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Carrot Cake Macaroons (Gluten and Dairy free)

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Happy Monday!  I hope you are all having a great week. I have not been in the kitchen much recently, but for a very good reason!  I am newly engaged as of Sunday February 17th :), and could not be happier.  I honestly did not know love, even life, could feel this way until I met Taylor.   We started dating 3 years ago in February of 2016 after meeting via a mutual friend. I can without hesitation say they have been the best 3 years of my life.   He is an incredible man not only to me, but everyone in his life.  He has the most pure heart and fills me up with love, positivity and encouragement everyday.  Since I met him I have become a better person, and am so lucky I get to do life with him!

Soo as one can assume I have suddenly entered wedding planning mode…hard core :).  My free time has already been filled with searching the internet/Pinterest for wedding ideas, skimming bridal magazines, researching venues, photographers, etc.  I actually made myself feel car sick the following day (Monday), from constant scrolling on the computer!  It did not take long for me to suddenly feel a little (more like a lot :))  overwhelmed….I had no idea (and still don’t really) all that is involved in wedding planning.   I have a newfound respect for my married friends….and some of your phones will likely be ringing soon :).

Now that I’ve had a week to digest this new and incredibly exciting time in my life, I feel I have come back down to planet earth :).  Taylor has already been amazing at taking the time to sit and talk with me about wedding ideas.  He will without a doubt be my voice of reason throughout this process.   He tells me I help center his mind and bring him back when he gets “out to sea”, but he absolutely does the same for me.  I know he and I being together with our family and friends is really what matters, not all the little details.  No one else knows them…so nobody will know if they do not work out anyways, right :)?!  We are going to enjoy (not stress) planning our wedding, and do our best to make it special in our own way.

One funny side note, and then i’ll get to the cookies!  I had a great idea (so I thought) of how to get Taylor’s opinion on a wedding dress.  I of course want the dress to be a surprise, but also want to know if he has any “hard no’s” on wedding dress style.  I took it upon myself to rip out multiple weddings dresses from magazines, ones I liked/loved and others I disliked/really did not like.  Last night while relaxing on the couch I said…”hey let’s play a quick wedding game”.  He laughed and said “ok…:)”.  I told him I would hold up pictures of wedding dresses, some I loved and others not so much…He was then to give me thumbs up or thumbs down.  Initially I thought this game seemed harmless….but then suddenly began sinking deeper and deeper into my seat as every dress I liked/loved was given a thumbs down!  I had about 20 dresses ripped out, and kid you not we were opposite on every single one!  My idea totally backfired…sooo I am just going to forget last night happened and put dresses on the back-burner for a while.

Anyways… moving on :). After he proposed, he took me to my mom’s house for a pre-planned dinner to celebrate with she and my brother.  We had a great time! My mom is absolutely over the moon, to say the least :).  We were suppose to have dinner with his parents yesterday to continue the celebration, but we lost power :(.   It was incredibly windy in Indiana yesterday, and many people were in the same boat as us.  We missed the first hour and a half of the Oscars too :(…but thankfully had power again in time for Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s performance!  It’s amazing how much we rely on power… and appreciate it after it is taken away!

Thankfully I started prepping for Sunday dinner on Saturday when we had power.  I always start with dessert first :),  and wanted to make something Taylor’s dad would enjoy.  He loves coconut macaroons as well as carrot cake, so I thought why not combine the two?!  Carrot cake already has coconut in it, making these two easy to merge together.  The pineapple, walnuts, raisins and spices take this macaroon up another level.  The pineapple adds extra moisture along with a brightness, while the cinnamon and nutmeg warm you from the inside out.  I prefer to keep the macaroons in the fridge due to the pineapple in them.  I feel they taste better cold anyway!   Feel free to play around with the recipe also.  You can use any type of nut or dried fruit you’d like.  Dark chocolate would work well too!

