Apple Cinnamon Bread

And the Christmas decor goes up!  Christmas is huge in our family.  We love celebrating what it means.  On my husbands side, even the decorating is huge!  Every year, the Friday after Thanksgiving, is a huge decorating party.  My sweet mother-in-law loves this so much--and so do I!  We get together starting first thing in the morning.  All the ornaments are laid out.  Christmas tree goes up.  Everyday dishes are put away and the Christmas Spode dishes come out.  Soaps are swapped out.  Candles are changed.  Stockings are hung.  The Christmas Village is built.  Christmas music is played for all to hear.  Wassail is a brewing to sip on all day long.  Hot Coco is ready to make in the Keurig. Holiday munchies, such as Cranberry Salsa with crackers, cheese and crackers, and sweet breads sit out on the counter to much at throughout the day.  Some years we are lucky and have cold enough weather to bundle up in sweaters and warm fuzzy socks sipping warm drinks all day long with the fire place blazing.  And... then there is this year with a high of 83*.   But that's beside the point.

So while there will be things that I can enjoy food wise, there may be things that I cannot enjoy as well.   But, this year, along with all the other typical goodies, there will also be my Apple Cinnamon Bread.  My GRAIN FREE Apple Cinnamon Bread.  Oh so yummy.  I maybe enjoy it a little bit too much.  You want the recipe?  Ok.  (It's a good one.)

Grain Free Apple Cinnamon Bread

Dry

1/2 c. sifted coconut flour
1/4 c. pecan/walnut meal
1/4 c. FINELY chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 T. cinnamon

Wet

3/4 c. apple pulp
PLUS 
1/2 c. fresh apple juice
{OR}
1 c. apple sauce

2 eggs
1/4 c. honey
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. cider vinegar

Preheat your oven two 350*.  Grease two mini loaf pans or one large loaf pan with some coconut oil.  Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  In a smaller bowl combine your wet ingredients.  Make sure your oven is preheated at this point!!! Combine wet and dry ingredients together thoroughly, pour them into your pans, and place in the oven.  Do this process as quickly as you can!  This is important because the reaction between the vinegar and baking soda is the primary rising agent.  Bake for 35 minutes for the two small loaves or 45-50 minutes for the large loaf.   Pull out of the oven and enjoy a wonderful holiday bread!

Let it cool in the pan for a couple of minutes.  Cut around the edge of each loaf with a knife, and flip them out of the pans onto a cooling rack.  Let the cool completely and then wrap them in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.   To enjoy a slice later, cut off a piece and place in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to warm.

Cranberry Orange Nut Bread (Grain Free!)

Oh how I love fall.  And YES! Fall goes through Thanksgiving!  I am one of those people who could completely skip over Halloween, simply celebrating the season of Fall, and then jump right into Thanksgiving celebrations.  Thanksgiving is a holiday, right?  Sometimes I think stores (and people) forget that.  I know that you should be thankful year round, but there isn't anything wrong with having a time set aside to really focus on that.  I also love how Thanksgiving sets your heart and mind up so well for the Advent Season.  Heading into the Christmas season with a THANKFUL heart is totally good and appropriate.  After all, what greater thing should we be thankful for than what the true meaning of Christmas is?  Jesus Christ entered into His earthly form so that 33 years later He could DIE for our SINS once and for all.  I think that's pretty amazing and we SHOULD be thankful beyond anything else for that gift.

I love the cultural stuff about Fall too.  Especially the food.  Oh the food is yummy!  Let me say that the past 30 days were incredibly difficult to not have a ton of my favorite baked goods.  I did it... mostly.  But I did figure out a way to make one of my favorite holiday breads that is Paleo.  Oh Cranberry Orange Nut Bread... you are so tasty.  So, without rambling on any longer, let's get to the point.

Grain Free Cranberry Orange Nut Bread

Dry

1/2 c. sifted coconut flour

1/4 c. finely shredded coconut flakes

1/4 c. almond meal

1/4 c. finely chopped walnuts or pecans

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 c. washed and dried fresh cranberries, halved

1/2-3/4 c. walnuts, coarsely chopped

Wet

3 eggs

2/3 c. orange juice

1/4 c. honey

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 t. cider vinegar

Preheat your oven two 350*.  Grease two mini loaf pans or one large loaf pan with some coconut oil.  Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  In a smaller bowl combine your wet ingredients.  Make sure your oven is preheated at this point!!! Combine wet and dry ingredients together thoroughly, pour them into your pans, and place in the oven.  Do this process as quickly as you can!  This is important because the reaction between the vinegar and baking soda is the primary rising agent.  Bake for 35 minutes for the two small loaves or 45-50 minutes for the large loaf.   Pull out of the oven and enjoy a wonderful holiday bread!

