Grain-Free Salted Maple Pecan Pie Bars

I gotta say-- as cliche as it may sound, I never thought I'd turn out quite so much like my parents. If you had offered me a slice of pecan pie 10 years ago, I probably would've passed it up, and left more for my dad, who loves the stuff. Nowadays, I jump on the opportunity to make pecan pie, and am happy to eat it all myself. 

The first bite still makes me think of my dad, but then I'm overwhelmed by Oh my gosh, soooo gooood thoughts, and I just keep on munching. 

My mom, on the other hand was more about pumpkin pie. She would spend the week leading up to Thanksgiving pouring over copies of Living and other foodie magazines, earmarking her favorites pumpkin pie recipes (along with stuffing recipes, biscuit recipes, etc). When the big day finally came, she'd make all of the classics, with funny twists and tasteful turns. Nonsense, right? I would never spend weeks searching for every odd version of pecan pie and then finally settle on making something completely different... 😉

And if you were to ask how I decided to make Salted Maple Pecan Pie Bars instead of regular pecan pie, I'd probably open my mouth to explain. In a voice just like my mom's, I'd say something like "Oh, you know, I just was experimenting," because that's the type of thing I heard her say my whole life. 

But sometimes, experiments pay off: these gooey puppies are caramelly, nutty, and crunchy. They're sticky, but no too sweet. They don't need whipped cream/whipped coconut cream/ice cream just to cut the sweetness, but... we all know that whipped cream isn't really optional when it comes to pie.

Grain-Free Salted Maple Pecan Pie Bars

Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

A thick shortbread-like crust topped with a gooey layer of maple butter filling and toasted pecans. Finished with flake sea salt.

Serves: 12   |    Total Time: 1.5 - 2 hours

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Ingredients:

• 1 recipe Paleo Pie Crust dough (unbaked)
• 1 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoons arrowroot powder
• 1 teaspoon cold water
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon fleur de sel, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Make the pie crust dough according to instructions. Then, press the dough into the bottom of a 9x9 pan, working the dough so that the crust goes about 1/4 inch up the side of the pan (this creates a reservoir for the filling). The bottom of the crust will be around 1/2 centimeter thick. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in syrup, and cook until mixture is bubbling, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly, 5-6 minutes. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the arrowroot powder and water. Whisk in milk, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Slowly add warm butter mixture, whisking constantly, until smooth. Pour filling into pie shell, then arrange pecans evenly on top
3. Bake until pie is puffed and set along edges, 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

Grain-Free Brown Butter & Pear Coffee Cake

Let's start from the top with this one, because there is just soooo much to love.

First stop: Streusel. I'm a big streusel fan, and have been in quite the streusel mood lately. I've been finding all sorts of things to top with it -- even this banana bread with an added streusel layer. 😍Streusel is buttery, crunchy, sweet, -- what more could you want? I'm mad for it. 

Next stop? 🍐The pear and raisin filling. Perfectly ripe pears are a delight in any form, but in this cake they are both creamy and light, all in one bite. They're sweet, with a hint of floral flavor. The raisins add a bit of texture, and after being baked in this cozy cake, they soak up hints of vanilla, buttery flavor, and become even more delicious than before they were added into the cake. Together, they make this treat a perfectly delicious and light-enough-for-a-snack cake.

The last part--the cake batter itself- is the best of all. The real magic maker is the browned butter. Have you baked with brown butter? The first time you do it will change your life! Seriously-- once I discovered brown butter I never made cookies the same way again. Browned butter starts as just regular butter, but you cook it low and slow until it becomes a beautiful caramel color. Something happens when butter begins to brown, it goes from tasting like butter to tasting like caramel, butter, and so much more all in one bite. See what I mean? Life changing. Anyways, brown butter is what makes this soft-crumb almond flour cake so drool-worthy. 

If this is what fall tastes like, I'm happy with the seasons just standing still right here. 🍂

Grain-Free Brown Butter & Pear Coffee Cake

Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

Brown butter is the secret magic that makes this cake so good, but if you’re dairy-free, go ahead and try it with coconut oil or even ghee.

Serves: 8-12   |    Total Time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients:

Cake:
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 3-4 tablespoons honey
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup coconut milk (canned)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 pears
• 1/3 cup raisins
Crumble Topping:
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1/3 cup almond flour
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350°F. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter for the cake over low heat. Continue to heat over low until butter turns golden in color and begins to smell of caramel. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, honey, coconut milk, vanilla, and once cool to touch the browned butter. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, folding until fully incorporated. Next, dice and seed the pears. Fold the pears, along with the raisins, fold into batter.
3. Spread the batter into a grease 9-inch cake pan.
4. Make the crumble topping: melt the butter, and stir in the coconut sugar, almond flour, and coconut flour. A course meal should form. Sprinkle over entire cake in even layer. Place in center wrack of oven and bake for 30 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Cauliflower & Parsnip Soup with Caramelized Onions & Apples

Update 11/18/2018: This is one of the most popular recipes on Foraged Dish! I have updated it with a video and new images, and refined the instructions. The soup is the same!

1. Roasted Cauliflower

2. Caramelized Onions

3. Sautéd Apples

4. Ultra creamy

5. Plant-based

6. A swirl of truffle oil

7. Let's count caramelized onions twice because-- well, I shouldn't have to explain

These are just a few reasons to love this soup, which is super cozy, and perfect for a snow day.

The body of this soup is made up of roasted cauliflower, parsnips, and garlic. They get browned in the oven and then puréed with veggie broth and coconut milk for a smooth, silky soup. The texture is similar to potato soup, but parsnips lend a sweet, earthy note that feels super fall-y.

Parsnips, apples, caramelized onions … all great fall flavors! And all of them have a natural sweetness, which means this soup goes really well with something savory, like buttered sourdough or grilled cheese, or just a few slices of gruyere on the side. Saltiness that balances it all out.

Cauliflower & Parsnip Soup with Caramelized Onions & Apples

Published November 3, 2015 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 1 hour

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Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

3 large parsnips, roughly chopped — 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and divided

4-5 cups vegetable broth, (this will vary depending on size of parsnips)

1/2 cup coconut milk (canned, full fat) OR half-and-half

1 large yellow onion, sliced thin

1 large crisp apple, cored and diced

1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Truffle oil to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. On a sheet pan, combine cauliflower, parsnips, and garlic. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil, and stir to coat veggies. Place veggie in oven and roast 20-25 minutes, until browning on edges.
3. While the veggies roast: heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch skillet over low heat. Add sliced onions to pan, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions are a golden brown. Add a pinch of salt during this step to speed it up. Add diced apples to pan, and cook 5 minutes longer, until apples are softened.
4. Place cooked veggies in a blender with coconut milk, broth, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt to taste. (Test soup for temperature at this point: if your soup needs to be warmed up, do it now: either heat it in the microwave, or bring it to a simmer in a sauce pan).
5. Divide soup among serving bowls and top with caramelized onions and apples. Drizzle with truffle oil and season with pepper to taste.