MELT Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookies and MELT Buttery Baking Sticks and Spreads

Have you seen or heard of MELT Organic?  It’s a company that makes organic coconut oil baking sticks and spreads. They sent me some samples.  They are really good!  They are made of all organic ingredients and are vegan.  This is good news for me, since my 14 year old is trying out being vegan right now.  Not sure how long he’ll go on with that diet plan, but it’s been interesting for me to try to keep him fed.  He seems to be living off peanut butter sandwiches right now.  But I hadn’t realized these baking sticks and spreads were vegan, so I can’t wait to tell him to have some toast!  It’s kind of a family joke—whenever the boys tell me their stomach hurts and that they’re hungry, I tell them to have toast.  It became such that they were really annoyed every time I’d say that.  So now lately whenever they have any issues at all, a stubbed toe, sunburn, headache, you name it, I tell them the best thing for them is to have toast.  They LOVE it. (eyeroll)  Try it next time you have any ailment, have some toast.  Try it with MELT.  I’ve made a couple grilled cheese sandwiches with it (with gluten free bread for me).  Good stuff!

 

Hello, back to cookies—you know, really what life is all about.

Since I have My Favorite Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookies already, I simply used the MELT Organic baking sticks in place of the coconut oil in the recipe and they turned out delicious and perfect.  I love them.  They are all for me.   One thing I realized as I made them a couple days ago, they seem to be better with age.  Which is quite the opposite with regular chocolate chip cookies.  If you’re looking for a grain free, refined sugar free chocolate chip cookie recipe, you should definitely try mine that I’ve linked here.  Try them with MELT! 

 

Want a cookie?  I’ve got plenty.

 

But hurry, they won’t last long…………..

 

Guess what, MELT also makes a Chocolate MELT Organic Spread!  (It’s not vegan, as it has some honey), but it’s good!  I actually haven’t tried it on just some toast, but all the sudden that sounds really good and now I must.  MELT Organic mention that even their spreads can be used for baking, so I have tried the Chocolate MELT Spread a couple times with a brownie recipe.  But I’m still tweaking it.  I don’t think it’s the MELT that is causing me to not be perfectly in love with the recipe yet, I think it’s my substitutes for regular granulated sugar (using coconut sugar and raw honey) that I haven’t gotten just right yet.  My goal (and we should all have goals, right?) is to keep making brownies, brownies, brownies until I get it right.  Then I’ll share the recipe.

 

Thanks for the samples, MELT!  Toast, cookies, brownies and grilled cheese sandwiches, gluten free and all pretty healthy.  Sounds good to me!  Check them out on Facebook and Twitter.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Blondies—Grain Free, Refined Sugar Free

One of the best goodies I’ve made that I can eat right here and I love the taste and texture.  I have a simple, little secret to tell you—I made the dough of My Favorite Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookies.  I wanted to add nuts, because for years now, I haven’t been putting nuts in cookies, even though I totally think they should be there, because people around here at my house don’t like them.  Then it dawned on me that I can put all the nuts I want into my own goodies because I am generally the only one around here who will eat them.  So good, healthy, grain free, refined sugar free chocolate chip cookies, with walnuts, needed to happen.  After making the dough, I didn’t feel standing around baking the cookies. 

 

So I hurried and threw the dough into a baking pan and baked them.  Hello?  Easiest thing ever—and these blondies were born.  I know, takes a lot of brain power for that one.  I love the texture and I love having nuts in my own treats.  So win—win.  I wasn’t sure how they’d actually bake, but I decided after 20 minutes to call it good and I let them cool completely.  I thought they’d sink down after taking them out of the oven, but they stayed nice firm.  Not sure I’ll ever make chocolate chip cookies for me again, because this was sure easy and I have 16 blondies to enjoy over the next little while, you know, if I wouldn’t eat three or four of them a day. ; ) No, I think the most I’ve had the first day was three.  They were great stored in an airtight container for a few days.  Now the rest have been in the fridge and are still great. 

 

These have a perfect soft, chewy texture that you want in a blondie and work the same magic that having a cookie would have in the cravings department.

 

Chocolate Chip Walnut Blondies, Grain Free, Refined Sugar Free, by Katrina Smith, Baking and Boys!

