Elisenlebkuchen - the Original (flourless) Nuremberg Cookies

This original Nuremberg gingerbread cookies recipe is a top secret, and the one which will share with you today is very close to the original. Cookies are childishly easy to make, and at the same time healthy, if you reduce more than half of sugar, as I did, and of course replace it with a healthier substitute. Very helpful if using "Backoblaten". or if you like waffles, cakes or gingerbread pads. With spelt ones haven't come across yet, and for this recipe I used wheat, but it is such a small amount that almost imperceptible. These waffles are also made out of whole-wheat.
And what is the taste of Elisenlebkuchen? Perfect. Delicious. The best Christmas cookies I ever had. 
Will not write more, you have to try it yourself.
Elisenlebkuchen can be stored for several weeks in well tightly closed in a box.

Ingredients for 25 cookies:

300 g ground almonds
120 g brown, unrefined sugar
25 wheat waffles, I used 70 mm ones
4 eggs, organic
4 drops lemon oil

2 tbsp candied lemon peel, preferably homemade
1 tsp almond essence
1 (2 mm) rum essence oil
1 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves, minced

 
Additionally:

 
Lemon glaze:

 
50 g brown, unrefined sugar milled to powder
Juice of half large lemon
A few teaspoons of boiled water

 
Everything mix together and spread over half of cookies.

Chocolate glaze:

75 g dark chocolate, 85% or more
3 - 4 tsp maple syrup, genuine
A few teaspoons of boiled water

 
Melt the chocolate in a water bath or in oven. Add the syrup and water. Spread over other half of cookies.

Directions:

Beat the eggs until white, add sugar, reduce the speed, and add all remaining ingredients. Cover cookie sheet with a parchment paper and lay out pads. Each pad cover with a dough, flat/even it with a wet finger.
Cookies sheet place in a heated convection oven to 150°C with (175°C standard) and bake for 20 minutes. Dry cookies on a cooling rack.

Inspired by a recipe found in a German magazine.

Candied in Maple Syrup Citrus Peels

Candied lemon and orange peels are best when homemade, because then we have a full control over what's in them. During the Holiday Season they will be often used to prepare aromatic and essential dishes. Closed in little jars can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks, and frozen - in plastic containers - for several months.

Ingredients for 4 - 6 teaspoons peels:

2 lemons and 2 oranges, I used organic*
 50 ml maple syrup 
50 ml water

Directions:

Wash well citruses in hot water, peel with a peeling knife, aka - scraper. Cut the peels very finely into tiny cubes. Add them to approx. 150 ml boiling water and cook for few minutes (to lose bitterness), then drain on a fine sieve.Pour the maple syrup into the water, add the peels and cook on lower heat to so the syrup will completely evaporate (~ 30 minutes). Again, strain through a fine sieve and pour over the boiled water to prevent sticking to each other. Transfer to glass jars and store in the refrigerator or  - in plastic ones - and place in the freezer.

* Double the amount to make more of candied citruses peels

 Recipe was created in my head and comes from my heart

Pumpkin - Coconut Cake from a Slow Cooker

Perfect pumpkin cake. Moist. Has an excellent taste, but topped with delicious caramel powers the taste 
and changes to an extra ordinary. I heartily recommend it.

Ingredients for a cake cooked in 3.5 liter slow cooker:

250 g mashed pumpkin,I used Hokkaido* 
120 g spelt flour 
100 g coconut butter 
60 g of brown sugar unrefined
 3 eggs, organic 
1 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin spice 
1/2 tsp baking powder, organic
 1/2 tsp baking soda, organic 
1/2 tsp sea salt

Caramel:

250 ml coconut milk 
2 tbsp maple syrup, real
 1 tsp vanilla extract
 Pinch of sea salt 

Directions:

Grease the slow cooker with coconut butter and set on the highest temperature. Combine the dry ingredients. Beat sugar, butter (3 minutes), add the eggs and little later, pumpkin puree. At the end, slowly add the flour and beat until all is smooth. Pour into slow cooker, cover, and cook for two hours. After this time, remove lid and allow the slow cooker be open for 10 minutes. Then, turn upside down to put the cake on the plate. From my experience I can add that is easier to remove the cake when is completely cooled. 
Usually I make it in the morning or even a night before.
Serve the cake with warm caramel poured over. 
Caramel prepare shortly before the cake is served. Place all ingredients in a saucepan and heat on medium heat until boiling. From time to time stirring occasionally so long until it thickens and turns darker (20 - 30 minutes). After this time, remove from the gas, allow to cool slightly use it. You can also pour the caramel into a glass container and store in the refrigerator up to one week.

* Fresh pumpkin (approx. 600 - 700 g), cut into quarters and cook steamed until tender, approx. 20 minutes.  
Allow to cool and blend to puree.

The recipe is inspiration by pilcookbooks.

Pumpkin - Coconut Pancakes

Season for low caloric pumpkin is opened. Pumpkins are not heroes of upcoming holiday which some celebrate, but most of all, it's a very valuable vegetable, rich in vitamin A, B1 B2, C and PP. Contains magnesium, iron, calcium and phosphorus, and is an excellent source of protein and fiber. The most nourishment pumpkins are the ones in deep, orange color (such as Hokkaido), because they have the most beta-carotene. Other crucial information is that cooked pumpkin does not lose its value, and the puree can be frozen and stored for several months.

Ingredients for approx. 60 pancakes:

500 ml coconut milk
200 g coconut flour
100 g spelt flour
300 g pumpkin puree*
3 eggs, organic
1.5 tsp baking powder, organic
1/8 tsp Bourbon vanilla, powdered
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch of sea salt

Additional:

100 ml maple syrup, organic
50 g toasted coconut flakes
Oil for frying, I used the coconut oil

Directions:

All ingredients place in mixing bowl and mix well. Heat the pan, reduce heat, add a little oil and fry pancakes on both sides until golden brown. Serve topped with maple syrup and sprinkled with coconut flakes.

