Barthelemy - Paleo desserts: 125 delicious everyday favorites, gluten- and grain-free

This book could never have come to pass without the following people. I owe you all a debt of gratitude for your generosity of spirit to help make this book the best it can be.

Kathleen Spike, my life coach, deserves recognition for her steadfast enthusiasm, for challenging me to excellence at every step, and for testing recipes.

Fred Brown, deserves a deep bow of gratitude for his encouragement, and for sending me into the deep uncharted waters of Paleo Desserts with only coconut and chicory root.

I am grateful to Sifu Daniel Villasenor, qigong and yoga master who unwittingly seeded this book with his departure in 2004. Thanks Daniel, for sharing the ancient Taoistic principles of food and life. It is our challenge to bring the wisdom of these chiseled guidelines into our modern lives.

A warm thank you to Dr. Chiaoli Lu, ND, DAOM, LAc, Director of the Mercy and Wisdom Healing, for her knowledgeable advice, inspiration, and for sponsoring my talk series.

I offer appreciation to Dr. Kamto Lee ND, DAOM, LAc of Serene Care Clinic for helping integrate Western naturopathic medicine with ancient Chinese herbal medicine and diet.

Thanks to Dr. Robert B. Kellum, N.D., Ph.D., of HealthBridge, Inc., for assisting me in my research on sweeteners, and the benefits of chicory root.

I appreciate the contribution of Will Meysing, my weight lifting friend, who introduced me to the Paleo Diet, and shared many amazing Paleo meals.

Thank you to my photographer Lloyd Lemmermann for his patience and trained eye.

An enormous debt of gratitude goes to Isabelle Bleeker of Da Capo Press for guiding the book toward excellence with patience and wit. To the fabulous editors at Da Capo Press, Rene Sedliar, Annie Lenth, and Iris Bass, thank you for making my writing better than it is. To Alex Camlin, Creative Director at Da Capo Press, appreciation for a mouth-wateringly beautiful book cover and design.

To Barbara Hampson, thank you for making comments on my book as an experienced chef. And to Heather Strang for adding zest to the recipes in her inimitable way.

Thanks to the doctors whose works inspired the recipes: Dr. Weston A. Price, Dr. Francis M. Pottenger, Dr. Loren Cordain, Dr. Robert Lustig, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Dr. Nancy Appleton, Dr. Bessie Jo Tillman, Dr. Coda Martin, Dr. Otto Heinrich Warburg, Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, and Dr. John Veltheim.

I offer thundering applause for my hundreds of taste testers. They evolved into a volunteer corps of Portland dessert tasters. (Could there be a better volunteer gig than this?!) Tasters reserved their desserts via email and promptly came to my home to pick up their items to taste. In return they gave me an honest critique. A special debt of gratitude goes to my toughest critics: Rochelle (Rocky) Stilwell, Claude Cruz, and Kathleen Spike.

Finally, to all my friends, professional colleagues, and clients, thank you for your contribution to this book and for all you have taught me along the way.

I f youre on a special diet and feel deprived, this book can be a true companion. Paleo Desserts are compatible with many alternative diets. Besides being Paleo and gluten-free / celiac-friendly, all these recipes are vegetarian, meaning they contain no meat. All recipes in this book are free of the common allergens: dairy, corn, potatoes, peanuts, and soy. They are also diabetic-friendly. In this book you will find 73 vegan recipes, such as Key Lime Pie. There are 67 tree nut-free recipes, and 35 desserts that are raw, such as Easy Chocolate Mousse. And the good news is theyre all made with fresh, whole-food ingredients, which I find even more delicious than their refined counterparts.

Note: In this chart tree nuts are almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, macadamias, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios, and other similar nuts. Coconut is not considered a tree nut. Seeds, such as flaxseeds and hemp seeds, are not considered nuts for the purposes of this chart.

This is a great basic recipe for yellow cake. My favorite birthday cake has layers of Whipped Crme and Raspberry Jam. If you prefer, this basic yellow cake also pairs well with Coconut Crme Cheese Frosting ()... the possibilities are endless!

[ YIELD: One double-layer 8-inch round cake or two 8 by 11-inch sheet cakes EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Any style blender and a food processor ]

3 cups 5-Minute Whipped Crme Topping ()

1 recipe Raspberry Jam ()

1 cups Just Like Sugar Table Top natural chicory root sweetener (not Baking). A second choice is 1 cups Organic Zero Erythritol.

1 cups medium-shredded unsweetened coconut flakes (not coconut flour)

cup arrowroot powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

teaspoon unprocessed salt

1 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional)

6 large eggs, at room temperature, separated

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

teaspoon almond extract

cup thick unsweetened coconut milk, or cup thin

Unsweetened coconut or raspberries, for garnish (optional)

1. Prepare the 5-Minute Whipped Crme Topping or Vanilla Pastry Cream and chill well.

2. Prepare the Raspberry Jam.

3. Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut parchment paper into circles to line either two 8-inch round cake pans or two 8 by 11-inch tart pans.

4. In a dry food processor fitted with the S blade, grind the sweetener to a very fine powder.

5. Add the shredded coconut to the sweetener in the food processor. Spin it for a minute to become a very fine powder. Open the lid, stir the bottom, replace the lid, and grind again until the powder is uniformly fine.