Paleo Rhubarb Coconut Cookies

One of our favourite spring baking combinations is rhubarb and coconut. Since we can't eat my other cookie recipe here due to dietary restrictions, I have created a new awesome grain, sugar and dairy free cookie! This recipe is based on this one here but I changed it since we can't have chocolate chips.

1/2 cup coconut oil (butter if you can have dairy), room temp
1/2 cup xylitol, powdered
2 free range eggs
3 cups almond flour
1 tsp pure vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp ground vanilla beans
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup diced rhubarb

Cream xylitol and coconut oil, beat in eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add rhubarb and coconut, stir to combine. Spoon about a tbsp of dough onto the cookie pan (I use a small scoop to get uniform cookies), slightly flatten with your fingers. Bake at 350F for about 15 minutes.

Homemade Acne Face Cream

This is adapted from my hand lotion recipe but using ingredients to help combat the dreaded acne problem. I will wash my face at bedtime using water and a Norwex makeup removal cloth. No soap needed. I will then massage my face cream into my face and neck area. This leaves my skin so soft and does seem to help the breakouts as long as I stay away from my other nemesis - sugar!

4 Tablespoons raw organic shea butter
1 1/4 Tablespoons organic coconut oil (also has some antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial properties)
5 drops geranium essential oil - good for soothing inflammation and scar healing
14 drops tea tree oil - good for combating the acne infection and cleansing
5 drops lavender - good for the inflammation

Mash the shea butter with a fork in a mixing bowl. Add the coconut oil and mix with the fork. Beat well with a hand mixer for a few minutes until fluffy and well combined. Add essential oils and beat another minute or two. Put in a 4 oz. jar. Again use clean hands when appling to avoid contamination of your lotion.

Homemade Nutella

I love the nutty chocolaty combination of Nutella. However since trying to maintain a mostly whole food and refined sugar free diet, I cringe at the label on the store bought stuff. I have now managed to make my own version of Nutella. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

2 cups roasted hazelnuts with skins removed (put on a baking pan and roast at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes until skins start to crack, then rub skins off when still warm)
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
4 tablespoons cocoa
3 tablespoons coconut sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup (this liquid helps improve the texture and helps the Nutella not to be too dry, and adds sweetness of course)
pinch of salt

Blend hazelnuts in a Vitamix or other strong blender/food processor until you have a nut butter. This makes about 1 1/2 cups of nut butter. Remove from blender and put into a mixing bowl. Add other ingredients and mix with a spoon until well blended. Store in an air tight container or jar. Makes about 2 cups.

Homemade Chocolate Chips

1 cup coconut oil (or any solid healthy fat)
1 cup cocoa powder
5 Tbsp sweetener (liquid or granulated work fine. Use as healthy an option as possible. If using stevia extract, substitute 3 scoops, or to taste. I used honey)
2 tsp vanilla

Melt coconut oil over a very low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in cocoa, sweetener, and vanilla. (If you heat over too high of a heat or don’t remove from the heat, the coconut oil will separate from the cocoa when cooling. You can still eat it, but it won’t be as smooth.)
Pour mixture into a pan (8×8 works well).
Place in refrigerator or freezer until solid. Remove from pan, and cut into chunks of desired size with a good, solid knife.
Store in a cool place until ready to use.
Yields approximately 3 cups of chips. Has a similar taste to dark chocolate, depends on how much sweetener you use!

* when using this for chocolate peanut butter cups (see previous post) don't freeze first, use the liquid chocolate as required for the cups and freeze and make into chips whatever is left over! *