Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Let Them Eat Cake?



My daughter turns sweet sixteen next week.
We have bowed to her wishes not to throw a big party...sigh...
I would have loved to rent a room, invite all her friends, play music, have food, a photo booth, get her a gorgeous dress, and have her hair put up in pretty curls...sigh...but that's just not her.
It's tough to be raising someone who's not like me...I loved attention, and would have killed for a party!
She is not getting out of being taken to dinner on her big day, and we still have a few surprises for her.
I just don't know what to do about a cake.
Do I go against what I have been preaching for months now?
No flour, no processed foods...no sugar.
I have been making them things with honey, or 85% dark chocolate...but no sugar.
She has been our biggest hold out on going completely Primal.
As a former carb addict, I know it's hard to do, completely change what you eat.
She has not had the benefit of reading the science and the studies on why we changed, and she won't.
So what to do?
Do I stand firm and make her a coconut flour cake, hold the butter cream icing?
Or do I cave and buy her a pretty pink confection...that is what I consider poison on a fork?
Sigh...
Being a mom is full of difficult decisions...I never thought cake would be one of them.
I'm still thinking about it...and would be happy to hear anyone elses opinion.
Instead of sitting around ruminating, I made the kids chocolate coconut flour cupcakes to take to school in their lunches.
These are moist, yummy, and full of flavor.

Chocolate Coconut Flour Cupcakes

  • 1/4 cup of butter (melted)
  • 3 tablespoons of coco powder
  • 1/3 cup of coconut flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon of aluminum free baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  • 4 eggs (beaten)
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • 1/3 cup of almond or coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup of honey
  • 1/2 cup of chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F and line 10 muffin tins with paper liners.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Whisk in cocoa and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Be sure to break up any clumps.

In a larger bowl, beat eggs with vanilla until frothy.
Add butter/cocoa mixture to eggs and beat until combined.
Add half of coconut flour mixture and beat on low for a few moments, then add almond milk and honey, beat in thoroughly.
Add remaining coconut flour mixture and beat on low, then use a rubber spatula to stir and make sure all ingredients are well combined.
Fold in the dark chopped chocolate.

Divide batter among prepared muffin tins and bake in center of oven for 15-18 minutes.
Cupcakes are done when the top is set and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I make these at least once a week...they are that good.
I hope you try these Primal cupcakes and like them too.

4 comments:

  1. Personally, I'd get whatever kind of cake your daughter wants for her birthday. Get a *small* one from a good bakery (since I know you no longer have those kinds of baking ingredients in your house). It will be what she wants, and it will be gone soon. Or pick a restaurant for her birthday dinner that has good desserts and let her order her one serving of whatever she wants.
    I'm looking at this from a couple of angles. First, I've been low-carb for 10 years and Paleo for about 3 or 4. During the low-carb phase I tried lots of low-carb baked goods and found they just kept my cravings going. Now I don't do any Paleo baked goods or treats. Treats are a bit of dried fruit or dark chocolate or coconut cream or a little honey in my tea.
    Second, in our family I'm Paleo (no dairy), my husband is Primal, my Mom is low-carb and my Dad is Italian :-) We have meals that accomodate everyone by starting with Paleo, adding cheese or cream for the Primal and low-carb folks, and providing one dinner roll or the equivalent for my Dad (yes, I go to the grocery store and buy ONE dinner roll). For birthdays we might have fresh berries (with or without cream), or macaroons, or cookies or a fruit crisp (with ice cream for my Dad), depending on the birthday person's choice, or we go to a restaurant where the birthday person can order a dessert if they want and others can have one too or just have coffee or tea. It's only one day out of 365, and it all works out fine in the end.
    Nancy

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    Replies
    1. Wow!
      You have a tough job pleasing all those different folks :)
      I agree with what you said.
      I will get her a small pretty cake, and not bring any home from where we are eating that night.
      I also agree with you on the treats.
      I find that I personally don't need anything as a 'treat', but will have one because I make them for the kids.
      I can't stop making them for the kids because it is the glue holding them onto this new way of eating.
      I suspect when they are both in college my husband and I might be able to let even the dark chocolate go...or maybe not ;)
      Thank you for your advice.
      Sarah

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  2. I am duly impressed with how many people Anonymous has to accommodate, and I also agree with their suggestion: buy a small cake for the daughter.

    If the daughter has been eating Primal, then the cake will (ironically) not taste very good to her. She might actually find it tastes sickeningly sweet before the sugar crash really wipes her out. Then, from that point, she'll be appreciating eating Primal because of how it makes her feel. That might be the best birthday gift, ever.

    Many blessings,
    Nancy

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