Nourishing Flourishing

Some of you might be intrigued by the title of this post — what in the world is a biscochito (or, as my abuela spelled it, bizcochito)? If you come from a Hispanic family, you probably already know that bizcochitos are most easily described as anise sugar cookies with cinnamon. Historically, bizcochitos are thought to have been brought over to the Americas from Spain in the 17th century. They are thick enough to have a chewy center, and crisp around the edges for that satisfying crunch.

When I introduce them to those “uninitiated” in this cookie cult, I emphasize the anise component, because most people are unfamiliar with the ingredient and its strong, rich, but very unique flavor. In short, anise seeds taste like fennel, and might conjure associations with black licorice (but in my opinion, anise is more delicious than either). With that warning out in the open — I know not everyone is crazy about such tastes — , I also frame these cookies as my absolute favorite of all time.

And I mean it.

The reason is partly sentimental; these are the only cookies that absolutely were, will be, and must be made at Christmastime. In my family, they are ubiquitous at weddings, funerals, and nearly any holiday, as well. My grandmother used to cut them into a beautiful shape (I did a search but haven’t found anything to its likeness yet!), and the beauty of the cookies was enough to make one indifferent about all the lard they contained. Many joyful times in my life have been marked by their presence.  I could summarize by saying that they are special; they evoke family, comfort, celebration, and tradition for me. Bizcochitos signify both a specific and general culture in which I find much of my identity. (All this in a cookie!)

My dad perfected his own version, nixing the lard, as well as the complicated design. Each family that makes bizcochitos will probably tell you that the right way to make them is their way. Such is the nature of a bizcochito — we can’t even agree how to spell it! Nevertheless, permit me a few sentences to reminisce on my family’s methods, to give you a sense of what an art this is (and you will appreciate, I hope, the simplicity and liberty of my own adaptation all the more).

My father used to make as many as 200 cookies at a time to celebrate the onset of Advent. Or before visiting (our very, very, very numerous and wonderful) relatives.

When making bizcochitos in our home, the keys to remember were:

1) You cannot make bizcochitos in batches smaller than 12 dozen.
2) You must cream the ingredients with your hands — any other utensil involved  in the mixing is blasphemy, and everyone will know if you transgressed; the cookies will be flat. People will be sad. You will probably need to go to confession. Twice.
3) There is no such thing as too much cinnamon.
4) You will need — literally — an entire dinner table for the process of rolling the dough.
5) Use a timer, and you will avoid many tears.

Bizcochito baking is an all-day, seriously labor-intensive affair — early morning to dinner is spent in la cocina. It is a true act of love. My dad, being the thoughtful and dear man he is, would bring gallon-sized ziploc bags filled with biscochitos to mass on Sunday and hand them out to all the older Hispanic women in our church who grew up with them, but weren’t able to make them anymore. They would kiss him and cry out with total joy — these cookies have so much meaning for many of us!

This is what bizcochitos do: they make people happy, they make the world a better place.

Also, they are delicious.

Almond Flour Anise Bizcochitos (or Biscochitos!)

This was the only recipe I wanted to work on over my winter break, and thankfully I had the godfather of Bizcochito Baking taste-test and critique my labors to perfection. I wanted to share these with my “uninitiated” friends to get a sense of how well anise might be received by younger folks that hadn’t grown up on it. I am so delighted that anyone who tried it loved it! The best part, of course, is that nearly anyone can eat these — they are not only gluten-free, but grain-free, vegan, and — contrary to many other bizcochito recipes — easy! The recipe is much simpler and quicker than it first appears. I hope you and yours love them.

