In Goodies Against The Grain: 2015

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Candy Cane Brownie Cupcakes


Brownies… in the shape of cupcakes… whipped cream… candy canes… peppermint bark… uh… Yes, please!! They are so rich, fudgey, and minty! I hope you all enjoy these paleo, gluten-free cupcakes. Spend lots of great time with your family, this holiday!

Makes about 16 brownie cupcakes.

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) jar creamy roasted almond butter
2 large eggs
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1/2 cup cacao powder
1/4 tsp real sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Optional Toppings:

1 cup Organic Pastures Dairy raw cream (or coconut cream, for dairy-free)
1 Tbs maple syrup

Directions:


1.     Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake tins with paper liners (the recipe should yield about 16 cupcakes).
2.     In a stand mixer, blend the almond butter until smooth. Blend in the eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla. Do not over-mix!
3.     Blend in the cacao powder, salt, and baking soda. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4.     Scoop the batter into the muffin tines, filling each cavity about 5/6 of the way full. Bake the brownies one tin at a time, for about 35 minutes each. Let the brownies cool completely before frosting.
5.     Whip the cream in a stand (or hand) mixer until soft peaks form. Blend in the maple syrup and whip until stiff peaks form.
6.     Top the cooled cupcakes with whipped cream, crushed candy canes, and a small piece of peppermint bark.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Christmas Goodies Recipe Roundup

Christmas time's a-coming, Christmas time's a-coming! Oh my goodness, aren't holiday treats just the best?! I've got many recipes here for you, today! They are all gluten-, grain-, and refined sugar-free. Also, all of them can be made dairy-free, and most are nut-free. Everyone should be able to enjoy holiday treats, no matter what they can/can't eat! I hope you all have a very merry Christmas :)




                Paleo Christmas Cookie Cut-Outs               







Thursday, December 17, 2015

Gingerbread-Orange Spice cookies


‘Tis magic time, cozy, warm
‘Tis loving time, bright, at home
‘Tis time for cookies, spice and all
For it is no longer fall!
Santa is on his way…
‘Tis winter now,
Each and every day.

These cookies are bold and bright, perfect to warm you and your heart on these cold winter nights! They have a crispy outside, and a soft inside. The pleasant gingerbread notes enter your mouth, then followed by a light orange touch. I know that if you gave these cookies to Santa and Rudolf, they would enjoy them thoroughly!


Makes 20 cookies.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup coconut oil, softened (or butter)
¼ cup + 1 Tbs coconut sugar
1 Large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons black strap molasses
½ teaspoon orange zest
1 cup blanched almond flour
½ cup arrowroot starch
2 tablespoons coconut flour
Scant ¼ teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ tsp baking soda

Directions:

1.     In a stand mixer, (or an electric mixer and a large bowl) cream together the coconut oil and coconut sugar.
2.    Add the egg, and mix until combined. Mix in the vanilla, molasses, and orange zest. Beat until combined. It’s alright if it’s a little lumpy.
3.     In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, spices, and baking soda.
4.     Mix the dry into the wet. Beat until smooth.
5.     Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees .
6.     Roll the dough into balls about the size of a tablespoon, or a walnut in it's shell. Place the balls (there should be about twenty) on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Slightly flatten out each ball with the palm of your hand.
7.     Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes, then devour!!

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark


Chestnuts roasting on an open fire… Jack Frost nipping at your nose… yuletide carols being sung by a choir, and folks dressed up like Eskimos…


Merry Christmas, everyone! Today, I have the easiest, most scrumptious recipe for you. It is a family favorite: Peppermint Bark! And, only two ingredients are needed to make this treat. I can’t even contain my excitement!

Now, I know I haven’t posted a new recipe in a while. I am so sorry! I just finished being in a musical, so I didn’t have a lot of time for baking. Even when I am not posting on the blog, I am still cooking! If you follow me on Instagram, you can see all the yummy things I’ve been cooking up, and the ingredients I love.

So, back to the bark: ’Tis full of creamy, rich chocolate, topped with crunchy, minty goodness! Sound good? Heck, yeah! Let’s go make some!


Ingredients:

1 cup dark chocolate (chips or chopped bar)
3 organic candy canes, crushed**

Directions: 

       1.  Place your chocolate in a double boiler on high heat, until it is fully melted. Stir until smooth.  Let the chocolate cool for a few minutes.
 2. Line 2 large plates with parchment paper, and spread the chocolate thinly and evenly onto both. Sprinkle the candy cane pieces evenly on top.
3.     Place the two plates of bark in your freezer (on separate shelves!!). After about fifteen minutes of freezing, remove the plates from the freezer, and break the bark into bits with your hands. I like non-uniform pieces of bark, because I think they look rustic ;) Enjoy, and store uneaten bark in the freezer!

**To crush the candy canes: Unwrap your three candy canes and place them in a small ziplock baggie. Outside, place the sealed baggie on the ground, and whack it a few times with a rubber mallet (or hammer), until they candies are broken into small chunks. Do not crush the candies so much, because you don’t want them to turn into powder!


Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Thanksgiving Treats Recipe Roundup

It’s almost Thanksgiving! Can you believe it? It seems like Halloween was just yesterday! Now, comes the holiday of family, joy, and best of all,  food :) Here, I've compiled all of the holiday-themed recipes for my blog into one giant post!

