GAPS Strawberry Shortcake (Yep! You Heard Right!)

I had a sudden desire to create GAPS-legal strawberry shortcake last weekend... Enjoyably, the results were too good not to share! This is definitely a recipe for those who are farther along in their GAPS healing journey. Not a recipe for the intro diet for sure! But an occasional delight if you are on the full diet and can tolerate a little fruit and sweetness from time to time. Enjoy! :)

Hannah’s GAPS Strawberry Shortcakes

Cupcakes:

6 eggs

1 c. coconut milk

1 ½ very ripe (or frozen and thawed) organic bananas

¼ c. virgin cold-pressed organic coconut oil

2 T. raw local honey

Juice of 1 organic lemon

Zest of 1 organic lemon

1 organic vanilla bean, scored and scraped

10 organic dates (pitted)

1 t. organic lemon oil

1 c. organic coconut flour + more as needed to achieve thick batter consistency

1 t. baking soda

½ t. sea salt or natural mineral salt

Topping:

 ¾ c. organic walnut pieces

¼ c. organic shredded coconut

¼ t. salt

2 T. organic and/or grass-fed lard, bacon grease, butter, or coconut oil

3 T. raw local honey

Blend wet ingredients and the dates together in Vitamix or other blender until liquefied and smooth consistency. Add dry ingredients and blend in on low speed until fully incorporated to a thick batter consistency. Pour batter into cupcake tins (I like to use silicone cupcake molds, which make cupcake removal and clean-up much easier), filling the tins ¾ full.

Cream topping ingredients together. Spoon small amount topping mixture on top of each cupcake.

Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes, check the progress, and then bake for about 15 minutes longer, or  until golden brown and springs back to touch. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans.

Strawberries:

Slice 2 pounds strawberries in thin slices. Stir in about 2 T. honey (or to taste) and mash the berries a little until honey is fully dissolved and the juice of the strawberries begins to be released.

Whipped Cream:

 

Thoroughly chill 1 cup of full-fat 100% coconut milk (This is the best quality and best value coconut milk I have ever used. I prefer it even though it is not certified organic). Using a whisk, vigorously whisk the milk for about 5 minutes or until it becomes whipped into a thick creamy consistency. If the quality of your coconut milk is good, it will whip up very easily into a coconut whipped cream. It looks just like dairy whipped cream, and tastes just as rich and creamy.

 Serve the cakes with strawberries and whipped cream on top. Makes about 24. 

We like to make big batches of muffins/cupcakes and then re-heat them just before we eat them. We

don't use a microwave, and the oven takes way too long, so we have come up with our own stove-top re-heating method using the silicone baking molds, pictured here. We heat them right side up over very low heat for 10 minutes, then flip them on their sides and continue heating for another 5-10 minutes.