Raising the Bar - Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free (Grain-Free, Refined Sugar-Free)

Raising the Bar - Grain-Free and Refined Sugar-Free Bars is the theme for this round-up of Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free. Cookie bars are perfect for picnics and summer get togethers, they usually travel well and hold up to the summer heat better than an iced cake. So why not have a variety of grain-free and refined sugar-free ones to choose from? Sounds like bliss to me.

 

(Sorry to post so late, I was going to try to post before vacation but did not get a chance.)

 

 

 

 

Victoria of Gluten-Free SCD and Veggie brings her Apricot Slice. The perfect take along to any BBQ.  They are SCD and Paleo friendly. Her blog is also full of veggie dishes as well, one of my favorite blogs.

 

These Berry and Coconut Slices are also SCD and Paleo friendly.  Debbie of An Aussie with Crohn's,  has many other grain-free goodies, well worth a peek. 

 Mmm..Grain-Free, Vegan Carob Chunk Cookie Bars. Madison's Eating 4 Balance has a fun mix of recipes, life, and health topics.

These gorgeous morsels come from Lisa of Real Food Kosher. Her Cranberry Crumb Bars with Pecans and Rosemary look amazing.

 

 Summer is here and I wanted to have a no bake recipe: No Bake Macadamia Apricot Coconut Snack Bars.

I also have Coconut Lime Bars. They have a crispy shortbread crust with a lime curd filling.

I hope you enjoyed this round-up!

Be sure to check out For the Love of Food. Nooshin is hosting for August and the theme is fruit.
Last month was Primal Travel Food from Sunny of And Love it Too.

Banana Praline Snack Cake (SCD)

I'm baack! This blog has been a bit deserted for awhile, but I have some good things lined up for July. One is that I am hosting Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free. I'll have more details later this week. For now here is a moist cake with some caramel/praline gooey stuff on top.

Banana Praline Snack Cake (SCD)

Praline Topping:

3 TBSP. Butter
1 cup chopped Pecans
1/3 cup Honey

Cake:

2 Very Ripe Bananas, mashed
2 1/2 cups Almond Flour
1/2 teas. Sea Salt
1/2 teas. Baking Soda
1 teas. Cinnamon
1/4 cup Butter
1/3 cup Honey
2 eggs
1 teas. Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 7" x 11" casserole dish (I use my Pyrex dish).

Make the pralines by heating butter and pecans in a skillet over medium heat. Stir often and cook until pecans are lightly toasted and fragrant. Add honey and boil for 4 minutes while stirring, and then boil one minute without stirring. Keep a close watch to insure mixture does not burn. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

For the cake batter: Mash bananas in a small bowl and set aside. Place dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and combine. Melt butter in a small saucepan (or micro in a bowl). When it is melted, remove from heat. Stir in honey. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Pour mixture into dry ingredients and combine. Stir in mashed bananas. Scrape batter into prepared dish and sprinkle the top with praline topping. Bake 30 to 40 minutes until cake tests done with a toothpick.

Recipe Review - Zucchini Pizza Crust from The Gluten-Free Homemaker

I was the blessed recipient of a bag of zucchini and Linda of The Gluten-free Homemaker recently posted a recipe for Zucchini Pizza Crust. Our family is a crispy crust bunch so I added 1 cup of cheese to the crust instead of 1/2 cup. I also salted the shredded zucchini and let it sit in a colander over a bowl for about 45 minutes, then squeezing it to remove some moisture, so I did not add salt to the crust. Instead of tomato/pizza sauce I added 1 minced clove of garlic to 1 tablespoon of olive oil and brushed it on the cooked crust, topping it with cheese and prosciutto. The Booger pulled the topping and cheese off and just ate the crust (that's ok, he's still eating vegetables). Eddie liked how crispy the crust was. Thanks Linda!

