Scrambling to put together a sweet treat for Valentine’s Day? Well, even if you’re not, dark chocolate covered strawberries are a relatively guilt-free little indulgence for any special occasion (or dinner party!). They couldn’t be simpler to make – I hesitate to even call it a “recipe.” 🙂 Hope you like ’em!
Lemon Coconut Macaroons, Fresh from the Oven
It’s been a little while since I posted a dessert recipe, so in honor of my 20lb. PR deadlift last night and the upcoming holiday weekend, today’s recipe is a sweet treat. I’m a huge fan of coconut macaroons – they’re such a simple, tasty little cookie – so I decided to give ’em a go. (Plus, they’re gluten- and dairy-free!) For inspiration, I looked to Elana’s Pantry – she’s got some incredible recipes for gluten-free goodies. While I was grabbing supplies at the store, I ran across a gorgeous little bottle of pure lemon oil, and I thought it might pair really well with the clean coconut flavor in the cookie. Follow the jump for my adapted recipe…
Decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake with Banana-Cinnamon Sauce
At my core, I am a baker. I LOVE baked goods… cupcakes, cakes, cookies, caramels, etc. I loved baking so much that I had my own cake design business for several years. One tiny little problem… everything I used to make was loaded with gluten and processed sugars. Sure, I used the highest quality ingredients out there – imported chocolate, European butter, Madagascar vanilla. But, at the end of the day, there was a lot of not-great stuff in those tasty treats, and that just doesn’t jive with my Paleo lifestyle these days.
That said, I’m still not willing to give up the OCCASIONAL baked treat, and figuring out how to make “healthier” versions of past favorites is going to be an ongoing goal. I am super excited about this recipe… my husband and I test-drove it this weekend, and it is stinking delicious. Seriously. I had to get it out of the house as quickly as possible. An extra bonus? It was ridiculously easy to make.
Indulgent, gluten-free, and dairy free. Oh, yum.
CrossFit Central is hosting a bake sale today to support the Habitat for Humanity build, and given that I’m a huge fan of baked goods (professional cake baker in a past life), it seemed like a good idea to try a recipe. For inspiration, I looked to Elana’s Pantry (amazing gluten-free, low-dairy, low-sugar treats) – I’d tried her Almond Joy Bars in the past, and I’d been looking for an excuse to do an adaptation of my own.
I think I’ll keep tweaking the recipe – the very bottom bit does still tend to come out a little underdone, but honestly, these things taste ridiculously good. They passed with flying colors with my 12-year-old, and he was VERY nervous about the almond extract going in… I think the key is getting really high quality dark chocolate chips. Next time, I’ll further reduce the quantity of palm sugar – I like my treats a little less sweet. I’ll keep you posted as the recipe evolves!
This is a staple treat in our household… plus it’s a great way to use up your (over)ripe bananas without making a really indulgent treat like banana bread. 🙂 These were inspired by the amazingly delicious Banana Paletas made by Mom and Pops in Austin, TX. They make some amazing, all natural popsicles here in Austin, and you can find them at just about any of the Austin farmers’ markets. (When you run across them, please try the coconut or mange chile paletas… they’re ridiculously tasty!) We tried their Banana Cinnamon flavor a few months ago and loved it… However, it does have dairy, so we wanted to make a totally Paleo-friendly version at home.
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