Celebration Cake

Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
Psalm 32:11

It’s time for a celebration… whether you are celebrating Pentecost and God’s outpouring of Holy Spirit, the birthday of a loved one, or victory over cancer, there is always a reason to celebrate and praise Jesus! Today, I share with you a melts-in-your-mouth, healthy, chocolate zucchini cake (gluten-free, dairy-free, low sweetener). …let us eat and be merry. Luke 15:23

Ingredients

1- 16 oz. jar organic almond butter

2/3 cup organic honey or maple syrup

1 cup organic cocoa powder

1 teaspoon pink salt

2 teaspoons baking powder (see recipe below)

2 large organic, free-range eggs

4 cups grated organic zucchini (from 4 small zucchini, or 2 large)

1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (omit if avoiding sugar)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use organic coconut oil to grease a bundt pan or 9×13 glass baking dish. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl in the order listed. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 60 to 75 minutes, until the inside seems done. Cool on cooling rack before removing from pan. Enjoy, it disappears quickly!

Many thanks to www.today.com/recipes for the original recipe!

Safe Baking Powder: 1/3 cup arrowroot powder, 1/3 cup cream of tarter, 1-1/2 Tablespoons baking soda. Mix well and store in a glass jar.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982

Pumpkin & Pecan Pies

My kids have been asking for these recipes, so I thought I would put them here where all of us can easily find them! Our favorite pumpkin pie recipe came from an old church cookbook that had half a dozen pumpkin pie recipes.  I finally starred the one I liked best. Our favorite pecan pie recipe came from the Joy of Cooking recipe book we were given at our wedding over 28 years ago!  Both recipes have been adapted to be gluten-free and dairy-free.  Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas pies!

Pumpkin Pie Ingredients:
1 prepared gluten-free pie crust
2 cups cooked pumpkin from the garden or 1 can pumpkin
(To cook pumpkin, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash a small or medium pumpkin.  Slice pumpkin in half. Scoop out all the seeds and goop.  Place cut side down on a baking pan lined with tin foil and parchment paper.  Poke outer skin with a fork.  Bake for 60-90 minutes until tender.  Remove from oven.  Carefully turn pumpkins over to let out steam.  When cool, scoop out cooked pumpkin.  You can freeze cooked pumpkin in containers to make pies later).

1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Set out prepared gluten-free pie crust.  Place remaining ingredients in a blender container.  Blend on high for 30 seconds.  Pour into prepared pie shell.  Bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees.  Reduce temperature to 375 and bake 45-75 more minutes, depending on how moist your pumpkin was.  While the pumpkin pies are baking, you can whip up your pecan pie. When pumpkin pies seem set and golden on top, remove from oven and cool on cooling racks.  These keep well in the fridge and can even be frozen!

Pecan Pie Ingredients:
1 prepared gluten-free pie crust
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup corn syrup or molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecan pieces or halves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, or put in oven with pumpkin pies when you reduce heat to 375.  Set out prepared gluten-free crust.  Mix remaining ingredients in a medium bowl in order given.  Spoon the mixture into the prepared pie shell.  Bake for 45 minutes or until it seems set and golden on top.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Now stand guard because these pies are delicious!

Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 5:20 (NKJV)

So fun to have my recipes handy at myteacuppprayers.org when my family whips up the pies!

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson