Free Babycakes Covers the Classics: Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes From Donuts to Snickerdoodles by Erin McKenna, Tara Donne Page B

and then been tossed in the blender. Now that I’m older and smarter, I see the beauty of bread pudding. It’s a day-old visionary’s dream that delivers so much texture and spice it’s suddenly not so hard to understand what keeps it shuffling down through the generations. You can use any bread you choose, just make sure it’s something sturdy.

    1 tablespoon melted refined coconut oil or canola oil, plus more for brushing the tray
    8 cups day-old gluten-free bread or cupcakes, cut in 2-inch cubes
    ½ cup dried cranberries
    ½ cup diced apples
    ¼ cup chopped pecans (optional)
    2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    ½ teaspoon ground ginger
    ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    ½ teaspoon salt
    1 cup rice milk
    ⅓ cup agave nectar
    1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    Vanilla Icing
    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly brush an 8½-inch square
     baking pan with coconut oil and set aside.
    In a medium bowl, combine the bread cubes, cranberries, apples, pecans (if
     using), cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until fully incorporated. Stir in the
     rice milk, coconut oil, agave nectar, and vanilla and let stand for 20 minutes. Pour
     the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until golden brown, about 35
     minutes.
    Drizzle with the Vanilla Icing and serve.
    Serves 6

    Mounds
MOUNDS
    My dad has a special affection for See’s candy, and he made sure that at least a couple pounds were at the table every holiday. At the end of the day, all that was left were a few coconut pieces with a tiny, investigative corner bitten off. These days, though, I’m putting coconut on just about everything (see Dressing Up Your Donut ). This recipe is inspired by the coconut delights that See’s is famous for everywhere except my parents’ house. Here, too, are a couple quick tips for melting chocolate: (1) Make sure there’s no water in your bowl before you melt the chocolate or it will separate and be gross, and (2) if you are a microwave user, you can zap the chocolate chips for 30 seconds on high, then stir until the chips are melted.

    2½ cups sifted organic powdered sugar
    1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons agave nectar
    2 tablespoons rice milk
    1 tablespoon melted refined coconut oil or canola oil
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1¾ cups unsweetened shredded coconut
    2 cups (1 12-ounce bag) vegan gluten-free chocolate chips
    Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
    In a large bowl, combine 2¼ cups of the powdered sugar, the agave
     nectar, rice milk, coconut oil, salt, and vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula
     until incorporated. Add the shredded coconut and stir until fully combined.
    Dust a work surface with the remaining ¼ cup of powdered sugar. Place
     the coconut mixture on the sugar and roll it around to coat it. Transfer the mixture
     to one of the baking sheets and, using the palms of your hands, press down until the
     mixture is about 1 inch thick. Chill in the freezer for 20 minutes.
    Using a melon-baller, scoop the coconut mixture into your palm one scoop at a
     time. Form the mixture into a small rectangle and arrange it on the second baking
     sheet. Repeat until all the coconut mixture is used. Return the coconut squares to
     the freezer for 20 minutes more.
    Meanwhile, put the chocolate chips in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and melt over
     low heat. Using two forks or chopsticks, roll each coconut rectangle around in the
     chocolate to coat. Put the mound back on the baking sheet and repeat with the
     remaining coconut and chocolate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and serve.
    Makes 24

BRACE YOURSELF: I REALLY WENT FOR IT IN THIS CHAPTER, and I’ll tell you why. A cake is, above all other baked items that will make their way out of your oven, a glorious centerpiece. It’s your handsomely garnished Thanksgiving Day spread or an enormous pot of veggie chili on a winter’s evening. It’s the Christmas tree and your prom dress and your brand-new, radically altered hairdo. You have the entire room’s