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Showing posts with label almond flour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label almond flour. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Almond Meal Rosemary Raisin Crackers


Around our house, we have a Trader Joe's market that we make frequent walking trips to. I find it's  perfect to just load the kids into the stroller and go for a walk - they enjoy the scenery, I enjoy some peace and quiet, and at the end we get to enjoy the sampling snacks that they always have available at Trader Joe's. I find that there is also always some snack or treat that catches my eye there, and that I then become addicted to (which means we get to make more walking trips!). If you have a Trader Joe's near your house, then this particular recipe will taste familiar, because one of their absolute best crackers are rosemary raisin crackers. The raisins and rosemary provide a balance of flavors that is neither salty nor sweet, but instead somewhere in the middle. This means that they are wonderful to eat plain or topped with any number of cheeses.

This recipe is a gluten-free, grain-free version of those perfect crackers. They come out nicely crisp, with that surprisingly addictive flavor combo of the rosemary and raisins shining through. My husband and I both are hooked (we hide them from the kids when I make them!), and a bonus is that baking them fills the house with a fantastic aroma for the rest of the day.


Rosemary Raisin Crackers
Recipe makes about 20 crackers
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 15 minutes            READY IN: 30 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons raisins
  • 3 teaspoons raw sunflower seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1 sprig fresh rosemary leaves)

DIRECTIONS


  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
  2. In a food processor, pulse together the almond flour, olive oil, water, and salt until well combined. 
  3. Add in the raisins and 2 teaspoons sunflower seeds. Pulse together again until the raisins and sunflower seeds are broken into small pieces. Finally, add in the remaining sunflower seeds and rosemary and pulse until they are spread evenly through the dough. (The dough should be moist but hold together easily, with flecks of raisin, rosemary, and sunflower seeds visible throughout.)
  4. Form the dough into a single ball and place on a 18-inch sheet of wax paper. Cover with another piece of wax paper about the same size on a flat surface. With a rolling pin, roll the dough between the wax paper sheets until it is 1/4-inch thick and mostly rectangular. (I found that it helped to alternate the sides I was rolling on to avoid wrinkles in the paper, by flipping the wax sheets occasionally.)
  5. Uncover one of the wax sheets, and lay that side of the dough down on the parchment covered baking sheet. Gradually peel off the other layer of wax paper to expose the dough. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1-inch rectangles. (Depending on how uniform you want the crackers, you can cut off the edges and repeat the process of rolling and cutting, or you can leave the edges to cook in non-uniform shapes.)
  6. Bake the crackers for 15-18 minutes, rotating once halfway through. They are done when they start to look golden on top (if the edges are looking too brown but the middle needs to cook more, you can remove the cooked edges and allow the remaining pieces to continue cooking). 
  7. Let cool for 15 minutes, then separate the crackers and enjoy. They can be stored for several days in an airtight container.

NUTRITION FACTS



    2 crackers   78 calories   6.5 g fat   4.0 g carbs    2.5 g protein    1.5 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Against All Grain.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Sugar-Free Apple Crisp

As you all know, I've been on something of a sugar detox for the past two months. It has been awesome, and I've really noticed that my sugar cravings have significantly decreased and become super-manageable. (If you want to hear more about it, check out my other posts here, here, and here.) That being said, however, I won't deny that I still have moments where I just want to enjoy a special treat. This recipe is perfect, because it is 100% free of added sugar, but it still totally feels like a treat! The apples and cinnamon are plenty sweet, and the almond meal crumb topping has a perfect crunchy texture. I personally don't miss the sugar at all when I eat this! (Okay, full confession I will admit that the first time I made this I was going to be sharing it with friends, so I cheated and added a tablespoon of honey to both the apples and the topping. I've become a little paranoid that my tastes have adjusted so well that others will find the lack of sugar too noticeable. Honestly, though, they seemed to enjoy it just fine, and when I made it again without any added sweetener I (and my husband too as my impartial judge) didn't notice a difference.)


Sugar-Free Apple Crisp
4-6 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 45 minutes            READY IN: 1 hour


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


 For the filling:
  • 4 tart apples (I used Granny Smith)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon  
 For the topping:
  • 1 cup almond meal/flour (or 1 1/2 cups and omit the oats if you want it grain-free)
  • 1/2 cup oats 
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup butter (softened) or coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • 2 tablespoons pecan pieces (optional)

DIRECTIONS


  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
  2. Cut the apples into thin slices. Combine with lemon juice and cinnamon.
  3. Combine the almond meal, oats, cinnamon, butter, water, and pecan pieces in a mixing bowl. Mix until they form a slightly crumbly dough. It should be wet enough that it will just hold together if you form balls (you can add a few more drops of water as needed).
  4. In a round or square baking tin (e.g. 8x8 pan or pie tin), spread the apple mixture. Sprinkle the crumb topping as evenly as possible over the apples (you can form small balls and place them "strategically" to cover the top the way you want).
  5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then bake uncovered for another 20-25 minutes, until the apples are bubbly and top is golden.
  6. Serve plain or topped with coconut milk whipped cream (if you want to be 100% sugar-free - and dairy-free too) or some other ice cream or whipped topping.

NUTRITION FACTS



    1/6th of recipe    267 calories   17.6 g fat   26.1 g carbs    4.6 g protein    13.5 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from The 21-Day Sugar Detox.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Recipe Refresh: Almond Pumpkin Squares


As summer is coming to an end, I'm preparing myself for the fall weather. What better way to prepare than with a little pumpkin dessert? My original recipe is anything but healthy, so I decided to try and substitute with some healthier ingredients. These turned out great and even won the husband's stamp of approval!



Recipe Refresh: Almond Pumpkin Squares
12 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 50 minutes            READY IN: 50-60 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 pound pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup fat free milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup slivered almonds

DIRECTIONS


  1. Mix flour, oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoon honey, and 1/4 cup butter in a bowl until well combined. Press in 9x13 pan to make a thin layer. Bake at 350º for 15 minutes.  
  2. While the crust is baking mix pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Pour over the baked crust. Bake for another 20 minutes at 350º.
  3. For the topping, mix your sliced almonds, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons honey. Spread over the pumpkin filling and bake for another 15-20 minutes at 350º.
  4. Once squares are done cooking and have cooled, serve with whipped topping.

NUTRITION FACTS



    1 serving    229 calories   10g fat   33g carbs    4.7g protein    26.9g sugar   


Original RecipeRefresh Recipe
1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar plus 2 tablespoons honey
1 cup granulated sugar3/4 cup granulated sugar

Healthy Tip:

Looking for ways to substitute ingredients? Try these sites:
-The Gracious Pantry: Clean Eating Recipe Substitutions
-Mayo Clinic: Healthy Recipes

Enjoy!

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