Gluten Free Magic Cookie Bars

Ok, these are mine. Delicious gluten (and dairy) free cookie bars that will melt in your mouth!
*My cooking time is funny, I think my oven is broken (this is happening a lot lately)! So I baked them for 27 minutes and they were still a little gooey, but  I took them out anyway thinking they might firm up. They didn't, so I popped them back in for another 15 minutes or so. So I *think* the total baking time will be around 30-40 minutes, but you should probably just keep your eye on them after 25 minutes.

Gluten Free Magic Cookie Bars

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
2/3 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp. xantham gum
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
2 cups brown xylitol- Mix 4 tsp. molasses
with 2 cups xylitol with a fork until fully combined.
1 tsp. vanilla extract (check ingredients!)
3 organic free range eggs
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips (check ingredients!)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tsp. chia seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

 Grease a 9x13 inch (or slightly smaller for thicker bars, 

which is what I did) baking pan with grapeseed oil spray.

In large bowl, cream the oils, brown xylitol, eggs 

and vanilla extract. Slowly blend in rice flour, tapioca starch, 

xantham gum, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well blended. 

Fold in chocolate chips, walnuts, chia seeds and coconut. 

Spread the mixture evenly in pan.

Bake 25-40 minutes*. Let cool before cutting into bars.

*See my note on baking times above.

A Few of Our New Favorite Recipes

So I may not be doing too much experimenting in the kitchen lately, but I do still try out yummy recipes. :) Here are a few that we've had recently and really loved.

Raspberry Oat Bars (Gluten Free)

http://makingromaroma.com/2011/04/23/gluten-free-raspberry-oat-bars/

Now, I did not use sugar. I used xylitol in place of sugar and a xylitol/molasses mix in place of the brown sugar (1 tsp. molasses for every 1/2 cup of xylitol- mix together with a fork a ta da! Brown 'sugar'). By the way, same measurements xylitol as sugar.

I also used my homemade xylitol jam. :)

These were amazing and we will definitely be making them again!!!!




Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

http://wellnessmama.com/3655/pumpkin-bread-and-muffins-coconut-flour/

Delish! You can sub the honey for xylitol if you'd like. I'd use a little more though, 1/2-3/4 cup.


Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffins

http://healthyisalwaysbetter.tumblr.com/post/6583755120/lessthan300kcal-triple-chocolate-chunk-muffin

My hubby loves these. I used organic eggs and yogurt and xylitol- absolutely NO SPLENDA! 
Use 1 cup xylitol.

Healthy Fruit Gummies!

My kids love these! And we make them together so it's even more fun. You can make lots of different flavors, or just mix all the flavors together. :) I've tried a few recipes before, and they usually seem a little tart, in our opinion, so we add xylitol and stevia to ours. 

This recipe is adapted from thankyourbody.com. Original recipe can be found here: http://thankyourbody.com/homemade-healthy-fruit-snacks/

Ingredients:

2/3 cup organic lemon juice

2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 cup frozen or fresh organic berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries are all great.)

1 – 2 Tbs raw honey

1/2 cup xylitol

1 packet stevia

8 packages gelatin (from grass fed cows)

Directions:

1. Pour juice and berries into a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until berries become tender and begin to soften. Add applesauce.

2. Add honey and stir until completely incorporated. Add xylitol & stevia and stir until melted and combined.

3. Puree mixture using a immersion blender or regular blender on low speed.

4. Let sit, off heat, for 5 – 10 minutes.

5. Slowly whisk in gelatin (or blend, on low, if in blender), one tablespoon at a time. Whisk vigorously until completely incorporated, mixing the gelatin in very gradually to avoid lumps. (If you do get lumps, just run the mixture through your blender again!)

6. Pour into a 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 glass dish. Refrigerate until set (30 minutes to an hour). Cut in small squares or shapes using small cookie cutters. Keep refrigerated, although they do transport well (just packed a few with my daughters' school snacks!).

*This is not my photo. My camera is in a room with a sleeping child. :)

Homemade Chewy PB Oat Granola Bars

Here is Heavenly Homemaker's 

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars (you're going to want to double this!)

1/2 cup organic peanut butter
1/3 cup raw honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup oats
1 cup TOTAL of any combination of: sesame seeds, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, mini chocolate chips
*I used 1 cup kamut puffs, and another cup of a mixture of sesame seeds, currants, and chocolate/carob chips (for a doubled batch) and the kamut puff were amazing in this!!

In a medium sized saucepan, melt together peanut butter, honey and coconut oil.

