Our new backyard has huge patches of rhubarb. What to make with all of it? We started with this crumble, which combines the sour rhubarb with sweet maple syrup and strawberries, and soft fruit with crunchy coconut flakes. Perfect with coconut milk ice cream!
Gently stir the filling ingredients together in a 9×13″ dish.
In a small bowl, mix the topping ingredients and spoon over the top of the filling, gently evening it out. Bake for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees. You may want to cover for the first 35 minutes and then uncover for about 10 minutes to keep the topping from getting too brown.
We served this with coconut milk ice cream. Delicious!
Fresh fruit makes the very best and healthiest dessert, but at times something a little more special is called for. These maple cinnamon apples do admirably! Served warm with a dollop of homemade vanilla ice cream? Heaven!
Pre-heat oven to 350 degree F.
Wash and dry the apple.
From the top, carefully cut out the core, but don’t cut all the way to the bottom of the apple. Do be sure to remove all of the seeds and tough bits.
Place the apple in a ramekin and add the butter, maple syrup and cinnamon to the hole.
Place the ramekin in a larger oven-proof dish and bake the apple until when you pierce it with a sharp knife, it is tender.
Remove from oven. Cool 5 minutes before serving.
This is a quick and fun snack for kids and adults to enjoy during the summer. It has only two ingredients and no added sweetener. A treat you can feel good giving to your little ones, or a teething baby. Using Greek yogurt makes these pretty mess free as when they melt as the yogurt holds them together.
Place both the mango and yogurt in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into a freezer mold of your choice and freeze.
Check out these Stainless Steel Popsicle molds for plastic-free frozen treats!
The texture of this amazing ice cream rivals store-bought in my opinion! I love the smooth creaminess of this dessert, knowing that it is made with healthy, nourishing ingredients as well!
Place milk in a saucepan along with sugar, honey, and salt and start heating. Whip egg yolks for several minutes until thick, pale, and increased in volume. Slowly dribble in some of the hot milk to temper egg yolks, then add the warmed yolks to the rest of the milk. Cook for several minutes, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add cream and vanilla. Chill completely and then freeze according to ice cream maker’s instructions. Transfer to another container and place in freezer to harden. Enjoy as is, or with fresh fruit and homemade chocolate fudge sauce!
Classic chocolate chip cookies, with a twist! Made with sprouted wheat flour and other wholesome ingredients, they are satisfying and not stripped of important nutrients. (Just keep in mind that Sucanat is still sugar, so eat sparingly!)
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Line cookie pan with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, Sucanat and molasses together thoroughly with an electric mixer.
Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well.
Combine the flour, salt and soda and add all at once to the batter and beat well.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, on lined baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes. When the edges are browning, they are done. (If you use an airbake pan, or baking stone, this will change the cooking time.)
Cool for 1 minute and then using a spatula, transfer cookies to a clean dish towel and allow to cool.
These freeze well.
Mmmm…this mostly raw, nourishing ice cream is so satisfying and delicious! If you can find raw cream, that boosts the nutrition even more!
Whip eggs with sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and stevia in an electric mixer for several minutes until frothy. Add milk and cream, transfer to a 4-qt. ice cream maker, and freeze according to directions. Meanwhile, heat peanut butter with honey and coconut oil over low heat until smooth and melted together. Set aside to cool. As soon as the ice cream is done, add the chocolate chips and then swirl the peanut butter mixture in. Transfer to a container and place in the freezer until firm.
This rich, delicious cake is not only gluten and grain free, but dairy free as well! Yet it is so moist and decadent you wouldn’t be able to tell…
Cream together applesauce, oil, and sucanat, and then add eggs one at a time, beating well. Sift together dry ingredients and add to egg mixture. Finally, fold in carrots and nuts. Pour into 2 9-in. cake pans that have been lined with parchment paper and greased with coconut oil. Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting: Soak cashews in hot water for about 20 minutes to get them to soften up. Blend until creamy and smooth, then place in a small saucepan along with coconut cream, honey, stevia, arrowroot and water. Heat for about 5 minutes, until it thickens considerably. Remove from heat, and when it is completely cool, transfer to the freezer for several hours, until it is very thick. It will have a sticky, “gloopy” consistency at this point. Whip with an electric mixture for several minutes, and add almond milk a few tablespoons at a time until desired texture is reached. Spread on the cooled cake and transfer to the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy with homemade ice cream!
Have you ever been to a “taffy pull?” When I was a youngster, this was a beloved party activity, and let me tell you, now I know WHY we did it at parties. Today I did it ALONE. Not the most intelligent choice I ever made, but it worked out in the end. Blackstrap molasses is incredibly rich in minerals. You will feel good about giving this delicious candy to your children!
Butter a Pyrex 9 x 13 inch pan.
In a heavy-bottomed, 3 quart stainless saucepan, combine the molasses, Sucanat, butter and vinegar.
Stir constantly and over medium heat, bring to a boil.
Attach a candy thermometer to the pan, and stirring, continue to cook until the temperature reaches 260 degrees F.
Remove from heat and stir in the black walnut extract.
Pour the mass into the buttered pan.
Stir around gently with a fork as it cools to bring the outer parts to the center.
