Gluten Free Fig Bars
There are times when I bake just because there is someone who needs something sweet as they have been through a rough patch. So, when I heard my husband say the words… “I need a treat tonight…” I knew it was time to turn on the oven and make him something out of the norm. Yes, we have cookies and other treats that are satisfyingly sweet, but not so sweet that I feel guilty giving my crew dessert. This time, I went with a old favorite of his… fig bars. These are not very close to “Fig Newtons” as my version is a bit more cake-like in texture. However, they have that really great fig filling… sometimes I just want to make these for the fig paste that is left over! They are great for a crowd too. You can make them really sweet if you want, but the fig filling more than makes up for a less sweet cake – which is just the way my husband likes them. Plus, these come together much faster than their “newton” counterparts as you do not have to go through the process of forming the bars… you just spread layers into a square baking pan and bake!
Gluten Free fig filling shines through in these great bars!
Gluten Free Fig Bars
Ingredients:
- 1 carton dried figs (about 10 ounces)
- 1 1/2 cups Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend
- 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup – 1 cup brown sugar (use the lesser amount if you want a less sweet cake)
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (coconut oil works well too)
- 1 large egg
Method:
- Place figs into a saucepan. Add enough water to almost cover the figs. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Allow figs to cool in the saucepan with the water. Once cool, process the figs and a little of the juices in a food processor until a thick paste forms. You want the paste spreadable, but not too thin so do not use more than a few tablespoons of the fig juices. Reserve any leftover juices for use in the batter.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a square 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a separate bowl, add the GF flour mix, flax seeds, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Mix together with a fork to combine.
- In your mixer bowl, cream your butter and brown sugar. Then add the egg and mix again. Add the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
- At this point, add 2 Tbls of the reserved fig juices so that the batter is still firm but spreadable. You may need more or less of the fig juices. If you do not have enough, you may use water or rice milk to get the spreadable consistency.
- Spread one half of the batter into your baking pan with an off set spatula. Spread a layer of fig past over the top of the batter. Then spread the remaining half of the batter over the fig paste layer. To spread the last layer, I usually dollop tablespoons of the batter all over the top of the fig paste layer. Then, I dip my off set spatula into hot water and quickly spread the dollops so that they blend together. You have to use a light touch and work quickly. The top does not have to look perfect. Baking will help fill in any gaps.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. The top of the bars will be lightly browned.
- Remove to a wire rack and cool completely before removing from the pan and slicing into bars. Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator.
You will not be able to resist having more than one! These bars are that good! In that way, they will remind you of the joy’s of eating “fig newtons”. What do you like to make for your family when they need a treat to pick them up? I hope you give these gluten free fig bars a try. Your family will love you for it!
Okay everyone! I promised photos of the really great gluten free bread that Ivy Uppercrust Pastry has at the Thursday Daley Plaza Farmers Market…
GF Sandwich Bread
This bread is also dairy free but does contain eggs. The oats she uses are certified gluten free as well. It is so soft and stayed that way in my bread box on the counter for 4 days this last week! (Serious self control there!!) We enjoyed sandwiches without toasting the bread. Just right! I also froze some of it to see how that was. Still nice and soft after thawing in the lunch box sandwiching bologna and cheese. Yum!
GF Sandwich Bread - Sliced
So, I wanted to make sure you did not miss your chance at this great bread or the GF Seeded Bread that she also offers at the market if you are in Chicago today. Stop by her stand at the Daley Plaza and hopefully she will still have some! If you miss out, be sure to give her an order for next week. She will hold it for you! If not, there are always the gluten free scones, cakes or cookies!
WildFlours GF Group: Pantry Staples
Last night we had our May WildFlours, GF Group. It was good to spend some time talking about the Gluten and Allergen Free Expo highlights, Gluten Free Pantry Basics and sharing new Gluten Free Finds. I was actually able to have some time to do a deep cleaning of my pantry shelves and get things organized for our meeting! So, what you see in the photo above is not normal! With two kids in the house and constant baking/cooking, things in our dry pantry never look this organized! However, I wanted to be able to open the pantry door and let others have a look if that would help in any way. The arrangement of items you see here is just a sampling of our Gluten Free pantry staples. We have decided as a family that we all eat Gluten Free (some of us Grain Free which is by default Gluten Free). Therefore, we do not have the issues of sharing space with typical gluten-filled counterparts. If you need some tips on stocking your gluten free pantry, check our Gluten Free Guide page for twelve tips that have helped us along the way. Please also share with us what works well for you in your GF Pantry!