Unfortunately his family didn’t get to try any due to having to cancel our plans, but I sent them with Taylor to deliver at work today.  I am anxious to hear how they went over!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25-30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Makes ~12 cookies

Ingredients

• 5 ounces shredded coconut, preferably unsweetened (~ 2 cups)
• 4 oz peeled carrots, shredded (~1 cup)
• One 8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained WELL
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts, roasted and unsalted ( I used honey roasted for Taylor’s dad)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed coconut milk (or regular)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (preferred)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 XL egg white beaten to stiff peaks
• 4 ounces white chocolate, chopped (such as Bakers Bar or Ghiradelli)
• 1 teaspoon solid coconut oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.  Make sure the baking rack is in the center level of the oven.
2. Pour an 8 oz can of crushed pineapple into a colander or fine mesh strainer.  Push crushed pineapple against the sides with the back of a spoon or spatula to rid some of the excess liquid.  The pineapple will still be moist, but should not be excessively wet or damp.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the shredded coconut, shredded carrots, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon and nutmeg to bowl with pineapple.  Stir to combine.
4. Measure 1/2 cup condensed milk in a liquid measuring cup, then add another 2 tablespoons.  Add vanilla and stir to combine. Add milk mixture to large bowl of dry ingredients.  Combine via stirring and folding in with spatula.
5. Whip the egg white and salt in a separate, medium bowl via a hand or stand mixer until stiff peaks form.
6. Transfer the beaten egg white to coconut mixture.  Fold in with spatula until combined.   The mixture will seem damp/wet at this point but should not be soup”y” or crumbly/dry.
7. Use an over-sized cookie scoop to transfer the macaroon mixture to a prepared baking sheet.  Lightly compact the macaroon mixture in the oversize scoop to help create a compact ball shape.
8. Bake for 12-13 minutes, then rotate the tray 180 degrees. Bake for another 12-13 minutes until the coconut is just lightly browned and starts to develop a slight crust.  I baked mine for exactly 25 minutes, but may need a few more or less minutes depending on your oven.
9. Allow macaroons to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
10. Melt white chocolate and coconut oil over a double boiler, or in heat safe dish in the microwave.  If using a microwave, melt the chocolate in 20-30 second intervals on power 8, stirring in between.  Line a cool (no longer warm) baking sheet with a clean sheet of parchment or a Silpat.
11. Once cookies are cool, dip the bottom of the cookie into the melted chocolate mixture.  Allow excess to drip off and place onto your clean/prepared lined baking sheet.  Allow 20-30 minutes for chocolate to firm up.  Enjoy one right away 🙂 or store extra in airtight container in the fridge.  I prefer to store these in the fridge because of the pineapple in them…and I think they taste better cold :).

Nutella Graham Cracker Krispie Bars

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Crunchy, sweet and a little salty…these bars will definitely win you over!  They are absolutely a crowd pleaser, and…BONUS, they’re a no bake recipe.  It is difficult to eat only one of these…there is something soo yummy and addictive about the combination of graham crackers and Nutella!

Hey guys!  I’m back with a second Valentine’s Day dessert idea.  It can be hard to know what to get your special someone on this day, but chocolate or a tasty dessert is an exceptional way to let someone know you love them :).

I was in the kitchen a couple of week ago trying to create a gelatin free rice krispie treat.  My trials tasted great, but they did not hold together well.  I kept trying other ingredients, and had some success with brown rice syrup, but still not getting the taste I was looking for.  I couldn’t put my finger on what was missing, or the flavor I wanted…just knew I hand’t found it yet :).

I then got to thinking…how can I make rice krispies more exciting?? I instantly thought about Valentine’s Day and my graham cracker Nutella truffles I love so much.  I thought why not throw some graham cracker crumbs and Nutella into a rice krispie treat?!  I wanted the bar to have a little more flavor and density than a standard rice krispie treat…a bar you could really bite into!  I am happy to say I feel this bar is a true winner, and one your Valentine(s) will truly enjoy.

