I wasn't interested in eating paleo until...

I wasn't really interested in eating a paleo diet until just recently. I heard about it years ago but it looked like most people following paleo were eating a ton of meat - something I won't do.  After taking an incredible course with Medical Herbalist, Paul Bergner - I became intrigued. The course was all about auto-immunity and food intolerance. Paul was a huge advocate of the paleo diet. Many of his clients came to him with all kinds of symptoms (IBS, Eczema, Psoriasis, acne, aches, pains, auto-immune disorders +++) and the way he was able to help his clients alleviate their symptoms (sometimes cure them!) of these illnesses was by coaching them through an elimination diet. His clients were then able to notice which foods caused symptoms and which ones didn't. Paul states that two of the top foods causing issues were glutenous grains and dairy. He strongly recommended removing these foods from the diet in order to feel your best. Throughout the course, Paul mentioned eating a paleo diet with the focus on vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds - followed by a small portion of meats. Since I am already following a mostly gluten free diet - I decided to give paleo a try.  I don't follow it 100%; however, I have started to limit the amount of grains I eat (even those that are gluten free) and I must say I do feel good! 

I had a craving for something sweet the other night and decided to try making a paleo friendly dessert. Blondies! They turned out better than I expected and I'm so excited to share them with you! Recipe and instructions below. 

MAPLE + TOASTED WALNUT BLONDIES

Ingredients:

For the blondies:

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1/3 cup almond butter

1/3 cup coconut sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup almond flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

For the walnut layer:

1 and 1/2 cups walnuts

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/3 cup full fat coconut milk

pinch of salt

How to:

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. Make the blondies - whisk all dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined. Pour mixture into the pan. 

Make the walnut layer - add the walnuts to a dry pan over low-medium heat. Toss frequently until they are lightly browned. Put the toasted nuts on a plate and when they are cool enough to handle - roughly chop. Using the same pan over medium heat, melt the coconut oil and add the coconut sugar. When the sugar has dissolved allow the mixture to boil for a minute or so. Add in the coconut milk and pinch of salt. Remove from heat and add the walnuts to the sauce and stir until fully combined. Pour entire mixture over blondies. Place in the oven for 25 minutes. 

This is the most difficult part- waiting until they cool completely before cutting them into bars! I found allowing them to cool and then placing them in the freezer for an hour was the best option. I tried slicing them at room temperature and they fell apart...so definitely get them very cold before attempting to slice!!

These turned out beautifully. I couldn't even get a picture because they were basically all gone the same evening! Let me know if you try these out. I think you'll really enjoy them...even if you don't follow a paleo diet. 

By: Stefania Moccia