Living in the moment can’t get any better…

…unless you have a homemade blackberry cobbler on hand!

Over the years, Chris, who is passionate about horticulture, has become an expert forager and gatherer. The steep-ascending grassy hill on our property borders two orchards—apple and peach. A few years ago, Chris discovered a bramble patch amid weedy overgrowth between the two orchards. It’s a hot, sticky and itchy proposition for berry picking—with a cloud of mosquitos always hovering in anticipation of their next meal.  But Chris still resolutely ventures into the bramble patch, wearing a long-sleeved white shirt, jeans tucked into socks and boots and hair snugly tucked into a cap.

His strategy for maximum berry picking and a quick exit? “I go for the low-hanging fruit!”

The delicious payoff?  Freshly plucked, plump and juicy wild blackberries.

Health benefits

We’re not thinking about the “health benefits” of blackberries as we stain our fingers, enjoying these succulent babies by the bowlful, but blackberries are a nutrient-dense food.

♦  Blackberries are high in both vitamin C and fiber.

♦  Blackberries are an excellent source of anthocyanins, which are richly concentrated as pigment in berries (in this case, contributing to its deep dark color) and may contain analgesic (pain-relieving) as well as anti-inflammatory properties.

♦  Blackberries are a rich source of antioxidants; in fact their ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity) value is slightly higher than blueberries.

♦  Blackberries contain ellagic acid, a compound known to help fight cancer, viruses and bacteria.

Since I have hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue, I’ve stayed the course in following a hypoallergenic version of the Paleo diet that is wheat-free, dairy-free, nut-free, nut flour-free, and refined sugar-free.

Happily, this blackberry cobbler is a perfect antidote when I have a hankering for a baked fruit treat.

This blackberry cobbler is lovely eaten warm or at room temperature.

Blackberry Cobbler

Adapted from Primally Inspired

For the fruit mixture:
5 cups fresh blackberries (blueberries, raspberries, boysenberries or other mixed berries)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 lemon, zested, then juiced

For the batter:
4 eggs (ideally from pastured hens)
1/4 cup coconut oil (or grass-fed butter)
1/4 cup raw honey
1/2 cup full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
2 teaspoons organic (pure) vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted (use a sifter or sieve to remove lumps)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

In a 10 x 10 square ceramic or glass baking dish, combine blackberries with 1 tablespoon coconut oil, lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix well (without mushing the berries).

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, coconut oil, raw honey, coconut milk and vanilla, using an electric mixer. Blend about 2-3 minutes or until well combined.

In a small bowl, whisk together coconut four, cinnamon, baking soda and Celtic sea salt. Combine well.

Using a large spatula, gently fold the coconut flour and spices into the egg mixture. The batter will come together; be careful not to overmix.

Using two spoons, drop the batter by spoonfuls and even distribute on top of the berries. You can leave as is for a “cobbler” effect or smooth out the spoonfuls of batter as I did. Up to you.

Place on center rack in oven and back 30-35 minutes, or until the fruit bubbles and the top is golden brown.

Let cool about 30 minutes, or until cobbler has set.

Source: Oregon Berries

I inherited my mother’s much-coveted recipe.  And, I confess, it’s the one home-baked treat that I’ve occasionally missed since I began following a Paleo way of eating—no grains, no wheat, no dairy, no refined sugars, no processed foods—back in 2013.

So, I was thrilled to stumble across a coconut flour coffee cake recipe from Carol Lovett, author of Ditch the Wheat that I have since adapted.

Coconut flour comes from dried coconut meat that is dried, defatted and then finely ground into a powder.  The texture of coconut flour is fine and delicate; at the same time, it can create a very dense batter—you have to be careful not to overmix when blending with wet ingredients.

The first time I made the coffee cake, I ignored the recipe instruction to bake it in a small loaf pan; instead, I poured the batter into an 8 x 8-inch square glass baking pan. The result?  A coffee cake that was flat, dry and on the “crispy” side.

