Black Bean Brownies.

This version included walnuts!

If you've never had black bean brownies, now is the time to try them.  Like many people, I was skeptical at first, but since trying them, I can't make any other kind of brownie.  I've been making these non-stop for six months now.  These are deliciously fudgy, chocolatey, and satisfying.  I've brought them to many events and they always ellicit rave reviews!  These are great if you're new to gluten-free baking and just need a brownie recipe that works, without having to buy a bunch of gluten-free flours.

Black Bean Brownies.
    makes one 8x8 pan

    2 cans (15 oz x 2)  black beans  (make sure you get the unseasoned versions)
    1/4-1/2 cup  sugar  (or 1/3 cup is a good middle)
    1/4 cup  coconut oil, melted
    2  eggs,  large or medium sized
    1 cup  unsweetened cocoa - mine favorite is mixture of dutched and non-dutched
    1 cup  unsweetened almond milk OR milk of choice
    1/2 tsp  baking soda
    ~9 oz  dark chocolate chips, this is 3/4 of one choc chip bag
    2 tsp-1 Tbsp  vanilla extract
    1/2 tsp  real salt

Directions:
  1)  Un-can the black beans into a fine mesh strainer. Strain and run under cold water x1 minute or until water over the beans runs clear.
  2)  Place all ingredients, except chocolate chips, into Vitamix blender (or equivalent) and blend for about 30 seconds to 1 minute OR until all ingredients are incorporated, and the mixture is smooth and homogenous. Stir in chocolate chips with a soft spatula.
  3)  Pour into one greased or parchment paper lined 8x8 pan. Bake at 350 degrees non-convection for 40-45 minutes. Brownies are done when slightly pulling away from the sides of the pan, and the middle is slightly set. Bake longer to be slighly less fudgy. Let cool on counter. Store in fridge for best results.

I personally love how easy they are to make! You can have awesome brownies ready in under an hour. These are best the next day, however, after they've had some time to set. I love them straight from the fridge. GREAT with any kind of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Note on substitutions: I've made these with melted butter and water before, with coconut milk, with almond milk, and ALL versions have come out extremely yummy.


Nothing like a new brownie recipe to rock all summer long!

P.S. I'm all graduated from medical school now (Dr. Meg has finally arrived!). Maybe you'll be seeing more recipes on this space again! And my apologies for the poor photo - this was quickly snapped in clinic when I brought brownies for the whole shift.

"Reverse" Nourishing Protein Bars 1.0.

Cocoa butter is one of those ingredients that I've been wanting to flirt with for a while, yet the "high" price tag has always bothered me. Recently, however, some of my blogger friends have been using cocoa butter in their recipes, effectively making me jealous (well, more so curious!), so I jumped in and got some myself.

Cocoa butter is the fat that is extracted from the cocoa bean; and that's why it is white/yellowish in color, and not brown. Good quality cocoa butter should be at least $15/lb, and if it's less than that, you're either getting scammed or you just happened on a good deal. Look for a brand that has good reviews, is raw and organic, and can be used to make both food items and lotions. If you're using your cocoa butter for food applications, like here, you do not want to buy a non-food grade cocoa butter, so be sure to read the description on the product before you buy. I am a fan of Tisano brand organic cocoa butter, which you can find the link to on my ingredients page.

Cocoa butter comes in chunks or wafers (look for the kind made of chunks) and is easily meltable. For best results, store in the fridge before you're ready to work with it. And don't be afraid to try a chunk on it's own. I think it texture is like a bit like really smooth fatty coconut, but instead of coconut flavor, a hint of chocolate flavor instead! That being said, it's super versatile, and you can use it in chocolate sauces, puddings, and in things like these delicious protein bars :) I actually had a little bit left after making my protein bars, so I mashed some ripe bananas into it, added some cocoa powder, a little coconut sugar, ground chia, salt, and vanilla, and Viola! Chocolate pudding!