Ingredients
Cookies
2 ½ C. blanched almond flour (you can make your own, or buy it from here in bulk, like I do)
2 TB arrowroot powder
2 TB coconut flour
2 TB cinnamon
½ t. salt
½ t. baking soda
6 TB non-hydrogenated shortening
½ C honey or agave (honey is not vegan, of course)
2 TB pure anise extract
1 TB vanilla extract
2 TB anise seeds

Cinnamon Sugar Topping
¼ C sugar
2 TB + cinnamon

Recipe:
1) Preheat oven to 350*.
2) In a small, flat bowl, mix the cinnamon sugar. Set aside.
3) Mix all dry ingredients except the anise seeds together, and set aside.
4) In a small bowl, add wet ingredients and mix thoroughly with a fork until combined.
5) Add wet ingredients to dry, and either mix with a fork or cream together with your hands.
6) Add anise seeds, and mix gently but thoroughly.
7) Form dough into 1” balls, and flatten into circles with your hands. You may want to experiment with keeping the edges rugged, or smoothing them, and with size and thickness. (See note below.)
8 ) Arrange the shaped dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet, and place in the oven. Keep a close watch on them, and when the bottoms and edges begin to brown (around 8 minutes or so), remove. Let sit for one minute.
9) Now the tricky part: Working carefully and quickly (it might take a couple tries), remove one cookie at a time from the sheet, and press the top of each into the bowl of cinnamon sugar. Set aside and repeat until all cookies are topped. (The cookies must be quite warm to get the sugar to stick, so please be very careful not to burn yourself!)
10) Rejoice.

Note: I find I enjoy them just as much without taking the time to make them look like the rolled-out, perfectly round, glutenous bizcochitos of my youth, but please feel free to take a little extra time and give yours a more refined edge, or experiment with shape and thickness!

As I mentioned, every community or family will have its own cult(ure) of the bizcochito. While my version is a tad different than my grandma’s or dad’s, it is a recipe I look forward to passing on in my own family someday — a recipe with a legacy, evolved ever so gently for each generation.

I hope all is well with you, dear readers.

What are your sentimental foods?
Have you tried anise (or even a bizcochito) before?

So apparently I’m not easing into the season as smoothly as I thought I would…

I went and bought an ice cream maker at Goodwill for $3 a couple weekends ago.

And now… I think I have a problem. It’s called “ice cream.”

And I can’t stop making it.

This recipe uses just three ingredients. THREE.

The ice cream actually came into being on a rather cloudy, brisk day. It was the first time I’ve worn jeans out of necessity in months! But, I love Fall and all its cozy glory, so I celebrated by eating a bowl of this on the porch, all bundled up and content in my sweater.

It’s the little things.

Once we tasted this miracle, we were in awe. We started dreaming immediately about how we could find excuses to make it for any occasion. Can you imagine — a scoop with apple or pumpkin pie?! Oh. Oh. Oh oh oh. Just wait ’til those holidays roll around. It’s gonna be ice cream biznass time, all the time. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, don’t worry — you can try this using the Ziploc method that Lynnea so kindly shared on the Nourishing Flourishing Facebook page:

1 quart sized ziploc bag and 1 gallon sized ziploc bag are a great icecream maker. : ) put ice and salt in the big one, put you ingredients in the smaller one, zip the smaller one and place into the bigger one, zip it up and shake for 10 minutes. : D [thank you 2nd grade science!]

Thanks Lynnea! <3

I should be transparent, though, and say I haven’t tried it that way, so I’m not 100% sure it will work for this coconut milk base – but I would presume so. If that makes you nervous… I know — none of us like to have too many appliances. I don’t even own a real blender. Or a stand mixer. Or anything else considered normal and necessary. But this was a good purchase. Thrift stores abound with ice cream makers. In the less-than-five-dollar range. After all, those poor ice cream makers need a home to make memories in. Put them to their joyful labor, and enjoy the benefits year-round. Ice cream is for any time of year. Especially this cinnamon kind. Oh. My. Word.

It might not look like much, but this is honestly one of the best things I have ever tasted.

Seriously.

