Tag Archives: dessert

Fig Love: Coconut Rum Raisin Free-Form Muffins

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Sometimes a mistake turns out better than it would have if things went exactly as you originally planned. A point I always make to my quilting students.

Breaking Free was one such quilt. I was fusing down stylized fabric pine cone scales when one decided to fuse itself to the iron rather than the quilt top.

Rather than force it back into its proper place, I let it break free, and fused it flying up and away, dancing on an invisible breeze. While the quilt would have been nice enough the way I had designed, it turned out way more interesting as a result of my mistake. (Click here to find out more about Breaking Free.)

Of course, fixing culinary mistakes can be an entirely different matter. It’s not so simple to solve too much Sriracha in the spaghetti sauce, or burnt black cookies. Luckily every once in awhile a kitchen mishap turns out to be serendipitious genius.

Whipping up a batch of grain-free scones one day, I forgot to add butter. I couldn’t very well scrape them off the pan back into the bowl to add the missing butter since I’d already mixed in the wet ingredients. So I decided to just go with it sans butter.

The result was amazing! Looked like a scone, except soft and cakey like a muffin. A lot like a muffin top. Yum! A few strategic tweaks, and voilà, the Coconut Rum Raisin Free-Form Muffin was born!

If you like your treats to have a more controlled shape, try baking them in a whoopie pie pan, a donut pan, or even simply a regular muffin pan. Baking times may need to be adjusted with different sizes and shapes.

Fig Love

A secret ingredient, puréed rum-soaked dried figs, makes these free-form muffins moist, flavorful, and sweet. The perfect complement to coconut and rum raisins.

Dried figs taste like pears and honey. They are a fabulous healthy, whole foods sweetener. A good source of dietary fiber and minerals. If you’ve never baked with dried figs before, you’re in for a real treat! Sweet like dates, but with a less assertive flavor.

Look for unsulfured dried figs. Sulfur dioxide can trigger symptoms for those with asthma. It can also cause stomach cramps and migraine headaches in sensitive people. This effect may seem more pronounced if you’ve been eating “clean” for awhile (clean = whole, unprocessed foods) and your diet has been free of aggravating chemicals and foods.

Without preservatives, dried figs and other fruit will be brown or even black. That’s perfectly fine and natural. Some dried fruit has sugar, artificial color, and even artificial flavor added. Avoid those as well. In case you’re wondering, organic dried fruit is always free from sulfur dioxide and most other additives, although sometimes organic dried fruit will contain added sugar or honey.

Unsulfured dried fruit is also drier than sulfured dried fruit. Having no preservatives, it needs to be completely free from moisture to keep it from spoiling. This is actually a benefit for baking, because being drier, it can soak up more flavorful liquid of your choice, adding delicious dimension to your dish.

Some figs are best suited for drying and others for eating fresh. Varieties with a high natural sugar content make flavorful, sweet dried figs. My favorite dried fig for baking and snacking is called Calimyrna when it’s grown in California and Smyrna when it comes from Turkey.

To make a purée for baking, chop off the stems, cut the dried figs in half, and soak them in the liquid of your choice until soft. I used rum for these free-form muffins. Fresh-squeezed orange juice is another flavorful option. Purée the figs and as much soaking liquid as desired or necessary in a blender, then add to the other wet ingredients. Like prune purée or mashed ripe bananas, dried fig purée is a versatile baking ingredient that adds natural sweetness and a nutritious boost.

Note: without preservatives, unsulfered dried fruit has a shorter shelf life than standard sulfered dried fruit. If you’re unable to finish them in a timely manner, you should store them in the freezer, especially when it’s humid. Let them come to room temperature before using in a recipe.

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Coconut Rum Raisin Free-Form Muffins

Ingredients

  • 142 grams (5 ounces/about 12) dried organic/unsulfured Calimyrna/Smyrna figs
  • 80 grams (1/2 cup) organic/unsulfured raisins
  • 1/2 cup gold rum
  • 84 grams (3/4 cup) sifted coconut flour
  • 45 grams (1/4 cup lightly packed) coconut sugar
  • 60 grams (1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon) unsweetened macaroon coconut
  • 1/4 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
  • 5 large organic free-range eggs, divided
  • 125 grams (1/2 cup) unsweetened organic applesauce
  • 64 grams (2 tablespoons) almond butter, unsalted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • extra macaroon coconut for sprinkling on top