1 cup almond flour

¼ cup coconut flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons coconut oil

½ cup coconut sugar

¼ cup raw honey

6 tablespoons almond butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon pure almond extract (optional)

1 large egg

1 cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips, or chocolate of your choice (ingredients in the chocolate—evaporated cane juice, natural chocolate liquor (non-alcoholic), non-dairy cocoa butter—dairy, soy, nut and gluten free)

1/2 cup lightly toasted, chopped walnuts (or nut of your choice)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with nonstick foil, lightly oil with coconut oil (probably don’t have to have the foil, but I like using it). In a medium sized bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a mixer, combine the coconut oil, coconut sugar, honey and almond butter. Beat until well combined. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts with a spatula. Spread all of the batter  evenly into the baking pan and bake for 20 minutes.  Check the center of the bars with a toothpick that comes out  mostly clean, but a little bit of crumb/chocolate is okay. Let cool on wire rack completely.  Remove the bars from the pan using the foil edges and cut on a cutting board into 16 squares.   Store the ones not eaten immediately in an airtight container.

 

 

Deliciousness!  Can’t wait to try them with pecans.  Also going to try them with peanut butter instead of almond butter and put some peanuts in them.  Oh the endless possibilities!

My Favorite Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have had My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe for years now.  I’ve tried so many different recipes over the years, even since finding THE one, but the one I always make holds true.  It is a perfect cookie dough and makes perfect cookies.  I’ve used the recipe to add all kinds of things to the cookie, including peanut butter yumminess, coconut and nuts, and freeze dried raspberries, just to name a few.  I adapted the Jacques Torres/New York Times recipe years ago and have made this one my go-to.  Everyone loves the cookies.  Check out the link for lots of mouth-watering pictures.  There was a problem—now that I don’t eat gluten and refined sugar, I knew I was really missing out on one of my favorite things.  In the meantime, I’ve tried many gluten free and grain free chocolate chip cookie recipes.  They are usually okay.  They usually “do the trick” for me, you know, get me over that “I need a chocolate chip cookie” fix. 



I need to tell you though—I’ve found My Favorite Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookie and need to share it with you all here.  I almost always make the regular ones into huge cookies, they are just perfect that way.  I give them away to lots of happy people and hear many compliments.  I recently needed to give some good gluten free chocolate chip cookies to someone who can’t have gluten (at all, I cleaned everything well and kept it well away from anything gluten), so I created this one and it’s the best one I’ve made.  Perfect combination of chewy on the inside and crisp edges and the flavor is great with what I think is just the right amount of sweetness from coconut sugar and a little honey.  Must make these again!



My Favorite Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, by Katrina Smith, Baking and Boys!
 

1 cup almond flour
1/3 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons coconut oil
½ cup coconut sugar
¼ cup raw honey
6 tablespoons almond butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon pure almond extract (optional)
1 large egg
1 ¼ cup Enjoy Life chocolate chunks and mini chips (ingredients in the chocolate—evaporated cane juice, natural chocolate liquor (non-alcoholic), non-dairy cocoa butter—dairy, soy, nut and gluten free)
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a mixer, combine the coconut oil, coconut sugar, honey and almond butter. Beat until well combined. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chunks/chips with a spatula. Scoop the dough into cookies on the baking sheet and bake for 10-14 minutes (depending on size of cookies). Let cool on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
 

You know you want a bite.  Or maybe even your own cookie (s )!

Eight Years of Blogging! Chocolate Drizzled Toasted Almond Coconut Macaroons

Today it has been eight years since I started my blog!  I cannot believe it—eight years!  When I started it, just to keep track of and share happenings of my boys and my life with my family and friends, I had no idea I’d still be at it this many years later.  My boys are sure growing up!

 

It’s strange to think back to 2008.  Sam wasn’t even one when I started my blog.  He’s now almost nine!  Scott is 17, Parker is 14, and Taylor is 12!  Bah!!!  It’s too much to keep thinking about, so let’s talk macaroons instead.

 

I love coconut.  I don’t think I’ve ever met or made a macaroon I didn’t like.  But I think I’ve made one that might be my favorite now….and for always?  These have toasted almonds, ground nice and finely.  They are made with coconut sugar and raw honey, unsweetened coconut and egg whites.  Perfectly gluten free and refined sugar free, but you must believe me—they are so good.  Perfect, if I must say so.  Yes, they are great plain, as is.  But if you know me, I have to add a little chocolate to just about everything.  So I melted some Enjoy Life chocolate chips and drizzled it over the tops of the cookies, then sprinkled some more of the freshly ground toasted almonds on top.  Heavenly!

 

They really are great without the chocolate.  I know, I ate a few of them before the chocolate came along.  But come on—everything is better with chocolate.  It had to be done.  I just wouldn’t be me if I hadn’t.  You want the recipe, I know, that’s really why you’re here. 

