36 DECEMBER 19, 2019 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
What are the benefi ts of baking
from scratch? Mostly, it’s fun,
and your whole family can
join in.
On top of that, nothing tastes as good
as fresh baked treats right out of the
oven. For another bonus, it makes the
whole house smell great.
But perhaps the most important
reason to bake from scratch is that
you’ll know exactly what’s going in
everything you make.
Even when baking delicious treats,
you can savor all the flavor while
also looking out for your family’s wellbeing.
Choosing ingredients carefully
makes all the diff erence. If you want to
reduce your family’s consumption of
artifi cial ingredients, here are tips for
baking more natural treats this holiday
season.
Choose natural sugar: Skip the
refi ned white sugar and substitute the
same amount of Sugar In The Raw, made
exclusively from natural sugarcane
grown in the tropics.
The hearty, golden crystals are made
from the fi rst pressing of sugarcane and
never bleached, so they keep the rich
fl avor and color of natural molasses.
Available in bulk, the 2lb box or 24oz,
4lb or 6lb bags of granulated Sugar In
The Raw will keep you prepared for
your holiday baking blitz.
The product is Non-GMO Project
Verified, Certified Vegan, naturally
gluten free and Kosher certifi ed.
TRY THIS RECIPE FOR
CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE
WITH PEPPERMINT GLAZE:
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 65 minutes
Servings: 16
Cake Ingredients
• Soft ened butter for greasing pan
• 2 cups Sugar In The Raw, plus more
for sprinkling in cake pan
• 2 cups all-purpose fl our
• 3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa
powder
• 1 teaspoon fi ne sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup strong brewed coff ee
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
•2 large eggs
•1 teaspoon vanilla
Glaze Ingredients
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup white chocolate chips or 6
ounces white chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• Crushed peppermint candies
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Liberally
butter a 10” Bundt pan. Place some sugar
inside pan and rotate to coat evenly.
Shake out excess.
2. In large bowl, whisk to combine
sugar, fl our, cocoa powder, salt, baking
powder and baking soda.
3. Add coff ee, sour cream, oil, eggs
and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
4. Scrape batter into prepared pan
and bake until toothpick inserted in
cake comes out clean or with moist
crumbs attached, 50-60 minutes.
5. Let cake cool in pan 15 minutes,
then invert onto rack, removing pan.
Let cake cool completely.
6. In small saucepan bring cream to a
boil. Take off heat, add white chocolate,
cover and let sit 5 minutes.
7. Stir until smooth, then stir in peppermint
extract. Let cool 15 minutes.
8. Pour glaze over cake, letting it drip
down sides. If desired, sprinkle cake
with peppermint candies.
Use natural food coloring: For
recipes needing colored icing or colored
batter, you can now fi nd natural food
coloring on the market that uses 100%
natural vegetable juices, rather than
relying on artifi cial additives.
Try butter alternatives: While
regular dairy butter provides a unique
texture that other products can’t always
duplicate, you can substitute at least
part of the standard butter in many
recipes with other choices like vegetable
oils, cultured organic butter, grass-fed
butter, clarifi ed butter (or ghee), or even
coconut oil as more healthful alternatives.
Experiment with a favorite recipe
fi rst to see what ingredients work best.
Bake with fresh produce: When
you’re baking pies or making other
dessert recipes that contain fruit, opt
for the best quality fresh produce you
can fi nd in your area. You, your family
and guests will all notice the diff erence
in taste.
Make your holiday baking tasty and
wholesome this year by using the best
natural ingredients available. You and
your family will love your baked goods
as much as you enjoyed making them.
— BPT
HOLIDAYS
Natural holiday baking tips
/WWW.QNS.COM
