Chocolate

Paleo Pumpkin & Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

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photoI’m soooooo excited!!! After countless experiments I finally present to you my humble Paleo Pumpkin & Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I have tried so many different things! A multitude of flours, sweeteners & fats! At one stage I had what my nieces and nephews termed a “Moofie”! A cross between a cookie and a muffin! I almost ran with that as they were delicious, but not 100% what I was looking for! I was looking for a crispy, golden, crunchy PALEO cookie! What I will say is that they will go softer once they are stored, but they are still deliciously beautiful! Just eat them fresh on the day of baking if you want that beautiful crispy texture!

I tried many different prototypes with almond meal but it wasn’t until I had an epic light bulb moment and decided to try them with almond butter. It came about because I was thinking of adding walnut butter to the mix for flavour! I suddenly realised nut butter might be the secret! Roasted almond butter. And oh, you can’t imagine the joy when I pulled out perfectly ‘normal’ looking cookies out of the oven! They were golden, and looked crispy! I just about dove in right there to try them! Once they had cooled sufficiently so I wouldn’t get burnt,  I snatched one right then and there!….Wow! Something magical had happened! The almond butter had done it! I was so elated! After all my attempts with many complex ratios and multiple ingredients, I ended up with a delightful cookie from the simplest of ingredients! There is really not much to these cookies at all! I am ridiculously excited to share this beautiful recipe with you! I’ve added no extra oils to the cookies. It rely’s completely on that from the almond butter. Because the almonds are roasted, this also helps to release even more of those beautiful oils from the nuts, which is why no other oil is needed.

To make you own almond butter, just place about 450-500g roasted almonds in the Thermomix and mill 10 Sec/Speed 9. Scrape down the sides and process for about 1 minute/Speed 8 or until a beautiful butter consistency is achieved!

As I love to do, I wanted vegetables in them, in particular pumpkin, firstly because I think its a perfect match (chocolate & pumpkin), and to increase the nutritional benefit! I mean, if I’m going to give these to my family, I will still always want a treat to be of some benefit! Hiding a vegetable in a cookie so that no one will ever know is perfect! My little boy just loves them! I still talk about the fact that even good treats we need to balance with lots of vegetables and proteins etc, and I try to teach him the difference between a bought cookie and one that mummy makes! Mummy’s have a healthier sweetener, and a small amount at that, and nuts that will make him strong etc!

I’ve used about 100g pumpkin puree in this recipe. You can actually increase the pumpkin to 200g with no problems. They are just a little more crunchy with 100g, whereas with 200g they are a little more moist in the middle! Completely up to you! If you have a whole lot of pumpkin to use, go the whole 200g! I just steamed the pumpkin in the Thermomix for about 15 minutes/Varoma/Speed 2, then pureed for about 5 Sec/Speed. I steamed about 300g. Depending on the pumpkin it will probably reduce by 1/3.

The walnuts just make them! After all, pumpkin and walnuts is such a beautiful marriage. But you could use whatever nut you fancy!

I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we are!

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Paleo Pumpkin & Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields 28
A deliciously moist, subtly spicy pumpkin cookie!
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Ingredients
  1. 120g Coconut Palm Sugar
  2. 450g Roasted Almond Butter
  3. 2 Organic Eggs
  4. 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
  5. 1/8 tsp Allspice
  6. 1 tsp Bicarb Soda
  7. 100g Pumpkin Puree
  8. 50g Chocolate Chips (naturally sweetened, dairy free)
  9. 50g Walnuts (roughly chopped)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line large baking trays with baking paper or lay your oven Thermomat on a tray.
  2. Place the sugar into the Thermomix and mill 10 Sec/Speed 9.
  3. Add the almond butter, the eggs, spices, bicarb, & pumpkin and mix 10 Sec/Speed 5.
  4. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts and mix a further 10 Sec/Speed 5.
  5. Once combined, place Tbsp sized amounts onto your baking sheet. Flatten out a little with your fingers to form a more flattened disc.
  6. Place into the hot oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown.
  7. Remove from the oven and whilst warm top with a few extra chocolate chips if you desire.
  8. Let cool on the trays for 5-10 minutes, before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  9. Store in an airtight container.
Kitch'n Thyme https://kitchnthyme.com.au/

Paleo Chocolate Mango Tart with Cardamon Crust

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Make the most of summer mangoes with this guilt free creamy decadent chocolate fruit tart! 