Cinnamon Coconut Milk Ice Cream

This is the perfect harmony of creamy, cold, and refreshing, with the warmth, comfort, and sweetness of cinnamon. Imagine a snickerdoodle in smooth, frozen ice cream form. (I’m drooling just typing this…)

Ingredients:

1 14 oz. can coconut milk (light or full fat…though full fat is going to taste even better)
1/3 C agave (or honey)
1 TB ground cinnamon

Recipe:
1) Mix coconut milk, agave, and cinnamon in a bowl, and process according to ice cream maker’s instructions.
2) Freeze for an hour or two so it can firm up completely.

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It was amazing. We kept taking spoonfuls out of the freezer when the other wasn’t watching… And finally we just sat down and at it together straight out of the container. I got the idea to try this flavor largely from that ice cream shop I worked at in high school – which also inspired the lime and mango ice creams of last month. Apparently, eating ice cream all day that summer really affected me? I promise, though — this is the last ice cream recipe for a while. (I hope I can keep that promise…!)

It’s another very busy week here for us, but for some reason I am just brimming with gratitude. There’s something about autumn that slows and simplifies things for me. I regain perspective — in little glimmers — but those glimmers are so rich. P.S. …It might really just be my delight that pumpkins are back in season… WOOHOO! Brace yaself.

What’s something you’re thankful for today?

I’m thankful that I live close to mountains, wake up next to my best friend every morning, and don’t eat (and thus get sick from) gluten anymore. Also, baby pigs. Also, scarves. Also, you. <3.

Welp, I found my lost recipe! Phew. And just in time for autumn to arrive — it’s starting to feel a bit chilly in Boulder! I know, I know… Fall is still a dirty word for some of you : ) But I am lovin’ it. I’ve been sipping on tea and nibbling on these tea squares to keep warm.

I had been dreaming of these for a while (read: years) before I attempted a weeklong baking extravaganza during a heatwave last month to finally get a recipe hammered out. I had been frequently disappointed that most tea squares didn’t seem much different than a cookie bar; I wanted them to be distinctly TEA squares — to have tea in them. Thus, these (vegan, GF) tea squares — unlike most I’ve seen — actually contain tea leaves. That may make you curious, freaked out, or titillated. I love tea, so you can imagine where I fell on that spectrum… Anyway, awkwardness aside, these are the perfect pastry-biscuit hybrid to bring to a brunch or — if you have really cool friends and do things like this — a tea party. Why yes, I do plan on having one sometime soon — complete with cucumber sandwiches. How did you guess?

I tried three flavors…

#1 — Rooibos.

An African red tea that is sweet, perhaps nutty, and reminds me of honey. 

My mom had a little breakdown when she thought I was taking them home with me. She was a fan.

#2 — Earl Grey.

A nice combination of “bite” from the black tea and citrus, with the balancing undertones of sweetness from the agave.

A classic! I would eat these on the regular.

#3 — Chai.

A comforting blend of aromatic spices and herbs like cardamom, fennel, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.

It tasted like autumn!

I played with this recipe quite a bit, and though I kind of disagreed with the majority of my (20) tasters (I liked mine with a little less oil and sweetener), I am posting the most popular variation; ’twas hands-down the winner. These bars are chewy, moist but firm, and sweet enough to feel like a treat without being a dessert. This is what I would call a Grown-Up Cookie — unique, mature flavors, and just a hint of that pretentious gourmet flair that you get from classy food magazines. You know what I’m talking about.

Work that pretentious pinky. Work it.

I do not recommend using tea from a bag in this recipe… Don’t be misled by the Twinings in the photo — that was to drink, not to bake with. It would be far too mild to even detect. Instead, you can get just the amount of loose leaf tea you need from many bulk spice sections of grocery stores. My store carries organic and fair trade Frontier brand spices and teas, so that’s what I used. The BFF Manfriend found that one of the teas was a little too big and rough in a couple of the bars, but I didn’t mind the crunch. If you are worried about this, feel free to chop the leaves a tad with a chef’s knife or whir ‘em briefly in a food processor first. These are also pretty heavy on the tea leaves, so you may want to use less for a subtler flavor.