I know you can buy rice krispies, or chocolate covered versions at the store, but I always prefer to make my own.   This way I ensure there are no additives/chemicals/preservatives and can control the amount of sugar, what type of sugar, type of fat, etc.  It makes me enjoy the dessert that much more, and also makes me feel great about serving them to friends and family.

Prep Time 30 Minutes
Resting Time 60-90 Minutes
Total Time 2 Hours
Servings 16 Squares

Ingredients

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 cups Rice Krispie cereal
• 3/4 cup Chex cereal, crushed (corn or rice)
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut*
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 13 ounce jar Nutella (entire jar ~ 1 1/2 cups)
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, preferably grass-fed
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup chopped chocolate of choice
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil, solid state
• yogurt covered cranberries, chopped (garnish)

Instructions

  1. Spray an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan with baking spray*.  Line with a strip of parchment paper almost as wide as the pan.  Make sure to make the strip long enough to leave overhang. Set aside.
  2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, Rice Krispies, Chex, coconut and salt in a large bowl. Set aside
  3. Melt butter in a small saucepan on stove-top on low heat. Add Nutella and honey.  Stir wet mixture continuously to combine until it is heated through and reached pour-able consistency.
  4. Take pan off heat and stir in vanilla extract.
  5. Pour the Nutella mixture into the large bowl of dry ingredients.  Combine by folding all together with a spatula.  This will take a minute or two.
  6. Once well combined, transfer bar mix to your prepared pan.  Use a piece of wax or parchment paper to begin pressing the mixture into the pan.  Work your way around the pan, I recommend going over it twice, until you have a flat/even surface and the mixture feels compact.  Don’t be afraid to be a little firm in your pushing.
  7. Set pan aside to rest for 60-90 minutes.
  8. Melt 2/3 cup chopped chocolate and coconut oil together over the stove top or in microwave.  If using microwave, do so in 20-30 second intervals on 8 power.  Once melted, pour chocolate over the top of the set bar mixture.  Spread chocolate with a small spatula until the surface is evenly covered.
  9. Chop cranberries, or any garnish of choice, and sprinkle over melted chocolate.  You may use roasted and salted nuts, honey roasted peanuts, crushed pretzels, crushed graham crackers, coconut, other dried fruit, etc. Whatever you are feeling will work :).  I pushed my toppings lightly into the chocolate mixture to help them stick during drying.
  10. Allow bars to sit for another 30-60 minutes.  You can speed up the process by chilling in the fridge for 30 minutes.  It’s hard to wait!
  11. When the top layer of chocolate is hardened run a sharp knife gently around the two edges not protected by parchment paper to loosen from pan.  Lift the bar mixture out via the parchment overhangs.  Transfer to a counter-top or cutting board, and cut into 4 equal strips vertically and horizontally.  This will create 16 squares, but feel free to cut to your size preference.

Recipe Notes

•These bars are fairly thick, but did so intentionally.  The 8×8 pan will make the bars a little taller, but are still nice and thick in a 9×9 pan.
• You may use sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut, your preference.
•I prefer to not use chocolate chips when melting.  A Baker’s bar or other melting wafers work better.  If you only have chips no worries!  If they are not melting well add more coconut oil, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until you reach a pour-able consistency.

Secret Ingredient Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Brownies

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I cannot believe the holidays are over!  The season always seems to fly by.  This is one of my favorite times of year because it allows for extra moments with family & friends, relaxation, self-reflection, and a chance to reset.  I also find I am busiest this time of year with errands, shopping, baking, house work, etc.  I don’t know about you all, but I tend to have a lot of trouble balancing the two.  Does anyone else feel this way?  I never fail to generate an extensive “to-do” list around the holidays, and think I am going to feel better/accomplished/content, etc if I get it all done.  I think I have developed a love-hate relationship with lists :).