All the recipes here are easy, for a low-stress Thanksgiving. Even if no one at your gathering is gluten-free or Paleo, they will surely enjoyed these treats and be begging you for more! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy! 
Pumpkin Pie with a Walnut Crust, Caramelized Apples, and Maple-Balsamic Drizzle

Grain-Free Apple Pie

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Grain-Free Chocolate Cake


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Friday, November 6, 2015

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars


The weather in L.A. is finally cooling off! The air is crisp; the wind is strong; leaves are fluttering to the ground; the days are growing shorter; my mom even put a down blanket on my bed! This could only mean one thing: you must go make these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars!

 

These bars, fresh out of the oven, are like an ooey-gooey chocolate-pumpkin bread! So satisfying, and perfect for these cold November nights we’ve been getting. The ingredients to make the bars are very simple, and the process is so easy! And just in case you were wondering, these are grain-, gluten-, dairy-, and refined sugar-free ;)



Makes 8-16 bars (depending on how large you cut them).

Ingredients:

½ tsp baking soda
1 pinch sea salt
2 organic eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
¼ cup melted ghee, butter, or coconut oil

Directions:

1.     Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and set an oven rack to the second-to-top position.
2.     Grease an 11x7 inch glass baking dish, and line with parchment paper.*
3.     In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredient except for the chocolate chips.
4.     In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Gently stir the wet ingredients into dry, just until combined.
5.     Fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop the thick batter into your prepared baking dish.
6.     Bake for 35 minutes, then let cool for 10 minutes. Cut into squares, and devour!

*If you don’t have an 11x7 inch baking dish, feel free to use a different size. Just keep in mind that the larger your pan, the less baking time needed!

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Pumpkin Pie with a Walnut Crust, Caramelized Apples, and Maple-Balsamic Drizzle

Autumn… seasons are changing...  leaves are falling... and pumpkins are being turned into pumpkin pie! Healthy, hearty, actually-good-for-you pumpkin pie. 

But with a twist! Are you ready for this? Okay, here we go:

The no-bake pumpkin pie is encased with a walnut crust, covered with nutty, caramelized apples, and a maple-balsamic drizzle.

Whaaaa???

Yeah, you heard me! This pumpkin pie is so creamy, nutty, and fruity, with a stunning accent of pumpkin pie spice! It is sure to wow everybody, even your gluten and grain-eating friends.

Trust me, you’ll definitely want to make this recipe for yourself!

Plus, I made it dairy-free, egg-free, and almond-free. And the pie part is raw, so there’s none of that “will it bake right?” stress, or hot ovens heating up your house all day long.

Enjoy!


Serves 8 people.


Ingredients:

Walnut Crust:

2 cups walnuts (shelled)
1 Tbs melted or softened coconut oil or butter

Pumpkin Pie Filling:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in 2 cups of water for at least two hours, if not overnight.
Then drain out the old water, and rinse the cashews.
The meat of 1 young Thai coconut
2 Tbs fresh coconut water
½ a 15 oz can organic pumpkin purée (about a heaping ¾ cup pumpkin)
2 1/2 Tbs maple syrup

Caramelized Apples:

2 Honey Crisp apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 ½ Tbs coconut sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Maple-balsamic Drizzle:

1 Tbs Maple syrup
1 Tbs + ¼ tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp water

Directions:

For the Crust:

  1. In your food processor, pulse the walnuts until they resemble coarse crumbs. Pulse in the maple syrup, coconut oil, until your dough forms. Do not let it blend for too long, or it will turn into walnut butter.
  2. Grease a 9 inch removable-bottom tart pan with coconut oil. Press the walnut dough into the tart pan, and freeze for at least 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin filling is done.

For the Pumpkin Pie Filling:

  1. In your food processor, pulse the cashews, coconut meat and coconut water, until it forms a wet, dough-like consistency. Blend in all the other ingredients. Pulse on and off until the mixture is very very smooth and there are no big chunks of cashews. This may take up to half an hour.
  2. Remove the crust from freezer, and scoop the filling into the crust. Spread it until it's smooth on the top. Place the pie back in the freezer for 2 hours, or until the top is very firm.

For the Caramelized Apples:

  1. Place the coconut oil in a medium-sized saucepan, over medium heat. Once the coconut oil is melted, gently add the apples. to make sure that each apple slice gets coated on both sides with the coconut oil, you can flip them once they start soaking up the oil.
  2. Add the coconut sugar, sprinkling it on evenly. Add the spice, sprinkling it on each side of the apples.
  3. Let the apples cook until they begin shrinking, get more soft and tender, and the apples have soaked up most of the coconut oil. This might take about seven minutes. Remove the apples from heat and let them cool.

For the Maple-Balsamic Drizzle:

  1. To make the balsamic drizzle, add your 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar and maple syrup to a small saucepan on medium-high heat.
  2. Stir about every few seconds, for about 2 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the 1/2 tsp water, and 1/4 tsp balsamic. Stir until the mixture is smooth.
  3. Let it cool before drizzling on the pie. If it starts hardening too much, you can stir in another ¼ tsp water, too thin it out.

To Assemble:

  1. Take your pie out of the freezer, and gently remove the sides of the tart pan.
  2. Assemble the cooled apples on top, in a pretty design. Now, I'd recommend letting the pie sit at room temp for about fifteen minutes. Drizzle the maple-balsamic on top, and serve the pie immediately. Enjoy!

Note: If you wait too long before serving the pie, the filling and crust will get too soft. But you don't want it to be too frozen, or the drizzle will turn to brittle.