Almond Flour Scoop Biscuits

In my attempt to greatly increase beneficial veggies, herbs and spices and lower the sugar and carbs in my diet, I am revisiting some favorite old recipes and sites. One of my very favorite sites is Elana's Pantry. Elana has beautiful, simple to follow recipes using some of my favorite ingredients like almond flour and coconut flour. She has been such a great inspiration and made our gluten free living so much sweeter - especially her gluten free cupcakes!

These days I find that my veggie meals fill me up initially, but my tummy starts to rumble well before my next meal. Adding a little more low carb protein helps balance things out for me. Elana's biscuit recipe is relatively low carb and easy to make, but with my energy levels waning these last few weeks between surgery and the flu I found a way to make them even easier and lowered the carbs further.

While I loved the flavor of coconut oil in Elana's recipe, the coconut oil I have on hand is very strong. I love it at breakfast but it kind of clashes with some meals.

Switching out to an avocado oil gave the finished biscuits a really mild flavor and the same nice texture. Cutting the sweetener out completely still left a delicious biscuit. Adding all the ingredients to the same bowl and scooping each biscuit with a baking scoop (ice cream scoop) cut washing and prep time in almost half. The scoop makes a drop biscuit much more uniformly. Baking them in a 9x13 glass pan that I can store in the fridge meant one less pan to wash, too.  I'm not sure if necessity is the mother of invention or exhaustion is. Either way, it's a win.

I've been using Blue Diamond Almond Flour since our Costco started carrying it. I know that isn't a brand Elana used to recommend but it has worked very well for me. I've also made the recipe vegan because of all I am reading about flax meal again. Still great texture but I'll include the egg/flax information so you can decide what works best for you.

The biggest issue I have with nut flour baking is the calorie content. It is high, but one biscuit is satisfying and makes a big mug of miso soup a meal. It rounds out a smoothie or a salad and holds me over. I just have to resist the temptation to eat several.

Almond Flour Scoop Biscuits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl stir together:

1/2 cup Avocado Oil
4 Flax Eggs (4 Tablespoons Golden Flax Meal plus 6 ounces water OR 4 large eggs for non-vegan biscuits)
1 teaspoon Salt - Sea Salt or Himalayan pink are my favorites
1 teaspoon Baking Soda

Once well combined, add:

5 cups Almond Flour

Mix well and don't worry about over mixing like traditional flour. These will still be moist and tender. Once fully mixed take your handy scoop and scoop out 12 to 14 nice round biscuits onto a baking sheet or right into a 13x9 baking pan. After scooping I usually give the round biscuits a little push with the back of the scoop to flatten slightly as in the photo above. Both pans have worked perfectly and whether you leave them round or flatten they bake pretty much the same.

Either pan, bake at 350 degrees approximately 15 - 20 minutes - a bit longer in the baking pan and a bit shorter on the baking sheet. They'll be a light golden when done as in the photo on the right. Be sure to let them cool about twenty minutes or they might be crumbly as in my photo at the top. I store mine a few days in the fridge and bake about once a week. If I want a warm biscuit I just pop it in the toaster oven for a couple of minutes.

Enjoy!

*Or 4 Large Eggs for Non-Vegan Biscuits

March Muffin Madness With Gluten Free Easily!

I am so excited to be a part of Shirley Braden's March Muffin Madness over at her amazing site: Gluten Free Easily.

Every day this month Shirley has been featuring a different muffin recipe from various gluten free bloggers. It's been so fun to check out each recipe - they are all so different and they all look delicious. Check them all out and be sure to comment on her posts as she has some amazing prizes lined up!

And spend some time on Gluten Free Easily. I've told many friends that I wish I'd known of it when we first went gluten free. Not only does Shirley have dozens of her own wonderful recipes, she features lots of other bloggers on GFE Facebook page and her all dessert site: All Gluten-Free Desserts All the Time!

Shirley will be featuring one of my very favorite, high protein muffins, my Sneaky Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins.  My family cannot taste the sneaky ingredient and I love that they're getting extra nutrition.

Now, go! Check out March Muffin Madness and all the wonderful muffin recipes! Enjoy!

Easy Peasy GF(CF) French Toast

While making a hot breakfast in the morning isn't my claim to fame, I've actually made this easy French Toast two mornings in a row. It's that quick and easy.

