Dec 112012
 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles @ Common Sense Homesteading

These chocolate chip cookie dough truffles are made with almonds, coconut oil, honey, chocolate chips, vanilla and a dash of salt, and can be coated with chocolate or served plain.  (The first batch disappeared before I got a chance to dip them.) Once you try these tasty little cookie bites, you’ll be hooked.  Even my somewhat finicky husband loves them.  They’re a great way to get more coconut oil into your diet.  (The Tropical Traditions website has a great recipe page with dozens of recipes using coconut products.)

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Jul 132011
 

It’s strawberry season in our area, and the boys and I have hit two different pick your own patches (more on that later).  For now, I’ll just share a recipe, as I’ve been a little busy this week and am behind on my posts.  (More on that later, too.  I had nearly two tons of grain in my garage on Monday.)

With all the strawberries in the house, I had a taste for strawberry shortcake, but I really wanted to try a version with almond flour.  It just seemed to me that strawberries and almonds would go well together.  I did some hunting online (I think I may have to add the Almond Flour cookbook to my wishlist), but most of the recipes I found either used a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners.  Finally, I decided to tweak a recipe from one of my favorite gluten free bloggers – Kelly at The Spunky Coconut.  Kelly made a really pretty Strawberry Birthday cake for her daughter, so I modified her recipe a bit and teamed it up with strawberries and whipped cream.

Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake with Almond Flour recipe

5 whisked eggs (I used 2 duck eggs and one small chicken egg)
2/3 cup yogurt (the original recipe called for applesauce, but I didn’t have any on hand)
1/8 tsp Vanilla Creme liquid stevia
1/3 cup honey
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup coconut flour, sifted
2/3 cup tapioca flour
2/3 cup Bob’s almond flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup coconut oil, liquified (grapeseed oil would probably work also)

Grease two nine inch round cake pans.  (I put parchment paper in the bottom, too, but didn’t have a problem with sticking.)  Preheat oven to 325 F.

Blend together eggs, yogurt, liquid stevia, honey and vanilla extract.  In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients until evenly mixed.  Mix together dry and wet ingredients. (Kelly just says to put everything in one bowl, but I like to premix just to make sure everything blends evenly.)

Divide batter evenly between the two pans.  Bake for about 18 minutes, until lightly browned.

Let cool for a few minutes, then flip onto wire racks to cool completely.

While the cakes are cooling, rinse and hull your strawberries.  Chop/mash them with a pastry blender or potato masherto release the juices.

Please, please do not slice your berries and then add water to them for juice.  This is not a yummy.  (Apologies to a dear family member if you read this.)  You may use the berries unsweetened, or add stevia, vanilla stevia, or other sweetener to taste.  When we had this with my in-laws, I added 8 drops liquid vanilla creme stevia to 4 cups of chopped berries (my FIL is diabetic).  For just the boys and I, I added 2 tablespoons of sugar to 4 cups of berries.  A little goes a long way.

For the whipping cream, I whipped one cup of organic heavy whipping cream, and then, for the in-laws, added about six drops of vanilla creme stevia.  For just us, I added two tablespoons powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla (my youngest is not a fan of stevia).

I sliced the cakes into wedges and served them up in bowls with strawberries and whipped cream.  Delicious!  Do refrigerate leftovers, if there are any.

This post has been added to Simple Lives Thursday , Fight Back Fridayand Hearth and Soul Blog Hop #57.