Paleo Pumpkin Bars (Lurong approved)

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I pulled these bad boys out of the archives! Don’t forget that it’s pumpkin time, too!

The number one thing I love about fall is pumpkin everything!  I was playing around in the kitchen the other day and decided to wing a pumpkin bar attempt.  Most baking in the paleo sphere is done with almond flour and I’ve told you guys that I am trying to do most of my baking with coconut flour instead.  I bought the cookbook Primal Cravings for that very reason.  All of their baking is done without almond flour.  I think I’ve made their brownie recipe like 100 time in the past month because it is amazing!!!!  However, I have been refraining from posting or talking about it because Lurong folks can’t have chocolate. ;(  So, I thought to myself how great the recipe would be as a pumpkin bar!  The recipe was born….and as long you don’t eat the entire pan at once and switch out butter for coconut oil, it is Lurong approved. ;)   You guys don’t have much longer!

Paleo Pumpkin bars:

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp tapioca flour
  • 3 Tbsp coconut flour
  • 1 stick grassfed butter (or 1/2 cup coconut oil)
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • pinch of cardamom
  • pinch of cloves
  • (you could use already formed pumpkin pie spice if you have it on hand)
  • pecans for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Melt the sugar and butter together to combine. Add the vanilla and salt.  Whisk in the eggs.  Add all the dry ingredients.  Pour into a greased 8×8 pan and cook for about 25-30 minutes until set up and not jiggling anymore.  Let cool before cutting and serving.  I often like a texture difference, so I cut them into 2-bite squares and plop a pecan on top!

Dessert via Campfire: Paleo Elvis Banana Boats

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banana boats2
Campfires and smores go together. They do. However, trying to eat healthy means thinking twice about those graham crackers, marshmallows, and milk chocolate! I have taken the time to make homemade smores before with great success! However, I don’t know a single mom that has time to make homemade marshmallows and graham crackers before a camping trip. So, bring on the other options! I don’t know where this recipes originated but it is genius. Now let me take out all the bad ingredients and do it up right! Campfire banana boats!

Roasted Banana Boats

Ingredients:

  • bananas
  • aluminum foil
  • dark chocolate chips
  • nut butter (sunbutter is like peanut butter and that’s why these are “Elvis”)
  • ingredient ideas: chopped nuts, dried cranberries, almond butter, cashew butter, real butter!, homemade marshmallow fluff, coconut butter…)

Peel back a strip of banana peel from the concave side but keep it in tact. Make a slit lengthwise down the banana and pull apart slightly. Dollop in nut butter and top with chocolate chips. Gently push together and put back the strip of peel you opened. Wrap in aluminum foil, throw on the fire, and wait 8-10 minutes. Take off the fire and open the banana. Eat up!

Paleo Apple Crisp

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It’s apple time! I made this a long time ago and continue to make it “as is” because it’s so good!!

It’s time to go apple U-Pick!  Make sure they are organic because apples are part of the dirty dozen, meaning they are heavily sprayed with chemicals. ;(  I like the u-pick location: Earth First Farms!

Paleo Apple Crisp:

  • 4-5 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder

Topping:

  • half stick of butter (or 1/4 cup coconut oil)
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
  • 1 Tbsp of apple pie or pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour

Directions:

Mix the filling ingredients together until coated and put in an 8×8 or 9×13 depending on how thick you want it.  Crumble the topping ingredients together and cover the filling.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.  Turn the oven to  broil and brown the topping  for about 3 minutes!

Lurong: 1/4 of the entire thing would be your sugar allotment for the day.

Pumpkin Mousse Pie

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pumpkin mousse pie
Let the pumpkin recipes begin. Pumpkin spice may be one of my favorite things about fall. If you try it in summer, it’s just not the same! So, I have been working on alternatives to pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake. I love cheesecake…but don’t always want to make the splurge on the cream cheese from an unhealthy cow. ;( I am not a big fan of the texture of pumpkin pie. So, if pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake had a baby, it would be pumpkin mousse pie!
Remember how I told you about my chocolate mousse pie? Well it’s amazing and so easy that I couldn’t resist the idea of switching up flavors. Once again, this is no bake. You need a kitchen aid mixer. If you freeze it, it is like ice cream cake. K? Good.