 

Can you guess which one I ate first?  That’s right—the one where the bigger drizzle of chocolate fell upon it. ; )

 

Chocolate Drizzled Toasted Almond Coconut Macaroons, by Katrina, Baking and Boys! (Gluten Free, Grain Free, Paleo, Refined Sugar Free)

 

2 large egg whites, room temperature

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/4 cup raw honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 cups unsweetened (dessicated) shredded coconut

1/2 cup freshly toasted, then finely ground almonds*

3-4 ounces Enjoy Life chocolate chips (3 ounces is 1/2 cup)

1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and begin beating them on high speed with the wire attachment until foamy.  Gradually add the coconut sugar then the honey. Scrape the sides of the bowl.  Add the vanilla, almond extract and salt and beat until soft peaks form.  Fold the coconut and ground almonds into the egg white mixture.  Using a cookie scoop, put the coconut mixture into mounds on the baking sheet, using your hands/fingers form each firmly together on the tops.  They can be fairly close together on the baking sheet as they do not spread.  Makes about 16 cookies.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Let cool on the baking sheet until almost cool.  Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  Melt the chocolate in a glass dish in the microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring in between.  When it is almost completely melted, add the coconut oil and stir until melted and combined.  This only takes about 90 seconds total.  Using a small spoon (or add the chocolate to a sandwich-sized plastic zip top baggie with the corner snipped off), drizzle the chocolate over each cookie.  I happened to have some extra ground almonds and sprinkled it over each cookie. 

 

I took the inspiration and basic recipe for these from a recipe for some macaroons I made a couple years ago that were also the bomb--White Chocolate Lime Coconut Macaroons and Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Coconut Macaroons.  These were also delicious!  Try them!  Credit goes again to What Jew Wanna Eat for the original recipe.

 

Happy Eight Years of Blogging to me.  Who knows—maybe another eight year or more?  I don’t even want to think about how grown up my boys would be then—and how old that would make me…..

Sweet Potato Chocolate Marble Bundt Cake (Gluten Free, Grain Free)

This was my birthday cake I made a couple weeks ago, but it would be perfect for your Thanksgiving desserts or Christmas, or any holiday or any occasion or just because you want cake—it’s practically healthy!  Get this—the cake is not only gluten free, but it’s grain free and it’s made with much healthier coconut sugar and raw honey for the sweetener.  Hello, it also has a vegetable in it.  The sweet potato acts like pumpkin.  I love the flavor.  With sweet spices added, sweet potato and and chocolate go together perfectly!  If you’re trying to find healthier desserts or have diet restrictions, this pretty bundt cake would be just right for you. 
It was certainly just right for my birthday, which just happens to fall on National Bundt Day, November 15.  I’ve enjoyed making a bundt cake for my birthday for a number of years now, ever since Mary at The Food Librarian started in with her love of bundts.  She has hundreds of bundt cakes posted on her blog.  She would even do 30 days of bundts leading up to my birthday National Bundt Day, and post a bundt a day before that.  She did that for a couple years.  She has some great round ups of all the cakes she’s made as well as some round ups of the bundts everyone makes to join in the fun and send her their links. 

