Erin McKenna Inspires Us with Her Babycakes

This is lively, passionate Erin McKenna, the baker and owner of Babycakes NYC in New York, Los Angeles and now DisneyWorld Marketplace. Erin was in San Diego last week talking about her new book, BabyCakes Covers the Classics at Warwick's Bookstore in La Jolla. She has virtually changed the world of gluten-free vegan desserts with her incredible Babycake creations. Erin has succeeded in recreating lots of our favorite desserts, minus gluten, dairy, eggs or refined sugar. And they taste incredible!

Whether you eat gluten-free and/or vegan due to allergies or medical conditions, are concerned for the planet, want to eat the best food you can, or share food with someone who has those needs, Erin's two Babycakes cookbooks offer easy to follow recipes, inviting photos, helpful how-to information as well as ingredients and easy substitutions.

Below is my favorite recipe from Babycakes Covers the Classics - Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes from Donuts to Snickerdoodles. Check out Erin's first cookbook, too - Babycakes - Vegan, (Mostly) Gluten-Free, and (Mostly) Sugar-Free Recipes from New York's Most Talked About Bakery. Get ready to have fun creating "good-for-you" desserts you will absolutely love.

Thin Mints (p. 48, Babycakes Covers the Classics)

1.5 cups Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour

1 cup vegan sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup arrowroot

1.5 teaspoons xanthan gum

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup melted refined coconut oil or canola oil

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 cup vegan gluten-free chocolate chips

3 tablespoons mint extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, arrowroot, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt. Add the coconut oil, applesauce and vanilla and mix with a rubber spatula until a thick dough forms.

Drop the dough by the teaspoonful onto the prepared baking sheets about 1.5 inches apart. Gently flatten each mound of dough, smoothing the edges with your fingers. Bake for 7 minutes, rotate the baking sheets , and bake for 7 minutes more. Let stand on the baking sheets for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the chocolate chips and mint extract in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until the chips are just melted. Do not overcook. Remove from the heat. Dunk the top of each cookie into the melted chocolate and place in a single layer on a platter. Refrigerate the cookies for 30 minutes, or until the chocolate sets.

Makes 30.