Chocolate "Mud Hen" Bars

This is a combination of Paleo Brownies with Brownie Mud Hen Bars modified on top.

Assemble ingredients for Paleo Brownies:

4 eggs

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup raw honey 

3 tbsp coconut oil (melted)

2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

Assemble ingredients for topping: 

1/3 cup pecans, chopped

1/3 cup extra dark chocolate chips  (optional)
1 cup pureed dates
2 egg whites

• Preheat oven to 350°
• Lightly grease an 8x8 pan with coconut oil
• Spread brownie ingredients in pan
• Top with chocolate chips and pecans
• Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold in the date puree
• Spread evenly over the brownie layer
• Bake for 35 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown

Chill after baking.  Microwave before serving.

Paleo Chocolate Apple Pie

Crust (don't pre-bake) As seen here Elana's Pie Crust:

• 2 cups almond flour
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 egg

1. Place flour and salt in food processor and pulse briefly
2. Add coconut oil and egg and pulse until mixture forms a ball
3. Press dough into a 9-inch pie dish

Pie:
2 crusts from above
3 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
2 tbspn Honey
1 tbspn Maple Syrup
3 tspn Ghee
1 cup extra dark chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Add ingredients as listed in layers (except butter)
• Add top crust, make 3 slices in crust for steam, put butter on each cut
• Wet fingers with water and wash top of crust
• Add aluminum sheet to protect crust at edges
• Bake at 400 for 10 minutes or until crust is brown
• Lower heat to 350 and cook 25 minutes to cook insides

Lots of trial and error needed on this one.  Luckily I'm ready to taste test.

Adapted from here:  Chocolate Dosed Apple Pie

Nut Butter Pumpkin Bread

Frequently when I am surfing Pinterest I find baked goods that look delicious but do not fit into the Paleo diet.  I am a recent convert to the Paleo diet, and lifestyle, and I am interested in converting these recipes that I find into something that I could enjoy a variant of.  Yes although I am making the conversion I am not going to be too strict.  Mostly I just want to get rid of the primary offenders.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread  Recipe Here, CrazyForCrust.com

Ok, so starting with the title:  No peanut butter, no chocolate chips (going to sub something with high levels of cocoa), and when I think bread I typically think flour, so we'll have to convert that too.  

Here is the recipe, with modifications.

Ingredients

1/4 cup nonfat greek yogurt  (Might let this one slide)

3/4 cup pumpkin puree, from the can

2 eggs

1/2 cup peanut butter  (Let's do almond butter)

1/4 cup granulated sugar  (maple syrup)

1/2 cup brown sugar   (honey)

1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour (1 cup almond flour, 1 cup coconut flour, hopefully this combo will suck the moisture from the wet sweet ingredients above, need some trial and error here)

1 cup extra dark chocolate chips, divided

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.

Whisk greek yogurt, pumpkin, eggs, and nut butter in a large bowl until no lumps remain.

Stir in sweeteners, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda. Stir in flour(s).

Stir about 3/4 cup chocolate chips into batter.

Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean at the edge of the bread. The bread may fall in the middle slightly, that’s okay. At a 30 minute baking time, the top center portion may be underdone - I like it that way. If you prefer it to be more done, add about 5 minutes baking time.

Pics to follow when I get this completed!