"Reverse" Nourishing Protein Bars 1.2.

    a spin off my original protein bars

 
    1 cup  whole raw walnuts
    1 cup  whole raw pumpkin seeds
    1/4 cup  ground chia seed
    1/2 cup  organic whole cranberries - mine were from Trader Joes
    1/2 cup  organic unsweetened coconut chips
    1/2 cup  organic sunbutter - mine was homemade :)
    1/2 tsp  unrefined sea salt
    1/2 cup  organic coconut oil, melted
    1-2 Tbsp  organic local wildflower honey
    2-3 tsp  vanilla
    ~  1 cup  organic raw cocoa butter, melted - source
    ~  1 cup  coconut cream concentrate - source
    ~  1/4-1/3 cup  organic coconut oil
    1 dropper  vanilla creme liquid stevia (optional)
    1 Tbsp  vanilla
 
* Please note the ingredients with an "about" sign in front of them are just estimates of amounts. I really just added some cocoa butter, ccc, and coconut oil to a double boiler and melted it together, adding the stevia (for sweetness) and vanilla (for flavor) at the end. I wanted a lot chocolate coating on my protein bars, but feel free to use less if desired.

To make your protein bars:
  1.  Place walnuts, pumpkin seeds, ground chia, cranberries, coconut, sunbutter and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine.
  2.  In a small sauce pan, melt coconut oil using LOW heat. Remove from heat and add vanilla and maple syrup.
  3.  Add melted oil mixture to the food processor and pulse/grind ingredients until it forms a coarse paste.
  4.  Scoop out the mixture and press down hard into an square bar pan.
  5.  Melt coconut and cocoa butter in a double boiler, add stevia and vanilla last when finally melted. Pour the white mixture on top of the already pressed down bars, it should be liquid. Place into the fridge until chocolate has hardened. To serve, take bars out of fridge for at least 2 minutes. Work a knife around the edges gently, or insert a large knife on side and gently pop out the bar  and place pieces of plastic wrap or small baggies. Freeze for later or munch right away :)


You can even cut them into smaller or easier to bite shapes, like in the second photo. Enjoy this easy + nutritious option on the go!

Real Chocolate Ice Cream.

I got an ice cream maker for my birthday a few years ago, and I've put it to good use!  It's been so fun to experiment with different ice cream recipes.  Some have been really good, and some have been, not so good.  Several batches have come out too sweet, not sweet enough, or too icy or crumbly and hard as rock.  But this summer I think I've got the whole process down!  I am so happy with this recipe.  It's incredibly scoopable and you don't need to remove it from the freezer for any amount of time before serving.  It's texture is fantastic and the sweetness is just right.  

Real Chocolate Ice Cream.
   makes 2 quarts

    1 pt  raw cream
    2 cups  raw whole milk
    4  egg yolks
    1 T  arrowroot starch
    1/2 cup  cocoa powder
    1/2 cup  raw honey
    1 T  vanilla
    5 dashes  unrefined sea salt

To make your ice cream:
  1.  Combine all ingredients in a blender.
  2.  Pour into ice cream maker and freeze per manufacturers instructions.
  3.  Freeze overnight until hard.
  4.  Serve  and  enjoy! Try it with fresh whipped cream and chocolate sauce.  Or top it with peanut butter!!

Mhmm. The goodness is beginning to melt! YUM.

I like to freeze my ice cream in leftover yogurt containers! They are the perfect size, and I can put equal amounts in two 32 ounce containers.  Eat one, save one (shove it in the back).  In a few months you'll have several types of ice cream to choose from waiting for you in the freezer!

Chocolate not your style? Check out my other flavors:

Homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt

Chocolate Yerba Mate Iced Tea.

It's August, and in most areas of the USA, the weather is hot.  This weekend in Seattle is going to be extremely warm.  On Friday, 90 degree temps are expected.  This is definitely NOT your typical Seattle weather.  I love to drink water, but sometimes when it's so hot outside, liquid with a little bit more interest is way more appealing than plain H2O.  This iced tea fits the bill precisely.  It is sweet, with a hint of chocolate, so it tastes a lot like chocolate milk, but without the calories.  So it's light - it's refreshing!  And the raw milk adds some healthy fats along with probiotics and enzymes!  This would be a great iced tea to serve at a party.  Your guests, real foodies, primalists, paleo, or not, will drink it up!

Chocolate Yerba Mate Iced Tea.
    makes one large pitcher

    4  chocolate yerba mate tea bags - source
    1 cup  raw milk
    2 tsp  vanilla extract
    3 full droppers stevia - source
    dash unrefined sea salt - source
    ice cubes
    water

To make your tea:
  1.  We have an iced tea maker at home, but if you don't, simply boil a pot or tea kettle full of water, pour it into a glass bowl, and place tea bags in the water to steep.  After about 5 to 10 minutes, remove the tea bags, push the rest of the tea from the tea bags.
  2.  Pour about 1 quart of ice into the bowl, add the stevia, pinch of sea salt and vanilla.  Mix well.  When the tea is cool, add cup of milk and stir.  Return to pitcher and place in the fridge!
  3.  Serve in a cool glass with more ice.  Straws are optional!

