chocolate pecan cookies (grain-free, paleo, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, refined-sugar free)

Stop what you're doing right now. Yes, it's one of those recipes. One of those get-in-to-your-kitchen-right-now-and-bake-these recipes. 

Story time! I've been doing a lot of baking for charity lately, so when my dad walked in the other day and saw these cookies all prettily laid out, he said that he assumed they were for a charity bake sale and nabbed one. I was out shopping at the time, and he actually called me up to tell me how delicious they were. All right, he also wanted some more beer, but still. This is coming from a McDonald's loving, Starbucks-card-holding, gluten-craving grown man. Baby steps. 

Oh yeah, there's a reason the recipe makes thirty-six cookies. The nutrition bumf? 83 calories, 7g of fat per cookie with the pretty pecan half, 56 calories, 4g fat without it. That's a bargain if you ask me!

I'm really struggling to adequately describe these. Fudgy yet crispy, dark yet light, rich yet airy. By the way, your mixture should be mixed by now, yes? Yes. Enjoy!

Chocolate Pecan Cookies

by Alessandra Peters

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Keywords: gluten-free soy-free vegan sugar-free paleo dairy-free grain-free egg-free

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Ingredients (36 cookies)

• 200g almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch salt
• 60g cocoa powder
• 125ml pure maple syrup
• 125ml vegetable oil
• 36 pecan halves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Arrange the pecan halves on a baking sheet, then toast for 10 minutes until golden.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Add in the maple syrup and oil, then stir until everything is very well combined.

3. Using a small ice cream scoop, melon baller, or teaspoon, drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture on to lined baking sheets. Press a pecan half on to each cookie.

4. Bake for 7-8 minutes, let cool slightly, and enjoy!

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hummus (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, paleo, grain-free, soy-free)

I grew up in the Middle East, so hummus with khubz and tzatziki with some kebab were my equivalent of McDonald's until the ripe old age of 13, coincidentally also when I discovered my Coeliac - I've only had McD's about four times in my entire life, and I'm so glad about that!

Authentic hummus with freshly baked khubz is reminiscent of some of my happiest memories, so recreating it is no simple task.

The oil gives it a very authentic look (and taste), but if you're trying to keep your calories controlled, it's delicious without as well.

Don't worry, there's no fancy cooking business involved here - as long as you have a partially functioning food processor, you'll be fine.

This hummus was 'mmm'-inducing all around our dinner table which is quite a feat considering each of our very different palates - I hope you'll enjoy it too.

Hummus

by Alessandra Peters

Prep Time: 10 minutes

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Ingredients (serves 8-10)

• - 60ml water
• - 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• - 60ml tahini, stirred well
• - 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• - 450g canned chickpeas, rinsed
• - 1 garlic clove, minced
• - 1 tsp salt
• - 1/2 tsp pepper
• - 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• - pinch cayenne pepper

Instructions

Combine water and lemon juice & set aside. In a second bowl, combine tahini and oil. Process chickpeas, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne for 30 seconds. With food processor running, slowly pour in water mixture and process for about 1 minute. Again, with food processor running, add in tahini mixture slowly and process for about 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to meld flavours. Serve and enjoy!

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lemon & lime cheesecake (gluten-free, raw, paleo, grain-free, dairy, vegan, soy-free, refined sugar-free)

After my very successful foray into cheesecake the other day which resulted in myself being cheesecake-less after a day and several nibbles, I decided to try to put a spin on the recipe - it's worked. 

The lemon and lime are zingy and so refreshing; a perfect balance with the sweet, crunchy base of the cheesecake.

It's so, so, so delicious. I may actually like it more than the chocolate version - it's already gone.

Lemon & Lime Cheesecake

by Alessandra Peters

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

For the crust

• - 1 cup almonds
• - 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
• - 3/4 cup pitted dates, chopped
• - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• - 1 teaspoon water

For the filling

• - 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least four hours
• - 1/4 fresh lemon juice
• - 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• - 1/4 cup maple syrup
• - zest of one lime
• - zest of one lemon

Instructions

Blitz all the crust ingredients in a food processor until it forms a crust-like texture. Press it into the bottom of an 8-inch (20cm) springform and place in the fridge. For the filling, pop all the filling ingredients into a food processor and process until it's completely smooth. This will take some patience, but believe me, it's worth it! Spread the filling evenly over the crust, then freeze for 30 minutes or until just set. Release from the springform, slice, and serve. Enjoy!

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orange poppy seed cake (gluten-free, paleo, grain-free, vegan, dairy-free, soy-free, refined sugar-free)

If someone had told me yesterday that I would be trying out one of those 'blending whole boiled oranges for a cake' recipes, I would have probably reassured them that I would never, ever do that, yet I found myself doing exactly that this morning in search of the perfect light and refreshing tea cake.

By Jove, I think I've got it. 

Citrussy and sweet with copious amounts of crunchy poppy seeds - quite the ideal afternoon snack, even if I do say so myself. 

The whole oranges really give the cake a rounded flavour and a unique texture, and the rich, nutty ground almonds are beautifully dense.

I simply couldn't resist. 

Orange Poppyseed Cake

by Alessandra Peters

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes + 30 minutes

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Ingredients (serves 8-10)

• - 2 1/2 cups ground almonds (260g)
• - 2 whole oranges
• - 3 small bananas
• - 1 tsp baking powder
• - 3 tbsp poppy seeds
• - 3 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees. Wash the oranges thoroughly, then place in boiling water and boil for an hour. Let them cool, then cut into segments and remove the seeds. Place in a food processor, add the bananas and the maple syrup, and blitz until a smooth paste is formed. In a separate bowl, stir together the ground almonds, baking powder, and poppy seeds. Stir in the orange and banana paste, then place into an 8-inch round cake tin. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool, then release from the tin, slice, and serve. Enjoy!

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chocolate cheesecake (raw, vegan, paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free)

I'm not the sort of mendacious person who would tell you she's made an insanely amazing cheesecake that is vegan, paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free when it's not, so it's fair to say I was dubious about it.

But it's all right, because this cheesecake honestly is amazing.

It's insanely rich, but don't worry because it means you can have more of it - in diminutive portions. To add to the fabulousness, the recipe is ridiculously easy. No, I'm not making this up. 

I made a quick raspberry coulis to go with it, but in all honesty I love it all by itself. Deep, rich, smooth, silky chocolate cream on top of a thin, crunchy, dark chocolate base. If this isn't a chocolate hit, I don't know what is. Hello there, food-induced coma.

Serve this to anybody and everybody, and don't you dare mention it's raw or vegan. Just watch as their mouths drop open when you take a bite - you're welcome!

Chocolate Cheesecake

by Alessandra Peters

Prep Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients (12-14 servings)

For the crust

• - 1 cup almonds
• - 1/2 cup pecans
• - 1 cup pitted dates, chopped
• - 1/4 cup cacao powder
• - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling

• - 2 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least an hour
• - 1/2 cup cacao powder
• - 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• - 2/3 cup maple syrup
• - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• - 1/2 cup water

Instructions

Blitz all the crust ingredients in a food processor until it forms a crust-like texture. Press it into the bottom of an 8-inch (20cm) springform and place in the fridge. For the filling, pop all the filling ingredients into a food processor and process until it's completely smooth. This will take some patience, but believe me, it's worth it! Spread the filling evenly over the crust, then freeze for 30 minutes or until just set. Release from the springform, slice, and serve. Enjoy!

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