Instructions

  1. Chop the stems off the dried figs, then cut the dried figs in half. Soak the dried figs and raisins in the rum for 1 hour.
  2. While the fruit is soaking, prepare the dry ingredients.
  3. Sift the coconut flour into a measuring cup or container for weighing. Use the flat side of a knife to gently level off the excess coconut flour even with the top of the measuring cup.
    4. NOTE: Coconut flour can get clumpy and compacted, making it difficult to measure accurately. Sifting will not only give coconut flour a good light consistency, it can help you get a more accurate measurement if you don't have a digital kitchen scale.
  4. Put the sifted coconut flour into a large bowl with the coconut sugar and sea salt.
    5. Coconut sugar is another tricky ingredient to measure accurately. If you don't have a scale, lightly pack the coconut sugar into the measuring cup like you would do with brown sugar. Stir to combine.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  6. Crack open the eggs and set aside one yolk.
  7. When the hour is up, strain out and separate the raisins from the figs and rum.
  8. Place the figs and rum into a blender jar and blend. It may get thick and not completed puréed depending on your blender, but the eggs and applesauce to be added next will provide enough liquid to finish the job.
  9. Add the 4 eggs, extra egg white, applesauce, almond butter, and vanilla to the blender jar. Blend a minute or so more until smooth and mixed thoroughly. With a high-power blender, one minute is sufficient to blend the ingredients and incorporate some air into the batter. If you are using a regular blender, it may need a bit more time.
  10. Pour mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir to combine. The batter will be quite wet at first, but as your stir, the coconut flour will start to absorb some of the excess moisture. As it sits, more moisture will be absorbed, but it will remain a little more moist than regular muffin batter.
  11. Stir the rum-soaked raisins into the batter.
  12. Drop about 1/4 cup of batter at a time onto the prepared baking sheet to make 12 free-form muffins.
  13. Add the tablespoon of water to the remaining egg yolk and whisk to make a smooth egg wash for the tops of the muffins.
  14. Brush the egg wash onto the tops of the muffins and sprinkle with extra macaroon coconut.
  15. Bake in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool.
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2012/fig-love-coconut-rum-raisin-free-form-muffins/

You can serve Coconut Rum Raisin Free-Form Muffins fresh from the oven, but they’re even more flavorful the next day.

Many gluten-free baked goods seem to dry out almost immediately, but these free-form muffins stay moist for days. Probably even longer, but I can never seem to keep them around long enough to find out!

I store these muffins in the refrigerator and they always seem downright damp when I take them out, but that effect disappears when I let them set out and reach room temperature before serving, or warm them up in the oven.

A little bit of the Caribbean, from me to you.

To find out more about why figs are healthy, visit The World’s Healthiest Foods: Figs
For more fig recipes, visit The Spicy RD’s #figlove Blog Hop

What secret ingredients do you like to cook or bake with?

(This recipe was shared at: Gluten-Free Monday, Keep It Real Thursday, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Allergy Friendly Friday, Fill Those Jars Friday, Gluten-Free Friday, Fig Love Blog Hop, Eat Make Grow )

Sublime!

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Fall may have fallen in some parts of the universe, but it still feels like mid-summer to me. So I’m glad for a cool, refreshing drink that’s as lovely to look at as it is to drink.

I love a good green smoothie, but let’s be honest. More often than not, they come out looking like mud. Tasty, healthy mud, but mud nonetheless.

That’s why I was simply tickled pink (or lime green!) that my Sublime Lime Smoothie came out looking as gorgeous as it is delicious and nutritious.

You can thank organic baby spinach for that lovely shade of green. Spinach is one of those Dirty Dozen veggies that are particularly high in pesticide residue, so buy organic spinach whenever you can. (Learn more about the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen.) Baby spinach is very mild in green smoothies. It doesn’t make them taste like salad in a glass at all.

A trio of tangy ingredients helps the lime flavor pop. First of all lime, including the zest, organic if possible when eating citrus peel. Next pineapple for its incomparable sweetness and also hints of tartness that brighten the limey flavor. And finally, So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk.

Don’t have or never seen Cultured Coconut Milk before? You could substitute dairy kefir or another non-dairy beverage, but I encourage you to look for So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk. Ask for it at your local health food store. (Visit the So Delicious Dairy Free website to learn more about Cultured Coconut Milk and other dairy-free products or print a coupon.)

Cultured Coconut Milk is one of my favorite non-dairy smoothie bases. Goes fabulously with a wide variety of fruit flavors. It has 10 active, live cultures and is certified gluten-free, vegan, and non-GMO. It’s also soy-free, nut-free, and the original flavor is refined sugar-free as well.

Frozen, sliced bananas for sweet, non-dairy creaminess, and a splash of vanilla round out the simple, healthy ingredient list. (Making your own vanilla extract is easy, economical, and fun. Check out my Making Vanilla Extract, part 1 post. Guess it’s time for a part 2 update cause the homemade vanilla turned out fantastic!)

Finally if you must gild the lime green lily (and I say, “Why not!”) chilled coconut cream is a decadently delicious choice. You can separate the cream from the liquid, whip it with a mixer, or any number of advance preparations if you like. I just chill the coconut milk or cream and scoop a dollop on top. Simple and delish. Don’t buy the low-fat kind with too much added water or you will have to separate it. Look for 60-100% coconut milk/cream in cans or tetra-paks.

