In a large bowl, whisk together coconut, sugar, flour, zest and salt. Stir in egg whites, butter and almond extract. Fold in chocolate chips.
On parchment lined baking sheets, place rounded tablespoon-sized balls of dough approximately 2″ apart. Gently roll the balls of dough for a more uniform shape.
Bake for 20 minutes or until they are firm to the touch and lightly browned on the bottom. Let cool before serving.
A twist on the traditional, these biscuits are tender on the inside, slightly crisp on the outside. With rich flavor from the tangy kefir, nutty whole wheat flour and hint of coconut, these biscuits are so delicious you might just skip the butter (although with a little strawberry rhubarb jam – wow!). Your guests will rave, but never guess the secret ingredients.
Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 10 minutes active, 20 minutes total
3/4 cup plain kefir (a bit more if added moisture is needed)
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Sift together first 5 ingredients. Roughly cut in coconut oil with a pastry cutter or two knives until you have pea size lumps. Add kefir and gently stir with a fork, until just combined and dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl (do NOT over mix or biscuits will be tough).
Gently pat or roll dough to 3/4 thick, cut with a sharp biscuit cutter and arrange about 1″ apart on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Only roll once to avoid toughening dough – any scraps may be arranged on the baking sheet to enjoy as snacks (because believe me, you WILL want to snack on them). Instead of rolling, you may also individually gently shape the biscuits with your hands to about the same thickness for a more casual look.
Bake on the middle rack about 10 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown on the outside and tender on the inside. Enjoy!
This is a great quick and easy dessert for those “oh-my-goodness-I-need-to-make-a-dessert-and-I-have-less-then-an-hour-to-make-it!” moments. Its prep will be done in five minutes, chill time can be as quick as half an hour or less (stick it in the freezer) and it’s no bake, no cook, rich, creamy, and naturally dairy free and gluten free. Sounds pretty good huh?
The texture is great: a lot like fudge. Firm and silky, yet it melts in your mouth as soon as you take a bite. It’s very creamy too; you’d never know it didn’t have a speck of dairy in it.
The crust is a nice touch. I like using pecans. It adds a tiny bit of crunch, and the strong nutty flavor of the pecans stand out, yet infuses nicely with the strawberry vanilla cream. When making this part, be sure to blend just until it turns into a meal (the video will show you how). If you blend too long you could end up with a nut butter!
With all that said, I’ll admit that I do NOT like nuts. So this is saying a lot. It doesn’t taste like cashews at all.
The taste of the pie is all in the quality of ingredients you use. Use raw, unsalted organic cashews, high quality alcohol-based vanilla extract, and fresh, perfectly ripe organic strawberries and Tropical Traditions’ creamy raw honey and coconut oil and (Gold Label for a coconut taste, Expeller Pressed for no coconut taste). Don’t skimp on anything here; use the highest quality stuff you can get.
And last but not least, let the video take you through the recipe step by step, and enjoy a slice of the pie yourself. You’ll have to make it, of course. I’m not sharing.
Sarah:)
Dairy Free and Gluten Free Strawberry Cream Pie
Prepared by Sarah Shilhavy, Photo by Jeremiah Shilhavy
Mix all ingredients except berries together in blender until spinach is mixed in. Add frozen berries. Mix until smooth. If thicker consistency desired reduce milk/water or add 4 ice cubes and blend.
Heat griddle and brush with coconut oil. Blend remaining ingredients (except bread) in a blender until smooth. Pour into a shallow dish. Submerge each slice in mixture and place on griddle.
Cook till golden brown, then flip over to cook other side. Serve with maple syrup.