True Tea Squares — GF, Vegan, Grain-Free

Ingredients:
2 C almond flour
1/4 C loose tea leaves (do not use tea from a bag!)
1/2 t salt
1/4 C coconut oil
1/4 C agave (or honey)
1 TB vanilla

Recipe:
1) Preheat oven to 350*.
2) Mix dry ingredients.
3) Add wet ingredients to dry and thoroughly combine with hands.
4) Using wet hands (to prevent sticking), press dough into an 8″ x 8″ glass pan.
5) Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown on bottom and top.

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Oh, and by-the-by (<– someone please explain this phrase to me)… This weekend, I made one of the best recipes I have ever concocted. Ever. And it has three ingredients.

And I am dying to share it with you.

That is all.

Have a great Labor Day!

Do tea squares freak you out, or excite you?

Yep.

I went there.

I so went there.

We are all probably wanting relief right now, yes? Dog days indeed. Truth be told, if I would have had tequila on hand, I probably would have thrown it in there too. Margarita ice cream? Shoot. It’s 100 flippin’ degrees out — don’t mind if I do!

Remember how I said in my last post that I worked in a local ice cream shop in high school? Yeahhh… about that. Lime ice cream (not with bright green, fake lime flavoring — real lime zest and juice) was how I gained a few extra pounds that summer… But seriously, can you blame me?! This version is a healthy, vegan take on that indulgence. It’s just three simple, delicious, whole-food ingredients. What else could possibly be more refreshing than cold, creamy, lime on these last sweltering days of summer when you feel like you’ve been trapped in the armpit of Hades? It has just enough tart and zing to perk your tastebuds and your mood. (That was way cheesier than I meant it to be. Forgive me.)

Plus, once you share the three magical ingredients, it will make everyone around you start singing and dancing to this song in the kitchen (at least…if you’re a member of my family, apparently):

It’s okay if you drop your spoon (perhaps in a garden as you take photos…ahem), or are simply in a hurry — just get that ice cream in your mouth, friend.

You know you want to go there too. So do it. Go there. And don’t look back.

Ingredients:
2 cans coconut milk
1/2 C agave or honey
2 fresh limes

Recipe:

1) Zest limes.
2) Mix coconut milk, sweetener, zest, and juice of both limes in a large bowl. Taste, and adjust sweetness if desired.
3) Process according to instructions included with ice cream maker.

Um… Do you see those flecks of green? That is deliciousness, otherwise known as lime zest. If you can eat graham crackers (or know how to make a GF version), this would be an a-m-a-z-i-n-g Key Lime pie substitute. I’m drooling on my keyboard so… This just got awkward.

How are you staying cool?

We made two different kinds of vegan ice cream this weekend.

I know. We might have a problem. But hear me out!

Please see the following list for really good justifications reasons:

1) When were visiting my parents for a few days this weekend, I knew I wanted to get as much use out of this limited-time nectar-of-the-gods-making appliance (–> that we don’t have) as I could while we had the chance. (We are grad students, on a grad student budget — did I mention that 8000 times already?).
2) It is like the 5th circle of Hades hot outside right now.
3) The maker was my grandma’s, and holds some special memories in it’s adorable wooden frame.
4) The last time I made ice cream was with my grandma and this maker. It was a simple coconut milk base sweetened with agave, but G-Funk couldn’t get over how awesome it was that we used no dairy or refined sugar. She was crazy about such a neat new treat, one that I could take part in no less! (She was devastated that I couldn’t eat like most people.)
5) You know what? Coconut milk ice cream tastes better to me than dairy ever did. And I do what I please.

Psst: that is indeed a Trader Joe’s can from one of my ridiculous cross-country pilgrimages.

So… I used to not like mango. Seriously. But when I was in high school, I worked at a local ice cream shop (now out of business, God rest its soul) and while I didn’t get a discount, I did get the freedom to eat as much I wanted while on the clock. Anyway, one of the unique flavors was mango, and I was so convinced it would make me gag I didn’t even try it for months. Then one day, my life changed. Enter Mango. Hence, this classy, healthy, vegan, dairy-free, super-simple-with-no-nasty-high-fructose-corn-syrup-and-who-knows-what-else-flavoring version! It’s not even sweetened with refined sugar. Whaaa?

