A Recipe That's Near and Dear to My Heart

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Sometimes it's easiest for me to express myself in a list. And since I love this recipe (from the adorable Molly Yeh) for a number of reasons, I think this is the best way to break it down:

1. This was the first thing I baked after I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease
2. It's is one of the tastiest recipes I've made
3. It's easy
4. It happens to be vegan, dairy free, gluten free, and refined sugar free, so it can please a lot of people
5. Mmmmm chocolate and hazelnut

If this list doesn't have you sold, you're just going to have to trust me on it. Here is the recipe copied and pasted from Molly's website:

hazelnut mini cakes

makes 12

ingredients

cake

1 1/4 c gluten-free all-purpose flour
2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and finely ground
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2/3 c maple syrup
1/3 c coconut oil, melted but not hot
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 c full fat coconut milk

ganache

3/4 c chocolate chips
2 tb coconut oil
1 tb coconut milk
2 tb maple syrup

assembly

crushed toasted hazelnuts
sprinkles

clues

preheat the oven to 350ºf. grease a 12-cup muffin tin and set it aside.

in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, hazelnuts, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. in a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, and coconut milk. whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and then pour into the muffin tins. bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean; begin checking for doneness at 16 minutes. let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

to make the ganache, place the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until the chocolate is fully melted. stir in the coconut milk and syrup, and then continue stirring for a few minutes until the ganache cools slightly. 

to decorate, pour the ganache over the cakes so that it drips down the sides. top with hazelnuts and sprinkles as desired. enjoy!