Wherever you are, stay cool!  Happy summer :)

Grain-free Kefir Brownies.

Sometimes my best recipes come from nowhere.  These brownies are definitely a testament to that.  One day I was in my apartment and I had some soured kefir that I had made.  It was past the palatable drinking stage, and not wanting to waste it, I threw together these brownies.  I didn't expect the results to come out very well, but I was completely surprised.  These are so incredible, I may like them better than my favorite grain-free brownie recipe.  I gave the pan away to one of my advisors as a thank-you, and he ended up (due to the pestering of his students) sharing them the with his entire class!  I got an email the next day with rave reviews.  I think you'll rave about them too ;)

Mhmm. Fudgey cakey chocolatey goodness!

Grain-free Kefir Brownies.
    makes one 8x8 pan

    2 cups  soured homemade kefir
    1 cup  organic coconut flour - source
    4  happy eggs
    1 cup  raw cacoa powder - source
    16 oz  chocolate chunks, I used Enjoy Life
    1 Tbsp  vanilla extract
    1 tsp  baking soda
    1/4 tsp  sea salt
    2 full droppers plain stevia - source

To make your brownies:
  1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (mine is convection).
  2.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except chocolate chips.  Mix well.
  3.  Add chocolate chunks and mix again.
  4.  Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the top is cracked, the sides are slightly firm and there is a tiny bit of jiggle in the middle of the pan.
  5.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Try a slice warm.  Let it cool and try another slice.  Share.  Serve with a nice cold glass of raw milk. Yum!

I love these brownies, not only because they are delicious, but that they are low in sugar and carbohydrates!  The only added sugar comes from the sugar in the chocolate chunks.  If you use unsweetened chocolate the brownies will not taste very sweet.  For those of you who are not partial to stevia, feel free to omit it.  I haven't made the recipe without stevia so I don't know if it will grossly affect the flavor, but my guess is that it will make a small difference in sweetness.

Mhmm. Chocolate chunks.

These will freeze very well.  They will also make a great accompaniment to homemade french vanilla ice cream and homemade raw whipped cream.  I love anything chocolate and vanilla combined!

Here are some of my other delicious brownie recipes:

Grain-free Coconut Flour Brownies
Banownies
Gluten-free Brownies (for you whole-grain folk)

Primal Pea(nut) Butter Cookies.

As soon as I typed the title to this post I realized what I had done.  I just called peanuts Primal!  Peanuts are actually a legume (which is like a bean), not a nut, and legumes are not Primal.  Oops!  But if you're like me, you are Primal, but you still eat peanut butter.  I don't eat gobs of it like I used to, but on occasion, it's great!  For those of you who are pure Primalists, try making these cookies with almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, tahini, the list goes on!

I love this recipe because it has barely 6 ingredients.  And it's so easy!  You can even let your kids help you make these!  I made the ones with MMs specifically for my brother, but his favorite was actually the chocolate/sea salt combination.

Primal Pea(nut) Butter Cookies.
    makes 14 cookies

    8 oz  (1 cup)  organic creamy unsalted peanut butter (best is fresh ground or homemade)
    4 oz  (1/2 cup)  organic coconut sugar
    4 oz  (1/2 cup)  blanched almond flour
    1  happy pastured egg
    1/2 tsp  baking soda
    pinch unrefined sea salt

    Optional toppings:  various candies, sea salt, dark chocolate, raisins

To make your cookies:
  1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (mine is convection).
  2.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl with a electric mixer.
  3.  Use your hands or a cookie scoop to make balls of the dough.  Place peanut butter balls on a silicone lined baking sheet.
  4.  Bake for 7 minutes, then remove from the oven and make criss-cross design with a fork.  This will flatten the cookies.  Add toppings if desired.
  5.  Bake for 5 more minutes or until golden brown and chocolate has melted.
  6.  Remove from oven and let cool on the sheet.  Carefully transfer to a wire rack when cool and place cookies in the fridge to set the chocolate.  Enjoy!

