Sugar-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free GAPS “Cookies”

For me, one of the most difficult parts of being on a gut healing diet, like GAPS, is the lack of pastries being made in my home. I’ve been a baker for most of my life…I can’t just shut that off. Many of the GAPS recipes for nut flour breads or treats require many eggs to hold it together. With my new found allergy to eggs, it’s been difficult to use typical GAPS recipes. The egg-free recipes I have found on the web are flavorless and have a gritty texture. Some people can tolerate these because, well, it’s better than nothing! I totally disagree. Which is why I have perfected this recipe for GAPS/SCD cookies. They are so yummy and a bit addictive (so be careful not to over do it!). I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Kabocha and Cashew Butter Cinnamon Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Cups Fresh Winter Squash (Pumpkin, Kabocha, Butternut, etc)

1 Cup Organic Raw Nut Butter (Cashew, Walnut, Almond, etc)

1/3 Cup Fat (Lard, Duck Fat, Ghee, etc)

2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Unrefined Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 325. Remove seeds and skin of winter squash. Cut into cubes and pulse in a food processor until mostly pureed. Add nut butter, fat, cinnamon and salt. Process until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping down the side of the bowl a couple times to make sure it’s well incorporated. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of batter per cookie onto baking sheet and press down slightly. Batter will spread just a bit. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Turn oven off and let cool in oven. Remove from baking sheet and enjoy. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Makes about 3 dozen soft chewy cookies.

Occasionally, if I will be out of the house for a long period of time without cooler access, I will dry the cookies out a bit more to make a kind of shelf-stable product that I keep in my pocket! These cookies are baked for 10 minutes at 350 and then the oven is turned down to 250 for an additional hour. These will be a crunchy, but chewy cookie that keeps well at room temperature for a day or two. Just make sure to stay hydrated with bone broth or water with a bit of apple cider vinegar added when eating these dry cookies.

Mint Chocolate Pots De Creme

Chocolate. I had been craving chocolate anything for months. Doing a 30 day sugar detox felt great and detoxifying. It’s a great way to ring in the warm weather. But, now I am ready to splurge! Here is my recipe for chocolate mint pots de creme. I used fresh mint leaves from Absalona Greenhouse, and organic, pastured (soy-free) eggs from Freedom Food Farm. I have also used duck eggs from Pat’s Pastured in the past with great results. I use raw honey as a sweetener, as it is the easiest for most people to digest and does not spike the blood sugar. This is also dairy free! Coconut milk makes a great substitution for milk or cream. This decadent dessert is smooth and rich…I only needed a few spoonfuls to be satisfied.
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Coconut milk and fresh mint leaves.
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100% cocoa baking bar. Chopped finely for easy mixing.

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Slowly mixing milk/egg base with chopped chocolate.

Ingredients:
4 oz organic 100% cocao unsweetened chocolate bar, finely chopped
1 can full-fat coconut milk
2 large egg yolks
2 oz fresh mint leaves, chopped
3 oz raw honey (or your choice of sweetener)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
A couple drops of peppermint oil (optional for extra mintyness)

Preparation Method:
1. Finely chop chocolate, place in a bowl and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, combine coconut milk and chopped mint leaves. Simmer (do not boil!) for about 10 minutes, or until the mint leaves have released their flavor. Strain out mint leaves.
3. Whisk eggs yolks in a bowl and add about a tablespoon of the hot coconut milk. Mix well. Slowly add remaining coconut milk to egg until fully incorporated.
4. Combine coconut milk/egg mixture with raw honey and sea salt back into the saucepan. Heat at low/medium heat (do not boil), stirring constantly until it forms a smooth custard and coats the back of a spoon (about 12 min). It should reach a final temperature of 175 degrees. Remove from heat.
5. Set a fine-mesh strainer (or cheesecloth) over the bowl of chopped chocolate. Pour the custard through the strainer to remove any lumps. Let the hot custard sit on top of the chocolate for about 5 minutes or so. You want the chocolate to get warm and melty before you mix them together.
6. After the 5 minutes is up, with a spatula, slowly and gently mix the two together. A slow mix is essential to a stable emulsion. Once you’ve got a smooth mixture, stir in the vanilla extract.
7. Pour custard into 2 oz ramekins or cups (I used espresso cups). Let come to room temperature and then cover with plastic wrap. Place pots de creme in the refrigerator to set-up for at least 4 hours. I find that 24 hours gives a richer texture.
8. When ready to serve, remove from fridge and let sit at room temp for about 10 minutes. Optionally top with whipped coconut cream and fresh mint leaves.
9. Enjoy!!

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Ready to eat in cute espresso cups.

