Grain-free Pumpkin Pancakes.

I have always had a little bit of a problem making pancakes. I try and experiment with my own recipes, but they usually fail miserably, something I am definitely not used to! Needless to say that now whenever I make pancakes I find a recipe that I like and stick with it. Hopefully down the road I will be able to pioneer some of my own pancake recipes, but for now, I need help!

This mornings recipe comes from Kelly at The Spunky Coconut. She has some great ideas which you can try at her blog, and very nice cookbook(s) as well!

Grain-free Pumpkin Pancakes

    adapted from Kelly

    6  REAL eggs

    1 cup  organic canned pumpkin puree or homemade

    1/4 cup  grassfed whole raw milk or coconut milk

    1/4 cup  maple syrup or runny honey

    6 drops  Sweetleaf liquid stevia

    1 Tbsp  vanilla

    2 Tbsp  coconut oil or butter

    1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp  buckwheat flour (can use coconut flour)

    1 cup  unblanched almond flour

    2 tsp  pumpkin pie spice

    1 tsp  cinnamon

    1/2 tsp  baking soda

    1/2 tsp  baking powder
    pinch xantham gum - optional
    butter - for greasing the pan

To make the pancakes:

  1.  Puree first seven wet ingredients in your food processor.

  2.  Add remaining six dry ingredients and mix in food processor.  These first two steps may also be done with a whisk, as long as you whisk well.

  3.  Pour batter into a bowl with a spout for easy pouring.  Be careful, the batter is delicious! ;)

  4.  Heat up your griddle to around 325 degrees and grease with coconut oil, misto or butter.

  5.  Pour batter onto the griddle and smooth around with a spoon.

  6.  The pancakes are ready to flip when they are bubbly and the tops do not look shiny anymore.

  7.  Top with warm blueberries, maple syrup, ground pecans, walnuts, ground flaxseeds and sliced bananas!

  8.  Enjoy!

These pancakes were stellar! I couldn't believe the texture in Kelly's photo at first, but then when I made mine they really do look like the picture! They are very moist and fluffy, and the spices inside them make them aromatic and delicious. The almond flour in the batter also makes them a good source of protein! They kept me full and satisfied many hours later. I will definitely be making these again! 

-Update 1/10/10-

Kelly was kind enough to feature me on her blog! Check out what she said.

-Update 12/26/12-
I just made these with coconut flour instead of buckwheat flour (1/4 cup), didn't add any butter or coconut oil to the batter, used runny honey, and a pinch of xantham gum. They were delish! I was happy to not use the buckwheat, so now they are truly grain-free, paleo, primal.. etc. 


Happy pancake making!

Peppermint Bark

For Christmas this year, I made my brother G some peppermint bark. I got the idea after I received a curious email in my inbox from him with a link to a peppermint bark recipe online. I had planned on making him some sort of Christmas treat and giving it to him under the tree, but I ran out of time before Christmas day, so I ended up making it a few days later. After seeing his idea, I could not help but make his exact request!

Peppermint bark

adapted from Rita Heikenfeld

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (use good quality chocolate, Ghirardelli or better)

11 oz white chocolate chips (same as above)

1/2 tsp peppermint extract (not the fake colored kind)

6 or 7 white + red peppermint candy canes, crushed

To make the peppermint bark:

1. Line a 9x13 pan with tin foil, pressing it down and into the corners.

2. In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips.

3. When all but a few chips are melted, remove chocolate from heat and stir, melting the final chocolates.

4. Pour into the bottom of the pan and smooth with a spatula.

5. Place pan into the refridgerator to cool.

6. In a double boiler, melt white chocolate chips.

7. A good 5 minutes before the white chocolate is done, remove the first chocolate layer from the fridge and allow to sit on the counter.*

8. While waiting for the white chocolate to melt, unwrap candy canes and place into a plastic baggy. Beat with a heavy ladle or mallet until they are crushed to bits but not a powder.

8. When all but a few chips are melted, remove white chocolate from heat and stir, melting the final chocolates. Be gentle with the chocolate. Since white chocolate isn't real chocolate (many brands have no cocoa butter content) it is very finicky.

9. Stir in peppermint extract.

10. Pour white chocolate on top of the first chocolate layer and spread carefully with a spatula.

11. Immediately sprinkle peppermint bits on top of the white chocolate layer and press in with your fingers.

12. Return pan to the fridge to set. In about a hour take out chocolate and allow to sit out for about 20 minutes. Now the chocolate is ready to cut. Lift out the chocolate by grasping the foil. Place on a cutting board and cut evenly with a knife into desired size.

13. Place your pretty bark into baggies or Christmas tins and distribute to friend and family, or hoard it all to eat yourself.

*Failing to do this prevents the white chocolate layer from adhering to the first chocolate layer; when you cut into it the white chocolate layer will separate from the chocolate layer. Instead you want both layers to stick together so you have one batch of bark with both layers intact. Trust me, don't skip this step.

He deemed it so delicious that I chose to make it for gifts for friends and family. It is very important the exact process be followed for success. Enjoy your bark!

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.

Happy 2010 everyone!

The recipe for this lovely ice cream actually comes from a fellow food blogger who adapted Sally Fallon's famous raw milk ice cream recipe from her book Nourishing Traditions. It was originally suited for an ice cream maker that makes only 1 1/2 quarts of ice cream, but both Kelly and I have the same ice cream maker, which makes a full 2 quarts of ice cream.

I made this recipe several times this summer since I asked for the ice cream maker as an early birthday present. I wanted to be able to use the ice cream maker during the summer before I went off to school. Mom and Dad agreed, and later everyone reaped the benefits because I made several batches of all kinds of flavors of ice cream!

The very first one I attempted was vanilla. It is so delicious!

Sally Fallon's Vanilla Ice Cream.

    recipe from Kelly

    4  egg yolks - grass-fed from our local farm

    2/3 cup  real maple syrup

    4 cups  raw heavy cream

    2/3 cup  raw whole milk

    3 Tbsp  vanilla extract

    1 1/2 Tbsp  arrowroot starch

    dash  unrefined sea salt

To make your vanilla ice cream:

  1.  In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, arrowroot, maple syrup and sea salt.

  2.  Then pour in your heavy cream and milk into the same bowl and whisk vigorously.

  3.  Pour into your ice cream maker per manufacturer's instructions.

Ice cream making tips:

  1.  Have all of your ingredients very cold. Usually taking the cream and milk from the refridgerator is fine, but for some extra quick freezing action put them into the freezer while you are assembling the other ingredients.

  2.  Don't take out the frozen ice cream bowl until you are ready to pour in your ingredients and start churning.

  3.  Insulate the top (there is a hole) by covering the ice cream maker with a "tin foil hat." This keeps the cold in and your ice cream will freeze up much quicker, around 20-25 minutes. I've found that not doing this increases churning time.

This ice cream is perfect with some homemade chocolate sauce and fresh whipped cream! It is also quite versatile, since its vanilla, so try folding in your favorite ingredients... blueberries, chocolate chips, peanuts - whatever you like.

I am sorry for the lack of pictures... I never got a chance to snap some before we ate it up! After playing with this recipe a little more, I've adapted my own French Vanilla Ice Cream recipe, which is now my go-to recipe as the base for all my ice cream endeavors. Go there for some pictures! Or do you want some chocolate? Try this out.

You won't be able to keep this ice cream in the freezer!