Nectarine + Peach + Nectaplum Crumble (Gluten-Free, Nut-Free & Refined Sugar-Free)

Seasonal Crumbles are one of my favorite treats during the summer.  Fresh, juicy, mouth-watering fruit baked with a delicious, sweet, crumbly topping ... yum!

Use whatever stone fruit is in season - white or yellow nectarines and peaches, plums, pluots, apricots, etc.  Nectaplums are one of my favorite summertime fruits, but they're not available everywhere.  I'm sure some fresh berries would be wonderful added in too.    

Nectarine + Peach + Nectaplum Crumble (Gluten-Free, Nut-Free & Refined Sugar-Free)

Equipment: Cutting Board, Paring Knife, Medium-Size Baking Dish (I use my 2 1/2 qt. Corningware Baking Dish), Medium-Size Bowl

• 5 white nectarines, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 3 white peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 2 nectaplums, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 1 1/2 cups sprouted brown rice flour or brown rice flour (See Resources)
• 3/4 cup coconut palm sugar (I use Big Tree Farms SweetTree) 
• 6 tablespoons pasture butter, cut into tablespoons (See Resources)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Lightly grease baking dish.  

2. Prep fruit - wash, cut in half, peel, remove pit, and cut into thirds (or large slices).  Add fruit slices to baking dish.  Mix around with clean hands so fruit is evenly distrubted.  

3. In medium-size bowl, add brown rice flour, coconut palm sugar and chunks of butter.  Using clean hands, mix ingredients together until combined and somewhat crumbly.  

4. Add crumble topping on top of the fruit, making sure to evenly coat the surface. 

5. Bake for about 30-45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and fruit juices are bubbling around the edges.   

6. Enjoy warm or refrigerate and eat cold later.  

Yield: About 6 servings

Serving Suggestions: This is delicious served with vanilla ice cream (dairy or coconut milk).  

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free & Nut Free)

Delicious, crisp on the outside, soft in the center … yummy, yummy, chocolate chip cookies.  Even my non-gluten free husband loves these.   

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free & Nut Free)

Equipment: Standing Electric Mixer or Handheld Electric Mixer w/ Large Bowl, Spatula or Spoon, Baking Sheet, Unbleached Parchment Paper

·      ¾ cup coconut palm sugar (I use Big Tree Farms SweetTree)

·      ¾ cup rapadura (I use Rapunzel)

·      1 cup pasture butter, room temperature (See Resources)

·      1 pastured or organic egg

·      1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)

·      2 ½ cups sprouted brown rice flour or brown rice flour (See Resources)

·      1 teaspoon baking soda

·      1 ½ - 2 cups gluten free chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)

1.    Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.   Assemble standing mixer with large mixing bowl and mixing blade.  Add coconut sugar, rapadura and pasture butter – cream/mix on medium speed until mixture is combined and smooth, about 1-2 minutes.   

3.   Add egg and vanilla, mix on low speed just to combine.

4.   Add brown rice flour and baking soda, mix on low speed until combined. 

5.    Add chocolate chips, mix on low speed or stir by hand until combined. 

6.   Using clean hands, roll dough into 2-inch large balls.  Place on baking sheet 2 ½ inches apart. 

7.    Bake for about 12 minutes.  Do not over bake!

8.   Remove from oven and let cool ON baking sheet for 7-10 minutes.  Do not remove them before this or they will fall apart.  They need time to rest. 

9.   Remove carefully to a cooling rack or let cool completely on baking sheet.  Enjoy them warm or let them cool completely. 

Yield:Makes about 15-20 cookies

Note: I have also used ½ cup local creamed clover honey and ¾ cup coconut sugar combo instead of Rapadura.  They’re still yummy, but it changes the texture a lot, Little Love prefers this version.  These can also be made with good quality chocolate bars chopped up instead of chocolate chips. 

Storage:Store in airtight container up to 3 days if you haven’t eaten all of them already.  I like mine cold the next day, so I store some of mine in the refrigerator, this is totally optional.