Bam! Deliciousness.

Ingredients:
1 16 oz can coconut milk (I used TJ’s light, but ten bucks says a the full-fat stuff has better flavor)
1 fresh mango (about 1 1/2 cups cubed; you could probably sub frozen mango chunks)
1/3 C honey, agave, or equivalent other sweetener

Recipe:
1) In food processor or blender, puree mango with sweetener until as smooth as possible.
2) Add coconut milk to puree and blend.
3) Follow directions on ice cream maker, then freeze.

You could easily adjust the sweetener based on how ripe your mango is – perhaps you’ll need more, perhaps less. The joy is that you can taste your mix before dumping it into the ice cream maker.

Actually… who am I kidding? The joy is in eating this stuff!

And licking the beater…

This is my shame/surprise face as I give proof of my ghetto-fabulousness over the sink.

After being found, enjoy properly, with garnish:

I took these photos as it was raining outside my folks’ house. ‘Twas a challenge with all that cloud cover and dripping! Nevertheless, the recipe needed to be shared. Immediately. So. Yeah. Borrow an ice cream maker if you don’t have one, or check out thrift stores. We saw about 90 in the Florida Goodwill when we were down there in July!

Even my (extremely picky and super-tasting) dad enjoyed a bowl…

= Winning.

I had to laugh when I saw how many other bloggers had the same thought this week — ice cream! Must be August, eh? If you are looking for more tropical vegan ice cream ideas, check out Elana Amsterdam’s recent post on a vegan Pina Colada ice cream. It looks so refreshing! She also has a list of links for other bloggers who are sharing this same brain for cold, sweet, dairy-free yummology

What flavor are you craving? (We have one more to share!)

Ok, so. About this… I had to practice a lot of self-restraint to not blurt out what I had made all over Twitter and Facebook. Instead, I teased. I talked about riding my bike to various grocery stores 5 times in 95*+ heat. I talked about my 4 failed attempts. I talked about standing in front of my stove for hours with no air conditioning in the middle of summer. I talked about letting some frustrations slip out of my mouth as I paid for yet another jar of vanilla beans. And I taunted that I had hit the vegan, gluten-free jackpot of deliciousness with the final success batch. After all that dramatic build-up, you can see what I was so dedicated to making…

When I saw Mama Pea’s take on a vegan version of Starbucks’ Petite Vanilla Scones last week, I was excited. I had been contemplating making a gluten-free version for months — literally, months. Somehow I had gotten wind of this Starbucks scone craze, and then ran across it via a random link to The Pioneer Woman’s blog. The wheels were churning. If you take a look at that version, you might notice why I would need to use some creativity; cream, wheat, and butter aren’t so much included in my diet. I was totally overwhelmed. What would they be made out of?! But then I saw Mama Pea’s genius “health-ified” upgrade — and a vegan one at that! No more excuses. No more missing out on tasty treats. It was time to vegan-ify my scone recipe, and make a gluten-free alternative to these adorable little scones. At last — gluten-free eaters, rejoice! You can partake in the deliciousness. Huzzah!

P.S. My recipe looks way more complicated than it is — trust me.

Ingredients:
3 Tb water + 1 Tb ground flax seed
2 1/2 C blanched almond flour (make your own and save)
2 Tb arrowroot powder
2 Tb coconut flour
3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/4 C agave nectar
1/2 Tb vanilla extract
1 t fresh lemon juice
1 vanilla bean pod

