Halloween Paleo Lemon Cupcakes w Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

These adorable little spiders are gluten and grain free lemon cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting.  Yes, please!  I decorated them as spiders for Anthony's birthday (spider cupcake decorations courtesy of Walmart).  They are absolutely delicious and remind me of a lemon pound cake.  This new concoction is going to be a staple dessert in my home and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  Perfect for birthdays, holidays, or any days.  Trick or Treat!

This little critter is irresistible!

Ingredients:

Halloween Cupcake Display

1/2c coconut flour
1/4c nonhydrogenated shortening (try Spectrum brand)
1/4c butter
6 large eggs, room temp
3tbs lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
2tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
1/4tsp baking soda
1/2c honey

For Frosting:
8oz cream cheese, room temp
1/2c butter, room temp
2tsp vanilla extract
1tbs lemon juice
2tsp lemon zest
3c powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Melt shortening and butter in a large glass bowl in the microwave.  Add coconut flour a little at a time and stir.  Then stir in lemon juice, lemon, vanilla, salt and baking soda.  Mix with a mixer until well blended. 
2. Mix in honey and eggs with a mixer until thick and smooth (this may take a few minutes for the coconut flour to expand).
3. Using an ice cream scooper, scoop thick batter into a cupcake lined cupcake pan so each liner is about 3/4 full.  Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes  out clean and they look golden on top.
4. Let cook while you mix up your icing:  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Beat again until smooth.  Add powdered sugar a little at a time until fully mixed in.  If you want to die your frosting, do it now.  Beat until thick, creamy, and slightly fluffy (this may take a few minutes). 
5. When cooled, frost your cupcakes and enjoy!

Pumpkin Almond Cake with Slightly Sweet Cream Cheese Icing

Okay, here is that second pumpkin recipe I was talking about.  This time I used pureed pumpkin with almond butter instead of coconut oil and the result was a more cake-like texture.  Also, this cake has a stronger almond flavor than the Pumpkin Bars recipe, thanks to Trader Joe's Roasted Almond Butter with Flax-seeds (if you don't have some, I highly recommend you drop everything and go buy some now!).  I used the same cream cheese icing recipe, only this one is less sweet.  In fact, this entire dessert is less sweet than the first recipe but just as delicious.  Again, no grains, no gluten, no refined sugars.  You're welcome.

Rich cake-like crumbs without any grains:  amazing!

Pumpkin Almond Cake Ingredients:
1c almond flour
1c pureed pumpkin
1c almond butter (I used Trader Joe's Almond Butter with Roasted Flax-seeds)
1/2c honey
2tbs amber agave nectar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2tsp vanilla extract
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp ground ginger
1/4tsp allspice

Slightly Sweet Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:
1 stick butter, room temp (preferably organic)
8oz full fat cream cheese, room temp
1/4c honey
2tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350F.  Line an 8x8" or 9x9" pan with nonstick foil.  In a large bowl, beat all ingredients together until well combined.  Pour into pan and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.  Cool completely before frosting.
3. To make the frosting, beat butter and cream cheese until well combined.  Add your honey and vanilla and continue to beat until light and fluffy.
Make Ahead Tip:  When cool, you can wrap your cake in foil and freeze it (without the frosting), dethawing it before you want to serve it and whip up the icing then.

Pumpkin Bars with Honey Infused Cream Cheese Icing

No, my obsession with pumpkin is not over yet.  Tonight, I actually was experimenting with pumpkin desserts and both of them turned out so delicious I am going to share them with everyone.  This one is more dense and "brownie-like" with a slightly sweet honey infused cream cheese icing.  I added some walnuts for texture and it reminds me a bit of carrot cake but with pumpkin instead.  Of course, amazingly, these have NO grains OR refined sugars.  Please enjoy guilt free! (Yes, I do realize the frosting has dairy but, hey, no one's perfect!)

I promise you won't miss the grains in this amazing recipe!