Polvorones – Mexican Wedding Cookies w/ Orange Zest (Gluten Free, Egg Free)

These delicious Spanish shortbread-like cookies are common in Mexico and Spain.  In Mexico, they are traditionally served at weddings and special celebrations.   

Little Love’s Waldorf school had a Multicultural Festival a few weekends ago and I made these Polvorones for the dessert table.  We had so much fun making 80 of them!  We actually made 2 versions, one gluten-free and one grain-free, both delicious, but slightly different. 

Little Love making sand art at the Multicultural Festival

Polvorones – Mexican Wedding Cookies w/ Orange Zest 

(Gluten Free, Egg Free)

Equipment:Mixing Bowl, Standing or Hand-Held Mixer, Microplane Rasp Zester or Standing Grater, Baking Sheet/Stoneware Large Bar Pan, Fine Mesh Strainer

·      1 cup pasture butter, room temperature (See Resources)

·      ½ cup organic sugar/evaporated cane juice

·      2 teaspoons gluten free vanilla extract *

·      Zest of 1 organic orange

·      ¼ teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

·      2 cups sprouted brown rice flour (See Resources)

·      1 cup almond flour

·      Organic powdered sugar for dusting

1.    Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2.   In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy.  Add vanilla and mix to combine.

3.   Add remaining ingredients and mix well, just until combined, do not over mix.  Dough will be moist and crumbly, but will come together with hands.    

4.   Make large dough ball with hands (make sure your hands are clean), cut into 4 equal parts with a knife.  Roll dough sections into little balls – each section should make 12 one-inch balls/cookies.

5.    Arrange dough balls about 2 inches apart on baking sheet.  Use a smooth/flat-bottomed floured glass to flatten the balls to about 1/2” thick. 

Little Love helping flatten the cookies with a glass.

6.   Bake about 12-15 minutes or until bottom is lightly golden brown, do not over bake.  Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes.  Using a fine mesh strainer, immediately dust the tops of the cookies with plenty of powdered sugar. 

7.   Remove cookies from baking sheet and set on a cooling rack to cool. 

Yield: Approximately 4 dozen cookies.

* Variations:  Replace some or all of the vanilla extract with pure anise extract or organic coconut extract for a delicious flavor. 

Mini Warm Chocolate Cakes

These are seriously one of my favorite things!  They are incredibly delicious.  If you love chocolate as much as I do, you have to give these a try.

To. Live. For.  

Enjoy!

Mini Warm Chocolate Cakes

Rich, chocolaty, and simply divine. 

Equipment: 6 Ramekins, Medium-Size Saucepan and Heat-Proof Medium-Size Glass Bowl or Double Boiler, Wooden Spoon, Medium-Size Mixing Bowl

·      14 oz. good quality chocolate bar, chopped or 1 ¾ cups chocolate chips

·      8 tablespoons pasture butter, plus extra for ramekins (See Resources)

·      ½ cup honey (I use local clover creamed)

·      2 pastured eggs (See Resources)

·      3 tablespoons sprouted brown rice flour (See Resources)

·      ½ teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract (I use Simple Organic)

·      1/8 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

·      Water

1.    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2.   Grease ramekins with butter, set aside.

3.   Add a small amount of water (about 2 cups) to a double boiler (or if you’re like me and don’t have a double boiler, use a medium-size saucepan, add about 2 cups water to the pan and place a heat-proof glass bowl over the top of the pan).

4.   Add chocolate, butter and honey to the double boiler or glass bowl.  Place over medium-low heat.  Stir with a wooden spoon until everything has melted and is smooth and shiny.  Set aside to cool for about 5 minutes (if using a glass bowl, remove the bowl from the saucepan, if using a double boiler, remove the top part and set aside). 

My favorite helper.

5.    In a separate bowl, crack eggs, break yolks with a fork and mix.  Add sprouted brown rice flour, vanilla and salt, stir to combine.