**January 2019 update!** This recipe was originally posted in February 2015. I really felt that the photos needed updating, so i’ve rephotographed the recipe. All the ingredients remain the same, but I’ve slightly increased the filling ingredients. The story below is as it was from 4 years ago!**

This delightful chocolate tart came about a few weeks ago when I realised I was about to walk out the door empty handed to a meeting where all involved were meant to be bringing a bite to eat!

I had an abundance of ripe mangoes in my fruit bowl fresh from the property of the health retreat we work on!…..Bowen mangoes and all! Massive, juicy, sweet, full of flavour!  My husband knows how much I love mangoes, so he picked me a couple of huge bags of them! I was stoked!  

I had to make something delicious to honour these beautiful possessions! I immediately dreamed up this gorgeous tart and got busily to work in my kitchen! After an amazingly successful quick stint in the kitchen, this emerged! I did a little happy dance!

The subtly aromatic cardamon crust pairs so beautifully with the mango!

The chocolate filling is very rich, but the mango just lightens it up beautifully! I absolutely love fruit focussed desserts so this is definitely my kind of indulgence! The natural beauty of fruit is Superb!

This tart is so everything free that perhaps I’m even happy for my kiddies to have a little slice for breakfast! 🙈🙊

Play around with the fruit…it’s delicious with raspberries!…here’s the recipe for those! Paleo Chocolate Raspberry Tarts. And it would be equally delightful with any other berries!

Enjoy! Gabrielle 👩‍🍳

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Paleo Chocolate Mango Tart

Make the most of summer mangoes with this guilt free creamy decadent chocolate fruit tart! 

  • Author: Gabrielle Tobin
  • Prep Time: 00:10
  • Cook Time: 00:22
  • Total Time: 32 minutes
  • Yield: 8
  • Category: Dessert

Ingredients

BASE:

240g Almonds

160g Brazil Nuts

1 Egg

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

1 Tbsp Maple Syrup

3/4 – 1 tsp Ground Cardamon 

1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or Essence

pinch salt

FILLING:

160g Hazelnuts, roasted

120g Coconut Oil

120g Coconut Milk

180g Maple Syrup (approx. 5 Tbsp)

75g Raw Cacao Powder

1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or Essence

pinch salt

TOPPING:

3-4 Large Mangoes, sliced thinly

Instructions

CRUST

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly spray a 26cm round tart shell with oil spray.
  2. Place the almonds and the brazils into the Thermomix and mill 10 Sec/Speed 9.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients and process 5-10 Sec/Speed 5 or until the mixture comes together.
  4. Turn the mixture out onto a sheet of baking paper and roughly bring together to form a ball. Place another sheet of baking paper on top and flatten. Using a rolling pin, roll the mixture out to approximately 3mm thickness. Roll in different directions, to ensure even thickness.
  5. Gently peel off the top sheet of baking paper. Lift up the crust, by the bottom sheet of baking paper and gently flip the crust side over a rolling pin. Place it over the tart shell evenly and gradually roll the rolling pin away, easing the crust into the shell.
  6. Peel off the baking paper and if you have any broken spots you can easily patch it with your hands, and a little left over crust if necessary. If you find this difficult to do without breaking the crust, you can press the mixture into your tart case.
  7. Trim the edges neatly, then place a round of baking paper over the base followed by baking beads or chickpeas. Blind bake for 10 minutes. Remove the baking weights and bake for a further 10 mins. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

