Seeley Kerr - Mini Morsels: Wholefood Single Serve Desserts for The Grain Free Food Lover

Mini Morsels Wholefood Single Serve Desserts for The Grain Free Food Lover Seeley Kerr To my family I send you my love and apologies for suffering through questionable meals we had until I found my groove To Nicole Donovan-Wells thank you for believing that I could fly Contents Introduction Kitchen Notes The Cakes Mini Sunshine Cake Orange & Poppy Seed Mug Cake Lime & Coconut Mug Cake Gooey Chocolate Fondant Raspberry Ripple Cake Jaffa Cake Apple & Cinnamon Mug Cake Zesty Lemon Cake Blueberry Vanilla Dream Cake Simple Spice Tea Cake Peaches & Cream Cake The Toppings Decadent Chocolate Sauce Coconut Double Cream Citrus Syrup Raspberry Sauce About Seeley Kerr Introduction Hi there! Thanks for picking up my book Whether you are choosing a grain-free lifestyle for your own health, supporting someone else who is avoiding grains or just interested in trying something different, Im sure youll find something here to delight your tastebuds. Learning to cook without wheat flour, can be a steep learning curve, it sure was for me! My family suffered through many disappointing desserts when we first started gluten-free eating and by the time we had transitioned to a grain-free diet we had almost given up on ever having a tasty cake, muffin or pudding ever again. Fruit & the occasional homemade jelly or custard were our only dessert options. I felt guilty that my kids had birthday custard instead of birthday cake. The frustration of being denied our favourite desserts became too much. I realised that I needed to try again.

Im not suggesting that cake should be a staple part of anyones diet, but I do believe that completely depriving yourself of the things you enjoy is a fast-track to misery. A single serve dessert is perfect for the times you would like a little dessert but dont want the leftovers . And kids love being able to make their very own cake and not have to share. SoLets eat cake! Kitchen Notes Equipment There is no fancy equipment required here. Youll need a fork, measuring spoons and something to bake in. I use our larger coffee cups or a medium ramekin to make our single serve desserts.

Anything that is oven proof and will comfortably hold 250 300ml will do the trick though. Any larger than that and you will end up with a flat and possibly overcooked cake. A bowl for combining ingredients is handy too, but not essential. Measuring Your Ingredients All the recipes in the book have be created using standard Australian measuring spoons. Ingredients have been measured by scooping from the container and then running the edge of the spoon along the edge of the packet/canister/jar to remove excess. You can also do this with a butter knife or spatula if you prefer.

Sets of measuring spoons that include a 1/8 teaspoon measure are available in my store, or there are tiny measuring spoons that are designed for cheesemaking available. 1/8 of a teaspoon can also be measured by half filling the teaspoon spoon measure and holding in on its side for increased accuracy. Ingredient Notes Coconut Flour Coconut flour is a temperamental beast. It needs to be measured precisely. It absorbs much more liquid and fat compared to other flours, so a small difference in measurement leads to a BIG difference in the end result . The wait time in the recipes allows the coconut flour to absorb the moisture properly before baking.

Please dont skip it! Youll end up with cakes that make your throat feel scratchy, and thats not fun. Almond Meal Fine blanched almond meal is used throughout these recipes. Using almond meal that is course or contains the skins will give you crumbly baked good s and possibly a slightly bitter taste . Eggs I prefer to use smaller eggs in single serve desserts to prevent them from becoming too egg-y. A 50g egg is the perfect size for the recipes in this book, thats the size I tested them with. Other sizes will work but the texture and flavour will vary slightly.

Sweeteners I choose to use only unprocessed sweeteners and I have developed these recipes using granulated, rather than liquid sweeteners. Coconut sugar is my favourite but all the recipes will work with rapadura, panela, sucanat . It would work with raw or white sugar too, but I dont recommend using those for anything except fermenting. As your body gets used to having more whole foods people usually notice they need to eat less sweet to feel satisfied. You can decrease the sugar in these recipes by up to half as your tastebuds adjust.
Fruit & Juice Fresh & fresh squeezed is always best but good quality canned fruit in juice can be used.

Cocoa Powder I use fair-trade , organic cocoa powder in my baking. Although raw cacao is high in magnesium and other minerals, I am not convinced of its superfood status . It is also high in phytates & oxalates, which bind minerals, meaning they are less bioavailable. My personal experiences with raw cacao have left me feeling jittery and unwell immediately after consumption followed by headaches and insomnia my two biggest magnesium deficiency warning signs. That leads me to believe that it isnt all its cracked up to be, especially for me, so I choose not to use it. Ingredient Quality Starting with good quality ingredients will give you the best results.

Spices should be purchased fresh and in small amounts. As your spices age they lose their aromatic compounds, which means less flavour. I advocate organic wherever possible, especially in the case of coconut products, fats, citrus where you are using the zest and animal products such as dairy & eggs. The conventional farming industry does not usually have the health and happiness of the animals as a high priority. Conventional coconut products are often chemically treated during processing and may have preservatives added. I read the packaging every time I shop, even for brands that we use regularly.

You never know when the manufacturer may change their processes. This is especially important when cooking for people with allergies. Speaking of Allergies Im not a doctor or any other health professional. I dont diagnose allergies or intolerances and I dont advocate any one particular diet . I do love to cook and share my recipes and I advocate eating only real food. I have made fantastic progress in healing my own health issues and have seen amazing changes in my childrens health & behaviour through moving away from processed foods & our allergens, toward a style of eating best classified as Primal.

You are the expert on your body, what feels right and what works for you. If you think something is amiss it probably is, and a good naturopath or functional medicine doctor can be a fantastic asset in reclaiming your health. Allergy Friendly Substitutions The recipes in this book are all gluten-free, soy-free and Primal diet friendly. If you are following the Paleo diet or are dairy-free, nut-free or egg-free you can make the following substitutions in any of the recipes unless otherwise noted. Please be aware that flavour and texture will change slightly depending on the ingredients used.

Ingredient	Substitute
Butter/Ghee	Coconut Oil 1:1
Milk	Coconut Milk/Water 1:1
Almond Meal	1 Tablespoon Coconut Flour per 1 Tablespoon + Teaspoon Almond Meal
Egg	Chia Egg Gelatine Egg
Tapioca Starch	Arrowroot or Can be skipped

A chia egg is made by mixing 1 Tablespoon of Ground Chia Seed & 2 Tablespoons Water in a bowl, setting aside until the chia has absorbed the water and it becomes a gel with a texture similar to a raw beaten egg.

You then use it however the recipe says. When you substitute chia for eggs the cake will become softer and more pudding-like. A gelatine egg is made by allowing 1 Tablespoon of Gelatine to bloom (absorb the liquid) in 1 Tablespoon of Water in a bowl. Once it has bloomed, heat another 1 Tablespoon Water until just before boiling, add to the bloomed mixture and stir until gelatine is dissolved. You then add to your recipe as you would a normal egg . When you substitute gelatine for eggs the cake will be have a soft and slightly unset texture until it cools.

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