Udi's sells wonderfully large loaves of their bread at Costco. Normal adult bread sized slices of bread that make sandwiches and toast that fit my guys' appetites. The texture of Udi's is great for French toast as well, it absorbs lots of egg mixture without getting soggy.

This is an easy recipe to divide in half or double. I just keep the same ratio of one large egg and 1/3 cup of light coconut milk to three slices (or four smaller slices) of bread. The light coconut milk I use is Trader Joe's. It has a pour-able consistency that makes it a great sub for regular milk in many recipes. I fry these up in either coconut oil (CF) or butter and we like both versions.

Easy Peasy GF(CF) French Toast

Preheat skillet (I prefer cast iron)

Six slices GF bread such as Udi's
2 large Eggs
2/3 cup Light Coconut Milk
pinch of vanilla bean powder (optional but nice)
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil or Butter for Frying

In a low, wide bowl or 8x8 square pan whisk Eggs and Coconut milk and add the Vanilla Bean Powder if using.

Briefly soak each slice in the egg mixture and fry in Coconut Oil or Butter a few minutes on each side until lightly browned. While Joe prefers them plain or with butter, a topping of fruit preserves is delicious, too.


Enjoy!

Friday Finds - Pamela's Whenever Bars

Pamela's Whenever Oat Chocolate Chip Coconut Bars have called my name many times in many different stores for a while but on a visit to Harmony Farms a couple of weeks ago I finally grabbed a box. I had really tried not to give in because I knew I'd have another Pamela's addiction. Pamela's pancake and bread mixes are always in my pantry. Everyone - gluten free or not loves them. As predicted, these are absolutely amazing. The Oat Chocolate Chip Coconut flavor is perfect. Moist, chewy oats and the perfect balance of chocolate and coconut - two of my favorite flavors.

This morning Joe had to get his wisdom teeth out and we had to leave really early. My Joe is a breakfast guy so leaving without eating wasn't easy for him and I didn't want to eat in front of him. I stuck some into my bag for Chris and I to eat after Joe went back to surgery.

Lots of coffee and one and a half bars later I'm still going strong. While the bars aren't big they are really satisfying. They're a great size to keep in your bag or backpack for those times you get stuck out longer than you expect and can't find something healthy and gluten free. I'll be picking up another box (or two) today.

And please don't forget about The Raleigh Gluten and Allergen Free Wellness Event next month. So many favorites will be there.

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffin Bread!

It's good to be a ChaCha for so many reasons. I loved the name the very moment my Ev gave it to me three years ago and I adore that his sweet and sassy little sister yells "my ChaCha" and comes running when I pick her up from camp. Ev will tell you it is a very good name and he's excited (and just a little proud) that our soon to be grandbaby Aiden will be calling me ChaCha when he's old enough.

Being ChaCha has it's perks, too!  When Ev and Ollie went blueberry picking at Herndon Hills Farms last week, Gabby gave me a huge bag of the most gorgeous, freshest blueberries I've seen in a long time. While I haven't been to Herndon Hills Farms, Gabby vetted the farm and they use only natural materials approved by the OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) and are working towards organic certification. Gabby's photos show how beautiful the farm is, too. Lucky for me, Evan and Ollie can pick a lot more berries than they can eat! Can you see that Ollie can hardly hold up her own bucket!?!

I wanted to make some gluten free coconut flour muffins, similar to these but with a splash of lime juice and chock full of blueberries. Since I had just washed the loaf pan and it was still on the counter, I used it instead of the muffin pan and liners, although this recipe should make twelve muffins easily.

And please take a moment to read Pam's blog at I'm A Celiac on the Gluten Free and Allergen Free Wellness Event next month in Durham! It's a wonderful blog to sit and explore when you have some time. In this post, Pam's got lots of information and some really helpful tips for first time visitors. It would be wonderful to see lots of friends there!

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffin Bread

Heat oven to 400 degrees

This lemon "glaze"? Will tell more soon!

Grease a Pyrex loaf pan with Coconut Oil 

1/2 cup Coconut Flour

1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

6 Eggs

1/2 cup Coconut Milk, canned

1/3 cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Combine all ingredients in bowl of Kitchenaid mixer on low speed to combine.  Increase speed to medium high for two minutes or until smooth. 

Gently mix in.

1 Cup Fresh Blueberries 

Pour into greased pan and bake for approximately 50 minutes until golden brown. You can use a toothpick to test the center, but you'll know it's ready when you gently press on the center of the loaf and it feels firm.

Enjoy!

