Tag Archives: baking

January 3, 2013 · 11:59 am

Lemon Drops

Happy 2013! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday. I know I sure enjoyed myself. If you’re anything like me, here in the first few days of the new year, you’re struggling to get back into what was once your routine. And maybe wondering how you even got into that routine in the first place. The good news is, new years are new beginnings. After the holidays have turned our routines upside down and given us some distance from our own little hampster wheels (whatever that may be for you), coming back, we shouldn’t just jump back on and go right back to what we were doing before. With distance we gain perspective and are given the perfect opportunity to shake things up, do something different, try something new.

Maybe it’s the gym – you haven’t been in a while and you realize you really just have no desire to go. Don’t force it. Maybe you just really don’t like the gym. And it’s time to give the yoga studio down the street a shot. As you get back to your routine, go easy on yourself and listen to your inner voice to shape a new routine that’s going to make you happier and healthier in 2013.

After weeks of indulgence, going cold turkey on that sweetness we crave can be suicide. Start by weaning yourself off processed sugar. These little lemon cookies are perfect way to ease the transition. They’re made with honey so you’re not going to get that high and low you typically do with sugar and are full of good things for you like almond, coconut and lots of lemon. Lemon is high in vitamin C to help fight colds and flus and has an alkalizing effect on the body – just what we all need after eating lots of acidic foods like white flour and wine. Lemons also help to cleanse the liver and aid in digestion. Plus, that fresh tart taste can’t help but make you smile. Even better, add a lemon wedge to your water to get all these benefits throughout your day. It can be part of your new and improved 2013 routine.

I wish you all the happiness and health you handle in the New Year. Here’s to fresh starts…

lemon coconut cookies

Lemon Drop Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup almond flour
1 1/2 cup dried shredded coconut
1/3 cup coconut flour
2 pinches of salt
6 tbsp honey
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla (I use vanilla powder)
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to lowest temperature possible (ours settled at 170 degrees).

In a mixing bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, dried coconut and salt. Whisk to mix well.

Depending on size, you’ll need about two or three lemons for the zest and juice. Zest lemons then set aside. Juice lemons into a separate small bowl. In another small bowl, add the honey, vanilla, lemon zest and juice. Whisk to combine.

In a stand mixer, add dry ingredients and begin to mix. While the mixer is running, slowly add wet ingredients.

To melt coconut oil, place in a small pan over medium heat until it becomes a liquid. Once the oil is in liquid form, slowly add to the batter while the mixer continues to run.

To make cookies, roll batter in balls (about 1 inch diameter) and place on a coconut-oil-greased baking sheet. For less mess, use plastic baggies over your hands to grab and roll dough.

Bake for one hour or until the outside is dry and firm.

2 Comments

Filed under recipes

Tagged as baking, dairy-free, dessert, entertaining, food, gluten-free, holiday, recipes

December 24, 2012 · 3:23 pm

Orange & Spice (and everything nice) Pumpkin Muffins

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is having a big breakfast at my parents house. Even though we’re all grown up now and (almost) out of their house (the front door is a revolving one these days, but I think they like it that way…), we spend the night on Christmas Eve and wake up in the home we grew up in. Things aren’t quite the same – I have a husband. And my old room is now an office. So my brother gets bumped to the couch to give us old marrieds his bed (sorry, Michael). But for one night we’re all under one roof again and it makes me smile.

It’s the thought that years ago we were waking up at the crack of dawn, sneaking out to see what Santa had brought us. And now we will be trying our hardest to sleep in as long as possible. And then, instead of going straight for the presents, we’ll go for the coffee (it will be needed after a late night of drinking wine, talking and laughing with aunts, uncles and cousins). And in the morning we’ll have a leisurely breakfast with our traditional foods and some new additions (gluten and dairy free of course).

This year I’m making these gluten and dairy-free pumpkin muffins that are full of holiday spice and fresh orange for Christmas. Oh, and I threw in some chocolate too… They’ll be an addition to our traditional bacon, eggs, waffles, coffee cake and (drum roll) Pilsbury cinnamon rolls. When we were kids, we’d fight to the death for that “middle one.” Ooh, and the extra icing. This year, Ross, I’m tagging you to represent — Don’t be afraid to use those elbows. That warm, gooey center is worth it.

