We here at The Coach House like to practice what we preach. Whether it's our recipes, lifestyle choices, or decreasing chemicals in the home, we all take a natural, healthier approach. But come on let's face it: we're human too and sometimes you NEED a treat! And what better way to feel like you're indulging than with cookies?
As pictured above, I recently took in a batch of each of my favourite "better choice for me but feels like a treat" cookies to share with my patients. I'm happy to say that both received rave reviews- barely any were left to take home.
The best part? Both are Paleo diet friendly! Now a lot of people assume that making a better choice i.e. choosing a Paleo diet recipe will entail a lot more work, whether in prep time or in finding those 'new to me' ingredients (that will shortly become a staple in your pantry) but that couldn't be further from the truth. Find out more below as I list the recipes, little tweaks I have tried and where to find these ingredients.
So fire up your oven and let's get baking!
Carrot Cake Caveman Cookies
This recipe is courtesy of The Civilized Caveman. I liked this recipe as all the ingredients are very much staples in your fridge and pantry, therefore on hand and easy to whip up a batch when the mood strikes.
These cookies are very filling and tasty but keep in mind they are not a sweet cookie, that fun recipe is to follow :)
2 cups mini carrots2 cups almonds
1 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp coconut oil
3 eggs
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients EXCEPT eggs in food processor, pulse it until all pieces are small but still a little chunky.
3. Combine that mixture with the eggs in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
4. Using your hands, form the mixture into 'patties' and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. The size of the 'patties' are up to you, or you can make them into bars.
5. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes.
Little Tricks
1. To the average palate, these cookies can be a bit bland, especially when used to the store bought 'sugary' cookies. To add a punch of flavour, I like to add more nutmeg, not only to the recipe itself but also a little sprinkle on top while cookies are cooling. The next time I may add a pinch of ground cloves in keeping with the carrot cake theme.
2. I found it easier to pulse the carrots and almonds a little first, then add the rest of the ingredients to finish the mixing process.
3. These cookies actually taste better the next day! They can be a little dry when first cooked/right out of the oven but waiting until later in the day or next day allows the ingredients i.e. carrots to 'settle' and moisturize the cookies, of course when stored in an airtight container.
For the person who has a 'sweet tooth' and craves the sinful flavour of chocolate the next recipe will definitely be up your alley.
Perfect Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
The first time I was trying this recipe from Texanerin Baking, I thought "Vegan option, grain-free, gluten-free, dairy free? Great- these will taste horrible!" but OH.MY.GOODNESS! This recipe is absolutely amazing and I can't emphasize this enough: they actually taste yummy like chocolate chip cookies!
When looking at the ingredient list most people will be intimidated seeing items like paleo-friendly chocolate chips, almond flour, coconut palm sugar, coconut flour and more. The two thoughts right away are a) Where do I get these ingredients? and b) How much will this cost?
The answer is simpler than you think: Bulk Barn! This store has all the items you need for a minor extra expense and is one of the 3 places to shop as recommended by our naturopathic doctor, Dr. Jessica (More on how easy and great shopping at Bulk Barn is, is forthcoming in a future Blog by Dr. Jessica).
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons coconut oil OR room temperature unsalted butter
3/4 cups coconut sugar OR brown sugar
6 tablespoons natural almond butter, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temperature (or 1 chia egg for vegan)
1 1/4 cups paleo-friendly semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
1. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer (or a stand mixer) beat together the fat and sugar at medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. If you use coconut oil it may not come together easily: use your hands to combine and then beat another 20 seconds.
3. Beat in almond butter and vanilla extract on medium until combined. Beat in egg on low until well incorporated. Stir in flour mixture until well combined. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips. If you used brown sugar skip to the next step. If you used coconut sugar, refrigerate for 1 hour until dough is firm.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Roll the dough into balls and place on prepared cookie sheet. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips on top and sides of the dough balls and press down dough slightly with palm of your hand.
6. Bake for approximately 14 minutes (if using coconut sugar) or 17 minutes (if using brown sugar), OR until the surface and centre of cookies no longer appears wet. They will be very soft but will continue to cook as they sit on cookie sheet.
7. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
For Paleo: use coconut sugar, coconut oil and paleo-friendly chocolate chips.
For dairy free: use coconut oil and dairy-free chocolate chips.
Little Tricks
1. Make two batches of these at a time because they are SO good they will NOT last! There are no tricks, ingredients or instructions I would change at all- these cookies are that good.
And there you have it, two super tasty and varied recipes for when you need to indulge your taste buds and have a treat. Let us know if you tried these recipes and have any little tricks of your own- we'd love to hear from you!
Happy Baking!
No comments:
Post a Comment