* I make my own puree form a Hokkaido pumpkin

Recipe was created in my head and comes from my heart 

(Spelt) Very Lazy Dumplings

Original name is lazy pierogi, but lazy dumplings is more appropriate name for them. Lazy dumplings for me, it's a childhood, and of course, the best ones were made by mom. Today's recipe comes from the provision of our neighbors, of whom a quarter-century ago, right after the wedding, we shared the house. My husband was working, I still was studding and therefore, every day we drove by train and public transportation from the beautiful suburb of Warsaw to the city center. The whole operation was taking nearly two hours one way. After coming back home it was not much time left to prepare dinner/supper. One evening my neighbor showed me 
how to make dumplings the express way.
Traditionally, lazy dumplings are topped with buttered breadcrumbs and sprinkled with sugar. I like them with homemade berry sauce and maple syrup.

Ingredients for ca. 50 - 60 dumplings: 

550 g white cheese*

200 g spelt flour 

3 eggs, organic, large

In addition: 

Maple syrup 

Homemade berry sauce

Directions:

Boil water in a large pot, add salt. In the meantime, beat the eggs, add cheese, then gradually add the flour. Well combine. Spoon to take the cake, lightly shaping it by moving the spoon on the side of the dish and gently thrown into the boiling water. Cook few minutes. Serve topped with maple syrup and fruits. Enjoy your meal.

* In Poland we distinguish white cheese and yellow cheese. The time of making white cheese is very short (few days) and is made from fresh milk. It's soft and it's consistency is crumbly or creamy. Outside of Poland I replace white cheese either with cottage or curd cheese and quark, it's not the same, but close enough.

Recipe was inspired by BZ.

Triple Coconut (fresh) Pineapple

In my favorite store were beautiful, large and dignified pineapples, I bought one. At home, I put in a prominent place, and a few days has as decoration. Then, I decided to fry it in coconut batter. The dough was prepared by "trial and error" method. The proportions of milk and flour can be a bit different, simply customize them together, making sure that the dough is thick enough to adheres well to the pineapple slices.

Ingredients for about 12 servings/slices:

250 ml coconut milk * 
100 g spelt flour 
50 g coconut flour 
30 g shredded coconut 
2 eggs, organic 
1 pineapple, fresh, large 
3/4 tsp baking powder, organic

 Additionally: 

Oil for frying (I use organic Canola)
Shredded coconut, organic
 Maple syrup

Directions:

Mix together all the ingredients except the pineapple. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Cut off the pineapple's skin, and slice to about half-inch slices. Heat oil in a frying pan,  dip slices in the batter and place in the pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes each side. Serve sprinkled with shredded coconut and topped with maple syrup.

* I used coconut milk from the carton

 Recipe was created in my head and comes from my heart

Cinnamon Almonds - Cocoa Butter

Another recipes for butter/cream. Because of the cocoa addition, the almond butter, which has liquid consistency - thickened, and its chocolate flavor caused that the butter became too bitter. To solve both "problems" I added maple syrup. Almond-chocolate butter is ideal to spread over fruits (apple, pear, banana) 

or rice, spelt, and corn cakes.

Ingredients for 800 g jar:

 

800 g almonds, unpeeled
4 tbsp cocoa, organic

3 - 4 tbsp maple syrup, organic
3 - 4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F. Spread almonds over the baking form, sprinkle with cinnamon and put in the oven for about 20 minutes.After this time, hot almonds, put into a blender with letter "S" shape blade. Blend for 3 - 5 minutes, stopping form time to time and scrubbing down the almonds form the mixing bowl. At the end of blending, add the cocoa. Pour into jars (I used two) and store in a cool, dark place. Don't refrigerate.

Recipe was created in my head and comes from my heart

Eclair Tort

I was looking and looking and did not find it, so I created it myself. If I can make 20 small, regular éclairs, I can make one big, too, right? The Jubilarian asked specifically for eclairs, and I wanted to go one step further and make the pleasure of surprise. For the  éclairs to be even more French I added pattisserie and made it healthier way. The whole torte was poured over with the chocolate - coffee glaze.
 

Ingredients for 24 cm cake:

375 g spelt flour

375 ml water

185 g butter

6 eggs, organic

Coconut flavor Pattisserie (Paleo):

400 ml coconut milk in a cans, organic

50 g shredded coconut

3 tbsp potato flour

3 tbsp honey

1 egg, organic

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of sea salt

In a small saucepan, combine milk, flour, honey, and salt. Heat over medium heat until thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and after 5 minutes, add coconut and vanilla. Done.

Chocolate - Coffee Glaze:

75 g of dark chocolate, I use 85%

30 ml espresso

2 - 3 tbsp maple syrup

Dissolve the chocolate in a water bath or in the oven (5 min, 150°C/300F°). Mix with coffee and syrup. Ready.

Directions:

In a low, wide saucepan boil water and butter. To the boiling water, gradually pour flour, stirring and stir with a wooden spoon. When the flour has absorbed all the water, allow to cool completely (approx. 2 hours). After this time, very slowly add previously lightly beaten eggs. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.  

The consistency should be glossy.

Butter and flour spring form pan. Pour the pastry in to it and put to preheated to 200°C/400°F oven. 

Bake for 30 minutes.

Next, remove from the spring form and cool on a baking rack. Once it's cooled, cut horizontally in half. Put the lower bottom part of the eclairs a serving plate, spread pattisserie over. Gently cover with the second part and decorate with chocolate - coffee glaze.

 Recipe was created in my head and comes from my heart