Remove from heat and add one cup of oats.  Choose your favorite combination of coconut flakes, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, dried fruit and mini chocolate chips, to equal a total of ONE CUP. (She just got out her one cup measuring cup and poured in the ingredients until the cup was full.) Pour in and stir well.

Spread mixture into a 8x8 or 9 x 4 inch pan.

Chill for 2 hours, then cut into bars.

Wrap in plastic wrap for a quick grab and go snack!

Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Bread

Definitely a keeper- definitely!! I am munching on this moist and 'just enough' sweet bread as I type. I just might make this for Thanksgiving- maybe for our Thanksgiving breakfast. Our family of four (ok, ok, it was mostly my husband and I) went through an entire loaf in less than 24 hours! It's just that good!

• 3 cups Bob's Red Mill GF flour mix plus 2 tsps xanthan gum
• 2 organic eggs
• 1 pint fresh cranberries (organic if possible) or 2 cups defrosted frozen cranberries, chopped- or you can pulse it your blender or food processor for a few seconds
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 cup xylitol, mixed with 2 tsps molasses (to make a 'brown sugar')
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
• 1 tablespoon orange zest or 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon clove
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Grease 2 loaf pans.
2. Beat eggs and xylitol mix with electric beater or mixer (or fork if you are lazy like me). Add oil, milk, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Slowly beat in baking soda, baking powder, salt, all spices xanthan gum and flour. Mix until combined.
3. Gently fold in chopped cranberries. Pour into loaf pans and smooth the top of the loaf with a rubber spatula. Bake for about 1 hour.
4. Allow to cool slightly in loaf pan before inverting onto cooling rack.

Delicious fresh from the oven with a little organic butter or coconut oil melted on top!

Gluten Free Peach Cobbler

SO yummy! Yum yum yum yummy!

1 cup flour blend (I used 3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill GF flour mix and 1/4 cup oat bran flour)
1/2 cup xylitol
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold butter or coconut oil
1 lrg egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tsp xylitol
2 tbsp tapioca starch
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pure almond extract
grease 11x 7 pan or an 8 inch square pan or double recipe for a 9x13 pan.

In lrg.bowl combine 3cups sliced ,skinned fresh peaches& a tbsp xylitol. Let stand 30 min.. Drain.(well)
Combine 1/2 c. xylitol, 2tbsp tapioca starch & 1/4 tsp of each, cinnamon, nutmeg, & salt. Toss with well drained peaches.Add 1 tsp almond extract. Place in prepared pan.
Add cobbler topping:
Comine dry ingredients, cut in butter. Whisk together buttermilk,egg & vanila. Stir into dry ingredients just until mixed. Drop by tbsps on filling. It will spread out while it bakes. Sprinkle with xylitol.  Bake in middle of oven from 35-40 min until browned at 375 degrees.

Raw Berry Pie

Ingredients

Crust:

1 1/2 cups pecans or walnuts

1 cup pitted, packed medjool dates, chopped

Filling:

1 1/4 cup almond milk

1 1/2 cups cashews

1/3 cup raw honey

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil

2 cups mixed berries, set aside
(raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)

Methods/steps

Crust:

1) In a food processor, grind the nuts and dates together into a slightly sticky dough. Add 1 -2 tsp water if needed.

2) Press into the bottom of a 6” springform pan, or into a pie plate.

Filling:

1) Blend the first four ingredients until completely smooth. Add the coconut oil. Continue blending until incorporated. Transfer 1 cup of this mixture into a bowl.

2) Add the berries to the remaining cream in the blender and pulse the berries until they start to break down, keeping some texture. Transfer the berry mixture into a bowl.

Assembly:

1) Pour half of one cream onto the crust. Pour the other half on top. Continue, pouring the first cream on top, followed by the second.

2) Now, with a knife, swirl the two creams together into a pretty pattern.

3) Chill the cake for a few hours, or until firm.

Orange Creamsicle Popsicles

Perfect for a hot summer day! We enjoyed these popsicles on my daughter's birthday and again on Memorial Day! Yum!


1 1/2 cup organic heavy cream
1/2 can coconut milk (not lite)
1 cup plain full fat organic yogurt
4 oranges, peeled
3/4 cup xylitol

Mix all ingredients together in your blender until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds or ice cube trays & place toothpicks in the center after covering with plastic wrap. Freeze until solid.

