Here’s Gwyneth at the Burberry show in London yesterday. She was seated next to poor little Emma Watson, who looked like a delightful little woodland elf compared to the snot that is Goopy. Anyway, Gwyneth Paltrow’s weekly GOOP newsletter is here, and it’s another “Make” thank God. Last week’s was a fashion one, and it was boring. She showed the high-end stuff that she wants to buy, then showed us the still expensive, but slightly cheaper version at Topshop. The moral of the story was “Shop at Topshop”.

GOOP this week is all about making yourself some nice little sweet treats, with recipes from Erin McKenna, who runs and operates Babycakes Bakery. Of course, we can’t just get the cookie recipe from the bag of chocolate chips. Of course not. Gwyneth is making us make out treats with all vegan and gluten-free ingredients. That’s right. Today, we’re making chocolate cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies and Lemon poppy teacake, using stuff like rice milk, soy milk, apple cider vinegar, rice flour, xanthan gum, garbanzo bean flour, fava bean flour, and something called “Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour”. She also did an interview with this Erin McKenna woman, who is epically boring. Oh, Goop!

This week we bring you the lovely Erin McKenna and recipes from the best thing to happen to health conscious foodies – the BABYCAKES BAKERY! When I’m on the sugar-free/vegan/gluten-free tip I bust out this glorious hymn to the guilt-free treat and get busy.
Love, Gwyneth

GOOP: How long have you been making gluten-free, vegan and (mostly) sugar-free baked goods? What inspired you to eliminate gluten, dairy and often sugar?

Erin McKenna: I began to teach myself how to bake this way back in 2002 after I went to a health practitioner because I was having horrible stomachaches and huge digestion issues. She told me to eliminate wheat, dairy, soy, caffeine and refined sugar from my diet. She also explained that steering clear of processed food and non-organic items would quicken the healing process with my gut. I almost fell over because I LIVED for frozen yogurt and my mother’s chocolate chip cookies. I remember my first grocery-shopping trip after I heard I needed to avoid these ingredients. It was so devastating and confusing. I had no idea what to buy. If something was wheat-free, it had sugar. If it was sugar-free, it had toxic sweeteners like Aspartame. If it was vegan, it had wheat and on and on. I think I left the store with an Asian pear and a box of Kleenex. I eventually found savory foods that fit the bill but had to make my own desserts at home that were up to my new health standards.

GOOP: What effect has it had? What are the health benefits of being wheat and dairy-free?

Erin McKenna: I was never overweight but I dropped about 10 pounds by taking out the gluten, dairy, caffeine, processed foods and sugar and replacing them with whole foods. There was no dieting involved, no carb-counting or fat gram tallying. I was just very careful about my food choices and made sure that I knew what was in everything I was eating before I indulged.

GOOP: What are your must-have ingredients? And where do you get them?

Erin McKenna: My top 3 must have ingredients are coconut oil (it’s really high in lauric acid, stimulates the thyroid and gives almost identical flavor of butter when used properly), agave nectar (I prefer Organic Nectars – it’s low on the glycemic index, non-toxic and tastes just like sugar without the aftertaste) and Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all purpose baking mix (my whole baking empire would collapse if he went out of business! His product is so incredible). You can get these at health food stores or Whole Foods but if there isn’t one near you, they’re all available online.

GOOP: Are there any recipes you are working on that you are excited about? Or are there any old classics you are still trying to master? Will there ever be a vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free Twinkie?

Erin McKenna: I just made donuts a couple weeks ago, which was almost as exciting to me as when I came up with the frosting recipe. I LOVE donuts. I think they have the same appeal as cupcakes and evoke the same feeling. When I announced that we were now serving gluten-free, vegan, soy-free donuts at the bakery everyone lost it! Everyone went into a frenzy and one guy biked from Brooklyn through heavy rain just to try one. Luckily everyone loves them and some say it’s the best thing we make. I love it!!!!!

GOOP: And finally what is your favorite recipe that you have created?

Erin McKenna: The donuts. No. The Frosting. Wait, no. The cookies. Can I have 3???

[From GOOP]

Obviously, if you live a vegan, gluten-free existence by choice or be necessity, God bless. You are a lot stronger than me. I looked at the recipes, and I did a little dry heave. I can only imagine that the cookies with the garbanzo bean flour will end up tasting like hummus. Don’t get me wrong, I love hummus, but not when I think I’m eating a cookie. Also, I totally love how excited Goopy gets with this sh-t. “I bust out this glorious hymn to the guilt-free treat and get busy” – okay, Gwyneth, try not to wet yourself.