Don't forget to share! (It won't be easy :)

Grain-free Chocolate Cake.

My attempts at grain-free cakes have really come a long way.  Those of you who have ever made a grain-free cake know that it's not the easiest thing ;)  I started my journey with some of Elana's recipes at Elana's Pantry.  The results were better than I hoped, but I knew I could make it better.  Over the past three summers, I've made a couple versions of her chocolate cake.  I've scoured a countless number of other food blogs, drawing ideas from what other real food bloggers have done in grain-free cake land.  I've experimented with the amounts of liquids and ratios of flours and other ingredients, changing it as I went along, longing for a certain taste and mouth feel of cake.  Now I finally have a recipe entirely my own.  Each time I've learned something new, and now this is a cake I am really happy with.  I cannot say more about this cake's texture, flavor and ease of cooking.  I know that you'll love it too.

Grain-free Chocolate Cake.
    makes two nine inch round cakes

Cake:
  3/4 cup  organic coconut flour
  1/2 cup  blanched almond flour
  1/2 cup  cocoa powder - I used Ghirardelli
  12  real eggs
  1 cup  maple syrup - grade B
  1 cup  organic coconut oil, melted
  1 Tbsp  vanilla
  1/2 tsp  baking powder
  1 tsp  baking soda
  1 tsp  unrefined sea salt

Frosting:
  4 cups  organic powdered sugar
  1 stick  unsalted butter - I used KerryGold
  ~1/2 cup  raw whole milk
  1/2 tsp  unrefined sea salt
  optional: extract of choice for flavor, here I used mint extract

Chocolate Ganache, or use my Paleo Ganche recipe:
  1 - 12 oz  package chocolate chips - I used Trader Joes brand - feel free to use unsweetened also
  1/2  stick unsalted butter - I used KerryGold

Here's the final product! Cake assembled and frosting+ganache set.

To make your chocolate cake:
  1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees convection.
  2.  In a small bowl, combine cocoa powder, coconut flour, almond flour, sea salt, baking powder, baking soda. Whisk until there are no lumps.
  3.  In another bowl, whisk together eggs (room temp), maple syrup, melted coconut oil (make sure it's not hot), and vanilla.
  4.  Combine wet into dry ingredients until just combined.
  5. ****Grease and flour the sides of the pan - use butter (best) or coconut oil (ok). 
  6.  Pour equal amounts of cake batter into 2 9" round cake pans.
  7.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until top springs back lightly when touched and sides are pulling away from the pan.
  8.  Let cool only until you can handle the pans, then run a knife around the edges before gently inverting the cakes and removing them from the pan. If you floured and greased the sides well, getting the cakes out of the pan shouldn't be an issue, but if you didn't, you might get only the top of the cake out!

To make your frosting and ganache:
  1.  For the frosting, with room temperature butter, cream butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Add milk slowly as needed into the sugar and butter.
  2.  Add vanilla, extract (optional).
  3.  For the ganache, in a double boiler melt chocolate chips and butter. Remove from heat when 80% of the chocolate is melted. Stir. The heat will melt the remaining chips.
  4.  Let ganache cool, but still be spreadable.

Cake assembly:
  1.  Remove cake from the pans. Place one on a large plate.
  2.  Frost with one layer of frosting on the top of the cake.
  3.  Place the remaining cake on top of the frosted layer.
  4.  Frost with remaining frosting on top and sides of both layers.
  5.  Place cake in the fridge for the frosting to set.
  6.  Spread ganache on top of the cake. Return to the fridge and allow ganache to set.

Notes:
1) You can easily cut this recipe in half, and you'll have one 9" cake.
2) Do not make this with runny honey instead of maple syrup. There is less flavor and a bit less sweetness. When I made this with honey it just seemed to be lacking something.
3) Make sure your eggs are on the medium/large side. I've made this cake with small sized eggs, and the end product was a bit more on the dry side than I would like.

Here are some pictures of the first grain-free chocolate cakes I made:

At my house, cake is always served with real ice cream!

There was A LOT of filling inside, and it still wasn't enough ;)

German chocolate cake, completely finished!

This was my first attempt at grain-free chocolate cake. I wish I had remembered to snap a picture before cutting it up!

