I have a huge sweet tooth and I absolutely love to bake, which is a dangerous combination! I’ve wanted to find a way of making treats a little healthier, but never really had much luck with the very few paleo recipes I’ve tried to make. I decided to experiment with coconut and almond flour once more and found this brownie recipe in a cookbook I’ve had for a while called Against All Grain by Danielle Walker. I was feeling adventurous and decided to try out the homemade almond milk recipe, also found in the same cookbook. This brownies were literally better than any non-paleo recipe I’ve ever tried! They are super dense and have a rich chocolate taste to them. Paired with the nutty almond milk, it was the perfect dessert!
Fudge Brownies
Ingredients
½ cup palm shortening or unsalted butter
8 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup honey
1 t. vanilla extract
¾ cup coconut crystals
½ cup blanched almond flour/almond meal
1 T. coconut flour
1 T. arrowroot powder
¼ t. sea salt
¼ t. baking soda
4 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-by-11-inch baking dish (I used a disposable 9-by-11 and they turned out just fine). Place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom and leave flaps on the side for easy release.
- Fill a saucepan with about an inch of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and create a double boiler by placing a heatproof glass or metal bowl on top, ensuring the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water.
- Melt the palm shortening/butter and the chocolate together, stirring constantly. Stir in the honey and vanilla, then remove from heat and allow to cool.
- In a food processor, grind the coconut crystals, almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot powder, salt and baking soda for 30 seconds. Make sure to use a higher power processor and not just a blender.
- Add the chocolate mixture and blend until smooth. Add 1 egg at a time, blending for 15 seconds between additions to fully combine.
- Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then release the sides with a knife and lift the brownies out of the pan with the parchment paper.
- Let cool on a wire rack, or enjoy warm!
Homemade Almond Milk
Ingredients
1 cup raw almonds
8 cups filtered water, divided
¼ t. sea salt, divided
1 small date, pitted
Instructions
- Place the almonds in a bowl with 4 cups of the filtered water and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt. Soak overnight or about 10 hours.
- Drain the almonds and rinse well. Transfer them to a blender and fill with the remaining 4 cups of filtered water. Add the date and the remaining salt and puree until smooth.
- Strain the milk through a mesh sieve lined with 2 layers of cheesecloth (don’t forget the cloth, this is very important!) Use a spoon to press down on the nut pulp and remove all of the liquid.
- Store the milk in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
