Tis the Season! Part 2

Ok, I've had enough baking for the week. Not that I'm not having fun, but wow is it exhausting! Not to mention I keep eating! I can't wait until people get here tomorrow so they'll start eating some of this stuff so I don't have to.

I did end up making 2 batches of peanut butter cookies. I also made 2 (or was it 3) batches of chocolate chip cookies, and 4 batches of macaroons- 2 with cranberries, two with double chocolate.

The chocolate chip cookies are, in a word, AH-MAY-ZING. I mean, they really taste like chocolate chip cookies! They are probably the most wonderful cookies on the planet, second only to the double chocolate macaroons... but more about those later.

First, the chocolate chip cookies.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup almond flour
1/8 tsp baking soda
few shakes of salt
5 tbsp melted butter
3 tbsp honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup (or more) dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, set aside. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl, add to dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips (or do like I did, leave them out and stick them on top just before baking.) Spoon batter onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-13 minutes until set and slightly toasted. They will firm up as they cool.

These are probably my favorite cookies. They may be even better than macaroons, and I just LOVE macaroons. Especially these ones...

I made them 2 ways. The first 2 batches I used the base ingredient and only added dried, sweetened cranberries. The second 2 batches I added 3 tbsp cocoa powder and chocolate chips. I apologize for not having measurements for the cranberries or the chocolate chips. I just kind of "eyeballed" it. Feel free to experiment!

Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut - I ended up using coconut flour since that was all I could find
1/4 cup Z-sweet erythritol
2 egg whites
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

Mix cream with sweetener and extracts. Add coconut (and any additional ingredients i.e. cocoa, chocolate chips, or cranberries). Mix well, and let stand for 1 hour. If mixture feels dry to the touch after 1 hour, add a little more cream.

Preheat oven to 350* F

Whip egg whites until peaks form. Fold into coconut.

Using a teaspoon, place a small amount of coconut mix onto a well greased cookie sheet, repeating to make approximately 16 cookies. Bake until slightly browned- about 12 to 15 minutes.


The double chocolate chip ones turned out so good. They're so rich and chocolatey. I can't wait until everyone gets here tomorrow. I want to them to try to guess which treats are Primal and which ones are Conventional.

And just so you all can see why I'm exhausted, my mother and I did this in a matter of 3 days.

I also sampled my $4.50/quart Organic Valley eggnog. I'll give you my opinion on that later. Right now I'm going to go home, get some sleep, and prepare for the big party tomorrow. I'm already on total carb overload right now with all the honey and chocolate. Hopefully I survive the next two days.

Tis the Season!

Happy Solstice! Merry Yule! It's officially winter, and the shortest day of the year. What a better way to celebrate than spending some time in the kitchen, creating delicious, sweet treats that one will soon consume in quantities too large to be appropriate? None, of course!

As it turns out, I have 5 whole days free from both jobs, and I just don't know what to do with myself. So... I started baking. And I will bake tomorrow, and I will likely bake wednesday. Today's projects: Pumpkin & cashew brownies (2 ways), and peanut butter cookies.

Pumpkin & Cashew Brownies. Both sets of brownies use the same basic recipe as a base. One batch I added chopped pecans and chocolate chips. The second batch I added 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Otherwise, they're completely the same.

Ingredients:
1 cup (organic) cashew butter
1 cup (organic) canned pumpkin
1 egg (pastured)
1/3 cup (raw) honey
1 tsp baking soda

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Spoon into cupcake papers. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Makes 8.


And... Peanut Butter Cookies. While not completely Primal, it is flourless. I love the peanut buttery flavor. The first batch turned out a bit too sweet, so I cut the sweetener some, and added a pinch of salt.

Ingredients:
1 cup (organic) peanut butter
1/2-3/4 cup Z-sweet erythritol
2 medium/large eggs (pastured)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. It makes the process so much easier.

Cream the peanut butter and sugar alternative in a bowl. Mix in the eggs, baking powder, and vanilla. Mix only until thoroughly combined.

The dough will be sticky. Have water nearby. Scoop the dough out by rounded tablespoons and roll with moist hands. Roll into balls about 1 inch in size and place 3 inches apart on parchment. Flatten each cookie with the tines of a wet fork, first pressed in one direction, and then in the other. Be sure there is at least 1/2 inch between cookies.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes until lightly golden on the top and bottom. Let cookies cool on the parchment for at least 5 minutes before moving. They will harden as they cool.


Oh, and one more recipe I started yesterday. KOMBUCHA!

Ok, not really a recipe. Just a gallon of water, 6 black tea bags, a cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar, and a scoby. I'd share a photo but really, it just looks like a big jug of tea right now, with a piece of fabric over the top. I'll be sure to get some photos as the kombucha starts to ferment. Right now it's pretty uneventful.

And so begins approximately 2 weeks of behaving badly. Sure, I'll try to stay Primal, but I'm also being realistic. Food will be eaten in quantity (and hopefully quality.) There will be beverages- including Organic Valley Eggnog, to be discussed at a later date. And let's not forget the New Year's revelry!

Happy Solstice!