Check out these cool push pop molds I found at Bed Bath and Beyond!
http://www.wdrake.com/WalterDrake/Shopping/ProductDetail.aspx?CID=Garden&SCID=GardenOutdoorEntertaining&ProductID=BC00332934&SourceCode=20509000001&mr:trackingCode=F6202114-E190-DF11-BC8B-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA

Coconut Raspberry Cupcakes

A special treat for Gigi's first birthday! You can use any berry in this recipe. :) I also have to admit that this cupcake recipe was inspired by elanaspantry.com. :)

• ½ cup coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 4 free range organic eggs
• 2 Tbsps coconut milk/cream (the cream at the top of the can or from a quart)
• ½ cup xylitol
• 1 tablespoon organic vanilla extract
• ½ cup raspberries, fresh or frozen (thawed)- or any berry

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 8 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the coconut flour, arrowroot powder, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, xylitol, coconut milk and vanilla extract. Blend the wet ingredients into the coconut flour mixture with a handheld mixer until thoroughly combined, then fold in the berries.

Scoop ¼ cup of batter into each prepared muffin cup.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 1 hour. If you choose not to frost them, they will be dairy free. :)

Frosting:...............Use your favorite frosting, I don't have a great healthy recipe for one yet. You can use organic butter and cane sugar for a traditional butter cream, or experiment with coconut milk cream for dairy free. I think either one could become healthy by using powdered xylitol, I just haven't gotten around to buying some yet!
You can also get a pretty good frosting swapping out the sugar for raw honey and adding a little arrowroot powder (like a tsp. or so) to thicken it back up. Happy experimenting!

Makes 8 cupcakes, unless you double the recipe, which I always do. :)

Overnight Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

I made this Friday night as a special breakfast for Saturday morning. Everyone loved it and we had enough for Sunday morning too (I even halved the recipe). If you have a special breakfast or brunch coming up (Easter maybe?), THIS is your dish. Scrumptious!

Overnight Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

12 slices day-old bread, cut into 1 inch

cubes (we used a whole wheat sourdough with all healthy oils!)

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cut

into 1 inch cubes (organic, if possible)

1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries

12 free range eggs, beaten

2 cups milk (raw is best)

1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

1/3 cup real maple syrup

1 cup xylitol

2 tablespoons arrowroot starch (also called arrowroot powder)

1 cup purified water

1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries

1 tablespoon organic butter

Directions:

1.	Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or grapeseed oil spray. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish, and top with cream cheese cubes. Sprinkle 1 cup blueberries over the cream cheese, and top with remaining bread cubes.
2.	In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
3.	Remove the bread cube mixture from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4.	Cover, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes, until center is firm and surface is lightly browned.
5.	In a medium saucepan, mix the xylitol, arrowroot, and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1 cup blueberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst. Stir in the butter, and pour over the baked French toast. YUM!

Chocolate Coconut 'Larabars'

We love bars in our house.... especially my 3 yr old! We make a version of 'mock larabars' quite often. Here is another creation:

Chocolate Coconut Raw Bar

2 cups dates, pitted and soaked
1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 Tbsp Cocoa
1/3 ground flax seed
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 raw almonds, finely ground
2 Tbsp raw honey

I grind my almonds, chocolate chips and flax first in my Blentec blender (a food processor will work) and set aside. Next pulse dates. Add cocoa, coconut, coconut oil, honey, flax, almonds, and ground chocolate chips until mixed. Press into a glass pan and refrigerate, cutting into bars when ready to serve.

Valentine Fudge- The Healthy Way

Thank you to The Nourishing Gourmet for this recipe! So easy and delicious, my Valentine's loved it! I used Xylitol as my sweetener. Raw honey would work well too- I have never heard of the coconut sugar. MMMM.

The Easiest, Healthiest, Most Scrumptious Fudge Ever

By the way, you can easily substitute with this recipe. Coconut oil works very well, but those less inclined to this oil could also use butter for a more traditional taste. Raw honey works very well ( though I find it almost a bit too sweet, so you may want to reduce the amount a little), and I bet you could use other forms of palm/coconut sugar (like the granulated form). I use a food processor, but I am sure that you could also use a stand or hand mixer. You can also easily double this recipe.

1/2 cup of virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
1/2 cup of coconut/palm sugar (the paste like kind)
dash of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1-In a heat resistant, glass measuring cup (pyrex), place the coconut oil. Fill a small saucepan with a few inches of water, and place the glass measuring cup in it. Heat on the stove top until the coconut oil is mostly melted (the coconut oil should be room temperature, not hot. This will protect it’s raw benefits).

2-In a food processor using the regular blade, add the melted coconut oil and the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined.