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Sublime Lime Smoothie

Yield: 2 servings

Serving Size: 8 ounces

Calories per serving: 107

Fat per serving: 2 grams

Ingredients

  • 1/2 organic lime
  • 3/4 cup So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk, Original Flavor
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 cups organic baby spinach, lightly packed
  • 1/2 cup frozen banana slices
  • 3/4 cup frozen pineapple tidbits
  • (fresh pineapple, chopped and frozen or pineapple canned in juice, drained and frozen also works if you can't find frozen pineapple)
  • Optional garnish: thick coconut milk or cream, chilled

Instructions

  1. Zest the half lime and set aside the lime zest.
  2. For a high-speed blender, peel the half lime, making sure to remove any thick bitter white pith. The thin membrane is OK to leave.
    3. For a regular blender, juice the half lime. (about 1 tablespoon)
  3. Put the lime or lime juice and half of the lime zest into the blender jar. Add the remaining ingredients in the order listed.
    4. If you have a regular blender, you may want to chop the spinach first, or blend the spinach with the liquids a little before adding the frozen fruit, depending on how powerful the blender is or isn't.
  4. For a BlendTec, press the "Smoothie" button. For all others, blend until smooth.
  5. Garnish with a dollop of chilled coconut milk, if desired, and the remaining lime zest.
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2012/sublime/

Are you a green smoothie fan? What do you like to put in green smoothies?

(This recipe was shared at: Fat Tuesday, Fit & Fabulous Friday, Gluten Free Friday, Healthy Vegan Friday, Wellness Weekend)

The 12 Days of {gluten-free} Chocolate: Day 9

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The greatest tragedies were written by the Greeks and Shakespeare … neither knew chocolate. ~ Sandra Boynton

Happy National Chocolate Milkshake Day! There’s nothing to be feeling tragic about today. Gave up dairy and refined sugar? That’s OK. You’ll never miss them with this creamy, dreamy Chocolate Date Shake.

I’ve given the classic California Date Shake a healthy (and chocolatey!) makeover. Made of whole foods, it’s vegan, raw, and free from refined sugar. Of course it’s naturally gluten-, soy- and nut-free as well.

Blended hemp seeds take the place of milk, frozen bananas, the ice cream, raw cacao powder to make it chocolatey, and dates, of course, for a touch of California sweetness.

Dates are an ideal whole food sweetener. They’re a good source of fiber, minerals, and vitamins.You can soak and blend dates to make a creamy date butter, or buy date sugar, which is actually ground dehydrated dates: a whole food, not a processed sugar. You may have to experiment a bit to successfully substitute date butter or date sugar in your favorite recipes, but that’s part of the fun!

I like to use Deglet Noor dates in my recipes. They’re not too sweet and have a delicate flavor. You can substitute your favorite dates or whichever variety you happen to have on hand. Many people use Medjool dates which are sweet and moist. Barhi dates can be hard to find. If you get the chance, give them a try. They’re soft and sweet, my favorite date for simply eating.

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Chocolate Date Shake

Yield: 1 serving

Calories per serving: 414

Fat per serving: 15 g

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup ice cold, filtered water
  • 3 tablespoons shelled hemp seed
  • 1 tablespoon raw cacao powder (regular cocoa powder works, too)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 dates, pitted
  • 1 large banana (about 1 cup) sliced and frozen

Instructions

  1. Put the ingredients into a high-speed blender like BlendTec or Vitamix in the order listed. For a thicker, frostier shake substitute ice cubes or crushed ice for some of the water.
    2. (If you have a regular blender, do chop the dates first. Blend the hemp seeds, cacao powder, and vanilla into a smooth hemp milk before adding and blending the remaining ingredients.)
  2. For a BlendTec, press the 'Smoothie' button. For other blenders, blend just until ingredients are mixed together smoothly and the dates are in little pieces.
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2012/12-chocolate-days-09/

The 12 Days of {gluten-free} Chocolate: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12

(This recipe was shared at: Fat Tuesday, Raw Foods Thursday, Fill Those Jars Friday, Gluten Free Friday, Healthy Vegan Friday)

Mexican Fried Ice Cream Sundae

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With the 4th of July behind us, summer is officially in full swing, and 100+ degree temperatures have finally caught up with southern California. Maybe you’re roasting where you are as well. To beat the heat, I’ve whipped up an easy, fun Mexican fried ice cream sundae topping, unfried.

Before I had to switch from gluten-free to completely grain-free, Attune Foods sent me a box of their gluten-free Crispy Brown Rice cereal. So although I don’t usually post recipes using grains anymore, I’m making a special exception for this post. I hope you enjoy it!

Attune Foods’ Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice cereal has a fresh nutty taste. My daughter loves it with milk for breakfast. What I love about serving her Attune Foods’ gluten free crispy rice cereal is that it’s made from 3 simple ingredients: organic brown rice, organic brown rice syrup, and sea salt. In addition, it’s certified gluten-free and non-GMO, and has less than 1 gram of sugars per serving.

Beyond breakfast, this is a versatile cereal for cooking and baking. Use it in any recipe that calls for Rice Krispies. Crush it up and use it as a handy gluten-free bread crumb substitute or homemade chicken nugget coating. And definitely try it in my Mexican Fried Ice Cream Sundae Topping recipe below.

Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Nectar is a delicious low glycemic alternative to agave nectar or corn syrup. A vegan alternative to honey. It’s also organic, gluten-free, and non-GMO.

