Espresso Panna Cotta

Coconut Milk version,
 using a 1/2 cup Mason Jar

pan·na cot·ta

ˌpanə ˈkōdə,ˌpanə ˈkädə

noun

1. -"a cold Italian custard, often served with fruit sauce or caramel syrup".

Panna Cotta translates from Italian to mean "cooked cream", and has become my favourite summer dessert this year. 

Elegant in its presentation, and simplistic in its preparation, its a win win dessert that doesn't even heat up your kitchen! It does require some time to set properly, so plan accordingly if you want it ready for dessert!

"Richer" version, using a 1 cup  Ramekin, filled 3/4 full

I have made multiple versions of this espresso version this summer, and decided to post my three favourite variations, as they all shine in their own way, and deserve a wee bit of the spotlight, depending on your tastes and dietary needs!

The lighter version is great when you want a dessert that is a bit less substantial, but every bit as lovely and tasty as the other versions. The "richer" version has a much creamier texture and velvety smooth mouth-feel that ups the ante a notch or two, making it just that wee bit more decadent. In the dairy free version (created just for my foodie friend Ken!) the coconut milk marries so well with the coffee flavour, it just might be my favourite... if I was ever forced to choose just one...  

Although I haven't tried it yet, you can also make Panna Cotta with fruit juice...picture a lovely mango Panna Cotta topped with a blackberry thyme coulis....I can see many more versions being created before summer is over!

This recipe does make quite a few Panna Cotta's, depending upon the size of container you choose. You will end up with approx 6 cups of liquid Panna Cotta, so choose your serving sizes accordingly. (feel free to cut the recipe in half, but the extras are a lovely indulgence to keep in the fridge ;) ..... 

When I am making it for company, I will choose several straight sided containers that will un-mold well (short mason jars, ramekins etc) and then pour the rest into various mason jars with lids, to be eaten straight out of the vessel as a treat in our lunches.  

A few quick notes on my choice of ingredients:

• For the espresso flavour, I like to use Mount Hagen Organic  Instant Coffee. They have a regular and decaf version, that gives a seriously impressive coffee flavour to this dessert. 
• Coconut sugar is almost always my sweetener of choice, for its lower glycemic rating, and its caramel like flavour. The darker colour will affect the end colour of your Panna Cotta, so if you were making a plain version of this without the coffee granules, you may want to substitute with an organic white sugar or honey to eliminate the caramel colour that this will give. So, feel free to substitute with your sweetener of choice. (I am thinking maple syrup may work well with the espresso flavour as well...hmmmm....)

Enough of my rambling, lets get to the recipe!! 

Espresso Panna Cotta, 3 Ways: 

Lighter Version	Full Fat “Richer” Version	Dairy Free Version
6 cups milk, your choice of lower or full fat	4 cups full fat milk PLUS 2 cups , full fat sour cream	3 cans (400ml)  full fat coconut milk
2 ½ TBSP gelatin powder	2 ½ TBSP gelatin powder	2  TBSP gelatin powder
½ cup Coconut sugar	½ cup Coconut sugar	1/3 cup Coconut sugar
3 TBSP Instant Coffee Granules	3 TBSP Instant Coffee Granules	3 TBSP Instant Coffee Granules

Method: (for all three versions)
In a small saucepan, measure out ½ cup of the milk, and sprinkle the gelatin powder over the top. Let rest for approx 8-10 minutes.

While the gelatin is sitting, measure the rest of the ingredients into a large blender and whiz quickly until well combined. Set aside.

When the gelatin/milk mixture has finished resting, turn the heat on medium low and heat gently, stirring often, until the gelatin is dissolved, approx 5-8 minutes. Do not boil!

When dissolved, remove from heat, and, with the blender running on low speed, carefully remove cap from blender lid,  and pour the hot gelatin mixture into the blender with the rest of the ingredients. Replace lid and turn on high to blend for 30 seconds.

Pour into desired serving dishes*** and chill for a minimum of 2 hrs or until fully set.

Round jars like this will not un-mold, but...will fit nicely in your lunch bag :)

If your ramekins have a small lip as
mine do, only fill to the bottom of this lip
or it will not come out easily. 