My brother's birthday is always during the summer, so I always have an excuse to make a cake.  It's my once a year cake indulgence!  However that is beginning to change since I've learned how to make these cakes so nourishing and healthy!  This summer will probably be a little different since my brother and his wife are having twins.  It's very exciting, but I doubt a birthday celebration with cake and ice cream will be the last thing on their mind ;)  This past week I made this cake in a banana version with peanut butter frosting!  It's so nourishing, low in sugar and high in protein, and I've been eating it with my yogurt and berries for breakfast.

Happy summer! Cake away :)

Grain-free Buche de Noel aka Yule Log.

Grain-free Yule log unfrosted.

This year I promised I would make a grain-free yule log.  I knew that it could potentially be wrought with problems, but I was going to do it anyways.  I like to defy difficulty, shake my fist at hard culinary feats, and say happily "I conquered the ___" [insert hard culinary endeavor here].  Therefore, I was determined that the cake would roll well, it would be delicious, it would have a good chocolate taste that would allow the cake to be eaten on it's own, and it wouldn't turn into a grumpy crumbly mess of cake when sliced or eaten.  It would be a cake that tasted normal, not overly dense and full of almond flour, or that sometimes eggy coconut flour taste.  I mentioned this in my last post, when I showed you all just how exactly to make a yule log with step by step photos, sure to help even the most novice baker acheive yule log success.

During Christmas time I always make two logs.  One yule log to bring to the extended family, and one enjoy with my immediate family.  And thank goodness my family lives in the Northeast.  When I come home for the holidays and bake it's always super convenient to have an "extra fridge" and "freezer space," also known as outside in the cold garage, to keep all the Christmas goodies fresh when there's no room in the refrigerator.  This year I was determined to make a delicious grain-free yule log.  And I've done it.  Best of all, I like it better than my standard gluten-free version which has always worked so well.  I also inadvertently made this recipe without refined sugar.  Turns out we had none in the house!  How cool :)  Luckily I had some coconut/palm sugar on hand, and it worked very well instead of white sugar.

The uncut side before frosting.

 Grain-free Yule Log aka Buche de Noel.
    makes one log, serves 12-14 people with about 1" slices

Cake:

    5  happy eggs, from grass-fed chickens

    3/4  cup almond flour - source
    1/4  cup organic coconut flour - source

    1 1/4  tsp baking powder - source

    3/4  cup coconut/palm sugar - source

    1/2  tsp unrefined sea salt - source

    1/4  cup cocoa powder - source

    1  tsp vanilla - source

    2  cups raw milk cream (for inside)

    1  deep cookie sheet 10x15 (edges of the pan need to be at least an inch tall)

    real butter, from grass-fed cows (for greasing the pan) - source

    wax paper

    organic powdered sugar (for dusting)

    1  tea cloth (I used an old linen calendar)

Chocolate Outside layer: feel free to use your most favorite chocolate frostingrecipe, or either of the recipes listed here

    Chocolate frosting
    2   cups organic powdered sugar

    1/4   cup cocoa powder

    1 1/2   sticks grass-fed butter, softened

    6   Tbsp raw whole milk
OR
    Dark chocolate ganache/buttercream**
    1/4  cup hot water

    1/4  cup cocoa powder
    8  oz unsweetened chocolate - source
    1/2  cup chocolate chips - source
    1/2  tsp unrefined sea salt
    1  Tbsp vanilla
    2  sticks grass-fed butter, softened
    2  cups organic powdered sugar

Prepping for the Yule Log:

    1.  Preheat to 400 degrees.

    2.  Place the cookie sheet in front of you.  Take a hunky of soft room temperature butter in your fingers and rub it onto the bottom and sides of the cookie sheet, enough to grease it very well, but not in excess.  The most important thing to keep in mind here is that this step is designed to prevent sticking, so better to err on the more greased side than not enough.  Make sure to cover all the surfaces of the sheet, especially all the corners and sides.  The cookie sheet should look shiny and feel slimy.

    3.  Measure out a piece of wax paper to fit the pan, and place it on the buttered cookie sheet.  Press the wax paper down onto the sheet so it fits into corners and stays put to the edges.  The wax paper will stick to the cookie sheet since it is covered in butter.  It will also hang off the sides a little.  It does not have to be perfect, but you will need a few inches on both sides of the pan to remove the paper from the cake after baking, so don't cut off the ends too short.

    4.  Butter the top of the wax paper that you just pressed into the buttered sheet.  This makes a total of two layers of butter, one on the sheet and one on the wax paper, like this: sheet - butter - paper - butter.

