Red Velvet Cupcakes w/ Cream Cheese Frosting by Recipe Girl

I've been on quite the cream cheese kick recently (Exhibit A, Exhibit B), but this recipe wasn't even my idea. My mom suggested we make it for my Dad's birthday. Surprisingly, I had a hard time finding a Red Velvet Cake recipe, but there were plenty of cupcake recipes. I'm okay with cupcakes, but I refuse to make cake pops. Just try not to cringe when watching this commercial.

Cupcakes remind me of the personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut. What a great idea. A small personal pizza that makes kids (or adults) feel special. You have a whole pie to yourself. Plus, I'm sure they can mark up the price of a personal pizza more than a regular. And I would assume the same is true for Cupcakes as well. Anyway, this is a pretty straight forward recipe that I look forward to trying.

Red Velvet Cupcakes w/ Cream Cheese Frosting by Recipe Girl

The Good

• Simple recipe
• Very moist
• Coconut flour is always a plus

The Bad

• Icing came out flat (probably my fault for using honey)

Overall - 4/5 Stars
These were really tasty and very moist. We cooked them for a minute less than on the recipe and they came out perfect. As a substitution I used honey in the icing which might have messed with the consistency. I think next time I'll try what the recipe calls for and just use agave nectar. But overall these were great. We've already used this recipe twice in the last week. 

Grain-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake by The Foodie and The Family

I decided to give up chocolate this year for lent. Well, not really for lent (because I don't pretend to be religious), but at least the time frame that lent represents. It's more of a personal challenge, and I'm curious how often I would be temped by something so delicious (the answer is: everyday). In lieu of chocolate, I've been finding some awesome desserts that feature other flavors. 

This recipe, unlike the last paleo cheesecake I tried, is pumpkin flavored. I was drawn to it by the photos. Tara, the writer and chief of The Foodie and The Family makes the cheesecake look so dense and rich. I had to try it. 

Grain-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake by The Foodie and The Family

The Good

• Thick rich consistency
• Very easy to follow
• Not too sweet

The Bad

• Would've added a bit more pumpkin puree
• I burnt my crust

Overall - 4/5 Stars

This cheesecake is super rich and light on the sugar (which I like). It has a subtle pumpkin flavor, which is nice, because it's not overpowering. It has a fantastic thick creamy consistency. The only draw back to this recipe is the crust.

The recipe calls to cook it for 20 minutes (before the rest of the cake). I put it in the over for 15 and when I took it out it was already burnt. That was a little frustrating. I'll have to be more careful with that next time. But the recipe had a very nice flow to it. Once the crust is cooking you have time to prepare the filling. 

I would make this again, but maybe I'll use Everyday Paleo's recipe for crust - which was delicious when I made it two Thanksgivings ago. 

Custard Vanilla Ice Cream by the Kitchn

Ice cream is something I haven't had a lot of recently. Mostly because I've stayed away from milk. But I've seen that some of the best recipes don't even contain milk, just heavy cream.

I was initially interested from Paul Jaminet's Perfect Health Diet blog. He has a recipe that I attempted a couple times, but it wasn't that great (maybe I didn't like the lemon in my ice cream). Whatever the reason, I found myself looking for another recipe.

While cooking Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins with a friend, we had 4 left over egg yolks, and I didn't want  all that nutrition and flavor go to waste. I remembered that you could use egg yolks in ice cream, so I went looking for a simple recipe I could make while the muffins were baking. What I found was mouthwateringly good.

Custard Vanilla Ice Cream by the Kitchn 

The Good

• Bursting with flavor in every scoop
• Fresh ingredients
• Simple recipe
• Great consistency

The Bad

• Raw eggs?

Overall - 5/5 Stars

This ice cream was so rich and cream, I really couldn't stop eating it. It had a nice yellow hue from the farm fresh eggs I got from Wegmans, and the Madagascar Vanilla scent filled my nose with every bite. It had a great consistency as well. It wasn't too icy for homemade ice cream (I dont have a machine); it was actually very smooth.

My mom keeps about 4-5 different pints of ice cream in the fridge at any time. So I decided to compare Bryer's French Vanilla to this recipe and the flavors aren't even close. This one is two leagues above Bryer's. It probably has something to do with the ingredients. I used heavy cream from upstate farm cows, egg yolks from free-range chickens, and even unpasteurized raw honey - which is a powerhouse of flavor by its self.

