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.

Coconut Lime Bars (SCD)

These bars have a crunchy shortbread crust, a tart lime curd filling, and a crunchy coconut topping. This is also my submission for this months "Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free".  I'm the host for July and the theme is "Raising the Bar - Grain-Free and Refined Sugar-Free Bars". So check back here at the end of the month for more great bar recipes, and submit a recipe of your own.

Coconut Lime Bars (SCD)

Shortbread Crust:

1 1/2 cups Almond Flour
1 cup Unsweetened Coconut, finely shredded
4 TBSP Butter, melted
2 TBSP Honey

Lime Curd Filling:

4 TBSP Butter
1/3 cup Honey
1/2 cup Lime Juice
4 large Egg Yolks

Topping:

1 1/2 cups Unsweetened Coconut, finely shredded
1/2 cup Almond Flour
2 TBSP Butter, melted
1/4 cup Honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or grease a 7" x 11" baking dish (I used a Pyrex dish).

For the Shortbread Crust: In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour and the coconut. Mix honey into melted butter and then pour into flour mixture. Stir until combined. Press into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven.

For the Lime Curd Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together filling ingredients. Then place over a medium heat and stir constantly until mixture thickens and coats the spoon. Do not overcook. Remove pan from heat.

For the Topping: Combine the coconut and almond flour in a large mixing bowl. Stir honey into melted butter to mix. Pour into flour mixture and stir until combined.

Pour lime curd filling over the crust. Then evenly sprinkle coconut topping over it. Bake about 15 minutes. Cool before serving.

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.

Butternut Snack Cake (SCD, GFCF)

I had some butternut squash leftover and was in the mood for a nice moist snack cake. I adapted this from Almond Butter Pumpkin Brownies at This Primal Life. I added and extra egg and some spices and voila, a nice little cake. I've made her pumpkin brownie recipe before as well and it was delicious.

Butternut Snack Cake

1 cup Almond Butter, room temp
3/4 cup Butternut Squash, baked and pureed
2 Eggs
1/3 cup Honey
1 teas. Baking Soda
1 teas. Cinnamon
1/8 teas. Allspice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and 8" x 8" cake pan.

In a large mixing bowl, mix almond butter until smooth. Blend in other ingredients one at a time. Pour into pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until cake tests done with a toothpick.

This post is linked to Pennywise Platter Thursdays and Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, Fightback Friday, and Sugar Free Sunday.

Banana Snaps (SCD)

Here's a lunchbox treat that's not too sweet.

Banana Snaps (SCD)

1 cup Pecan Meal
4 cups Almond Flour
1/4 teas. Sea Salt
1/4 teas. Baking Soda
1 teas. Cinnamon
2/3 to 3/4 cup mashed Ripe Banana
1/4 cup melted Butter
1/2 cup Honey
1 Egg
1 teas. Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl mix wet ingredients together. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until combined. Chill in freezer or refrigerator until it can be handled easier (10 to 30 minutes). Roll dough into small balls, about 1/2 inch diameter, the size of a large marble steely, and place on cookie sheet. With wet hands press cookie dough balls flat. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how crunchy you like your cookies. Makes about 6 or 7 dozen.

These keep well, for about 10 days in an airtight container (we live in a dry climate, so humidity may affect shelf life).

This post is linked to Fightback Fridays.

SCD Lazy Daisy Cake

In my last recipe post I mentioned it was too hot to use the oven. Then I see a recipe for Lazy Daisy Cake in a Taste of Home publication and I can't fire the oven up fast enough to attempt a SCD version. This has a luscious buttery gooiness to it, a great trait to find in a dessert!

SCD Lazy Daisy Cake (SCD)

Cake:
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Honey
1 teas. Vanilla Extract
2 cups Almond Flour
1 teas. Baking Soda
1/4 teas. Sea Salt
1/2 cup Yogurt or Yogurt Cream (yogurt made from half and half), heated just to room temp
2 TBSP Butter, melted

Topping:
1/3 cup plus 1 TBSP Honey
1/2 cup Butter, melted
1 cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8" x 8" baking dish. (I use a pyrex dish)

For Cake: In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, honey, and vanilla until combined well and just a bit frothy, about one minute. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Then add to the egg mixture and beat just until combined. Beat in yogurt and melted butter. Pout into buttered baking dish and bake about 30-35 minutes, until cake tests done. Let cake cool for about 20 minutes.