Making the cake:

    5.  Using an upright stand mixer, add 5 eggs and sea salt, and beat until thick, glossy and lemon colored. Don't worry if it has bubbles, but don't try to make them.

    6.  In another small bowl, mix sugar and cocoa powder together.  Gradually add this mixture to the eggs, beating well after each addition.  Then add the vanilla.

    7.  In another small bowl (you can use the same one that you mixed the sugar and cocoa powder in), mix together both flours and the baking powder.  Add this gradually to the egg-cocoa mixture and beat until smooth.  Thoroughly scrape the sides to make sure all the ingredients become incorporated.  The batter may be a little thin or slightly thick depending your ingredients.  Either is fine and will not affect the final product.

    8.  Pour the batter evenly into the greased/waxed papered pan; smooth batter with a spatula, do not neglect the corners.

    9.  Bake for 10-12 minutes (usually it will be on the quicker side, but some ovens run hotter than others).  Cake will feel spongy to the touch, but is cooked through.

Assembly:

    10.  While the cake is baking, lay out a tea towel and sprinkle it generously with powdered sugar.

    11.  When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and loosen the edges of the cake.  Grasping the edges of the pan, flipping out the cake, wax paper and all, onto the sugar covered towel.  Do this fast- take it out, and tip it right over.

    12.  Gently peel off the wax paper from the cake and carefully roll up the cake in the towel.

    13.  Let the cake cool on the counter wrapped in the towel.  This is an important step to make the rolled shape. 

    14.  While the cake is cooling, whip up the cream.  I highly recommend putting the attachments and mixing bowl in the fridge or freezer while you prepare the cake, then all the utensils will be really cold for whipping the cream, and the cream will whip up more easily.  

    15.  When the cake has cooled, gently unroll it (do not force it flat) and frost the inside with the freshly whipped cream.  Then carefully roll it back up, but without the tea towel this time.

    16.  Gently lift the yule log and place it on the platter you plan to serve it.  Cut off one of the ends, or both if it gets a little burnt or if it is uneven.  If some cream squirts out of the log during cutting, just spoon it into the stump and frost over it.  Once you fill the log with whipped cream, return it to the cold so the cream doesn't go flat.

    17.  Make the chocolate frosting with your stand mixer:
           For normal chocolate frosting, proceed as you would for making any regular type of frosting.  Frost the log.
       **For making the dark chocolate buttercream:
       1) In a bowl, beat the butter,  2) then add the sugar and beat until fluffy.
       3) Melt the two types of chocolate in a double boiler.
       4) Boil water and in a small bowl combine hot water and cocoa powder.
       5) Let the hot water and cocoa cool until finger can be comfortably inserted into the chocolate without feeling too hot.
       6) Carefully add melted chocolate and hot cocoa to butter and sugar.
       7) Beat to combine until creamy and smooth.  Frost the log.  Log should not be very cold otherwise the dark chocolate butter cream may harden and not be spreadable.

    18.  Using one of the rolled up ends, place it on top of the log to mimic a stump.  Frost the stump.  

    19.  Decorate however you like.  The traditional way is to sprinkle coconut on top of the chocolate frosting to look like snow.  Fork marks in the frosting make the log textured and resemble bark.  You can also put some red and green MMs on top near the stump to look like berries and leaves.  If you do not have MMs or cannot eat them (I cannot) then just use whatever you can.  Have fun with it!  I have even used strawberries before!

    20.  Put the yule log in the fridge to set overnight.  Before serving, remove from the fridge for about 30 minutes.  Slice into half inch or one inch slices.  Serve with homemade vanilla ice cream.  Yule log freezes VERY well and stays good in the fridge for about 2 weeks.  Enjoy!

More posts on Yule Log:

Gluten-free Buche de Noel / Yule log - with step by step photos!
Gluten-free Yule log - my first one 3 years ago! 

View of the cut end - the cut off end makes the stump!

Enjoy your grain-free Yule Log.  My family sure did :)  We whittled it down slowly but surely and savored ever bite!  And don't forget to serve it with some homemade vanilla ice cream!

Gluten-free Yule Log / Buche de Noel - Step by Step with photos

When planning the menu for your own Christmas day meal or holiday party out, it can be really difficult!  Usually everyone wants to bring their own traditional or favorite dish to holiday gatherings, but with all of these Christmas parties going on, it's hard to bring what you truly would like, since sometimes there simply is not time to do it all.  At some point it's just easier to throw in the towel and make something really easy like nourishing protein bars, trail mix or deviled eggs.  