I tried again.  This time, I followed the recipe instructions to the letter.  How did it turn out?  Well…  “The flavors are great, but the texture is dry,” said one friend who gave his unvarnished opinion.

Hmmm.  I had to agree!

The third time was a charm. The trick to creating a lighter, moister cake? Do NOT man-handle the coconut flour batter!  Instead of using an electric mixer, I used a large spatula to gently fold the coconut flour into the wet ingredients until just blended. I then folded the coconut flour batter slowly and gently into the egg white mixture, again, until just combined.

“Your ‘pound cake’ is definitely moister this time,” my friend enthused, then asked: “But isn’t anything sugary bad for you?”

For me, this coffee cake qualifies as a guilt-free indulgence. The batter is sweetened minimally with raw honey; the cinnamon topping includes coconut palm sugar, a natural whole sweetener with a low glycemic index (GI 35).  And, gluten-free coconut flour is rich source of dietary fiber, protein and lauric acid—a “good” saturated fat—that can help promote thyroid health and the immune system. Combined with four pasture-raised eggs, this “cake” is a tasty, protein-rich special occasion indulgence.  By the way, it tastes even better the second day (if you have any left!).

If you are baking as a gift for friends or family, this coconut flour coffee cake is always a welcome love offering!
 

Coconut Flour Coffee Cake

Serves 4

 
For the egg white mixture

4 large organic or pastured-raised eggs, whites separated from yolks
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the batter

Wet ingredients:

1/4 cup organic, raw (or unrefined) virgin coconut oil, melted
3 tablespoons raw honey

Dry ingredients:

1/2 cup organic coconut flour, sifted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

For the Topping:

* Just 2-3 tablespoons of this coconut sugar mixture more than adequately covers the coffee cake.
1/4 cup organic coconut palm sugar
1/4 cup organic raw (unrefined) virgin coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons organic coconut flour, sifted
1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 9″ x 5″ stainless steel rectangular loaf pan with grass-fed butter, like Kerrygold. Then, line the bottom of the loaf pan (just the bottom) with parchment paper and grease over the parchment paper with butter.

In a large bowl, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar, using a hand-mixer.  Whip apx. 3 minutes, or until stiff peaks form (this will only happen if you are careful not to get any yolk in the whites). Set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the raw honey and 1/4 cup melted coconut oil.  Mix in the 4 egg yolks.  When combined, blend in the vanilla.

In a small bowl, use a sifter or strainer to sift the coconut flour. Add the baking soda and Celtic sea salt. Whisk all three ingredients together well.

Using a large spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients (honey, coconut oil, egg yolk and vanillamixture) until just combined. Be careful NOT to overmix—or the batter will become very stiff and tough.

Add the coconut flour-and-egg yolk batter to the egg white mixture.  Using  a large spatula, gently fold the egg white into the batter until just combined.  Spread batter evenly in the greased loaf pan, shaking pan from side to side.

In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, coconut flour and cinnamon.  Sprinkle over the batter so that it is evenly distributed.  (I use about 2 tablespoons).  Drizzle 1/4 cup melted coconut oil over the topping.

Place loaf pan on the center rack and bake for 30 minutes.  The cake is done when a knife is inserted in the middle, and it comes out clean.

Set loaf pan on a wire rack. When cool, use a sharp knife to loosen sides of loaf.  Carefully remove loaf; tap hard on bottom of loaf pan to loosen. When cake comes out, remove parchment paper from the bottom. Place right side up on cake plate. Slice, serve and enjoy!

“Really?” he asked, shocked.

I didn’t blame him.  In all the years we’ve been together, neither of us have had an affinity for coconut—or any dish flavored with it.  We didn’t care for the taste.  Or the smell.  Plus, my birthday ritual had always included a quick stop at a nearby Manhattan bakery, where they still make old-fashioned layer cakes, also available by the slice.  My go-to slice of heaven was the three-layer chocolate cake with real chocolate buttercream frosting—a true caloric and sugar rush indulgence, considering that a single towering “slice” weighs nearly a pound!