Recipe:
1) Mix water and flax together with a fork and set aside for 10 minutes (ideally, you can put everything else together during this time).
2) Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3) Mix agave, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and vanilla bean pod scrapings (click here for tutorial).
4) Add agave mixture to dry ingredients. Stir, and add flax egg.
5) Stir until combined. I like to actually use my hands to mix gently and thoroughly.
6) Flatten into a rectangle on a parchment-lined baking sheet. It won’t rise much in the oven, so keep that in mind, thickness-wise. My dough was around 1/2″-3/4″, I would guess.
7) Cut four even lines into dough with a sharp knife,. (Example)
8 ) Cut three more even lines in the opposite direction. (Example)
9) Cut each small rectangle/square in half on the diagonal for a total of 24 mini scone triangles.
10) Arrange carefully on the baking sheet so that they are spread evenly. Pop in a 350* oven for about 10-12 minutes — until the edges and tops are lightly browned. Let cool.

Vanilla Bean Glaze

Ingredients:
1 C powdered sugar (corn-free for some of us!)
2 Tb unsweetened almond milk (I used vanilla for added flair)
2 vanilla bean pod

Recipe:
1) Add almond milk to powdered sugar. It will seem to dry at first, but just trust and keep stirring with a fork until smooth.
2) Scrape the vanilla bean pod and stir into glaze mixture.

You can certainly halve the glaze recipe and just lightly lace your scones with a slight drizzle of frosting. I just included the whole recipe in case you are crazy about the glaze…y. I avoid refined-type sugar as much as possible (my body doesn’t do well with it), but I’m still working on a mild-tasting, sugar-free alternative. If you can’t eat this small amount of powdered sugar, don’t fret! Simply mix the vanilla bean scrapings with agave or honey and drizzle immediately before serving (it will eventually soak into the scone and make it soft). Still delicious — just different : )

So. Do they look worth the teasing? Perhaps not after you look at Mama Pea and The Pioneer Woman’s beautiful photography. I admit it, I don’t have a DSLR, or — what really counts – mad skillz. BUT if you taste these, do come back and let me know what you think. I’m guessing somewhere in between “vanilla sugar cookie” and “what a rainbow would taste like if it exploded with joy in my mouth.”

Oh yeah — and speaking of exploding (good transition, Katie)… If you want to make a fun 4th of July brunch spread, how about this banner of delicious, patriotic themed scones?! Thanks to Kelly of The Spunky Coconut for hosting another great Our Spunky Holiday Gluten-Free Carnival!

Red (ish)

White…

And blue:

Any other fun ideas you’d like to see adapted?

I’m not the first person to make an avocado-based vegan “ice cream” or frozen pudding. I realize this! (And if you or someone you know about has a fantastic vegan ice cream/mousse recipe, please leave a link in the comments for others to enjoy; I’m honestly not even sure where I first encountered the idea years ago, as it’s become so ubiquitous!) But, the interesting twist is that I hadn’t intended to make this in the first place; it was the byproduct of a failed attempt to create something else. Hopefully later this week I can show you a (not-failed) finished product of my original goal… This is still smooth, sweet, and totally delectable. In the meantime, here is a happy accident; similar to ice cream, this creamy treat is perfect for the dog days of summer.

Or, you know…whenever you want chocolate.

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
1/4 C + 1 Tb cocoa powder
1/4 C agave nectar
1 t vanilla extract
4 Tb unsweetened almond milk (I used vanilla)

Recipe:
1) Throw all ingredients into a blender or food processor and mix until smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
2) Pour/spoon into glass container and place, covered, in freezer for about 5-8 hours. (I used a champagne flute for added classiness…or because it’s what would fit in my overstuffed freezer.)
3) Remove when it is fully frozen (which admittedly, takes a while), and devour!

Now, as with pretty much all my recipes and methods, you can adjust this pretty easily. One avocado might be smaller or larger than another, so if you want to gradually add the agave as you make it, certainly do so. You all know that I am a proud supporter of “tasting along the way,” yes? Yes. And if you haven’t played with this green fruit outside of guacamole, and are wondering what is wrong with me…. Try it. You can’t taste it. At all. Fo rizzy.

Healthy-sneaky win!

Have you tried avocados in dessert before?

