Pots de Creme

Getting a Pots de Creme from the Whole Foods bakery was always a favorite treat for me.  This paleo version is so darned good I don't even miss the cream and sugar from the traditional recipe.  You can really vary the sweetness level of this recipe depending on the type of chocolate and percent cocoa that you use.  I've used unsweetened dark chocolate, 65% cocoa, and 70% cocoa.  I think the 70% is my favorite level of sweetness, but if you want zero refined sugar then choose an unsweetened dark chocolate.  I don't keep espresso powder in my pantry so I just finely grind a few coffee beans and then put the mixture through a strainer before pouring it into serving dishes.  This is also good topped with a little dab of coconut cream.

Paleo Pots de Creme by Eat, Cook, Paleo

EASY DARK CHOCOLATE POTS DE CREME

 

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Serves: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
• 4 ounces chopped unsweetened chocolate
• ¾ cup coconut milk
• 1 pint raspberries

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add all ingredients, except coconut milk and raspberries, to Vitamix in order listed and blend until smooth.
2. Heat coconut milk until very hot (do not boil).
3. With blender running on low, slowly and carefully pour hot coconut milk into blender. Blend until chocolate is completely melted, and mixture is smooth and thick.
4. Pour into serving cups and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Top with raspberries and serve.

Lemon Curd: Heavenly Yumminess in a Jar

Oh my stars, this stuff is good!  I won't take credit for the recipe.  That belongs to "The Nourishing Gourmet".   I could keep a jar of this in the fridge all the time.  It could take the place of yogurt at breakfast...add some fruit and nuts and instant parfait!

I used Meyer lemons, but those aren't always available here, next time I'll try it with plain ole lemons and see if anything changes.

Meyer Lemon Curd by the Nourishing Gourmet

3 eggs
1 T lemon zest (used 2 lemons)
1/4 to 1/3 cup raw honey
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 T of coconut oil, butter or ghee  (I used salted butter)

1.  In a medium stainless steel or enameled saucepan, whisk together the eggs, zest and honey until light colored.

2.  Add the lemon juice and stir and then add the fat (coconut oil or butter) breaking it into pieces for even melting.

3.  Cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat, until butter or oil is melted.  Continue to cook and whisk until the mixture thickens and a few bubbles start to pop at the surface.

4.  Remove from heat and scrape into a fine sieve set over a bowl.  Strain the curd, gently stirring through the sieve.  Pour into a glass jar with tight fitting lid.  I used a jar with a plastic lid - I wasn't sure if a metal lid would be reactive with the acid or not.

5.  Refrigerate for several hours to thicken.  Will keep about a week in the fridge...if you don't eat it all the first day.   Can't wait to find more recipes to use this in!

Coconut Flour Cupcakes - Lavender/Lemon

In searching for a coconut flour muffin/cupcake recipe, I noticed that most of them had a very similar ingredient list that included 6 eggs.  While I'm all for the protein and structure that eggs provide, I found the results to be almost too "eggy"  and after a short time, the muffins began to "sweat" like an egg white meringue does.   One cupcake recipe also called for 6 T of coconut oil and several reviews stated that the cupcakes came out "oily".  I decided to take a chance and cut back a bit on the eggs and the oil.  The result was a pretty decent cupcake if I do say so myself.  They aren't going to rise and get a domed top like a gluten based cupcake will, but the "crumb and texture" of the cake itself is 4-H worthy I think.  The addition of some of my favorite cupcake flavors, lemon and lavender, worked really well with the coconut and honey!

Coconut Flour Cupcakes - Lavender/Lemon
Yields 8 - 10 cupcakes

1/2 cup coconut flour (fluff it up in the bag, measure by scoop and sweep, sift into bowl)
5 eggs at room temperature
6 T. raw honey
5 T. coconut oil or butter (I used melted coconut oil)
2 T. coconut milk at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp organic dried lavender flowers
1 tsp lemon zest (I used Meyer lemons)
1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and put liners into muffin pan.  (I used these although parchment liners work well too.)

Mix coconut flour and eggs until smooth (I used a hand mixer).  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Pour into prepared liners, about 3/4 full.  I ended up with 10 cupcakes.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in cupcake comes out clean.


I frosted these with a Paleo Lemon Mousse from Empowered Sustenance the basis of which is an amazing Lemon Curd.  I think the Lemon Curd  alone would make a great cupcake topping too.


(A Fitting Note about Coconut Flour and Poop: After testing a few recipes and also making a batch of my favorite coconut flour based Banana Nut Muffins, I have discovered an unpleasant consequence...coconut flour in high quantities is extremely constipating to me.  I will probably have to limit these muffins and treats to one per week for now...sadness.)

Strawberry "Cheesecake" Tarts (aka Cashew Cheesecake Fake Out)

These yummy tarts were my first try at substituting soaked cashews for cream cheese in a cheesecake style recipe.  My version is adapted from this recipe at Vegan Family Recipes.  I used ramekins instead of tart pans and lime juice and zest in place of the mint leaves and lemon juice and honey instead of maple syrup...I'm just a honey kinda girl.  Remember to plan ahead on this recipe in order to give plenty of soaking time for the cashews.

Strawberry Cheesecake Tarts
(gluten free, dairy free, paleo, vegan)

Crust:
3 Medjool dates (take the pits out...learned this the hard way)
1/2 cup walnut halves
Pinch of salt

Pulse in food processor until a sticky ball forms.  Press into the bottom of 4 ramekins.  Put in freezer to set while you prepare the filling.

Filling:
8 strawberries (washed and hulled)
1/2 cup soaked raw cashews (cashews soaked in water for at least 4 hours)
3/4 cup coconut cream*
2 T. raw honey
1 tsp lime zest
2 tsp lime juice

Pulse all filling ingredients in food processor or blender until smooth.  Pour into prepared crusts and chill for at least 2 hours until filling is firm.

I think these would also be good frozen as the filling has such a "dairy" like consistency.  Will try that next time as well as substituting other berries.

*Use canned coconut cream or scoop the cream from the top of a full fat coconut milk that has been refrigerated for a few hours.