Just a Cake

While I didn't have time to do much of anything else, I at least took some photographs for you yesterday as I baked away. This is a chocolate cake with peanut butter filling. mmmm hmmm.

Sorry, no recipe cause I'm exhausted. :) 

I used the left overs for truffles (see pictures at the bottom) which of course were doused in sea salt. 

Pretty.

I made you cause I couldn't sleep...

I couldn't sleep... so I got up with the morning. Most times I end up in the kitchen because 1. morning light looks a lot more lovely on apples than any other. And 2. I'm hungry.

I made this.

Chocolate and Hazelnut Porridge with Sauteed 

Apples (Grain,Gluten,Dairy,Egg free.) 

1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

1/4 cup pecan meal

2 Tbs coconut butter, melted

1 tsp lemon zest

Combine these three and press into the bottom of a small tart or pie pan. 

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 Tbs unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup almond milk 

1 Tbs honey

 Combine these and spread over nut mixture in pan. If it's a little too thick you can add more almond milk. 

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile....

2 Apples

1 Tbs cinnamon 

1 tsp arrowroot flour

juice from one half of a lemon

1 Tbs almond milk 

Saute in a small sauce pan until they thicken and pour over finished porridge. 

My camera has cocoa powder all over it...

Doughnuts for the outcasts

For those of us that can't have grain, gluten, or whatever else makes you an outsider... we know the importance of FINALLY getting to take a bite of something "forbidden." Thus, I have concocted a recipe for doughnuts... for us outcasts. And they are sooooooo good.

Chocolate Coconut Cake Doughnuts  (grain, dairy, and refined sugar free.)Adapted from Roost.

11/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled

3 eggs

2 Tbs honey

1/4 cup coconut milk

Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, and wet in another. Pour dry ingredients into a blender, add wet, and then blend until smooth. Grease a doughnut pan with coconut oil and fill each about 3/4 of the way full. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. They should spring back when you touch them.



Chocolate Icing (sugar and dairy free!)

3/4 cup pitted Medjool dates
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup sustainable organic palm oil shortening or coconut butter
1/3 – 1/2 cup water 

Add all of the ingredients to a high-speed blender, start with just 1/3 cup of water, you can always add more. Let everything sit for a few minutes, especially if your dates are very firm. Blend everything together at a high speed. Continue blending long enough to get a smooth, velvety consistency, this may take 5 minutes or more.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Doughnuts

same batter recipe, only instead of icing, I fried them for a few minutes on each side in coconut oil and then dusted them with a mixture of coconut sugar, cinnamon, and ancho chili powder. 

Every Thing. (On Being Greatful) Part 1.

There are those times when everything seems to move a little slower. It's when you are so content and greatful for the present that you savor a moment more than a normal human would. The moments are crystal clear. Suspended. You think in that space, "I will never forget this."
That was my Thanksgiving.
There was a sence in these past few days that said, this is unrepeated time, treasure it.

And I Did...

 

 Every laughing leap.

Every siblings Silhouette.

Every time the wind blew through the cracks of the window.

Every cold walk down the country road.

Every form of home, wherever it was found.

Every carful shaping of dough.

Every Every Every bite of pie....

Every time I licked my fingers.

(Dark Chocolate Truffles with Cane Sugar and Sea Salt)

Every exchange of cooking wisdom between my gifted sister and I.



(Crispy Fried Shallots)

Every warm nap on the couch wrapped up in Naomi's little arms, and her in mine.

Every smell of bacon smoke, and yeast dough

(Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing)

Every time my Papa said, "I am so happy right now."

Every creek in the floorboards.

Every foot ball tackle and chest bump.



 Every still moment.

Every belly laugh.

 
 To be continued....