Pumpkin Bar Ingredients:
1/2c coconut flour
1 + 1/2c almond flour
1/3c honey
2/3c amber agave nectar
1tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
2tsp ground ginger
1tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp sea salt
2 pinches allspice
2 large eggs
1c pumpkin puree
1/4c melted coconut oil
2tsp vanilla extract
1/2c chopped walnuts

Honey Infused Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:
1 stick butter, room temp (preferably organic)
8oz full fat cream cheese, room temp
1/4c + 1tbs honey
2tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350F.  Line a 9x13" pan with nonstick foil.  In a large bowl beat honey, agave, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, allspice, eggs, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, and vanilla.  Mix in coconut and almond flours.  Stir in walnuts at the end (batter is thick; almost dough like)
2. Spread across a large prepared pan and bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top has firmed up.  Let cool completely before frosting.
3. To make the frosting, beat butter and cream cheese until well combined.  Add your honey and vanilla and continue to beat until light and fluffy.  (Tip: Store leftovers in the refrigerator).

Halloween Chili

As a kid, every year my mom would make a huge pot of chili on Halloween day and we would all gather around and eat it with a large glass of milk before going trick or treating.  It made for an easy one pot meal that would fill everyone up before venturing out in the cold.  It is still one of my fondest memories of Halloween.  For the past 6 years since I've been married, I still carry on the tradition by making a big pot of chili on Halloween night.  This one is a little spicy, very meaty, and full of veggies.  I added in some allspice, which was my grandma's secret ingredient in her stews.  I hope you enjoy it.

A wonderful Halloween tradition

Ingredients:
2lb ground beef, preferably grass fed (I used 15% fat organic 100% grass fed beef from Trader Joe's)
1 sweet onion, diced
3c diced green bell peppers (from 2 large peppers)
10oz sliced baby portabella mushrooms

1tbs minced garlic
3tbs chili powder
1 + 1/4tsp cinnamon
1 + 1/2 tsp cumin
2tsp garlic powder
1 + 1/2tsp fine sea salt
1/2tsp black pepper
1tsp red pepper flakes (omit if you don't like spice)
3/4tsp allspice
1 can fire roasted tomatoes with the juice (Muir Glen is best)
1/2c El Pato tomato sauce (use regular if you don't like spice)
1/2c water
cilantro for garnish, optional


Directions:
1. In a large stockpot, brown beef over medium-high.  When it's half way done, add the onion, bell pepper and minced garlic and continue to cook until soft.  Add all of your spices and stir well.  Add your fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushrooms and water.  Give it another good stir.
2. When the whole thing is boiling, turn to low and simmer for about 30 minutes (put a lid on for most of it so too much water doesn't evaporate).  Add additional seasonings if needed.  Serve hot with cilantro as a garnish.

Halloween Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies

I just had to make a festive Halloween dessert yesterday to celebrate such a fun holiday!  Besides, what else did I have to do while I was waiting for the adorable trick-or-treaters?  This fabulous dessert is half pumpkin brownie and half chocolate brownie.  It layers nicely into a black and orange treat.  Better yet, it's refined sugar and grain free so enjoy guilt free!

Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly Halloween Treat!

Ingredients:
4 large eggs, preferably omega-3 enriched
1c agave nectar
1c honey (local honey will help alleviate allergies)
1c almond meal/flour
1/2c coconut flour
1tsp fine sea salt
1/2tsp baking soda
1tbs vanilla extract

5oz dark or bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2c unsweetened applesauce
1/2c cocoa powder (the higher quality the better)

1/2c + 2tbs pureed pumpkin
1/4c almond butter
1/2tsp cinnamon
1tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Done and out of the oven

1. Preheat your oven to 350F.  Grease a large baking pan (I used a pumpkin tin) with oil/butter.  In a large bowl, beat eggs, agave nectar, honey, and vanilla.  Add your almond flour, coconut flour, salt and baking soda and mix well.
2. In a separate but large glass bowl, melt chocolate in the microwave at 1 minute intervals.  Take 1/2 of your previous mixture and pour it in with the chocolate.  Beat well.  Add in applesauce and cocoa powder and mix until fully incorporated.  This is your brownie layer.
3. In your original bowl (with 1/2 of the original mix) add pumpkin, almond butter, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.  Mix well.  This is your pumpkin brownie layer.

Inverted brownie, ready to serve

4. In your baking pan, pour your chocolate mixture in, spreading evenly (this layer is heavier so I put it in first).  Then gently scoop your pumpkin layer over the top and, very gently, spread evenly with a spatula.  Bake in the center of a preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until a few moist crumbs are visible when pierced with a toothpick in the center.
5. Let your brownie cool slightly, then using a foil lined cutting board over the top of the pan, invert your pan to reveal your dessert.
6. Cut your brownie into pie-like slices and serve warm.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Beautiful colorful layers of pumpkin and chocolate:  dig in!