gluten free macadamia cookie: your healthy delightBy foodjoyaThis recipe for gluten free macadamia cookie delivers a chewy dessert with the perfect degree of sweetness. You will love how this gluten free macadamia cookie is moist on the inside, with a delicate crust on the outside. Instead of flour, these cookies use only healthy, wholesome substitutes -- almond flour and nuts. And they derive their sweetness solely from two tablespoons of honey and dried apricots. This is, probably, one of the most delicious, moist and healthiest cookies you will have ever tasted! See Medical News Today.Paleo Cherry Pie: A Decadent Treat with Easy IngredientsBy foodjoyaI invented this dessert on a rainy wintry day, craving summer fruit. When I was growing up, one of my favorite summer fruits was cherries. When they were in season, I would gobble fresh cherries by the pound. But we also concocted a medley of desserts out of this versatile fruit. We boiled black cherry preserves, wild cherry jams and compotes, layered jellos, and blended smoothies! And so, on a cold murky day, this pie pays homage to my fruit-filled memories of childhood summer. Because it is overloaded with fruit (as most of my desserts are), the paleo cherry pie is quite light. And the ingredients are simple and easy to find: frozen cherries, almond flour, pecans, cinnamon, cardamom, honey and eggs. If you are not into spices, let me explain why I am using them. Cinnamon is probably the perfect companion to cherries (its flavor is even similar to cherry pit), and cardamom gives depth to cinnamon. (This fact I learned from the experts at Cook's Science.) With an extra egg yolk, the crust turns out juicy and flaky. You will also notice that the crust is of a perfect golden color, not burned. The recipe below will tell you how to accomplish the crust of a perfect color. Every time I bake this pie, the delicious sweet smell of the summer fills up my entire home. That alone makes baking worthwhile. And a slice of this decadent paleo cherry pie is a cherry on top! Paleo Kabocha Pie: How to Make a Healthier PieBy foodjoyaMy favorite part of a holiday dinner is dessert. Sweet aroma of spices and pumpkin are, of course, synonymous with Thanksgiving. But for our holiday dessert, in place of pumpkin, I chose flavorful (and very nutritious) kabocha squash. The result - honey-sweetened, flourless Paleo Kabocha Pie - is indulgent. Because kabocha squash is sweeter and fluffier than pumpkin, the pie has an unbeatable chestnut-like texture and a complex sweetness. (To assure you, according to Wikipedia, Kabocha has an exceptional sweet flavor, even sweeter than butternut squash.) And unlike more common versions of the dessert, Paleo Kabocha Pie is overloaded with luscious custard. But these are not the only reasons to love this heavenly dessert. Bite after bite into the pie, you will savor the remarkable flavors of the fall: pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves. Now let me give you a few serving tips. I would recommend decorating the Paleo Kabocha Pie with walnuts or pecans. And if you wish to go over the top (and end in heaven!), drop a dollop of fresh, lightly sweetened whipped cream. But if you are still skeptical that kabocha squash is the perfect "pumpkin" for your festive dessert, just give it a try. I surmise you will forever replace your holiday pumpkins with this scrumptious squash. Paleo Cherry Clafoutis: How to Perfect the Tender TextureBy foodjoyaWhen cherries are in season, a tender, fruit-studded custard, like our Paleo Cherry Clafoutis, is perfect. Sweetened only with honey and made with almond flour, this dessert is undeniably healthy and nourishing. It is also irresistibly delicious. Because our recipe incorporates techniques (like baking temperature and use of cast-iron) from America's Test Kitchen, it results in a perfectly rich and tender custard. Almond orange cake, paleo: Sunshine for dessertBy foodjoyaDid you know that pureed oranges make an utterly decadent, fool-proof, moist cake? They are the main ingredient of the Almond Orange Cake (Paleo), inspired by a festive cake from the Middle East. The combination of the pureed whole oranges (yes, whole oranges), eggs, and ground nuts creates an incredibly tender and moist cake. It's aromatic, with a perfect density, and not too sweet. The fat in the Almond Orange Cake, Paleo comes solely from healthy eggs and nuts. Ground macadamias contribute a pleasant crunch, and ground orange peel adds a sophisticated dimension to the flavor. And, in place of icing, honeyed orange slices decorate the Almond Orange Cake, Paleo, transforming it into sunlight on your table. Are you worried about the bitterness in the orange peel? Rest assured that none of it remains in the boiled oranges. The idea for this recipe comes from James Beard's Orange and Almond Cake (https://www.jamesbeard.org/recipes/orange-and-almond-cake), Claudia Roden's Orange and Almond Cake (https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/3251-claudia-rodens-orange-and-almond-cake), and from a German magazine Vital.Paleo No Bake: Dried Plums with Walnuts and CreamBy foodjoyaThis Paleo No Bake Dessert - the dried plums (aka prunes) stuffed with walnuts and served with whipped cream and chocolate - originates from my native Moldova. You can find the original on this site (in Romanian). No matter what delectable desserts were on the menu, stuffed prunes with cream and shaved chocolate were the only dessert I'd ever order in a Moldovan restaurant. I learned how to make this dessert from my aunt and over the years perfected it. First, to make it a really healthy Paleo no bake dessert, I omit the sugar used in the original version. To add complexity to the taste of the dried plums, I presoak them in a little cognac. Finally, to achieve some sweetness, I melt high quality semi-bitter chocolate over the dried plums. The best part: this sugar-free, super-easy, paleo no bake dessert is packed with nutrients from the superfoods like prunes, walnuts, and dark chocolate! Make it and you're guaranteed to love it!