Coconut nectar has a milder taste than coconut sugar. It doesn’t taste like coconut, so you can use it in just about any recipe calling for a liquid sweetener. Try it in sweet iced tea for another refreshing summer treat.

It’s still a concentrated sweetener, though. So be sure to enjoy raw coconut nectar in moderation.

When making the Mexican Fried Ice Cream Sundae Topping recipe, if you don’t have any coconut nectar, try a spoonful of honey, sorghum molasses, or a liquid sweetener of your choice in its place. For a vegan version, use coconut oil in place of the butter. Substitutions will change the flavor somewhat, and might change the texture slightly, but should probably be fine.

If you don’t have hemp seeds, you can still make the topping without them, but hemp seeds add a nutty, nutritional boost loaded with protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. Plus, hemp seeds are just plain yummy.

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Mexican Fried Ice Cream Sundae Topping

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 1 cup topping

Serving Size: 1/4 cup

Calories per serving: 84

Fat per serving: 4 g

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Nectar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup Attune Foods Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Gluten Free Cereal
  • 1 tablespoon raw shelled hemp seeds (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Melt butter in the microwave in a glass bowl.
  3. Add the coconut nectar and cinnamon and stir to combine.
  4. Add the cereal and stir to coat completely. Crush some of the cereal on the sides of the bowl as you stir, leaving some of the cereal uncrushed.
  5. Add the hemp seeds if using and stir to combine.
  6. Spread the topping mixture in a pan lined with parchment paper or tinfoil and bake for about 5 minutes or until the uncrushed cereal is crispy. The small clumps of crushed cereal will be slightly chewy. Watch carefully that the topping does not burn.
  7. Sprinkle on top of vanilla or coconut ice cream. Add berries if desired.
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2012/mexican-fried-ice-cream-sundae/

Free-From Ice Creams

Two free-from ice creams you might want to try with this recipe are Clemmy’s Rich and Creamy and Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss.

Clemmy’s ice cream is sugar-free, lactose-free, and gluten-free. The Vanilla Bean flavor is made with real vanilla bean specks and extract, so it has a bold vanilla taste. It’s creamy with the texture of soft-serve. There’s just a touch of gumminess though. Toppings help to hide that.

Clemmy’s is sweetened with sugar alcohols: maltitol and xylitol. Sugar alcohols, also known as polyols, are not sugar or alcohol. They’re carbohydrates that aren’t completely absorbed by the body, and therefore reportedly have a lower effect on blood sugar. They’re used in diabetic and low-carb products. Sugar alcohols do not promote tooth decay. The bacteria in your mouth can’t digest them either. My daughter’s dentist recommends xylitol-sweetened candy to prevent cavities. Some sugar alcohols are also prebiotics.

Sugar alcohols come with a warning: “Sensitive individuals may experience a laxative effect from excess consumption of this ingredient”. If you’re not familiar with sugar alcohol-sweetened foods, take heed of this warning and stick to small serving sizes until you know how your body reacts. Some of these products give me severe stomach cramps so I usually avoid them.

Maltitol is most often manufactured from corn, occasionally wheat, but is classified by the FDA as gluten-free. So watch out if you’re avoiding GMO foods or grain products. Consider the benefits and drawbacks and your individual situation when deciding if you should indulge in sugar alcohol-sweetened products.

Coconut Bliss is well-named. True bliss. It’s gluten-free, low-glycemic, organic, and vegan. Creamy, blissfully delicious, and coconutty.

The only thing I would change about Coconut Bliss is to remove the agave syrup and replace it with coconut nectar. I’m not completely sold on agave nectar, but do indulge from time to time in products like Coconut Bliss ice cream because the rest of their ingredients are so superior (for example: organic coconut milk, organic dried coconut, organic coconut extract, organic fair trade vanilla extract). I recommend the Naked Coconut flavor with the Mexican Fried Ice Cream Sundae Topping.

What’s your favorite summertime ice cream sundae?

If you can’t find these foods at a store near you, you can buy them online at Amazon:
Attune Foods’ Erewhon Organic Gluten Free Crispy Brown Rice Cereal
Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Nectar
Nutiva Organic Shelled Hempseed

(This recipe was shared at: Gluten Free Friday)

Happy Father’s Day!

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Mom, Dad, and I

When I was little and our family visited Disneyland, my dad’s favorite treat was a chocolate-covered frozen banana.

He couldn’t wait till afternoon came and it warmed up enough for the ice cream vendors to roll out their carts. So these frozen fruit pops are for my father.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

I’ve given them a bit of an update and a healthy makeover, adding strawberries and taking away the refined sugar and other additives. Raw carob powder provides natural sweetness and cocoa powder provides chocolate-y goodness. The combination of carob and cocoa comes out to be about as sweet as dark chocolate, making it a nice counterpoint to the intense sweetness of ripe fruit. If you prefer a sweeter coating, add a little of your favorite sweetener to taste.

Carob

Carob is rich in calcium and other minerals, as well as antioxidants. It is said to be good for digestion and lowering inflammation. I don’t consider carob a chocolate replacement, though. The main thing carob has in common with chocolate is its color. Instead I use carob for it’s own unique properties and taste.