My health-minded friends have long been on the coconut bandwagon, but I was a laggard.  The reason, I suspect, is the strong link between smells and memory.  I had always associated the flavor of coconut with the hyper “coconut” scent in suntan lotions, like Coppertone or Hawaiian Tropic, no doubt distorted by a cocktail of synthetic chemicals used for fragrance.

But, last fall, I was persuaded by a recurrent viral infection—and research on coconut oil’s many health benefits—to give coconut another shot.  Coconut oil’s myriad health-promoting benefits have been linked to increased metabolism, improved heart health and immune-bolstering effects—all thanks to lauric acid, a naturally occurring fatty acid that has anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-viral properties.

So, I began flirting with coconut oil in the kitchen.  I surprised myself by discovering how much I loved it.  Three months later, I was prepared to explore every aspect of this fibrous one-seeded drupe.

What better way than a coconut birthday cake?

But I didn’t want a traditional coconut cake.  I wanted one that was wheat-free, gluten-free and lightly sweetened with natural (not refined white) sugar.

Yes, a dozen eggs in this coconut cake!

I struck gold when I stumbled upon a coconut cake recipe from the Nourished Kitchen, a Paleo and GAPS-friendly twist on traditional birthday cake that met all of my criteria.  It uses every part of the coconut, including high-protein, high-fiber coconut flour and coconut butter, as well as micronutrient-dense coconut milk. A minimum amount of natural sweetener (honey) is used, left to your discretion.  And you can’t be afraid of eggs: it calls for a dozen!

Admittedly, I had been dubious: using alternative flours can result in funky outcomes!  But I was deliciously surprised.  This cake tastes remarkably similar to a traditional yellow cake with a gentle coconut undertone.  It’s wonderfully moist (thanks to a dozen eggs!) and nutrient-dense—in my book, perfect for breakfast.  One thin slice is incredibly filling, so much so that my husband, who loves this cake, has dubbed it “a miracle food”.

One caveat: this is not a cheap cake to make. A quick tally after buying all the requisite ingredients—excluding the baking soda and organic vanilla extract which I already had—revealed that I had dropped $64.44.

That said, skipping the usual sugar high (then crash) hangover of eating a traditional, (empty) calorie-laden birthday cake, makes this coconut cake a worthwhile splurge.

Coconut Layer Cake with Coconut Frosting
Adapted from Nourished Kitchen

For the cake:

1 dozen pastured (free-roaming or cage-free) eggs, ideally local

2 cups organic full-fat coconut milk

1/2 to 3/4 cup raw honey

2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract

½ teaspoon orange extract

2 cups organic coconut flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

Coconut oil for greasing two parchment paper-lined, round 9” cake pans

For the frosting:

2 cups raw coconut butter (I like Artisanal)

1/2 cup unrefined virgin coconut oil

Up to 1/3 cup raw honey

1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coconut extract

To bake:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

Grease two 9” round cake pans with coconut oil. Line with parchment paper and grease parchment paper.

Beat a dozen eggs, two cups coconut milk and up to three-quarters of a cup of raw honey together with vanilla, coconut and orange extracts until well-combined.  The color and texture should be smooth and creamy

Add coconut flour, baking soda and sea salt into the mixture of eggs, raw honey, coconut extract and orange extract.  Continue beating until a smooth batter forms.

Divide batter between both cake pans, shaking to even out.

Place on center rack in oven.  Rotate pans about halfway though the baking time.  Bake for about forty minutes, or until a knife inserted into the cake’s center comes out clean.

Transfer cake (in their respective pans) to wire racks.

While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting.  Beat all the ingredients together until well combined.  Refrigerate frosting for at least 10 minutes or until stiff.

When cooled completely, remove cakes from the pans and peel off parchment paper.

Remove frosting from refrigerator.  If hard, beat for a few minutes until it softens.  Frost the middle and top layer of cake.

Enjoy!