6.   Once chocolate mixture has slightly cooled, add a small amount to the egg mixture.  Stir to combine, add a little bit more of the chocolate mixture, and again, stir to combine.  Adding the small amount in the beginning keeps the eggs from “cooking.”  Add the remaining chocolate mixture and stir to combine. 

Little Love slowly adding the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture.

7.   Divide evenly into 6 ramekins. 

8.   Place in preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Tops should be cracked and insides should be hot and gooey. 

9.   Serve hot.  Turn ramekin upside down onto serving plate, the little cake will slip right out. 

Warm Chocolate Cake w/ Vanilla Ice Cream and Strawberries.

Enjoy every bite!

Yield: Makes 6 mini cakes.

Optional Toppings: These taste wonderful with a little bit of medium-ground Himalayan Pink Salt on the top.  Serve alone or with fresh berries, fresh berry sauce, vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream. 

Note: These are meant to have a soft, gooey center.  The edges should form a nice “crust” and the inside should be very soft.  Do not overcook.    

Storage: These are delicious cold too!  They become more like a fudge cake.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Eat cold or reheat at a low, warming temperature in the oven for a couple of minutes.  They are still just as good the second day. 


This post is part of Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist, Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival at Hartke Is Online, Homestead Barn Hop @ The Prairie Homestead, Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Traditional Tuesdays @ Cooking Traditional Foods, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, Allergy-Free Wednesdays Blog Hop @ Gluten Free Pantry, Gluten-Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, These Chicks Cooked Weekly Recipe Swap @ This Chick Cooks, Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, and Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade, Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health, Freaky Friday @ Real Food Freaks, and Simple Lives Thursday @ A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa.

Sprouted Cut-Out Cookies (GF)

Cookies Decorated by my Little Love

My Little Love and I really enjoy baking together.  One of her favorite things to bake is Vanilla Butter Cookies, especially when we make them into cut-out cookies.   

These cookies are sweet enough on their own (I prefer them plain), but they are an extra special treat with homemade Vanilla Honey Buttercream Frosting.  Enjoy them plain or frosted.  If you want to add color to your frosting, make sure to look for all-natural, plant-based food coloring (stay away from artificial food coloring!).  

Little Love excited about the cookies.

Sprouted Cut-Out Cookies (Gluten-Free)

These are so versatile, they are great any time of the year, just switch up the cookie cutters. 

Equipment: Large Baking Pan (I use a Stoneware Large Bar Pan), Medium-Size Mixing Bowl, Parchment Paper, Rolling Pin, Cookie Cutters

• 1 batch Vanilla Butter Cookies
• Extra sprouted flour for dusting

1. Make one batch of Vanilla Butter Cookies.

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  

3. Place a large piece of parchment paper (about 12 inches long) on a flat surface.  Place a small amount of sprouted flour in the corner of the parchment paper for you to use as needed.  Get your cookie cutters ready.  Lightly sprinkle a little bit of sprouted flour in the middle of the parchment paper.  Break cookie dough ball in half and place on top of the sprinkled flour.  Sprinkle sprouted flour on top of the dough ball.  Rub a little bit of sprouted flour on the rolling pin.  Roll the dough out about 1/4 inch thick.  

4. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes/cookies.  Repeat until all dough is gone.

My Favorite Little Helper

5. Place cut-out cookies on baking pan.  [Note: If you are not using clay stoneware for baking, make sure to line your baking pan with parchment paper.]

6. Bake for about 15 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.  

7.  Allow cookies to sit on the pan for 10 minutes before removing.  Use a flat spatula to move the cookies to a cooling rack. 

8.  Allow to cool completely if you decide to frost them.  

Admiring her cookie.

Little Love enjoying her first bite of the cookie.

Yield: Varies.

Storage: Store in an airtight container.  


This post is part of Simple Lives Thursday @ GNOWFGLINS, Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade, and Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health.