I did a lot of self-reflection this year, thankfully before the holidays, to help me stop the never-ending cycle of being too busy and then feeling the season is suddenly over.  Up until this year :), I would tell myself, next year I will slow down and really take the season in, or once I finish this (which is usually 10 things) I can relax.   I realized thinking this way only sets me up for failure, exhaustion, and the likelihood of missing out on the people and experiences that make me love the season in the first place.

Last year I made a resolution to better my mental health instead of only my physical health.  I absolutely still feel diet and exercise and crucial, but I frequently found myself making resolutions about a new workout class, eating better, etc. and neglecting my mental health.  Our mind and body are closely connected, and both require an equal amount of attention and care.  To kick-start my resolution last year I began writing in a journal to better sort through and process my stress, emotions, goals, etc.  Through this I have learned a lot about myself and how to be a better communicator/partner/friend/daughter, etc.   Having a journal has absolutely helped me become more intentional with my thoughts and actions, prevent me from feeling overwhelmed as easily, deepen my faith and improve my overall outlook on life.

I can happily say I have noticed a difference in myself this holiday season compared to last.  I told myself it is OKAY if I do not get to something….most of the time no one will know but me anyways :).  For example, I told myself I will let the dishes sit in the sink until tomorrow, and rather spend time with my boyfriend before he fells asleep on the couch at 8pm :).  It never fails he has “assumed the position” on the couch and fallen asleep by the time I do dishes and clean up.  We end up missing each other and feeling we do not have as much time together as we need.   Side note – he does help around the house A LOT…not trying to paint a bad picture :).   Anyways, when we put pressure on ourselves to “do it all” or fill our schedule/to-do list to the max we risk missing out on the moments that make the holiday season special in the first place.  I told myself this year I will be intentional with my choices and ensure I leave time for the holiday activities I enjoy.   I will take a day, or many days, to not race around, rather actually SIT (something my boyfriend says he rarely sees me do), wear my robe and comfy socks all day, make cookies with my mom, wrap presents, be with family, watch a hallmark movie(s) and RELAX.   I am happy to say I did it this year :), and it felt really good.  I was not perfect, and still had my “lesser” packed schedule full of “to-do list” moments, but there were fewer of them :).  I can happily say my holiday season has been, and will continue to, not be defined by all the boxes I check off my to-do list, rather the quality time spent with family and friends doing the things that fill my heart.

As mentioned above, I did stay home to bake for Christmas this year, and thought I would share one of my favorite new recipes with you.  I was introduced to Boars Head’s chocolate hummus over the holidays and fell in love.  It is SO good.  I enjoyed it with pretzels, red wine and a fire…not a bad night!  The chocolate hummus got my mind thinking about other ways to create better for you chocolate desserts.  You guys may have heard of, or had, chickpea/black bean brownies…I have had them and they aren’t bad, but a little starchy for my liking.   I am sure there are great recipes for black bean brownies, as I have only tried a couple, but to my point this is where my idea came from (since hummus is made with chickpeas).  I replaced half the butter with chocolate hummus and was very happy with the result.  I made one batch on NYE with all butter, and another batch with half butter/half hummus for a New Years Day gathering at our neighbors.  When comparing the two I honestly preferred the hummus version.   I may actually up the hummus amount next time to make them even more fudgy, but wanted to start slow to ensure they did not have any sort of starch taste to them.  I also use grass-fed butter in brownies to increase the nutritional value.

I thought a lighter brownie recipe would be a great way to start out the year, and hope you guys enjoy this.  As I have said in my bio I am all about balance and moderation.  I will never cut brownies out of my food circle, rather find ways to make them better for me.  I wish you all an amazing year of health, happiness and peace!

