Babycakes Covers the Classics: Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes From Donuts to Snickerdoodles (5 page)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking
powder, ginger, cinnamon, salt, xanthan gum, cardamom, and cloves. Add the
applesauce, ½ cup coconut oil, agave nectar, molasses, rice milk, and vanilla
and stir with a rubber spatula until the batter is smooth.

In a large nonstick skillet or on a griddle over medium heat, add 1
teaspoon coconut oil. Working in batches, pour ¼ cup pancake batter into the
pan for each pancake. Using the back of a rubber spatula, spread the batter to make
a 4-inch pancake. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side for 2
minutes more, or until the center bounces back when tapped and the edges are
browned. Transfer the pancakes to a warm plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
Serve with the Agave Maple Syrup.

Makes 12 to 14

Wonder Buns

The slightest whiff of cinnamon and melted sugar is likely to send any lady into a nostalgic reverie for the food court of her youth. Today this recipe commands center stage at the bakery whenever we fire up a batch—no small feat considering the competition of fragrant apple muffins, nutty cornbread, and dozens of other aromatic samplings. You’ll find that BabyCakes NYC’s
Wonder Buns have everything you’ve been missing for so long: that subtly sticky chewiness, the spicy pockets intermixed with the sweet streaks of joy, a dense but layered texture that is the stuff of dreams.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment
paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free all-purpose flour, ½
cup of the rice flour, the arrowroot, xanthan gum, baking powder, and 1 tablespoon
cinnamon. Add ¼ cup of the coconut oil, ⅓ cup of agave nectar, and the
vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula until a very thick dry dough forms. Gradually
add ⅔ cup of the warm water and stir in more if needed until the dough is
slightly tacky. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto the center of a surface dusted with ⅓ cup rice
flour. Dust the top of the dough and a rolling pin with some of the remaining rice
flour and roll out the dough into a ½-inch-thick rectangle with the short
side facing you. Using a pastry brush, apply half of the remaining coconut oil all
over the surface of the dough.

In a small bowl, combine ½ cup of the agave nectar and 3 tablespoons of
the cinnamon. Brush the mixture onto the dough, covering it entirely. Sprinkle the
raisins evenly over the mixture.

Beginning with the short side closest to you, gently roll
the dough onto itself to form a log. Using a very sharp knife, cut the log into
1-inch-wide pieces to make 12 rolls. Place 6 rolls on each of the prepared baking
sheets. Bake for 12 minutes, remove from the oven, and gently brush the top and
sides of each bun with the remaining coconut oil. Rotate the baking sheets and bake
for 5 minutes more, or until the edges are browned and the centers are slightly
soft. Let cool for 10 minutes, then drizzle a teaspoon of Vanilla Icing over each
bun before serving.

Makes 12

I know, I know: Honey is on the “absolutely not, you jerk” list for most vegans. And that’s fair enough. But what to do in such situations? Naturally I turn to agave nectar, my not-at-all secret weapon. EZ-PZ! The
Honey Buns recipe is essentially a meddled-with Wonder Bun recipe that has been given the honey concoction and spruced up with vegan sugar for added texture. The extra sweetness we pick up from the honey-agave makes for a perfect day-starter for when you’re not feeling at all like paying attention to your alarm clock.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment
paper and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and 3 tablespoons of the cinnamon and
set aside. In another small bowl, stir together ¼ cup of the coconut oil and
the ¼ cup agave nectar and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose gluten-free flour and ½
cup rice flour, the arrowroot, baking powder, remaining 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and
the xanthan gum. Add ¼ cup of the coconut oil, the ⅓ cup agave nectar,
and the vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula until a very thick dry dough forms.
Gradually add the warm water until the dough is slightly tacky. Wrap in plastic and
refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto the center of a surface dusted with ⅓ cup rice
flour. Dust the top of the dough and a rolling pin with the remaining rice flour and
roll out the dough into a ½-inch-thick rectangle with the short side facing
you.

Using a pastry brush, apply a thick coat of coconut oil all over the surface of
the dough. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture onto the dough, covering it
entirely.

Beginning with the short side closest to you, gently roll
the dough onto itself to form a log. Using a very sharp knife, cut the log into
1-inch-wide pieces to make 12 rolls. Place 6 rolls on each of the prepared baking
sheets. Gently brush each bun with half of the coconut oil–agave nectar
mixture, then sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Bake for 12 minutes, remove from the oven, and gently brush the top and sides
of each bun with the remaining coconut oil–agave nectar mixture. Bake for 10
minutes more, or until the edges are browned and the center is slightly soft. Remove
from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 12

Waffles

From cornbread slathered with jam to peanut butter and jelly, there are few things closer to my heart than the combination of salty and sweet. After I’d worked out the pancake recipe, it occurred to me—by way of an Eggo-heavy childhood—that a waffle recipe would be the perfect opportunity to explore salty-sweet in depth. Personally I find that a dollop of coconut oil and a sprinkle of salt on each waffle before the Agave Maple Syrup is perfect.