I can’t wait to make this cake again.  I recently bought two sweet potatoes that were huge—one was over three pounds!  I baked it and used it to make a puree.  It was well enough for this cake and a lot more.  Some of it even went in the freezer since I went out of town and couldn’t eat it all up before it would have spoiled.  I still have the second big one and some smaller ones to use up.  I thought the big one wouldn’t be good (over grown) or as sweet or something, but it was great and perfect for this cake!
Sweet Potato Chocolate Marble Bundt Cake, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!
4 ounces good chocolate, melted and cooled (I used Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips)
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 cup almond meal/flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup (168 grams) raw honey
1/2 cup (224 grams) coconut oil
1 cup (250 grams) sweet potato puree (Make sure it’s cool if you’re baking it right before using it. I baked mine the night before I made the cake, then cooled it and stored it in the refrigerator, then pureed it right before using.)
4 large eggs (I actually used 5 sm-med. farm fresh eggs, for a total of 202 grams out of shell)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips
Ganache Drizzle:
2 1/2 ounces chocolate (I used mini chocolate chips)
4 tablespoons heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spread coconut oil evenly over the surface of the bundt pan.  (You’ll want at least a 6 cup bundt pan, but bigger will work, too, it’s not a super high cake that totally fills the pan.)  You can also dust it with cocoa powder or almond flour or coconut flour, but I didn’t, just oil.  (The cake stuck in one little place and usually doesn’t at all when I add some kind of flour after oiling the pan.)  Set aside.  Melt the 4 ounces of chocolate in a medium sized microwave-safe bowl.  Stir after 20-30 second intervals until all melted and smooth and let cool while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the arrowroot, coconut flour, almond flour, baking soda, salt and all the spices.  Whisk together, set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the coconut sugar, honey and coconut oil.  Whisk (or use mixer) until well combined.  Add the sweet potato puree and beat until combined.  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well.  Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix together until well combined.  Remove about 1/3 of the cake batter from the bowl into another pan and add the 4 ounces of melted chocolate to it, then combine well. 
Working in spoonsful or scoops at a time, put the batter in the pan, first the sweet potato cake batter, then in opposite places around the bundt the chocolate batter in spoonsful.  Continue in layers of both cake batters until you’ve used it all.  Take a butter knife and swirl the batter to make the marble effect (not too much swirling or it will not look marbled).  Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.  Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes.  Turn the cake over and let it sit for a couple minutes, then tap the sides and bottom of the pan to release the cake.  It should come out nicely!  Heat the cream in a microwave safe bowl until slightly bubbly (careful it doesn’t boil over, it can come to that stage pretty quickly, especially since it’s such a small amount.)  Pour the heated cream over the 2 1/2 ounces of chocolate, let sit for a minute.  Then slowly stir it together until the chocolate is all melted and you have a nice smooth ganache.  You can do this while the cake is cooling as it sets up a bit after it’s all melted.  Drizzle the ganache over the cake (I put it in a plastic zip top bag and snipped the corner off to drizzle it over the cake, you can also do it by the spoonsful.) 

As I wrote down the recipe, it seemed a little involved, but I have found if you get everything out and in place (Mise en place, I’m all for it!), it’s not bad at all.  Prep everything ahead of time, bake your potato, melt the chocolate, etc.—it’s really not too bad.  And fun.  And worth it for this cake!  Not only does it taste great—it looks great, too.  I think it’s a real show stopper.  If you had this on your dessert table and didn’t tell anyone it was grain free, I don’t think anyone would even know.  Only Kevin and my son, Scott, even tasted the cake.  But after that I hid the rest for the next couple days so they didn’t eat more, because it was all for me on National Bundt Day—MY BIRTHDAY!  I thought it tasted better the next day and the next.  Maybe because I’m kind of cake-deprived, but try it and tell me what you think!
I’m home for Thanksgiving in Idaho with my parents while my awesome husband is home with the four boys.  He’s amazing and I am so blessed and grateful for all the wonderful blessings I have been given.  He even spent the last two days repainting our bedroom—5 1/2 years in our home and we’ve never really liked the paint in our room.  Love it now!  Happy Holidays to all!

Chocolate Pumpkin Brownie Bars—Grain Free (Paleo), Vegan, Refined Sugar Free

Chocolate Pumpkin Brownie Bars

I opened a can of pumpkin last week.  It’s already the second or third large can I’ve opened over the last month or so.  I like putting a scoop of it in my morning healthy smoothie, since the smoothie is chocolate based, the pumpkin along with added pumpkin pie spices is a delicious combination.  It’s been a while since I’ve actually made myself a treat and these turned out perfect.  For the bars to be a recipe I just came up with and only made twice, I’m so happy.  They are one of my favorite things I’ve made since going gluten free and refined sugar free.  These also just happen to be vegan.  I am in love.  I’m making more almond butter (roasted almonds just came out of the oven) as I write this so I can make some more.

I don’t think anyone who doesn’t eat this healthier way would have a clue that these are grain free and vegan brownies with no sugar (just a little real maple syrup).  They are perfectly fudgy with just the right amount of sweetness.  As I’m planning to make them again today, I’m going to add some pecans or walnuts because I love brownies with nuts.  These are so easy to make.