For Topping: In a small saucepan melt butter and stir in honey until combined. Then stir in coconut. Spread over cake. Place under the broiler for about 3 to 4 minutes until browned and bubbly. Watch it closely, once it browns it doesn't take long to burn. Cool and enjoy! It seems like the next day it was even better.

This post is linked to Real Food Weekly, Fight Back Fridays, Sugar-Free Sunday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, and Gluten-Free Wednesdays.

Great Recipe - Berry Honey Bars from Heal-Balance-Live

When I saw these Berry Honey Bars (SCD friendly) on Karen's Heal-Balance-Live blog I couldn't wait to try them. She also has a version with chocolate chips (not SCD legal). These were yummy. The crust is a perfect replacement for a graham cracker crust. I did not have any sliced almonds on hand so I used pecans and used butter in place of the coconut oil and they were still delicious.  Thanks Karen!

SCD legal jam/jelly recipes:

Homemade Strawberry Jam from Z's Cup of Tea

SCD Homemade Fruit Jam from Heal-Balance-Live

Raspberry Jam  and many more from SCD Recipes

Grain-Free Fig Bars - SCD

I've had bars on the brain. We have a family reunion coming up soon and bars are the perfect take along dessert. If you like Fig Newtons, you'll like these. However, they are soft like a "blondie"  rather than a cookie.

This is also my submission for this month's Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free, hosted this month by Raj and Sonia of Flip Cookbook. The theme is Garden Tea Party. I thought these would be perfect, since they are a sweet nibble, perfect for tea. Right now in Texas it's ice tea season, but I think they will still go just fine.

Grain-Free Fig Bars

Filling:
 7 or 8 ounces of Dries Figs, stems removed (I used Black Mission Figs)
1/4 cup Water
1/4 cup Honey

Batter:
2 cups Almond Flour
1/2 teas. Sea Salt
1/2 teas. Baking Soda
1/3 (5 TBSP) Butter, melted
1/3 cup Honey
2 Eggs
1 teas. Vanilla Extract


Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8" x 8" baking pan.

To make fig filling, remove stems from figs and add to a food processor with water and honey. Process until smooth. The goal is to make it smooth and spreadable, but somewhat thick. If it is too thick thin with another teaspoon of water.

To make the batter, in a medium mixing bowl combine almond flour, sea salt and baking soda. In another bowl stir butter and honey until smooth. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir into flour mixture. Spread half of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Drop fig filling onto batter by tablespoons and carefully spread:

Now, carefully spread the remaining batter on top:

Bake for about 45 minutes. You will need to check the center of the top for doneness, as the bars will look fully cooked but this area may still be a bit gooey. Store in the refrigerator.

This post is also linked to Fight Back Fridays, Traditional Food Tuesday Blog Hop, Real Food Weekly, and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

Recipe Review - Grain-Free Cocoa Butter Cookies (SCD, GFCF)

OMG...these are so good! Here's our latest favorite cookie recipe from Esther of Digestive Wellness. She declares they are so different from other cookies...and she's right. They have a delightful crisp to them, and then there's the taste the cocoa butter adds to it. It's almost like a hint of white chocolate. And if you are a cookie dough eater you will be in heaven. When baking these I found they turned out best when I used a teaspoonful for each and rolled it into a ball. These burn easy and they don't taste as well when they get too brown, you definitely want to take them out when they have just a touch of golden brown. They are best when very cool. Right now our house is a bit cooler so they do fine in the cookie jar but in the summer they will probably do better in the fridge. These are just too yummy. Thanks Esther!

Easy Bourbon Sauce with Honey (SCD)

Happy New Year!! 

This is a scrumptious dessert sauce.  For good results, use a good quality bourbon, such as Makers Mark or Knob Creek. As Ina would say, no "gut rot, porch climbing hooch". I'm going to try this batch with some sauteed bananas and pound cake. This was adapted from Joy of Cooking.

Easy Bourbon Sauce with Honey (SCD)

8 TBSP (one stick) Butter
1 cup Honey
1/4 cup Bourbon
A few dashes of Sea Salt
1 large Egg

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add honey, bourbon and salt. Cook while stirring until ingredients are well combined. Whisk egg in a small bowl until light and frothy. Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in egg. Return to stove and cook over medium heat, gently stirring, until mixture boils up. Cook another one to two minutes. Cool until thickened. This will keep refrigerated for up to three days, if it lasts that long.

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.

