Banana Almond Flour Muffins

I haven't baked in a while thanks to my new restrictions (no nuts, no eggs), but I found this recipe that I hadn't posted and figured you all probably need a fun treat. I created this muffin recipe by tweaking my banana cake and throwing the batter in muffin tins. If you are open to nuts and eggs, these muffins are awesome - only a tiny of raw honey, and they are perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast. You can add raisins, berries, nuts, or even almond butter if you want to get crazy with these. While you chow down on these, I will be brainstorming some egg-free, nut-free creations. Enjoy!

Banana Almond Flour Muffins: Serves 6, Prep time: 10 min, Bake time: 20 min

Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups almond flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cinnamon 
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. cup coconut oil, softened
- 2 Tbsp. cup organic raw honey
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 large banana, mashed
- Optional add-ins: raisins, berries, chopped nuts, cocoa nibs, etc.

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Combine almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and set aside
3. In a separate bowl, mix coconut oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla
4. Mix wet ingredients until fully combined and then add the mashed bananas
5. Combine the wet and dry ingredients in one bowl
6. Pour batter into a greased muffin tin
7. Bake for 20 minutes - tops will be lightly browned and a toothpick should come out clean
8. Let cool and then serve topped with fresh jam, honey, coconut butter, or plain!

  

Perfect Paleo Banana Bread Cake

Last night's ladies night was a Trumbull reunion. Claire, Ali, Sarah, and I proudly represented three classes of retired field hockey players. Our last pasta party was over 10 years ago, so we had a new and improved pasta-free version with an arugula salad, paleo chicken pot pie, and roasted butternut squash. I wanted to whip up a dessert, so I decided to go with a banana bread cake. I used to love making banana bread, and this was my first paleo attempt. The cake was moist, sweet, and cooked perfectly. I will definitely make this again - it would be great for a brunch party or anytime you need a quick and easy dessert. I gave away all the leftovers because I knew I would eat the whole thing! You could make this in a loaf pan and cook it for an extra 15 minutes, but I think it cooks more evenly in a pie dish. This recipe is perfect to try out on the paleo critic - it is as good or better than the traditional recipe!

Perfect Paleo Banana Break Cake:  Serves 8, Prep time: 15 min, Cook time: 40 min

Ingredients:
- 3 cups almond flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cinnamon 
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 eggs (I used 2 eggs + 3 Tbsp. egg whites)
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla
- 3 medium or 4 small bananas, mashed

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and set aside
3. In a separate bowl, mix coconut oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla
4. Mix wet ingredients until fully combined and then add the mashed bananas
5. Combine the wet and dry ingredients in one bowl
6. Pour batter in a 9-inch pie dish (I didn't grease it but will next time for easier cleanup)
7. Bake for 40 minutes - top will be lightly browned and a toothpick should come out clean
8. Let cool and then serve topped with chopped walnuts and with your favorite cup of tea

Paleo Macaroons

I really should be sleeping right now, but I have too many ideas and thoughts racing through my head. My IIN program is teaching the importance of holistic health and happiness, and while nutrition (paleo for me) is a huge factor in my overall wellness, there are so many other aspects of life that require just as much attention and nurturing. Tonight's recipe is the other Thanksgiving dessert I made last week which was inspired by Elana's Pantry blog entry for gluten free coconut macaroons. To keep the Thanksgiving theme alive for a little longer, I want to share the things I am thankful for today:

1. Meaningful connections with new friends
2. Closure
3. Excitement about the unknown
4. Amazing stories
5. Beautiful (non-coincidental) signs from the universe

In terms of my holistic health, today has been a wonderful day. Looking forward to all those ahead. In the meantime, make some paleo macaroons ;)  


Ingredients:
- 6 egg whites
- 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup raw organic honey
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
2. Whisk egg whites and salt thoroughly (at least 5 minutes)
3. Add honey and vanilla, and whisk until well combined
4. Fold in coconut
5. Drop rounded tablespoons of batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
6. Bake for 17-22 minutes until lightly browned

Note: The original recipe says this should make 48 macaroons, but mine made exactly 24, and I used an actual tablespoon to measure. I definitely recommend doubling the recipe if you need to feed a large crowd!

