The Paleo Pact

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Christmas Pie

Merry Christmas to You, our wonderful Paleo friends!

Since Christmas is a time to be thankful, we wanted to let you know just how grateful we are to you for sharing this journey to health with us. Your friendship, comments, advice and support are what keep us going and words can’t adequately express just how appreciative we are, Thank You.

Christmas Traditions

Christmas is different in every household. Mince Pies were a staple holiday treat throughout my childhood in South Africa. My boyfriend’s Italian heritage meant that family style pasta was a tradition at his family Christmas gatherings. What is your Christmas tradition? We would love to hear it! And have you been able to make that tradition Paleo?

A Taste of the Holidays

Since I left South Africa (over eight years ago now) I have craved Mince Pies. I’m not quite sure why they are not a huge hit here like they are back home, but I am determined to change that!

Mince Pies are not mincemeat pies–they are the traditional English Christmas treat with stewed fruit and festive spices–or in other words, pure deliciousness!

This year I couldn’t let another Christmas go by, so I put myself up to the challenge and not only did I make my first Mince Pie ever, I made it Paleo (and alcohol-free):

INGREDIENTS

Pie Filling

1/2 cup water
6 apples, cored and chopped
1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup unsweetened, dried cranberries
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup honey or raw agave nectar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup grass-fed butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pie Crust
+ Everything included in the Paleo Pie Crust recipe

RECIPE

In a medium pot or large sauté pan, bring all of the Pie Filling ingredients to the boil, then reduce the heat slightly and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the filling is cooking, make the Paleo Pie Crust.
Once the Pie Crust has baked, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Let the pie filling mixture cool before scooping it into the baked Paleo Pie Crust.

Top the mixture with a thin crumbled layer of unbaked Paleo Pie Crust dough to ‘seal’ the pie.

Place it in the oven to bake for another 30 minutes.
Remove the pie from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Tip: The pie filling can also be made in advance and refrigerated for a few days, or frozen and used later when a Christmas Pie craving kicks in.

May this Christmas be your sweetest ever,

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Cranberry Nut Cookies

December wouldn’t be complete without melt-in-your-mouth festive cookies, which is why we’ve got you covered with this Paleo version that is free of gluten and made with natural sugars, natural flours and grass-fed butter.

This recipe follows the base cookie recipe featured in our eBook, Quick & Fantastic Paleo Cookies, but works in the festive flavors of cranberries and almonds.

Cranberries boast high quantities of fiber, manganese and vitamin C and, together with almonds, make a tasty and nutritious treat.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup grass-fed butter, kept refrigerated
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
1 ½ tablespoons honey or raw agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ tablespoons water
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened, dried cranberries
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Arrowroot flour as a non-stick base for rolling

RECIPE

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place foil or parchment paper sheets over your baking sheet to prevent your cookies from sticking.
Combine the tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking soda and sea salt in a small bowl.
In a food processor (or using a large bowl and an electric hand mixer) beat the butter and sugar for approximately 2 minutes, or until fluffy.
Add the dry ingredients, water, agave and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture and beat until well combined.
Lightly dust arrowroot flour on a clean counter.
Place the cookie dough, cranberries and almonds on the dusted counter and combine them using your hands.

Once combined, using a rolling-pin, roll the cookie dough until 1/4 inch thick and then cut out your cookies using a cookie cutter.
(If ever the dough is too sticky to handle, simply add a small amount of arrowroot flour at a time until it becomes manageable.)
Place the cookies on your lined baking sheet and bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe makes about a dozen cookies.

Happy National Cookie Day!

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Cranberry Almond Muffins

We just can’t get enough of cranberries this festive season!

Not only are they a great source of vitamin B-6, vitamin C, fiber and potassium, they add a bold festive color to food and have an unusually delicate balance of tart and sweet flavors.

The question has come up of where to find cranberries that are sugar-free. It’s a good question as it is a much harder task than it should be. Our secret is looking often at various stores and always reading the labels. The other all-time safe bet for sugar-free cranberries is Cherry Bay Orchards.

This Cranberry Almond Muffin recipe is one of my favorites. It is so easy to make and is both gluten-free and dairy-free.
Plus, these muffins freeze fantastically, so you can bake a batch and enjoy them all winter long…

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 shake salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon raw agave nectar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup unsweetened cranberries
1/2 cup sliced almonds

RECIPE

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Pulse the apricots in a food processor until finely chopped.
Add the coconut flour, coconut oil, salt, baking soda, eggs, honey/agave and vanilla extract and pulse until well combined.
Place the mixture into a mixing bowl and fold in the cranberries and almonds.

Scoop 2 tablespoons of the muffin mix into each large muffin paper liner and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer poked through the center comes out clean.
This recipe makes about 10 muffins.

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!