admittedly, i have never been a huge supporter of gluten free or vegan cooking/baking. it's no secret that i'm an everything in moderation kind of girl. however, living in southern california and working in multiple fitness and yoga studios, i've realized it is unavoidable. the people want what the people want. 

so i did what i would normally do when i plan on embarking on something i know nothing about. i consulted an expert. 

mimi and i worked together at quiksilver many moons ago. she left to open her cookie bar in mammoth lakes, ca and never looked back. a successful bakery and a few cook books later and we reconnected over vegan + gluten free recipes. 

et me be clear. i was VERY skeptical of vegan, gluten free brownies. my red flags were going off left and right. 

but then i had my first bite. these are some of the best brownies i've ever made. they are moist, the perfect combination of cake and cookie and hit all the picky eater requirements. win. win. win. 

mimi's chocolate brownies
serves: 12 full sized or 24 minis
prep time: 10 minutes
bake time: 20-25 minutes
total time: 35 minutes
ingredients: 284 grams sugar. .5 tsp vanilla extract. 57 grams dutch chocolate cocoa. 57 grams dark chocolate, chopped. .5 c boiling water. .5 cup canola oil. .25 coconut milk. 255 grams gluten free flour blend (found in most large grocery stores near the regular flour). .25 tsp sea salt. .75 tsp baking powder. powdered sugar for dusting. parchment paper. 9x13 baking pan. 

start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. 

in a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. 

line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper. in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a bowl with a hand blender, combine the sugar, vanilla, cocoa and dark chocolate.

with the mixer on medium, add in the boiling water and mix until the cocoa and chocolate are melted and smooth. 

turn the mixer to low and add in the oil, coconut milk and the flour mixture. mix until just combined. 

pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. the batter is thick, so take time to spread it to all the corners of the baking dish. 

bake for 17-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. 

allow the brownies to cool before you slice into regular sized brownies or minis. sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve. store any extras (rare) in an airtight container.

xo, a

mimi's chocolate brownies
serves: 12 full sized or 24 minis
prep time: 10 minutes
bake time: 20-25 minutes
total time: 35 minutes
ingredients: 284 grams sugar. .5 tsp vanilla extract. 57 grams dutch chocolate cocoa. 57 grams dark chocolate, chopped. .5 c boiling water. .5 cup canola oil. .25 coconut milk. 255 grams gluten free flour blend (found in most large grocery stores near the regular flour). .25 tsp sea salt. .75 tsp baking powder. powdered sugar for dusting. parchment paper. 9x13 baking pan.
start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
in a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper. in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a bowl with a hand blender, combine the sugar, vanilla, cocoa and dark chocolate.
with the mixer on medium, add in the boiling water and mix until the cocoa and chocolate are melted and smooth.
turn the mixer to low and add in the oil, coconut milk and the flour mixture. mix until just combined.
pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. the batter is thick, so take time to spread it to all the corners of the baking dish.
bake for 17-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
allow the brownies to cool before you slice into regular sized brownies or minis. sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve. store any extras (rare) in an airtight container.

after finishing all my thanksgiving shopping, i'm sitting in a blanket of delicious aromas sipping on my first of many vodka sodas this weekend, i'm sure. 

and lucky for you, i'm feeling extra giving. with everything going on in our lives, i've decided it is time to up my blog game. newfoodtuesdayz is quickly approaching it's sixth birthday and it's time for me to get my shit together and step it up.

so from this moment on, you can look forward to tips & tricks thursdays and friyay happy hours in additional to your regularly scheduled newfoodtuesdayz programming. so here is a sneak peak at both. 

tips & tricks: easy cocktail styling

the holidays are stressful enough as it is. there is so much cooking to do that the last thing that you need to stress about is also making fancy cocktails. however, social lubrication at this time of year is a must. so instead of going out of your way to buy a ton of mixers and alcohol for cocktails people will probably never order, come up with one or two easy but pretty cocktails to have on hand for your guests to choose from. i like to go very simple and use a bubbly mixer and one alcohol. there are a bunch of great combinations. you can go classic like vodka + soda or gin + tonic. or go wild. try a sparkling wine + campari. like whiskey? how about a whiskey + ginger ale. you are really only limited by your imagination. 

now to take it to the next level, add a couple of organic elements. i try to pick herbs, fruits or vegetables that go with the colors of my party. you can layer one or two organic elements to really make the cocktail pop. lavender, blood orange or pomegranate ice can always be made in advance and kept in the freezer till party time. small fruits are always beautiful on a sugared or salted rim and herbs always look stunning gently settled into a cocktail. 

for the perfect thanksgiving combo, try this kumquat (in season starting in november) and rosemary vodka soda. you can't go wrong. 

kumquat + rosemary vodka soda
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 1 minute
total time: 2 minutes ingredients: 2 oz vodka. .25 c club soda. 1 kumquat. 2 rosemary sprigs. 1 tbs sugar for the rim. 1 cup ice or large ice cube. 

gently ice the edge of your glass. dip the rim of the glass into sugar until the entire rim is covered. 

in your glass, combine the vodka, ice and club soda. 

make a little slice in the bottom of the kumquat. 

garnish with kumquat and rosemary and enjoy. 

xo, a

kumquat + rosemary vodka soda
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 1 minute
total time: 2 minutes ingredients: 2 oz vodka. .25 c club soda. 1 kumquat. 2 rosemary sprigs. 1 tbs sugar for the rim. 1 cup ice or large ice cube.
gently ice the edge of your glass. dip the rim of the glass into sugar until the entire rim is covered.
make a little slice in the bottom of the kumquat.
in your glass, combine the vodka, ice and club soda.
garnish with kumquat and rosemary and enjoy.