The ideal macaroon is a light ball of toasted coconut goodness with a slightly chewy center. It took seven tries but I finally got a recipe and technique for the perfect macaroon.
Macaroons are a great option for gifts because they fit into most diets. This macaroon recipe is gluten free, grain free, vegetarian, naturally sweetened, and paleo! If you are following along on my Wahls Diet journey these macaroons also follow her diet. But are they delicious? Yes, I wouldn’t put them in my Christmas cookie tins if they weren’t.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use a food processor, mixer or, if you want an arm work out, a whisk to combine the coconut butter, honey, egg whites, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth. The mixture will be the texture of warm peanut butter.
Next fold in the sweetened and unsweetened coconut so it is evenly moist. The goal is to mix everything together without compressing to keep the batter light.
Using a scale measure out half ounce increments of dough and use wet fingertips to shape into loose balls. If you don’t have a scale you are aiming for about a tablespoon.
Place each ball onto the parchment paper. Macaroons don’t rise, so you can place them close together. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown, rotating the cookie sheet at 8 minutes.
Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet a couple minutes so they set before moving them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
I love cherry pie and altered an old recipe to be all natural and organic.
Pre-heat oven at 375 degrees.
Put cherries into a medium sauce pan, cover, and place over heat until the cherries are swimming in their juice.
Mix tapioca flour and sucanat together.
Remove cherries from the heat and mix in the sucanat/tapioca flour mixture.
Return to low heat and cook until thickened. Stir frequently.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Put cooled pie filling in crust lined pie pan. Wet the edge of the bottom pie crust and place top pie crust over cherries. Flute pie crusts together and slit the top pie crust so the steam can escape. Sprinkle the sugar on top.
Bake for 50 minutes.
These adorable cupcakes are made with coconut flour and whipping cream for the frosting. They are gluten free and sugar free!
Cupcakes:
Combine ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting them.
Frosting:
For the frosting I made whipping cream and used this as the base and added the other flavors to it. I made chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.
First get a carton of whipping cream and use a hand mixer to beat it until it is the consistency of whipped cream and forms stiff peaks.
For the strawberry I added some coarsely blended fresh strawberries to the whipped cream. For vanilla I added 1 tsp. vanilla extract and for chocolate I added the chocolate mixture.
For easy application frost cupcakes with a pastry bag and enjoy!
Doughnuts are notorious for being the ultimate “junk food”. With Hanukkah fast approaching, I was wondering if I could actually make a nourishing version of this holiday treat. Yes, it is possible! Made with freshly ground spelt, soaked to reduce phytates, fried in coconut oil, and very lightly sweetened (only 1 tsp. of honey per doughnut!) these are something I actually feel good about serving my family. Not to mention how delicious they are!
In a stand mixer, cream together first 6 ingredients. Dough should be pretty sticky. Cover with a towel and let sit at room temperature for 7-12 hours.
When ready to fry, start heating up your coconut oil in a dutch oven. It should reach about 350-375 degrees.
Add the egg to the soaked dough, along with baking powder and salt. Turn on the mixer, and add unbleached flour a couple tablespoons at a time, until the dough is only slightly sticky. Turn onto a floured surface and roll out to 1/4 in. thickness. Cut with a small glass, and work a hole in the middle with your fingers. Drop one doughnut into the hot oil, to make sure it doesn’t brown too quickly (lower heat if it is too hot). Working in 2 or 3 batches, cook doughnuts for about 3 minutes, flipping halfway through, then remove to a paper-towel lined pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or organic sprinkles, if desired.
The flavors for this Panna Cotta remind me of the holiday season.
Infuse: In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup cream with the maple syrup and stir to dissolve. Add cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean, and nutmeg. Turn off heat and leave spices to infuse for at least 30 minutes. Strain, and return the cream to a saucepan.
Soften the gelatin: In a small, wide bowl, sprinkle the gelatin evenly over 1/4 cup cold milk and let stand about 5 minutes, until softened.
Dissolve the gelatin: Reheat the strained cream and whisk in the softened gelatin and milk until completely dissolved. Turn off heat and let mixture rest until room temperature.
Combine base ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together creme fraiche with the remaining 1/2 cup cream and 3/4 cup milk until smooth.
Add the melted gelatin: Whisk the cooled gelatin-milk mixture into the base mixture.
Strain: Pour the panna cotta mixture through a triple-mesh, sieve into a large glass measuring cup with a pour spout. Then divide into ramekins, dessert glasses, or molds.
Set the gelatin: Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.
Serve: To serve, unmold onto dessert plates or present in ramekins or dessert glasses. Serve with drizzle of maple syrup on top.
This is a delightfully creamy and smooth chia seed pudding that is also quite versatile! Full of probiotics and good fats, it would make a great breakfast or grab-and-go snack.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir together until smooth. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 12 hours. Enjoy!
