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Happy 4th of July to those of you in the U.S.A! It’s a big day here, and there is always a lot to do! Parades, hot air balloons, fireworks, hiking, and the list goes on and on.

In fact, we did all of those this weekend! I love when the 4th falls on a weekend because every day is packed with activities that you don’t have to do all in the same day. And we have gotten to go to multiple firework shows, making the weekend just perfect.

We also drove to a beautiful spring nearby us. It was an incredible oasis where hummingbirds zoomed across the water, and the springs bubbled down into reflective pools filled with watercress. We got there late in the afternoon, and witnessed the golden glow of the evening sun, making everything around us look magical.

And then watched fireworks so close I could feel the reverberation in my heart.

Oh, the glorious 4th.

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Having an AIP 4th of July isn’t easy, though! Every single one of my favorite 4th traditional foods has something in it I just can’t eat.

Which makes me want to succeed even more at making a perfect AIP 4th of July.

These sugar cookie pies are sugar free, and only lightly sweetened with maple syrup (my choice of sweetener). The flour is cassava flour, which is rapidly becoming my favorite flour to work with. I cannot understand why I have not yet used cassava! It’s amazing for tortillas (recipe coming soon!), and since almond flour isn’t on my diet right now, I’m subbing it in for pie crusts.

Cassava flour is a little different to use from almond. Most people claim it is a one-for-one flour (exchange with wheat in equal amounts), but it’s not that simple. I had to modify my pie crust recipe dramatically to make this easier to roll. But, all the same, I can’t live without this beautiful flour, made from yuca root.

I can only find it on Amazon, but I’ve heard a rumor that some Whole Foods carry it. Here’s a link for you, at any rate! Just click on the picture and it will take you to Amazon!

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AIP 4th of July Berry Sugar Cookie Pies

(note: I bake at 4,500 above sea level. Please adjust the recipe appropriately for best results.)

Ingredients

• 1 cup cassava flour
• 4 tbs coconut oil (not melted)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbs maple syrup

2 sheets of parchment paper
rolling pin
cookie cutter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking stone with parchment paper.
2. Measure cassava flour and coconut oil into a medium mixing bowl.
3. Cut oil into flour, mixing with fingers as necessary.
4. Once the oil is cut in, add water and maple syrup and mix in gently.
5. Knead the dough around in the bowl for about 1 minutes until dough is completely incorporated.
6. Lay dough ball into the center of a parchment sheet and cover with the other parchment sheet.
7. Using your rolling pin, roll on top of the parchment sheet and flatten the dough to about 1/4 inch (thinner is better, but not too thin as these will fall apart).
8. Use cookie cutter to cut out shapes, then transfer to baking stone using a spatula or pancake turner.
9. Handle carefully! Dough it fragile and may appear “too dry.” (Should any of your dough crack, simply press back together with fingers.)
10. Cut out the remaining dough and place on baking stone.
11. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
12. Remove and cool.
13. Add whipped topping and berries!

Whipped Topping

Ingredients

• 2 cans of coconut milk (free of guar gum)
• 2 tsp maple syrup (more if desired)

1. Refrigerate cans of coconut milk over night or longer.
2. Open can with a can opener and dig out the milk solids at the top.
3. Put solids and maple syrup into a bowl with high walls and whip with an electric mixer.
4. Whip until peaks form or it looks fluffy.