In addition, we talked about new favorite Gluten Free Finds. With so many new products out on the market today for gluten intolerance, there is a lot more to choose from. Here are the favorites that we have found in the recent months:
- So Delicious Coconut Ice Cream by Turtle Mountain – We shared the chocolate ice cream last night, but there are many flavors to choose from. This is a velvety, smooth ice cream that also is dairy and soy free too! You can find on occasion a coconut milk based ice cream at Trader Joe’s that is equally good (strawberry and chocolate flavors).
- San-J Organic Gluten-Free Tamari Travel Packs (20 count) in the gluten free aisle at Woodman’s! Keep a few of these in your purse or backpack for the times when you are dining out an need them.
- Schar Gluten free Anellini pasta (mini “O” shapes). These are perfect for the Gluten Free Spaghetti-O’s that we enjoyed! Also great in soups or just by itself with a little butter and parmesan cheese.
- Udi’s Bakery breads and other items. Frozen or fresh these are great! They now have GF hamburger and hot dog buns just in time for summer grilling. Many grocery stores stock their products in their Gluten Free Freezer section.
- Enjoy Life’s Mega Baking chips. A square baking chip for your really great homemade chocolate chip cookies! Always gluten, dairy, nut and soy free.
- Pamela’s Whenever bars. The bars come in four flavors: Blueberry Lemon, Cranberry Almond, Chocolate Chip Coconut and Raisin Walnut Spice. In addition to being gluten-free, the snack bars are also non-dairy, low in sodium and sugar-free (sweetened with agave and coconut sugar).
So, have you found something new on the gluten free grocery shelves that has become a favorite? Please share it with me, I would love to know what your “finds” are too! Without delay, here is the recipe we tried last night:
Gluten Free Spaghetti-O’s
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Schar Anellini Gluten Free Pasta O’s, cooked according to the package directions
- ¾ cup – 1½ cup Tomato Soup (you can use homemade soup or purchase one… Trader Joes has a good Tomato Soup that is gluten free)
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese (you can use a dairy free cheese if you prefer)
- salt to taste
Method:
- Once you have cooked the Anellini pasta according to the package directions, put the drained and cooked pasta back into the pot and add ¾ cup of the tomato soup. Stir lightly to combine and place on the stove over low heat to warm the soup.
- Turn off the heat and add the shredded cheddar cheese and stir to combine with the soup and noodles. Allow the cheese to melt.
- Adjust with more salt if necessary. You might also need to add more tomato soup depending on how thick or “soup-y” you like your Spaghetti-O’s!
Enjoy!
Ivy UpperCrust Pastry stand this morning at the Daley Plaza Farmer's Market!
One of the things about May that I love the most is the opening of the Farmer’s Markets. Even though this month is busy with finishing school and all sorts of other things, I look forward to venturing back to the markets… hopeful for fresh produce grown locally and finding Gluten Free goodies. It can be a risk to buy from a vendor that provides products that are both gluten-free and gluten-full. So, I suggest that you do your shopping wisely and always ask lots of questions about how they prepare their foods. Most vendors are very interested in talking to you and enjoy receiving feedback.
Over the years, I have found one vendor who provides an excellent and safe gluten free product as much of her gluten free line is produced in a gluten free and nut free kitchen! Ivy UpperCrust Pastry was at the Daley Plaza Market last summer and she is back again this year, opening day for that market was today! Ivy is a Pastry chef with roots in Michigan, Chicago and New York city. She has been on the market and catering scene for some time now in Chicago and does not disappoint! You can find more reviews on her products at yelp.com. At her booth you will find gluten free goods such as: sandwich bread (yes! really good for toast too!!), carrot cake, chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cranberry cookies, energy bars, and graham crackers (perfect for s’mores). She also makes gluten free pie to order. Actually, you can place an order with her anytime or a standing weekly order and she will make sure your gluten free goodies are there when you arrive.