In my family, it is tradition to have what we call yule log, or more commonly known as a Buche de noel.  Yule log is a thin, rolled cake filled usually filled with fresh whipped cream, covered and decorated with buttercream and shredded coconut as "snow."  The process, however, can look a little daunting since it requires baking the cake, flipping it out onto a towel, rolling it up, rolling it back out, filling it up and assembling the log.  For a novice baker, this several step process can be a challenge, but if you make your game plan ahead of time and enlist the help of your favorite "sous" chef, the whole process can go smoothly and is actually a lot of fun.  It is honestly not as scary as it looks.  My mom and I can whip up a Yule log quite efficiently now :)  In fact, for my mom and dad's wedding, per my dad's request, my grandmother made yule logs from scratch!!  They've been married 32 years this month!

Yule log "pre" frosting.

Here's the recipe - I've posted the text below, and there are now pictures also with step-by-step instructions.  For yule log success, read through all ingredients and instructions before beginning.  You will want to lay out some tools in preparation for each step.  The recipe will easily serve 12 or more people, depending on how think you slice it, but it also freezes very well and will keep in the fridge for about a week.  So don't worry if you can't consume the whole thing, leftovers stay good!

Gluten free Yule Log / Buche de Noel

    makes one log, serves 12-14

Cake:

    4  happy eggs, from grass-fed chickens

    3/4  cup Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour and 1 Tbsp coconut flour (both to total 3/4 cup)

    1 1/4  tsp baking powder

    1/2  tsp xanthan gum

    3/4  cup organic cane sugar

    1/2  tsp sea salt

    2  heaping Tbsp cocoa powder  (I used Ghirardelli Unsweetened)

    1  tsp vanilla

    2  cups raw milk cream (for inside)

    1  deep cookie sheet 10x15 (edges of the pan need to be at least an inch tall)

    real butter, from grass-fed cows (for greasing the pan) - see ingredients page for sources

    wax paper

    organic XXX sugar (for dusting)

    1  tea cloth (I used an old linen calendar)

Chocolate Frosting: feel free to use your favorite recipe, or use my estimates

    2   cups confection sugar

    1/4   cup cocoa powder

    1 1/2   sticks grass-fed butter, softened

    6   Tbsp raw whole milk

Prepping for the Yule Log:

    1.  Preheat to 400 degrees.

    2.  Place the cookie sheet in front of you.  Take a hunky of soft room temperature butter in your fingers and rub it onto the bottom and sides of the cookie sheet, enough to grease it very well, but not in excess.  The most important thing to keep in mind here is that this step is designed to prevent sticking, so better to err on the more greased side than not enough.  Make sure to cover all the surfaces of the sheet, especially all the corners and sides.  The cookie sheet should look shiny and feel slimy.

    3.  Measure out a piece of wax paper to fit the pan, and place it on the buttered cookie sheet.  Press the wax paper down onto the sheet so it fits into corners and stays put to the edges.  The wax paper will stick to the cookie sheet since it is covered in butter.  It will also hang off the sides a little.  It does not have to be perfect, but you will need a few inches on both sides of the pan to remove the paper from the cake after baking, so don't cut off the ends too short.

    4.  Butter the top of the wax paper that you just pressed into the buttered sheet.  This makes a total of two layers of butter, one on the sheet and one on the wax paper, like this: sheet - butter - paper - butter.

Making the cake:

    5.  Using an upright stand mixer, add 4 eggs and sea salt, and beat until thick, glossy and lemon colored. Don't worry if it has bubbles, but don't try to make them.

    6.  In another small bowl, mix sugar and cocoa powder together.  Gradually add this mixture to the eggs, beating well after each addition.  Then add the vanilla.

    7.  In another small bowl (you can use the same one that you mixed the sugar and cocoa powder in), mix together the xanthan gum, flour and baking powder.  Add this gradually to the egg-cocoa mixture and beat until smooth.  Thoroughly scrape the sides to make sure all the ingredients become incorporated.  The batter may be a little thin or slightly thick depending your ingredients.  Either is fine and will not affect the final product.

