Paleo CSB, Week 2

I love getting to play around with more nutritious recipes, and this week has been especially fun.  Maybe it's because I'm already in the mood for PIE, but these tarts were a blast to create, and are even tastier to eat.

Three of these tarts started with a coconut flour and almond meal crust.  It's different than the paleo version I have tried before (which was 100% almond based), and I like it a lot more.  It has a cookie like flavor.  What do you think?  The other is a hazelnut raw crust, with a touch of raw cacao in it.

Ingredients:

~Lemon Creme Tart:  Organic coconut cream, raw local honey, organic eggs, organic Meyer lemon

~Apple Pie Tart:  Organic apples, organic maple syrup, organic chia seeds, cinnamon, pure vanilla extract

~Chocolate Hazelnut Tarts (raw & vegan):  Hazelnut flour, organic coconut oil, organic pure maple syrup, organic coconut milk, organic raw cacao, black cocoa powder, vanilla extract, sea salt

~Coconut Creme Tart:  Organic coconut cream, raw local honey, organic dark chocolate, gelatin from grass fed cows, unsweetened coconut

In the baked crusts:  organic coconut flour, almond meal, organic coconut oil, organic pure maple syrup, organic eggs, vanilla, soda, sea salt.

All of these tarts MUST be kept refrigerated.  Enjoy!

2015 Fall CSB, week 3

Bar cookies often don't get enough credit.  They seem like a lazier approach to drop cookies, mostly because it's a press-into-the-pan, one or two step effort.  With a bit of creativity, however, they can offer so much more flavor, and a welcome texture change from a typical cookie.  I made CSB members six different varieties to try today.

~Pecan Pie Bars:  Starting with a shortbread crust, these feature a pecan crusted sweet custard like topping.  My version is corn syrup free, instead using a combination of pure organic maple syrup and cane based Lyle's Golden Syrup…and I tossed in a couple of tablespoons of Buffalo Trace (GMO free!) Bourbon for good measure.

~Zesty Lemon Bars:  Always a favorite, always a classic, I knew I had to include these this week!  The crust is 100% whole grain, and I used organic lemons for a citrusy burst of flavor.

~Classic Fudge Truffle Brownies:  One of my most popular market treats, these have a well deserved reputation.  I'd like to take the credit for them, but their wonderfulness is really due to the pound of organic Lillie Belle chocolate that is in each small batch!  They're naturally gluten free and pack a rich wallop of dark chocolate flavor.

~Mint Creme Fudge Truffle Brownies:  These are exactly like the Classic FT Brownies, except that they have a layer of mint flavored buttercream sandwiched between the brownie base and the ganache frosting.  The mint oil that I use is locally grown and produced, from Mint To Be!

~Candy Cap Mushroom Cheesecake Bars:  Possibly my absolute favorite bar cookie ever, these cheesecake bars start with an organic graham crust that's sweetened with pure maple syrup.  I use organic Nancy's cream cheese (locally made in Eugene), and grind up candy cap mushrooms for the filling (I source these from Oregon Mushrooms in Keno, OR).  By grinding the dried mushrooms up, I avoid any odd texture issues, and they impart their wonderful butterscotch, earthy, maple notes perfectly.  Even my daughter, who hates mushrooms, loves candy cap goodies!

~Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Bars:  100% whole grain and featuring locally grown fruit!  Strawberry rhubarb is a flavor most often associated with June, so they may seem a bit out of season.  I was able to can a ton of rhubarb pie filling this year, however, so have that on hand just for occasions such as this, and I picked up some freshly picked strawberries yesterday from Adams Berries & Produce.  I'm trying to enjoy as many sweet, local strawberries as I possibly can before they all freeze (any day now!).


Please store bars in the refrigerator (especially those cheesecake bars!), or freeze to enjoy later.

Paleo CSB, Week 1

I really enjoy the opportunity to experiment with alternative, healthier ingredients, and the Paleo CSB gives me the chance to do just that!  Thank you for participating in this Fall 2015 session!

Today each member will receive some delicious Paleo-inspired Fudge Truffle Brownies.  I say "inspired" because they are not 100% cane sugar free; the vegan, organic, local chocolate that I get from Lillie Belle Farms does have some sugar in it.  But compared to MOST desserts, these are much, much cleaner, and many paleo recipes on the internet and in books use chocolate that has sugar in it.  Moderation, right?!

As a bonus for CSB members, I also whipped up some Paleo Pumpkin Bars.  These taste very similar to pumpkin pie, just without the crust, and much healthier!

Ingredients:
Classic Paleo Fudge Truffle Brownies:  organic dark chocolate, organic expeller pressed raw extra virgin coconut oil, organic coconut cream, pasture raised organic eggs, organic coconut sugar, raw fair trade cacao, espresso powder, pure locally brewed vanilla, sea salt.

Paleo Fudge Truffle Brownies with "Frosting":  organic dark chocolate, organic expeller pressed raw extra virgin coconut oil, pasture raised organic eggs, organic coconut sugar, almonds, raw fair trade cacao, medjool dates, organic maple syrup, organic coconut cream, espresso powder, pure locally brewed vanilla, cinnamon, sea salt.

Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars:  locally grown sugar pie pumpkin, organic coconut flour, organic maple syrup, pasture raised organic eggs, spices, baking soda, sea salt.

Store brownies and bars refrigerated.  They may be frozen, individually wrapped in plastic, or sealed tightly in a Pyrex container, to enjoy later (try cutting each in half to make them go further).