Chewy N'Oatmeal Raisin Cookies - (SCD)

This is really Lucy Rosset's Cinnamon Cookie recipe with minor tweaks. Four years ago my son was on a rotation diet and I made these with pecan meal instead of almond flour. The result reminded me of chewy oatmeal raisin cookies. I have found them to be even better with this ratio of pecan meal and almond flour.

The original recipe can be found in Lucy's Specific Carbohydrate Cookbook sold at Lucy's Kitchen Shop, Digestive Wellness, and Amazon. It is grain-free and junk-free. There is also a wonderful Garlic-Parmesan Bread recipe in this book that is one of our favorites.

Chewy N'Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (SCD)

4 TBSP. Butter, melted
1/3 Cup of Honey
1 1/3 cup Pecan Meal
2/3 cup Almond Flour
1 teas. Cinnamon
1/8 teas. Salt
1/4 teas. Baking Soda
1/2 cup Raisins

Preheat oven to 285 degrees. Butter a cookie sheet or place a piece of parchment paper on it (preferred). Mix melted butter and honey in a small bowl. Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl (except raisins). Stir wet ingredients into dry. Stir in raisins. Roll into 1" balls, place on cookie sheet and flatten slightly with hand. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until done.

This post is linked to Fightback Fridays and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

Great Recipe - Cinnamon Cookies from Comfy Belly (SCD)

Here's another great cookie recipe from another great blogger: Cinnamon Cookies from Erica at Comfy Belly. If you scroll down her post, commenter Susan suggests using vanilla extract in place of the cinnamon and then sprinkling the cinnamon on top to make a snickerdoodle. I tried that variation and it is delicious too. My son loves the cookie dough and the cookies. Thanks Erica! Erica's blog also has many other SCD legal recipes.

Garlic Cheddar Rolls (SCD)

What do you get when you cross Elana Amsterdam's Classic Drop Biscuits with Red Lobster's Garlic Rolls? You get this yummy hybrid that goes great with a hot bowl of your favorite soup. This recipe was adapted from Elana's "The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook".

This post is linked to "Grain-Free Tuesdays" at HellaD's.

Garlic Cheddar Rolls

2 1/2 cups Almond Flour
1 teas. Sea Salt
1/2 teas. Baking Soda
1/4 cup Light Oil, such as Grapeseed
2 large Eggs
1/4 cup Yogurt
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 teas. Lemon Juice
1 or 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 TBSP Butter, melted
Dried Parsley Flakes for tops

Oven 350 Degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. I use an aluminum cookie sheet which keeps the bottoms from burning as quickly. If your using a darker type metal pan you may need a slightly lower temperature.

Mix almond flour, salt and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl combine oil, yogurt, eggs and lemon juice. Lightly beat with a fork. Stir into flour mixture until combined. Stir in shredded cheese. If you like your rolls very garlicky, add garlic now.

Drop dough by about 1/4 cup portions onto cookie sheet. Add garlic to butter and combine (if you haven't already put the garlic in the dough). With a pastry brush, brush the tops of the rolls with the melted butter. Sprinkle with a small amount of dried parsley, basil or oregano.

Bake about 15 to 20 minutes until lightly golden.

Recipe Review for Grain-Free Sticky Buns (SCD)

I guess if I have a resolution for 2011 it is less stalking and more cooking.  I love food blogs and always see so many delicious ideas. I must have poor meal planning skills because my mind goes blank when it's time to write up a shopping list for the week. I'm going to try to start making all of the recipes I have bookmarked. If you're going to have a resolution or a goal, it might as well be a tasty one, right?
  I've had this recipe bookmarked for over a year. It's a recipe review of "Wendy's Cinnamon Rolls" on Heal-Balance-Live. These are sooo yummy. The only alteration I did was use pecan meal in place of the almond flour in the Spice Mix. I haven't had sticky buns since going gluten-free and these were a real treat. Thanks Karen and Wendy!

Grain-Free Cranberry Crumb Cake (SCD, GFCF)

This is perfect for dessert, breakfast, brunch or just nibbling. This cake tastes best the next day, when the flavor of the orange zest starts to peek in.

