Spritz Cookies (AIP, Paleo, Gluten-free)

My Grandma Vein is a really fantastic baker. She makes wonderful treats for all holidays, but especially during the Christmas season. One of my favorite christmas cookies is her spritz cookies, a butter cookie dough pressed through a cookie press into different shapes. Some people flavor the cookie dough with vanilla and some with almond—Grandma’s spritz recipe uses vanilla. She would leaves some of the dough naturally colored and colors part of it red and green. She also would sprinkle the pressed cookie dough with various colored sanding sugars and sprinkles before baking.

My AIP variation might look and taste a little different, but the first test batch cookie I popped into my mouth was like tasting a memory of Christmases past. Despite using palm shortening in lieu of butter, they still have a "buttery" flavor; they also have some lovely notes of maple and just a hint of coconut.

Instead of pressing the dough through a cookie press, I chose to pipe it with a pastry bag fitted with a large start tip into rosettes and wreath shapes—I couldn’t justify buying (or storing) a new cookie press & I’m not sure if my vintage press has any gluten remnants.

I didn't have many ideas for natural ways to color the dough, but I did add matcha green tea powder to the dry ingredients of one batch & it worked really well, though it does make the cookies taste like green tea. I suspect a few drops of beet juice might work well to make a more red/pink dough; however, I have a sensitivity to beets so I have not tried it out. To make the wreaths look more like actual wreaths (and less like piped circles), I added some chopped dried cranberries (apple-juice-sweetened) and a tiny sprinkle of turbinado/raw sugar.

Because these cookies are so delicious, I’ve purposely made the batch really small—depending on how big they’re piped, you should be able to get around 16 cookies. If you’re one with lots of willpower, even around lots of delicious AIP cookies, make a double batch :)

Happy Baking! PS if you’d like to make the AIP gingersnaps pictured on the cookie platter, make sure you grab a copy of my e-book “Holiday Sweet Treats.”

Spritz Cookies (AIP, Paleo, Gluten Free) 
yields around 16 cookies

64 grams(1/4 cup) palm shortening
39 grams (2 tablespoons) Grade A dark maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
23 grams (3 tablespoons +1 teaspoon) coconut flour 
25 grams (3 tablespoons +1 teaspoon) tapioca starch
27 grams (3 tablespoons +1 teaspoon) arrowroot
3/4 teaspoon gelatin
1/8 teaspoon paleo baking powder (recipe follows) 
pinch of sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Fit a pastry bag with a large star tip (I used a Wilton bag fitted with an 824 Ateco tip). 
2. In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the palm shortening with the maple syrup and the vanilla extract with a silicone spatula until well combined. If the palm shortening is too solid to properly mix—mine typically is during the winter—allow the ingredients to warm up slightly on the preheating stove. A hand mixer may also be used. 
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, tapioca, arrowroot, gelatin, paleo baking powder, and sea salt. 
4. Add the dry ingredients to the shortening/maple/vanilla and mix until well combined. 
5. Transfer the dough to the prepared pastry bag. Pipe the dough into rosettes, starting from the center & swirling outward. Draw circles as guides on the bottom of the parchment paper, if needed. Leave a little space between the cookies to allow them to puff a little during the baking process. 
6. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 6 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cookies are just starting to turn golden on the edges. 
7. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the pan before serving. 
8. Store cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer. Leftover cookies may soften, so re-crisp in a warm oven, if needed, before serving. 

Matcha Wreath Variation
Same ingredients as above with the addition of:
A heaping 1/4 teaspoon of matcha green tea powder
Apple juice sweetened dried cranberries, chopped
Turbinado/raw sugar

• Make the same recipe as above, adding a heaping 1/4 teaspoon of matcha green tea powder to the dry ingredients. Mix the green tea variation dough with a hand mixer too, just to ensure there are no tiny lumps of matcha. 
• Pipe the dough into rings & press chopped dried cranberries into the rings. Sprinkle a little turbinado sugar over the wreaths. 
• Bake as instructed above, though the wreaths may bake more quickly depending on how they thick they are piped, so watch them carefully. 