2015 Fall CSB, Week 2

Six different cupcake flavors today!!

Turtle: brown sugar cake filled with fudge, caramel French buttercream, handmade
caramel drizzle, toasted pecans

Pumpkin Bliss: chocolate cake, pumpkin filling, pumpkin French buttercream, ganache drizzle, candied ginger

Pumpkin Pie a la Mode: brown sugar cake, spiced pumpkin filling, vanilla American buttercream, cinnamon sugar sprinkle

Caramel Apple: brown sugar cake, organic apple filling, caramel American buttercream, caramel drizzle

Cookies & Creme: chocolate cake, vanilla French buttercream stuffed with organic chocolate sandwich cookie bits, organic sandwich cookie decor

Chocolate Fudge: Classic chocolate cake, chocolate fudge center, chocolate American buttercream, ganache drizzle, chocolate shavings

2015 Fall CSB, Week 1

Thank you for participating in this round of the CSB!  This month marks FIVE years of me baking for share members!  How fun!  I sure appreciate your support.  This baking club (and special orders) allow me to "stay home" with my kids and try to maintain some level of sanity in our insanely busy lives (I used quotations there because I am rarely home with my children, instead running them from activity to activity when they're not in school!), while also giving me a creative outlet that helps provide a little extra income for our family.

The best way to kick of this new session is with Cannoli!  I have written our cannoli story before, so will instead focus this post on the ingredients that set mine apart from so many others (click the highlighted text to read why I started making cannoli in the first place, and for details on what makes my ricotta so special!).

With pumpkins coming into season, it's the perfect time to share the special Pumpkin Spice Cannoli.  I use a fluffy ricotta base, fold in organic pumpkin puree and lots of spices, and then dot the ends with walnuts that have been candied with pure maple syrup.  The Classic Cannoli are just as good as ever, with their notes of organic citrus, locally brewed vanilla, and a hint of dark chocolate.  All filled shells are dusted with nonGMO powdered cane sugar.

My cannoli shells are made by hand, using organic unbleached flour and a hint of sweet organic wine.  They're fried in nonGMO, 100% expeller pressed sunflower oil, and then hand filled with my special cannoli cream (made with homemade organic ricotta, of course).  They're a three day process from start to finish, a labor of love, and disappear at an alarming rate once they've been filled.  If you're new to them, I hope you enjoy my versions as much as we do!

Please try to enjoy your cannoli as soon as possible.  They should be OK, kept chilled, for a few hours, but the longer they sit, the more chance that the shells will start to soften before you get to them.  I prefer a crispy crunch with my cannoli cream!  :)


(Pictures to come later this evening…)

Early Summer Paleo CSB, week 3

For the last Paleo CSB pickup, each member will be taking home a box of assorted cookies.  It should be noted that when I tell people they'll be receiving a dozen cookies, "dozen" is used loosely.  I almost always slip many more than 12 cookies in a box, as I typically make them more of a homemade size, not the gigantic rounds found in restaurants and stores, and sandwich cookies could be possibly counted as two also.  The smaller size makes them perfect for portion control, slipping into lunch boxes, and for toting in backpacks on hikes.

Paleo cookies are not necessarily diet food.  They're calorically dense, but also filled with nutrition and energy that you just can't get from regular sugary, white flour based versions.  They help cure a craving for sweet, but also nourish one's body.  They freeze well too, if you'd like to save some for later on.

~Ginger Spice Grain Free Cookies (almond flour, organic coconut sugar, organic coconut oil, organic eggs, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, sea salt)

~Chocolate Chunk Cookies (almond flour, organic maple syrup, organic coconut oil, organic vegan dark chocolate from Lillie Belle Farms,* organic eggs, baking soda, sea salt, locally brewed vanilla)

~Chewy Almond Snickerdoodles (almond flour, organic coconut sugar, organic coconut oil, organic maple syrup, organic eggs, cinnamon, locally brewed vanilla, baking soda, cream of tartar, sea salt)

~Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies (almond flour, organic raw cacao, organic maple syrup, organic coconut oil, organic eggs, mini vegan dark chocolate chips, peanuts, organic palm oil, local honey, locally brewed vanilla, baking soda, sea salt)


*The dark chocolate I use is organic and vegan, and is locally made.  It does have some organic evaporated cane juice in it, though, which isn't exactly paleo.  Also, the eggs that I use are fed organic, soy free feed, and live their happy lives locally, in the pasture.

Early Summer Paleo CSB, week 2

A special thanks to the Paleo CSB members who signed up for the current session.  I am LOVING experimenting with healthier desserts and ingredient combinations!!  It's so much fun finding different solutions that actually taste amazing, like the "frosting" I used for today's cupcakes!  It's so light and fluffy, just a hint of sweetness, and I'm undoubtedly going to incorporate it in more of my family's treats from here on out.  :)

Paleo CSB members are each taking home a box of assorted cupcakes today.  Please store them in the refrigerator, and if you choose to freeze them, I suggest removing the fresh berries on top prior to doing so (or plan on eating them slightly frozen.  Once fresh berries defrost they get really weepy.).

Ingredients in the cupcakes:  Organic coconut flour, organic eggs from local pasture raised hens, organic almond milk, organic local blueberries, local raw honey, organic lemon juice, locally brewed vanilla extract, baking soda, sea salt.

Ingredients in the frosting:  Coconut cream, local raw honey, organic lemon juice.