Nourishing Flourishing

Hello! It’s a beautiful day here in Boulder, Colorado — the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the squirrels are peaking into our window, and… people are stumbling home wrapped in nothing but a blanket. It’s the day after St. Patrick’s, so you better believe our university town is pretty hungover this morning. Thankfully, I’m only nursing a reaction to all the Benadryl I had to take yesterday — Spring is lovely, but a bit of a transition, immunologically, for some of us!

I must say that Sunday is, now, without a doubt, my favorite day.  While they used to be a source of great anxiety, I feel like I’ve finally grown up a little, and now I look forward to Sunday mornings with joy. At last I’ve realized that a necessary component of “success” in my endeavors, is to set boundaries for myself, and to commit to making time for rejuvenation. Because Sundays were such a stressful time for me in the past, I chose to implement them as a day devoid of all pressure; I do only what I want to do on Sundays, insofar as it is possible.

Today, I wanted to drink strong coffee (usually a once-a-week treat for me), make a special breakfast, and linger over it with my favorite person.

So that’s precisely what I did.

And I was so utterly delighted (and shocked!) with this recipe — which I’ve been playing with for months, and only today wrote down the measurements for — that I just had to share it with you. Forgive me if the photos aren’t the best — I was so eager to post the recipe that I shot this stack on my porch as soon as they were off the griddle! It is wonderfully simple, and my husband (who is a gluten-eat) devoured two batches… Two batches!

Gluten-Free Almond Flour Pancakes
These pancakes taste just like those of my childhood, but without all the dryness that would compel me to drown them in syrup. They are perfectly moist, tender, and just sweet enough to tantalize. Delicious even without maple syrup, they would work beautifully as a quick rolled-up PB and J. Top with succulent fruit, and savor spring’s arrival! Reawaken those mornings of your youth — but be sure to serve with a more adult side of strong coffee for maximum pleasure. (That sounded like a prophylactic commercial. Sorry.)

Ingredients:
~1 TB extra virgin olive oil for pan (you can’t taste it, don’t worry!)
2 C. blanched almond flour  (make your own, or buy it here in bulk, like I do)
1/4 C. arrowroot powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 whole eggs + 2 egg whites
1/4 C. agave nectar (you can decrease this by 1 TB if you like)
1/2 C. unsweetened almond milk
dash of vanilla extract

Recipe:
1) Heat oil in a small cast iron skillet over medium.
2) Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3) Mix wet ingredients in a small bowl; whisk eggs thoroughly.
4) Add wet ingredients to dry. If you want to thin it out a tad more, add another small splash of milk.
5) In ~2-3 tablespoon size scoops, pour the batter into the skillet one pancake at a time. Using a fork, spread evenly to a thin layer.
6) Keep a close eye on the bottom of the cake — you will likely need to turn it down a notch over the course of cooking the pancakes, because almond flour burns easily. Once bubbles start opening on the top of the batter, very, very carefully (supporting the pancake completely with a spatula), flip the pancake. When browned on both sides, set aside on a plate. (It may take a couple tries to get the method down, but they’ll be delicious even if malformed.: )
7) Repeat until all the batter is gone.

Top with pure maple syrup, and, if you like, fresh, organic strawberries. My husband liked a few of his slathered with a little natural peanut butter as well. They keep quite well in the refrigerator, just be sure to keep them well-covered.

Over breakfast, we chatted (amongst other things) about how reading fiction changes us (which was rooted in this interesting piece). This semester, I have achieved my goal of reading for fun again — not academic purposes — and it is a beautiful revival! I can’t seem to put my reading down at night, and I have even been walking home from classes and the gym with novel in hand (well, my novel on my Kindle in my hand, but you know what I mean). There’s so much to be learned about a good and flourishing life in works of imagination!

I’m now going to return to my novel, and pretend that I don’t have any midterms this week. Just for today. Ah, grad school — it’s one big delusion after another… I also hope to catch up on comments, which I seem to be perpetually behind on — alas. Know that I love reading them. I hope you can take some time today for a healthy and delicious treat (like pancakes!) and/or a good chapter of a novel. Nourish yourself!

What is your Sunday ritual?

Are you reading anything for fun?

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?

