Flourless Mocha-Bacon Brownies

Nineteen years ago today my husband did the greatest thing - he proposed to me!  Thankfully, I was smart enough to say, "YES"!

In honor of our good choices, 19 years ago, I made my husband a batch of these to-die-for-brownies from Diane Sanfilippo's book Practical Paleo.  Now don't just copy the recipes from my blog.  Go out and buy the book yourself.  It is chock full of information along with great recipes like this one.

Photo: Practical Paleo

Ingredients:

• 4oz dark chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons very strong coffee
• 2 tablespoons fine coffee grounds
• 2 slices cooked bacon, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine chocolate, butter, maple syrup, and eggs.
3. Slowly sift in the cocoa and mix to combine.
4. Add coffee and coffee grounds and mix to combine.
5. Spread into a parchment lined brownie pan.
6. Top with chopped bacon.
7. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Dust with cocoa powder.

Did you notice this recipe is grain free? It is also FODMAPs free!

Enjoy, we did!

My Paleo Valentine

My friend, Kindra, is a paleoista and an amazing blogger.  With Valentine's Day around the corner, this is perfect timing.  I'm super grateful.  Thanks, friend!

My Paleo Valentine! 12 Chocolate Recipes to Melt Your Lover’s Heart!

Standard Warning: CHOCOLATE ON THE BRAIN!

Let’s talk Valentine’s Day, shall we? It’s about a week away, and since my hubby will be gone the 13th and 14th, we’ll be celebrating even earlier. Never too soon to be thinking of your one true love on a completely manufactured, made-up, marketing scheme of a holiday. All skepticism aside, I will be making him some fun goodies to take to the fire station to share. Here’s a few ideas I gathered that could all be thought of as Valentine treats, which dials down to “chocolate covered.”

Chocolate Covered Strawberries!


Chocolate Covered Bacon


Paleo Chocolate Magic Shell


Dark Chocolate Covered Hasselbacks!


Gingerbread Cake Pops with Dark Cacao Frosting


Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies!


Paleo Mug Cake


Gingerbread Pumpkin Doughnuts with Chocolate Glaze


Best Ever Paleo Lava Mug Cake


Dark Cacao and Bulletproof Coffee Nutella


Almond Flour Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies


Nutella Croissants

Butter In My Coffee

Brad and I have Bulletproof Coffee every morning for breakfast.  It took some getting used to for me.  I normally don't have a lot of cream in my coffee so this rich, creamy drink was very strange to my palate.


Here's the recipe - you should also check it out on the Bulletproof Executive blog:

• Start with 2 mugs of good black coffee, brewed with mold-free beans.  Brad and I use Portola Coffee Lab's amazing coffee, and Alchemistic is my favorite.  Says the Bulletproof Exec (BE), "clean coffee actually fights cancer and provides antioxidants."
• Add 2 Tbs or more of Kerrygold or other UNSALTED grass-fed butter.  Says BE, "Yes, butter.  All the benefits of healthy milk fat with none of the damaging denatured casein proteins found in cream.  Starting your day with grass-fed butter will give you lots of energy and it will give your body healthy fats that it will use to make cell walls and hormones."
• Add 2 Tbs of MCT oil for max energy, weight loss and brain function
• Blend with a pre-heated hand blender, Magic Bullet, or (best) counter top blender until there is a creamy head of foam

Why do we put butter and oil in our coffee?   Says Dave (and I've found it to be true for me as well), "It makes for the creamiest, most satisfying cup of coffee you’ve ever had. It will keep you satisfied with level energy for 6 hours if you need it. And because I’m having it for breakfast, I’m programming my body to burn fat for energy all day long!"

From Dave's blog:

It will take your body a week or so to fully turn on its fat digestion systems when you switch to a high healthy fat breakfast of Bulletproof coffee. If at first it is a little too rich, try using less butter at first and build up to the amount you like. Taking a betaine HCl or digestive enzyme supplement with your coffee will also help your body digest the butter.
Try this. After one drink of Bulletproof coffee, you’ll never be tempted to eat fat-free, insulin-raising, fat-storing toast and oatmeal breakfasts again!

 Cheers!