Pi Day - Creamy Chocolate Filled Coconut Whoopie Pies

I love Pi Day - although Joe appreciates the math side of this "holiday" I much prefer the baking side. These whoopie pies are similar to last Pi Day's recipe in that they are coconut flour based. The cake is vanilla with shredded coconut and the filling is a delicious light and creamy chocolate sweetened with dates. 

Yes, I am very aware that my whoopie pies look much more like hamburgers than dainty, delicious desserts. They admittedly could have been a little thinner but no one complained.

This filling is amazing. It's a total knock off of a delicious chocolate mousse from Vegan-Magic that's been floating around Pinterest. Vegan-Magic is a new site to me and I've been enjoying looking at all of the wonderful recipes Adriana has posted. Please check it out.

Creamy Chocolate Filled Coconut Whoopie Pies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees - grease pan with coconut oil.

Made seven for me but next time I'd probably aim for eight.

The Cakes:

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted & cooled a bit
2/3 cup organic cane sugar

1/2 cup water

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients and beat on low until well combined. Turn mixer to medium and give it at least three or four minutes.  

I filled fourteen wells on my pans, you might aim for sixteen for a less hamburger appearance.  Bake about 15 - 20 minutes until they are set in the center. Cool a few minutes before removing from pan and cooling on a rack or plate.

While your cakes are baking make the filling:

Creamy Chocolate Filling:

1 cup Coconut Cream (See Note)

1/2 cup (8) Organic Medjool Dates, roughly chopped

3 Tablespoons Cocoa

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until creamy and well mixed. There will be flecks of dates in the chocolate cream. That's deliciously okay. There will be plenty to fill the pies even if you make an extra one or two.

Note: The coconut cream I used today was from canned, full fat coconut milk. Refrigerate the can overnight and use the hardened, white layer on top. Reserve remaining coconut milk in a glass or plastic container, covered, in your fridge.

Divide filling and spread over half of the cakes, top with another cake and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Date Granola Cookie Bars

I made these bars yesterday for Joe to take to a youth event at a friend's house. Since there are now a few kids in the group who are also gluten free and others who are healthy eaters, I wanted to make something safe for the gf'ers and enjoyable for everyone else. The cookies turned out soft and chewy and seemed to be a hit.

My oatmeal date cookie recipe is fast and easy and very flexible. Omitting the sugar altogether and letting the dates and chocolate chips sweeten the batter worked well. Adding an extra egg, the extra almond butter and pecans upped the protein. 

Since yesterday was a busy morning I didn't have time or inclination to scoop dozens of cookies out and bake several sheets.  Instead I covered a large baking sheet with parchment, dumped the cookie dough on to it and used clean, wet hands to smooth the dough into one large rectangle about a half inch thick. They baked up beautifully and I was able to cut nearly sixty small bars with a pizza cutter in no time.

Breanna, this recipe is for you! 

For some reason Blogger has "bolded" the rest of this post. I guess I won't have to wear my reading glasses when I refer back to it! ;-)

Chocolate Chip Date Granola Cookie Bars
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cover one large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the following a large mixing bowl:

12 Organic Medjool Dates, chopped

1 1/2 cups Natural Almond Butter

4 large Eggs

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

I used my Kitchen Aid and let it mix on medium a couple of minutes until the dates were breaking down and the batter looked creamy but with a few flecks of dates.

Then add:

4 cups GF Rolled Oats

1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 cup raw Pecan pieces

1 cup mini chocolate chips - I used Enjoy Life 


Mix everything together until well mixed. Your dough will be stiff and heavy.

Dump out the dough onto your baking sheet and, using clean, wet hands smooth the dough out into one large rectangle about one half inch thick.

Bake approximately 15 minutes and let cool a few minutes before cutting.  I used a pizza wheel to make cutting fast and easy. My bars were approximately one inch by two inches and I was able to get nearly 60.  

Allow to cool completely before removing from pan.

They made a yummy breakfast today, too!

Enjoy!

Monday Mix - Brit Bits!

Last night was one of those not nearly enough sleep nights for me. Nights like that generally result in carb craving days and today was no different.

So I grabbed a bag of Pamela's Pancake and Baking Mix from the top shelf of the pantry.

Pamela's mixes are something I don't use weekly because I try to focus on whole foods that are naturally gluten free, but I always keep some on hand.

When we have non-gluten free friends over these mixes are perfect for keeping everyone happy. They do not taste or feel gluten free at all. I've mentioned Pamela's a few times here.