Coffee Panna Cotta (GF)

This is one of the few times I will be posting a GF recipes that is not SCD legal. I love coffee desserts and I've had this idea to try for a couple years now. I thought this months Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free theme would be a good time to post it.

It was not my intent to have it with separate layers. I do not know the culinary science behind why it did this, but I thought it looked cool. If you are a coffee lover I think you'll enjoy this.

Note: This recipe is not SCD legal

2 cups Whipping or Heavy Cream
1 3/4 cups Strong Black Coffee
1/2 cup Rapadura or Sugar (the Rapadura adds a nice depth)
1 teas. Vanilla
2 packets Knox Gelatin

In a medium bowl(I use a 4 cup Pyrex cup), add 1/2 cup of the cream and sprinkle the gelatin on top to absorb. A few minutes later, add hot coffee and stir.

Put the rest of the cream and sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat just until it begins to heat up and melt the sugar. Add vanilla. Pour into coffee mixture. When it has cooled to room temperature, pour into parfait glasses or goblets and chill until set.

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

Great Recipe: Lemon Meringue Pie (SCD)

This luscious recipe is from Hold the Bread, Please. I saw Meyer Lemons at the store yesterday and decided it would be a good time try this. I love meringues but have never made one before. It was easy and great! The pie crust is exceptional as well and I will be using it again for other desserts.

Caramel Apple Tart (SCD)

Gooey desserts are my thing. This has wonderful goo quality. If you don't have a tart pan this would also work well as a pie, just may need to adjust cooking time.

Crust

This is my current crust recipe, or you can use your favorite.

Prepare crust and press into a tart pan or pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Filling

2 or 3 Apples, peeled, cored and sliced
Caramel Sauce

Arrange apple slices on prebaked crust and then pour caramel over it. Pour a little or alot, depending on how gooey you want it



Topping

I tried Karen's (at Heal Balance Live) Master Crumb Topping recipe and added about 1/2 cup Pecan Meal to it, chopped pecans would work nicely as well. I froze the leftover topping for later use. Prepare topping and sprinkle over filling.



Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Butterscotch Sauce and Caramel Sauce (SCD)

In my first attempt to make a SCD legal caramel sauce, I was pleasantly surprised to wind up with butterscotch. The next time I made it I wound up with more caramel flavored sauce. So what was the difference? The first batch was made with a mild honey, which allowed the butter flavor to shine through, making the best butterscotch I have ever had. The second time I used a dark honey (I just use what I have on hand), this kept the butter in the background and had a richer caramel flavor. This sauce is great for frozen yogurt and other desserts.

1 cup Honey
4 oz (1/2 cup or 1 stick) Butter, room temp and sliced



Heat honey in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently. In a few minutes it will be slightly bubbled and begin to boil.



When it begins to really boil up and look "foamy", stir constantly for one minute and then let it just boil on its own for about 30 seconds.


Remove from heat. Stirring constantly, add butter, one pat at a time allowing each to be almost dissolved before adding the next. When all have been added, let sauce cool. It will thicken as it cools.

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.

"Cream Cheese" Frosting (SCD)

One the one hand I have to warn you, this frosting is a bit cantankerous and doesn't behave like typical frosting. It might not be as smooth and easy to spread. On the other hand, it tastes like real cream cheese frosting, the kind that is yummy on carrot cake and pumpkin brownies. It's very important to have all of the ingredients at room temperature. If the yogurt is even the slightest bit cool the butter will look curdled.

8 oz Butter (2 sticks)
1 cup Yogurt Cream or Dripped Yogurt
1 teas Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Honey

In a medium mixing bowl, mix butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in honey. Mix in yogurt and vanilla.

Coconut Pecan Frosting (SCD)

Here's my current version of this frosting. My husband really enjoyed it. I found it to be a bit tangy by itself, but it balanced nicely with the sweet dessert it was paired with. I used yogurt that was made with half and half, which is comparable to sour cream. To make yogurt with half and half I use the same method as with regular yogurt. For those of you not on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet you may try it with sour cream.

1/2 cup (one stick) Butter, diced into a few pieces
2/3 cup Honey
1 cup Yogurt Cream
3 Large Egg Yolks
1 teas. Vanilla Extract
1/4 teas. Almond Extract
1 1/2 cups Shredded Coconut, unsweetened
1 1/2 cups Pecans, chopped

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in honey, yogurt and egg yolks. Stir constantly until mixture is slightly bubbling around the edges and beginning to thicken some. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts, coconut and pecans. Allow to cool at room temperature before frosting dessert.