COCO-LIME SQUARES

This is an exotic twist to the classic lemon bars.
The extra tartness and bright zest of the citruses is so uplifting and great mood enhancer for this time of the year!
I've got the recipe from a Martha Steward's magazine, and excitedly substituted the little flour that is used in it with gluten free sorghum flour. It worked like magic!
I'm giving you this interpretation of the original recipe -it is easy, light, tart and great twist for a Valentine treat!

Crust:

. 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter.
. 3/4 cup Sorghum flour
. 3 tablespoons whole brown sugar  
(I am slipping here on the sugar use; for the sugar conscious, use xylitol or other favorite sweetener)  
.1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened organic dry coconut. 
.few pieces of gluten free white chocolate (you can use cacao butter instead, or just skip this ingredient)
.1/4 teaspoon course salt 
.1 tablespoon vanilla extract. 

Filling: 

.3 large organic eggs
.2/3 cup whole organic sugar.
.3 tablespoons Sorghum flour.
.2/3 cup fresh lime juice (regular lime juice or K-lime juice also works great)  
.more coconut flakes and organic powdered sugar for sprinkling. 

Directions: 

Crust:
1.Preheat oven to 375 F
Lightly butter an 8-inch square or round baking pan. 

2.Combine sorghum flour, brown sugar and salt in food processor and pulse a few times.

Add butter and pulse until large pieces are the size of peas.
Add the coconut flakes,white chocolate and vanilla extract, and pulse a few more times. 

Transfer mixture to pan, and pack down firmly with the bottom of a cup or a large spoon, raising the mixture up to the sides of the pan (mixture is sticky, so it works fairly easy). 

Bake until crust is golden brown-about 18-20 minutes(watch not to burn the sides).

3. Filling

In a mean time prepare your filling- whisk together eggs and granulated sugar, then whisk in the sorghum flour. Gently stir in the lime juice, (do not whisk or stir vigorously or batter will become foamy. 

4.Take crust out of the oven and pour filling over hot crust.Reduce oven to 300 F. Bake until filling is set,about 15 minutes- check in the middle with a tooth pick-if the filling is still liquid-y, let sit a bit more in the oven. 
Remove and let cool before cutting. 

Cut in 1-inch squares,dust with powdered sugar and coconut flakes and serve!
Great with an afternoon coffee!


ENJOY!

STRAWBERRY CREAM SWEETHEART PIE

         This recipe is irresistible, it takes 10 minutes to prepare, it is not only gluten free, but also diary- free, and it gives you the same sumptuous feeling you get from a cheese cake pie.I found it in the Tropical Traditions  recipe page, but I changed it a bit as I always do -( I have a hard time fallowing recipes, even my own:)

    This pie could be your little Valentine's present,too-the pink, the strawberries, the buttery taste--it'd be perfect!

     Here it goes: 

Products:                          

Pie crust:   

 .1 cup raw or toasted cashews 

-substitutes-pecans, walnuts 

or hazelnuts.If you have 

toasted and salted nuts,just 

soak them for 1/2 hour 

in water(this is just what I did)    

 .1/2 cup dried, unsweetened 

shredded coconut flakes. 

 .1/2 inch butter or a spoonful 

of ghee-optional for the 

buttery lovers (I did use it!)

Filling:

.2 cups+ fresh strawberries

.2 tablespoons Vanilla extract

.1/2 cup xylitol, raw honey or your favorite

 sweetener.

.1 pinch see salt

.1 cup coconut oil, melted in a double boiler. 

Preparation:

Put crust ingredients in a food processor and grind, till smooth and creamy.If you use butter add it last.I used cashews and hazelnuts and it made a gorgeous pie crust mixture with the butter.

Press the crust mixture onto a 9 inch pie plate,building it on the sides.(it will not be baking, so any nice dish would do.

Place the filling ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy,adding the coconut oil last. 

Pour on top of crust, cover with foil wrap, and put in the freezer for up to 3 hours.It will be done as soon as 1 hour.

Can be kept in the refrigerator after that. 

Just heavenly...!

Serving tip:

Take out and cut with a hot knife-you run the knife under hot water and then cut.Serve immediately.Serving it with a hot spatula also worked good to keep in whole and not crumble the crust. 

                                                             

Just pressed into the plate 

NOTES: 

                                                                   

                                     

I am going to try and add some cream cheese to the filling next time, for a cheese cake kind of taste-I believe it would take it well.But for those on dairy free diet,with no butter and no cream cheese it still tastes heavenly!

You can garnish it with coconut flakes,chocolate, fresh strawberries, or other favorites, for even better presentation. 

The filling can be made and used on its own--coco/strawberry cream, or ice cream,if you keep it in the freezer.          

  

RAW ROLLED CHOCOLATE SALAMI CAKE

         This is an old European favorite that I thought I would never be able to have again! WOW, I really rejoiced when it came out!The gluten free cookies came to save the day!
    The cookies are important here, since they have to be firm and not melt in your mouth cookies.It was a matter of finding the right cookies for the cause, for this so easy, so rich and decadent desert, that you can also keep in your fridge for up to a month!-for these special holiday guests,or just to have and to hold- for any occasion.You can be sure that each time it  will taste as fresh and delicious as the last time you had it.