I tried to head it off the carb cravings with a healthy breakfast of kale and eggs with a little smoked salmon on the side. Such an easy protein breakfast - it's just one egg and a large handful of kale processed/pureed together and cooked just like scrambled eggs. Yummy and indulgent, but after a while I still needed to bake. I used Joe as my excuse for a carb fix. If I'm baking for Joe then it's got to be okay, right?

Joe really enjoys English muffins and biscuits and it seemed I could combine the two for something fast, easy and tasty. The dough mixed up in moments. I added some flax for more fiber and nutrition and kept the dough on the savory side by using extra virgin olive oil. Giving each side a quick browning on a hot cast iron pan gives them the look of an English muffin but the texture isn't too far from a biscuit even with all the flax meal. Since this recipe makes just six they won't be around too long. After a quick debate we named them Brit Bits.

Brit Bits
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and cast iron pan to medium heat on stove top.
Line baking sheet with parchment.
Makes six.

2 2/3 Pamela's Pancake and Baking Mix
3 Tablespoons Flax Meal
3 Tablespoons Oil (I used EVOO)
1 Cup Water

Divide dough into six portions and roll into balls, flatten slightly.

On a hot cast iron pan (mine is an over sized skillet so I could easily do three at a time) cook about a minute or two, flip and cook one or two more minutes - you just want them to have a nice golden color on each size.

Place each bit onto your parchment lined baking sheet as they are browned.

Bake approximately fifteen minutes - they'll feel pretty firm but not hard to the touch.  Let cool slightly.

Slice and toast as you would an English muffin. They were perfect with butter and jam for a mid-morning treat. Joe says they're even good plain.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Coconut Overnight Oats

There are a few posts rolling around in my head and lots of photos on my camera but life has been busy and this blog has been on the back burner for a bit. So this long overdue post is thanks to Gabby and a recipe she pinned on Pinterest. We messaged a bit about the ingredients and the more I looked things over the more I knew I wanted to try one.

She sent me this link from Monica at The Yummy Life which give recipes for several overnight refrigerator oatmeal breakfasts made in small mason jars. Each recipe is based on oats, chia seeds, milk, Greek yogurt and honey. The variations included chopped fruits, cocoa and other goodies. She just adds each ingredient to the jar, screws the lid on and gives it a good shake. The next morning you pull them out of the fridge and there's breakfast. Everyone one of her variations looked wonderful. As I followed the links from post to post I found out this is a pretty popular breakfast.

Look at this one The Yummy Life linked from this one from Christie at Pepper Lynn - pumpkin peanut butter??

Pepper Lynn linked - Angela of Oh She Glows Carob Banana Chia Vegan Overnight Oats and Kath of Kath Eats Real Food's recipes including yummy strawberry banana version.

Just checking out each of the sites above was fun, informative and very distracting - all but one was new to me and I'll be spending more time checking out all of them.

I really love the idea of all the healthy ingredients, the quick mixing and the fact we can have an instant breakfast in the morning with such a short time investment the night before. But cold oatmeal? I wasn't so sure about it but was willing to give it a try.

This is the one that caught my eye from the original Yummy Life post - chocolate and banana. The single serving jars in the recipe are such a great idea if you need a breakfast on the run. I chose to make it in my Vitamix and quadrupled the recipe. I thought a smoother texture would be more appealing to me.

My only real sub was coconut milk since we don't use regular milk.  It was really delicious.  Cold oatmeal may take a bit of getting used to but it's almost like chocolate pudding for breakfast.

Because I really don't tolerate fruit well I decided to make another batch with a chocolate peanut butter combination. Quadrupling the recipe again I just subbed approximately one cup of peanut butter for the banana. I thought it was creamy and delicious but I will be honest - I was informed that not everyone is a fan of cold oats here.

While I really liked the chocolate peanut butter I wanted to try something completely dairy free.  I used coconut milk, shredded coconut and a bit of coconut oil for a nice punch of coconut. I probably should have left out the cocoa for something really different but I couldn't make myself do it. This is far and away my favorite blend.