Grain-Free Cranberry Crumb Cake

2 1/2 cups Almond Flour
1/2 teas. Sea Salt
1 teas. Baking Soda
4 Eggs
1/3 cup Oil
1/2 cup Honey
1 TBSP Vanilla
1/4 teas. Almond Extract (optional)
Zest from one medium size Orange or two Clementines
1 1/2 to 2 cups Whole Cranberries

Crumb Topping

1 cup Pecan Meal
1/2 cup Almond Flour
1 1/2 teas. Cinnamon
2 TBSP Honey
2 1/2 TBSP Melted Butter, Ghee or Oil (use oil for GFCF)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 inch Springform pan with parchment paper.

For the cake: Rinse cranberries and pick out any soggy ones. In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda. In a small bowl combine all wet ingredients. Stir into almond flour until combined. Stir in orange zest and cranberries. Pour into prepared pan.

For the Crumb Topping: In a small mixing bowl, combine pecan meal, almond flour and cinnamon. In a separate bowl combine honey and melted butter. Pour into pecan meal mixture and combine. Sprinkle on top of cake batter.

Bake about 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick tests fairly clean. Note: I place my springform pan on an aluminum cookie sheet while baking to catch any leakage, this may affect my cooking time.

This post is linked to Momnivore's Holiday Link Party.

Grain-Free Butter Cookies (SCD)

This is adapted from Elana's "Star Cookies for St. Lucia". I found this recipe and Elana's website just in time for our first SCD holiday season. My son was three then and was thrilled to have these cookies, they have been a favorite ever since. The other great thing about this recipe...the cookie dough. It's makes the best cookie dough, Gordon and I sometimes eat more than we bake! I have adapted it to the SCD and replaced the coconut oil with butter, as my son has a severe coconut sensitivity.

This post is linked to "Calling All Cookies" at the Sensitive Pantry.

Grain-Free Butter Cookies

2 1/2 cup Almond Flour
1/2 teas. Sea Salt
1/4 teas. Baking Soda
1 teas. Cinnamon
1/2 cup (one stick) Butter, melted or very soft
5 TBSP. Honey
2 teas. Vanilla Extract
1/2 teas. Almond Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one or two cookie sheets (depending on how much dough you've nibbled on) with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a small bowl combine the wet ingredients. Stir wet ingredients into dry.

If you are not making cut out cookies: Chill in refrigerator for one hour. Roll into one inch balls, place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly press down. Bake 7-10 minutes until very lightly browned.

To make cut out cookies, chill dough in freezer for one or two hours. (You can also keep dough in the freezer to have on hand) Cut out several 6 inch by 6 inch squares of wax paper. Roll a golf ball size of cookie dough between two sheets of wax paper. Peel off top sheet and cut out cookie shape. Flip over onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Peel off other piece of wax paper.
Bake 7-10 minutes until very lightly browned.

Grain-Free Sandwich Bread (SCD, GFCF)

This is currently our favorite bread. It reminds me of a nutty whole grain bread without the chewy things that catch in your teeth. It's adapted from Elana Amsterdam's recipe "Scrumptious Sandwich Bread". The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook has been a great source of inspiration. Her suggestion for storing grain-free bread works well also. When the bread is cooled, wrap in a paper towel, put in a plastic bag and refrigerate.

This is also my submission for this week's Fightback Friday, a real food web carnival at Food Renegade

3/4 cup Almond Butter (room temp.)
4 Large Eggs
1/2 cup Almond Flour
1/2 teas. Sea Salt
1/2 teas. Baking Soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper (I used a 4" x 8", but a bit smaller might work better).

In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the almond butter with an electric mixer. Add eggs and mix. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Spoon into loaf pan.

Bake about 35 minutes until a toothpick test comes up dry. Cool and slice.