Paleo Baking Powder
81 grams (1/2 cup) cream of tartar 
55 grams (1/4 cup) baking soda
30 grams (1/4 cup) arrowroot or tapioca 

1. Sift together the cream of tartar, baking soda, and arrowroot/tapioca.
2. Store in an airtight jar. Use wherever baking powder is used. 

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Spiced Pumpkin Tea Latte (AIP, Paleo, Low FODMAP, Vegan)

Why yes, this recipe is the third “Pumpkin Spice”-type Beverage I’ve posted on the blog in the past three years. My food options have changed pretty dramatically, in these three years, but I still refuse to entirely give up my favorite things, including “Pumpkin Everything” in the fall ;) I simply have to adapt my favorites to fit in to my personal needs.  You can find last year’s Paleo Bulletproof Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe here and 2013’s homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe here.

I *may* have gone a bit crazy buying squash last week... :) 

This summer, I gave up coffee when I went back on the elimination phase of AIP. In lieu of coffee, I now drink tea bulletproof tea in the morning. Usually, I make myself a Matcha Jasmine Tea Latte, but once September hit, I began dreaming of a pumpkin spice beverage. Even if our temperatures are still in the 90s and it does not feel remotely like fall, I still wanted it to taste like fall :)

An interesting prospect of this year’s spiced pumpkin (tea) latte development is that I haven’t had a “proper” PSL in three years. Forgive me if you’re a PSL aficionado... You may not think this one tastes like the real deal, also because it relies on black tea instead of coffee. But for someone who can't have a "real" one, I think it's pretty amazing.

In addition to changing the base liquid from coffee to tea, I also played around with the spices. I found out earlier this year that I have a sensitivity to ginger & thus also needed to further adapt the AIP pumpkin pie spice blend I developed last year. Feel free to add a dash of ginger, if you so like, but I really don’t miss its flavor (and my inflammation levels thank me for not consuming it).

No matter if it feels like fall where you live or what dietary constraints you need to follow, I hope you’re able to enjoy a spiced pumpkin / pumpkin spice beverage & savor it’s delicious, spicy, autumn flavor.

Note: Pumpkin is high in FODMAPs if consumed in large quantities, but since this recipe only has two tablespoons of puree in the entire batch, it should be safe for most people. Monash University states that canned pumpkin is low in FODMAPs in quantities of 1/4 c (2.2 oz) or less. You could alternately substitute another roasted, pureed squash variety, such as Kabocha squash. 

Spiced Pumpkin Tea Latte

Yields one generous serving or two small servings

14 g (1 Tbl) Coconut Oil

8 fl oz (1 c) Brewed Black Tea (I use Choice Organic Classic Black Tea) 

2 fl oz (1/4 c) Coconut Milk (make sure it doesn't contain any additives) 

2 Tbl (20 g) Pasture-Raised Collagen, optional but will increase the protein & nutrient density of the beverage; omit if vegan 

9 to18 g (1-2 tsp) Organic Grade B Maple Syrup

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Mace  (may sub nutmeg if not AIP)

1/8 tsp Ground Cloves

1/8 tsp Vanilla Bean Powder

pinch (1/16th tsp) Ground Turmeric

OR 1 tsp of my AIP Pumpkin Pie Spice 2.0 (recipe below) 

31 g (2 Tbl) Organic Pumpkin Puree

1. Begin by brewing the black tea, if it isn’t already made. 
2. Add the coconut oil to a high speed blender vessel (I use the smoothie cup from this model ) . Pour the hot black tea over the coconut oil. If necessary, reheat the tea, either on the stovetop or in the microwave. The tea needs to be hot enough to warm up the other ingredients. 
3. Add the remaining ingredients on top of the tea & coconut. 
4. Blend until frothy & well combined. 
5. Pour into one large mug or two small ones. Dust with a little additional spices, if desired. Serve immediately. 

AIP Pumpkin Pie Spice 2.0

8 g (4 tsp) Ground Cinnamon

4 g (2 tsp) Mace

2 g (1 tsp) Ground Cloves

3 g (1 tsp) Vanilla Bean Powder

1/2 tsp Ground Tumeric

1. Stir ingredients together.
2. Store in a spice jar. Use wherever you would use pumpkin pie spice. 

Passion Fruit Yogurt Parfaits with Cassava Crumble (AIP, low FODMAP, Paleo, Vegan)

For the past month or so, I’ve been making at least one batch of AIP two-ingredinet Instant Pot coconut yogurt a week, as I developed & finessed the recipe. I’ve used the yogurt in several applications, but this parfait might be one of my favorite sweet servings. I love using just a hint of maple & letting the sweet/tart flavor of the yogurt + fruit shine through. And let’s not forget about the crunch of the toasted cassava crumble, which makes a great stand-in for granola.