Pumpkin Mousse Pie

Crust:

  • 24 dates
  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • pinch of salt

Filling:

  • 2 1/2 sticks grassfed butter (at room temp)
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 eggs (at room temp)

Instructions:

Run your sugar through the food processor just to make sure it’s fairly fine and not chunky. Place the butter and sugar in the mixer on high with the paddle attachment for 1 1/2 minutes until fluffy and incorporated. Add the vanilla and pumpkin until incorporated. Put the whisk attachment on and turn the mixer to 6-7 speed and add an egg. Wait 5 minutes before adding the next egg.
While the egg is whisking for 5 minutes, put all your dates and nuts in the food processor and process until you get a mealy texture that you can press into the bottom of a pie pan. Put the larabar-esque crust into the pie pan and press down until the bottom is covered. Place in the fridge.
Now add the 2nd egg, and wait another 5 minutes.
During those 5 minutes, start your dishes clean up.
Now add the 3rd egg, and wait another 5 minutes.
Keep doing dishes.
Now add your 4th egg, and let it whisk for another 5 minutes.
Fold laundry.
Once the last egg is done whisking, Pour the mousse filling over the pie crust and put in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Done!

Coffee Fudge Cubes

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ice cube fudge
I haven’t posted any recipes in a while because sometimes I get sick of eating so many desserts (and that’s what people like to drool over!), and sometimes I am making stuff that fails miserably.  Well lately I have made my favorite chocolate chip cookies, some definitely-not-worth-it chocolate cupcakes, and some coffee fudge cubes!

Coffee is my favorite vice, and I think everyone should be ingesting more gelatin.  So why not combine the 2?  I found a recipe online for gummies that were cafe latte.  I bookmarked it just for a moment like this.  I made the recipe as it called for everything, but it made so many gummies there was no way I could eat them all without them going bad.  So, I wondered how they would freeze.  Poof!  The turned into fudgesicle cubes!

Coffee Fudge Cubes

  • 1 cup strong coffee (I used coffee concentrate that I picked up while in Davenport)
  • 3 Tbsp gelatin
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or sweetner of choice..or omit all together!)
  • 1 Tbsp maca (optional) (you could use cocoa powder if you wanted mocha flavor)

Directions:

Mix coffee and gelatin in a bowl.

Heat coconut milk over medium heat until it’s warm and add then add the sugar, maca and coffee mixture.  Stir for 2 minutes as they combine. Pour into ice cube trays.  If you want jello consistency, put in the fridge.  If you want fudgesicle consistency, put in the freezer.  Each cube is like a little bite of that childhood fave.

CSA Week 12: A Story About Cinnamon Rolls

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cinnamon rolls

CSA Week 12 Bounty:

  • 2 cucumbers
  • 1 bunch kale
  • 4 tomatoes
  • 1 bunch basil
  • 4 beets w/tops
  • 1 bag onions
  • 2 sweet peppers

Between my old blog and this one, I think I’ve posted plenty of recipes for these veggies. So, lets get to the real question: What about those cinnamon rolls?! I made them…again…with the changes that I thought were needed. I will say that I liked the flavor better. Nailed it in the that category for me. The original recipe just wasn’t sweet enough for me when I think cinnamon roll. However, I still didn’t care for the texture. If you are going to go out of your way to make something slightly complicated, then it better be worth it! I’m not posting a recipe because I don’t think it’s worth it…and you know I only post easy, awesome, repeatable food! However, once I nailed the flavor, I have to say that it tasted SO MUCH like the coffee cake I was making last year for nutrition class! So here’s my input…make the coffee cake. Easy. Tasty. Make it into cupcakes if you want individual servings. ;)

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 C Coconut Milk
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/4 C maple syrup
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 2 C Almond Flour
  • 1/2 C Arrowroot Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • Swirl: 2 tbsp Cinnamon
  • 1/4 C butter
  • 1/4-1/2C Chopped Pecans

Preheat oven to 325F. Stir dry ingredients together. In a different bowl mix the wet ingredients. Combine the dry and wet. Pour into a greased 8×8 dish. Combine the swirl topping ingredients and dollop onto the cake. Use the tip of a knife to make pretty swirls. Top with pecans if you want it to be cinnamon roll-esque. Bake for 25-30 minutes!