Chocolate Pumpkin Brownie Bars, Grain Free (Paleo), Vegan, Refined Sugar Free, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

3/4 cup almond butter (I make it homemade and grind my own toasted almonds into butter)

3/4 cup 100% pumpkin puree

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons coconut flour

2 tablespoons raw cacao (or cocoa powder)

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or more if you really want that fall spices flavor, 1 teaspoon was barely detectable)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips (optional)

1/2 cup chopped, toasted nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with non stick foil (or regular foil, I just prefer the non stick), lightly greased with coconut oil.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the almond butter and pumpkin and whisk together until well combined.  Add the maple syrup and vanilla and whisk well.  In a small bowl, combine the coconut flour, cocoa powder, spices, baking soda and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.  Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly.  Bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, possibly with just some moist crumbs.  Set on a wire rack to cool completely.  Remove from pan using foil edges, cut on a cutting board into desired sized pieces.  I prefer to store it in the refrigerator.  They seem to be even fudgier cold from the refrigerator.

I’m so excited that as I finish up this post, the new brownie bars with added walnuts just came out of the oven.  It smells divine in here.  As blogging goes, it is just me, or does one post seem to take all day sometimes?  I was doing many things while trying to get back to finishing this post, besides just making more of these brownies.  Oh well, I suppose, such is life!

Grain Free Blueberry Muffins (Gluten Free and Refined Sugar Free, too)

Sometimes I miss a good muffin.  You try to make a perfect one gluten and refined sugar free.  I realized I had some organic blueberries and that muffins should and could be made.  I checked out a number of different recipes online and went with a grain free one made with almond flour.  I am super happy with how these turned out.

My favorite part (besides the blueberries) is the coconut almond topping.  These were so easy to make.

 Grain Free Blueberry Muffins (Refined Sugar Free), by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1/4 cup (56 grams) coconut oil (the oil I used was already melted, it’s summertime)

1/4 cup (84 grams) raw honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

3 tablespoons full fat coconut milk

2 large farm fresh eggs, room temperature

2 cups (224 grams) almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh blueberries, washed and set out in an even layer to dry

2 tablespoons chopped almonds (or pre-sliced)

2 tablespoons unsweetened flaked coconut

*Optional, 1 teaspoon lemon zest would be great added to the batter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a muffin tin (only 9) with coconut oil, just put a couple drops of coconut oil in each one and rub it around evenly with your fingers.  Set aside.  In a medium sized bowl, add the coconut oil, raw honey, almond extract, vanilla extract and coconut milk.  Whisk together until well combined.  Whisk in the eggs.  Add the almond flour, baking powder and salt and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined.  Fold in the blueberries.  Fill each of the 9 muffins cups using a medium sized cookie scoop if you have one.  Combine the almonds and coconut together and sprinkle some on the top of each muffin.  Bake for 14-16 minutes.  Let sit for a few minutes in the tin, then carefully remove each just using your fingers.  None of them broke when I removed them from the pan.  If you tip them upside down out of the tin, you’ll lose a lot of the topping.  Let cool on a wire rack until you can’t stand it any longer and have to eat one…..or two.

These have a perfect slightly crisp outside and are tender and muffin-y on the inside.

The raw almonds and coconut toast perfectly on top of the muffins.  Sliced almonds would be great, but I didn’t have any.  Chopping whole almonds worked just fine!

Coconut Almond Raw Brownies

I need a treat—stat!  I made lots of goodies for our recent family reunion, cookies and cakes galore.  None of which I took a single bite of.  Go me, whatever.  I’m kind of over the whole thing of wishing I could eat certain things and for the most part seeing them and baking them doesn’t even  tempt me.  BUT, I do still need my own sweet treats now and then and these are perfect…and healthy!

I’ve posted similar things like these before, but looking back I didn’t see this exact thing with coconut and almonds (and chocolate!) being the star.  I did keep thinking of these Healthy Almond Joy or Mounds Coconut Candy that are dunked in a healthy melted chocolate, I suppose these are similar, but easier and a bit healthier since they aren’t dunked in more chocolate.  Never fear, there is a little Enjoy Life chocolate chips added.  You can make all kinds of flavors using different nuts and mix-ins.  I suppose they are similar to Lara Bars and other protein/energy bars, but I’ve tried some of those and I definitely think the homemade kind taste much better!