Zoe, of Z's Cup of Tea, has a similar recipe for Mini Almond Butter Loaves. I haven't tried them yet but the photo looks yummy.

Great Recipe: SCD Pizza Crust at Heal-Balance-Live (SCD)

This pizza crust is from Karen at Heal-Balance-Live. Her blog is a staple in my kitchen. I've made this pizza crust a few times and it always turns out great. It's a crisp crust and is even good the next day for leftovers. Thanks Karen!

Cheesey Sunflower Crackers (SCD)

In honor of Autism Awareness month these crackers are puzzle shaped. I ordered these adorable shape cutters from the Amazon store on Melissa's Another Lunch blog.

This recipe is right out of Dana Carpender's 500 Low-Carb Recipes. It's been one of our favorite cracker recipes and can beat any prepackaged cracker. I pre-soaked and dried the sunflower seeds for better digestibility.

1 1/2 cups Sunflower Seeds, raw and shelled
6 oz Cheddar Cheese, grated (I use Alta Dena's Goat Cheese, cheddar style)
1/2 teas. Salt, plus more for tops
1/4 cup water
Chili Powder or
Coriander and Paprika
Dried Parsley, optional

Two cookie sheets, three pieces of parchment paper cut to size of cookie sheets, rubber spatula

To improve digestibility I place sunflower seeds in a mixing bowl and cover with water. Let sit 8 hours or overnight. Rinse very well. Place in a dehydrator and dry at 125 degrees for about two hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add sunflower seeds to food processor and pulse until very fine and flour-like. Add cheese and salt and pulse a few times to combine. Add 1/4 cup of water and pulse until mixture forms a ball. I pat into two balls, placing each between two sheets of parchment paper and rolling out to a thin wafer thickness. Peel off top paper and sprinkle with salt and chili powder (or coriander and paprika). Sprinkle with dried parsley (optional). Score into squares with a spatula. Bake about 30 minutes, checking after 25 minutes. Let cool before breaking into squares.

Great Recipe: Cauliflower Pizza Dough

Yes, that's right, a pizza crust made from cauliflower that has a great pizza dough flavor! It's from Your Lighter Side.

I doubled the recipe to fit a whole cookie sheet. Her recipe also calls for Mozzarella Cheese, which is not SCD legal, so I substituted with Alta Dena Goat Cheese for the crust and Romano Cheese for the topping. I steamed fresh cauliflower till fork tender and used a ricer. Instead of immediately ricing it, I first pushed on it just enough to squeeze the water out of it. Then I riced it.

It was a very thin crust pizza with a great flavor. I haven't tried it for breadsticks yet but the photo on her blog sure looks good.




I have found many great recipes from Low Carb cookbooks and blogs. They get real creative with veggies like cauliflower, much like the SCD. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet isn't a low carb diet, we don't count carbs. We just eliminate certain carbs we cannot digest, and some of these are also avoided by low carbers as well, although for different reasons. Low carb recipes are mostly gluten-free too. However, they will still have the occasional recipe with wheat flour so you have to be familiar with your diet before digging in low carb lit for recipes.

Moist and Simple Coconut Cake (SCD)

Sometimes the most simple and humble dish can take you by surprise. My cousin Julie has a recipe for "Crustless Coconut Pie" that I was trying to recreate and I came up with this instead. It's a very moist cake, nothing fancy, and yet it can hold it's own against fancier desserts. If you like coconut and comfort food I think you'll enjoy this. It is also my submission for this month's "Go Ahead Honey...It's Gluten-Free" hosted by Amy at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free. This month's theme is Guiltless Pleasures.

2 Eggs
1/3 cup Honey
1 cup Coconut Milk
2 TBSP Butter, melted
1/2 teas Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Almond Flour
1/2 teas. Baking Soda
1/4 teas. Sea Salt
1 cup Shredded Coconut, unsweetened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I used a Pyrex pie pan.

