Paleo Chocolate Cake

Paleo Chocolate Cake

   1 cup creamy roasted almond butter
   2 large organic eggs
   1/3 cup melted organic extra virgin coconut oil
   1/3 cup pure maple syrup
   1/4 cup cocoa powder
   2 teaspoons vanilla
   1/2 teaspoon baking soda
   1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8 x 8-inch pan with coconut oil.

Place all ingredients into a food processor or heavy duty blender until combined. Pour into the pan and spread out evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes. Cool, slice, and serve.

We thought this might be more brownie-like if we cooked it with slightly less time.

Original recipe link:

http://www.nourishingmeals.com/2012/03/accidental-chocolate-cake-grain-free.html

Paleo Chocolate Topping

   1 can full-fat coconut milk chilled overnight

   1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp cocoa powder or cacao powder

   1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

   sweetener to taste (I used maple syrup)

Open your chilled coconut milk and transfer only the thick (fairly hard) creamy part to a bowl or mixer, leaving the watery part out. Whip in your cocoa, vanilla, and sweetener.  Stored uncovered in the fridge, the mixture gets even thicker.

We thought this tasted a little like chocolate ice-cream so thought it would be nice to use in an ice cream maker after blended.  It’s very pudding-like initially.

 Original recipe link:

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/01/16/chocolate-frosting-shots/

Paleo No-Bake Carrot Cake

By Sereina:

I only remember having carrot cake a few time in my life, but for the past year I've been wanting to make one. It had been a long time and I still hadn't made it, so now that I'm dairy-free and not eating sugar I decided to look for a Paleo recipe. I found this on on Google and it is so good! It wasn't till I made it that I realized it was a no-bake recipe. There's no flour and it's sweetened with dates. And the frosting on it? It's made with cashews, yet it tastes so good.

Paleo No-Bake Carrot Cake
via Betty Rawker

Ingredients:

1 cup grated carrot

1 cup raw walnuts

1 cup (about 9) medjool dates, pitted

1 cup shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice seasoning

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Frosting:
1 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon water
pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Put the carrots in a Vitamix for food processor and mix until shredded. Scoop into a large bowl.

2. Puree 1 cup walnuts in the Vitamix for food processor  Add in mejool dates and then blend into a paste. Add to the bowl with the grated carrots.

3. Add the shredded coconut and stir/mash until combined.  Then add the vanilla, five spice, and walnuts, if using them. Mix until well incorporated.

4. Shape the carrot cake with your hands onto a plate. Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.

5. Blend all of the frosting ingredients together in the Vitamix for food processor until smooth and combined. Add more water if needed. Chill in the fridge until the cake is done, then frost the cake.

Paleo Snickerdoodles

These cookies don't taste exactly like regular sinckerdoodles, but they're still really good! With the texture, we decided that they're like donut holes. They're really easy to make and the hardest part is letting them chill in the fridge for an hour. The nutmeg almost makes them taste like eggnog, so they'll be really good for the Christmas season too. Recipe found here.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of almond meal
• 1 tbs of coconut flour
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon + extra for rolling dough in
• 1/2 tsp of nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp of baking soda
• 1/4 tsp of sea salt

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix well.
2. Cover the cookie dough and place in the fridge to chill for one hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Roll the cookies into small balls and coat in cinnamon.
5. Use the bottom of a cup or jar to flatten them out.
6. Place cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

GF Double Chocolate Walnut Brownies

Today I was browsing gluten free sites and blogs when I rediscovered The Gluten Free Doctor.  His blog is so full of information I could spend weeks reading as he provides so much information on the digestive system and various problems that relate.  What really got my attention today was the Double Chocolate Chip Brownies recipe that he featured from Elana's Pantry.  I have come across many GF brownie recipes, but haven't been inspired to whip out a batch as I was today.  I had everything on hand, and being able to find ingredients easily or already having ingredients on hand is one of my criteria  for keeping a recipe to try.  I didn't modify this recipe and it was a HIT with my whole family, of which I am the only one living a gluten free life.  All of my recipes that I have shared so far are recipes I have modified to fit the gluten and diary free lifestyle, this is the first one I haven't modified and REALLY wanted to share with others.

Gluten Free Recipe: Double Chocolate Walnut Brownies

 

Ingredients:

½ cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao
¼ cup coconut flour
½ tsp celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
½ cup agave nectar
¼ cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
⅓ cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao

Directions:

1. Place ½ cup chocolate chips in Food Processor and pulse until the consistency of coarse sand
2. Pulse in coconut flour, salt and baking soda until combined
3. Pulse in eggs, agave, grapeseed oil and vanilla
4. Pour batter into a greased 8x8 pyrex dish
5. Sprinkle walnuts and remaining chocolate chips over batter
6. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes
7. Cool and serve

GF Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

½ C Palm Oil Shortening (can use regular shortening or butter)

1 C Organic Sugar 

4 Eggs

1/3 C Cocoa (I prefer Trader Joe's)

1/3 C Coconut Milk  (I use the green Trader Joe's can)

2 T Arrowroot (can use cornstarch)

1-1/3 C GF Flour Blend (I use King Arthur 1:1 Gluten Free Flour)

1 tsp Sea Salt

1 ½ tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder 

2/3 C Coconut milk 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour cake pan.

Combine oil and sugar. 

Add eggs, cocoa powder and coconut milk, beating well after each addition.

In a separate bowl combine arrowroot, GF flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.  I whisk to blend ingredients.

Add flour mixture to shortening mixture alternately with coconut milk and mix well.

Pour batter into already greased and floured cake pan and bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out dry.

Our family likes this cake without frosting, but if you prefer frosting you can frost with Chocolate Coconut Frosting below when cooled.

Chocolate Coconut Frosting

Ingredients:

6 T Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

2-2/3 C Powdered Sugar
1/2 C Cocoa  (I prefer Trader Joes)
1/3 C Coconut Milk (can use rice milk or other alternative)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Coconut (I use Bob's Red Mill unsweetened coconut)

Directions:

Beat coconut oil in medium bowl.  

Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency (additional milk may be needed). 

Stir in vanilla. 

Makes about 2 cups frosting.