Healthy yet tasty gingersnaps are a deliciously addictive traditional holiday cookie. My gluten free, grain free version contain a good dose of anti-inflammatory ginger. I'm passionate about creating desserts that please the palate and contain super foods as well --a win-win situation for myself, my family and my readers.

These cookies are one of those rare vegan, yet primal friendly treats. These nutritious cookies are the perfect primal friendly treat. I won't call them Paleo as I believe many peeps will take the opportunity to point out that this is not a perfectly Paleo cookie recipe --pretty close though.

My children and I have been baking quite a lot of gluten free, grain free cookies lately. I find this ginger cookie recipe especially easy to make and so do the boys. That's why I will be preparing these cookies live on Colorado's "Everyday" Show. The program will broadcast on our local FOX affiliate KDVR, tomorrow, Tuesday, December 6th, 2011 at 10:45am (MST).

I went on Twitter last night asking folks a few questions about the holidays. You see, I'm Jewish and was having trouble deciding which cookies are appropriate for Christmas. The verdict was that my Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies are indeed a Christmas treat. I want to thank everyone who responded to my religious-culinary inquiry.

In the next couple of weeks I'll be tweeting a lot about what I'm making for the holidays this year --feel free to join the conversation.

Update: here's the video for aforementioned above!

Here's a lovely seasonal treat --gluten free apple crisp that's simple and easy to make with very few, and very healthy ingredients. This recipe for Granny Smith Apple Crisp is particularly low carb because I use the low glycemic sweetener xylitol.

Since so many people have written to me to tell me they do not use agave, I thought it would be nice to research a variety of alternative sweeteners and experiment with them. Hence the use of xylitol (a low glycemic sweetener) in this recipe. My children couldn't taste the difference and my doctor highly recommends xylitol for those that can digest it --it is not as easy to digest as agave for some people.

As always, use the ingredients that suit you best, and take the time to experiment with substitutions, as I cannot answer your (or my own) substitution questions without actually testing them in real life in my real kitchen.

As you can see from the note above, this recipe was a major hit with my older son. He left me a note on the dessert that said, "Mom, please do not let ANYONE eat the crisp. I want to eat it. TKS (Thanks)."

Every fall when I begin baking fruit desserts in earnest, I have the same internal dialogue --what is the exact difference between a crumble and a crisp? And every fall, without fail, I pull out my well worn copy of the Joy of Cooking and look this up again. I thought I would share what the good book says with all of you:

"For a crisp, the flour, butter, and sugar are mixed together like pie dough before the liquid is added, and the mixture scattered over the top."

"A crunch is fruit sandwiched between two layers of sweetened, buttered crumbs; it is served cut into squares, like bar cookies , but is more fragile...Crumble is the British name for a crisp or crunch with oatmeal in the topping."

Here are some more healthy gluten free recipes using apples:
-Cinnamon Apple Cake
-Caramel Apples
-Fennel Apple Soup

These Paleo friendly gluten free treats are a great addition to a high protein breakfast and also perfectly suited for dunking in healthy coffee for an afternoon snack that won't leave you dragging.  My children like them too.  So do their friends.  I wish I could certify certain gluten free desserts that I make as "kid friendly," like some sort of good housekeeping seal of approval.  Alas, no such luck.

If you are familiar with these treats it's because I posted them a long while back.  I've been making them quite a lot recently and wanted to re-share with you so you can enjoy them as much as we do.

Summer is winding down over here and the boys are already back in school. They started on Monday, if you can believe that. We had a wonderful gluten free/Paleo summer with much baseball and great cooking and hikes. It was very satisfying and I think the boys were ready to head back into school.

Our biggest challenge this year is the bilingual program that both of the boys are enrolled in. They are learning Spanish with native Spanish speakers, and my older son, J is taking Geography class entirely in Spanish which I think is amazing.

Here's to hoping I can improve my Spanish while helping them with their homework and eating gluten free biscotti!

There's nothing like baked fruit desserts in summer.  With seasonal, fresh, luscious ingredients, this gluten free Apple Blackberry Crisp is the perfect healthy and scrumptious, warm weather delight.  When finished off with a high protein almond flour topping, baked treats such as this are superfood in the form of dessert.  Now what's better than that?

Our summer started last Thursday when the boys finished school, and we are having an excellent time thus far.  Our house has been the setting for lots of sleep overs, lunches, snacks and water balloon fights for the boys and all of their friends.

Today we've been deeply involved in preparing for the Mapleton Hill Rummage Sale which takes place this weekend.  The boys plan to have an organic lemonade stand where they will sell high protein brownies, cookies and other treats, Saturday morning.  Who knows, they might even be selling Apple Blackberry Crisp.

