Desserts

Banana Chocolate Ice Cream

Banana ice cream is soooo easy and so good.

3 ripe bananas (a few tiny black spots is good)
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder*

• A day (or four hours before you are going to crave ice cream), peel and slice the bananas into 1/2" slices.
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and line the banana slices up on the sheet.

• Place the sheet in the freezer for a minimum of four hours - they need to be frozen solid.
• Dump all the banana slices into a food processor.

• Pulse a few times to get it started and then run the processor until the mixture looks like soft ice cream - about five minutes.  You may have to scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times.

• Add the tablespoon of cocoa powder and process for another 30 seconds.
• That's it - ready to eat!

It freezes well, though you need to take it out of the freezer 20 minutes or so before you want to eat it.

* If you want to add a 1/4 cup f mini chocolate chips, stir them in after you take the ice cream out of the processor.

Serves 3-4

Paleo Baked Donuts

(from Fast Paleo)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a donut pan with coconut oil.  Makes 6 donuts.

½ cup almond flour

½ cup coconut flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

¼ cup honey

3 eggs

2 Tbsp. coconut oil + 2 Tbsp. melted to brush donuts after they come out of the oven

½ cup almond milk

1 tsp. lemon juice

Coconut sugar

Cinnamon

1.       Combine almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.

2.       In a separate bowl, mix the honey, eggs, coconut oil, almond milk and lemon juice.

3.       Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until combined.

4.       Divide the mixture evenly between the 6 donut cups.

5.       Bake for 13-15 minutes or until nicely browned and then remove carefully while still warm.

6.       Combine the coconut sugar and cinnamon in a cereal bowl.

7.       Use a pastry brush and brush each donut with melted coconut oil, then dip each side of 

          donut in coconut sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Frosting

(from The Paleo Mom)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin pan with liners.

2/3 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup coconut oil

6 eggs

¼ cup cocoa powder

2 Tbsp. coconut flour

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

1.       Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil together in a bowl over gently simmering water.  Let

          cool for several minutes.

2.       Place eggs, vanilla and salt in a blender.  Blend briefly to blend eggs.

3.       Add a small amount of the cooled chocolate mixture and pulse again to temper the eggs.

4.       Then add the rest of the chocolate mixture and blend for 30 seconds.

5.       Add the cocoa powder, coconut flour and baking soda.  Blend for another 30 seconds.

6.       Pour the batter into the muffin liners (cups will be filled about ¾ full) – the batter is thin.

7.       Bake for 17-18 minutes (test with a toothpick) – don’t over bake.

8.       Remove the muffins carefully as soon as they come from the oven and cool completely

          on a rack.

Chocolate Ganache

2/3 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 can full-fat (Paleo-ites aren’t afraid of good fat) coconut milk (Let a can of coconut milk sit overnight in the refrigerator.  Carefully open the can and scoop the thick top layer out – should be about 2/3 of a cup)

1.       Melt chocolate chips in a bowl over gently simmering water.

2.       Blend in a blender until completely smooth (about 3 minutes).

3.       Let the ganache cool.  If it seems too thin, put it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.

4.       Swirl the cupcakes in the ganache, or ice with a spatula.

Date, Almond and Coconut Treats

Makes twelve treats. (I doubled the recipe)

12 Medjool dates, pitted (Costo has a large container and a good price)
1/3 cup whole almonds, skin on
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut, plus extra for rolling
1/4 tsp. pink Himalayan salt

1. Put the dates, almonds, coconut and salt into the food processor.
2. Pulse a few times to get everything roughly chopped.
   
3. Process until mixture clumps together - squeeze a tablespoon in your hand to make sure it sticks together.  You can add a drop of water if needed.
4. Use a small scoop or a tablespoon to measure out some of the mixture and then roll into balls.
   
5. Roll the balls into the reserved coconut and put on a plate.
6. Chill for an hour or eat right away - share people!

Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies (flourless!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease an 8" x 8" baking pan with coconut oil.

Brownies:
1 cup nut butter (almond or cashew) or seed butter (sunflower seed) - I used 1/2 and 1/2
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (from a can as long as it is pumpkin only)
2 large eggs (free-range if you have them)
1/3 cup maple syrup (you could use honey)
1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder (not hot chocolate mix)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand or Cusine Camino fair trade, gluten-free brand)

Topping:
1/2 cup unsalted macadamia nuts (pecans or walnuts will work too)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 Tbsp. maple syrup

1. Combine the nut butter, pumpkin puree, maple syrup and eggs in a large bowl.
2. Stir in cocoa powder, baking soda and salt - blend well.
3. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking pan.
5. Place the nuts of your choice into a small bender/chopper if you have one, or chop the nuts coarsely.
6. Add the coconut and maple syrup and pulse a couple of times to combine.
7. Sprinkle the nut mixture evenly over the uncooked brownie batter.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
   
   
   

Bacon Maple Donuts
(from Oven Love Blog)
Makes 6 donuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Lightly grease a donut pan with coconut oil.

3 strips of good bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. maple extract (not Paleo, but it is a small amount occasionally for a treat)
2 Tbsp. applesauce
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk (canned - no additives)

1. In a medium bowl, mix the coconut flour, baking soda, and coconut sugar.
2. Add the eggs, maple syrup, maple extract, applesauce and coconut milk.
3. Put the mixture into a Zip-lock bag, and cut a corner off.
4. Pipe into each well of the donut pan.  You could spoon it in, but this is less messy.
5. Bake for 25 minutes - don't overbake.

While the donuts are baking, make the maple buttercream.

6 Tbsp. good quality butter
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp. maple extract
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (more if you like)

1. Combine all the ingredients and whip with a hand mixer or a stand mixer until fluffy.
2. When the donuts are completely cool, spread the buttercream on  each donut and sprinkle with the bacon pieces.  Eat within one or two days.

Coconut Macaroons

You will need:

2 large egg whites
1/4 raw honey, melted and cooled
1/4 tsp. pink Himalayan salt
2-1/2 cups coconut flakes (I used 1-1/2 cups shredded coconut and 1 cup coconut flakes - just because)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (not in Elana's recipe, but I thought it would add something)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg whites and honey.
2. Whisk in salt and vanilla extract.
3. Stir in coconut flakes.
4. Let bowl chill in refrigerator for half an hour.
5. I used a one tablespoon ice cream scoop (firmly packed) to form balls.
6. Place the cookie balls on a parchment lined baking sheet.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.  (Mine took only ten minutes - watch so they don't burn.)

Cool for one hour.

Chocolate Drizzle:

1/4 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

1. Melt the chocolate chips and the coconut oil together.
2. Drizzle over cooled macaroons with a spoon.