the cake for an hour or two.

For the vanilla cream cheese mousse: Once your chocolate and cheesecake base has been chilled, you can start making the third layer.

Beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff and set aside. In separate bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with a mixer in large bowl until well blended. Fold the whipped cream into cheese mixture until just combined. Spread the mixture over the baked cheesecake layer and chill well (freezing the cake at this point works well and makes spreading the final layer easier). Make sure you chill for several hours to make sure all the layers are set.

For the dark chocolate/white chocolate ganache: Place the chopped dark chocolate in a large bowl. Heat the cream and butter over low heat until just boiling. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cream mixture. Pour the rest of the cream mixture over the chocolate and let set about 2 minutes, or until it begins to melt. Stir to combine. Repeat for the white chips using the reserved cream mixture. Let cool slightly until spreading consistency.

Using a sharp knife, gently run the blade around the edge of the cake to loosen. Remove the cake sides from the pan and place the bottom with cake on a serving plate or stand. Spread the frosting over the top and sides.

Drizzle the white chocolate lightly over the top. Using a knife or toothpick, run it lightly over the top to swirl to create desired effect. At this point, I would place the white chocolate ganache in a pastry bag and use a small round tip to decorate the top of the cake instead of trying to just drizzle it on top. You have more control.

Press the mini chips (regular size works too) into the frosting on sides until completely coated to create a "crust." Place the cake in the fridge to chill while preparing the final frosting.