Chocolate Mousse Pie (No Bake)

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Let me start with the fact that I have been holding onto publishing this recipe for months now! I only like to post things that A. I think taste amazing, and B. I know other people will be able to recreate with the same success. I have made this pie multiple times now to make sure I posted everything “just right” and that is why I haven’t posted a perfected cinnamon roll recipe (yet!). I can only keep up with so many sweets, you guys!

I love this pie for several reasons.
1. It’s no bake. This means no oven heat in the summer.
2. It’s got lots of butter…aka healthy fat.
3. It’s easy, easy, easy. (if you have a kitchen aid mixer)
4. Because of the timing of instructions, it gives me time to do dishes so there’s no clean up after!
5. It freezes well and tastes like ice cream cake if you want to eat it frozen.
6. You could really change it up (especially the crust) to whatever is in your cupboard.

So, warning..DO NOT MAKE THIS IF YOU DON’T HAVE A KITCHEN AID MIXER!
Get out your 4 eggs and 2 sticks of butter well in advance so everything is the same temperature.

No Bake Chocolate Silk Pie (Paleo)

Crust ingredients:

  • 24 dates
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1/2 cup pecans

Pie ingredients:

  • 4 eggs, room temp
  • 2 sticks butter, room temp
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Lindt 90% dark chocolate bar (or 3.5-4oz dark chocolate), melted

Instructions:

Run your sugar through the food processor just to make sure it’s fairly fine and not chunky. Place the butter and sugar in the mixer on high with the whisk attachment for 1 1/2 minutes until fluffy and incorporated. While that is fluffing, melt your chocolate. Add the melted chocolate into the mixer. Follow with adding the vanilla. Turn the mixer to 6-7 speed and add an egg. Wait 5 minutes before adding the next egg.

While the egg is whisking for 5 minutes, put all your dates and nuts in the food processor and process until you get a mealy texture that you can press into the bottom of a pie pan. Put the larabar-esque crust into the pie pan and press down until the bottom is covered. Place in the fridge.
Now add the 2nd egg, and wait another 5 minutes.
During those 5 minutes, start your dishes clean up.
Now add the 3rd egg, and wait another 5 minutes.
Keep doing dishes.
Now add your 4th egg, and let it whisk for another 5 minutes.
Fold laundry.
Once the last egg is done whisking, Pour the mousse filling over the pie crust and put in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Done!

Notes: I have tried making this with twice the amount of sugar, and if you are “paleo,” don’t do it. It was so sweet and I could barely stand it! Although, that will make it a huge success with people that are not used to eating super healthy. I have done it with organic white sugar and coconut sugar. Coconut sugar gives the sweetness more depth, white is more sweet heavy.

I tried a different flavor (which I won’t reveal until I perfect it), and wasn’t sure if the texture was different because I didn’t have my butter and eggs at room temp equally. So, don’t try to make it without both being room temp.

I have made different crusts every time. You could bake a paleo pie crust if you wanted, but I like the no bake option. Use dates and whatever nuts you have. Feel free to add spices. In one of the crusts I used some coconut oil to give it a different flavor. All have been good. You can’t go wrong.

CSA Week 7: Banana Zucchini Bread

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zucchini bread

Week 7 Bounty:

  • 4 new onions
  • bag of snap peas
  •  bunch kale
  • 1 bunch chard
  • 2 zucchini
  • 1 head bok choy

Banana Zucchini Bread:

Ingredients:

  • 8 eggs
  • 3/4 cup mashed banana
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 3/4 cup grated zucchini
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 3/4 cup sifted coconut flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix topping ingredients together in a bowl with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, banana and honey with electric mixer (or whisk well).
4. Mix in zucchini and vanilla.
5. In a separate bowl, mix coconut flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon together.
6. Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients and mix until there are no lumps.
7. Pour into greased loaf pan.
8. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

*Store in fridge.