This year, she has a new sandwich bread made with sorghum, oats and millet that is so soft you do not even need to toast it first!! I will have to post a picture of that bread when I get a chance. She still has the popular Seeded Loaf as well. In addition, she is trying a gluten free scone. One of her most popular items on her gluten-full menu (besides the pies!) are her scones. How I longed to have something like that gluten free! Reality is finally here in a multi-grain version… a gluten free scone made with brown rice flour, sorghum, oats and buckwheat. So, I hope that you can find the time to check out her market stand this May.
Markets more local to me are the Geneva Green Market, also held on Thursdays in Geneva, Illinois, and the St. Charles Farmer’s Market, held on Fridays in St. Charles, Illinois. Both of these open in June. They are great for finding locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. I am hopeful to find some new goodies locally as well this year from either one of these great Farmers Markets. I will be sure to let you know when I do!
Strawberry "Milk"... Happy Mothers Day!
My Mom is the BEST mom on the planet! I know that there are those of you that might argue with that statement. That’s okay… I know I’m right! My mom is the person who helped shape who I am today mostly by her commitment to model confidence in herself and a whole lot of prayer! I always thought she was superwoman!! She is the kind of mom that always works through things, not giving in until she has given her best. She gives of herself relentlessly… and passionately to all she knows. She is always available and ready to listen. I am still not so sure how she manages to pull that one off… as a mom myself now, I often feel like I would like nothing better than to be “unavailable” at times! She taught me that the “little details matter”… like sending a card, or giving a positive word or showing you care in some way. One of the ways she shows her love is through food.
As a kid one of my fondest memories is that of having strawberry or chocolate milk at a meal. Just the fun of scooping out that flavored, sweet powder from the can with the metal lid and stirring it into a class of cold milk made my day. I felt like life was rich and simple all at the same time. Last week I noticed my own children just needed a reminder of the simple fun in life. So, I whipped up some strawberry milk for dinner. They had such fun slurping it up with straws and big smiles. We sat at the table a lot longer than usual that night and spent most of the time just laughing and enjoying each other’s company over bubbly milk.
My mom always encouraged me and my siblings through time in the kitchen as we could just talk freely about whatever cares we had. As we grew, I held on tightly to those moments with my mom when we just were together, creating memories with great food alongside. Today, we still love to do just that… every celebration is always about the food and rich with time spent in the kitchen. I only hope that I can encourage and shape my own kids with the kind of inspiring confidence that my mom has given to me all these years. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! I love you lots!!
Today, I cannot give my kids the simple sweet, flavored powder of my childhood… but I have found another way to accomplish serving such a fun drink. Here’s the recipe for you and your children to enjoy…
Strawberry Milk
Ingredients:
- Pureed Strawberries, strained through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds
- 1 cup Coconut Milk (homemade for SCD)
- 1 tsp vanilla, unsweetened
- 1-2 Tbls honey
Method:
- Place cold coconut milk, vanilla and honey into a blender (you can use a large cup and a hand/immersion blender if you prefer) and blend for a few seconds until frothy.
- Add pureed strawberries by the tablespoon. I used about 6 Tbls of the puree per cup of coconut milk. It really depends on how fruity you want your milk to be. Blend for a few seconds again.
- Serve cold in a tall glass with a straw!
Note: If not following SCD, you can use coconut milk in a can. Look for the unsweetened kind that is full fat, not lite or low fat. You can also replace the honey with any sweetener you prefer. If coconut milk is a problem for you, use any milk that you can tolerate. One of my children prefers rice milk for this yummy, dairy-free treat.
If you are looking for a thicker, milkshake like consistency, try adding a frozen banana when you blend the milk. That is really delicious! Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms I know and yet to know!