Let it cool in the pan for a couple of minutes.  Cut around the edge of each loaf with a knife, and flip them out of the pans onto a cooling rack.  Let the cool completely and then wrap them in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.   To enjoy a slice later, cut off a piece and place in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to warm.

What are some other favorite holiday "treats"?

Pumpkin Bake

I love Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving, and LUCKILY my whole30 will be over in time for me to get some sweetened, creamy pumpkin pie.  I'm so excited to try this Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie!  Not only is my whole30 over, but Thanksgiving is my dairy reintroduction day!

However, as soon as Fall hit, I was sure in the mood for some pumpkin something.  This was a delicious snack and breakfast.  Oh my!  It hit the spot.  So, if you are trying to figure out something to make in place of a pumpkin pie, this is just the thing for you!  Oh, and P.S. My 1-year-old little girl just gobbled this up!

1-15 oz can pumpkin puree

1 c. coconut milk

2 eggs

2 T. pumpkin pie spice

2 t. cinnamon
2 T. honey (optional-omit for Whole30)

Preheat oven to 350*.  Blend all of the ingredients together until fulling incorporated.  Pour into 6- 1/2 cup ramekins.  Bake for 30 minutes or until set and an inserted knife comes out clean. 

Fruit Pizza Minis

Recipe: 

Crust: 

2 pkgs. Sugar cookie dough 

(Store-bought or homemade for 48 cookies)

1st Layer:

1 1/2 - 8 oz pkgs cream cheese

3/4 c. sugar

3 t. vanilla

2nd Layer:

Fruit of choice 

I typically use kiwi, strawberries, canned pineapple, and canned mandarine oranges.

Glaze

1/2 c. sugar

1 T. + 1 t. cornstarch

dash salt

1/2 c. orange juice

1/4 c. water

2 T. lemon juice

Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, orange juice, water, and lemon juice together and bring to a boil.

Boil at least 2 minutes, or until thick like pudding. 

Allow to cool. {To rush cooling process, place in freezer.}

Arrange cookies on cookie sheet.

Bake.  Allow them to cool.

While cookies are baking and cooling, cream together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.  

{You might want to take a lick of this to make sure that it is satisfactory ( : }

For the fruit, make sure to have enough pieces of each type of fruit to put onto 48 cookies.  

Slice the kiwi and halve them.  

Slice the strawberries.

Drain off the juices (I ONLY get canned fruit in 100% juice).  

{Go ahead and drink the juice, or save it.} 

Spread the cream cheese mixture all over each cookie.

MMMmmmm.

Arrange the fruit prettily on each cookie. 

Spoon the glaze over each cookie. 

OH YEAH.  

Now try one or two or three.

Enjoy!

To make this into a single pizza, make the changes according to the following recipe: 

Crust: 

1 pkg Sugar Cookie Dough 

(store-bought or homemade for 24 cookies)  

1st Layer:

1- 8 oz pkg cream cheese

1/2 c. sugar

2 t. vanilla

2nd Layer:

Fruit of choice 

I typically use kiwi, strawberries, canned pineapple, and canned mandarine oranges.

Glaze

1 c. sugar

2 1/2 T. cornstarch

dash salt

3/4 c. orange juice

3/4 c. water

1/4 c. lemon juice

Grease pizza pan and press sugar cookie dough evenly onto it. {It helps to slice it into 1/8" slices and then press together.}  Bake at 350* for 10 min.  DO NOT OVER BAKE.   Follow the remaining steps in the Fruit Pizza Minis recipe.  

You'll notice that the Minis dough is doubled, the 1st layer is 1 1/2 batch and the glaze is 1/2 batch. 

Healthy(er) Mini PB Kiss Cookies

Ingredients: 

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/2 c. butter, margarine, or crisco

1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce

1/2 c. wheat flour

3/4 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 t. baking soda

3/4 t. baking powder

1/4. t salt

chocolate chips (can easily be dairy free)

Mix the sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, and applesauce together. 

Then add all of the dry ingredients. 