*UPDATE: I have made this a few different ways now due to ingredient availability, so I wanted to report. One time I ran out of coconut flour while making a double batch, so I was forced to sub about 1/4 cup of almond flour or so, and I really enjoyed the texture of those loaves. That same time, I only had maple syrup on hand and no honey. I also subbed all the banana with pumpkin. The second time I made this, I used all coconut flour, subbed all banana for pumpkin, and used maple syrup; I did not like the texture quite as much but tasted pretty much the same. Third time I made it, I used all coconut flour but ran outta pumpkin (because I made pumpkin ice cream ;) ), so I subbed 1/4 cup of pumpkin with grassfed butter. I also finally had more honey on hand, so used that as my sweetener. I think this may have been my favorite loaf. However, I don’t think it was because of the taste…they were all pretty similar. It was because I used parchment paper in my bread pans! I was able to just lift the loaves out with the edges of the paper that were sticking up and put them on a cooling rack before they went into the fridge. This was wonderful for the texture, and ALL of the edges stayed in tact. When I simply greased the bread pan, it always stuck and I am convinced that weird things happened the parts that sat in the pan too long. So, If I was going to make one recommendation, USE PARCHMENT PAPER IN THE PAN! Other than that, use what you have in the pantry. You can use almost anything with that consistency to replace it. Try using pumpkin, sweet potato, banana (it will taste like banana), butter, coconut oil, etc. Hope this helps!

Smores and the 4th of July

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smores
The 4th of July in my group of friends is always a big deal because we have a huge “wiffle ball meets dodgeball meets soccer” tournament we call Freedomball. Everyone comes in from out of town and we think of every excuse to get together that we can. Well, I have had a candy thermometer staring at me since Christmas, and I thought “this is it. I’m making marshmallows.”

I used both the graham cracker recipe and the marshmallow out of Paleo Indulgences.

Graham Crackers

  • ¼ C Coconut Flour
  • ¼ C Tapioca Starch
  • ¼ C Arrowroot Starch
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • ½ tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 ½ tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/3 C Pure maple syrup
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ C Coconut oil, melted

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350°.
2) Place the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
3) Add the maple syrup, egg and vanilla extract. Mix well with a hand mixer.
4) With the mixer on low, slowly add the coconut oil. Blend well to incorporate. Let the
dough rest for 3 minutes.
5) Pat the dough into a disc, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 -30 minutes.
6) Place refrigerated dough between 2 pieces parchment paper (big enough to fit on your baking sheet) and roll to a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Remove top piece of parchment, place bottom piece with the dough on the baking sheet.
7) Using a sharp knife, score the dough lengthwise into 6 sections, then across into 4 sections. (Or be independent and make them as large or small as you’d like!)
8) Poke dough all over with fork.
9) Bake 8 minutes, then pull the tray out and carefully (use a spatula) separate the crackers. Return the crackers to the oven and bake 5-10 minutes more, or until centers are cooked and edges are golden.
10) Cool on trays on wire racks. Store in an airtight container up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Paleo Strawberry Shortcake Muffins

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strawberry muffins

I have recently stocked up on organic strawberries while they are in season, and I try to bake with things that are at their peak because that’s when they are the most nutritious. I also find it difficult to find organic strawberries at a decent price for very long, so you gotta get ’em while you can! I made some strawberry rhubarb crumble the other day which was so good and could easily be made with just strawberries.

We had book club this week, and I had to figure out what I was going to bring to a picnic. So, mini strawberry shortcake muffins it was! Everyone wanted the recipe, so here you have it.

I adapted the recipe from the Make it Paleo Cookbook.

Paleo Strawberry Shortcake Muffins

Makes 12 muffins (or 30 mini muffins)

Ingredients:

  • 6 eggs (preferably at room temp)
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup butter, very soft or melted
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 Tbsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 cup fresh strawberries, diced
  • zest from one lemon

Directions:

Preheat to 350F.
Mix the sugar and butter together then add everything else in until combined.
Fold in the diced strawberries.
Rub down a muffin tin with butter, coconut oil, or line with papers.
Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup batter.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Allow to cool and enjoy!