Browsing Tag

Almond flour

Paleo Apple Pie Of My Eye Recipe

October 21, 2015

Homemade apple pie.

PaleoApplePIePiece_HealthyStacey

It sounds so intimidating. So unnatainable. So pleasantville.

Apple pie is for sweet old grandmothers, cool hipster bakeries and stay-at-home moms.

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Apple pie is not for the casual cook who works a 9 to 5.

And it’s definitely not for Paleo health nuts who don't eat a lot of sweets.

PaleoApplePie_Mix

Well, I guess I must’ve knocked my head on a street sign (true story). Because I decided that I wanted – no, I needed – to make an apple pie this fall.  

Needless to say, this is not one of those recipes where I say, “It’s so easy! Just toss in random ingredients, mix it together, throw it in the oven and you’re done!”

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Nope. Apple pie is not easy. It’s not quick. It’s not simple. And it's totally not necessary. 

But damn, is it good. And for a straight-arrow like me, who always makes the "sensible" recipe, sometimes unnecessary IS necessary. (mind: BLOWN)

Paleo Apple Pie Of My Eye Recipe*

Grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, organic, and low sugar. Oh, and did I mention delicious? (You can tell because I didn't do my usual "Wait, wait, wait! I have to take a picture first!" Me and my fiance just dug in).

PaleoApplePIeOutside_HealthyStacey

CRUST INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 cups almond flour – I use good old Bob's Red Mill
  • 1 tablespoon ground flax seed – Bob, again
  • 1 tablespoon tapioca starch – love this stuff
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup coconut oil – Thrive has my favorite for a great price
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract – on sale right now at Whole Foods!
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon – The Spice House is where it's at

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

  • 5 medium-sized apples, peeled and diced (whatever kind you have, I'm sure will work)
  • 4 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar – I got this one at Mariano's
  • 1/4 cup of honey
  • 1 tablespoon coconut flour – I like this brand
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice – Spice House baby!
  • ⅛ teaspoon cloves
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

PaleoApplePIe2_HealthyStacey

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:

  • 2 big sheets of parchment paper
  • A "rolling pin" (I just used a bottle of extra virgin olive oil – I don't even eat bread, why would I own a rolling pin??)
  • 9-inch pie pan (yeah, I bought this just for this pie. Mariano's for $5. #worthit)

MAKE THE CRUST:

  1. Mix the almond flour, flax seed, tapioca starch, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together with a spoon.
  2. Add in egg, melted coconut oil and vanilla extract.
  3. Get in there with your hands, and knead into a dough. 
  4. Lay out your parchment paper (2 sheets) on the counter so it's ready for your dough.
  5. Take half the dough and place on paper. Then lay the other half on top of it, making sure the dough is centered on the paper.
  6. Using a rolling pin (or a bottle of olive oil), roll the dough into a large circle so that it'll fill a 9-inch pie pan.
  7. Peel off top parchment paper. Place the pie pan upside down over the flattened dough, and carefully flip into the pie pan. You will inevitably cause a few holes here. Just smooth it down with your hands and fill up any holes or cracks with small pieces of dough.
  8. You want the dough to meet the top rim of the pan. Trim off the excess and add to your other pile.
  9. Take the remaining half of the dough and roll into a rough rectangle the same way you did the first one.
  10. Cut the flattened dough into one-inch wide strips. This part is not easy. Especially if your dough is a little dry. It may fall apart. It may look hideous (see above picture for proof). But it'll still taste amazing. 
  11. Place the dough into the refrigerator for a tick – I waited an hour.

MAKE THE FILLING:

  1. Melt the coconut oil in a pot on medium heat.
  2. Add in your sliced apples, coconut sugar, honey and spices.
  3. Stir the mixture to drench those apples in your yummy cinnamony stew. 
  4. Add in the coconut flour and mix well.
  5. Add in the vanilla extract and turn off the heat.
  6. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.