Scoop onto a cookie sheet using a teaspoon and a knife {who am I kidding} your finger.  You should be  to fit about 2 dozen cookies on the cookie sheet.  Press each ball down in a criss-cross pattern with a fork dipped in water {with the excess shaken off}.  Bake them for about 8 minutes {of course it really depends on your oven} at 350*.    As soon as they come out of the oven, place a chocolate chip in the center of each cookie.  MMMMmmmm. Tasty!  Now don't feel too guilty for eating 3-4 cookies.  Remember that is still only like eating 1 or 2 cookies. ( :

Enjoy!

Apple Zucchini Bread

2 cups wheat flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

½ t. ground nutmeg

4 eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

¾ cup apple sauce

3 cups white sugar

2 cups grated zucchini

 1 cup peeled, grated apple

Grease and flour desired size pans, (makes about 3 large loaves, or 6 mini loaves).  Preheat oven to 350*

Combine dry ingredients.  Combine wet ingredients. Mix them together. Pour into the pans filling them half to two-thirds full. 

Bake for 40-60 min. or until golden brown and a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Who doesn't love the peanut-buttery goodness of peanut butter cups?  I, for one, LOVE them... they are pretty easy to make too.  They just take a little time.  Here's what you need:

2 c. peanuts

2/3 c. powdered sugar

chocolate chips (can be dairy free)

silicon trays (any shape)

CLEAN paintbrush (high quality)

sprinkles (optional)

In a food processor, combine peanuts and powdered sugar.  Blend until right before it turns creamy (so that it's texture is similar to Reese's Peanut Butter). 

I decided to use heart silicon trays. 

Melt the chocolate.  

Paint the chocolate into the trays to generously cover.  Refrigerate this until solid. 

Pack it full of peanut butter and paint chocolate on top of peanut butter.

This is when you should put the sprinkles on.  

Refrigerate these again until they are totally firm all the way through. 

Pop them out of the tray. 

Wrap with foil to store more easily. 

Enjoy!

S'more Cookies

S'mores... Yum! 

S'mores are so delicious.  I love the ooey-gooey marshmallows and the melted chocolate that 

oozes out with every bite.  MMMMmmmm.  So I thought to myself, 

"If S'mores are so good,  Why not make S'more cookies?"  

What goes in the dough?

1 c. (2 sticks) of softened butter

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1 c. graham cracker crumbs (about 5 1/2 crackers)

1 1/2 c. flour - 2 c. flour

1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

1 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips (dairy free)

3/4 c. marshmallows (cut up into chocolate chip-sized pieces)

Combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended.  Combine the graham cracker crumbs, flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl and add them to the wet mixture until the dough is all blended together.  Stir in the chocolate chips and the marshmallows. 

Scoop by heaping tablespoons onto a baking stone or cookie sheet.  

Bake at 350* for about 10 min. or until golden brown.  

Oooh, that chocolaty, roasted marshmallow flavor.  

Enjoy!

Scones

2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. sour cream

1 egg

1/2 c. frozen butter

extract of choice {vanilla, almond} optional

1/2 c. dried fruit optional

zest of orange or lemon optional

First, mix the dry ingredients: 2 c. flour, 1/2 c. sugar, 1 t. baking powder, 1/4 t. baking soda, 1/2 t. salt, and any zest {if you are adding zest}.

Then mix the wet ingredients: 1/2 c. sour cream, 1 egg, and 1 t. of your extract of choice.

Now, grate in the butter. Careful of your fingers!  

Try to do this part quickly so the butter doesn't thaw too much!

This is what it should look like. 

Now mix it with your hands... go on... get your fingers dirty!

Then add the dried fruit.

Mix in the wet ingredients. 

Mix it...

You might as well get your hands dirty again. 

Form them into 2 circles and roll it out until about 1/2" thick. 

Get a LARGE knife and cut each circle into eighths. 

Arrange them on a baking sheet.  I used a beloved Pampered Chef stone. :)

Bake them at 400* for 13-15 minutes.

Allow them to cool. 

(1/2 c. dried cherries, 1 t. almond extract)

Berry Cherry:  1/2 c. mixed cranberries, blueberries, and cherries, 1 t. vanilla extract.

Lemon Blueberry:  1/2 c. dried blueberries, 1-2 t. lemon zest.

Cranberry Orange: 1/2 c. cranberries, 1-2 t. orange zest. 

Enjoy!