FILLING

  1. To make the filling, place 120g of the hazelnuts into the Thermomix and mill 10 Sec/Speed 9.
  2. Add all the remaining ingredients and cook 2 Mins/50°/Speed 3.
  3. Using a knife, chop the remaining 40g hazelnuts in halves. (You can do this in the Thermomix, however I prefer to have this quite precise, as it’s really nice biting into the whole chunks of hazelnuts.) Add to the Thermomix and mix 5 Sec/Speed 2/Reverse.
  4. Pour the filling into the cooled tart shell and set in the fridge for 1 hr or so until firm.
  5. Top decoratively with the sliced mango and serve straight away.

Notes

  • You can make the tart shell and fill with the filling a day ahead but top with the mango just before serving so it is nice and fresh!
  • Refrigeration Time: 1 Hour

 

Superfood Christmas Rocky Road

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© Rocky Road 1Super delicious, fluffy, nutty, chocolatey mess thats so traditional at Christmas time!

Well how about that with a healthy spin on it? One of the things this Rocky Road is enriched with is Maca powder that has vitamins, energy boosting properties, benefits for the skin, helps to increase energy, and helps with womens & mens health & reproductive health. 

Another great superfood is chia seeds. Being high in nutrients, antioxidants, protein and Omega 3 fatty acids, I love to throw them into treats when I can!

Then the Marshmallows are filled with liquid chlorophyll and beetroot! How wonderful! Natural colouring at it’s best! No numbers needed! 

I use Organic (70%) Dark Chocolate in the Rocky Road. You can do it with Cacao Butter, but it will have a low melt temperature.

I toast the coconut chips just in the oven on a baking tray for a few minutes on 180º. It adds a really rich, nutty flavour. 

Once again, my love of freeze-dried berries comes into play! The raspberries help to cut through the sweet of the chocolate and give a nice tart effect!   © Rocky Road 2  Perhaps you could enjoy this delicious treat with a glass of your favourite milk!  

Healthy Christmas Rocky Road
Yields 24
A delicious superfood Rocky Road!
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
10 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 300g Organic Dark Chocolate (70%), broken into 3-4cm pieces.
  2. 40g Organic Butter
  3. 200g Marshmallows
  4. 100g Mixed Nuts (I used roasted Almonds & Macadamias)
  5. 20g Cranberries (unsweetend)
  6. 1tsp Maca Powder
  7. 10g Chia Seeds
  8. 35g Toasted Coconut Chips
  9. 5g Freeze-dried Raspberries
Instructions
  1. Place the chocolate into the Thermomix and mill 10 Sec/Speed 9.
  2. Add the butter then mix and melt 4 Mins/50º/Speed 3.
  3. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix gently 1-3 Sec/Speed 2/Reverse.
  4. Place into a baking paper lined rectangle slice tray and place into the fridge to set. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
  1. Here is my healthy Marshmallows recipe.
Kitch'n Thyme https://kitchnthyme.com.au/

Breakfast Bombs

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image
Looking for an alternative to the ‘ol bowl of cereal for breakfast?? Well these are a whole lot better than a bowl full of cereal! Think crispy, fudgey, and smooth!These little bombs are packed with loads of seeds, nuts, butter and coconut oil and are sure to go down a treat!

They have some organic crispy cereal in them and are loaded with all sorts of little superfood boosters. Filled with antioxidants found in the goji berries and the raw cacao, these foods help to stop free radicals damaging the cells.

The good fats from the coconut, butter and nuts are so important for growth development and cell function. They can also be used as a fantastic source of energy, especially for kids!

When my little ones aren’t feeling like eggs or other savoury options, these are fantastic alternative – he loves them!

You can press the mix into a tin and slice it up for something different too! They are best eaten straight from the fridge, as they will get softer as they sit out.