Cocoa

While you can use either natural cocoa powder or Dutch processed cocoa in this recipe, I prefer Dutch processed cocoa for making the fruit pops’ coating. Dutch processed cocoa is treated with an alkali, which neutralizes some of the cocoa’s acid. This makes the cocoa powder darker and slightly reddish. The darker the cocoa powder, the more acid has been removed. Black cocoa powder, what gives Oreo cookies their deep color, has had most of the acid removed.

Cocoa Powders: Natural on the left and Dutch Processed on the right

You would imagine that darker cocoa powder would have a stronger flavor, but it’s actually more mellow. Dutching takes away the bitter, sour, and fruity notes of chocolate. If you are a chocolate aficionado, you will probably pick up on this. However the amount of chocolate is small in relation to the amount of fruit, and my tasters couldn’t tell a difference.

Dutching also makes the cocoa powder dissolve more easily. Natural and Dutch processed cocoa are interchangeable in some recipes. When baking soda is called for in a recipe, you should use natural cocoa powder, because the acids in natural cocoa are needed to react with the baking soda and make the batter rise.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is what makes this coating harden like Magic Shell topping. Coconut oil is a solid at temperatures under 76° F (24.4° C). When the topping touches the frozen fruit, it hardens in a matter of seconds! (Click here for more about coconut oil.)

Fruit

Bananas are the traditional frozen fruit treat. They’re sweet, creamy, and they freeze well. Use ripe bananas that have a few brown spots. This is a great way to use up ripe bananas before they go bad, especially in the summertime when they ripen so quickly. Don’t use under-ripe bananas, which will tend to be hard, starchy, and not very sweet or creamy.

I’ve added fresh summer strawberries, since they are at their peak in June. Strawberries work in this recipe, but freeze a little harder than bananas, due to their higher water content. Experiment with your favorite fruit to see what you like best!

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Frozen Fruit Pops

Ingredients

  • Bananas
  • Strawberries
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons raw carob powder
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder (or raw cacao powder for raw pops)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • OPTIONAL
  • chopped toasted nuts
  • unsweetened macaroon coconut

Instructions

  1. At least 4 hours ahead or overnight, cut the bananas into approximately 1 inch chunks, and remove the strawberry cores.
    2. Stack the fruit onto lollipop sticks. I place a strawberry on the bottom and a banana chunk on top because strawberries take a little longer to thaw than bananas. With the banana on top, it will get eaten first and give the strawberry more time to soften. For frozen bananas on a stick, cut the bananas into halves or thirds.
    I don't recommend using bamboo skewers. They have a sharp point and tend to break easily.
    You can also simply freeze the fruit pieces without sticks for frozen fruit bonbons.
    Place the fruit into freezer bags in a loose single layer so they will not stick to each other. You can also harden the fruit on a tray in the freezer for a short time before putting them into freezer bags. Just don't leave the bananas open to the air in the freezer overnight or they may turn brown.
  2. Add the carob, cocoa (or cacao) and vanilla to the coconut oil, and stir until all the powders are dissolved and the topping is smooth. A glass measuring cup is a good thing to mix the topping in.
    3. If the room temperature is too cool, the coconut oil may not stay liquid. Place your cup/bowl of topping into a larger bowl of hot water to make a water bath as shown below. Be careful not to splash water into the topping.
    For a sweeter topping, add a bit of sugar, stevia, or the sweetener of your choice and mix well. Be sure to dip a piece of frozen fruit to try it out first, because the topping tastes different depending on whether it's liquid or hardened.
  3. Working quickly, dip the fruit into the topping. You can tilt the cup/bowl to more easily coat the fruit completely. A thin coating is best. If you work too slowly, the coating will be thicker.
  4. Place the coated frozen fruit onto parchment or waxed paper. If you don't want a flat side on your fruit pop, hold it up in the air until the coating has hardened before placing it down.
    5. If you are dipping fruit without sticks, use a fork or spoon to place the fruit into the topping and lift it out again.
    If your fruit starts to thaw, put it back in the freezer to harden up before dipping. Melted ice crystals on the surface of the fruit will curdle the topping.
    OPTIONAL
    To add chopped nuts or coconut, sprinkle them on quickly after removing the fruit from the topping. If you're too slow, the coating will harden before the nuts/coconut have a chance to stick.
  5. Serve immediately or place in freezer bags and return to the freezer until you're ready to serve. If the fruit has frozen very hard, you may need to wait 5 or 10 minutes before eating.
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2012/happy-fathers-day/

Tea Time

Dad, you probably won’t be having a Father’s Day tea party, but without the sticks, the frozen fruit pops would make wonderful frozen fruit bonbons for a summer tea. You could also serve them with or without sticks at a Father’s Day barbecue.

Frozen Fruit Bonbons for a refreshing summer tea

What kind of fruit would you like to use to make frozen fruit pops?

(This recipe was shared at: Raw Foods Thursday, Gluten Free Friday)

Coconut-Date Chocolate Bonbons

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These bonbons are simply amazing. In a word, paleo crack. OK, that’s two words, but you get the picture. Chocolatey, coconutty goodness. Like an inside-out Mounds bar.

