Delicate Peanut Butter Cookies and A Confession

For the love of peanut butter and cookies!! These lovely babies were a concoction from quite awhile ago, but hey, better late than never right!? So these cookies were inspired by my desire for some Christmas cookies. Yes, a long time ago. Of course, we had all kinds of other cookies in the house, but no healthy ones. So I hopped up off the couch, crutched to the kitchen and sat on a chair with my leg on another and stirred that dough. You are probably wondering what on earth I am talking about. Well, like in my previous post, I was hung up because of my surgery.

Thank God for my wonderful mother! If it wasn't for her, we would not have these wonderful cookies to enjoy. I mean she is amazing in many other ways too. Always there when you need her. Anyways to the cookies. I am quite obsessed with peanut butter...if you haven't figure that one out yet. It is definitely a staple food in my diet. Thus, after my surgery what was I craving? Well of course, peanut butter and cookies!

So what better than to put the two together to make peanut butter cookies! Some times I am amazed at how creative I am. These cookies are seriously amazing. My whole family loved them as well! Always a good thing. They literally melt in your mouth. These peanut butter cookies are more rich than sweet, which makes them absolutely perfect for my taste! And they are so easy to make! If I can make them while having one leg and two days out of surgery, I think anyone can manage these delicious cookies.

And now on to my confession. Well, there is a saying "third time's a charm". It just so happens that it took me three times of making these cookies to get pictures of them before they were eaten. Needless to say, they could have been posted long ago if my family (mostly I) didn't eat them so fast.

Peanut Butter Cookies
Yields 20 small cookies (1.5" to 2" round)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 egg white
1/4 cup spelt flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. baking soda

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium size bowl, combine peanut butter, sugar and egg white, stir until mixed thoroughly.
3. Add the remaining ingredients.
4. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and press down with a fork.
5. Bake for 5-8 minutes.
6. Let stand on pan for a couple minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
7. Allow to cool almost completely or they may crumble in your hands.

Enjoy! Try not to eat them all in one sitting. It is hard!!

Vanilla Almond Fig Biscotti

With Christmas around the corner, my house is usually filled with baked goods that have been made by my mom, sister, and I. When I was younger, we would make at least ten different kinds of cookies, if not more. My mom had made both my sister and I cute little Christmas aprons that we would always wear. Some of the best holiday memories were made in our kitchen during the holidays. For some reason, we have been known to make some of the best cookies. From my mom's legendary chocolate chip cookies to suited-for-santa cookies to chocolate carmel cookies. However, this year has been a little different as baking together went.

My sister no longer lives at home, so she has not been around to bake all the Christmas cookies, and as for me, I am a little hung up. I just got surgery on my foot this past Wednesday. It has been a long four days let me tell you. I am used to being active, moving around, and not sitting/sleeping all day. Well it just so happens that is the case for me right now. After a long two days, I begged my mom to help me bake some delicious Christmas cookies that were healthy. (All the cookies that she and my sister have made...aren't the healthiest but are good!) I love love love figs, so I began brainstorming. After awhile of debating on what type of cookie I could throw figs in, I came to the consensus that fig biscotti would be fabulous!

I found this basic biscotti recipe to get the approximate measurements and went on with my creativity. Let me tell you...it was a pretty pathetic sight in the kitchen. I was sitting on a stool with my foot resting on another stool as my mom ran around the kitchen getting the ingredients that I would need. She's a trooper! I am truly thankful for her!

Now to the actual cookies. Biscotti is a one of a kind cookie usually eating with tea or coffee. It is a very crisp and dense cookie. There are so many different flavor combinations that can be made for biscotti. I chose my favorites: almond, vanilla, and figs. Let me tell you, they smell delicious when they are baking and taste just as amazing. This recipe could truly be made with any fruit or flavoring. Change it up to meet your favorites! Enjoy!!

Vanilla Almond Fig Biscotti 
Adapted from My Happy Dessert

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup whole spelt flour
2 Tbsp. flaxseed meal
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 Tbsp. stevia
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 egg whites
1 whole egg
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup chopped dried figs

Directions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine flour, flaxseed meal, sugar, stevia, and baking powder in a medium size bowl. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl until thoroughly combine.
4. Pour the bowl of dry ingredients into the large bowl and stir together the two mixtures.
5. Once the dough is throughly combine, add almonds and the chopped figs.
6. Split the dough into two logs and place them on the pan. Flatten to a thickness of one inch. They can be made as mini biscotti or regular size. It's up to your preference.
7. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until firm.
8. Upon removal from the oven, let the loafs cool for 10 minutes and turn the oven down to 325.
9. Then slice the biscotti to desired thickness, usually around 1/2 inch.
10. Place back in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until desired crispness is reached.
11. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Nothing is better when it's snowing and cold outside than a large mug of hot cocoa, friends, and cookies! Eat up!!
~Lauren