Featured in Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

Thanks for understanding that I needed a day to regain my balance, friends. I’m sorry to unexpectedly not show up yesterday, but…life happens. I stayed up the night before last until around 1am hammering out a (very long) post, but when the time came to push “Publish” for Saturday’s (intended) post, it just didn’t feel right. There are some times that I need to write, just to vomit all my thoughts up in a tangible way (sorry for that image…), so that I can revisit and edit them later into something more useful. So it’s not that I just flaked on you, if that makes a difference. I want my posts to be worth reading!

But, to be transparent, I also felt that it would have been disingenuous to post – to say I’m striving to live a holistically healthy life, yet all the while I’m sick, totally depleted, can barely get off the couch, and am still forcing myself to spend hours and a good deal of energy blogging. Is that health — to push myself to the limits of exhaustion, denying myself the rest that I need? No, and I think I would have been a hypocrite if I would have posted yesterday. I often discuss the significance of being good to ourselves, listening to our bodies (and minds) to better understand our individual needs. Stressing out about putting together a new post and other blog-related responsibilities would have been destructive for me, and diametrically opposed to the mission of this website. It would not have nourished a flourishing life for me. Sometimes, “pushing through the pain” is the worst possible option. Sure, canceling plans on (blog-reading) friends sucks. But in the end, it’s what’s best for everyone.

However, I think I can make my “calling in sick” day up by having awesome posts this week. Right? That will be my goal. In the meantime, I have a wonderful recipe for Memorial Day. Or any day. You know, whatever. You’ll notice that this is, admittedly, nearly the same recipe as my Dark Chocolate Chip Biscotti. But, the great news is, it’s also just as delicious! This new method actually saves a few steps. And…it’s a giant cookie. Any objections? Good.  Just think of it as recycling : )

Ingredients:
2 1/2 C blanched almond flour (you can easily make your own — yay!)
2 Tb arrowroot powder (you can probably sub a little coconut flour or extra almond flour if you don’t have it)
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/3 C agave or honey
1 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 Tb vanilla
~1/4 C dark chocolate chips

Recipe:
1) Mix all dry ingredients except chocolate chips.
2) Add wet ingredients and stir to combine (it may seem too dry — just trust and keep stirring, or wet hands and mix that way). Add chocolate chips.
3) Lightly oil an 8×8 glass baking dish (I rubbed some coconut oil on mine).
4) With wet hands, press dough into the dish.
5) Place in a preheated 350* oven. Remove when it begins to brown on top, and a fork comes out clean in the middle. Cut into bars.

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This is essentially a gluten-free, vegan (if made with agave and vegan chocolate) version of a cookie bar or pizookie. It’s surprisingly healthy, and insanely delicious. Imagine a hint of crunch on the outside, and soft chewy yum-ness with burst of dark melted chocolate on the inside. I would suggest doubling the recipe if you plan to bring this to a Memorial Day cookout, because it is addictive!

What are you doing for Memorial Day?

Or, just tell me what you’re doing to nourish your flourishing life right now : )

xoxo

I know…it’s a sickness. I get fixated on things. Beans. Hummus. Doughballs. But in my defense — I think such obsessions really make one exercise some creativity; at first you only think there are so many ways to make hummus. And then you realize that beans and chocolate and peanut butter really do just *work*. And while my doughball flavors might not be the most unique (I haven’t really researched this, but feel it’s a fair assumption in the case of chocolate chip and peanut butter), the fact that they are vegan and gluten-free is. So. Here is one more (I’m not going to say, “one last,” because obviously that would be a lie) doughball variety to add to the growing collection. The best part? I have thrown these together twice in the past two days, and both times it took me about 15 minutes total. As in, mixing, shaping, baking. And at both gatherings, they were a hit!