Ok, this post has been weeks in the making. Literally. I haven’t been sitting idly on my fanny though — no, no. I’ve been baking about seven (huge) batches of donuts. My personal test kitchen has been a disaster every single day — baking pie pumpkins, testing and re-testing, “forcing” samples on friends and strangers… I think I’ve got it now. I really hope that if you try it, you find it well worth the wait. My photos, as I mentioned, are still disappointing, but for the record donuts, with all their shimmery sweetness, are a downright challenge to capture! (That, at the very least, shall be my excuse…) Just don’t judge this book by its cover; I should illustrate how tasty my testers found this recipe — my husband was told by four different people that he is very lucky to be married to me, just because of these donuts/doughballs. (Trust me, you take away this recipe and I’m probably not worth the headache. Ha! : ) They’re pretty dang good.

Anyway. So, here’s the best part about this recipe: it can be three different types of treat, depending on how you choose to employ the dough/batter. Donuts, donut holes, or doughballs. The only tangible difference between the donut holes and doughballs is that I consider a “proper” (really, Katie?) donut hole to be glazed, whereas a doughball has something like chocolate chips in it. But really, define this for yourself; just enjoy it, whatever you do.

I really wanted to create a recipe that was versatile enough that if you don’t own a mini donut pan (I finally found one at Goodwill for $1 after years of pining) you can still make something outrageously, ridiculously delicious. And I mean that. If you choose to go the mini-donut route, there’s a good chance you’ll be surprised that something gluten-free, grain-free, and vegan can taste and feel like a traditional donut. (Or — dare I say? — better!) I was shocked, to be honest. But really, it’s the shape that’s fun — otherwise, everything will taste the same if you choose to make donut holes instead. I think the icing is what really put it over the top as a bona fide donut product. I don’t usually consume sugarcane products, but this was such a minute amount, I decided to at least see if it made a big difference for the donut experience… WHOA. Yes, yes it does. You will think these are fresh from a bakery. And not a crappy big corporate grocery store bakery. A legit, neighborhood bakery. I was floored.

If you prefer not to have a glaze, throw a handful of dark chocolate chips in the batter. Taste a little of the dough [vegan so salmonella-free!], you know — just to be sure it tastes alright. And then rejoice. Dance. Sing. Call a friend. Pat yourself on the back. Whatever. Just celebrate that deliciousness. Savor it.

Repeat.

This is literally the best donut (and doughball) of my life. Glutenous or not.

And I used to have one every single Sunday growing up, so these had some serious nostalgia to live up to.

Best Ever Pumpkin Dough for Mini-Donuts, Donutholes, and Doughballs

This might appear more intimidating than it is. Granted, it takes slightly more time than most of my baking recipes, but it is well worth the extra couple of steps, which are a cinch! This batter, whichever way you choose to bake it — mini-donuts, donut holes, or doughballs –, will amaze you. Everything about it is resonant with autumnal comforts — moist in the center, sweet and aromatic, just enough pumpkin and cinnamon to awaken your senses, and a true melt-in-your-mouth finish. Bundle up and savor the taste of fall while you can; all you need is a cup of coffee and someone to share this special treat with. I have never been so proud of, or pleased with, a recipe!

If you choose to forgo the icing/glaze, adding some dark chocolate chips will enhance all the flavors. I used mini-chips, to go with my “petite treat” theme. ; )

Ingredients:
2 1/2 C blanched almond flour (click here to make your own)
2 TB arrowroot powder
1 1/2 TB cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 C cooked pumpkin puree (how to make your own — so easy, way more tasty, and cheaper!)
1/2 C agave (or honey) + 2 TB maple syrup
1 TB coconut oil
1 TB vanilla
1/4 C dark chocolate chips (if desired)

Batter Recipe:
1) Mix dry ingredients.
2) Mix wet ingredients, and add them to the dry.
3) If chocolate chips are desired, add them now.

(Please note that I have not tried this with a full-size donut pan, so I’m not sure if that will work!)