Their secret ingredient is coconut butter. (That and dates, but you already know where I stand on dates. For more on dates, see my post, California Chocolate Pudding.)

Coconut butter is simply dried unsweetened coconut, pureed into a smooth paste. Similar to peanut butter, except way more delicious. If you’ve never had coconut butter before, you’re in for a real treat. You can use it in smoothies, sauces, baked goodies, and more. But my favorite use for coconut butter is making delicious, healthy, whole food candies. After all, who said life can’t be sweet just because you don’t eat refined sugar?

Because coconut butter is a whole food, you get all the nutritional benefits of the entire coconut. Fiber, protein, oil, vitamins, and minerals. They’re all in there.

You’ll most likely find two different brands of coconut butter on your health food store shelf, Artisana Coconut Butter and Nutiva Coconut Manna. They’re both made from organic whole coconut, both are equally delish, and both work well in my bonbon recipe.

The main differences are that Nutiva is less expensive than Artisana, and Artisana is raw and produced in a gluten-free facility. Whichever one you choose, just be sure to warm the jar well and stir the oils in completely before using for the best texture. When cold, coconut butter can have a bit of a gritty texture.

In a pinch you can make your own coconut butter, although it will probably not be as smooth as the kind you buy. That may not matter once you mix it into the candy. It’s not like you’re spreading it on toast or anything. (Although people do report that coconut butter is delicious on bread. I can’t say from experience.) Just put some shredded, unsweetened dried coconut into your food processor and process away, until it turns into butter.

Because these bonbons use cocoa powder rather than melting chocolate, they’re quick and easy to make. No need to worry about temperatures, splashing water, or chocolate seizing or scorching. Quick. Easy. Delicious.

Print
Coconut-Date Chocolate Bonbons

Yield: 30 tablespoon-sized bonbons

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup chopped dates
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, preferably unrefined
  • 1/2 cup coconut butter
  • A generous 1/2 cup unsweetened macaroon coconut, lightly toasted if desired

Instructions

  1. Soak the dates in 3/4 cup water for 30 minutes. (The easiest way to measure is by volume: Use a clear liquid measuring container and add the water to the 6 ounce line first. Add chopped dates until the mixture reaches the 10 ounce line.)
    2. (If you have a high-powered blender like a BlendTec or VitaMix, room temperature water is fine. For a regular blender, the dates will be smoother if you put the 3/4 cup water and dates into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, place a lid on the pan and soak for 30 minutes.)
  2. While the dates are soaking, warm the jars of coconut oil and coconut butter in a bowl of hot water until the coconut oil is liquid and the coconut butter is softened and pourable. (Make sure the lids are on tightly so no water gets inside the jars.) If the oil has separated to the top of the coconut butter, stir it back in until smooth.
  3. Blend the dates and soaking water in a blender until smooth. (On my BlendTec I use the 'Whole Juice' cycle.) Push the mixture down the sides to the bottom of the blender jar with a spatula.
  4. Add the vanilla, salt, and cocoa powder and pulse to combine.
  5. Pour the date-cocoa mixture into a bowl. You'll need a spatula to get all the chocolatey goodness out. Add the coconut oil and coconut butter. Stir well until smooth and combined completely.
  6. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or more, until the mixture is the consistency of fudge.
  7. Roll the mixture into tablespoon-size balls. The heat from your hands may slightly melt the surface of the balls, but the entire ball should not melt. If the rolling is too messy, the bonbon mixture may need more chilling time. Return the bonbon mixture to the refrigerator for 5 or 10 minutes more and then try rolling again.
  8. Place the bonbons onto a pan or sheet of parchment paper. Refrigerate for a few minutes to firm up the bonbons if desired.
  9. Roll or gently press the bonbons in unsweetened macaroon coconut.
  10. Can be served chilled or at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator.
    11. VARIATIONS
    • Roll some of the bonbons in different colored cocoa powders.
    • If you're serving the bonbons immediately you can roll them in coconut sugar.
    Coconut sugar will soak up moisture from the bonbon, so roll once, set aside and when the coconut sugar has melted into the surface of the bonbon, roll it one more time in coconut sugar. Rolling a second time ensures a longer-lasting coating. A coconut sugar coating will not last overnight though. The coconut sugar will soak up so much moisture that the bonbons will be sitting in syrup (a delicious syrupy mess).
    • Coating the bonbons in a mixture of half coconut-sugar and half-cocoa powder is another option. The coating will look more like cocoa powder, but taste a little sweeter.
    • Try putting a whole nut or a generous pinch of chopped nuts inside the bonbon. Chopped, toasted macadamia nuts make a delicious bonbon filling.
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2012/coconut-date-chocolate-bonbons/

Have you tried coconut butter before? What’s your favorite way to use it?

(This recipe was shared at: Chocolate Coconut Party, Sugar-Free Sunday, Made from Scratch Monday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Raw Foods Thursday, Gluten Free Friday)

California Chocolate Pudding

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Vegan desserts. Just another culinary oxymoron like white chocolate or healthy junk food?