Coconut Almond Raw Brownies, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1 cup pitted dates, soaked in hot water about 10-15 minutes

¾ cup raw cashews

¼ cup raw cacao (or cocoa powder)

3 T. raw honey

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup toasted almonds

2 T. Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips

After soaking the dates, drain the water and chop the dates on a cutting board.  This is to make sure there are no pits, sometimes they are still there ready to tear up your food processor. ; )  Put the chopped dates and cashews in a food processor and pulse until they are starting to be pretty finely ground.  Add the cacao and honey and continue letting the food processor blend them until they start forming a thick paste that clumps together.  Add the almond extract and pulse a few times.  Add the shredded coconut and toasted almonds and pulse until well combined.  The mixture may need to be scraped from the sides of the bowl and off the blade, then mixed again a few times.  Leave the nuts and coconut a little bigger for added texture.  Add the chocolate chips and pulse a few times to combine.  Spread the mixture into a 9x5 inch bread pan that is lined with nonstick foil (or spread coconut oil evenly in the pan).  Let chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before cutting into squares.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

These are good!  A while back, I bought 10 pounds of pitted dates (from a nut company that ships products) and keep them in the freezer.  After a short soaking in some water, they are ready to be made in to all kinds of treats.  I’ve also recently made some of these “raw brownies” with some dried bananas, peanut butter and peanuts as the star (and chocolate!).  I need to tweak that recipe just a bit but I will share it soon. I like using cashews as the base nut, then using other nuts for the different flavors.  Cashews don’t seem to have a major distinct flavor so they work well.  I buy them in bulk as well. 

Coconut Flour Brownies and The Benefits of Coconut Flour and Other Recipes

Do these brownies look gluten free to you, even grain free?  Not only are these refined sugar free (made with raw honey) they are also made with coconut flour.  You know that coconuts are not nuts, right?  With my diet changes of late (gluten free, mostly refined sugar free, mostly processed foods free), I have been using coconut flour (and coconut palm sugar and coconut oil) more and more.  I have really liked the results for all the different baked goods I’ve had when using coconut flour.  I love even more that it’s good for you.  Coconut flour is low in carbohydrates and high in fiber.  Check out more info about coconut flour at Nuts.com.  I always have some in stock now and love using it as a gluten free and grain free flour substitute.  Like these brownies.  I adapted a recipe from Empowered Sustenance for these brownies.  Great blog and source of healthy baked goods and other foods!

At first I thought I didn’t like the brownies, they are super dense, but I also thought they were not sweet enough.  I put them in the refrigerator to chill and tried one the next day and the flavor was much better!  I added pecans and Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips to them.  These brownie would be great with a healthy ice cream made with coconut milk and a little drizzle of melted chocolate on top!  But they are also great as a quick bite for a treat as-is now and then.  I keep them in the fridge.  I’ve always liked chilled brownies.

Coconut Flour Brownies, by Katrina, Baking and Boys! adapted from Empowered Sustenance

10 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup (40 grams) cocoa powder

3 large (free range) eggs

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (210 grams) raw honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon (50 grams) coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/3 cup chopped pecans (could use walnuts)

1/3 cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.  Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with nonstick foil.  Grease lightly with coconut oil.  In a medium sized glass bowl (microwave safe), melt the butter.  Whisk in the cocoa powder.  Whisk in the eggs until fully incorporated.  Next whisk in the honey and vanilla extract.  Switch to a spoon and stir in the coconut flour and salt.  Then stir in the nuts and chocolate chips.  Spread the batter evenly in the baking pan.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.  Remove from pan using foil edges.  Cut into pieces.  (You may chill the brownies, too.)  Keep in an airtight container (I prefer in the refrigerator).

I have plenty of other recipes that use coconut flour as well.  Check them out here:

Almond Joy Coconut Brownies

Healthy Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles or these Healthy Peanut Butter Caramel Chocolate Truffles

Grain Free Gingerbread Blondies with Chocolate Chips

Grian Free Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Grain Free Chocolate Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache

These were all fantastic and I’ve either made them numerous times already or will be making them again for sure!  Stock up on coconut flour and don’t run out, it’s great!

 

Healthy Almond Joy or Mounds Coconut Candy

We all know the tune—“Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.”  It’s just too perfect.  Not trying to steal from the real candy company, but it really is a perfect statement.  I’m so happy to have made these and to have a treat stashed away for me to enjoy!  I originally was just making another treat I could have with dates, but then decided after adding some coconut to try to form them into an egg-like shape and dunk them in melted chocolate.  I’m brilliant, I say! ; )  Okay, I have no idea if something similar has ever been done before, I didn’t even look, just was happy that I came up with this all on my own.  I’m such a big girl nowadays.

I love making different sweet treats with dates.  Like these Raw Brownies with Walnuts or these Chocolate Peanut Butter Grain Free "Granola" Bars.  I love them all and they are sure easy to make.  Can’t forget these Chocolate Hazelnut Bombs or these Healthy Fudgy Brownie Bites.  The possibilities with flavors are almost limitless.  Whatever will I decide to make next?