I’m not really sure if this passion fruit coconut yogurt parfait should be classified as a treat or as a breakfast food. For the sake of AIP nutrient density guidelines, it should probably be a treat, but I must admit, I have eaten one or two for breakfast, alongside a serving of protein and vegetables.  

Passion fruit isn’t always easy to find, but often Asian grocery stores will carry it. Back in August, I was thrilled to find actual passion fruits on sale at Whole Foods. I really, really love the tart, flower-y flavor of passion fruit--it’s almost like sour candy for adults. We even had passion fruit curd filing on one of our wedding cakes. And passion fruit is low FODMAP too! Yay! Just don’t eat more than 5 at one time….   

When ripe, the fruit should be dark purple on the exterior & wrinkly. Cut the ripe fruit in half & use a spoon to scoop out the pulp & seeds--both are edible. I personally like the crunch of the seeds, but you could go through the laborious task of straining out the seeds, if desired. 

This parfait could be made with other fruit too, if passion fruit can’t be found or aren’t to your liking. I’ve also tried mixed berries (blueberries/strawberries/raspberries are all low FODMAP), as well as a rhubarb compote similar to this one (substituting maple for the honey to keep it low FODMAP). 

Note on FODMAPs: FODMAPs are confusing things... Certain resources will say that one item is “ok” and other resources will list that item as “avoid.” I am choosing to get my information about FODMAPs from Monash University & their app. Monash is continually updating their information & they are great about listing what quantity of food (both by volume & by weight) keeps it within the low FODMAP guidelines. As always, though, you know your body best. Just because one list says a food is fine, doesn’t always mean your body will be fine with it. Or on the flip side, just because one list says a food is on the avoid list, doesn’t mean your body is automatically going to be bothered by it. Do what makes your body & mind feel the best.

Passion Fruit Yogurt Parfaits with Cassava Crumble (AIP, low FODMAP, Paleo, Vegan) 

Crumble

5 Tbl Cassava Flour

1/8 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Vanilla Bean Powder

1 1/2 tsp Grade B Maple Syrup

28 g / 2 Tbl Coconut Oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Mix all the ingredients with a fork in a small bowl until the ingredients are crumbly. 
3. Spread in an even layer (clumps are ok) on the prepared baking sheet. 
4. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until golden. Set aside to cool

Vanilla Maple Coconut Milk Yogurt

yields enough for 3 parfaits 

1 c Two Ingredient Instant Pot Coconut Yogurt (or other AIP-compliant coconut yogurt) 

1 Tbl Grade B Maple Syrup

1/4 tsp Vanilla Bean Powder

1. Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Reserve in the refrigerator until ready to assemble parfaits & serve. 

Assembly--per parfait 

**assemble right before serving**

1/3 c Vanilla Maple Coconut Milk Yogurt 

seeds from 1 Ripe Passion fruit

1 Tbl Crumble 

1. Portion the yogurt into a small bowl or other small vessel. 
2. Top the yogurt with half of the passion fruit pulp/seed. 
3. Sprinkle the crumble over the top. Add the remaining passion fruit. 
4. Serve immediately. 

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Stovetop Peach Blueberry Crisp (Paleo & Vegan)

“...the girls put their wits to work, 

and necessity being the mother of invention, 

made whatever they needed.” 

-Louisa May Alcott, Little Women. 

Since we don’t have a working oven at my family’s lake cabin in Minnesota, I had to be a little creative when it came to planning meals & treats. We made use of the stove top, outside grill, microwave & slow cooker for the main dishes & vegetables, but dessert was a little more challenging, especially considering my Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) dietary parameters.

