Category Archives: desserts

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

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These are not quite paleo, but still anti-inflammation (ok maybe not the chocolate chips) but if you’re in the mood for a chocolate chip muffin, these are a pretty healthy alternative, and they still taste great.

1 c almond meal
1 c gluten free flour blend ( can sub another cup of almond meal)
1/2 t sea salt
2 t baking powder
4 eggs
1 c mashed banana
1 c canned pumpkin or mashed squash
1/4 c olive oil or gently melted coconut oil

1/2 c chocolate chips, or to taste. Mini choco chips are fun.

Preheat oven to 400 deg and grease the heck out of your muffin tin. These stick quite a bit. You can use paper liners but grease them really well – alot of the muffin sticks to the liner.

Combine the flours, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Blend the banana, pumpkin, eggs, and oil in a food processor. (It takes a bit longer for me to pull out the food processor but I think it’s worth it to make a really smooth batter. It will definitely still work fine if you do it by hand.) Combine wet and dry ingredients, then stir in the chocolate chips. Bake for about 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

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I saw this in Oprah. It’s from Ellie Krieger, host of the Food Network’s Show, Healthy Appetite.
Yesterday we were using mashed bananas to make pudding. Today, avocado!
I’m posting this for Emily who wanted to try it, and for mom, who has already has!

Ingredients

2 large avocados, pitted and peeled
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 Tbsp. honey
¼ cup skim milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. instant coffee or espresso powder
Toasted coconut flakes, for garnish
Orange zest, for garnish
Flaky sea salt, for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Using a food processor fitted with a metal blade, blend avocados, cocoa powder, honey, milk, vanilla, and instant coffee until completely smooth, then chill, covered, in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

Garnish with coconut, zest, and sea salt.

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/food/Chocolate-Avocado-Pudding-Recipe#ixzz2pSf3CshE

Banana Cream Pie

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Banana Cream Pie à la Paleo

We love banana cream pie, and always make it on Thanksgiving. When Amy went Paleo right before the holidays, we started to think about how to make this pie without the usual good stuff, and still make it good! Although there are many steps involved here, it’s a very simple and delicious recipe, and can be made in about an hour.

Crust (thanks to Elana’s Pantry)
2 cups almond flour, preferably the blanched kind
1/4 t of kosher salt
2 T coconut oil
1 egg

Place flour and salt in food processor and pulse briefly – or toss with fork.

Add coconut oil and  and egg and pulse mixture forms a ball or blend with fork

Press dough into a 9-inch pie dish. It’s crumbly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes. It may have cracks in it, but it’s still good.

Filling (adapted from Great Pies and Tarts by Carole Walter)
2 -1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar or sweetener of your choice -divided
4 egg yolks
3 T cornstarch
2 T tapioca starch or more corn starch
1/4 t salt
1-1/2 t vanilla
1 T butter
3 firm, ripe medium bananas

Whisk egg yolks, 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar, salt, cornstarch and tapioca starch together

Heat in sauce pan until warm 2 -1/2 cups milk with the remaining 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar

Add 1/4 of the warm milk mixture to the bowl mixture stirring well to blend. Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan and using a whisk, and blend the mixtures.

Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring with whisk. As it begins to thicken, stir more vigorously until smooth. Continue to cook for a minute gently to prevent cream from scorching on the bottom of saucepan. Do not over mix.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla

Dot the top of the filling with the 1T butter and set aside to cool. Take a large bowl and fill with ice and water and put sauce pan in the ice water bath to cool – stirring occasionally. (We really do this, since we can never wait the few hours for it to cool in the fridge!)

Add three sliced bananas into cooled mixture

Add  filling to crust cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge to cool

Top with whipped cream and candy nuts before serving

Whipped Cream
1/2 pint of heavy cream
2 t vanilla
1 T of coconut palm sugar

Whip the cream and add the vanilla and sugar at the end.

EAT, finally!

SOS Brownies

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These brownies made eating without grains and refined sugar possible for our family. They are delicious. And, because they contain a jar of almond butter, they’re considered a protein, right? So I can justify the generous slice I put in Alice’s lunch bag….

(adapted from Elana’s Pantry)

1 16-oz jar creamy roasted almond butter
2 eggs
1 T vanilla
1/2 cup agave
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup cacao powder
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Blend all ingredients (except walnuts) until smooth. Stir in nuts. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan. Bake at 325 for about 35 minutes.

Chocolate Macaroons

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Another dessert that we love – raw, paleo, and still good!
(from Tessa the Domestic Diva)

Pulse in a food processor:

2 cups shredded coconut
1/3 c. coconut oil
1/4 c. cacao powder
1/4 c. agave, maple syrup, or honey (or a combination)
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt

Gently form into balls and chill on a cookie sheet in the freezer or fridge. Once firm, store them chilled. Dip into the bag as needed!

 

Candy Nuts

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Leo named our maple toasted pecans “candy nuts.” I toss these nuts into all our salads….just one step ahead of Leo who is tossing them in his mouth as fast as they cool.
You can use pecans (halved or pieces, toasted or raw), slivered almonds, or walnuts.

Fill a sauté pan with nuts.
Toast them a little over low to medium heat.
Pour maple syrup over them and let them gently boil until thick.
While they cook, butter or oil a silpat mat or a piece of foil.
Turn the nuts onto the buttered surface and let them cool.
Try to keep them away from the kids so you have some for the next day.

These nuts are also really good on the banana cream pie.

Dinner and Dessert Crêpes

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Crêpes are quick, and made to order, so everyone gets what they want. It’s the same batter for savory or sweet. We make them traditional, gluten-free, or paleo, and they are always good. The recipe is very forgiving, but the trick is to make sure the batter has the right consistency. When you ladle it onto the pan, it needs to be thin and swirl quickly. Flip it over as soon as the sides loosen up, add a pat of butter, and crack an egg right onto it. If you are in a hurry (and we usually are) break the yolk before you add the fillings. Sprinkle with a little cheese and a bit of ham. Fold it into a square, flip it over, and voila!

This is loosely based on a true Breton crêpe recipe, given to me by Béné.

Whisk together in a bowl:
1/3 cup buckwheat flour (can be omitted for paleo)
1 cup flour (I use a mix of almond meal, arrowroot, tapioca, rice, or gluten-free blends)
1 T coconut flour (omit if using wheat flour)
a pinch of salt

Make a well in the dry ingredients and stir in:
4 eggs
1 cup milk or coconut milk

Whisk until smooth, then add water to thin the batter. I never measure the water, but I think it’s around 1-2 cups. It’s always a bit more than I think.

Favorite fillings:
Egg, Ham and Cheese
Mushroom and Gruyère or Gorgonzola
Honey or Coconut Sugar with Lemon and Cinnamon
Nutella and Banana, or… if you prefer, Cacao Nibs with Banana
Don’t forget the whipped cream!

Sesame Cookies

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sesamecookies

Thanks to Elana’s Pantry. We LOVE these cookies. I’ve made them both grain-free and gluten-free.

Preheat the oven to 350 deg.

1-1/4 c almond flour or gluten-free flour mix
1/4 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/3 c agave or honey
1/3 c tahini
1T grapeseed oil
1T vanilla
1/4 c sesame seeds

Measure dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk together. Add the wet ingredients and stir well (I usually make these in the stand mixer). Form into balls and roll in sesame seeds. Bake for about 9 minutes. Wait until they cool a bit to remove them from the pan.