Healthy Coconut Lemon Curd Bars

Healthy Coconut Lemon Curd Bars with the Little Homemakers In Training

Girls love to make things in the kitchen. Danielle & Destiny (and the rest of the family) have a sweet tooth. We like making healthy desserts that don't make you feel guilty or sick after you eat them. These coconut lemon curd bars are very yummy and so good for you too. They are also easy to make with the help of Mom or an older sister who will need to stir the mixture.

This recipe is gluten, dairy and grain free. We sprouted our almonds before hand for better digestion and nutrient absorption, but you can skip this step and they will turn out fine too.

FOR THE CURD:

3 large eggs
1/4 -1/3 cup of honey
Grated zest of one lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 cup of lemon juice
6 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (or butter).

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the first three ingredients until light colored. Add the the coconut oil, breaking it into small clumps as you drop it into the pot for even melting. Then add the lemon juice.

Cook, whisking over medium heat until the coconut oil is melted. Continue to cook until the mixture thickens and you start to see a few bubbles popping at the surface. Remove from heat, and scrape into a fine sieve set over a bowl. Strain the curd, gently stirring if needed.

Refrigerate for several hours to thicken. It can also be saved in the refrigerator for about a week.


FOR THE CRUST 

2 cups of raw almonds (sprouted)
1/4 cup honey (May use more if desired. We use sorghum)
1/2 cup of melted virgin coconut oil
2-4 teaspoons lemon zest
2 eggs
1 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the almonds in a food processor. We use the vitamix. Grind them into a medium fine “flour”. You don’t want to turn it into a nut paste, so don’t over do it. There will still be little chunks here and there. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until combined. Evenly spread the nut batter into a greased 8 by 8 pan. Place in the middle of the hot oven. It will take between 15 to 18 minutes to cook. It may puff up as it cooks, that's ok. Cool completely, then spread one recipes of lemon curd on top. Let set in the refrigerator for at least several hours.

We can't resist to let it sit in the refrigerator until it's completely solid. But you supposed to. We take a piece and leave the rest for the next day.

Yum!! Have fun doing them:)

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Sourdough Wheat-Free Dairy-Free Pancakes

It is pancake Saturday again!  And another good reason to make sourdough pancakes is that it is easy.  I like the sound of tat word, easy, when it comes to fixing healthy, nutrient dense meals.  A mother with little people appreciates it because the children can help too.

I have modified this recipe in different ways.  I substituted butter for coconut oil to make it dairy free; and wheat flour for spelt and barley flour.   The starter I use is rye.  Depending on the ratio of water and flour that he starter is fed, it will effect the thinness or thickness of the batter.  Here is a matter of preference.

Ingredients:

1 cup of sourdough starter
2 cups of water
3 cups of whole grain flour (1 cup barely, 2 cups spelt)
3 large eggs
4 tablespoons of maple syrup, honey, maple sugar, or rapadura (optional)
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt

Instructions:

 

Adding 1/2 cup of more spelt flour will make them more dense.  You can use all spelt but not all barley.  As a rule I like to use 1/3 of barley in my baking.

 

to 24 hours before you want to eat, combine in a large bowl the starter, water, and flour. Make sure that you have plenty of room for this mixture to rise. If it is a very hot day, beware of leaving it too long as it will ferment very quickly. I usually make this up the night before, for breakfast, or the morning of, for dinner. In colder weather, I have done this recipe for up to 24 hours.

After the soaking period, add the rest of the ingredients, and combine well. A whisk is helpful. If you want thinner pancakes you can thin with water (or milk). Drop about 1/4 of a cup of the batter on a lightly oiled hot griddle (over medium to medium-high heat) until the the top is set, and the bottom lightly browned. Flip the pancake and cook until the pancake is lightly browned on the other side. Repeat until all of the batter is used, re-oiling the pan as needed.

Serve with real maple syrup, butter, or a fruit topping and whipped cream.

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