***Serving options

A: To eat as is:

pour into ½ or 1 cup mason jars, or other small vessels, and chill as above.

B: To un-mold:

Lightly grease small straight sided ramekins or other like vessels.
SIDES MUST BE STRAIGHT (or flare gently outwards) FOR THIS TO WORK!!

Pour into ramekins and chill as above. To Plate: Carefully run a knife around the edge of the Panna Cotta,  making sure you get right to the bottom of your vessel. Take care to be as smooth and even around the edge as possible.  (if doing this for the first time to serve to company, you may want to practice with a few to get the hang of it!) Carefully turn ramekin upside down over serving plate and using the knife carefully dislodge the Panna Cotta onto the plate. 
Garnish as desired.
(chocolate Sauce recipe pictured here can be found HERE)

Orange Chocolate Chia Donuts (Grain Free, Gluten Free, Sweetened with Honey)

These little heavenly morsels were created for two reasons. The first being that I was ever so kindly given a bag of Salba Chocolate Chia Seeds a while back to see if I could come up with a recipe to incorporate them into (thanks Deb!) They have been sitting staring at me for way too long, awaiting a burst of inspiration for a new recipe. 

On to reason number two… We have been house hunting as of late, and our wonderful agent-who-is-also-my-sister-in-law has been driving us around kingdom-come for a number of weeks. We were embarking on another road trip and I wanted to surprise her with some tasty treats for the drive. (She is celiac, so cooking for her, with all of my own dietary issues, is a proverbial piece of cake!) So on went my thinking cap. My brain jumped to donuts pretty quick, and these lovely little chocolate coated chia seeds were screaming at me to use them. I also had some beautiful organic cara-cara oranges, for further inspiration. Chocolate and orange is such a classic combination that is so well represented in these lovely little morsels, I was absolutely thrilled with the results! The texture is not unlike a poppyseed muffin or loaf, with a delightful bit of crunch, and the mix of flavours conjures

 a little happy dance in your mouth!  So, to Deb and Jo, a labour of love, and a brand new recipe!

This is also my first post using pictures taken with my son Mac's amazing camera..I am totally enamored with it..(so much that he had to buy me my own memory card so I quit filling up his...)

Orange Chocolate Chia Donuts

½ cup tapioca starch

½ cup coconut flour

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

3 eggs

Zest from 1 orange (make sure its organic!)

Juice from one orange (3-4 tbsp approx)

¼ cup melted coconut oil (***see end of post for handy tips to melt your oil!)

¼ cup honey

¼ cup kefir, yogurt or non dairy alternative

______

¼ cup chocolate chia seeds (Salba brand)

Preheat oven to 350F

Grease the donut pan with coconut oil or butter and set aside.

I love my silicone baster for greasing pans!!

Measure all ingredients except chia seeds into a large mixing bowl and mix with an immersion blender until well blended. If you measure your coconut oil first, and then use the same scoop for your honey, it will slide right out of the cup, no scraping required!! 

Handy dandy kitchen rasp is awesome for zesting citrus fruits!
be sure to zest first, and then cut and juice your orange !

 Ensure no lumps are left.

Stir in the chocolate chia seeds and let stand for 5 minutes to thicken up.

Scoop batter into a zip top bag, squeeze out the air, zip, and cut off one bottom corner of the bag (alternatively use a piping bag with no tip), 

fold the edge of your zip bag down when filling to keep it clean!

and squeeze evenly into pre-greased donut pan.

 

Bake in preheated oven for approx 10-12 minutes or until cooked thru.

Tip out onto wire cooling rack to cool completely before enjoying!

Store at room temp in an airtight container for 2-3 days. 

Alternatively freeze for later enjoyment!

 

***How to melt your coconut oil with ease!!

I keep my coconut oil in a mason jar, and melt it one of two ways: 

1. in-front of the vent on my
gas stove-top

2. immerse jar in your hottest tap water until
melted enough to pour out your measurement!

Grain Free Chunky Monkey Muffins

Oh, what a bad blogger I have been! Having not posted a brand new recipe since Christmas, I knew it was high time I got on with it! 