Add cherries last minute for chunks, or blend them with the ice cream for a lump-free cherry flavor.
Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor unless you want cherry chunks. If you want chunks, don’t add them to this blend.
Pour into your ice cream maker and when it’s almost firm enough, toss in the cherries.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s … Super Custard? I was a bit skeptical before making my first clafoutis (“claw-foo-tee”). Ignoring the strange name, we decided to give it a try. This dessert has now launched itself into our family’s recipe book Hall of Fame. The custard base, combined with delicious fruit — and the easiest assembly ever! — prove that this isn’t any ordinary recipe. Warning: I recommend making a double batch.
Heat oven to 325*F. While oven warms, place butter in 8×8 dish to melt. (Double bonus - it greases your pan!)
In a medium bowl, beat eggs, honey, milk, vanilla, flour, and salt together.
Remove 8×8 dish from oven. Stir in melted butter to batter.
Dump (yes, dump!) fruit into 8×8 dish, spreading evenly.
Pour batter over fruit. Note: Fruit will gradually fruit to the top as it cooks.
Bake for 45 minutes until set and golden.
Serve warm or chilled.
HINT: Makes for a great breakfast the next morning!
HINT: Experiment with fruit combinations. You can’t go wrong! Add as much (or as little) fruit as you like.
These little bites are a nice treat when you don’t want to turn on your oven. Mix these no bake cookies up in about five minutes or so and then put them in the fridge for about 10. Viola!
Since discovering that several members of our family are gluten sensitive, we have been experimenting more with grain-free and gluten-free recipes. Now that it’s summer and 100+ degrees outside, we turn on the oven less. I love other no-bake cookie recipes and wanted to create something that my seven year old daughter could make by herself, since I’m not comfortable with her reaching into the oven just yet. This recipe is simple and delicious. Perfect for kids to make on their own.
You could even make other flavors by adding in lemon, lime or orange zest and playing with the seasonings. My daughter said that next time she wants to try dipping them in melted dark chocolate. Yum!
Combine coconut, almond flout and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together with a fork to get out any lumps.
Add remaining ingredients, except for milk. Stir together until the ingredients are well combined and start to stick together.
Test a piece of dough by lightly squeezing a pinch of it in your fist. If it holds together well, you’re done. If you need it, add the milk until it will hold it’s shape.
Roll into small balls or scoop with a cookie scoop and place on parchment lined baking sheets.
Refrigerate about 10 minutes to set.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
This pie was a definite hit with my family! With a dark chocolate, grain-free crust, and a dreamy peanut-buttery frozen filling, it is a decadent treat without being too rich. Using homemade yogurt cheese not only lightens it up, but also adds a probiotic boost. If you can find raw, grass-fed cream, that takes things up even another notch…
Make the crust first: In a bowl, mix together almond flour, salt and cocoa powder. Cut in butter until large chunks, then stir in honey. Press into a parchment lined 9″ springform pan and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, until set. Thinly slice the banana and sprinkle over crust; let cool.
For the filling: Beat cream to soft peaks and set aside. Whip together yogurt cheese, sour cream, peanut butter, powdered sucanat, vanilla and stevia until light and fluffy. Gently fold in whipped cream until combined. Reserve 1 cup of this mixture, then spread the rest over the crust. Add the 2 T. cocoa powder to reserved mixture until well combined, then gently swirl into pie with a spatula or butter knife. Sprinkle with cacao nibs, and place in the freezer for at least 8 hours to set.
This lovely and delicious pie is made from fresh, halved peaches. Only one crust is used. Served with real whipped cream, this is summertime Heaven!
Prepare the pie shell from your favorite pie crust recipe. Place in 9-inch pie pan and flute the edges.
Combine Rapadura, butter and flour to make crumbs.
Sprinkle half of the crumbs into unbaked pie shell.
To peel the peaches, blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, plunge into cold water, peel, cut in half and pit the fresh peaches.
Place them cut side up in the pie shell.
Cover with the rest of the crumb mixture.
Sprinkle lemon juice over the top.
Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 40 - 45 minutes. (Runny liquid should be gone when it is done baking.)
Allow to cool completely before serving.
This subtly sweet cherry clafoutis is a perfect breakfast dish with hints of maple syrup and buttermilk laced throughout the batter and beautiful sweet black cherries adding a burst of sweetness and beautiful coloring along the top of the clafoutis. This dish will please even the littlest members of your family.
Mix the flour and buttermilk in a small bowl. Cover the bowl and set in a warm place over night.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Mix the eggs, maple syrup, milk, applesauce, vanilla and sea salt in a small bowl.
Slowly incorporate the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Do not over mix.
Pour the batter into a greased pie pan or medium cast iron skillet.
Arrange and place the cherries in the batter. Press down gently to make sure the cherries are fully incorporated into the clafoutis.
Bake the clafoutis for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and separating from the edge of the pan and a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the clafoutis.