Sunday, May 20, 2012

Paleo Bread- Basic White

One thing I inherited from my Grandmom is the love of bread.  I sure does ruin me at restaurants for it comes first and fills me up too fast before I SHOULD be eating my protein and veggies.  Why can't they serve me the hot and crusty bread after dinner? OR, how about during????  Anyhow....the traditional, crusty, chewy yeast breads are for big splurges for me these days BUT a basic gluten free bread to have with dinner or smeared with almond butter at breakfast will fill the bill!!!
I have waited for a bit to post this recipe for I have been trying many recipes and playing around with different combos that work well for me.... The beauty of this gluten free baby is that there aren't those other GF substitutes that won't work in the Paleo lifestyle like rice flour, potato starch, etc.  Give this a try!

Basic Gluten Free Paleo Bread
adapted by JennyMacLipsmack

3 cups almond flour (not meal, this is a pale yellow bread not brown)
1 tsp. baking soda
4 eggs
2 egg whites
1 Tbsp. honey, agave or maple syrup (whichever you prefer)
1 tsp. vinegar
sesame seeds (optional for taste and look)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Put almond flour in a large bowl and whisk out the lumps and add the baking soda.

In a small bowl, beat the egg and whites together.  Add honey and vinegar.

Mix the liquid in the dry.  Spray loaf pan with organic olive oil non-stick spray and LINE PARCHMENT PAPER in the loaf pan.  I cannot STRESS how important this is or your loaf will be IMPOSSIBLE to remove.  A slicone loaf pan will not require parchment, this is what I do for I was tired of forgetting about the parchment and the loaf sticking....grrrr.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds...(I love the toasty taste of them when I toast the bread!)

Bake @ 300 for 45 minutes

Remove from pan and cool completely.  Slice thinly and put in a bag and store in the fridge for convenient use later!

VARIATION:

Raisin Walnut Paleo Bread
by JennyMac's Lipsmack

3 cups almond flour or meal
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
5 eggs
2 Tbsp honey, agave or maple syrup
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts

Follow the directions for the heat and time from the recipe above....


Great dessert, breakfast or french toast bread!

Enjoy!
  

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Gluten Free Morning Glory Muffins

Moist- full of fiber from carrots, apples and raisins!  Perfect for breakfast, snacks or dessert.  Make sure to check out my notes at the end for suggestions.

Morning Glory Muffins
adapted from Paleo Comfort Foods

2-1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups shredded carrots (about one bag of carrots depending on thickness), grated
1 large apple, peeled, cored and grated
1 cup toasted coconut (adds nutty-ness)
3 large eggs (organic-omega-3)
1/2 cup organic liquid egg whites
2 Tbsp. honey
1/3 cup coconut oil (....see notes)
1 tsp. vanilla

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line standard size muffin tin.  I needed to line 20...depending on your 'scoop size'.
2.  Combine almond flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Add carrot, apple coconut and raisins and combine well.
3.  In a separate bowl whisk eggs, egg whites, honey, oil and vanilla  together.
4.  Pour the wet over the dry and mix well.  Batter will be thick.
5.  Using an ice cream scoop place batter into lined muffin tin(s).
6.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the top comes out clean.
7.  Cool muffins for 8-10 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack.


Baker's Notes:
1.  I use Honeyville Almond flour from Amazon.com.  It is $36 for a 5 lb. bag.  Best bargain and works best than others I have used.
2.  I am not too fond of coconut oil that tastes like coconut.  It's too much or may be disconcerting to eat sauteed mushrooms that taste like coconut....ugh.  I prefer Spectrum.
3.  In using the organic coconut, I like the flakes over the finely grated.  This adds to the muffins giving it more chewiness as you would get from oatmeal (not used here).  Toasting will tone down the coconut flavor....giving it a subtle undertone.
4.  Go honey, don't substitute stevia for I find it will give a funny after taste.  Think about it....2 Tbsp of honey divided amongst 20 or so muffins?  That is about 1/2 tsp per muffin...not bad for sugar.  I love how these are lightly sweet not like I am eating cake.
5.  Although fat is not the enemy in the Paleo lifestyle, the recipe originally called for 1/2 cup coconut oil.  When peeling off the muffin papers, they absorbed alot of the oil.  What is the point for so much oil if it's only going to leech into the papers, right? I suggest 1/3 cup over using 1/2 cup.  For the muffins still stuck a bit to the papers.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

YUM!
Great for breakfast, tasty snack and who says you can't eat a slice with dinner?
I was looking for something different from using my basic paleo bread recipe, so I tweaked it to make cinnamon raisin bread.  Yes, I know I haven't posted the basic bread first...but I like to live on the edge!  lol

Cinnamon Raisin Bread
adapted from Paleo Comfort Foods

3-1/2 cups almond flour or meal
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
5 large organic eggs
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 cup organic raisins

1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2.  Combine all dry ingredients.
3.  In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, honey and vinegar.  Add raisins.
4.  Combine wet with the dry.
5.  Grease the loaf pan and line with parchment paper.  This is VERY important!!!  I find that this bread as well as the basic loaf likes to STICK despite it being greased.  Consider yourself warned if you don't!!!!
6.  Pour the batter in lined loaf pan.
7.  Bake for 45-55 minutes until golden brown or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted.

LOVE it...hope you will too!


Enjoy!