The Classic Holiday Gingerbread Man with a Twist

'Tis the season for some holiday baking! However, with school being hectic and finals coming up, things have been put on hold. This post actually is a debrief from studying for my two finals tomorrow. There has not been much time for me to bake/cook/be at all creative in the kitchen this semester, which is quite a bummer. I have so many ideas of new things I want to try, but I just can't find down time. These cookies were actually not made by me, but rather my lovely sister.

For the first time, I had to study, and my sister was free. She decided that she was going to do some baking. Gingerbread are a staple Christmas cookie, and I just had to throw some new ingredients in them to healthify them of course! When I mentioned to her the substitutions she should make she was not too fond of the idea. But I persisted and won! Yay!! It was a good thing I did because these babies are scrumptious!

Oh, yes, my sister thought so too. I can't say anyone didn't like them. Some went to her friends at college, and the rest....well quite possibly most in my stomach. Oops! I mean my mom ate some and my sister too, but overall, I did the most damage. What can I say? If it is good, I am going to eat them...and enjoy every bite. These cookies are the perfect sweetness. They are chewy beyond belief, and literally melt in your mouth! Definitely will be making my gingerbread like this from now on out!

Gingerbread Cookies

Base recipe from The Betty Crocker Cookbook

Ingredients:

Cookies-

1 1/2 cup dark molasses

1 cup coconut sugar

2/3 cup cold water

1/3 cup coconut oil, softened 

7 cups whole spelt flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt 

1 teaspoon ground allspice

2 teaspoons ground ginger 

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Icing-
1/4 cup softened coconut butter (should be pourable, add more liquid as needed)
2-3 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
 
Directions:
Cookies-
1. Mix molasses, coconut sugar, water, and coconut oil, until combine.
2. Mix in the remaining ingredients.

3. Cover and let chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. 

4. Heat oven to 350. 

5. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until the thickness reaches about 1/4 inch. 

6. Cut the cookies out with the desired cookie cutter shape. 

7. Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. 

8. Bake until firm about 10-12 minutes. (if you touch the cookie it should spring back)

9. Allow to sit on pan for 1-2 minutes then remove and cool on a cooling rack until completely cool. 

10. Decorate with frosting!

Icing-

1. Mix together the coconut butter and honey to form a thick paste until thoroughly combine. 

2. Add the vanilla, and then the coconut milk one tablespoon at a time until it is the consistency you desire.  

I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as my family and friends did! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

~Lauren 

Fudgy Multigrain Cookies

Fudgy, chocolatey, healthy, and phenomenally delicious cookies! Seriously, though, these cookies are amazing! This is a cookie that could fool anyone. I do not think I can express in words how delicious they are! Let's just say...these are a MUST try in your kitchen.

I always love when I can find a healthy treat. I love it even more when it tastes like heaven. (Which this one comes close to.) The name of the cookies says it all. Fudgy Multigrain Cookies. They sure are fudgy! They also contain many grains: oatmeal, hemp hearts and spelt flour. Yes, they are cookies that melt in your mouth.



My mom loves them, my sister loves them, and I love them! (My dad is in Japan, so he has not had the chance to try them. But I am sure he would love them too.) You are probably getting sick of me raving about these cookies, but they are seriously so good. You just have to make them. I hope you like them as much as I do!

Fudgy Multigrain Cookies 
Adapted from My New Roots
Yields 32-34 cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup old fashion oats
2/3 cup spelt flour (or any other whole grain flour)
1/3 cup hemp hearts, ground to powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup almond butter (or any other nut butter like peanut, cashew, hazelnut)
2 Tbsp. coconut oil, softened
1 cup coconut sugar
1/2 milk (almond, coconut, dairy)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips (I used Endangered Species 88% Dark Chocolate chopped)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line several large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, mix together oats, spelt flour, ground hemp hearts, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, mix together softened coconut oil and nut butter until well blended. Add in remaining liquid ingredients.
4. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until combine.
5. Add in chocolate chips and walnuts. For tender cookies, do not over mix the dough.
6. Drop dough by large spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until set and the tops appear dry. Let cool on baking sheets 5 minutes before transferring to wire cooling racks. Enjoy!