Healthy Almond Joy or Mounds Coconut Candy (Grain Free, Refined Sugar Free, Dairy Free), by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1  1/4 cup dates, pitted and cut into smaller pieces, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes

1 cup raw almonds

5 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 tablespoon date water

1 tablespoon raw honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut, these are the bigger pieces (or another 1/4 cup of shredded)

2 tablespoons Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips (dairy, grain, soy, egg free chocolate)

Chocolate coating (enough for half the bars, double if you want to coat all of them):

1/2 cup (3 ounces) Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips

1 teaspoon coconut oil

Presoak the dates, drain and reserve the water.  Cut them on a cutting board (even if you have pitted dates, you should always cut them to check for pits!).  Cutting them into pieces also makes them grind up in the food processor easier.  Put the dates and almonds in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until coarsely ground.  Add the cocoa powder and pulse a few times.  Add the water, honey and salt and let it grind until it all clumps together almost forming a ball around the bowl (it will take a couple minutes).  Add the coconut and chocolate chips and pulse just a few times to combine.  Line a 9x5 inch bread pan with waxed paper.  Press the mixture evenly into the pan.  Refrigerate for an hour (I happened to make mine one day and didn’t get to dip them in chocolate until the next day.)

Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave safe glass bowl in 20-30 second intervals, stirring after each one.  It should only take a minute or so.  Stir until smooth.  Remove the pan from the refrigerator and lift the sides of the waxed paper.  Set it on a cutting board and with a 1  1/2 inch round cutter, cut out circles of the date/nut mixture.  You can leave them in circles or form them into oval shape with your fingers.  It was super easy!  If you feel like a nut, dip one side of an almond into the melted chocolate and place it in the center of the candy oval.  Let the chocolate for those harden in the fridge for a few minutes.  Put each piece of candy on a fork and dip it into the melted chocolate, also spooning excess chocolate over the top.  Tap the candy on the sides of the glass bowl, letting the excess chocolate smooth out and drip down.  Place the candy on a wax paper lined plate.  When finished dipping the candy, put the plateful in the refrigerator until the chocolate is hardened (5-10 minutes).  (I only covered half the date candy in chocolate, but the rest is still sitting in the fridge waiting to be eaten plain—still good! or cut and dipped in more chocolate.)  The 3 ounces of melted chocolate was enough for about 8 candies.   Store candies in the refrigerator.

You don’t HAVE to dip them in chocolate and they are still really good.  I like the bigger, flaked coconut in these.  But these are certainly delicious WITH the chocolate coating—just remember, “sometimes you feel like a nut…….sometimes you don’t”.  (And remember, no matter which way you do them, there’s almonds in the date mixture.)

I think I hear one calling my name right now……………………………

 

  

 

Grain Free Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had a hankering.  I’ve been so deprived lately.  ha  Part of my problem is I often don’t feel like making something.  I want to have something, but don’t want to go through the steps to make it.  Yesterday, I wanted chocolate chip cookies.  I could deny myself a treat no longer.  Nice thing is, I whipped these up in no time. 

Thinking of something similar to a flourless peanut butter cookie, I came up with these using almond butter.  I decided to add a little coconut flour when the dough wasn’t quite as firm as I wanted.  Easy peasy.  At first I thought I didn’t really love the flavor, but after I few hours, I think they’re great!  I added a little almond extract, which really brings out the almond flavor.

Grain Free Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1 cup almond butter

3/4 cup coconut sugar

1/4 cup raw honey

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon salt (only about 1/2 teaspoon if your almond butter has salt)

1/4 cup coconut flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, combine the almond butter, coconut sugar and honey.  Stir together well.  Add the egg and extracts and stir to combine.  Add the coconut flour, salt and baking powder.  Once combined, add the chocolate chips and stir until evenly mixed.   Scoop cookie dough on to baking sheet spaced about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Let sit on baking sheet for a couple minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.  Makes 12-16 cookies depending on size. 

These have a great soft, chewy texture and are a much healthier chocolate chip cookie!

“Raw” Brownies with Walnuts (Grain Free, Vegan, Sugar Free)

These “raw” brownies are so easy to make and have just a few ingredients but they taste so good.  I don’t even think someone who doesn’t know they are grain free, have no added sugar and are vegan would realize that they are such, nor would they realize they are made with dates.  A great, healthy treat—I’m so happy to have things like this when I make full fat, high sugar treats for others and just want a little something for myself.  I don’t think real treats are bad now and then, but for now, I’ve given up sugar and gluten and THIS is just the kind of thing I love.  You will, too!

