Happily Stuck

Saturday's are supposed to be quiet, still, and happy. But they are even better when you wake up and there's snow coating them. In Kentucky people think the world might end in the event of three inches, but I know they are secretly dazzled by it just as I am. Why is it so exciting to be stuck somewhere when it snows? Like there is a community around you just waiting to band together as soon as snow tragedy strikes. This might be in my imagination. No matter, my band of brothers just happened to be eggs, and almond flour, and ginger this morning, and we weathered the storm together, coming out on the other side with biscuits, and jam. Because I have loved ones in the midst of the "Makers Diet" I made these grainless, dairyless, and sugarless. Surprise. 

Grape and Ginger Jam (adapted from lovefoodeat)

5 cups of cleaned grapes

1/2 cup raw honey

2 inch piece of fresh ginger

Clean and wash your grapes well. Combine the grapes, crushed ginger and sugar in a saucepan and slowly bring it to a boil till the sugar completely dissolves. Reduce the flame and let it simmer for 8 to 10 minutes til the fruits start to disintegrate. Turn off the flame and let the mixture cool down a little.
Sieve the mixture to get rid of all the seeds and the skin. Press as much of the pulp of the fruits as possible with the back of your spoon to get all the juices of of the fruit.
Place the thick fruit juice/pulp back on the stove and let it simmer slowly. I simmered mine for more than 30 minutes to get to the desired consistency. You can stop when you think your jam is thick enough. Remember it’ll thicken further as it cools.
Store it in an airtight bottle.

Simple Biscuits (grain free)- Adapted from realsustinance

2 packed cups Blanched Almond Flour
1/2 Cup Arrowroot starch
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2-3/4 Tsp Baking Soda 
1/2 Cup Coconut Butter 
2 Large Eggs
3/4 Tsp Lemon Juice. 

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl combine the Almond Flour, Starch, Salt and Baking Soda.. Cut the coconut butter into the flour until it is about the size of a pea. In a separate small bowl whisk together the eggs and lemon juice. Pour mixture in with the flour and mix just briefly and gently until the dough comes together. It will feel a little wet. 

Dust a sheet of parchment, or your counter with additional starch. Gently pat the dough into a round and cut into 6-8 biscuits using a biscuit cutter or the top of a round glass. Use as much starch as needed to prevent sticking. Bake for 18 minutes.

P.S. These are especially lovely with coffee and frosted windows.

*Embarrassing disclaimer: due to the fact that I was on the phone with a friend when these came out of the oven I did something I'm not sure I'm proud of. I couldn't balance the knife and biscuit properly while holding the phone, so after pondering it for a very short second, I dove my hand into the jam and proceeded to spread it on my biscuit with my fingers like a small bear. or any other animal you would now like to insert here.

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. 

Marshmallows and Wrapping

I had a ball with this one...

 

 

Honey Vanilla Marshmallows

 

Ingredients:

- 3 Tbs unflavored gelatin

- 2 Cups raw honey

- 1 vanilla bean split, with the seeds scraped out

- 1/4 tsp sea salt

- Warm water

- Lots of arrowroot powder

 

Prepare a 9x13 pan by rubbing with some coconut oil and sprinkling with arrowroot powder. Then line it with parchment paper and some more arrowroot on top of that. These will be sticky!

 

 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup of warm water and let it dissolve. Meanwhile in a saucepan on the stove, combine the honey, vanilla pod and seeds, and sea salt. Stir until the honey is completely dissolved. Once that happens, bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer until the syrup reaches 240 on a candy thermometer. Turn on the mixer on to break up the gelatin, and here's the tricky part... begin to pour the sugar syrup into the bowl of the mixer while its on in a very small, slow, and steady stream. Continue this until you have poured all the syrup, the process should take all of 5 minutes if you are doing it right. Slow, remember. Bump the speed up to high, and beat the mixture until light and fluffy and looks like marshmallow cream. Should take 10-12 minutes.

At this point work quickly before the cream sets. Pour it into your prepared pan, sprinkle with another layer of arrowroot powder, and cover with more parchment paper. Let is sit at room temp for at least 3 hours to over night.

 

 



 

When you cut them up, do it on a greased cutting board and knife and toss with more arrowroot once they are finished. If you want them sweeter, them you can dust them in powdered sugar, cocoa, or anything your heart desires!

Next I hit the fabrics, twine, tape and brown paper to create little masterpieces. (I wrapped presents.)

 



 

I found some lovely old tins at my favorite antique shop Serendipity and packaged up the marshmallows. A perfect evening spent.

 



Merry Christmas!



Cold Nights and Berry Shortbreads

Still on the detox. This is a little something I made up to satisfy my ever present sweet tooth on a cold and cozy night. I also drew in the frost on the window, lit a candle, and wrapped presents.

Berry Shortbreads

Crust:

-1 cup of almond flour

-1/4 cup of coconut flour

-1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

-1/4 cup almond butter

-3 Tbs coconut oil 

Mix together everything but the oil briefly. Add the oil until the dough comes together. Shape into little cups and place on a greased cookie sheet. 

Filling: 

- 1/4 cup blueberries

-1/4 cup raspberries

-1/4 cup pitted dark cherries

-1 Tbs coconut milk

-1 tsp vanilla 

-1 tsp cinnamon

- 1/4 cup chopped or whole pecans

Simmer the fruit and coconut milk in a small saucepan until soft and saucy. Smash the fruit the rest of the way into a kind of chutney. It will boil down most of the way on it's own. Add the pecans, vanilla, and cinnamon. Spoon a little generously into each cup, and bake at 350 for 15 min. 

Keep in mind, these contain no sugar, so if you are ok with sweetening it up a bit in addition to natural sugars then throw in some honey to the fruit filling. 

Eat 10 Of These Please

Once again, I am sharing a recipe I stole from againstallgrain. It's so worth it. These are by far the best grain-free cookies I have ever had! I have now made them three times in a row.

They aren't crumbly or dry like most grainless cookies. chewey. Soft. Perfect.

Click here for the recipe

And then eat 10 of them please... I did.

Thanksgiving post to come! 

My Favorite Discovery

So There are these cookies...

No Flour, No Oil, No Dairy, No Eggs, No Refined Sugar.

How?

~Chickpeas~

Chocolate Chips Peanut Butter Cookies

-1 1/4 Cups canned chickpeas, cooked and purred

-2tsp vanilla extract

-1/2 Cup + 2Tbs natural peanut butter

-1/4 Cup honey ( you can also use agave or maple syrup)

-1tsp baking powder

-A pinch of sea salt

1/2 Cup chocolate chips

In an electric mixer, combine all the ingredients except chocolate chips. Make sure the cooked and purred chickpeas are cooled before you do this. Beat until everything is smooth and completely combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. 

Roll into 1/2 inch balls and press down slightly. The cookies will rise only slightly and will not spread. 

Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, the tops will start to crack when they are done. 

I promise you these are the best alternative for a sweet tooth. You will never know the difference!

Gooey, Chocolatey, and guilt free.