Macadamia and Chocolate Cookies

Easter is on it’s way and many of us are thinking about chocolate.  So here’s some more chocolate to tempt you!

Ingredients

80g organic butter (grass-fed if you can find it), softened

1/3 cup organic coconut sugar

1 free range or omega-3 enriched egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups almond meal

1 tsp baking soda (gluten free)

1/2 tsp rock salt

100g 85% chocolate, finely chopped

Natural macadamias, roughly chopped

Method 

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Grease 2 oven trays or cover trays with grease proof paper.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until thick and creamy.

Add egg and vanilla and mix well until thoroughly combined.

Sift together and then fold in almond meal, baking soda and salt with a big metal spoon until just combined.

Add chocolate and macadamias.

Place rounded teaspoons full of the mixture onto the prepared trays.

Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until they turn a light brown.

Remove from oven and set aside to cool a little.

Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Makes 30 little morsels

Victoria Cupcakes – Paleo Style

This is a very simple sponge cake recipe.  The recipe can be prepared a week before and then kept in the freezer.  Then the cake or cupcakes could simply be eaten as is.  They are so light!  Or, to make them more extravagant, dress them with double cream (which in our house we consider as fat, choose a brand that labels the fat content at about 51% or more – if you can find it) or a processed mixture of double cream and berries.  To make the cakes pictured, I had a girlfriend help me make some cool fondant crossfit equipment.  The fondant toppers were simply to look at and were not encouraged for paleo consumption.

CrossFit Victoria cupcakes

Ingredients

250g organic free range eggs, beaten (about 4 – 5 lg. eggs)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp almond milk

250g organic butter slightly melted or in warm weather room temperature

250g 1 mashed banana and agar nectar combined

225g almond meal

1 tsp guar gum

1 1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder

30g coconut flour

Method

Preheat the oven to 195°C /175°C fan/Gas 5.  If using two traditional sandwich tins (20cm) grease them and line the bases with baking paper.  If using cupcake tins, consider the environment and use silicon pattypans that can be washed and used over again.

Blend the eggs, vanilla and milk together with a fork in a small bowl.

Using a hand-held electric mixture on a high setting, cream the butter (about 3 mins) in a large bowl.  Then gradually add the banana and agar nectar continuing to mix with the mixer.  Next, gradually add the eggs, vanilla and milk mixture on a medium setting, mixing well between each addition.  Don’t worry if it curdles slightly, just turn the mixer up to a high setting again.  This will be fine in the cakes.

Sift together the almond meal, guar gum, baking powder and coconut flour.  Then using a large metal spoon fold the wet and dry ingredients together (fold gently, so you don’t knock the air out).

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins, smoothing to the edge with the back of a dessert spoon.  Try to keep the cakes the same size.  Bake for about 20mins checking from 15mins depending on your oven.  You will know they are ready when they are golden and they shrink from the sides of the tin.

Remove the baked cakes from the oven and cool in the tins for 10 mins before turing the cakes onto a metal cooling rack.  Leave the paper or silicon wrapping on them as this will stop them from shrinking.

Optional –  Prepare the cream mixture by processing together in a blender one tub of double cream (with the most fat content you can find) and 3 punnets of strawberries or other fruit in season.  Just prior to serving, once the cakes are completely cool, smooth evenly the cream on top of the individual cupcakes or one sponge cake.  On top of the sponge cake carefully place the other sponge cake on top and press down lightly to join the two.  Dust with organic coconut desiccated and serve.