I’ve made similar things before, like these Chocolate Hazelnut Bombs or these Almond Joy Fudge Bars.  Even these Healthy Fudge Brownie Bites are more like these “brownies”, but they have honey added as well.  Today’s “Raw” Brownies just have dates, nuts, and cocoa as the main ingredients.  Easier and I think I like them more.  I’ll have to make both and do a taste test (that’s really just my way of having to make more treats for myself). ; ) 

“Raw” Brownies, (Grain Free, Refined Sugar Free, Vegan) by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1  1/4 cup pitted dates

1 cup raw cashews, chopped (I like cashews for the base as they don’t have a distinct flavor, but these would make great brownies with other nuts, too)

5 tablespoons raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped—optional

1 tablespoon Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips (or other chocolate of your choosing)—optional

Line a 9x5 inch bread pan with nonstick foil.  Place the dates in a glass bowl and cover with boiling water.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Drain the dates (reserving the liquid) and pat them dry.  Roughly chop them (always do this to check for pits!).  Put the cashews in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.  Add the dates and pulse a few times.  Add the cocoa powder and salt.  Process until all is finely ground and well combined.  May take a minute or two until you get the consistency you want.  Add the walnuts and pulse just a few times so they are left as big pieces.  Spoon all of the mixture out of the processor, scraping the the bowl.  The mixture is a bit sticky, but try not to eat it all before you press it into the pan.  Put it in the pan and before you press it all down evenly, sprinkle on the chocolate chips.  Refrigerate for an hour.  Cut into 16 pieces.  Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

These are perfectly chocolaty, I love brownies with nuts, and there is no extra sweetness needed, they would even still be great without the walnuts and extra chocolate chips.  I can’t wait to run out of these and make some more—I have quite the stash of dates and nuts to use up!

These would be great with any other nuts, pecans especially, but I am partial to walnuts in brownies.  I think I’ll try them with peanuts soon, too, and get that great peanut butter chocolate combo. 

Have you seen enough photos?  I must end this post, because every time I see more, I want to grab another one.  Make these.  The end. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter “Granola” Bars (Oat and Grain Free)

These might just look like every other granola bar you’ve seen and you might even be wondering why “granola” is in quotes in the title.  That would be because there are no oats or grain in these.  The kick of flavor from all the different nuts, coconut, and of course, chocolate is heavenly in these bars and the grain is not missed at all.

I made these right before my family reunion in June.  When getting out other desserts to share, I snuck one of these out of the fridge for me (since I’m not eating any of the other treats that were available) and my brother, Matt, asked what they were.  He was interested in them since he tries not to eat much sugar and he knew they were probably healthy since I was eating them.

Within minutes, they were almost completely gone.  Matt loved them.  He encouraged others to try them and they liked them as well.  I hurried and snuck a couple more bars to save for me for another time and let them get devoured.  Without oats and other grains, the nutty flavor is intensified and these have just the right amount of chocolate.

I got this recipe from Danielle’s blog, Against All Grain.  Love her blog and cookbook and her!

Chocolate Peanut Butter “Granola” Bars, adapted by Katrina, Baking and Boys! from Danielle at Against All Grain

1/4 cup (84 grams) raw honey

1/2 cup (148 grams) organic, natural peanut butter

2 tablespoons (28 grams) coconut oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup raw almonds

1/2 cup raw walnuts

1/2 cup raw pecans

1/2 cup raw cashews

7 pitted dates, roughly chopped to check for pits

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips

Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with nonstick foil.  Set aside.  In a small saucepan, combine the honey, peanut butter, coconut oil and salt.  Heat until all melted and combined together.  Stir in the vanilla.  In the meantime, put all of the nuts and the dates in a food processor and pulse until mixture resembles course sand.  Add the sunflower seeds and coconut and pulse a few times until they are mixed well with the other nuts.  Remove the peanut butter mixture from the stove and stir the nut mixture into it.  Once it is all combined, pour the mixture into the prepared pan.  Place a piece of parchment or waxed paper on the top and press it down evenly with your hands.  Remove the paper from the top and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and again using the parchment/waxed paper, press them in to the top of the bars.  Put the pan in the freezer and freeze for 2 hours.  Remove bars from the pan and the foil and cut into desired sized bars on a cutting board.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 weeks.

It’s official, I am making these again today.  They are full of nuts and pretty sweet, I think the bars could even be cut smaller than I did in the photos.  But at this size, they are a perfect snack or energy bar.