So, on a blustery April Sunday afternoon, baking was on the agenda, and these lovely muffins were just  begging to be blogged. Two overly ripe bananas were the starting point, and the rest just fell into place. I had intended to blend the peanut butter in with the immersion blender, but decided at the last minute that the crunchy peanut chunks in the peanut butter would lend a lovely texture to the muffin, and I was right! Smooth peanut butter would work as well, and if that’s all you have, don’t dismay. The flavour will still be lovely!

You will notice there is no added sugar in the batter. With two bananas, and the chocolate chunks, I think they are perfectly sweet enough. They are grain free, gluten free and dairy free too, for those who avoid dairy! Lovely for breakfast, or with an afternoon cup of tea, I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Grain Free Chunky Monkey Muffins

Batter:

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/3 cup arrowroot flour/starch

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 ripe bananas

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 eggs

---------------

Add ins:

¾ cup crunchy peanut butter (natural, no sugar added!), at room temperature!!

¾ cup chocolate chunks (or chips...Enjoy Life are my favourite!)

------------

Topping:

Sliced fresh bananas for the tops

Preheat oven to 375F.

Line a 12 section muffin tin with parchment liners and set aside.

In a medium sized mixing bowl mix all the batter ingredients together 

with an immersion blender until well combined.

Fold in the peanut butter and the chocolate chunks with a silicone spatula 

or wooden spoon until completely mixed.

Scoop evenly into lined muffin tins, and top with sliced bananas.

Bake in preheated oven for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 4 minutes, and then remove from pan to wire rack to cool completely.

Store leftovers at room temp for 1 day, or in the fridge for 2-3 days. Freeze for longer storage. 

Grain Free Dried Cherry Walnut Espresso Bars

These bars (and numerous variations thereof) have been floating around my house for what seems like eons and I am so excited to finally share them with you! I baked numerous batches on the BBQ this summer (my oven heats up my house like crazy, even if the air is on, so I avoid it like the plague during the hottest times) and I knew the flavour was bang on. But the BBQ tends to bake on the hot side, even turned to low, and they were coming out dry. Worth the effort… but drier than I wanted them to be. Now that the cooler weather is here, and my oven is back to being a productive member of my household, I was able to bake these bars at a more appropriate temperature, and I can finally share the yumminess with you all!

Luckily the multiple test batches allowed me to play with the dried fruit/nut combo, and this is the one that we all like the best (although the cranberry/ pecan were a close runner up!) The espresso accents the chocolate, and compliments the bitter and sweet of the dried cherries and walnuts. I have used both our espresso machine and a French press to brew the espresso.   Strong coffee would be an OK substitute, but if you choose to leave it out altogether, be sure to add in another ½ cup liquid to the batter.

Grain Free Dried Cherry Walnut Espresso Bars

6 tbsp ground espresso beans

1 cup boiling water

----------

1 cup almond flour

1/3 cup coconut flour

¼ cup arrowroot flour

½ cup cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla powder (or extract)

2/3 cup coconut sugar

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

½ cup softened coconut oil

½ cup kefir (sub yogurt or sour cream if desired)

Add ins:

1 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

1 cup dried cherries (or cranberries)

Preheat oven to 375F

Line a 9X13 glass baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a French press, place ground espresso beans and boiling water. Set aside.

Measure all other ingredients (EXCEPT for the espresso and the add ins) into a large mixing bowl. Mix well with an immersion blender, scraping down the sides as needed.

At this point, pour your espresso from your French press into a half cup measure. Discard the rest. (or enjoy it yourself if you are so inclined!)

Mix into the batter with the immersion blender until well combined.

Stir in your add ins and mix well with a spatula. 

Scrape evenly into the parchment lined pan, smooth the top and bake in preheated oven for 27-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out moist but clean. Try not to over bake.

Using the edges of the parchment, lift the cooked bars from the glass pan and set them  on a wire rack. Cool, cut and store as desired. (We wrap them and store in the freezer for quick grab and go snacks)

Chop walnuts carefully with  knife if they are large pieces

Chocolate Cream Pie

When one perfects a grain free pie crust , it is cause for celebration! And what better to celebrate with than a chocolate cream pie? With this pie, the crust takes on a more graham-cracker-crust-like texture, which suits the pie wonderfully. Again, my favourite pie plate is rather large, adjust amounts if your pie plates are smaller, or use the extra to make some lovely little tarts!

