2 cups all-purpose four (also a little extra for surface)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temp.
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Date Filling:
Bring dates, salt, and 1½ cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring and mashing occasionally, until dates are falling apart and water is evaporated (it should be a thick paste), 10–15 minutes. Let cool, then stir in butter, orange zest, and cinnamon. DO AHEAD: Date filling can be mad e1 week ahead. Just cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.
Dough and Assembly:
Preheat oven to 375°. Heat milk and 1 Tbsp. honey in a small saucepan until lukewarm. Combine milk mixture and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. As soon as yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes, add egg yolks, 1 egg, buttermilk, spelt flour, salt, 2 cups all-purpose flour, and remaining 3 Tbsp. honey; mix on medium speed until dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic, 5–8 minutes.
With motor running, add ½ cup room-temperature butter, 1 piece at a time, waiting until each piece is incorporated before adding the next. Mix 1 minute, then increase speed to medium-high and mix until dough is soft and supple, 6–8 minutes. (No stand mixer? Whisk ingredients into yeast mixture in a large bowl, then knead dough on a clean surface. Mix in butter with a sturdy wooden spoon, then knead briefly to make sure butter is well incorporated.)
Place dough in a buttered medium bowl. Brush with melted butter; cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1–1½ hours (2–2½ hours if dough was made ahead and chilled).
Divide dough in half. Roll out 1 piece on a lightly floured surface to a 15x5” rectangle. Evenly spread with half of date filling and cut into 8 triangles. Starting with a pointy end, roll up dough (like a reverse crescent roll). Place, seam side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, date filling, and another baking sheet.
Cover buns with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until almost doubled in size, 30–40 minutes.
Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Whisk remaining egg and 1 tsp. water in another small bowl and brush over buns. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar; bake until golden brown, 20–25 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
DO AHEAD: Dough (before rise) can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Eclairs
Pastry Dough
1/2 cup of milk
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flower
4 eggs, at room temperature
Filling and Icing
1 batch pastry cream
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. unsalted butter
1/4 tsp. vanilla
Instructions:
Make the pastry: Heat the oven to 425°. Bring milk, butter, salt, and 1⁄2 cup water to a boil in a 4-qt. saucepan over high heat. Add flour; stir until a dough forms. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, the dough constantly with a wooden spoon, until slightly dried, about 2 minutes. Transfer the dough to a bowl and, using a hand mixer, beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth.
Using a piping bag, pipe 4-inch lines of dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Place the tray in the oven and reduce the temperature to 375°. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, and cool.
To assemble the eclairs: Make a wide incision in the side of each pastry. Place pastry cream into a piping bag and fill each pastry with cream. Spread icing over the top of each. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes, until the icing hardens, before serving. Makes 14 Eclairs.
Low-Carb Sugar-Free Chocolate Coconut Bars
Ingredients:
1 cup unsweeened, shredded coconut
1/2 tsp. powdered stevia
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut cream
4 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz of coconut butter for coating(optional)
Instructions:
Mix shredded coconut with coconut cream, 1/2 of the vanilla extract, and 1/2 packet of stevia blend well with a spatula or a spoon.
Place the shredded coconut mixture n a small cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Shape into a flat rectangleabout 4X6 inches, and 1 inch thick (measurements may vary). You can use kitchen wrap to help aid the process. Place in the freezer fr 2 hours, until frozen solid. Remove from the freezer and cut into bars of the desried size.
For the coating melt coconut oil in a small sauce pan until liquified. Add cocoa powder, remaining stevia, and vanilla extract to coconut oil. Mix well on low heat for about 2 minutes, until all ingredients are well blended. Let it cool to room temp.
Now dip the bars in te cocoa mixture, and turn to all sides to coat evenly. It helps if the bars are frozen solid so they won't break. Place the bars on the cookie sheet. When all the bars are coated p;ace them in the refrigerater to harden. The bars can be kept in the fridge fro harder consistency or at room temperature for softer.
If you would like your bars to stay solid at room temp. coat them with the cocoa butter instead of coconut oil.