…The best things your children will learn about God will be from watching you try to find out for yourself. Jesus said, “Seek and you will find.” They will not always do what you tell them to do, but they will be–good and bad–as they see you being. If your children see you seeking, they will seek — the finding part is up to God.”
excerpt from Gently Lead by Polly B. Berends
Goodies from the Gluten & Allergen Free Expo in Chicago (2011)
Fresh off of volunteering this weekend at the Gluten & Allergen Free Expo, I sure do feel blessed… Blessed to be able to be a helping hand and part of such a great event where top notch chefs, dietitians, and vendors were available to share their expertise and news about new products. I had the privilege of assisting Lee Tobin from the Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse as he demonstrated how to make gluten free pastries, passing out samples of the wonderful bread that Carol Fenster prepared during her Bread Baking Basics course, and just rounding up any necessary item or performing any task needed by the many hands at the Expo to help make it a success. I would say that Jen Cafferty and her team have found a stride and the Expo is quite a great place to be informed on all things gluten and allergy free.
I want to make sure you are aware that while this is an allergy friendly event, there were plenty of allergens to be had. We are all promised that everything is gluten free; however, it is hard for those with nut, egg and soy allergies to navigate through the products to find a few that are truly free from the “Top 8”. While people can be allergic to any number of foods (including fruits, vegetables, meats and dyes), the most common food allergies are to dairy, egg, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish. These foods are commonly referred to as “The Top 8” and cause 90% of all food allergy reactions. I did notice this year that there was a considerable increase in dairy free offerings. Unfortunately, many of the companies that offer dairy free use a soy based product to replace dairy in their foods. All that said just to make sure you are aware if you have a reason to be cautious in the first place.
Some of the takeaways that I had throughout the weekend came mostly from the vendor fair as I was not there to attend classes. So, in my free time, I wandered the fair and looked for new items to try or ask questions about. Many of the vendors also had actual product available for sale which is a great way to get your hands on new items not yet in stores! Of course there were my favorites like Enjoy Life, Sunbutter, Breads from Anna, Carol at Simply… Gluten Free, Gluten Free Oats and Glutino. But there were plenty of new booths to check out. Here are some of the items I found interesting:
- GoPicnic ready to eat meals. They have several meals that are gluten free; however, no nut free options at the moment. The representative said that they were working on a nut free meal that should be ready sometime this summer. You can see some photos of the meals below.
- Allerbling… unique wristbands that you customize for your child’s changing food allergic conditions.
- Sweet Ali’s Gluten Free Bakery. For those of us in Chicagoland, this bakery is located in Hinsdale, IL!
- No Nuttin Natural Foods who offer delicious granola, bars and baking ingredients free of 9 out of the top 10 allergens and certified gluten free.
- Gluten Tox Home which is offering a home-based testing kit that travels well and is reliable. A bit pricey; yet, the kit is a good idea for times when traveling and you need to make sure you are eating safely. I was told you can purchase a kit with two tests for $24 and the kit can detect gluten proteins down to 5ppm (that’s parts per million)!
- Cook IT Allergy Free iPhone and iPad apps. An essential kitchen tool for cooking with food allergies… if you have those electronic gadgets!
Last, if you have not found Enjoy Life’s gluten & allergen free chocolate chips yet, they now also have Mega Chunks (semi-sweet baking chips)! We are always so blessed to be able to enjoy chocolate as a result of this company. I highly recommend the Expo if you are in the Chicagoland or Dallas, TX area. If you want to find out more about future events, visit gfafexpo.com for more information.
gopicnic ready to eat meals
contents of the steak/chips & salsa gopicnic meal
Baked apples resembling "Apple Pie"
If there is anything the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) has taught me it is to understand how food affects our bodies and the conditions that we live with. I have been back on the SCD diet strictly for the last 9 months now and have been feeling really well. So, when I started to experience leg pains in the last few weeks, a symptom I am not used to, I was perplexed. I immediately began to look for the trigger… is it something I am doing or not doing? Am I deficient in some vitamin or mineral? Could it be something I am eating? I did not want to think “it’s a food” as this diet is very restrictive; however, I began to mentally review what I eat daily to see if something was remiss. I first thought of cheese… SCD allows hard cheeses and so I cut those out for a week. No change. Leg pains were still really awful. The kind that are with you when you wake up in the morning, numbing pain and a cold feeling in my lower legs and feet. I know that there is a huge relationship with arthritic conditions and the condition of one’s gut. Since I have Crohn’s Disease, this pre-disposes me to joint problems as well. But this pain seemed more like something else… if I didn’t know well enough I would have thought I was just standing too much. Or sitting too long. I tend to be prone to both. One day is spent all day in the kitchen while another is spent at the computer. So, when removing cheese provided no change, I started to look for another culprit.
