Aren’t these tulips beautiful! Shameer got them for me for my birthday yesterday. We’re having a little house party today and I made a cacao and coconut cream pie. It’s gluten and dairy free, and the only sweetener is with whole dates. (Although I did use a lot of them) If you are watching your sugar just reduce the amount of dates and amount of cacao powder. I used a lot of both because I like the bitter flavor of dark chocolate and wanted that flavor to stand out, but I had to balance it out with a lot of dates so it would be sweet enough to serve to a group of people expecting dessert.
My fiance loves almond cake. Whenever we go to Rainbow Acres, which is a local health food store, he gets their almond cake. So when I got those cute little mini bundt cake molds, I wanted to experiment with some almond flour baking in my new food processor. Normally for my muffins, I use less sugar since they are a breakfast food. Since this was a cake recipe, I decided to be generous with the amount of coconut sugar I added. I wouldn’t consider this a health food, but a healthier alternative to store bought dessert.
Dairy and Grain Free Almond Cake with Coconut Sugar
For Christmas, we usually make this Thumb Print Cookie Recipe – from Favorite Recipes From Our Best Cook by Josephine Quagliana. This is an old cookbook from Nonny, my Italian grandmother, who gave this cookbook to my mother. My mom and I use this cookbook every year to make Christmas cookies. My mom and I decided to make an adapted version of this recipe that is gluten and dairy free.
Original Thumb Print Cookie Recipe:
Ingredients
1/2 c. butter
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
2 c. flour
3 tbsp milk
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups chopped walnuts
Directions
Cream together shortening and sugar. Beat in egg. Mix in salt, baking powder, vanilla and flour. Add 3 tablespoons of milk to dough. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in finely chopped nuts. Depress center with thumb. Bake on greased baking sheet at 350 degrees 8-10 minutes. Remove to cool. Depress center again. Fill with jam or jelly.
Dairy and Grain Free Thumbprints with Coconut Sugar
I kept this recipe really simple because I love dates, and I think they taste great on their own. I normally try to keep them out of apartment, because I would snack on them all day and they contain a ton of sugar. So if you are seriously ill, consult your doctor or nutritionist before eating these.
I added some chopped cashews for texture and crunch. My fiance loves cashews so I thought I would make a lot and share them. If you like coconut, try using coconut flakes instead. Feel free to add some sea salt, cinnamon, or cacao powder to them if you want to mix up the flavors. I plan on keeping them in my purse when I fly back home to New Jersey, as a healthy alternative to sweets and granola bars. They would also be a great snack to take hiking, or when you need a little extra energy. This could also be a fun project with kids, as it is very hands on project and requires no baking.
I’ve been trying to get more gelatin in my diet, so I decided to experiment with Great Lakes Unflavored Gelatin in addition to making bone broth. I’m currently reading The MELT Method by Sue Hitzmann which focuses on self massage techniques for connective tissue, and since gelatin is great for connective tissue it should help people who are in chronic pain. The Great Lakes brand is from a grass-fed beef source and is a kosher product. I am also putting their collagen hydrolysate into my morning green smoothie, for a tiny bit of added protein that is high in the amino acids glycine and proline. Since these amino acids are found more in organ meat and bone broth, than muscle meats, many people may benefit from supplementing if they don’t want to eat or can’t afford those foods. This supplement and protein powder are also very reasonably priced, especially in comparison to designer protein powders that have a long list of questionable ingredients.
I’ve also noticed that since I started making these puddings, I’ve had a decreased craving for processed healthy desserts from whole foods. Since these can be expensive, and it’s healthier to cook and use your own ingredients anyway, I’m very glad I decided to start adding puddings into my arsenal of healthy recipes.
3 tbsp of grade b maple syrup or other sweetener (optional)
Instructions
Slowly mix gelatin in a small amount of cold water.
Add water to stove to slowly heat, and completely dissolved gelatin. Do not boil it will break down it's ability to gel. Just heat until you start to see steam.
Blend mango, lime juice, maple syrup and add dissolved gelatin water.
Pour into cups and refridgerate for a few hours, or if impatient a half hour in the freezer will be okay.