Directions For Mini-Donuts:
1) Grease donut pan (I used coconut oil). Dust with almond flour.
2) Fill a plastic/ziploc bag with the batter, and cut off one of the tips. Pipe through into the donut impressions.
3) Bake at 325* until lightly browned on edges — you will be able to see the edges pulling away slightly from the pan. Keep a close eye on them! (If it looks like the bottom half of the donut [around the impression part of the donut pan] is browning too fast, move to the top rack and watch carefully). Mine took a while — about 20 minutes.
4) After removing, allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
5) I removed the individual donuts by turning the pan over, and evenly hitting the pan on the table. They should pop out intact. If they are too warm, they’ll fall apart, so the cooler, the better. (You can also try to wedge them out with a butter knife, but I didn’t have a lot of luck with that method.)
See below for icing.

Directions For Donut Holes and Doughballs:
1) Roll dough into small, 1″ balls. Try to make them higher, rather than wider, as they flatten a bit from the heat in the oven. You can wet your hands a little if you like.
2) Place each doughball on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 325* until lightly browned on edges. (It took mine a little over 15 minutes, but watch carefully!)
3) Remove and allow to cool on the sheet for at least 15 minutes.
See below for icing.

Vanilla Glaze/Icing Ingredients:
1/2 C powdered sugar (I used a grain-free, organic brand with tapioca starch, because the cheap brand was sub-par — you could taste the cornstarch. Blech.)
1 TB unsweetened almond milk (I used vanilla)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Chocolate Glaze/Icing Ingredients:
1/2 C powdered sugar (
2 TB cocoa powder
2 TB unsweetened almond milk (I used vanilla)

Glaze/Icing Recipe:
1) Add almond milk to powdered sugar (and cocoa powder if desired), whisking vigorously with a fork until lumps are gone.
2) If desired, add vanilla.
3) Dip the tops of donuts, donut holes, or doughballs into the glaze. Allow glaze to dry for at least half an hour.

Notes on Icing/Glaze: I used a grain-free, organic brand (365 Organic) of powdered sugar, made with tapioca starch, because the cheap brand was awful. You could taste the added cornstarch. I highly recommend spending a tiny bit extra for the sake of quality! Seriously. I promise it’s worth it. Also, resist the urge to add more milk; you want the glaze to be as thick as possible, because if it is too wet, it won’t dry, it will just soak your donuts and they will be mushy.

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I am honestly in awe that this recipe turned out. I started with no idea what I was doing, and ended up with something I’m really excited about. I had been thinking an almond flour pumpkin donut was needed in the world, but could never find a recipe for one. While I am still unsatisfied with my photos (the main reason for the delay of this post), I think the recipe makes up for any aesthetic disappointment. Try it, and let me know if you agree! These are a perfect holiday sweet, without being unhealthy (in moderation, of course); I already plan to make them for my family over Thanksgiving.

Also, bake these while listening to 40s and 50s tunes — somehow, it will make everything in life seem alright again.

Are there any seasonal treats you are eager to create or make again?

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?

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?

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

Whew. What a month this has been! Well, we’re about to return to routine around here, friends. That means no more sentence-long posts, or late posts (oops…sorry about this one). Comments will finally be answered, emails sent, work done. It means we’re getting back into our groove. In fact, yesterday I cooked again for a good chunk of time — and it felt so wonderful to be back in my element! I had something in the crockpot, something on the stove, and something in the oven all afternoon and evening. My hands were covered in dough. My apron was tied. My tunes were on. My heart was happy. Ah…bliss.

Well, firstly, can I say that for those of you who — for whatever reason, be it allergies, budget (though remember, it’s only about the cost of a jar of almond butter — especially if you make your own!), or otherwise — aren’t able to make the recipes using almond flour — I tried for you. I really, really tried. For a long time, and with much experimentation. And unfortunately, it was a fail. My oatmeal maple raisin  scones turned into…baked oatmeal that tasted like soda bread (and not really in a good way). Hm. Lesson learned. I’ll be trying again, so stay tuned! Sorry.

But, I also made blueberry scones.