Here are some more fruit dessert recipes you may like from other food bloggers:
-Irish Cream Gluten-Free Pear Crisp For Two from AndreAnna of Life as a Plate
-Peach Blueberry Cointreau Crisp from Lori of Gluten Free Best Friends Forever!
-Cashew Crème Pear Tart (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free*) from Alisa of Go Dairy Free
-Grilled Peaches with Ricotta Cheese from Alice of Savory Sweet Life

Photo by Annabelle Breakey from Gluten-Free Cupcakes

I am beyond tickled to announce the forthcoming publication of my second book Gluten-Free Cupcakes on April 26th, 2011. Right now the book is available for pre-order online for only $9.03!

I also want to thank so many of my delightful colleagues for spreading the word about my new book and blogging, facebooking and tweeting their hearts out about it:

Gluten-Free Cupcakes is truly a labor of love, as my boys were very involved in its conception and development --what child doesn't love cupcakes? Jacob and Ethan my two sons, are now 12 and 11 respectively.

When my editor and I settled on a preliminary recipe list for the book, the first thing I did was print out two copies, one for each of the boys. They sat on the couch, read through the list, and then I queried them, "Which recipes do you like? Are there any that you want removed? Are we missing anything?"

My two little editors-in-chief, had quite a lot of feedback for me --Baseball Cupcakes easily made the cut. Then the concept of a cheesecake cupcake was added by Ethan, and a marble cupcake was added by Jacob. That's just a highlight of our late night conversations --late night being before 9pm in our house, at least when it comes to children. Many a night after the boys were in bed, I was up baking cupcakes until 2 or 3 am.

Below is my recipe for Strawberry Cupcakes from Gluten-Free Cupcakes; it is one of Ethan's favorites.

Strawberry CupcakesNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

• ½ cup coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
• ¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 4 large eggs
• ½ cup agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh strawberries

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 8 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the coconut flour, arrowroot powder, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, agave nectar, and vanilla extract. Blend the wet ingredients into the coconut flour mixture with a handheld mixer until thoroughly combined, then fold in the strawberries.

Scoop ¼ cup of batter into each prepared muffin cup.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 1 hour.

Frost with Whipped Cream Frosting or Strawberry Meringue Frosting (pg.92) from Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made with Almond and Coconut Flour, and serve.

Makes 8 cupcakes

Here are some more gluten free dessert recipes that use strawberries that you might like:
-Strawberry & Mini Cupcake Kabobs from Kelly of The Spunky Coconut
-Strawberry Mousse (SCD & GFCF) from Zoe of Z's Cup of Tea
-Chocolate Covered Berries from SunnyB of And Love It Too

I'm on a gluten free cupcake mission, as you can see from the photo above and my other recent posts for Jelly Donut Cupcakes and Coconut Key Lime Cupcakes. 

The boys are thrilled when they get home from school and the house looks like its ready for a birthday party.  And I'm thrilled to see them with frosting all over their cute little faces.

I think these light and fluffy gluten free banana cupcakes would also be fabulous with Chocolate Frosting or the Peanut Butter frosting from my book, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook.

If you are in Boulder on May 22nd I will be at the Whole Foods on Pearl Street from 12-2pm for a book signing and tasting event. It should be a blast! Hope to see you there.

Kumquats are in season right now. What's a kumquat you ask? Essentially it's a citrus fruit that closely resembles an orange, though it is much smaller. If you want to know more about kumquats there is a great article over at the Cooking Light website.

Meanwhile, here's a cozy holiday recipe for gluten free Kumquat Garlic Chicken.  We're having this tonight for the first night of Hanukkah, along with Squash Latkes and gluten free Matzo Ball Soup, of course.

Kumquat Garlic ChickenNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
1 whole chicken (2-3 pounds) 1 whole chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon celtic sea salt
1 head garlic
½ cup orange juice
½ cup water
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
8 ounces kumquats, unpeeled

1. Rinse the chicken and pat dry
2. Place the chicken breast side up in a 9x13 inch Pyrex baking dish, then rub with oil and sprinkle with salt
3. Stuff the head of garlic into the cavity of the chicken along with a couple of kumquats
4. In a large bowl, combine the orange juice, water, agave and arrowroot
5. Pour the orange juice mixture into the baking dish around the chicken
6. Place the kumquats in the dish
7. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes
8. Lower heat to 375° and continue to roast the chicken until it is cooked through, about 40 minutes
9. Remove from oven and serve

It's Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook mania!

The amazing and talented Stephanie from A Year of Slow Cooking and author of Make It Fast, Cook It Slow did a wonderful holiday gift roundup post in support of fellow food bloggers, with nice reviews of cookbooks, including my gluten free cookbook. Thanks Stephanie! She is also giving away 2 copies of The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook over at her other blog, Totally Together Reviews.

Diane from The W.H.O.L.E. Gang is also giving away 2 copies of The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook on her blog, thewholegang.org.  I was lucky enough to meet both Diane and Stephanie this fall at the Blogher Conference in San Francisco.

If you are in Boulder I'll be doing a book signing at Barnes and Noble tomorrow, Saturday, December 12th.