There’s something about being around water all day that makes a person extra hungry. And, of course, the “I’m-on-vacation-and-am-allowed-to-splurge-a-little” thinking. In past years, splurging would have meant driving to the nearby gas station for half a gallon of ice cream & a can of Hershey’s syrup, or making s’mores around a beach fire, or eating packages of cookies. But thankfully, my family has been oh so understanding about what I can and cannot eat & they were on board with some AIP & Paleo splurges instead of our normal treats. We brought along some Coconut Milk Ice Cream , and I also made coconut milk panna cotta (with nectarines instead of berries).

Then one day, when the weather was grey, windy & rainy, I wanted to create a dessert that leaned more towards warmth and comfort than to cold & refreshing. We had some peaches that were nearly over-ripe & a bag of frozen blueberries that were originally slated for making smoothies. Almost immediately, the thought of a crisp/crumble came to mind….

But how do you make a crisp without the oven? Easy. First, toast the topping in a skillet, then, once the topping is done & moved to a bowl, cook the fruit on the stovetop. Spoon the cooked fruit into bowls & top with the previously made crumble. Voila, fruit crisp, sans oven :)

I’ve previously made gluten free crisps & crumbles (like this one and this one), but grain free baking is still a new territory to me. I’m still cautious about working with different ingredients, like liquid sweeteners (i.e honey & maple syrup), arrowroot starch, coconut flour, and even coconut oil, but I am attempting to be more brave in my experimentation. It looks like I’ll probably be following some version of Paleo for the rest of my life, so I might as well get use to it :) Fortunately, crisps and crumbles are a bit more forgiving & don’t require quite as much scientific precision as say a cake or cookie needs. 

Since I am in the reintroduction phase of the Autoimmune Protocol & almonds seem to be ok (just in not giant quantities), I used a mixture of coconut flour & almond flour in the topping, but if you’re not yet to reintroducing almonds, using more coconut flour would also work. As I toasted the topping on the stove, several family members could smell its fragrance & came over to see what I was concocting--that’s always a good sign.

When we were ready to eat dessert, I spooned the thickened fruit into bowls & let each person top their own dish with as much crumble as he or she wanted. I’m usually a fan of ice cream on my crisp (or whipped cream), but this time, I splashed a little coconut milk to mimic the creaminess. We were all satisfied by how delicious it was & no one felt deprived by this “healthier” dessert. I’ll be remembering this stovetop method in the future for times when it simply is too hot to turn on the oven :)

Stovetop Peach Blueberry Crisp

serves 4 

42g / 5 Tbl Coconut Flour

56 g / 1/2 c Almond Flour (AIP Modification: omit almond flour & increase coconut flour instead)

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

42 g / 3 Tbl Coconut oil, melted

1.5 oz / 2 Tbl Honey

300 g / 1.5 c Frozen Blueberries (may substitute fresh, but add a little water too)

2 medium-large peaches (around 400g), cut into thin slices, peeling is optional

2.75 oz / 4 Tbl Pure Maple Syrup 

1 Tbl Lemon Juice

1 Tbl Arrowroot Starch 

Coconut Milk, for serving 

1. To make the crumble topping: combine the coconut flour, almond flour, sea salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Drizzle in the coconut oil & honey.  Mix with a fork until crumbly. 
2. Toast the crumble in a large skillet over medium high heat, stirring constantly, for a couple of minutes, or until the crumble begins to brown slightly & smell toasty. Remove from the skillet & set aside. Give the skillet a quick rinse. 
3. To make the filling: add the blueberries and peaches to the skillet. Drizzle with maple syrup and lemon juice  Cook over medium heat until the juices begin to boil. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to a simmer & cook until the peaches are tender--approximately 10 minutes. Stir occasionally, as needed. Taste & add additional maple syrup if the filling isn’t sweet enough. 
4. Remove 1/2 c of liquid from the pan & place into a small bowl. Into the liquid, stir in the arrowroot, making sure there are no lumps. Add the mixture back to the skillet and cook for an additional minute to allow the fruit to thicken & to cook out any starch flavor from the arrowroot. Remove from the heat. 
5. Just before serving, spoon the fruit into bowls & sprinkle with the crumble topping (note: there may be leftover crumble topping). Top with a splash of coconut milk or a scoop of coconut milk ice cream. 
6. Store any leftover fruit filling in the refrigerator. Keep any leftover crumble topping tightly covered at room temperature. 

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