Sure enough, I found it (well, I think so any way)… Raw apples! I am not used to being able to eat an apple whole, without peeling it. However, in the last few months, I have enjoyed this freedom and convenience. Maybe too much? Then one day this last week, after having an apple as a quick snack in the car, I had horrible pains everywhere! So, I determined to leave apples off my allowed list for a few days. The next day I felt much better. After only three days, the pain was almost gone… and I have been cooking a lot during that time, spending hours on my feet. Today, I tried a 1/4 of a peeled and sliced apple and the same numbing, cold pain returned fairly quickly. So, there it is. It can be really hard to find trigger foods that your body is sensitive (or maybe even intolerant) to. Without a typical allergy response (such as hives or anaphylaxis) it is like finding a needle in a haystack.
So, what am I to do for that apple snack now? I am still figuring this out and am looking seriously into Salicylate’s and their possible role in pain. In addition, it just might be too much raw apple for me and my still leaky gut. So, my homemade applesauce may have to be the way to go. This is a standard for me when first starting SCD and for easy snacks along the way. It takes little time once a week to make a large pot of applesauce (just peeled and cored apples and a little water in my large crock pot on high for 6 hours) that can be stored in small containers for easy portions and some of it frozen. However, there is another apple treat that I have been remiss in making that is a little jazzier…
Apple “Pie” (SCD version without crust)
Ingredients:
- 4 – 5 medium size apples, peeled and cored and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces (Granny Smith, MacIntosh, or any combination of baking apples)
- 1 Tbls coconut oil
- 1 Tbls honey
- 1 Tbls fresh lemon juice
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg, just a dash
- Parchment Paper
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the coconut oil in the bottom of a glass pie plate. Arrange apple slices in the plate (I don’t do anything fancy, just make sure they are spread evenly).
- Mix lemon juice and honey in a small bowl and drizzle over the apples. Sprinkle Cinnamon over the top of all the apples (I like a lot of cinnamon), then a small dash of nutmeg. A little nutmeg goes a long way!
- Cover the apples with a piece of parchment paper cut into a round that just overlaps the rim of the pie plate and bake in the 350 degree oven on the middle rack for about 45 minutes. You will know when they are done as the whole house will smell like apple pie!
- Remove from the oven and cool. You can serve this warm or cold.
This is a really easy way to have “apple pie”. There are many recipes for pie crusts that one following SCD can make… they all take time. So, more on that another day. This is my way of making a treat a little easier on my time in the kitchen!
For now, I will venture down the path of discovering all I can about Salicylate sensitivity and I will let you know what I find. In addition, if you want to truly make this treat “low salicylate”, then make sure to use all golden delicious apples and omit the honey and cinnamon. It will still be delicious. Enjoy!
SCD and GF Carrot Bread
What a beautiful day we had today. The magnolia was in full bloom and it was finally a tad bit warmer. The day was also rich with traditions and family time… all the kids got to enjoy the time together, young and old alike. We even got to have an Easter Egg Hunt outside! 
One of my favorite traditions with Easter happens to be the bread. I recall when we began a gluten free diet (oh so many years ago now), how I anguished about not being able to eat the great bread at Easter. In the beginning, I thought it was a “forever” sentence! Little did I know then, that there would be many great Easter breads to come for us to celebrate the day with. Bread that my whole family, gluten tolerant and intolerant together, would love to have at our table. I have found ways to make all the breads that I was missing gluten free, such as: multi-grain rolls, Challah bread, focaccia, savory olive bread… This Easter, while I chose to make our gluten free traditional rolls, I also made a really great bread for those of us at the table who are grain free. This bread really fit the day as it has a beautiful golden-orange hue from its star ingredient… carrot fiber. Here is another example of how you can use that fiber that comes out of your juicer!
