Sneak Peek Into The World Of Paleo Desserts
Paleo desserts can be a wondrous world of treats and tastes, if you use the right Paleo ingredients and have yummy recipes on hand to try them. It can be hard to know where to get started when you don’t have an idea about Paleo ingredients. After all, what can a cupcake be without milk and sugar? What can a chocolate pudding be without actual chocolate in it? And how can a cheese cake be creamy without a giant helping of cream cheese?
Seems depressing when you think all the flavors you may be missing out on because you’re removing all wheat, sugars, and dairy products from your diet. Fear not! There are Paleo substitutes for all those ingredients and more. This chapter will shine a light on all those ingredients, and give you an idea of how to use them compared to conventional ingredients used for desserts.
Grain free flours
The key to most desserts is good quality flour. The flour can make or break a cupcake. So, what does Paleo have to offer the texture aficionados of desserts?
Almond flour:
This is made from finely ground almonds, and gives grainier texture to desserts, but it can be substituted with other flours in a 1:1 ratio. It however, doesn’t contain gluten, so while that is good for your health, you may find that it does not provide a dessert with the same elasticity and hold that gluten does with the conventional flours. Not to worry though, you can use this flour for cookies and bakes that need a grainier texture, or substitute slightly with some other Paleo flour for desired texture.
Tips:
1.Keep in mind also that the finer the almond flour is the better a baked dessert will turn out.
2.Keep in mind that nut flour can easily brown, so, keep the heat lower than usual and bake your dessert for longer to compensate for a lower temperature.
3.Keep the almond flour refrigerated, or even frozen and it will last longer.
2.Coconut flour: This is another prized Paleo flour that is approved for dessert making and give batters and desserts a good texture. You can expect a lighter and airier cupcake with this flour. However, coconut flour cannot be substitutes at a 1:1 ratio with other flours because of the rate at which it absorbs liquid. You can substitute about ¼ cups of coconut flour with 1 cup of any other nut based, or grain based flour. With about ½ a cup coconut use 5 eggs and ½ a cup of coconut milk to compensate for the absorbent nature of coconut flour.
Tips:
1.Try adding mashed fruit for moisture in the baking.
2.Store your coconut flour at room temperature.
3.Sift your flour before using it, as it tends to be clumpy.
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Fats and oil
Choosing a Paleo fat that will both compliment a dessert and not contribute to bad cholesterol isn’t hard when it comes to Paleo. Many healthy examples are available that both do justice to a scrumptious dessert recipe and also provide good health benefits.
•Use coconut oil and butter in desserts, this is a stable oil at high temperatures and works well in recipes which call for a vegetable oil, or shortening. Earlier concerns of the amount of saturated fats in coconut oil have been outweighed by the benefits of this oil. This oil increases metabolic rate and also contributes positively to the immune system.
•Use almond butter, or any other nut butter in your desserts, they add decadence and are creamy and make your baking smell amazing.
•Use grass fed butter or ghee in your desserts. Additive and antibiotic free butter and ghee are high in good saturated fats.
Dairy:
Use coconut milk, or almond milk. Both work well in most of the dessert recipes and provide great flavor. Coconut milk gives great coconut cream frosting that tastes amazing when whipped.
Sweeteners:
There are many Paleo approved sweeteners like medjool dates, grade B maple syrup, and honey that have made the list and can be substituted for sugar in dessert recipes. Raw honey is the best of the list and considered closely approved by the Paleo diet as an organic ingredient that is good for human body and does not exponentially increase blood sugar levels in your body. Dates are great for incorporating sweetness in both baked goods and pudding and ice creams. They provide an amazing amount of sweetness, and are still good for your health.
