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.

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.

Brandy Balls

My mom made these every year for Christmas and gave them away in tins to those fortunate enough to be on her list!  I've done some changing through the years.......most notably, I use shortbread crumbs instead of vanilla wafer crumbs.  They're just better, in my opinion.

Ingredients:

Make this shortbread.
Use 6 wedges, or 3/4 of the recipe and make crumbs of them.
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon brandy
2 cups ground walnuts
Sugar for rolling

Combine the shortbread crumbs, walnuts, honey and brandy until well mixed.

Form into balls using about 1 Tablespoon each.

Roll each ball in sugar.

Store in an airtight container or tin with waxed paper or parchment between the layers.

Let them age for a week or so for best flavor.

**For a gluten-free version, make the shortbread with this gluten-free flour blend.**

Soaked Crispy Nuts

I soak all the nuts and seeds I use in my kitchen.  Almonds, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts.....all of them go through the soak bath and get dehydrated, then put in the freezer until I need them.

Method:

ALMONDS - 4 cups raw almonds, 1 Tablespoon sea salt, filtered water to cover by 2-3  inches.
Soak at least 7 hours or overnight in a warm place.
Drain and then rinse well until water runs clear.  Drain well.
Dehydrate in oven or dehydrator at no more than 150 degrees for 12-24 hours, or until crispy and completely dry.  Store in an airtight container.  I actually use freezer bags and store them in the freezer.

CASHEWS - 4 cups "raw" cashews (Real raw cashews are hard to come by because the hulling process uses heat.  Just don't use dry roasted nuts.)
1 Tablespoon sea salt, filtered water to cover by 2-3  inches.
Soak no more than 6 hours.  Longer will cause them to get slimy.
Drain and then rinse well until water runs clear. With cashews it takes a few rinsings.  Drain well.
Dehydrate in oven or dehydrator at 200 degrees for 12-24 hours, or until crispy and completely dry.
(200 degrees is used instead of a lower temperature because the enzymes have already been destroyed in the hulling process and it's good to get these nuts dried quickly to avoid them getting slimy or developing an "off" taste.)  Store in an airtight container.  I actually use freezer bags and store them in the freezer.

MACADAMIA NUTS -  4 cups nuts, 1 Tablespoon sea salt, filtered water to cover by 2-3  inches.
Soak at least 7 hours or overnight in a warm place.
Drain and then rinse well until water runs clear.  Drain well.
Dehydrate in oven or dehydrator at no more than 150 degrees for 12-24 hours, or until crispy and completely dry.  Store in an airtight container.  I actually use freezer bags and store them in the freezer.

PEANUTS -  4 cups raw peanuts, 1 Tablespoon sea salt, filtered water to cover by 2-3  inches.
Soak at least 7 hours or overnight in a warm place.
Drain and then rinse well until water runs clear.  Drain well.
Dehydrate in oven or dehydrator at no more than 150 degrees for 12-24 hours, or until crispy and completely dry.  Store in an airtight container.  I actually use freezer bags and store them in the freezer.

PECANS -  4 cups raw pecans, 2 teaspoons sea salt, filtered water to cover by 2-3  inches.
Soak at least 7 hours or overnight in a warm place.
Drain and then rinse well until water runs clear.  Drain well.
Dehydrate in oven or dehydrator at no more than 150 degrees for 12-24 hours, or until crispy and completely dry.  Store in an airtight container.  I actually use freezer bags and store them in the freezer.

PINE NUTS -  4 cups raw pine nuts, 1 Tablespoon sea salt, filtered water to cover by 2-3  inches.
Soak at least 7 hours or overnight in a warm place.
Drain and then rinse well until water runs clear.  Drain well.
Dehydrate in oven or dehydrator at no more than 150 degrees for 12-24 hours, or until crispy and completely dry.  Store in an airtight container.  I actually use freezer bags and store them in the freezer.

WALNUTS - 4 cups walnuts, 2 teaspoons sea salt, filtered water to cover by 2-3  inches.
Soak at least 7 hours or overnight in a warm place.
Drain and then rinse well until water runs clear.  Drain well.
Dehydrate in oven or dehydrator at no more than 150 degrees for 12-24 hours, or until crispy and completely dry.  Store in an airtight container.  I actually use freezer bags and store them in the freezer.

PUMPKIN SEEDS are also something that benefit from soaking.
4 cups nuts, 2 Tablespoons sea salt, filtered water to cover by 2-3  inches.
You can also add 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper for a kick.
Soak at least 7 hours or overnight in a warm place.
Drain and then rinse well until water runs clear.  Drain well.
Dehydrate in oven or dehydrator at no more than 150 degrees for 12-24 hours, or until crispy and completely dry.  Store in an airtight container.  I actually use freezer bags and store them in the freezer.