Lacto-Fermented Apples

Another great recipe for the bounty of summer's and fall's harvest!

Ingredients:
3+ cups peeled, cored and cubed apples
1 Tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 Tablespoons whey
Filtered water

Method:
Fill a quart jar with the apples, making sure there is at least an inch of space between them and the top of the jar.

Mix remaining ingredients, minus the water, and pour over the apples.
Add enough filtered water to cover the fruit, still keeping the level an inch below the top of the jar.

Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 2 days.
Transfer to the fridge.

**Fermentation instructions say that these will keep for two months in the fridge.  I have had them keep for 6 months with no difficulty.  Just give them a sniff before eating.  If they smell bad, they are bad, and toss them out.  If they smell fruity-fizzy-sharpish, they're good to go.

Morning Glorious Muffins Remake (Grain-, Dairy- and Refined Sugar-free)

A friend of mine asked me if I could do a recipe revision on one of her favorite muffin recipes.  Here's the result.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut flour (2 oz. by weight)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon

6 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons vanilla

1 cup shredded zucchini or apple
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup dates, chopped
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (or other nut)

Method:
Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy.
Add coconut oil, honey and vanilla and beat until thick.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.

Add the zucchini or apple, carrots, coconut and nuts and mix until just blended.

Divide batter into muffin cups.
Bake at 350* for 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Makes 12 muffins.

Grain-free, Dairy-free, Refined-sugar-free Carrot Muffins

These are really good.  I worked on the recipe for awhile and landed on this.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut flour (2 oz. by weight)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon

6 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups grated carrot
1 cup chopped walnuts (or other nut)

Method:
Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy.
Add coconut oil, honey and vanilla and beat until thick.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.

Add the carrots and nuts and mix until just blended.

Divide batter into muffin cups.
Bake at 350* for 24 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Makes 10-12 muffins.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake

Another good cake for Fall.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups soaked and cooked black beans
5 eggs
1 15 oz. can organic pumpkin
6 Tablespoons coconut oil
3/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 Tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Method:
Puree pinto beans with the eggs.

Add pumpkin and puree until well combined.

Melt the coconut oil, honey and vanilla together and beat well.  Add this to the pureed mixture and puree again.

Combine the dry ingredients and add to the wet ingredients, mixing just until well combined.

Pour the batter into a greased parchment-lined 10-inch spring form pan.

Bake at 325 for 45 minutes.

Gluten Free Apple Spice Cake

This is really good and wonderful for using new fall apples!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups soaked and cooked pinto beans
5 eggs plus 1 yolk
6 Tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 Tablespoons coconut flour (may need a bit more if batter is too soupy)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups diced apple (I use 1 large Granny Smith)

Method:
Puree pinto beans with 3 whole eggs and the 1 egg yolk.

Beat the coconut oil, honey and vanilla together and then add the remaining two eggs, one at a time, beating well, then add to the pureed bean mixture.

Combine the dry ingredients and add to the wet ingredients, mixing just until well combined.

Fold in the diced apple.

Pour the batter into a greased parchment-lined 10-inch spring form pan.

Bake at 325 for 45 minutes.

Gingerbread

Fall brings back the use of the oven for wonderful-smelling treats like this one.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup molasses
3 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon and ginger
3/4 teaspoon cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups hot water

Method:

Cream sugar and butter together.
Beat in the egg.
Beat in the molasses.
Sift the dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture.
Stir in the hot water.

Scrape batter into a greased 9x13 pan.
Bake at 350* for 35 minutes.
May be served with whipped cream.

DIY Pickling Spice

Use this just as you would a purchased pickling spice.  The beauty of this is that you can add and subtract flavors that you would like to incorporate or eliminate, as the case may be.  If it's missing something you like, just add it in!

4 cinnamon sticks, broken up
1 Tablespoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 Tablespoon dill seed
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves, broken up

Mix all together.

Baked Peaches (Maggie B Peaches)

This recipe came from a wonderful children's book given to my younger daughter when she was born.  It is one of my favorite books from the childhood of my children.  The Maggie B tells the imagined story of a young girl on a sailing ship taking care of her brother.  While onboard, she makes these peaches.



Ingredients:

2 large peaches
Cinnamon
Honey

Method:

Cut the peaches in half and take out the pits.
Put the peach halves in an 8x8 baking pan.
Drizzle honey over them and then sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake for about 40 minutes at 350*.

Baked Apples

This is a great one for fall!

This can be done in the oven or the crock pot.

4 baking apples (Cortland, Empire, Honeycrisp, Idared, Northern Spy, Rome, Winesap)
4 teaspoons lemon juice
4 Tablespoons raisins or Craisins
4 Tablespoons chopped pecans or walnuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons butter, divided in 4 parts
1 cup water

Peel the apples about one-quarter of the way down from the top.
Core the apples.
Put them in an 8x8 baking dish.
Sprinkle lemon juice in each apple.
Mix raisins or Craisins with nuts and cinnamon and stuff in the hole in the apple.
Drizzle 1 Tablespoons of honey over each and top with butter.
Pour water in around the apples.

Bake at 375* for about 60 minutes, or on low in the Crock pot overnight.

Dutch Baby

I don't often make this anymore because of gluten issues, but my son does!

This is a table that gives the different proportions for various servings.

Pan                  Butter           Eggs                 Milk            Four          Salt

1 Quart             3 T                2                  1/2 cup        1/2 cup          1/8 t
2-3 Quart         1/4 cup          3                  3/4 cup        3/4 cup          1/4 t
3-4 Quart         1/3 cup          4                  1 cup           1 cup             1/4 t
4-4.5 Quart      1/2 cup          5                  1.25 cups     1.25 cups       1/2 t
4.5 - 5 Quart    1/2 cup          6                  1.5 cups       1.5 cups         1/2 t

I like to use cast iron skillets for baking them.  I use a 15" for the 6 egg version.

Melt the butter in the skillet or baking dish in the oven while it's preheating.

Meanwhile, mix the other ingredients well, but leave a few flour lumps in the batter.

When the butter is melted, add the the batter to the pan and put back in the oven.

Bake at 425* for about 20 minutes, until it is puffed and beautifully golden brown.

Additional possibilities!

After the butter has melted, I like to slice apples in on top of it in the pan and then sprinkle with cinnamon.  Let them cook for 10 minutes of so in the oven while preparing the batter and then just pour the batter over the apples and bake as usual.  It's a real treat!