The Challenge

What is it about a challenge that causes us to do things we wouldn’t usually do under normal circumstances? In most cases it’s not a competition, since someone is daring you to try something you’ve never done. So with whom would you be competing against? Just yourself, really.

I l-o-v-e a culinary challenge. Whether the challenge is given to me by me or by someone else, I cannot wait to start and see what happens! My friend, Becca, asked me to attempt a gluten free version of Kandy Kakes. Remember those? Those sinfully delicious little cakes with a strip of peanut butter on top, coated in chocolate? Yes, those.

It’s hard to say, really, if I lived up to the challenge. I took some liberties, you see. First, I can’t use peanut butter because of my son’s peanut allergy. So, instead, I used almond butter. Also, not only did I swap milk chocolate for dark chocolate, but I used much more than you ever get on a pre-packaged Kandy Kake! Seriously, though, how many people do you know of would complain about more chocolate? Yeah, that’s what I thought, too.

So, here it is. Moist cake (no grit!), creamy almond butter, and twice as much chocolate. Oh, yes.

Thanks, Becca, for the challenge! (By the way, I have a lovely Katie’s Kandy Kake sitting here with your name on it. Claim it quickly… I can only keep little hands off of them for so long!)

Anyone else have one more for me? Bring. It. On. ;)

Katie’s Kandy Kakes (GF version!)

4 eggs, beaten to a lemon color

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp veggie or canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups sugar

2 cups Pamela’s Baking Mix

1 ½ cups peanut or almond butter

2 cups dark chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake in a greased 10x15 jelly roll or baking pan.

Combine the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla in a large bowl using a hand mixer on medium. Add the sugar and beat to thoroughly combine. Add the Pamela’s Baking Mix and beat until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20-30 minutes until set in the middle. Remove from the oven and immediately drop spoonfuls of peanut (or almond) butter over the cake. Once melted, spread evenly over the entire top of cake. Freeze, in the pan, for 1 hour. Once frozen, use a biscuit cutter (or whatever shaped cutter you choose) to cut out the cakes. Place the cake cut-outs on a cooling rack placed over a cookie sheet.

In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream on low. Place chocolate chips in a small bowl. Once the cream is hot (but not boiling), pour over the chips. Wait one minute, then stir until the cream is completely incorporated into the chocolate. Balance one cake on a fork or spatula. Keeping the cake over the bowl of chocolate, spoon the chocolate over the cake to coat. Return the cake to the cooling rack to set. Repeat until all are coated. Allow cakes to rest for about 30-45 minutes to set.

(Don’t worry if they don’t look perfectly smooth, they will taste amazing!)