Prep Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time 25-30 Minutes
Total Time 60 Minutes
Servings 9 brownies

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons grass-fed butter, unsalted and melted
• 1/4 cup Boars Head chocolate hummus
• 1/3 cup white sugar (or coconut sugar)
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour (Bobs Red Mill 1-1)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 8×8 baking pan with spray and line with strip of parchment.  Leave a few inches of overhang on each side to use as your handle.
  2. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Set aside to cool for a couple of minutes.
  3. Add 1/4 cup, or 4 tablespoons of hummus, to the saucepan of butter.  Whisk to combine until smooth. Your saucepan should be off the heat after melting butter.  I keep it in the saucepan to cut down on bowls/dishes.
  4. Next whisk in granulated sugar (or coconut sugar), brown sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Whisk until smooth.
  5. Sift cocoa powder, flour, salt and baking soda together over a medium bowl.  Add to the cooled saucepan/hummus mixture and fold together with a spatula.
  6. Fold in chocolate chips.
  7. Transfer brownie batter to prepared 8×8 baking pan.
  8. Bake for 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  When brownies are set the batter should not giggle when you lightly shake the pan.  Also, if you hit a chocolate chip your toothpick won’t come out clean :), therefore try a few spots.  I baked mine closer to 25 minutes.
  9. Allow brownies to cool in pan for 10-15 minutes.  Lift out via parchment handles and cool further on cooling rack.  I pull my parchment out carefully from underneath the brownies at this point to allow for better air flow/cooling.

Recipe Notes

• If you cannot find the chocolate hummus you are welcome to add another 4 tablespoons of melted butter.  I have not tried other fat replacements such as applesauce or yogurt.
• Dutch processed cocoa is very important in the recipe.  My “science of baking” page goes into detail on the difference between the two.  Unfortunately Dutch process can be hard to find.  I purchase mine at Williams Sonoma.  Some specialty grocery stores also carry it, or can always order off Amazon.  I found this version at Kroger in the past.  If you cannot find it do not worry!  You can use regular cocoa powder and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, not baking powder.  Baking soda is 3x stronger than baking powder, therefore you need less.  Again you can refer to the science of baking page. Dutch processed cocoa is darker in color and feel it has rich/full chocolate flavor, but regular cocoa will absolutely work as well.
• Feel  free to add more chocolate chips, coconut, etc.  You can also drizzle the top with melted chocolate after baking :).

Pumpkin Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (Paleo)

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This recipe is a mix between a bar and a cookie. These are oil free, aside from the natural oil in tahini.  These cookie bars are soft, moist and just sweet enough.  This recipe can easily be made in a 9 inch square pan, but mine were all in use at the time…hence round shape :).  Now that it’s done it actually reminds me of cookie cake…and who doesn’t love that?!  The tahini has a rather neutral taste, which makes it a great base for the recipe.  I have not tried almond or coconut butter, but feel they would likely work great as well.  This recipe will satisfy your soft, gooey cookie craving with good for you ingredients!

Prep Time 15 Minutes
Cook Time 25-30 Minutes
Total Time 45 Minutes
Servings 6 very large pieces, 8 standard pie slices

Ingredients

Cookie Bars

• 3/4 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons shredded coconut, unsweetened
• 1/2 cup organic pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Chocolate Glaze

