Hello everyone – I’m back!

Does it ever feel great to be back at writing here on my blog. I wish I could tell you that I was off on some exciting adventure during my absence the past few weeks, however I was instead merely sucked into the oblivion that is marking and writing up my masters thesis. Fortunately, that’s nearly all done now so I can get back to doing what I love – sharing healthy recipes and wellness tips with all of you!

As it’s the holiday weekend and sweets are a mainstay for times such as these, I was looking for a healthier option for dessert. The original recipe for the one I’ll be sharing with you today came from the February 2016 issue of “alive” – Canada’s natural health and wellness magazine. My version is slightly different from the original with respect to the ingredients I’ve used, but it’s nonetheless absolutely delicious!

I always get excited when I give a recipe “experiment” a try for the first time and am pleasantly surprised to find that it’s turned out wonderfully. This was the case for my Apple Walnut Olive Oil Cake. For this recipe, olive oil replaces traditional butter to give you a boost of healthy fats. I get my olive oil from the Pristine Olive Tasting Bar in London and the one I used for this particular recipe was their “Picholine” olive oil.

I used apples for this recipe as I had some on hand, but you can sub in pears or other seasonal fruits you enjoy as well. I replaced regular flour with a combination of gluten free brown rice and coconut flours, sugar with raw local honey from Clovermead Apiaries, and dairy milk with Silks original unsweetened coconut milk. The top is garnished with apple slices, walnuts, and a pinch of granulated maple syrup sugar (I didn’t even know that was a thing until recently) that my wonderfully thoughtful mom brought home for me the other week. The result: a healthy gluten and dairy free cake that’s both savory and sweet.

Here you’ll find ingredient measurements for both a smaller sized cake (6 x 2″), which serves about 2 people, as well as a large cake (13 x 9 x 2″). As always, do try to use fresh, local, organic ingredients when possible to obtain optimal health benefits.

Apple Walnut Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients (small cake):

• 1 apple (1/4 sliced to garnish top; 3/4 peeled and chopped)
• 3 Tbsp brown rice flour
• 3 Tbsp coconut flour
• 1/8 tsp dried thyme (or 1/2 tsp fresh thyme)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 4 Tbsp olive oil (high quality)
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp raw honey
• 1 Tbsp walnuts (or pecans)
• pinch of granulated maple syrup sugar (optional)

Method:

• Set the oven to 350*F. Grease baking dish with olive oil and set aside.
• In a bowl combine flours, thyme, cinnamon, and baking powder, stirring gently to combine. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl combine olive oil and coconut milk, using a whisk to mix thoroughly. Add in egg, then honey, whisking thoroughly to combine.
• Slowly pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture, whisking to combine, until batter is smooth with no chunks. Gently fold in apple chunks and walnuts.
• Pour the mixture into your baking dish, gently smoothing out the top. Garnish with apple slices and walnuts, and a pinch of the granulated maple syrup sugar if desired.
• Bake for approximately 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
• Smile, think of one thing for which you are grateful, and enjoy! 🙂

Ingredients (large cake):

• 2 apples (1 cut into slices for top; 1 peeled and cubed)
• 1 1/4 cups brown rice flour
• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 1 Tbsp fresh thyme)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup high quality olive oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/3 cup raw honey
• 1/4 cup walnuts (or pecans)
• 1 tsp granulated maple syrup sugar (optional)

Method: Same as above

I hope that you’ll enjoy this delicious and healthy treat as much as we did!

Wishing you health and happiness!

xo Julie