Paleo Brownies

It is officially Thanksgiving round 2 today! Chris and I have had quite the afternoon tending to the turkey for our paleo potluck feast tonight. My first experience prepping a turkey was certainly an interesting one. I got some much-needed advice from Mom and Aunt Randi beforehand, but nothing could have truly prepared me. I will spare you the gory details, but let's just say I was mortified when I "discovered" the neck hanging out in the inside of the turkey. The only other disaster was when I dropped an entire glass bottle of olive oil on the floor and glass and oil went everywhere. Mom nicknamed me "Helpful Hannah" for a reason, and I have a feeling that will stick with me for a while. The good news is that the floor is cleaned, the house smells amazing, and in about an hour, my first attempt at a (paleo) turkey will be done! I will post the recipe later this week. You all may be detoxing from turkey recipes for now, but there is always next year!

In the meantime, you can check out this recipe inspired by The Wannabe Chef's almond flour brownies with some paleo tweaks. I made these for Thanksgiving with my family. They were definitely a hit, and my non-paleo family members recommended these warm brownies with a scoop of ice cream to pump up the sweetness that they are used to. These brownies are very rich and absolutely will satisfy your sugar/dairy/gluten-free chocolate cravings! 

Ingredients:

- 3/4 cup almond flour

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

- 1/2 tsp. baking powder

- 2/3 cup raw organic honey

- 3 eggs

- 1 tsp. vanilla

- 1/2 cup coconut oil

- 4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate squares

- 1/2 - 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix almond flour, salt, cocoa powder, and baking powder

3. In a separate bowl, melt the 4 ounces of baking chocolate with the coconut oil

4. While chocolate melts, beat eggs, honey, and vanilla in a separate bowl

5. Slowly add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. Whisk thoroughly, and make sure to add slowly so the eggs don't start to cook

6. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl as well, and mix completely

7. Fold in walnuts if using nuts

8. Pour the batter into a greased 8x8 pan

9. Bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely, and then slice and serve!

  

Paleo Pumpkin Carrot Walnut Muffins

I'm not going to lie to you. These are good. Really good. You can ask Chris - we ate them while we had a wonderful heart-to-heart around the kitchen island drinking tea yesterday. It doesn't get much better than that on a Sunday afternoon. I have to give credit to a new paleo meetup friend Anna for posting a picture of gorgeous pumpkin muffins on her facebook page Sunday morning. I tried to get her recipe, but clearly I am very impatient, so I created my own and added shredded carrots into the mix since I looove carrot muffins/bread/cake. I now love carrots even more after the nice man at the SOWA market got so amused from the way Chris and I were picking the "perfect" carrots. In other SOWA news, my favorite woman at the Westminster Meat table remembered me from last week and asked how my 5lb. chicken turned out! I was so excited to tell her that I was able to use the whole frozen chicken to make delicious soup, and it is great to see that I am becoming a regular at my neighborhood market. 

In breaking paleo news, I am hosting my first official paleo meetup in a couple of weeks. It is going to be a halloween potluck, and I have been brainstorming a few costume ideas (think grass-fed cow, hunter/gatherer, etc...). I already have a great group of people signed up, and I can't wait. It will be a wonderful thing to look forward to after I trek back up to Boston after the big Avon walk this upcoming weekend! There will be a ton of special treats at the potluck, and I'm sure my new paleo friends won't be disappointed. Stay tuned!

Ingredients:

- 1.5 cups almond flour

- 1/2 cup pumpkin (I used canned organic pumpkin from Trader Joes)

- 1 cup shredded carrots

- 3 eggs

- 1 tsp. baking soda

- 1 tsp. baking powder

- 2 tsp. cinnamon

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 1 Tbsp. - 1/4 cup raw honey (optional - I used 1 Tbsp.)

- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil

- Splash of vanilla

- 1/2 chopped walnuts + 12 big pieces 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix all ingredients other than walnuts in a mixing bowl

3. Fold in chopped walnuts (reserve the 12 pieces for later)

4. Grease muffin tin (12-muffin size) with coconut oil or use silicon baking cups

5. Spoon batter evenly into muffin tin and top each muffin with a whole walnut

6. Bake for 25 minutes (fork or toothpick should come out clean)

7. Let sit for 5 minutes, and then remove to a wire rack

8. Eat with a friend, a cup of tea, or both ;)