• 1/4 chocolate of choice chopped
• 1 teaspoon softened coconut oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spray a 9 inch round pan or 8×8 inch square baking pan with cooking spray.  Line square pan with a strip of parchment, (~ 6 in wide) long enough to leave an overhang on each side. If using a round pan, cut out a circle piece of parchment the size of bottom of pan.  I actually trace around the bottom of my pan with pencil onto parchment paper.  Cut circle just a tad smaller, to the inside, of your tracing line.  Line bottom of sprayed pan with parchment.
  3. In a large bowl combine tahini, pumpkin puree, coconut sugar and eggs. Whisk to combine. Add shredded coconut and combine with spatula.
  4. In a second small bowl combine coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.  Stir with wooden spoon or spatula.
  5. Add dry ingredients to wet in 1 addition.  Combine by folding and stirring ingredients with a spatula.
  6. Stir in chocolate chips.  I used mini chips, but feel free to use your chips of choice.
  7. Transfer batter into your prepared pan of choice.
  8. Place dish into a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.  The top should begin to feel firm and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the pan should remove clean, or with a few damp crumbs.
  9. Remove from oven and allow to cool until pan is cool to touch, about 30 minutes.  I found it best to then chill the pan for 1 hour, after resting at room temperature for 30 minutes, before removing from pan to ensure the cookie bars do not break.  I know I am asking a lot to wait this long before digging in!
  10. After chilling, if using 8×8 square pan, lift bars out via the parchment overhang strips.  If using a round pan, place a cooling rack upside down on top of the round pan.  Grip the cooling rack and pan at the same time and flip the pan upside down. The bars should easily release.  Place a large circle plate over the bars to flip them over again to turn them face up.  Slide off plate into cooling rack
  11. Melt chocolate and oil in small saucepan over medium heat, or via microwave safe dish.  Melt in 30 second increments at 60% power.  Once fully melted, stir to combine glaze and drizzle over top of bars via dinner spoon.  This is not suppose to be perfect.  You will likely get a few falling blobs like I did above.  It’s just a bigger piece of chocolate to eat – no harm done 🙂

Recipe Notes

•You cannot replace coconut flour with another flour in this recipe.  Coconut flour is highly absorbent, therefore you do not need nearly as much of it.  If I had to estimate I would say 1 tablespoon of coconut flour is equal to 1/4-1/3 cup of other flours.  I again cannot vouch for other flours. The coconut flour allows this to be paleo as well.

•I have not tried flax eggs in this recipe.

•You could replace coconut sugar with brown sugar or granulated sugar.  Brown sugar will keep the bars soft and moist.  Granulated sugar should also result in a soft bar.  In a standard cookie recipe granulated sugar produces a crisper cookie, but these bars have a lot of moisture and do not foresee them becoming crisp.  A thin crisp top would not be a bad thing though :).

 

Pillow Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze (Gluten Free)

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Soft, melt in your mouth pumpkin cookies! Do you remember Loft-house style sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles?  These were my favorite when I was younger!  I do not though, love the amount of butter and sugar within them.  I was craving a really soft cookie this weekend and decided to try and create a more forgiving version for your overall health :).  My first trial replaced half of the flour with almond meal, but strongly preferred the end result below with solely oat flour.  The glaze is the same cinnamon cream cheese glaze I use for my pumpkin bundt cakes, but could easily make this dairy free using full fat coconut milk/coconut cream and powdered sugar.  To me, these cookies taste better cold, and should be stored in the fridge if they are frosted.  You can easily store them bare at room temperature and frost as you go.  The glaze is of course optional, but makes the entire cookie if you ask me :).

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings approximately 14 cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 cup gluten free oat flour**
• 4 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 6 tablespoons softened, unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup canned organic pumpkin puree

Glaze

• 4 tablespoons softened butter
• 3 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon table salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2-3 tablespoons milk (any milk of choice, I used unsweetened almond milk)

Instructions

Cookies

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Combine oat flour, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
  3. Place butter, brown sugar and honey in a large bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix on medium speed with hand or stand mixer until combined, about 60 seconds.
  4. Add egg and vanilla.  Mix on medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds.
  5. Add pumpkin puree and mix to combine, another 30 seconds.
  6. Scrape down bowl with a spatula to ensure all wet ingredients are thoroughly combined.
  7. Add dry ingredients in two batches, mixing on low speed until combined.
  8. Scrape down bowl for a final time.  Now allow batter to rest for 10 minutes.  This allows the coconut flour set in.
  9. Use a standard cookie scoop, or two tablespoons, and drop batter onto cookie sheet.  Push the tops of the cookies down to flatten just a little to give yourself a surface to frost.  They will hold their round shape fairly well if not lightly pressed down.
  10. Bake for approximately 15 minutes.

