Paleo Brownies

These brownies actually taste like brownies -- chocolaty, cakey, fudgy goodness. Don't let the sweet potato fool you. I believe the sweet potato to be a mystical root vegetable. Though, I can't take credit for basing my recipe off them: I first saw a sweet potato brownie recipe over at PaleoOMG when my friend Bess posted it on facebook a couple months ago. It's an awesome site, so definitely check it out if you haven't yet.

Immediately, the idea of a sweet potato in brownies made perfect sense, but I knew I was going to want a significantly higher amount of cocoa and a bit more honey. I've made a few variations of this recipe, and I've been pleased with them all. The following recipe uses both coconut flour and blanched almond flour, but feel free to omit either. If you omit one or the other, the result will simply be fudgier. My husband prefers the fudgier variety, my kids can't tell the difference, and I prefer the one that combines both flours.

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato (baked in the oven at 425 for 50 minutes -- I like it to become complete mush.)
1/4 cup coconut oil
3 large eggs
1/2 cup raw honey
3 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13in pan with coconut oil.
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment cream baked sweet potato and coconut oil (doing this while the sweet potato is still warm will melt the coconut oil). Add remaining ingredients, except for chocolate chips, and beat until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into pan. Bake for approximately 25 minutes.

As you can see, it's a thicker batter, but the brownies still come out nice and moist.

 

Mmmm.

 

This is a picture of the brownies with only coconut flour. This batter is thinner and the brownies have a more even surface.

 

Either way, the flavor is phenomenal.

 

 

Chocolate-dipped, Almond-topped Bacon Hearts

'Heart attack' may be your first thought as you lay eyes upon these slightly extravagant professions of bacon love. They are a bit over the top. Oddly enough, if you're a Paleo or Primal person, these porkers are an acceptable treat.

I can't take credit for this idea at all. Chocolate-dipped bacon has become a bit of a pop glutton-goody, and bacon hearts are a pintastic success. I do, however, think I can add a few little  tips to the execution of this sweet and savory treat which may assist in a successful presentation.

To begin, I suggest you use thick-cut bacon. Also, skip cutting the bacon (as performed by The Paper Mama)  -- just fold it like a heart. I read on one blog that cutting the bacon makes it more susceptible to falling apart, which will make it more difficult to glaze.

Ingredients:
6 or 7 slices thick-cut bacon
1 cup 60% cocoa chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup slivered almonds


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Shape and arrange bacon on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with foil. Bake for approximately 18 minutes. Once the bacon has cooked, move the bacon to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb the excess grease and cool. In a small pan, toast almond slivers on medium heat. Meanwhile, melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Dip bacon hearts in the melted chocolate. A spatula will help coat the bacon more gently. Once the bacon in thoroughly coated with chocolate, place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and top with toasted almonds. Keep these hearts from melting by storing them in the refrigerator.

 

 

Feel the love?

Chocolate Banana Coconut Flour Muffins

These banana-based, cake-like muffins are sweet, moist, and a great way to put ripe bananas to use. The addition of chocolate chips on top provides a touch of decadence. Putting some cherry-juice infused craisins or nuts in the batter would also be a nice way to create different flavor and texture dimensions.


Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas (mashed)
3 eggs
3 tablespoons coconut flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
Approximately 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with liners. Combine all ingredients (except for the chocolate chips) in a mixing bowl. Mix until well combined. Fill liners with batter about 2/3 of the way full. Top with chocolate chips. Bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Cool. Consume.
(Note: Makes about 10 muffins.)

(Depending on how much I fill the liners, and the size of the bananas, I can get as few as 9 muffins, or as many as 11.)

Chocolate Banana-Based Paleo Pancakes

Initially, I wasn't a huge fan of the banana-based pancake batter I found in the Paleo Pals cookbook by Sarah Fragoso. Furthermore, my family and I were really happy with the almond flour option in Elana Amsterdam's The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook. As a result, I haven't really given the banana-based option much of a second chance, until this morning because I wanted something quick.

Elana's pancakes are totally legit; however, the length of time it requires to cook them properly is somewhat painstaking. By the time the first batch of four or five is cooked, the bacon and eggs are ready, and everyone is waiting at the table. Meanwhile, I've still got my eyes fixed on the right front burner, waiting to flip those suckers because almond flour is so gosh darn heat sensitive. Nobody likes a blackened pancake, no matter how Cajun they be! (We're not at all Cajun, but I like to pretend.)

While I was on Pinterest the other day, I saw a simple pancake recipe: only eggs, a ripe banana, a tsp of vanilla, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. So, I thought, 'All right, lets give it another go.' Thus, I present the following:

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
2 eggs
2 TB unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
coconut oil for greasing the pan


Direction:
Mash banana with mixer, add remaining ingredients, mix well. Cook slightly less than a 1/4 cup of batter per pancake on medium heat in an oiled skillet. Once the edges are cooked and the top's bubbles are breaking, flip and finish cooking the other side. Top with fresh berries and a little organic maple syrup. Yum!

Notes: This made 9 small pancakes.

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Almond Butter Fudge: A Paleo Treat for Fall Holidays

This fudge is an awesome sweet-tooth fixer for those of us who may be suffering from excessive salivation every time we walk by the Halloween candy display at the grocery store. What's even more awesome, it's good for you. No joke -- check out the ingredients. This creamy fudge has a soft texture, so I think this recipe would double well as a pumpkin pie filling. If you were to sub the honey with agave it would be vegan friendly as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup creamy almond butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup fresh pureed pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Put all your ingredients in a small saucepan (I used a medium-sized pan, but small would have been better) and set the stove top on a low temperature. Once everybody gets melty, blend the mixture with your immersion blender until smooth and creamy. If you don't have an immersion blender, a food pro should work just as well. Pour the mixture into a small Pyrex or, like me, a small CorningWare brushed with a little coconut oil. Refrigerate for about half and hour. If you want it firmer, keep it in the freezer.

Sunday Funday

Paleo Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Chips

I don't have awesome pictures of this gluten-free treat because when something is really yummy photography takes a backseat. Seriously, how do foodographers do it?

Ingredients:
3 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon real salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup raw honey
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh pureed pumpkin
1 cup dark chocolate chips (60% cacao or higher)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9x13 inch cake pan with coconut oil.
Combine almond flour, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, and set your mixer to medium until all is well combined and all the dry ingredients are wet (this batter is on the thicker side). Fold in chocolate. Spread batter in the cake pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes.