Dessert Archives - Paleo Spirit

Easy Seven-Layer Paleo Magic Bars {Vegan}

11.11.2311.07.23 by Lea

This type of dessert recipe has been known by a few different names. For example, it’s been referred to as “Magic Bars“, “Seven Layer Bars” and “Million Dollar Bars“. Paleo Magic Bars sounds the most fun. And it does have seven layers. Basically, it’s an easy recipe that happens to be gluten-free and grain-free. Because it has … Read more

Paleo Grapefruit Curd

07.17.1803.27.18 by Lea

If you enjoy eating seasonally, you are in luck when it comes to Texas grapefruit. October to June is the best time to get the freshest, juiciest grapefruit. Some of the famous “Ruby Reds” weigh as much as a pound. There’s a variety grown here in Texas known as the “Rio Red” and since I … Read more

Crystallized Ginger Scones (Paleo and Vegan) Recipe from ‘Sweet Paleo’

07.16.1808.08.16 by Lea

When I hear the word scone, I immediately think of an idyllic setting in the English countryside. It’s common to think of scones as an English version of the American biscuit, but that’s not exactly accurate. A scone is a type of pastry similar to shortbread, but with a different fat-to-flour ratio. The single-serving cakes … Read more

Paleo Chocolate Beet Cake Recipe

07.16.1803.08.15 by Lea

You are probably getting sick of hearing me talk about Sweet Paleo by now. But as a thank you for putting up with all the blathering on about it, I’ve decided to share one of my favorite all-time recipes – Paleo Chocolate Cake. I tweaked it for the cookbook – adding in flour weights so … Read more

Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Cashew Cream Frosting

02.05.1502.11.14 by Lea

“Love is a verb”, someone once said. Then again, maybe I read it somewhere. It would be nice to remember exactly because it impacted me greatly. This in spite of the fact the same concept has been shouting up at me from the pages of scripture practically all my life.

“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant…bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things…” – 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

Maybe I resisted the idea because it implies and involves work and perseverance and not just roses and chocolate and love songs. Or maybe the idea of love as a verb, as an action, was drowned out by a popular culture which so glorifies romantic love – love that is mostly about feelings. Our culture loves romantic love. It loves the idea of love. But true love is sacrificial – it includes a cost.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m as much a romantic as anyone. It’s just that over time you come to realize real love is not that warm, fuzzy feeling you have at the beginning of a relationship. Real love is action, it’s doing and helping and trying long after those romantic feelings have faded a bit.

Real love includes showing those we care about that we value and cherish them. But rather than being cynical about Valentine’s Day and the commercialism around it I choose to embrace it in all its red, chocolate, roses and poems glory! But in embracing it also recognizing the importance of balancing the warm fuzzies with the reminder to celebrate true, enduring love that transcends fleeting emotion. So let us enjoy the day and the small reminder to celebrate those we love and the importance of romance in helping true love flourish and survive!

We need chocolate with our roses…

Paleo Cranberry Bliss Bars

10.05.2412.16.13 by Lea

It started snowing early on Saturday morning, far earlier than expected. The flakes were the big, fluffy kind you see when the air temperature is not terribly frigid. We were inclined to stay inside and enjoy the view from our warm home. But, unfortunately, we were out of coffee and there was grocery shopping to be done. So, I grabbed my husband, Gavin, and we trekked to the store to stock up on supplies. In a state like New Jersey where snow is no stranger you would think people would know not to panic-buy. But judging by the bustling grocery store, that is not the case.

Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

After deftly battling the crowds, and stocking up on necessities, we ventured to Starbucks for a pound of their Christmas Blend coffee. I am no stranger to Starbucks and may have mentioned before my penchant for the Grande Americano with Heavy Whipping Cream. But each time I’ve been in the store in recent weeks the seasonally available Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bar has been sweetly calling my name. I resist. In fact, having celiac disease means there’s really no way I even seriously entertain the notion of eating one of these beauties. It’s sad, actually.

But I got a bright idea! I would have Gavin eat one and describe, in detail, what he tasted so I could make a gluten-free, paleo-friendly version of the Cranberry Bliss Bars. And that is exactly what we did. He ate it a little too quickly if you ask me. And in fact I got a little snippy telling him to slow down, that the ONLY reason he was eating it was because he was on a mission – a mission of mercy to those of us longing for, yes, CRAVING, one of these things!

At that point all I heard was, “cream cheese…lemon…ginger…*garble* some kind of chunky white stuff, oh, that’s probably white chocolate..boy, that was good!” And with that, the cranberry bliss bar was history. Gee, thanks for that in-depth analysis, honey.

So let’s go for it. This recipe for Paleo Cranberry Bliss Bars is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and (mostly) free of refined sugars. The dried cranberries will almost certainly contain sugar. So if you are just absolutely opposed to it then this recipe is not for you. But compared to the original recipe, and most other treats you will be offered this holiday season, this recipe has far less sugar and still manages to be moist and delicious.

Paleo Cranberry Bliss Bars: Copycat Starbucks Recipe

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Roasted Peach and Lemon Thyme Ice Cream (Paleo & Dairy-free)

09.02.1308.30.13 by Lea

Paleo Peach Ice Cream with Lemon Thyme | Paleo Spirit

We have been on a peach kick lately. In addition to this Roasted Peach and Lemon Thyme Paleo Ice Cream, there’s been Peach Breakfast Cake, Roasted Tomatillo Peach Salsa and Vanilla Peach Freezer Jam. The peach tree in our backyard has been very “fruitful” this year and we have taken full advantage.

Not being professional fruit pickers we had to resort to some primitive methods of reaching the peaches high in the tree. Behold the “Lacrosse stick-broom handle-peach picker”.

In spite of our primitive methods we were pretty pleased with the harvest. Although to make all these recipes we definitely made use of farm stand peaches this summer. Yellow peaches have always been my favorite but white peaches have their own beauty.

In order to make the ice cream I roasted a few of these beauties. Before roasting the peaches I cut them up and placed them, skin on, in a baking dish, drizzled honey on them and roasted the peaches until they were soft and the skin peeled right off. The house smelled absolutely heavenly.

While the peaches were roasting I harvested the Lemon Thyme from our garden. It has an unusual flavor – a variation of regular thyme but, as you can imagine, with a strong lemony scent. The leaves are tinted with golden edges setting it apart from its more ordinary cousin.

When making the coconut milk ice cream I decided to use egg yolks to create more of a custard for a creamier, less icy end product. The hot coconut milk was infused with the lemon thyme goodness and honey, then used to temper the eggs to create the custard.

The soft roasted peaches were relieved of their skins and smashed with a fork then added to the lemon thyme infused custard. The peach and coconut milk custard mixture then was added to our ice cream maker and processed until we had a thick, peachy summer treat. We lined a bread pan with parchment and froze the ice cream for a few hours before serving.

The Peach and Lemon Thyme Paleo Ice Cream was served with some fresh peaches. Refreshing.

Roasted Peach and Lemon Thyme Paleo Ice Cream

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Honey Yogurt Gelato with Roasted Strawberry Sauce

05.21.1808.16.13 by Lea

Italy holds a special place in my heart for many reasons. My husband and I met there when we were both in graduate school studying international business. That was not my first time in Italy. A semester abroad in college conferred on me what has become a life-long passion for Italy and all things Italian. Gelato, the Italian version of ice cream, also played a key role in my complete seduction. To this day whenever I indulge in gelato it brings back joyful memories of my travels and study in that most wonderful of countries. And it is something Gavin and I have enjoyed together and remember fondly.

Many years ago while back in Italy for work I travelled with a colleague who was devoted to her nearly fat-free diet. She was very diligent about eating healthy foods – albeit without much if any fat, which we know now is not ideal. We were there for three weeks and she declined gelato whenever we went out for it. She made it clear she wanted to indulge in the sweet treat but was afraid of gaining weight. While I admired her willpower and dedication to her chosen way-of-eating, I could not help but feel sorry for her. We were in Italy after all. It was GELATO!

Food is one of life’s pleasures. In spite of strict dietary requirements I still believe in enjoying life through food as long as you can do so without totally derailing your overall health. Dairy is not a food I often consume but when I do I try to ensure it is of high quality – grass fed is best and we do enjoy raw dairy when we can get it. Raw dairy is not legally for sale in New Jersey so we have to drive to nearby Pennsylvania for a great source. Wholesome Dairy Farms is our favorite place to find grass fed and raw dairy. On our last visit we were privileged to see a newly born calf. When the farmer asked if we wanted to see the baby born just hours earlier we were envisioning something smaller and more feeble. Instead, we were greeted by a rather hearty and LARGE fellow who had little trouble walking around on his own. Nathaniel was overjoyed to be able to pet the baby.

When deciding what to do with the grass fed yogurt, one of the first things that came to mind was gelato! What better way to feature this particular indulgence in high quality dairy?

While working in Milan many years ago, my apartment was in a five story walk-up on a major road. I still remember Viale Umbria with all its sights and sounds and the LONG trek up to my apartment. One of the great things about the apartment was being right above a pizzeria and a gelateria. It was at this particular family run gelateria I was first introduced to “gelato allo yogurt alla fragola” – Yogurt Ice Cream with Strawberries. It was nothing like the “frozen yogurt” in the U.S. which is often fat free or low fat. The yogurt flavor of this gelato was far more intense – very creamy and tangy. It was delicious by itself but during the summer, when strawberries were in season they were added to the mixture for an even more amazing treat.

So if you are able to tolerate dairy and find yourself with some high quality yogurt I strongly urge you to make this honey yogurt gelato. You will not be disappointed. I can’t guarantee it is exactly the same as what you would find on Viale Umbria in Milano but it is pretty close. The honey flavor is more pronounced than what is typically served in Italy but it is a truly amazing taste sensation. You can vary the amount of honey depending on your taste.

The first recipe is for the honey yogurt gelato followed by a roasted strawberry sauce that adds one more intense flavor to the entire frozen treat experience.

Paleo Banana Mocha Shake

08.01.1808.07.13 by Lea

Before being diagnosed with celiac disease* I was in a “no man’s land”. Maybe you’ve been there too. It’s the place you end up when you don’t know what is making you sick and no one – including doctors – knows how to help you. It’s not a fun place to be. Back then, even though it was not clear what was making me sick, I must have subconsciously known it had to do with food. I simply felt better when I didn’t eat! Clearly we have to eat to live so this was not sustainable. Regardless, I got into the habit of skipping breakfast or only having coffee or a latte. To be more precise, the Triple Venti Latte (usually with an extra shot) at Starbucks was often my breakfast of choice.

Fortunately, I found a better option than skipping meals in order to feel good. As long as I don’t eat grains and gluten I generally feel pretty well. These days breakfast usually consists of eggs over-medium fried in ghee with fresh tomatoes and avocado or maybe bacon and berries. There’s typically some type of protein, veggies and/or fruit and a fat. But lately I’ve been making these paleo banana mocha shakes (or smoothies) for a change of pace. The shake goes great with a couple of eggs in the morning in place of my usual coffee. But I also like to have one in the later afternoon and use some of the leftover French-pressed coffee still in a thermos from the morning. The frozen banana gives this dairy-free chocolate shake body and sweetness and it combines well with the flavors of chocolate and coffee. It’s a great way to use up those bananas you froze when they got a couple of dark spots and no one would eat them. (At least that’s what happens in our house…)

Paleo Blueberry Muffins

06.26.1807.23.13 by Lea

This basic paleo blueberry muffins recipe comes at a perfect time. It’s blueberry season around here. Blueberries are showing up at our local farmers’ markets in huge quantities. People flock to the u-pick farms for the pleasure of plucking these little nutrition powerhouses from the bushes themselves. Blueberries are anti-inflammatory and filled with good things like manganese, … Read more

We need chocolate with our roses…

Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

Paleo Cranberry Bliss Bars: Copycat Starbucks Recipe Read more

Roasted Peach and Lemon Thyme Paleo Ice Cream

Paleo Cranberry Bliss Bars: Copycat Starbucks Recipe

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