So maybe not that much has changed…

I hope you have a wonderful holiday full of indulgences… but most importantly love, laughter and memories. Merry Christmas to all!

Orange & Spice (and everything nice) Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 pinch sea salt
1 can pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
1 cup milk (cow, almond, coconut, rice…)
2 tsp orange zest
1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (optional)
1/2 chocolate chips (to keep these dairy-free, you can use vegan, available at Whole Foods) (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Either line muffin pan with liners or grease using coconut oil. This recipe makes about 18 large muffins or 36 mini muffins. Or mix it up like I did with 24 minis and 6 large.

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk well. In a separate bowl, large enough to hold all of the wet ingredients, beat the eggs. Then add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture (or vice versa) and stir to combine. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into muffin tins to a little more than 3/4 full. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until golden on the outside and baked through. You should be able to stick a toothpick through the center and pull it out clean.

4 Comments

Filed under recipes

Tagged as baking, breakfast, dairy-free, fall, gluten-free, holiday, recipes, snacks

July 11, 2012 · 8:43 pm

Homemade Cereal

I’ve always had a serious appreciation for cereal. As a kid, I loved it so much I wouldn’t even put milk in it – I never understood why one would one do such a thing as to dampen that satisfying crunch. Like most kids, I went through stages of favorite boxes. The childhood staple was hands down Frosted Flakes. Then Oh’s – do you remember those? In my more mature high school years I gorged on Raisin Bran Crunch and Honey Bunches of Oats. And in college I rediscovered the greatness of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Mmmmm.

Up until I went gluten and dairy free I still had my cereal just about every morning for breakfast. It’s easy, filling, and goes perfectly with a cup of coffee and/or orange juice. The problem is most out there are loaded with sugar and empty calories that set you up for a spike in blood sugar and energy followed by a just as rapid decline later in the morning. We feel it as adults. So just imagine what that kind of roller coaster does to kids who eat these sugar-laden flakes before heading out the door to sit in a classroom. Um, can you say disaster?

When shopping for a cereal, like all boxed foods, check the labels. Read the ingredient lists closely. A lot of popular cereals list sugar (or high fructose corn syrup) as the second or third ingredient. Ingredients are listed in quantity so that means there’s more sugar in it than just about anything else. If there’s any sugar at all in your cereal of choice, it should be way, way, down on the list. Like, last. What you want to see is “whole-grain” and it should be pretty high up there. The more whole-grains, the more satisfying and filling you’ll find a cereal to be. Whole-grain means the fiber is intact, which happens to the most nutritious part of a whole grain – and it helps to regulate the breakdown and absorption of the starch into your blood stream. That means no more highs and lows and a more sustainable energy to last you through the morning.

As I mentioned, I ate cereal almost daily for breakfast up until going gluten-free. My favorite cereals were some of the harder food items for me to part with. I know there are gluten-free cereals out there, and I’m sure some are quite good, but, oh, those labels. Instead I opted for rice cakes and peanut butter, smoothies, and fruit and nuts in the morning. Until one day I just couldn’t take it anymore. I craved that crunch. So I went to the blogs and sure enough Sarah B. didn’t disappoint. I found her Simple Gourmet Granola and I’ve been keeping my pantry stocked with the stuff ever since.

I remember making the cereal that same morning, popping it in the oven, and feeling frustrated that I had to wait for it bake rather than pouring it from a box. Is this what my life has come to? I have to make everything?! Ugh. When it was finally ready and I snuck a few flakes to taste, I remember that crunch… I thought, “THANK YOU GOD!” grateful to be reunited with an old go-to. I have the same reaction whenever I discover or make anything gluten/dairy-free that I thought I might never enjoy again. And you know what? Often the new version is even better than the old. Or maybe it just tastes that way when you appreciate it that much more.

Homemade Cereal

Ingredients

4 cups whole rolled oats*
1 cup almonds, chopped
1 cup coconut flakes
4 tbsp coconut oil
¼ cup honey
¼ tsp salt

*If gluten-free, make sure to purchase certified gluten-free oats.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a large baking sheet with coconut oil.

Heat a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add coconut oil and honey to the pan to melt. Stir the two together to combine.

In a large mixing bowl, add oats, almonds, coconut flakes and salt. Stir to combine.