PaleoApplePIe_HealthyStacey1
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Spoon in the apple pieces and sauce into the pie crust.
  3. Now comes the hardest part (in my opinion). This is the part that determines whether your final pie will look Pinterest Perfect. Or will look like a 2nd grader's art project, but still taste amazing. Mine was somewhere in between. Bust out those strips of pastry from the refrigerator, and very, very carefully – with a big spatula, peel them off the paper and lay one after the other over the filling. Ideally, you want them to reach both ends (mine didn't). And you want to create a criss-cross pattern – lay four down one way, and the other four on top the other way.
  4. Bake for 25 minutes.
  5. Let them eat pie!

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Like what you read today? Think somebody else would like the recipe for Paleo Apple Pie? (Honestly, who wouldn't?). See those cute little social shapes underneath this post? They're for sharing! Click one to post to Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or comment right here on the blog. I would love to hear from you.

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Much Love,

HealthyStaceySignature

*Inspired by this post from Louise Hendon. Thank you dearly Louise for teaching me how to make a pie. 

Pumpkin Mookies for Santa

December 8, 2014

I love Christmas. A lot. Always have. Always will. 

I grew up with a Christmas-crazed mom who allowed me – no, encouraged me – to be a kid at Christmas time. In college, I came home to Christmas decorations, hot cocoa and all-night Christmas movie marathons. After college, I moved back home, and looked forward to the time of year where I could pretend to be a kid again and forget about the stresses of the real world. And then, I moved in with my best friends who were just as happy to pretend to be a kid with me during the holidays.

This year, things feel a little different. I live with my boyfriend in our grown-up apartment. We have real furniture like a grown-up couch and a grown-up coffee table. For the first time, I really do feel like an adult. Sure, there's still the part of me that knows that "being a kid" again is okay. But I'm really embracing – and enjoying – this new stage of my life. With that said, ever since the holiday season began, I’ve been trying to figure out…

How do I celebrate Christmas as a grown-up?

I don't have kids yet. And I don't have any young cousins or nieces or nephews in the country. I am not concerned if Santa brings me anything for Christmas. And although I do love giving gifts, I am getting annoyed with all of the Black Fridays, Cyber Mondays and relentless Christmas advertising directed towards children. It all feels like a lot of noise, and very little joy. 

But today, I think I figured it out. I am currently sitting on my grown-up couch, with a mini Christmas tree to my left, a fireplace adorned with our very own stockings up front, white twinkling lights wrapped around our exposed ventilation system above, and homemade cookies and coconut milk on my grown-up coffee table ahead. My boyfriend and I spent the morning putting them up together while listening to a Christmas playlist we made the night before over a glass of wine. It's all very simple. But I am so blissfully happy. This is all I need for it to feel like Christmas. 

With that said, here are the cookies I made for Santa. Yes, I know it's only December 7th, but I can do whatever I want. It's my Christmas. 

Pumpkin Mookies

Coconut flour – although awesome – is a finicky ingredient. Because it’s dense, it soaks up a lot of moisture, making the final product a little more muffin-like. Lucky for me, my Mom gave me this fantastic muffin tin that she wasn’t getting any use out of. And if you remember from my fall post, I went a little overboard on pumpkin puree for fall. So as much as I’d like to get busy with gingerbread, peppermint and eggnog, Santa will have to settle for pumpkin. The final product is a little spicy, a little creamy and a lot of chewy. Oh yeah, and pretty darn good for you. You’re welcome, Santa.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup of pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup of maple syrup
  • 1 banana
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup of almond floud
  • ¼ cup of coconut flour
  • ¼ cup of tapioca starch
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
  • Chocolate chips to top

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Put pumpkin, maple syrup, banana and egg in a bowl and beat together with a mixer.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine flours, baking soda and pumpkin spice.
  4. Pour dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
  5. Mix together with hand mixer until you have a dough-like texture.
  6. Spoon dough into your muffin tin.
  7. Strategically top the muffins with as many chocolate chips as you see fit.
  8. Stick in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
  9. Enjoy with a cold glass of coconut milk in front of a warm fire.