When the taffy is cool enough to handle, generously butter your hands and then begin “pulling” the taffee. (This is where it is good to have helpers.) This just means you stretch it, and fold it back on itself over and over. (Please check the pictures on my blog post.)
Continue pulling the taffy until it has lightened somewhat in color and it becomes almost firm enough that you cannot pull it any longer.
Pull it into a long rope and lay it out on waxed paper to cool.
Cut into small pieces with some sturdy scissors and wrap each one in a small piece of waxed paper.
This will make about 1 pound of candy.
I’m excited to share a gluten-free and grain-free adaptation of my grandma’s petit fours Easter cookie recipe. It’s moist yet not crumbly, and it’s low-carb, filling, and delicious. Best of all, it’s suitable for anyone avoiding grains or gluten, and made with just a few accessible ingredients. Enjoy!
Preheat oven to 350F.
Mix the almond flour, fat and sweetener. In a food processor, mix the almond flour, fat (I used a combination of coconut oil and ghee), and honey or maple syrup.
Mix the egg and extracts. In a separate blender, beat the egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt.
Combine the mixtures. Pour the egg-extract mixture into the processor with the almond flour mixture, and whirl until well incorporated.
Shape petit fours. Shape 1 teaspoon-sized pieces of the dough into round cookies, and add to baking sheet, gently pressing down very slightly to flatten a bit. Space cookies at least an inch apart because they expand. You can make smaller cookies if you wish, or larger. These were about one and half to two inches wide.
Bake petit fours. Stick baking sheet in preheated oven and bake for 7-9 minutes. If you keep for an extra minute, they get darker. For the darker cookies, I kept for 8 minutes, and then ‘broiled’ for a minute to get the top to brown. Since I was trying it for the first time, I wanted to test the texture of both the light and dark ones, and I’m happy to report that each was tasty in its own way. Be very careful and monitor the cookies carefully so they don’t burn.
Leave to set. After baking, leave out on the counter to set for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy warm, with a glass of milk or tea. To store, keep in a sealed container on the counter for up to a week.
This fudgey cookie is easy to make. It’s crisp on the outside with little cracks and has a soft and moist center.
Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. (Or if your oven is temperamental like mine, leave one rack in the middle and bake one sheet at a time. It will not hurt the other batch to sit out while one is baking)
Melt chocolate over a double boiler. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, beat eggs and cream of tartar (if using) until soft peaks form. Slowly add maple syrup or sucanat and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
Pour the melted chocolate and chopped nuts onto the beaten egg whites. Gently fold until the color evens out and there are not more white streaks.
Spoon by teaspoons onto the parchment paper 1-inch apart and bake 10-12 minutes or until the tops are cracked. They will be firm on the outside, but gooey when pressed. Allow to cool on wire racks.
Rich and buttery with a crunchy topping, this is a lovely dessert to make when you have too many apples. I cut the sugar down by half from the original recipe, so that it’s not overly sweet. It’s also gluten free. Serve warm with homemade vanilla ice cream for a special treat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9×13 inch pan.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
Add the apples into the melted butter and cook over medium heat, stirring often, just until the apples start to soften, about 15 minutes.
Add in the sucanat,vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring often.
Mix the cornstarch or arrowroot with a little cold water until smooth. Pour into the apples and stir well.
Pour apples into the prepared 9×13 pan.
To make the topping: Mix the softened butter, sucanat, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together until well blended. Add in the pecans and mix thoroughly.
Drop the topping in little bits evenly over the apples.
Bake for 30 minutes until the apples are bubbly and the top is nicely browned.
I’ll be honest; I very nearly did not share this recipe. Why? Because sensible folks will take one quick glance at the ingredients list and run screaming for the hills. It is beyond rich, beyond decadent. However, it’s also absolutely what the doctor ordered for those times when you’re craving something special.
As always, source the best ingredients when you’re able - local, raw, organic, et cetera. Don’t fret if you can’t find everything - just do the best you can!
Since I’m using eggs from my own chickens, I don’t feel a pressing need to cook them to kill off potential pathogens. However, if you’re using commercial eggs, you’ll want to cook your ice cream batter. Both methods are described below.
USING TRUSTED EGGS:
Whisk buttermilk, sucanat, and egg yolks together in a large bowl until the sucanat has dissolved. Add the other ingredients, whisking until everything is well combined. Add to your ice cream maker, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Easy!
USING COMMERCIAL EGGS:
In a large saucepan, combine the cream and one cup of sucanat. Bring to a point just below simmering over medium-ish heat, stirring now and then to prevent scorching.
While the mixture is coming up to heat, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup of sucanat, until the sucanat begin to dissolve.
Take one ladle of the hot cream mixture and slowly add it to the egg yolks, whisking constantly so the eggs don’tcoagulate. Repeat twice for six egg yolks, three times for more, whisking all the while.
Add the egg mixture back to the cream mixture, whisking your little heart out to ensure it’s not clotting.
Over low heat, cook the mixture to the consistency of a thin pudding. Then, remove from heat, and whisk in the buttermilk, olive oil, vanilla, and salt.
Allow the mixture to cool to a non-fridge-melting temperature before popping into the fridge to chill completely. Add to your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
**A word about the egg yolks; you’ll want at least six, but you don’t need to go the full twelve. Go with your gut. I like 8 to 10 most times.