Grain Free Chocolate Cream Pie

1 pre-baked grain free pie crust, using chilled pie baking time.

Filling:

3 ½ cups whole milk, divided

4 egg yolks

½ cup cocoa powder

¼ cup arrowroot powder

½ cup coconut sugar

Pinch of salt

-------

1 cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life are awesome)

In a medium heavy bottomed pot, whisk together egg yolks and 3 cups of the milk. Heat over medium heat, stirring often.

While mixture is heating, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until well combined. Mix in the rest of your milk (1/2 c) and whisk until smooth.  Add to the heating milk, and using a wooden spatula, stir constantly, ensuring to cover all of the bottom surfaces of the pot. The mixture will start to thicken after about 8 minutes or so. (It seems like it will never get thick, but be patient! It will!) Keep stirring for 3-4 minutes or until it becomes creamy and thickens nicely. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips. Stir until melted and the mixture is smooth again. Strain thru a fine metal strainer to remove any lumps that may remain.

Pour into prepared pie shell and chill for a minimum of 2 hours. 

Top with fresh whipped cream if desired.

Store leftovers in fridge for up to 2 days. 

Grain Free Coconut Macaroons

Coconut macaroons are one of my favourite cookies. There was a stand at our local Farmers market that sold some lovely ones, 8 to a tray, that I used to pick up every so often when the boys and I would walk there on Saturday mornings. It was always a challenge to get them home intact! I tried many recipes, trying to recreate that delicious mixture of coconut and chocolate. Some were close,(like this one from my old blog in 2009!) but not close enough to end the search. A few years later I found this version from David Lebovitz. It was amazingly close, and got rave reviews whenever I made them. Alas, ingredient wise, because they contained wheat flour, they left my cookie repertoire, but were not forgotten.  It took some tries, (and multiple failures) to re-create it without the wheat, but I finally succeeded! (I even presented a healthier version of this in a cooking class using coconut sugar that was lovely, but this original version still stands as my favourite.) I am surprised that I haven’t posted this before now, as I have been making this version for quite a while! (posting teaser pictures on my Facebook page reminds me of what I have not shared!) That being said, there aren’t a lot of technique pictures with this post. If anyone feels they would help out the recipe, add a request in the comments, and the next time I whip up a batch I will update the recipe with some new pics! 

The two step cooking process is integral to the recipe, and comes directly from the recipe on David Lebovitz’s blog. It definitely makes the cookie and this step cannot be skipped!!

One last thing: the creamed coconut should not be confused or substituted with "coconut cream" which is a completely different thing! My favourite one is from Edward and Sons and comes in a green box (we sell it at Goodness Me, in-store, but not online yet) Coconut butter is very similar and can be substituted in a pinch. 

Grain Free Coconut Macaroons

3 egg whites

1 whole egg

¾ cup organic cane sugar

½ tsp sea salt

2 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut (Organic Traditions is the bees knees! )

2 Tbsp arrowroot flour

3 Tbsp almond flour

1/3 cup creamed coconut (or sub. coconut butter, this works well too!)

2 Tbsp honey

Mix all ingredients together in a large heavy bottomed frying pan. (Do not turn on heat yet! Mix well first or your eggs will scramble instead of blending in!!) Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a flat wooden spatula until the mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan and the sugars start to caramelize. Remove from heat, scrape into a bowl and chill until easily handle-able.

If you are in a hurry when chilling the
dough, spread it out thinly in a bowl in
the fridge, it will cool in 1/2 the time!

Preheat oven to 350F

Shape in to 1 tbsp sized cookies, and place on a parchment lined pan about an inch apart. ( I use my 1 tbsp Cuisinart measuring spoon as a scoop, because it makes a nice rounded cookie shape. I dip it in water between each scoop and they release well with a firm tap on the cookie sheet.)

Bake for 17-18 minutes or until macaroons start to just nicely brown around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

If desired: Melt 1 ½ cups chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl over simmering water (water should not touch the bottom of the bowl!)  and dip macaroons in chocolate. Chill until chocolate is set.

Keep leftovers in refrigerator, if you have any!