Glaze

  1. Beat butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl via hand mixer or stand mixer.  Add cinnamon and salt and mix again.  Sift powdered sugar directly over the bowl and mix in 1 cup at a time.  Lastly, add milk in 2 batches.  I recommend adding slowly to ensure you get the consistency you desire.  I made this a tad thicker than the glaze I use on my bundt cakes to ensure the icing holds its shape.

Recipe Notes**

•You can make your own oat flour by placing old fashioned oats, no quick or instant, in a food processor. Run processor for about 2-3 minutes until you reach a flour consistency.
•Store cookies frosted in refrigerator.  If prefer to frost as you go, the bare cookies can be stored at room temperature.

 

Gluten Free Zucchini Brownies

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These brownies are sooo good!  They are soft with a fudge like texture.  You cannot taste the zucchini, but it keeps them moist allowing you to use a little less fat than in typical brownie recipes.  I can assure you these will absolutely fill your chocolate craving!

Prep Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time 25-30 Minutes
Total Time 60 Minutes
Servings 9 Brownies

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup oat flour (make sure it is gluten-free if needed)
• 1/3 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder (not dutch processed), sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup grated zucchini, skin on
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) coconut oil, melted and cooled
• 1 egg (at room temperature)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips (I used mini)

Chocolate Glaze

• 1/4 chocolate of choice chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon soft coconut oilInstructions

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grate zucchini on a box grater until you have a generous 1 cup of grated zucchini.  Set in a strainer for 30-60 minutes and allow to drain.
  3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and 4 tablespoons coconut oil in a microwave safe container, or in saucepan on stove top. Set aside to cool.
  4. Combine flours, salt and baking powder in a medium size bowl.  Sift in cocoa powder with a fine mesh strainer or sifter.  Set aside
  5. In a large bowl whisk together the melted a cooled butter and coconut oil, egg, honey and vanilla.
  6. Retrieve your strainer with the grated zucchini.  Push the zucchini up against the sides/bottom of strainer with a wooden spoon or spatula to release excess water.  DO NOT put in a dish towel and completely ring out the water.  You want the zucchini damp (not too wet, but not bone dry).
  7. Stir zucchini into the bowl with wet ingredients.
  8. Add dry ingredients to bowl of wet ingredients. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together with a spatula until combined.  Stir in 1/3 cup chocolate chips.
  9. Prepare your 8×8 metal or glass baking pan by oiling the bottom and edges.  Next cover with a strip of parchment almost as wide as pan.  Make the strip long enough to give you overhang.  This will help you lift your brownies out easily when cooled.
  10. Add your batter and smooth out with spatula until evenly distributed in pan.
  11. Place into a preheat oven and bake for approximately 20  minutes.  Check on them at this point. I always check anything I bake a few minutes before the baking time is over to ensure it is not over baked.  The toothpick should come out clean or with a few dried crumbs.  I baked mine for 25 minutes.   They could take up to 30 minutes depending on your oven.

Recipe Notes

•If you do not follow a gluten free diet you can absolutely replace the flour above with regular all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour,  or whole wheat pastry flour.  Whole wheat pastry flour gives baked goods a wonderful soft and fluffy texture.   Also if you are gluten free, feel free to use only gluten-free all purpose for all the flour above.  By no means do you have to go out and buy all three flours.  I prefer the texture from the three combined. Buckwheat flour is very light and oat flour adds a nice texture and taste to the brownies.  You can make your own oat flour by processing old fashioned oats in the food processor for a few minutes.
•You can also replace some of the oil and butter with applesauce or pumpkin.  I was a little short on coconut oil once when I made these and replaced a tablespoon with pumpkin – turned out great!  You can slightly taste the pumpkin though – FYI.
•Honey can be replaced with maple syrup.

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