Slowly pour coconut oil-honey mixture over the cereal. You want to cover as much of the cereal as possible so drizzle over the surface to cover, then stir to mix evenly.

Pour cereal mix onto baking sheet and spread evenly across sheet.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Spiced Apple Muffins

I love that you can take anything, make it miniature, and it’s instantly cute. Baby shoes, cute. Little nail polishes, cute. Mini Tobasco, cute. And of course, bite-sized muffins… cute. This is a universal truth. I made these little spiced apple muffins for Easter brunch a few weeks ago. They started out as an experiment with a new gluten-free flour blend, but turned out so well that I thought I’d share.

You’ll notice the recipe calls for a whole-grain flour mix. You can use plain ol’ whole wheat flour or your favorite gluten-free flour blend. There are pre-blended mixes out there, or you can try making your own by combining your gluten-free favorites (almond, buckwheat, brown rice, tapioca, etc.). I’ll post more about gluten-free flour blends soon. G-free folks, stay tuned!

Spiced Apple Muffins

Ingredients:

350 grams whole-grain flour mix (about 1 1/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs (or whisk together 2 tbsp ground flax seed + 6 tbsp water = 2 eggs)
300 grams milk (cow, almond, rice, soy…your choice)
1/2 cup applesauce
50 grams coconut oil, melted
1 apple, peeled and diced small

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease muffin pan (12 large or 24 mini).
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cardamom). In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil and applesauce. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in diced apple.
Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

What’s All the Fuss About Coconut Oil?

Move over olive oil… it’s coconut’s time to shine.

It seems everyone is talking about coconut oil these days, so I thought I’d take a stab at explaining what all the fuss is about. Coconut oil is a saturated fat (gasp!)…. Hold it right there…I know, after all these years of putting saturated fat on the same level as the devil himself, we’re hearing a different story. It turns out not all saturated fats are created equal and we’ve learned the body actually needs saturated fat for really important things like brain cells and hormones. The real demons are now the ones treated artificially — liquid fats that are manipulated to make them solid at room temperature by adding hydrogen (aka “hydrogenated”) to create “trans fats.” Coconut oil is a solid at room temperature all on its own making it naturally more stable and capable of handling higher temperatures without burning and creating free radicals — those things that cause major cellular damage (ie. signs of aging, inflammation, cancer, etc.).

Aside from being able to handle the heat, coconut oil is oozing with health benefits. It’s linked with boosting metabolism, improving heart health, supporting the immune system and maintaining a lean body. Our bodies actually burn coconut oil differently than they do other fats. The fatty acids in coconut oil are much smaller so they’re easier for the body to use. That means we’re able to burn the fat quickly and use it up as energy, instead of storing it (Now, that’s my kind of non-fat!). As if that weren’t enough, this little miracle worker does wonders for the skin too. Use it as a substitute for butter in baking, to saute vegetables, as a moisturizer, eye-makeup remover… you can even take it daily as a supplement. Have you seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding? If so, this is my Windex!

To truly reap the benefits, look for these buzz words on the label: virgin, organic, unrefined, and cold pressed or expeller pressed. There are coconut oils out there that are refined or processed to neutralize the flavor and extend the product’s shelf life. You don’t want that. When buying coconut oil, go for the pure stuff. Also, you might see some that are labeled “extra-virgin,” which is not really a thing as it is with olive oils. For coconut oil, virgin is as good as it gets. Just so you know…

Fun fact: Coconut oil was actually what movie theaters originally used to pop popcorn until saturated fat became a no-no. But the stuff they were using was far from the pure coconut oil we’re talking about here. I’d imagine it did give those kernels that perfect combo of sweet and salty though.

Want to give it a try? Use coconut oil as you would olive oil to saute vegetables. Itching to bake? Here are a few recipes that use coconut oil:

Banana Nut Muffins
Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats
Pumpkin Pie Bars
Raw Cheesecake

6 Comments

Filed under superfoods

Tagged as baking, cocount oil, dairy-free, healthy fats, skin care, superfoods, supplements

February 7, 2012 · 9:19 am

Go-Bananas Banana Nut Muffins

Ba. Nanas. That’s all I can say about these unbelievably, crazy, so-delicious-you’ll-go-bananas banana nut muffins. That, and literally, they really are just bananas. It’s pretty easy to make healthy baked goods when the star ingredient is naturally sweet all on it’s own. Plus, all the moisture from the bananas lets you get away with a heck of a lot less fat and zero sugar in this recipe. That’s right, these guys are 100% sugar-free. There’s not an once/bit/speck of sugar in here. Zilch. Zero. Nada.