I'm not sure how I feel about the raw eggs, but that didn't stop me from polishing off this whole batch in a couple sittings. I will definitely make this again.

Mocha Mousse by Elana's Pantry

Looking for a decadent chocolaty dessert? You've come to the right place.

The Recipe

The Good
Wonderfully chocolaty taste
Nice buzz from coffee
Great texture

The Bad
Uses vegan palm oil shortening

Overall - 5/5 Stars

This recipe was simple and downright awesome. I love the combination of chocolate and coffee for a desert and the crumbs of coffee bean give the mouse an even more dynamic texture. This recipe is thick - just like mousse should be.

My only hesitation with this is that it calls for palm oil shortening. I'll have to do a little more research to see this is something to be used sparingly or not at all. Either way, it didn't stop me from making it, and I already had some left over from making these Paleo Red Velvet Whoopie Pies.  Those actually weren't as good as they look.

Chocolate Chip Cookies by Primal Palate

If there was one thing I missed most when I started eating paleo it was cereal. But if I had to choose second it would probably be cookies. My mom in notorious for baking up a storm when we have company over. We are over loaded with her delicious cookies, double fudge brownies, you name it. You weren't leaving until you had dessert.

Since I stopped eating grains, I've been trying to find a recipe to rival my mom's famous cookies. I stumbled on Primal Palate's blog earlier in the year, and I've made this recipe over five times since then. To me that's a lot. I typically don't repeat a recipe unless I really love it. And I love this one.

These cookies have a perfect chewy consistency, and the maple syrup adds a touch of flavor that hints of fresh pancakes. I strongly recommend you try these them.

The Recipe

This is my second batch with cocoa powder. My first batch was devoured. 

The Good
Coconut oil adds a nice touch
Great consistency
Quick to cook
LOVE the maple syrup taste


The Bad
Should have made more

Overall - 5/5 Stars
This is one of those recipes that you could pass of as the "real thing" with out having to say... "It's gluten-free, packed with protein". Unfortunately, I did tell my dad this. And he ate a whole batch of cookies in one sitting. I kid you not. I doubled the batch which made about 30 small cookies. My dad ate the 12 remaining cookies in one sitting!!!! Unbelievable.

I had to make a new batch, however this time I decided to add half a cup of cocoa powder. Which is why my cookies turned out dark. I also had to HIDE this batch from my dad. He said he liked the double chocolate goodness, but I think they were a little more dry than the batch with out the cocoa powder.

Either way, trying these cookies is a must. They are even better Elana's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, and that in itself is a feat, because she makes some amazing recipes. Have you tried these yet? What do you think?

Low-Carb Cheesecake from Modern Paleo

I love cheesecake. As a kid it my favorite dessert. Nothing was better to finish a meal than a deliciously creamy slice of Cheesecake. I was also spoiled rotten by my Grandpa who had an award winning recipe in West Virginia. Although, I never understood why he loved to cook it and never wanted to eat it.

Since adopting a Paleo Diet, I've avoided dairy, but every now and again I'll have some cheese with a meal and I won't feel bad about it. I saw this recipe on Modern Paleo and I knew I had to try it.

There is much debate as to whether dairy is paleo or not. But when it comes to dessert, let's face it, sometimes you just want something tasty (it is still grain and legume free though).

The Recipe - Click Here

The Good

• Quick - took me 15 minutes to prepare 
• Uses basic ingredients - nothing I had to run to the store for
• Aroma coming from the oven was intoxicating, reminded me of my childhood
• Low sugar - I used 1/4C Honey (64g of sugar for the whole pie)
• The crust is tasty! reminds me of this pumpkin pie crust
• High protein - pretty good for a dessert 

The Bad

• Took me an hour to cook at 375 (this is probably similar for most cheesecakes though)
• You can tell it's low sugar
• A little bland - could have used some spices (cinnamon ect)

Overall - 3/5 Stars
This is a solid cheesecake recipe. For those looking for a low-carb option, this is one I can recommend. It's not going to blow you away, but you won't be disappointed either. It has a solid texture and light crust. The cream cheese filling is the most dominant flavor here. But it finishes strong with the nuts from the crust (I used hazelnut). You might want to try putting in a tad more sugar than I did, and possible experimenting with some cinnamon to bring out the nuttiness of the crust.

Also, the smell of this cake was so alluring I coudn't wait for it to cool down. About 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven I was already digging in. To be fair, I did have some more today after letting the cake cool down overnight. Don't be surprised if you end up eating more than you intend to (this cake is very light).