Do you need further convincing? Let me break it down: chocolate + chocolate + fun shape + super fast + protein = … YES — that’s what it equals! Now go make these and enjoy your Saturday : )

Ingredients
2 C almond flour (you can easily make your own — yay!)
1/4 C cocoa powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt (feel free to use less)
1/3 C agave (or honey)
1/4 C coconut oil
1 1/2 Tb vanilla
1/2 t almond extract
1/4 C (if desired, vegan) dark chocolate (I used chips, but a bar works just as well), finely chopped, or grated

Recipe
1) Mix dry ingredients.
2) Mix wet ingredients.
3) Add wet to dry and stir with fork until thoroughly combined.
4) Shape dough into 12-14 small balls. (You may need to wet your hands, but for the most part I didn’t.)
[Avoid making joke about step 4]
5) Place onto parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350* for about 10-15 minutes. Let cool.

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More persuasion…

I don’t even actually like chocolate much (and never, ever, ever, evvver milk chocolate — sorry folks), but these. These I love. (And even my picky-eating dad hearted them. That is a feat, if I’ve ever seen one!) Speaking of parentals, mine kindly came to celebrate a big, special day with us (before you ask, no, I’m not pregnant), so I am off to soak up all the joy and love and laughter I can before they have to head home.

And maybe even more doughballs.

I hope you are having an equally wonderful, thankful weekend! Cheers friends!

P.S. I showed my out-of-the-technological-and-pop-culture-loop mom and dad one of my favorite youtube videos… We had such fun laughing with them. If you haven’t watched it, and need a smile (or snort), go to the end of this post. : )

What are you doing this weekend?

Not going to lie… I meant to attempt this when I first made my other 3 dessert hummus recipes, but ultimately ran out of time and ingredients. So today, I actually followed through on my conception: something reminiscent of the cinnamon sugar toast I loved in my youth, but packed with nutrition. Dippable, dunkable, spreadable. Snack or dessert. Yum Town. It was definitely worth the wait! When I had the BFF Manfriend taste test it, he said it was like cinnamon frosting. Um…how can that be bad?! We loved it. This is perfect for topping oats (not only a boost of protein, but remember: it tastes like frosting, friends. Frosting.), toast, graham crackers, tortillas, apples, bananas, and pretty much anything that can otherwise be used as a vehicle to your mouth.

Like last time, I want to thank Evan at The Wannabe Chef for the inspiration! After I stumbled upon his dessert hummus, I knew I was in for it. As you can see from that last 3-recipe-post extravaganza — Evan…you’ve ruined me. It’s all hummus, all the time over here now. (Note: I just now saw he has since posted a snickerdoodle hummus, too!)

Ingredients
1 C cooked and well-rinsed white beans (if chickpeas, peel for smoother texture)
2 Tb cashew butter (or any natural nut butter, though flavor may vary)
1/2 C sweet potato puree (or pumpkin puree)
2 t vanilla
3 Tb agave, 100% maple syrup, or honey (I used a natural maple-flavored agave)
2 Tb cinnamon
sprinkle of salt

Recipe
1) Place all but cinnamon into food processor (or blender) and whir it up until everything is smooth.
2) Add cinnamon (start with just 1 Tb at first if you are cinnamon-shy, adding more as you like) and continue to process.
3) Spoon into a bowl and serve. (Feel free to be real classy like me and drizzle just a little agave on top, and dash cinnamon for garnish. The simple things… The simple things.)

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More flavors coming soon…obviously. ; ) And do I need to tell you how healthy this is? Hellooo Protein!  Oh, and hey Fiber — didn’t see you there in all that deliciousness. Yo! Antioxidants! Didn’t know you were coming to the party — so glad you could make it! Cinnamon, you old anti-inflammatory, how you doin’ these days? (….Annnd SCENE.)

But seriously. This is awesome. If you’re wondering about the sweet potato puree, you can either nuke a sweet potato in the microwave (I don’t have one), bake it in the oven, or boil it on the stove. I boiled mine and processed it before adding other ingredients — it ended up being 1 small tater. Easy peasy!

(Part of Slightly Indulgent Tuesday)

What are you doing to celebrate TGIF
(other than wishing ABC would bring the real TGIF back)?