Healthy Banana Granola "Cookies"

I wouldn't exactly call these a cookie but they kind of are...Andrew thought they tasted good so I guess that says something :)

Healthy Banana Granola "Cookies"

3 c. oatmeal
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 T cocoa
1/4 c. coconut oil, melted
3 super-ripe bananas, pureed in blender
3/4 c. cashew pieces

Mix the oatmeal, cinnamon, salt and cocoa together. Add the coconut oil. Stir in pureed bananas and cashews. Using a 1/4 c. measuring cup, make 6 cookies on each of 2 cookie sheets (ungreased). Flatten the cookies with a spatula. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Take out, flatten some more with a fork, and bake for another 10 minutes.

More yummies over Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Mocha Cookies or Brownies - One Recipe Two Treats

I was craving chocolate yesterday...okay let's be honest.  I'm always craving chocolate so when I saw a post for Delicious Mocha Cookies on another blog I had to try them.  I made them gluten free and that worked out pretty well.  As cookies, they really want to spread.  If I was lazy or in a hurry I would do them as brownies.  Either way they are sure to delight.  My co-workers seemed to enjoy them and they don't care if they have wheat or not :)

Mocha Cookies or Brownies

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
1/2 c. easy gluten-free flour blend
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
4 eggs
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 T coffee ground extra fine (I used decaf and it was still great...might be better than using this much of regular)
1 T vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, melt the unsweetened chocolate, 1½ cups of the chocolate chips, and the butter, stirring until the mixture is smooth, then remove the bowl from the heat.  This took about 2-3x at 40 seconds each.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a larger bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture is thick and pale, then beat in the coffee and the vanilla. Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture; fold in the flour mixture, then stir in the remaining chocolate chips. Let the batter stand for 15 minutes in the fridge.  The colder the better.

3. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or coated with cooking spray and bake for about 10 minutes, or until puffed, shiny, and cracked on top. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets.  They will spread a bit and if you get to greedy and try to put too many on the pan, they run into each other :)

If you want to cook them as brownies, use a 9x13 or 8x11 and don't worry so much about keeping the dough cold.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until they pull away from the edge a bit and the center is not jiggly.

See more great ideas at Vegetarian Foodie Fridays!

Gluten-Free Pride of Iowa Cookies

Growing up, my grandmother always had cookie dough in the freezer.  Pride of Iowa cookies were always there...I thought she called them Pride of Iowa since my grandfather is from Iowa.  Turns out, it was a brand :)  Anyway, Andrew grew up loving these cookies too. 

Gluten-free Pride of Iowa Cookies

1 c. butter or shortening (I've used both, prefer the butter)
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 T. vanilla
2 c. gluten-free flour mix 
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. oatmeal
1 c. shredded coconut
1 c. dried cranberries

Cream together butter and sugars.  Add eggs and beat.  Sift together flour mix, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Add flour mixture and oatmeal gradually to creamed mixture.  Stir in coconut and dried cranberries.  Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 for 8-12 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet then transfer to wire rack. 


Notes: I have also used pecans, almonds or chocolate chips.  They all taste good!

 

Sunflower Cookies

In case you haven't noticed, I like food and blogs.  So, I read a lot of cooking blogs.  Well, The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen, is one of them.  Today, I've taken the opportunity to try about three of their recipes.  So far so good. Of the three, I decided I want to share the Sunflower Cookies recipe.  Please visit the link to see their recipe. I've included what I did below...very few changes other than leaving out the raisins...not so much of a fan. This cookies are ridiculously easy...the most involved part being grinding the sunflower seeds!  Andrew gave them a "They're okay," which is pretty good...he doesn't really say something is great unless it's his favorite food of all time. 

Sunflower Cookies (from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen)
 1 c raw sunflower seeds, ground into a flour - I used a coffee grinder I keep around for this type of thing
1 c brown rice flour
1/4 c tapioca flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c melted coconut oil
1/3 c maple syrup, grade B
2 T applesauce
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.
Grind the sunflower seeds and mix with the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.  Mix thoroughly until all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated.
Roll into 1-inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet.  Flatten with a greased glass.  Bake in the oven for approx. 13 minutes.  Cool on pan.  Enjoy!


For more good food check out Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free's Slightly Indulgent Monday.