Eggnog (dairy and sugar-free)

I don't know about you, but I am obsessed with eggnog (sans the alcohol). Every year I get super excited for the season. I usually go through a half-gallon in a week on my own, and that is with a mix of half eggnog - half milk in my glass. It is dessert for me. But because it is primal, that means I can have it any time of day, in a latte or by itself. The fact that I now can drink a ton of it and not gain weight is unbelievable to me.
This recipe is dairy AND sugar free because my husband and I are staying away from dairy (even though that is the best way to have it).

Ingredients

6 pastured eggs

1 tsp organic vanilla extract

1 tbs xylitol + some stevia extract (to taste)

1/8 tsp freshly grated organic nutmeg 

1 can of organic coconut milk/cream (for dairy version, use 1 pint of heavy cream + 2 cups milk if you prefer it not so thick) 

Directions

In the bullet or a blender whip the eggs, sweetener, vanilla extract and nutmeg. When the eggs look thoroughly mixed add the coconut milk (or cow's milk) and continue to whip. Chill and serve with a little nutmeg as a garnish.

Chocolate cookies

These are very rich and very simple.  I would definitely recommend adding walnuts and/or chocolate chips to make them truly decadent.  I didn't have any at the moment (part of the problem of not having the pantry fully stocked).

Chocolate Cookies
2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp arrowroot, tapioca or a similar starch
1/2 tsp baking powder (grain-free)
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup xylitol
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp stevia extract
3 eggs
2 tbs strong brewed coffee
3 tbs lard, coconut oil or butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs almond butter 
1/2 cup whipped coconut milk


Directions
As always, combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl (except shredded coconut) and whisk until everything is evenly blended.  When I say whipped coconut milk, I am referring to what we did for the coffee-creamer recipe. That is, taking an entire can of coconut milk/cream and whipping it so that the solid and liquid are combined.  When done in the bullet or another whipping device, this creates a very thick and frothy cream.  Take 1/2 cup of this and whip it further with the 3 eggs and other wet ingredients. After all of the wet ingredients are combined, I add the shredded coconut and blend because it is extremely dry and I am trying to compensate.  Combine the wet with the dry mix and you have cookie-dough.
Bake at 375 degrees on a greased baking sheet or silpat until they don't jiggle (about 10 minutes).  Err on the underdone side, otherwise they might dry out. The recipe yields about 18 good-sized cookies.
Again, feel free to add any nuts or extras.  That can only make them more delicious!

Crème fraiche

I generally don't follow recipes exactly when I am experimenting in the kitchen which causes problems if I want to recreate something again later. It also makes it a little more difficult for me to get things written down to share with others. Then again, that is another purpose for this blog. Needless to say, I can't exactly remember where I read about making your own Crème fraiche. But between a magazine article and some different recipes found online I gathered that if I just put 4 tablespoons of high quality organic cultured buttermilk into a mason jar with a pint of organic heavy cream, let it sit covered (with a paper towel) on a countertop until the same time the next day, lo and behold... I have crème fraiche.
I told a friend of mine that I made my own hollandaise with my homemade crème fraiche and she asked "What is crème fraiche?" I said "fresh cream." This made her feel a little stupid because she thought it was something more elaborate and fancy than that. I told her that it is fancy and that's all there is to it because I don't really know what all the hubbub is about, except that it is expensive, hard to find and tastes amazingly fancy!

German Chocolate Frosting

I have always loved german chocolate cake frosting and it is surprising that it only just came to me that it could be a great primal recipe. This is an amazingly moist topping for the chocolate microwave cake, or you could just eat it with a spoon...

German Chocolate Frosting

6 oz bag of pecans, toasted

2 1/2 cups shredded coconut (unsweetened, of course)

2 tbs brewed coffee

3 tbs homemade lard or grass-fed organic butter

1/2 cup xylitol

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 can coconut milk/cream (full fat)

Brown the butter/lard in a sauce pan as best you can- we are just going for a little color here. Add the coffee, xylitol and vanilla extract very slowly with the butter/lard off the heat and whisk until it is all completely dissolved. In my coconut milk cans, the thick cream separates from the thinner liquid. Mix the thick half into the heated sauce until it is also completely blended.
Put the pecans on a baking sheet in the oven heated to about 375 or so. They will be done in about 7-10 minutes. The toasting process just brings out the oils and flavor in the nuts and makes them more brittle, but they don't really have to change color or crisp up. When the are done, use a food-processor to chop them until there are no large chunks.

In a mixing bowl combine the pecans and the shredded coconut. Pour the caramel-like concoction into the mixing bowl and stir everything until you have a sticky mess. That is your frosting! Tastes great on a warm micro-cake!