In a small bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl whisk eggs until frothy. Whisk in honey, coconut milk, melted butter and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture. Stir in coconut until well combined. Pour into pie pan and bake about 25 to 30 minutes, until golden.

Note: If you are following the SCD for health reasons be aware that many brands of coconut milk contain gums that can irritate your gi tract. Trader Joe's brand, as of this writing, is suppose to be safe. Coconut milk can also be easily made from shredded unsweetened coconut. Here is a recipe at Assoc. Content

Grain-Free Bread (SCD, GFCF)

I love bread and I'm allergic to gluten and bakers yeast, so I'm always experimenting with bread recipes. This one is pretty good. It's moist and it slices beautifully. Elana Amsterdam has a great tip for storing grain-free breads. Wrap it in paper towels and place in a plastic bag, and it keeps about six days in the fridge.

4 Eggs
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 teas. Apple Cider Vinegar
2 cups Almond Flour
1 teas. Baking Soda
1/2 teas. Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. Line a 4" x 8" loaf pan with parchment paper.

In a small mixing bowl combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk mayo and eggs until smooth. Whisk in vinegar. Stir in flour mixture until combined. Pour into pan and bake about 30 minutes, until browned and tests clean with a toothpick.

'Nana Bread (SCD, GFCF)

This is a favorite I had been making for years in my gluten days, luckily it comes out beautifully with almond flour. My little boy calls it 'nana bread.

2 1/2 cups Almond Flour
1 teas Baking Soda
1/2 teas Sea Salt
2 small or 1 large Banana, very ripe
1/3 cup Honey
1/4 cup Butter, melted (for cf use 1/4 cup Oil)
3 Eggs, lightly beaten
Zest from 1 Orange or Tangerine or 2 Clementines
1 teas. Vanilla Extract
1 teas. Lemon Juice
2 teas. Cinnamon
1/2 cup dried Cherries or Cranberries (optional)
1/2 cup Pecans, chopped (optional)

Oven preheated to 345 degrees. Grease a 4" X 7" loaf pan (I use Ghee).

In a small bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, mash bananas. Add honey and melted butter, stir until combined. Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice and mix. Add zest and cinnamon. Blend in flour mixture and combine. Stir in dried fruits and chopped nuts (optional). Pour into prepared pan and place in oven. Bake 40-50 minutes. Test with a toothpick.

I am in the habit of putting my loaf pan on an aluminum cookie sheet while baking so I'm not sure how that affects the cooking time. Too many years of experimenting and having pans overflow has given me this habit.

Spinach Parmesan Crackers (SCD)

paper by sandylion sticker designs

Here's another cracker seasoned with dried vegetables. Eddie dried a bag of fresh baby spinach leaves for these. You can use Parmesan cheese or Romano cheese, which is very similar to Parmesan but much cheaper.

2 cups Almond Flour
8 oz Parmesan or Romano Cheese, grated
1/3 to 1/2 cup Dried Baby Spinach, crumbled fine
1/2 teas. Sea Salt, plus more for tops
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1/4 cup water

Food processor, rolling pin, parchment paper, rubber spatula, 2 cookie sheets

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut three sheets of parchment paper to the size of your cookie sheets

In a food processor, combine almond flour and cheese. Pulse until combined. Add spinach and sea salt, pulse a few times until combined. Add olive oil and water. Pulse until a dough ball forms. If it is too dry add more water, about 1 or 2 teaspoons at a time and pulse until the ball forms. Remove and form into two balls. Place one ball between two sheets of parchment paper and roll into a large rectangle. Place on a cookie sheet and peel off top parchment sheet. Score into 2" by 2" squares and sprinkle with sea salt. Repeat with second dough ball. Bake for about 23 minutes. Makes about 50 crackers.

Savory Vegetable Dill Crackers (SCD)

I've angered the camera gods, yet again, and left our back-up camera at a Christmas party. The hosts, my husband's grandparents, split for a retirement home a few days later. Retrieving the camera may take awhile... (my camera is back now)
Anyways, here's a savory little bite. The flecks of dried carrots, celery and dill make these crackers quite lovely.