Breakfast Bombs
Yields 15
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 120g Cashews or Cashew Butter
  2. 50g Organic Butter
  3. 20g Coconut Oil
  4. 50g Maple Syrup
  5. 10g Raw Cacao Powder
  6. 50g Organic Brown Rice Crispies or Organic Brown Rice Chocolate Koala Crisp! (I use Natures Path brand from Iherb.
  7. 30g Organic Corn Flakes (Fruit Juice Sweetened) - I use Natures Path brand from Iherb
  8. 20g Almond Milk Pulp (or Almond Meal)
  9. 10g Shredded Coconut
  10. 10g Goji Berries
  11. 20g Black Chia Seeds
  12. 10g Sunflower Seeds
  13. 5g Pepitas
Instructions
  1. Roast the cashews for 10 minutes at 180°C or until golden brown.
  2. Place into the Thermomix and mill 10 Sec/Speed 9. Scrape down the edges of the bowl, then process 1 Min/Speed 4. Scrape down the edges of the bowl again and process a further 10 Sec/Speed 6 or until a nut butter consistency is achieved.
  3. Add the butter, oil, maple, and raw cacao to the nut butter and cook 3 Mins/50°/Speed 3.
  4. Add all the remaining ingredients and process 3-5 Sec/ Speed 5, or until it looks similar to a bliss ball consistency, but with some of the cereal still in tact and visible.
  5. Roll into decent sized balls and place into a container lined with baking paper. Refrigerate until set.
Kitch'n Thyme https://kitchnthyme.com.au/

Choc Peppermint Creams

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These delicious cookies are an absolute winner with my friends! Chocolate, peppermint, and a much healthier alternative to the original – what’s not to love!! You will need my Coconut Butter recipe to make these cookies.

Choc Peppermint Creams
Yields 20
Delicious melt-in-the-mouth little morsels!
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
10 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
10 min
COOKIE DOUGH
  1. 100g Organic Dark Chocolate
  2. 150g Organic Butter, softened
  3. 120g Rice Malt Syrup
  4. 90g Rapadura Sugar
  5. 230g Unbleached Spelt Flour, sifted
  6. 25g Raw Cacao powder, sifted
  7. 1 tsp Bicarb Soda, sifted
PEPPERMINT CREAM FILLING
  1. 75g Cashews
  2. 75g Macadamias
  3. 160g Coconut Butter
  4. 30g Rice Malt Syrup
  5. 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
  6. 6 Drops Peppermint Essential Oil
COOKIE DOUGH
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Place the chocolate into the bowl of the Thermomix and chop briefly 2 times/Turbo speed. Set aside.
  2. Place the butter, rice malt syrup & sugar into the bowl of the Thermomix and cream 30 seconds/Speed 5.
  3. Add the flour, cacao powder, and bicarb and mix 10 Seconds/Speed 6.
  4. Add the chopped chocolate and mix 5 Seconds/Speed 5/Reverse.
  5. Place small tablespoons (approx. 15g) sized balls onto a tray lined with baking paper & bake for 8-10 minutes. It will make approximately 40 individual cookies (about 20 sandwiched peppermint creams). Cool on a wire rack.
PEPPERMINT CREAM FILLING
  1. Place the cashews and macadamias into the bowl of the Thermomix and process for approximately 1 minute/Speed 8 or until nut butter consistency is achieved.
  2. Add the coconut butter, rice malt syrup, vanilla and peppermint oil and process for a further 10 Seconds/Speed 5. Place filling in the fridge for 15 or so minutes to chill.
ASSEMBLY
  1. Once chilled, roll tablespoon sized amounts into a ball and press onto the flat underside of a cookie. Top with another cookie to create a sandwich. Serve.
Notes
  1. NB. They will keep in an airtight container for 3 or so days, however I like to keep mine in the fridge. They will go all fudgy once in the fridge.
Kitch'n Thyme https://kitchnthyme.com.au/