Technically it is possible to make all kinds of sweet treats from donuts to red velvet cupcakes without animal products. While many debate what it means to be a vegetarian, the definition of vegan is crystal clear: no animal-sourced ingredients, period. But when I think of vegan cuisine, I think of fresh, natural, healthy whole foods which only happen to be, by the way, animal-free.

dates
Raw agave syrup and organic cane juice certainly have more syllables than sugar. Unfortunately, more syllables does not equal healthy or natural. Try sweetening your treats with a natural, delicious, healthy whole food such as dates. (While dates do have fewer syllables than sugar, that’s not what makes them so healthy. ;-) )

Dates are my all-time favorite natural sweetener. They add a rich, complex sweetness to desserts and are delicious in savory dishes too. They are a good source of potassium and other minerals. I have never personally had a blood sugar problem or carb intolerance with dates, but if blood sugar or food intolerance are issues for you, it’s always a good idea to consult your health care provider first.

What makes dates a healthy sweetener is that they are a whole food: the fiber and nutrients have not been removed. Beets and sugar cane were also healthy whole foods once upon a time before they were processed into sparkly white powder. While honey and maple syrup are certainly natural, to your body they are primarily sugar with traces of nutrients. I prefer to use maple syrup and honey as sweet flavorings rather than as a sweetener. Think spoonfuls, not cupfuls.

I usually soak dates in water or some other liquid and blend them into a smooth date butter for use in desserts. A high-powered blender like a Blend-Tec or VitaMix is perfect for this. (but not absolutely necessary if you don’t have one.) Use more or less liquid depending on the consistency you’re looking for. To try date-sweetened desserts, you can start with my easy California Chocolate Pudding recipe below, but don’t be afraid to experiment with dates in your favorite recipes.

Some people like to use date sugar, which is simply finely ground dried dates (still a whole food, nothing’s been removed but the water, which dates don’t have much of to begin with). I’ve never tried date sugar myself, but I’ve heard it’s a good substitute for regular sugar in recipes. If you have experience with date sugar, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

recipe makeover
Here’s a classic vegan recipe: Chocolate Avocado Mousse.

Chocolate. Avocado. What’s not to love? How about those unhealthy (and unnecessary) sweeteners? I’ve replaced them with, surprise, dates! Healthy and delicious. And of course, still gluten and dairy free. I’m new to paleo and therefore, still learning, but I think we can call this recipe paleo-friendly as well. I’m not going to call it mousse, though. Mousse means foam in French, and although it certainly is creamy (thanks to our good friend, avocado), foamy it is not. Pudding is just right. And I’m calling it California pudding because, well, here in sunny southern California, I’m fortunate to be surrounded by avocado and date trees!

It’s pudding, not chiffon cake. The recipe’s not going to fall flat or explode if you change a thing or two, so feel free to experiment and add your own special touch. If you’re a chocolate aficionado, see how different cocoa powders taste in the pudding. A mix of half regular cocoa and half raw cacao powder is divine! 1/2 teaspoon almond extract in place of the 1 teaspoon vanilla is a good variation. Another is: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. If I hadn’t tossed out all my coffee, I would give espresso a try in the pudding, either brewed in place of the water or add a spoonful of instant. Please come back and share the results of your variations with me!

This is perfectly sweet if you’re used to the mild sweetness of real dark chocolate or if you generally avoid refined sugar in your diet. If you prefer a sweeter dessert, replace some of the water with maple syrup or your favorite liquid sweetener. Or simply pour the maple syrup over the top like a chocolate-maple sundae.

My favorite way to serve California Chocolate Pudding is with sliced bananas. Fresh berries are great, too. Macadamia nuts are a super paleo topping. Trader Joe’s sells dry toasted, chopped macadamias now, which are as fantastic on salads as they are on chocolate pudding. But I digress, let’s get on to the recipe, shall we?

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California Chocolate Pudding

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 3/4 cup

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup chopped dates
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1-1/2 cups mashed avocado (about 2 medium)

Instructions

  1. Soak chopped dates in water. For a high-powered blender cutting the dates into fourths is enough. For a regular blender or food processor cut into smaller pieces and use hot water. (The easiest way to measure is by volume: Use a clear liquid measuring container and add the water to the 8 ounce line first. Add chopped dates until the mixture reaches the 12 ounce line.) Let them soak for 1/2 hour.
  2. Blend dates and water until smooth. In a Blend-Tec use the "Whole Juice" button. In a food processor, start out with just the dates and add the soaking water gradually to avoid leakage. Push mixture down with a spatula as necessary.
  3. Add the vanilla, salt, and cocoa powder and pulse to combine. Push mixture down with a spatula as necessary.
  4. Add the mashed avocado and pulse to combine until smooth. (Mashed avocado is both easier to measure accurately and easier to blend smoothly into the chocolate mixture. The final mixture will be somewhat thick and you will not be using your machine to smash the avocado, just to combine it with the other ingredients.)
  5. If necessary, add extra water a tablespoon or two at a time to help the ingredients combine smoothly. (Avocado is a natural ingredient, after all, and sometimes they vary in their moisture content. Adding more water can also make the pudding less thick if you prefer a lighter consistency.)
  6. Chill before serving.
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2012/california-chocolate-pudding/

(This recipe was shared at: Gluten Free Friday)

Pumpkin-Date Blondies {+ Coconut Flour Giveaway}

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A little bit pumpkin pie, a little bit cookie bar, Pumpkin-Date Blondies are a perfect autumn treat.