Easy Sprouted Whole Wheat Pancakes

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Richard is a huge fan of pancakes. Whenever we eat breakfast out, he orders a single pancake with his meal. Knowing any more than that will hurt his tender gut. So, for over a year I have been trying many different recipes to make him the cakes he is craving. Most of the recipes are from soaked flour…not resulting in the fluffy, white flour cake he’s looking for. Then I came across this flour at Whole Foods. Sprouted flour! I’ve used it in many recipes and its super easy on the gut. Its the closest to white flour, in recipes, than anything else I’ve tried. And it doesn’t require preplanning, like working with soaked flours.

Easy Pancakes

1 cup Sprouted Whole Wheat Flour
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
1 cup good quality Yogurt
1/2 cup raw milk or filtered water
1/4 cup grade B maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted Pasture Butter

Mix dry ingredients and mix in wet ingredients until mostly smooth. There will still be small lumps. Heat cast iron skillet on medium heat. Melt about 1 tablespoon butter on pan. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter on pan. Once the edges start the brown, about 2 minutes, flip pancake and cook an additional minute. Transfer to slightly warm oven while you cook the rest. Serve with warmed maple syrup and melted butter or fresh organic fruit.

Makes 4 servings.

Soaked Chocolate Cupcakes with Whipped Marscapone Cream

Traditional societies usually soak or ferment grains before ingesting them. This process will neutralize phytates and enzyme inhibitors and, in a way, predigest the grains so that all of their nutrients are more available. The phosphorus in the bran of whole grains is held up by phytic acid. Phytic acid joins iron, calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc in the intestinal tract, blocking their absorption. For this reason, many people who are allergic to grains will tolerate them well, when prepared properly.

Whole grains that have been processed by high heat and pressure, like puffed wheat or rice cakes, are actually very toxic and have caused death in test animals. Breakfast cereal has been heat and pressure treated to make those little flakes and shapes…all breakfast cereals should be avoided. Most importantly, through the heat and pressure treating, most nutrients are destroyed…including phytase, an enzyme that breaks down some of the phytic acid in the digestive tract.

Genetically modified grains contain foreign proteins that are irritating to the digestive tract. Please take care in purchasing your grains and legumes. Grains are best when organically grown. Be careful to check the ingredients label for foreign ingredients. “Enriched” flours will contain additional vitamins and minerals that are not derived from food and are difficult to digest and for the body to absorb properly. Whole, organic, freshly ground grains will contain the highest levels of nutrients.

Sprouting, soaking and sour leavening are three ways we can accomplish “predigestion” for grains to keep the phytic acid at bay. The method for spouting all grains is the same…only the length of time needed varies. Cover with water, soak, drain, rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse. Once they have sprouts…they can be steamed and eaten, dried and ground for use in baked goods.

I love my grain mill (thanks Mom and Dad!) but I know not everyone has one. Another way to accomplish predigestion is soaking the already ground grain. Soak equal parts of flour and water for at least 7 hours…then use. As you can imagine I have had a difficult time changing my recipes to suit a “wet” flour. I am still working on the perfect cookie. But in the mean time I have a wonderful recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes with Whipped Marscapone Cream.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Whipped Marscapone Cream

1 Cup filtered water, at room temp
1 Cup Whole grain organic flour, of your choice
Juice of 1 fresh squeezed lemon

1/2 Cup (1 stick) Pasture Butter, at room temp
3/4 Cup unrefined cane sugar or pure maple syrup
3/4 cup raw cocoa powder or carob powder
2 pasture raised eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Combine first three ingredients in a ceramic or glass bowl, stir until combined, covered with a cloth for 7-12 hours. Pour off the layer of water on top just before using.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Once thoroughly combined and creamy add one egg at a time until just together. Add the remaining ingredients and the soaked flour and stir together. Line cupcake pan and fill almost to the top. Bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

1/2 cup pasture raised cream, preferably raw
1/2 cup Marscapone cheese, room temp
1/4 cup raw, local honey
Zest of 1 lemon

Whip cream to stiff peaks. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Top cupcakes and enjoy!

Nutritional Supplement… Truffles?

Consuming foods that have nutritional value has become very important to me. As most of you know, I am an experienced pastry chef. It has been fun experimenting in the kitchen with new sugars, flours and fats.

I have developed tasty organic chocolate truffles infused with nutritional oils. One truffle will contain a day’s nutritional value of omega 3-6-9. A combination of organic, cold pressed oils will provide omega 3 fatty acids: alpha-linolenic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, omega 6 fatty acids: gamma-linolenic acid, omega 9 fatty acid: oleic acids and medium chain fatty acids: Laurie acid, caprylic acid and capric acid.

Adding these good fats to your diet will provide you with more energy and actually burn body fat when combined with exercise. They will also help digest your meals and absorb the vitamins and minerals easier.