The trouble with most baked goods is the combo of sugar (the refined white stuff) and flour (the other refined white stuff) and unhealthy fat. Traditional white flour and sugar has been processed to remove the fiber and virtually all of the nutrition right along with it, leaving not much other than sugar and starch (which to the body might as well be sugar). Whole grain flours (and whole sweeteners too) still have their fiber and nutrition in tact, which helps to slow the absorption of sugar/starch in the blood stream. That, plus the added fiber from the bananas, keeps you from feeling those sugar highs and lows. You get a steadier energy and can finally exit the sugar roller coaster ride.

Once the batter is whipped up, I add chopped walnuts and also dates, which give some extra whole-food, natural sweetness. These little treats are my new favorite breakfast, snack, bread and dessert. Wholesome. Sugar-free. Dairy-free. Gluten-free. Sweet. Dense. And soul-warmingly delicious. Ba. Nanas.

Banana Nut Muffins

Ingredients:

1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
5 bananas
250 g flour*
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. sea salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chopped dates

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. In a food processor or blender, combine the almond milk, coconut oil, vanilla and bananas. Blend until smooth.

Put the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Pour in the banana mixture and stir until evenly mixed. Fold in the nuts and dates.

Pour the batter into a greased or lined 12-muffin pan. Bake at 350F for about one hour. [Note: The toothpick trick doesn't quite work on this one because they're just so dense. You'll have to cut into one halfway to check if they're still gooey in the middle. If so, continue baking 10-15 minutes, until cooked through.]

Makes 12 muffins.

*To make these gluten-free, I started with a homemade combo of gluten-free flours: 150g buckwheat, 150g brown rice, 50g garbanzo bean, 75g white rice, 75g tapioca and 1 tsp arrowroot (note: this yields more flour than what’s needed for recipe). I thought the nutty flavor of the buckwheat was just right for banana nut. By no means do you have to use this exact combo, I just wanted to give you an example. There are so many flours you can work with. Play around, experiment. Pretend you know what you’re doing (full disclosure: I so do not.) and find the combo you like best. Have fun!

8 Comments

Filed under recipes

Tagged as baking, bananas, bread, breakfast, dairy-free, gluten-free, recipes, sugar-free, vegan

January 18, 2012 · 10:37 pm

Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats

I call these my “grown-up” rice crispy treats. They’re the more mature and sophisticated version of the original marshmallow treat. That is, as mature and sophisticated as a treat you lick off your fingers can be…

With real ingredients, all natural sweeteners and protein-rich peanut butter, could it be that one of the funnest foods ever created could be healthy too? Don’t tell the kids!

Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups organic brown rice syrup
3/4 cup organic peanut butter*
2 tablespoons organic virgin coconut oil
6 cups brown rice cereal (gluten-free)
1/4 cup cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips (optional)

*I used fresh ground, organic peanut butter. Look for one with as few ingredients as possible – just peanuts and oil. No sugar or anything you can’t pronounce.

Directions:

Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper covers the bottom and all four sides of the pan. In a small sauce pan, heat the brown rice syrup over medium heat. When the syrup begins to bubble, add the coconut oil and peanut butter and continue stirring until you have a good mixture.

Place the rice crispy cereal in a large glass bowl. If you like, stir in some cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips for some added chocolate flavor. Slowly stir in the warm syrup mixture using a silicone spatula to evenly coat the cereal. The syrup will bind the cereal together.

Pour the mixture into the lined baking sheet and spread it out evenly to cover the bottom of the pan and extend to all sides and corners. Press the surface with a spatula, or use your hand with a sheet of parchment paper to flatten and smooth it out.

Chill in the fridge for about an hour, until firm. Remove from the pan and cut into squares with a knife.

5 Comments

Filed under recipes

Tagged as baking, dairy-free, dessert, family-friendly, gluten-free, kid-friendly, no bake, recipes, snack, treat, vegan

Tag Archives: baking