What a beautiful bread this is!
The original recipe for this Carrot Bread can be found at Naomi Devlin’s blog in her article on A Residue That’s Good For You – Carrot Pulp Bread. The only modifications that I have made to her original recipe to make it suitable for our needs are as follows:
- 6 oz. of finely ground sunflower seeds in place of the almond flour (we remain a nut free family)
- 2 oz. of melted coconut oil in place of melted butter
- Added 1/4 tsp sea salt
- I use only a 1/4 tsp baking soda. Note: If you notice your carrots, walnuts or sunflower seeds turning funny colors after baking (ie. green or black), you need to reduce the amount of baking soda used in the recipe. That will solve the color problem. If this happens, the finished product is still fine to eat.
Naomi’s bread is really super easy! It is especially great toasted with butter at the breakfast table and for chicken salad sandwiches. When I have extra carrot fiber from the juicer, I save it in a jar in the freezer. That way, it is ready to use on the day that I want to make bread. I have also made this with chili powder in place of the cinnamon and nutmeg. The change in spices gives the bread a more savory flavor.
If you find yourself missing bread at the table, I hope that you can see through these pages that sometimes we just need to think outside the box in order to come up with a replacement. Take some time to enjoy bread again this spring!
- SCD and GF Marshmallows
1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
As I talk over what Easter means with my family, that verse makes it clear to me. Christ went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God. For You and for me. Wow!
I know I am two days early… with it being Good Friday and preparing for our Easter celebration, I wanted to share a very special recipe that will hopefully bless Gluten Free and SCD kids everywhere. Even though our emphasis is more on the true meaning of Easter, we still celebrate with fun traditions. Food and treats are always a huge part of that celebration. You will need at least two days to prepare these treats as they need time to dry. Over at Z’s Cup of Tea is an easy recipe for honey-sweetened marshmallows. They are made with honey, water, gelatin, vanilla and salt. That’s it! She details how to make them by hand, whisking until the marshmallow fluff forms. I just use my stand mixer and they are ready in no time. This year, I decided to try making “peeps” for the kids who otherwise will not be able to have the traditional Easter candies. They turned out great! On my first attempt, I whipped the fluff too long and the marshmallow setup too fast. I knew I needed it to be a bit firmer than usual, but I let it go too long. The second try was just right. You have to work fast, so have all your ingredients and tools prepped. Here’s what you need:
SCD & GF Marshmallow Peeps
- 1 recipe Z’s Cup of Tea Marshmallows
- Baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Finely shredded coconut, unsweetened
- 1 Tbls coconut oil
- Shaped metal cookie cutters, I used bunnies
- An off-set metal spatula, like ones for spreading cake frosting
- 1 Plastic pipping bag, large (you can find these in the Wilton section of most craft stores)
- A few raisins, cut into little pieces
Method:
- Once everything is ready, make the marshmallow fluff. While the marshmallow is whipping, sprinkle a good layer of coconut flakes on your parchment lined baking sheet. Then, grease the inside of your metal cookie cutters with coconut oil and arrange them on top of the coconut flakes.
- When the marshmallow is just right, immediately remove the marshmallow fluff from the bowl into your pipping bag. You will want to stand the pipping bag into a tall cup or bowl to accomplish this with the least mess possible.
- Twist the top of the bag closed and quickly pipe the marshmallow into the cookie cutter molds or pipe into “chick-style” peeps. As you pipe, the marshmallow will begin to setup, so work quickly.
- Once finished piping, add the raisin pieces for eyes and noses and then sprinkle more coconut flakes on top of the peeps.
- Leave these to set in a dry area on your counter for up to 24 hours. They will be really sticky but will loose some of their “stick” as they setup and dry. Once dry, carefully remove from cookie cutters. You might need to cut around the cookie cutters with the off-set spatula to do this.