3-Place enough plastic wrap or parchment paper in a loaf pan to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Scrape your fudge “dough” into the loaf pan, and fold the plastic wrap or parchment paper over the top of the fudge. Gently press down, to even out the thickness of the fudge (you want it to be about 1/2 inch thick, it will cover probably about 1/2 of the bottom of your loaf pan). Take out the fudge, carefully wrapped up, and place in the freezer or refrigerator until it has set up. In the freezer it only takes about 20- to 30 minutes.

4-Cut into small squares, and enjoy!

Amazing Homemade Soft Pretzels

This recipe is SO delicious. If there is ever a day you wish to enjoy your grains.... make these!

http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-homemade-soft-pretzels

They freeze well, and xylitol works great in place of sugar if you choose to make the cinnamon sugar variety. In a perfect world, I would be making these often. I just can't get enough of them!

Raw Food Bars (LaraBars)

Here is a lovely version of a mock larabar. Never had a Larabar? You're missing out! So delicious, and so pure. Simple ingredients, and very little for that matter! They are pretty pricey, so here is a version you can make at home.

Mock Larabar Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars

1 cup oats
2 cups dates
1 cup organic raisins
1/2 cup ground nuts- almonds or walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Soak 2 cups dates in water for a few minutes.
Grind up your oats, then nuts and set aside.









Pulse dates in blender or food processor a few times, then add raisins. Add vanilla extract (might need to add a touch of water too if it's not mixing well).





Mix in ground oats and nuts. Transfer to a mixing bowl and mix together by hand, forming into a ball.







Press into a square dish and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.







Cut into squares or bars. Store in fridge.

Peanut Butter Love

We.Love.Peanut.Butter.Period.

However, I hate all the sugar they put in it! We usually buy organic brands, they at least do not contain refined sugar and hydrogenated oils. A Favorite of ours is Maranatha brand. You'll pay a pretty penny for this jar of yummy goodness, but at least the ingredients are as follows:

Organic Dry Roasted Peanuts, Organic Palm Oil, Organic Cane Sugar, Sea Salt.

Compare that to a commercial brand, such as, Jif or Peter Pan and you get:

MADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT. (JIF)

Peanuts, Corn Syrup Solids, Soy Protein, Sugar, Salt, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (Cottonseed and Rapeseed)Minerals (Magnesium Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Iron Phosphate, Copper Sulfate)Vitamins (Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid) (Peter Pan Reduced Fat Version)

Can I get a... ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

First off, it was hard for me to locate online the ingredient lists, especially for the Peter Pan brand. Like they have something to hide maybe? And if 'choosy' moms choose Jif... then oh my. What does choosy mean again?

Throwing this out there.... maybe parents will be offended... BUT most kids LOVE peanut butter right? PB and J, a well loved, kid friendly/favorite lunch (don't even get me started on commercial jelly and wonderbread- or commercial wheat bread for that matter. Or some organic wheat breads for another matter....ok, focus Dana, focus!). Do any of us parents really know what these ingredients are in our child's Peter Pan peanut butter??? Let me let you in on my knowledge. Take out EVERY SINGLE INGREDIENT, MINUS THE PEANUTS, and you should feel good about feeding this to your child. I once heard someone's very bold statement that feeding a child unhealthily should be considered child abuse. This sure pissed a lot of people off! But think about this, if we do not know what is in the food we feed them, or know what these ingredients do to their/our health, can we argue this accusation? 'Food' for thought.

So! Here is my solution. A frugal, healthy and easy solution. Seriously. $2. Five minutes. You can do that for your little munchkin, can't you?

Homemade Peanut Butter

3 Cups Peanuts

3 Tbsp Coconut Oil

Combine in blender. Blend for a minute or two, then scrape with a spatula. Repeat. And Repeat again.... and again... until your desired consistency. Store in fridge. Makes about 2 cups.

Add raw honey for a sweeter peanut butter.

And eat that yummy goodness straight from the spoon and bask in your healthy treat.

Zucchini Rice Flour Muffins

After my mother in law gave me a bag of rice flour, I had some experimenting to do! I had never used it before. Can't say it's my favorite flour (NO comparison to coconut flour- yummm!), but it did the trick. Hubby came home to these fresh out of the oven, and ate 5 before returning to work, so I guess they're keepers? Not super sweet, just a simple, healthy, gluten free snack.

Zucchini Muffins

1 1/2 cups rice flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup xylitol or 1/2 cup raw honey
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 free range eggs
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1/4-1/2 cup organic raisins (these added a wonderful sweetness to them)
1 cup nuts (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients except zucchini, raisins and nuts in mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed scraping bowl, until all is blended. Mix zucchini, raisins and nuts in with a spoon. Pour into greased (grapeseed oil) muffin tin or cupcake liners. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes (mini muffins) or 20-25 minutes (reg muffins) or until a wooden pick comes out clean. Makes 1 to 1 1/2 dozen.