Sweetened with dates, these blondies are refined sugar-free. Enjoy them for a healthy breakfast, dessert, or any-time snack.

Just make sure you stock up on cans of pureed pumpkin before pumpkin is all gone until next fall. I had the worst craving for a pumpkin treat in August when pumpkin was nowhere to be found on grocery store shelves!

Luckily, coconut flour is easy to find year-round. It’s one of my favorite gluten-free flours to bake with. Coconut flour is high in protein and fiber. A simple way to use it is to replace 1/4 of your usual flour with coconut flour. Or try one of the many delicious coconut flour recipes on the Tropical Traditions website (scroll down to find recipes).

If you’re inclined to experiment in the kitchen like me, then you’ll be pleased to know that you can add lots of flavorful liquids. Coconut flour will soak them all up. Moist and delicious!

Whether you like to follow recipes to the letter or prefer to improvise as you go, scroll down to the bottom of this post to find out how you can enter to win a 2.2 pound bag of Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Flour to try for yourself.

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Pumpkin-Date Blondies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup ground flax seed meal
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil
  • 1 cup pureed cooked pumpkin
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
  • 1 and 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons coconut milk (the cooking kind, not the beverage kind) divided into 1/2 cup, 1 cup, and 2 tablespoons portions

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch nonstick baking pan with coconut oil.
  2. In a medium bowl combine coconut flour, flax seed meal, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and sea salt.
  3. Place pecans on a baking sheet in the oven for 3-5 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Stir the toasted pecans into the dry mixture and set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, combine applesauce, coconut oil, pumpkin, and vanilla.
  5. Place the dates and 1/2 cup of the coconut milk into a saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer gently for 1 minute. Turn heat off, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes.
  6. Place warm coconut milk-date mixture into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. If needed add some of the 1 cup coconut milk to help blend dates.
  7. Add the blended coconut milk-date mixture and the rest of the 1 cup coconut milk to the wet ingredients in the large bowl. (Reserve the 2 tablespoons coconut milk for use later.) Stir to combine.
  8. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Batter will be the consistency of mashed potatoes.
  9. Spread batter evenly into prepared baking pan. Spread remaining 2 tablespoons coconut milk evenly onto top of the batter with a spatula. Spread the coconut milk around until it picks up a little color from the batter underneath. Sprinkle a little cinnamon lightly on top of the smoothed coconut milk. (photo below)
  10. Bake about 35 minutes or until the edges start to brown and/or pull away from the sides of the pan.
  11. Let cool/refrigerate before slicing and serving. Blondies will set as they cool. Top with creamy coconut-cashew topping if desired.
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2011/pumpkin-date-blondies/

(This recipe was shared at: Gluten-Free Monday, Whole Foods Friday, Fit & Fabulous Friday, Wellness Weekend, Pumpkin Potluck Party)

Enter to win a 2.2 pound bag of Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Flour! (a $15.00 value) There are 6 ways to enter:
1. Subscribe to Tropical Traditions’ Email Newsletter for special sales and free recipes.
2. Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter
3. Like Tropical Traditions on Facebook.
4. Visit the coconut flour recipes webpage and leave a comment below telling which coconut flour recipe you’d like to try.
5. Follow me, GrainFreeFab on Twitter.
6. Tweet this post/giveaway on Twitter and put a link to your tweet in a comment below. (Click on the timestamp underneath the tweet to get a link to an individual tweet.) You can tweet the giveaway as many times as you’d like, but only the first tweet will count as a giveaway entry.

Leave a me a separate comment with your name and email address after completing each item. Each comment will count as an entry. The giveaway starts today, Wednesday, November 23, 2011 and ends Tuesday, December 6, 2011. A winner will be picked at random via Random.org on Wednesday, December 7, 2011. Open to residents of U.S. & Canada.

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Creamy Coconut-Cashew Topping

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It’s that time of year when it chills up outside, and warms up inside … the oven that is. Pies, gingerbread, and other holiday treats call out for a creamy topping.

Here’s one of my favorites. It’s an easy, delicious, vegetarian dessert topping. Cashews and coconut are naturally sweet, so all you need to add is a touch of honey and vanilla. Happy eating!

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Creamy Coconut-Cashew Topping

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup coconut cream (not sweetened cream of coconut)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  1. Soak cashews in water overnight. (This step is optional if you're in a rush. However soaking the cashews makes them easier to blend and brings out their natural sweetness.)
  2. Drain cashews and place in a food processor or blender with 1/2 cup water and blend until smooth.
  3. Add coconut cream, honey, and vanilla, and blend until combined well. If you like your topping sweeter, add more honey to taste.
  4. Refrigerate to thicken before serving.
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2011/creamy-coconut-cashew-topping/