I used only one cookie cutter for 8 bunny peeps and that was hard. I would recommend having at least 8 themed cookie cutters ready so that you do not have to stop after pipping each peep. It was really messy doing it that way! With my first batch of marshmallow fluff that setup too fast, I pipped out large balls and inserted small lollipop sticks for a “cotton tail” lollipop. Our youngest really enjoyed having the marshmallow that way! Another idea that is really easy to do is just spread the marshmallow fluff into a parchment lined baking dish and sprinkle with the coconut flakes. When it is dry, just cut the marshmallow into smaller cubes with kitchen scissors. You can even dip the marshmallow into melted, dairy free chocolate (we always use Enjoy Life) if you are not following SCD.
Where ever you find yourself this Easter, I hope you can take time to remember and celebrate Christ’s sacrifice for us. Most importantly, that He is accessible on a personal level to each one of us if we just seek him. He promises that when we seek Him we will find Him!
Be Blessed!
Grain Free Pancakes on the griddle
Okay, as promised, here is the recipe for Grain Free Pancakes for those of you following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) or just eliminating all grains. I originally came across this recipe as a “pan bread” from Naomi Devlin’s blog. She had used nut based flours to make a really wonderful pancake… literally one large cake finished in the oven. Well, since our family is nut free, I began experimenting with the basis for her recipe using coconut flour. It took me a couple of tries, but I eventually ended up with a “pan cake” that was worthy of our homemade honey syrup! Then, I began to work on little, silver dollar sized pancakes. It takes a steady hand to flip these little goodies, and a well greased skillet. The first couple you flip might turn out oddly, but you will begin to see when they are ready to turn. Just make sure you have a hot skillet when you brush the coconut oil on, otherwise they will stick like mad. Also, watch your heat as they cook. Coconut flour products tend to burn easily, so do not walk away from the griddle!
I have given you both the “pan cake” and the pancake”s” instructions in the recipe below. I enjoy just simply butter on top of these pancakes. They are just so good on their own and sweet from the addition of the banana. You can bet that I am working on making that Mock Whipped Cream suitable for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet just for these pancakes though… it will make a really great dessert!
Grain Free Pancakes (SCD)
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup finely ground coconut pulp (from making coconut milk), or unsweetened finely ground coconut meat
- ¼ large ripe banana (no green on the peel, with brown spots)
- 1 med or large egg
- pinch of salt
- 1 Tbls coconut oil
- ¼ cup coconut milk (be sure to use homemade or one without additives for SCD)
- 1 tsp – 1 Tbls honey (depending on how sweet you want it – the banana helps with sweetness too)
- 1 Tbls coconut flour, sifted
- dash of cinnamon
- 1 Tbls butter, coconut oil or palm shortening
- ¼ tsp baking soda
Method:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mash banana. Blend all ingredients EXCEPT the baking soda and the last 1 Tbls butter/coconut oil (see bottom of ingredient list) in a blender or food processor. You could also do this in a bowl with a whisk making sure you got the batter very smooth.
- Heat an ovenproof skillet over low heat and then add the 1 Tbls butter or coconut oil to melt. When melted, tilt the pan to coat with the butter/oil. You don’t want it so hot that the butter burns, just until the butter froths and is foamy when it melts.
- When the pan is ready, add the baking soda to the batter and blend/whisk until well mixed and quickly pour the batter into the prepared, hot pan.
- Place a lid over the pan and cook on the stove for 5-10 minutes on low until the pancake is dry around the edges and still wet/bubbly in the center.
- Remove lid and transfer pan to the oven for approximately 10 minutes. You have to watch it, as the bottom will burn easily. It is done when it is puffed a little and the center is no longer wet.
- When the pancake is cooked through, remove pan from oven and flip pancake out onto plate. Serve immediately with butter and syrup!
Note: You can also make traditional pancakes on a griddle with the batter. Just make sure your griddle is hot and then brush it with coconut oil. I found making small pancakes this way is easiest, so only about 2 Tbls of batter per pancake. They are ready to flip when dry around the edges and a little bubbly in the center. To flip, you need to use a quick motion with your spatula so that they turn easily. Again, watch these as they can tend to burn easily.
Enjoy!!