    8.  Pour the batter evenly into the greased/waxed papered pan; smooth batter with a spatula, do not neglect the corners.

    9.  Bake for 10-12 minutes (usually it will be on the quicker side, but some ovens run hotter than others).  Cake will feel spongy to the touch, but is cooked through.

Assembly:

10.  While the cake is baking, lay out a tea towel and sprinkle it generously with powdered sugar.

    11.  When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and loosen the edges of the cake.  Grasping the edges of the pan, flipping out the cake, wax paper and all, onto the sugar covered towel.  Do this fast- take it out, and tip it right over.

    12.  Gently peel off the wax paper from the cake and carefully roll up the cake in the towel.

    13.  Let the cake cool on the counter wrapped in the towel.  This is an important step to make the rolled shape. 

    14.  While the cake is cooling, whip up the cream.  I highly recommend putting the attachments and mixing bowl in the fridge or freezer while you prepare the cake, then all the utensils will be really cold for whipping the cream, and the cream will whip up more easily.  

    15.  When the cake has cooled, gently unroll it (do not force it flat) and frost the inside with the freshly whipped cream.  Then carefully roll it back up, but without the tea towel this time.

    16.  Gently lift the yule log and place it on the platter you plan to serve it.  Cut off one of the ends, or both if it gets a little burnt or if it is uneven.  If some cream squirts out of the log during cutting, just spoon it into the stump and frost over it.

    17.  Make the chocolate frosting with your stand mixer.  Frost the log. 

    18.  Using one of the rolled up ends, place it on top of the log to mimic a stump.  Frost the stump.  

    19.  Decorate however you like.  The traditional way is to sprinkle coconut on top of the chocolate frosting to look like snow.  Fork marks in the frosting make the log textured and resemble bark.  You can also put some red and green MMs on top near the stump to look like berries and leaves.  If you do not have MMs or cannot eat them (I cannot) then just use whatever you can.  Have fun with it!  I have even used strawberries before!

    20.  Put the yule log in the fridge to set overnight.  Before serving, remove from the fridge for about 30 minutes.  Slice into half inch or one inch slices.  Serve with homemade vanilla ice cream.  Enjoy!

Step by Step in pictures!

Grease cookie sheet with butter.

Smooth some wax paper down on top.

Butter the sheet again on top of wax paper.

To start making the cake, get out your stand mixer and add sea salt.

Add eggs.

Beat until glossy and yellow.

Add mixed cocoa powder and sugar gradually.

Add mixed flour, powder and xanthan gum into eggs, gradually.

Batters should look like this, happy and homogenous.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth out, be careful to get all the corners!

After the cake has baked, flip it over (do not wait for it to cool) onto a tea towel that has been covered in powdered sugar, and remove the wax paper gently.

Gently roll up the cake in the towel and let the cake cool.

Whip up some chocolate buttercream frosting.

When the cake has cooled (should not feel warm to touch), gently unroll the cake, do not force it flat, and smooth whipped cream out on the surface of the cake, cover it thick and out to all the edges.

Place the yule log on the desired serving platter, cut off at least one end to save for the stump.

Stuff any left over cream in here.

This side has been cut.

Frost the log and then place the stump on top.  Stuff an extra whipped cream into the stump, too.

Frost the stump and finish frosting the whole log.

Make fork "bark" marks and add coconut as "snow" and any other decorations desired.

In this version I used unsweetened coconut, chocolate and India Tree Christmas sprinkles.

This is my second time blogging about yule log. The old OLD post (probably my first post when starting this blog three years ago and was still new to photography and photo editing) can be found here, gluten-free yule log. 

Don't be afraid, this recipe is tried and true.  Unlike some other gluten free recipes floating around out there, it WILL work.  I've been making gluten free yule log for several years now.  The regular version my family has been making for over 50 years.  This is not a recipe just pulled from a hat.  You can rely on this one coming out well.  

My favorite part of the whole yule log - the cream inside!!

On another note, this basic Yule Log recipe is not mine.  It has been passed down in my family for years.  The back of my mom's recipe card has a cut out from some newspaper or magazine.  My grandmother started the tradition years ago, so we are not quite sure where the original recipe came from.  I do want to give credit to whoever the person that originally created this recipe.  All edits to be made gluten-free or more "real food focused" are mine, but the basic recipe template is not.  In other words, the adaptions to make it gluten free, etc, are entirely my own.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions (or problems?) you may have!

MERRY CHRISTMAS -- To Him be the glory!