Recipe (Re)creation: "Healthy" Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am on such a cookie kick at the moment. I love finding recipes that are "healthy," fast, and enjoyed by all members of my family. This recipe ticks all the boxes. I stumbled upon the original recipe here and made a few tweeks to fit my tastes.  I just love that these cookies are packed with chia and flax seeds so they are choc full of fiber, protein and healthy fats, but taste perfectly indulgent. I decreased the sweetness of the cookie, but if you like your cookies sweet, then by all means up it 1/2 cup coconut sugar.  I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as my little fam does :)

Makes: 18-20 Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond butter
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 tbsp. chia seeds
• 2 tbsp. flax seeds
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
• Maldon sea salt, for finishing

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix almond butter, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs in a standing mixer. 
• Mix until well combined. 
• Add the salt, chia seeds, flax seeds, and mini chocolate chips.
• Blend again to combine all ingredients evenly. 
• Scoop spoonfuls of dough into your baking sheet and flatten with your thumb.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms begin to get golden brown.
• Sprinkle the top of each cookie with Maldon sea salt, to taste.
• Allow to cool and transfer to a cooking rack. 
• Enjoy!

Recipe (Re)creation: Banana + Walnut + Chocolate Chip Muffins

 

 

I have been baking more and more lately and I think it's because I like having something that I can grab on the go with a baby in tow. I love to have homemade muffins on hand because they are the perfect treat for breakfast or as an anytime snack.  These muffins are a rough variation of a recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook, It's All Good.  Rather than following her recipe as written, I decided to use a combination of whole wheat and white flour and added walnuts and chocolate chips instead of the dates and pumpkin seeds.  The combination of bananas, walnuts and chocolate chips is simply divine.  If you like banana bread, you are going to fall head over heels for these muffins.

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• A pinch of kosher salt
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 cup mini dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, plus 3 tbsp. for the tops

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line muffin tin with paper liners.
-Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
-In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, milk, vanilla and bananas.
-Combine the wet and dry ingredients and toss in 1/4 cup of walnuts and the chocolate chips.
-Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin cups and sprinkle more walnuts on each.
-Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins are lightly golden.

Recipe Creation: Quinoa Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Since today is graduation for so many of my students, I got an unexpected day off! After a leisurely walk and lunch in Marin, I still had the whole afternoon ahead. Naturally, I was drawn to my kitchen. I have done a lot of savory dishes lately, but I really wanted something sweet.  So I started brainstorming and threw three of my favorite ingredients into one tasty cookie: quinoa, almond butter and dark chocolate chips.  It's a winning combination.  One piece of advice: let the quinoa cool before you add the chocolate chips, unless you want the chips to melt and turn the whole cookie brown.  Otherwise, the recipe should be pretty straightforward.  As far as cookies go, they're pretty darn healthy and who could say no to a cookie that tastes (and looks) this good? You'd have to be crazy.

Makes about 15 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 2 tbsp. applesauce
• 1/4 cup agave
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/3 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

-Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.

-Place quinoa and water in a small saucepan and bring to boil. 

-Reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until water evaporates.

-Remove from heat and let quinoa cool to room temperature.

-In a medium sized bowl, mix the almond butter, applesauce, agave, vanilla, and salt.

-Mix in the quinoa, brown rice flour and chocolate chips.

-Spoon dough into tablespoon-size mounds and place on baking sheet.

-Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the bottoms begin to brown.

-Eat immediately or allow to cool completely before storing.  Enjoy!

Recipe (Re)creation: Chocolate + Orange Florentines

This recipe is courtesy of the Ottolenghi Cookbook, the newest cookbook by the authors of bestsellers Plenty and Jerusalem.  This book is equally wonderful and I highly recommend it.  I went straight to this florentine recipe since I have always had a soft spot for chocolate oranges around the holidays.  I got one in my stocking every year as a kid,  and now that flavor combination always reminds me of Christmas.  I actually looked high and low for chocolate oranges to put in our stockings this year and came back empty-handed, so these helped fill the void.  I ended up drizzling dark chocolate on the cookies, but they are also delicious on their own without the chocolate.  Either way, you can't go wrong.

Makes about 20 cookies

Ingredients:

• vegetable oil
• 2 egg whites
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp powdered sugar
• 2 3/4 cups sliced almonds
• zest from 1 orange
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate ships

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
-Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and brush with oil.
-Put egg whites, powdered sugar, sliced almonds, and orange zest in a bowl.
-Mix gently and pick up the mix to make small mounds evenly spaced on sheet.
-Dip a fork in cold water and flatten each mound thinly.
-Place one baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes.
-Repeat with the second sheet, baking until lightly golden.
-Meanwhile heat 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips over a double burner.
-When fully melted, drizzle chocolate on the cooled cookies using a fork.
-Eat immediately or store in a sealed container.

Recipe (Re)creation: Dark Chocolate Muffins with Fleur de Sel

These muffins aren't a restaurant (re)creation, but I could resist posting them anyways!  They are the perfect combination of sweet and salty.  The muffins themselves are not overly sweet, so they aren't too indulgent and can easily be eaten for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.  They are particularly good served warm and paired with a scoop of vanilla bean gelato.  I based the recipe on this version, but I omitted the espresso, used decadent Valrhona cocoa powder and added fleur de sel on top for a fun twist.  Absolute heaven!

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (Valrhona is best)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chip
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Fleur de sel (optional)

Directions:


-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Meanwhile, grease a muffin tin (or insert paper muffin cups).

-Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar and 3/4 cup of chocolate chips together in a large bowl.

-In a smaller bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract.

-Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and combine.

-Scoop the batter into the muffin tins equally and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips on top.

-Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until the muffins have risen and cooked through.

-Serve warm and sprinkle with fleur de sel.

Mmmm mmmm good.