With Love and ChocolateChip Cookies

I had the house to myself this evening, so I took advantage of it by catching up on DVR’d TV shows and baking. I have been craving chocolate chip cookies this week, so I did what I always do – I Googled recipes for an hour and then didn’t actually follow any of them. I really don’t know why I can’t just find a recipe that looks good and then make it. Maybe it’s because I like the adventure of ‘trying something different’ to see what I can create (or ruin).

Anywho, I found lots of delicious-looking stuff, including recipes I’ve made before, but the one I drooled over was this one from Against All Grain. So I decided to make these delicious cookies, sort of. Well, I didn’t really have any Palm Shortening or Palm Sugar, so that wasn’t gonna work…

Not to be deterred, with last Sunday’s Oscar’s ceremony blaring (I have to see Les Mis!), I made my own Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe with the ingredients I have. For old times’ sake, I even attempted to eat the dough off the beater while the cookies hardened in the fridge – still not sure why I do that. Paleo cookie dough is nothing like regular cookie dough! It’s hard to even enjoy it. Does anyone else try to do that too, or is it just me? Well, the cookies are great once cooked.

With Love and ChocolateChip Cookies

Ingredients:

4 Tbs unsalted butter
1/4 C raw wildflower honey
2 medium eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 C almond flour
2 heaping Tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 C chocolate chips (regular or mini)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In stand mixer or by hand, cream together butter and honey. Add eggs and vanilla.
3. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour baking soda and salt.
4. Mix dry ingredients into wet until light and fluffy (1-2 minutes).
5. Add chocolate chips and mix with spatula. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
6. Drop by spoonfuls onto nonstick baking sheet.
7. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet.

Yield: 2 Dozen

Give me that cookie! A Thin Mint love story (I mean, recipe).

I spent all day yesterday looking at the Girl Scout cookies sitting in front of my cubicle. They were just sitting there waiting to be eaten. I told them ‘no’ about a dozen times. I even ate a mini Snickers so that I wouldn’t eat the cookie (shame). I was strong in my resolve, but I wanted that damn cookie!

I spent the afternoon devising a plan to make said cookies at home (you may have noticed by now that I think I can make any dessert with almond flour and maple syrup) and was ready to tackle the project with a glass of wine in hand after dinner. And then – magically – it happened. I turned on my computer to discover that Elana (of Elana’s Pantry) did it for me! Paleo Thin Mints!!!

I made them immediately.

Because I have a tendency to do whatever I want when I bake, I modified the recipe slightly. It would now be considered more of a Primal Thin Mint. Here’s what I did:

Cookies
3 Tbsp butter (salted)
1/8 cup honey + 1/8 cup maple syrup
1 tsp peppermint extract
1 cup almond flour
1 tsp coconut flour
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch sea salt

Coating
1.75 oz 85% chocolate bar
1/8 cup chocolate chips
~1 tsp peppermint extract

In stand mixer, add half-melted butter (my substitution for vegan shortening) and mix on medium speed until creamy with small peaks. Grab honey jar and attempt to pour/scrape honey into measuring cup, getting honey everywhere. Look at hands covered in honey and decide to rub all over face because honey is an excellent facial cleanser. After honey has been applied, wash hands and realize there is not enough honey for the cookies. Grab the maple syrup and top off measuring cup. Blend sugars in with butter until well combined. Add peppermint extract. Sample.

In separate bowl combine almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and cocoa powder – add extra cocoa because it needs more chocolate. Add tiny bit of salt because butter was salted. Whisk dry ingredients for one minute. Evaluate chocolate content – decide it will do.

Slowly incorporate dry ingredients with wet, 1/4 mixture at a time until combined. Drop dough onto plastic-wrapped cutting board (you should use parchment), top with more plastic wrap and roll out to 1/4 in thin. Freeze for 10 minutes. Cut out into circles with small tupperware container (who has a two-inch cookie cutter?) and place on non-stick baking sheet. Cook for 5 minutes (or maybe 6, but 4 wasn’t enough). Cool and Freeze 1 hr.

Microwave amazing chocolate bar at 30 sec intervals until melted, add chocolate chips and heat a little more. Add peppermint and stir until all melty and minty! Dip cookies in chocolate until sufficiently covered. Eat several while dipping – quality control. Freeze what’s left.

Verdict: AMAZINGNESS!

Double Chocolate Brownies, With Love

Today is the Superbowl. So, of course, there is a party. At this party there will be many, many things to eat. I will likely want to eat all of them, but am limited by one tiny factor: I don’t eat grains. That means that I cannot give in to the cookies, crackers or other breaded meats. My solution to this ‘problem’ is simple. BYOB. Yep- I’m bringing my own brownies! I love these, and everyone else will love them too.

This recipie is one of my faves since I discovered coconut flour – I modified it from one I found on Elana’s Pantry some months ago. It’s gluten free, processed sugar-free and so chocolatey. I particularly appreciate how easy it is to make. So, go ahead, make yourself some too.

Double Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:
1/2 C chocolate chips (dark or semi-sweet)
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 C coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 medium eggs
1/4 C coconut oil (melted)
1/4-1/2 C maple syrup or agave (to taste)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Nuts or chocolate chips for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using a food processor, pulse the chocolate chips until mostly ground. Add the cocoa powder and stir together until combined.
3. Add coconut flour, baking soda and salt and pulse until well blended.
4. Add eggs and coconut oil, then maple or agave and vanilla – pulse.
5. Pour into a greased baking dish, 8×8 or equivalent.
6. Sprinkle any toppings on as desired.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Finished Product

Now I’m off to get ready for the party!