pumpkin & almond bouchons.

Over the past three weeks, I have been eating grain-free, sugar free, & mostly dairy free by following the Specific Carbohydrates Diet created by Elaine Gottschall. Well, I mostly follow it except that I do not make my own yogurt, I eat Fage 0% Greek yogurt. The diet includes no corn, no potatoes, only aged cheeses, & no sugars (this means no maple syrup! I might need to indulge on that one sometimes, because I am basically like Buddy the Elf). The only sweetener acceptable on SCD is honey.  Because I have eaten mostly gluten-free & refined sugar free for sometime now, leaving out all grains has not really been to much of an issue. This lifestyle may sound a bit overwhelming & undesirable, but I am feeling increasingly rejuvenated & healthy with fresh, seasonal meals & I am willing to see how long it will work for my life.

As I experiment with grain-free baking, the Roost blog has been an amazing inspiration & help. Like I mentioned a few days ago, I tend to have a sweet tooth every now & then, & finding simple recipes is very important in satisfying that nagging desire for sweet treats. My goal is to create the perfect grain-free Madeleine cookie! These little bouchons, were a perfect accompaniment with my morning coffee & a little taste of the upcoming season.

pumpkin & almond bouchons 

makes 6 bouchons made in timbale molds 

Adapted from Roost

2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 free range eggs
1/4 cup honey
1 cup of pumpkin (I used canned pumpkin from Maine, but you could also roast & puree some of your own)
roasted almonds, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Add the almond flour, salt, baking soda, & cinnamon in a food processor & blitz until combined & fine. Whisk the eggs, honey, & pumpkin in a bowl. Slowly fold in the dry ingredients.
3. Cut squares of parchment (I used 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 squares) and line 6 timbale molds* or grease the molds with olive oil spray. Pour batter into molds all the way to the top. Sprinkle with chopped almonds & place into oven for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned. 

* Coco from the Roost used these timbale molds. I actually used a popover pan, which worked perfectly as the molds are similar to timbale molds. You use a muffin pan but you will need to reduce the baking time.

happy eatings & cheers!