Recipe of the Week: Apple-Cinnamon Toastie

When I heard about this mythical bakery in NYC called Babycakes I truly thought I'd died and gone to heaven. This bakery was a devoted gluten-free and vegan establishment that apparently made some of the best cupcakes east of the Mississippi. The only problem was my two thousand mile commute to pick up a few confections.

Enter the new Babycakes cookbook. I was so excited when it came in the mail a few months ago and I've tried a few recipes from it already. My favorite so far has to be this Cinnamon-Apple Toastie. It is moist, crunchy, spicy and sweet...In other words HEAVEN in a slice.

Cinnamon-Apple Toastie from Erin McKenna
Makes 10 slices that won't last the day...
Ingredients:
1 cup garbanzo-fava bean flour
1 1/4 cups evaporated cane juice plus more for sprinkling
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup arrowroot
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup melted coconut oil plus more for brushing and pan
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups hot water
1 cup roasted apples (recipe follows)*

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 7 x 4 x 3 inch loaf pan with oil.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, 1 cup of the evaporated cane juice, the potato starch, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon. Add the melted coconut oil, applesauce, vanilla, and 1 cup of the hot water to the dry ingredients. Stir until the batter is smooth, then fold in the roasted apples. Transfer 1/3 cup of the batter to a small bowl and add the remaining 1/4 evaporated cane juice, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, and 1/4 cup hot water. Stir until creamy.

Pour the batter into the pan. Drizzle the batter from the small bowl down the center of the loaf. Sprinkle the top with evaporated cane juice and put in the oven. Bake on the center rack for 25 minutes, remove from oven and brush the top with a generous amount of coconut oil. Return to oven and bake for 15 more minutes until top is crunchy and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let the toastie stand in the pan for 20 minutes and then invert onto a cutting board. Cut and serve warm or let cool and save for up to 3 days (if it'll last that long!)

*To make roasted apples, peel and dice a pound of granny smith apples and toss on a parchment-lined cookie sheet with 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1/4 cup agave nectar, and 1/8 cup lemon juice. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes, turning the pan 180 degrees after the first 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Throw 1 cup of them in your toastie recipe!

P.S. Extra-virgin coconut oil and evaporated cane sugar can be $$$, so you can totally substitute canola oil and granulated sugar in equal quantities in place of these. I prefer the flavor and health benefits of coconut oil, but I see no difference between evaporated cane juice and granulated sugar other then the way they are processed...It's up to you!