Chocolate Almond Ice Cream (Dairy Free)

Yum, yum, yum!!!! It's delicious- try it!

3 cups Thai coconut milk (NOT lite)
2/3 cup cocoa
6 Tbsp raw honey
1 tsp organic vanilla extract
1 tsp pure almond extract
1/4 cups almonds, coarsely or finely chopped

Mix all ingredients except almonds in blender. Mix in almonds with a spoon. Turn ice cream maker on, and pour mixture in, churning for 15-20 minutes. Store in freezer.

**You could mix this recipe up by changing out the almond extract/almonds for peanut butter, or adding chunks of dark chocolate or shredded coconut... the possibilities are endless!

Banana Cake With Sour Cream Frosting

Easy to make cake, delicious with the frosting or without! Could even use the batter in muffin cups!

Banana Cake with Sour Cream Frosting

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (organic)
  
• 1/2 cup raw honey
  
• 2 large free range eggs
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream (organic, if possible)
  
• 1 1/3 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2/3 cup powdered cane sugar or powdered xylitol
  
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature (organic if possible)
• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
  

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using electric mixer, beat butter and honey in large bowl until blended. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Mix in 3/4 cup sour cream, bananas and lemon juice. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and beat until well blended. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until top is golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool completely on rack. (Can be prepared 2 weeks ahead. Cover cake and freeze. Thaw before continuing.)

Beat remaining 1/2 cup sour cream, powdered sugar/xylitol, vanilla and cream cheese in large bowl until well blended. Spread frosting over cooled cake.

Coconut Apple Nut Raw Food Balls

Just whole food yummy goodness! This recipe was inspired by my friend Julie, who cracked the "Larabar" secret. I wanted to try them using real apples... and well.... the bars didn't work quite right, but these balls are just as delicious! It was a good disaster. ;)

2 1/2 cups dates

2 organic apples, sliced or shredded (with skins)

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 cup almonds

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup flax seed, ground fresh
3 to 4 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

Grind almonds to a fine meal by pulsing in your food processor or blender. Set aside. Mill flax seeds, and also set aside.

Soak dates in warm water for a few minutes (until soft) and drain. Process in food processor or blender (may need to add a tiny bit of water to the blender). Add apples and cinnamon. Process until apples are fully incorporated and as small as they will get. You can finish the rest in your processor, or transfer to a bowl and mix by hand.

Add almond meal and flax, mix well. Add walnuts/pecans and pulse just a few times to mix in. Stir in coconut. Shape dough into balls and store in freezer.

Chocolate Quinoa Cookies

This recipe was given to my Husband by a patient of his in Green Bay, Katie Nelson. (www.katienelsonmusic.com). It is really delicious! I've heard that baking with quinoa flour is tricky, as it is a little bitter tasting, but this cookie was moist and almondy, and the frosting was creamy and delicious- a wonderful combination! You could, of course, mix in another flour if you felt it was bitter tasting, but our entire family just loved them! Thank you Katie!

Quinoa Cookies

preheat oven 375 degrees

1 & 3/4 sticks of organic butter
1/2 cup of raw honey (coconut nectar works too)
1 free range egg
1/2 t vanilla
1 t almond
1 & 1/2 - 2 c of Quinoa flour
1/4 t baking powder
a few grinds of sea salt ( 1/8 t?)

at this point : taste it and see if you would like to add a bit more honey or almond extract.
It will have a slightly bitter taste because of the quinoa.
should be a slightly soft cookie dough- I had no problem scooping it and it staying in little balls:)
add
1/3 cup shredded coconut (no sugar added)
1/2 cup of whole walnuts

Bake them 8-10 minutes.
You will see around the bottoms beginning to get brown and then it's just a minute or 2 more... till the tops get slightly browned.

they will not flatten out. so I recommend making smaller cookies.

They are very fragile so be careful....

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cacoa Frosting:

3 T softened Organic butter
2 T raw honey
1/3 cup of Raw Organic Cacao powder
1 grind of salt (if you don't use salted butter)
1/4 t of Organic Vanilla extract
rice, coconut, almond or reg milk to get it to your favorite consistency

mix together

will be a fluffyish dark chocolate frosting- may still look a bit separated but don't worry , it will melt on cookie.

Put the frosting on center of cookie before the cookies have cooled and they it will melt down the edges and look fudgie delicious ;)