Again I whirled everything but the oats in the Vitamix but you can mix this up anyway you like. In a blender, in a bowl with a spoon or you could use a very large jar and shake everything up. If you're concerned about the chia seed texture but want to keep the protein and other health benefits I'd use the blender. Here's how I did it:

Chocolate Coconut Overnight Oats

1 can Coconut Milk (15 - 16 ounce)
1 cup Water
1 cup Shredded Coconut
2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds
4 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
4 Tablespoons Raw Honey
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
1 Cup Gluten Free Rolled Oats

Put everything but the oats into a Vitamix (or regular blender) and mix until well incorporated.  Pour the mixture over the oats, stir and cover. Refridgerate overnight.

Makes four servings and can be topped with more shredded coconut or, as Gabby suggested - chocolate chips!

Enjoy!

Sneaky Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins

This is my new love – a healthy muffin that tastes like a peanut butter cup! Using butternut squash is the sneaky part. Years ago when we were beginning our journey to better health I found this recipe on Pecan Bread.  It was fast and full of protein so it made me happy – it tasted like a regular banana muffin to my family so they were happy.  It was an easy recipe to adapt depending on what type of nut butter I had on hand and what type of fruit or veggie was handy.  Carrot pulp straight from the juicer was actually a favorite – they were just like little carrot cakes.  I made dozens of them in all shapes and sizes and flavors and eventually just stopped making them and forgot about them.

Today I checked out the Pecan Bread site for a friend and saw my old favorite.  I realized it was the perfect base recipe for an idea I had been playing with.  I wanted to sneak butternut squash and all the vitamins and minerals it contains into a muffin.  I also wanted a peanut butter cup flavor but not an overly sweet muffin.  These came out exactly as I’d hoped.

They call for baking soda and apple cider vinegar which may sound funny.  The chemical reaction between them give the muffins those wonderful tiny bubbles and soft texture of regular flour baking.  If you’re Feingold Stage 1 you can substitute any approved vinegar.

Sneaky Chocolate Peanut Butter  Muffins

Preheat oven to 375 – prepare muffin tins

Mix together with stand mixer or food processor until creamy:

1 16 ounce jar all natural peanut butter

1 can 15 ounce butternut squash puree (or two cups home cooked and pureed)

½ cup cocoa

1/3 cup organic sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Stir in:

1 cup miniature chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life)

Spoon into 18 muffin tins and bake for approximately 15 minutes.  They will feel soft and won’t get a browned crust.  Test with a toothpick to be sure.

Enjoy!

Jumbo Peanut Butter Oatmeal Muffins

Here’s another simple and delicious gluten free recipe with no combination of gluten free flours or gums to mix.  In fact, no flour at all.  Gluten Free Oats are the main ingredient.  While oats are technically gluten free, it’s important to buy gluten free oats as they are often contaminated in the field and in processing.  

Like my breakfast cake it is a sweet treat in the morning but as muffins they are also a quick grab and go snack. This recipe combines peanut butter and oatmeal to duplicate the taste of Gabby’s famous Jumbo Cookies. Adding So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk gives just enough vanilla and sweetness.  The finely milled flax adds nutrition and gives the muffins a great texture.

I have very tall muffin liners I found at World Market right now so I can fill the tins up to the very top and make 13 truly jumbo muffins as shown in the jumbo hand in the picture.  If you use regular sized liners (or have smaller appetites than my guys) you can make about 24 small muffins.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl mix:

4 large eggs

1 cup So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk*

½ cup grapeseed oil *

½ cup peanut butter

2/3 cup sugar

Add to bowl:

3 cups gluten free oats

6 T finely milled golden flax

2 t baking powder

At this point I briefly use my immersion blender and finish mixing with a spoon.  By using the blender for under a minute about half the oats will be finely chopped giving the final muffin a finer texture. (If you mix by hand they will have a larger crumb but be just as yummy).

Fill the liners and bake.  Jumbo muffins took 17 minutes in my oven.  Start checking smaller muffins thee or four minutes earlier.

* The last several times I've made these muffins I have omitted the So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk and the grapeseed oil and used 1 1/2 cups of light coconut milk from Trader Joe's. Lightening the fat and sugar content a bit without losing any flavor. I add a splash of vanilla most times. You can also bake in a 9 x 13 pan for about 25 minutes for breakfast bars. Especially good with mini chocolate chips.

Variation – dark chocolate chips make a very special treat!  Just add one to two cups of your favorite all natural chocolate chip or chopped dark chocolate.

This is a Feingold Stage 1 recipe - just make sure to double check your ingredients in your foodlist.

Everyone should always make sure all their ingredients are gluten free.

I do realize this would have made a better post on March 14th. =D

Grab a cup of tea and enjoy.