2 cups Almond Flour
6 oz Mild Cheese, grated (I use Alta Dena Goat Cheese, it's very similar to an extremely Mild Cheddar)
2 TBSP Vegetable Seasoning
1/2 to 1 teas. Onion Powder
1 teas. Dill, dried
1/2 teas. Sea Salt, plus more for tops
1/4 cup Water
1 TBSP Olive Oil
Parchment Paper, Food Processor, Rolling Pin, Spatula, Cookie Sheets
Oven 325 Degrees

In a food processor, combine almond flour, cheese, seasoning, spices and salt. Pulse until cheese is well broken down. Add water and oil and pulse until a dough ball forms. You may need another teaspoon of water.

Divide dough into two balls. Place each ball between two sheets of parchment paper and roll thin. Place onto a cookie sheet, then peel off top piece of parchment. I have found that the edge of a rubber type spatula is the best tool for scoring. Score into 2" x 2" squares or diamonds. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for about 20 to 25 min. Once they begin to brown they can burn easy so keep an eye on them towards the end. Also, I use aluminum baking sheets. If you are using darker pans you may need to adjust the temperature and time.

Raspberry Coconut "Zinger Style" Cupcakes (SCD)

I'm not a junk food fan, but I do have to admit Raspberry Zingers taste pretty good. Here's a "non-junk" gluten-free version. It's for this months "Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free! Elana of Elana's Pantry is the hostess and the theme is Grain-Free Cakes and Cupcakes. If you haven't checked out her website or her cookbook "The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook" then you're in for a real treat.

Part One: Vanilla Cake (SCD, GFCF)

2 1/2 cups Almond Flour
1/2 teas. Sea Salt
1 teas. Baking Soda
1/3 cup Honey
1/3 cup Oil
4 eggs
1 TBSP Vanilla Extract (SCD Legal)
1/4 teas. Almond Extract (SCD Legal), optional

Oven 350 Degrees. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.

In a large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients. Mix in wet ingredients. Spoon into cupcake liners. Bake for about 20 minutes, tops will be lightly browned when done. Cool completely.

Part Two: Creme Filling



Prepare 1/2 recipe of Cream Cheese Frosting

Put a tip on a pastry bag and fill with one cup of frosting. Insert tip into the middle of cooled cupcake and squeeze just until top of cupcake pops up.

Part Three: Topping

About 1/2 cup Coconut, unsweetened
Raspberry Jam

I used the recipe from Pecanbread.com and it's SCD legal. I used one 12 oz bag of Frozen Raspberries, thawed. If you don't like seeds in your teeth, put the raspberries in the blender and puree. Then set a wire mesh strainer over a saucepan, pour the pureed raspberries in and then used a wooden spoon to push out the liquid. Add 1/3 cup honey, then stir and boil forever, about 45 minutes until thickened. Cool completely.

Spread raspberry jam over the top of each cupcake and then sprinkle with coconut.

Golden Bread (SCD, GFCF)

My son, age 4, used to like muffins and it was a great way to sneak veggies into his diet. Now he prefers bread, not sweet bread, just plain bread. He loves this. I use two small 3" x 5.75" loaf pans. If you use a larger loaf pan adjust the cooking time.

2 1/2 cups Almond Flour
1 cup Pumpkin or Butternut Squash, cooked and pureed
1/3 cup Oil
1 teas. Baking soda
1/2 teas. Sea Salt
3 eggs
1/2 teas. Cinnamon
1 TBSP. Honey

Oven 350. Grease two 3" x 5 or 6" loaf pans or one larger one.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir in wet ingredients. Scrape into prepared loaf pans and bake 30 to 45 minutes. Tops will be browned and a toothpick will come out clean. Cool completely and keep in fridge. Slices better when it's been chilled.