I've also got a couple of television appearances on December 16th. One with Good Day Colorado at 8:15am (Mountain Time) and another right after that on Daybreak on the Deuce at 8:35am (Mountain Time). I'll be talking about my cookbook and making gluten-free recipes live on the air for each of these shows!

The winner of last weeks Friday Freebie for the Magic Line loaf pan is Betsy. Congratulations!

This week I'll be giving away The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook and a 5lb bag of blanched almond flour. To be entered into this Holiday Deluxe Giveaway follow these 3 steps:

UPDATE: the big giveaway has ended, the winner was Liz

Happy Hanukkah!

This Pad Thai is one of my family's favorite dishes.  Add a heap of grilled chicken or sea food and you have a delicious high protein meal.

I purchase my noodles at the Asian market in town and haven't seen them online.  If you are looking for noodles, you'll need to check out the Asian markets in your neck of the woods.  If anyone knows of a good source for mung bean noodles that would be accessible to everyone (think Whole Foods or perhaps an online retailer) by all means, leave a comment.

Vegetarian Pad ThaiNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
6 ounces mung bean noodles
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 head broccoli, chopped into small spears
¼ cup water
3 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon ume plum vinegar
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon water
¼ cup scallion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
¼ cup peanuts, roasted and chopped

1. Bring water for noodles to boil in a large pot
2. Cook noodles according to instructions on package, then drain and set aside
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil, then add onion
4. Saute onions for 10-15 minutes, over medium-low heat until lightly browned
5. Add broccoli and ¼ cup water
6. Cover pan and saute 5 minutes or so until broccoli turns bright green and begins to soften
7. Stir in garlic and salt
8. Then stir in sesame oil, agave and ume vinegar
9. In a small bowl, combine arrowroot and 1 tablespoon water, stirring vigorously to make a paste without any lumps
10. Pour the paste over the broccoli and mix quickly and vigorously to loosen any of the mixture that sticks to the bottom of the pan
11. Place noodles on individual plates, then top with broccoli mixture
12. Garnish with scallions, cilantro and peanuts

Top with your favorite protein: chicken, seafood, tofu, etc.

Serves 4

This is a great dish winter, spring, summer or fall.  I hope you enjoy it.

We're back in full swing with baseball.  My older son is playing on the All-Star Team again so I'll be baking dozens of cookies and brownies in the next 6-8 weeks for their tournaments and having quite a few late night dinners after their 6:00 PM practices.  I'm not complaining though, it's so much fun to sit outside in the evening and watch him play.  A fabulous way to spend summer nights!

Toast it for breakfast and serve with a side of scrambled eggs.  Works great along with a big salad at lunch.   Or, for a quick and easy dinner, it makes a great sandwich with organic turkey, avocado, romaine, tomatoes and dijon.

I think this bread would also be delectable as an after dinner treat with a smear of dairy-free butter (I'm very into this Earth Balance's Vegan Buttery Spread of late) and a dab of jam or honey.  If you're looking for the Earth Balance, I purchase mine at Vitamin Cottage or Whole Foods.

Note: I've received several questions about how to store this bread. After baking, I let it sit on the counter overnight to cool, then wrap it in a paper towel, put it into a zip lock plastic bag and refrigerate. Stored this way it keeps for at least a week.

Here's your Comment Zen for the day:

I eat Paleo/Zone for health and athletic benefits, but typically use your recipes for "treats" that don't fall off the plan (too far anyway).  Thanks for the excellent recipes and info, keep it coming. - Steven

What I love about this comment is that he really gets how to use my site and recipes in an optimal way. Amen Steven, couldn't have said it better myself!

Hello Mark's Daily Apple readers! Be sure to check out my Paleo/primal Bread recipe.

I've been a bit lazy in the kitchen this past week --we've had sandwich night twice already.  I slice and toast the gluten-free bread (pictured) and then put it out with organic turkey slices, romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes, dijon mustard, grapeseed oil [Vegenaise] and sliced cheese (dairy for the boys).  I serve the sandwich fixings along with a big tossed green salad (which we each dress ourselves with oil and vinegar).

Alternatively, this gluten-free bread is great toasted and spread with goat cheese (as in the photo above), nut butter or dipped in olive oil.

I hope you enjoy this quick and easy bread; it's full of fiber (from the flax and almond) and tasty in oh so many ways.  I call it "Gluten Free Bread 2.0" because it is my second gluten free bread recipe for this site.  The first gluten free bread recipe was my Simple Bread, made way back when.  I like this one better.

This loaf yields a medium size slice, not as big as a regular slice, though is very filling, so I'm always sure to slice it thinly, as not to overload on bread.  I use this magic line loaf pan for just about all of my bread baking --it distributes the heat evenly and bakes the bread through, which is not always easy when baking with almond flour which tends to be rather moist.

Storage: I wrap my bread in a paper towel and then seal it in a Ziploc bag; stored this way it can keep for several days refrigerated.