Old European favorite for any time, with a rich German chocolate taste 

Here it goes:

Ingredients:

.3 heaped tablespoon Cocoa powder
.4 tablespoons pasture butter-melted-(I really like the butter for this recipe, rather then the coconut oil; you can easily use the coconut oil if you like, but butter gives it that rich taste)
.1/2 cup crushed gluten free cookies-I used gluten free short bread cookies;it does work best with firmer ones; if you use regular cookies the animal cracker kind are the original for this recipe.
.1 cup + coconut milk 
.1/2 cup crushed walnuts.
.2 tablespoon Maca powder
.2 tablespoons Mesquite powder (I have and use these powders, but since they are not always readily available you can skip them or  use one or the other only) 
.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
.1/4 cup xylitol
.pinch of sea salt
.unsweetened coconut flakes (or almond meal for dusting the top)             

HOW TO ROLL THE SALAMI CAKE 

 Directions:

1.Mix dry ingredients-cocoa powder, maca and mesquite powder, 
xylitol, and salt.

2.Soak the crushed cookies in a bowl of coconut milk (almond or regular milk can also be used)-do not over-soak the cookies- stir while soaking and leave them quite firm. 

3. Mix in the cookies along with what's left over in the bowl of the coconut milk (no more then 2-3 tablespoons of it)into the dry mixture.Stir in the walnuts at this time, too.

4.Melt your butter in a double boiler and slowly pour in the mixture while stirring. 
Mixture will be sticky.


Rolling: I found out that the best way to do that is in a clear plastic wrap-the log will be about 8' long. Cut out at large piece of the wrap and spread on the table. Pour the mixture in it and start forming it with the plastic wrap.It is really fun and easy to manipulate the shape this way- you can make it as thick as you like,round or rectangular for your favorite presentation.
I like the slightly rectangular shape-you can really get the edges with the plastic foil. 

                  
Place in the freezer, wrapped firmly in the plastic foil for 1 hour (or more if you are not using it right away) 

You can also dust each separate piece for variety -- in this case-almond meal 

Dusting:When you take out the log, unwrap the plastic foil and leave in room temperature for a few minutes, so the upper layer can become sticky.This is so you can roll the salami cake in coconut flakes, almond meal or some other crushed nuts of your choice. The original recipe calls for confectioner's sugar, so if you consume sugar you can dust it in it. I did my with coconut flakes. You just spread the foil and sprinkle the coco flakes,nuts, or sugar on the foil and start rolling the cake and pressing slightly over the foil until the top is completely covered with the dusting.Brush away the excess of flakes or powder. 
                                    
Serve in small portions of two pieces- it is a rich desert and 1 or 2 pieces are quiet enough. 


If you can stop at that, that is!


ENJOY!

Can be kept in the freezer for up to a month, firmly wrapped in the plastic foil 

5- MINUTE CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN MACAROONS

Yes, it is true, I tried it! A great holiday treat done in just 5 min.   The PUMPKIN BUTTER TRUFFLES  were fast, but these are a real breeze to make. I found this recipe in the Civilized Caveman blog on raw Paleo cooking, and I gave it a try right away, to see if it really takes 5 minutes. Ok, may be it took 10... But they really are a perfect delight and ready to bring to any party and be the health treat quin of the night- gluten free, sugar free and totally delicious! 

I changed the recipe a bit, but if you are interested in the original, here is the link: Civilized Caveman

Here it goes:  Ingredients:
              .1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
              .1/4 cup crushed pecans or almond flower 
              .1/4 cup cocoa powder
              .1/4 cup pumpkin puree
              .1-2 tablespoons xilitol(or your sweetener)
              .2 tablespoons coconut oil-melted 
              .1 teaspoon vanilla
              .pinch of salt
              .squirt of lemon


Instructions: 

1. Combine coconut, pecans (almond flower), cocoa powder, and salt in a mixing bowl, mix well  
2.Add pumpkin puree, xylitol, coconut oil,vanilla and lemon juice, and stir until well incorporated.
3.With 2 spoons or scoops create the rounded balls and put on a plate or cookie sheet. 
4.Place in the freezer for about 20 minutes to solidify.
5. Store in the freezer or refrigerator till it's time to serve or take with you. 

Great to take to any party!...

I took it a bit further and made
 some melted chocolate to top 
them with after taking them from 
the freezer -just melted 2 squares
of unsweetened chocolate and a 
spoon of CACAO BUTTER in a 
double boiler and dripped on top 
(you can use any chocolate chips 
or chocolate of your choice). 
They can also be sprinkled
with coconut flakes.

Cacao butter 

       

NOTES:

-I recently discovered CACAO BUTTER and it has become my 

absolute favorite. You can add it to any recipe that calls for 

coconut oil or regular butter. And if you love chocolate

the cacao butter gives a chocolaty taste to anything, without 

the chocolate. When you do use make sure it is melted in a 

double boiler and careful not to burn in-- it is hard even at room 

temperature but it melts at 93 F.

-if you add 1.5 times the doze from the recipe it makes for 12 large macaroons. 

ENJOY!

P.S. Just attaching one more image of the new batch of macaroons I made, this time sprinkled with gluten free, sugar free and diary free white chocolate. The idea came when I offered my friend a macaroon and she refused it because of the trace of milk in the chocolate frosting of my first batch. She had started a Christmas lent and was o a vegan diet. I wondered how to resemble a real white chocolate and I was so surprised when this came out and it was so good! I am going to post another post on how to make it-it consists of only 2 ingredients- cacao butter and xylitol-that is all! It really makes up for a wonderful frosting of any desert or cake, which I am going to try soon!