Paleo Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:
½ cup almond flour 
½ cup flax meal
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg 
pinch of ground cloves

1/4 cup pure maple syrup (omit this if you'd like...the muffins will just be less sweet)

3 eggs
2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 cup pumpkin puree 

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened) 

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts, if desired

1/4 cup dried currants, if desired

1. In a large bowl combine almond flour, flax meal, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, baking soda and salt
2. In a blender, blend dates, eggs, coconut oil and pumpkin on high speed until very smooth
3. Mix wet ingredients into dry, then stir in sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, walnuts (if using), and currants (if using).
4. Spoon batter (I used a 1oz ice cream scoop) into lined mini muffin tins; you can also make regular-sized muffins, but the cooking time will increase
5. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean
6. Cool and serve

*Disclaimer- These make a fun treat for the holidays and should be consumed in moderation (that means you, Lauren), due to their high fruit, nut, and seed content...obviously, right!? 

Rosemary-Fig Nutty Bread (Paleo-Friendly)

 

This recipe is inspired by these delicious, though non-Paleo, crisps/crackers Scott and I enjoyed while in Portland. I'm working on a Paleo-friendly cracker to satisfy our cravings, but in the meantime I decided to modify this recipe, from Elana's Pantry. The flavor combination is amazing!

This bread should defintiely be toasted, and can be enjoyed in a number of ways:

-with a light spread of raw honey

-with goat cheese and more thinly sliced figs (if you're eating dairy)

-with a thin layer of almond butter and a thinly sliced and fanned apple

-create an even more flavorful version of this turkey sandwich

Rosemary-Fig Nutty Bread

1 ½ cups blanched almond flour

¾  cup arrowroot powder (I use ½ cup, so that the bread is not so dense)

¼ cup flax seed meal

½ teaspoon  sea salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

4 eggs
¼ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
¼ cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
½ cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup sesame seeds

1 T. chopped fresh romsemary

10 dried figs, chopped (as finely or as coarsely as you like...I chopped some fine and some more coarse) 

1. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, arrowroot, flax meal, salt and baking soda
2. In a larger bowl, blend eggs 3-5 minutes until frothy
3. Mix dry ingredients into the eggs, then add nuts, seeds, rosemary, and figs
   
4. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan (between 7"x3" and 8.5"x4.5", so that the loaf isn't too flat)
   
5. Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean
6. Cool and serve

More Bread!

Another recipe, thanks to Elana's Pantry...I love her blog and baking recipes! This recipe can be found in her cookbook, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook...I just bought it today. The thing I love about this book is her use of almond flour. Many gluten-free recipes out there substitute in a gluten-free, premix or some sort of not Paleo-friendly flour, but that is not the case here. Great recipes, beautiful pictures, and plenty of Paleo inspiration! I can't wait to experiment with more recipes in the next few weeks.

I'm going to use this bread tomorrow morning to make french toast for Scott, as it is more comparable to a white bread and should be nice. I'll keep you posted on his reaction and post bread pictures tomorrow.

Flax Seeds:

Ground Flax Seeds (I grind them right before use, for optimum freshness and nutritional value):

The batter:

Floured bread pan:

A standard bread pan will only be filled about 1/3 full:

Scrumptious Sandwich Bread
Makes 1 loaf or 6 two-slice servings

Coconut oil, for greasing pan
Almond flour for dusting pan

3/4 cup creamy roasted almond butter, at room temperature
4 large eggs
1/4 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground flax meal

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 7-by-3-inch loaf pan with *grapeseed oil and dust with almond flour.
2. In a large bowl, mix the almond butter with a handheld mixer until smooth, then blend with the eggs.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, arrowroot powder, salt, baking soda and flax meal. Blend the almond flour mixture into the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined.
4. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven, until a knife inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for 1 hour, then serve.

Nutty Bread Recipe

Here is a link to a really great site that I found for gluten-free and, usually, Paleo-friendly baked good recipes: http://www.elanaspantry.com/nutty-bread/

If you find a recipe that sounds tasty, but is not Paleo, just experiment by omitting the non-Paleo ingredients (in this recipe, I've left out the agave and vinegar). I feel completely comfortable with my ability to experiment with cooking, but have less confidence in my baking creativity...this site has helped me to branch out a bit and satisfy my cravings for many things baked.


Nutty Bread
1 ½ cups blanched almond flour
¾ cup arrowroot powder
¼ cup flax seed meal
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
¼ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
¼ cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
½ cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup sesame seeds

In a large bowl, whisk eggs 3-5 minutes until frothy
To the same bowl, add almond flour, arrowroot, flax meal, salt and baking soda
Add nuts and seeds
Pour batter into a greased medium sized loaf pan
Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean
Cool and serve

This recipe is perfect for "toast" and eggs, or as a substitute for the bread on that sandwich you've been craving. Thinly slice and toast before serving for the best texture and flavor. I love this "bread"!

I let the loaf cool and then put it in a tupperware container and then into the fridge (will last about a week or so). I end up with about 24 thin slices.