These are similar to the raspberry scones of yore (which happen to be one of the most popular recipes on the blog). My sister (in-law) and (soon-to-be) brother (in-law), as I mentioned before, spent a couple nights here, and, crazies that they are, packed up and were out the door by 3am this morning. For a 9+ hour drive back to Lincoln, Nebraska. Yes. Insanity. Knowing this was their game plan, I wanted to be sure that they had some kind of breakfast or other munchable with them. So, I made some scones. I realized too late that I probably made a poor choice by making scones, because Abby lived in Scotland for a few years when she was in university at St. Andrew’s… And if you’ve lived in the UK, you know what real scones are. They’re not the overly sweet, Super-Pastries on sugar steroids that we have here in the U.S. of A.; they’re more like biscuits, with a hint of sweetness. You spread on some clotted cream, and maybe some preserves – which if we added to American scones, would instantly give people cardiac arrest and type 2 diabetes at the first bite… (Sorry. It’s true.)

So, I tried to make these relatively mild in the sweetness factor to keep things legit, but it’s hard to get that same flaky, dry, dense texture that comes from traditional flour scones when you use almond flour. Instead, these are fairly moist (*shudder* — that word), which the juicy blueberries only enhance. So if you are a severely conservative scone-ist, these are more like a scuffin, or muffin top (just shape them round and ditch the egg wash). Regardless, you can leave these out overnight uncovered or lightly covered, and they will be closer to the superior UK experience ; ) Fear not.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 C. blanched almond flour (make your own and save)
2 Tb. arrowroot powder (if you don’t have it, sub some coconut flour, chickpea flour, or extra almond flour)
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 ethically sourced egg (I plan to try a vegan version ASAP — don’t worry! I just need to get some chia)
1/4 c. agave or honey
1 t. apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
1 Tb. vanilla
1/2 t. almond extract (optional)
1/4 – 1/2 C. frozen blueberries (fresh should work fine too — just keep your hands wet while working with the dough. If you want a less soft, moist scone, use dried blueberries.)

Recipe:
1) Mix dry ingredients.
2) Mix wet ingredients. Add wet to dry.
3) Add blueberries, and gently combine.
4) With wet hands, shape dough into a ball and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
5) Flatten to about 3/4″ thickness, and slice into 8 pieces, like a pizza.
6) Using a flat, thin spatula, carefully separate pieces so they will have room to bake.
7) If desired, use an egg wash on top for a crisp top texture (whisk an egg and apply a very thin layer on tops of scones).
8 ) Place in 350* oven for about 15 minutes, removing when edges and tops start to brown. Let cool for an hour at least.

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Is it silly to admit that I woke up this morning with an Abby and Kyle shaped hole in my heart? I came close to belting out “All By Myself” — close. But the goods news is…this won’t be the last time I see them. Wink. Nudge. Eyebrow-raised nod in their general direction. So, so, so excited to see more of these two. (Though I confess, I probably should have made sure Kyle was actually looking at me when I took this…oops. I owe you one really good headshot-blog-feature, Kyle.)

We really miss them when they aren’t around… Mainly because it means less opportunities for awkward family photos:

We’re a close bunch, as you can see… Very close.

Are you a harcore scone snob? (Thankfully, I don’t think these two are.)

What’s the best thing to happen to you this week?

Ok, I know: banana bread seems anticlimactic after I hyped this recipe up as my BFF Manfriend’s favorite, favorite, favorite of favoritests (i.e., “BOMB” classified). It’s simple. Just another recipe, right? It seems as though everyone and their mom (literally) has one for banana bread, and calls it “famous” or “the best”. I won’t do that. But I will say that out of all the foods I make, this is the one people fawn over the most, close their eyes whilst eating the most, moan over the most, ask for the recipe the most, fight over the most, arrive unexpectedly at my house in hopes of taking home a loaf the most, and otherwise give the highest rating. So. Hopefully that gives you an idea of  this unassuming banana bread. Whereas most gluten-free breads are dry, and don’t have much complexity to their taste or texture, this one is moist (did some of you just cringe that I used that word? bahaha), the perfect bakery-style and coffee-complement consistency, and absolutely delicious, speckled with dark chocolate chips. Of course, those are optional. But highly recommended (obviously). Case in point:

If you’re nervous about the almond flour because it’s 1) foreign, 2) made of nuts, and/or 3) admittedly expensive, rest assured that: 1) especially with this bread, people can’t tell it is made of almond flour (which is neither here nor there, really, as I’ve never met anyone who disliked the flavor), 2) nuts are good for you, and a slice of bread is the equivalent of only a tablespoon of nut butter’s worth of fat, and 3) if you buy almond butter, there’s no reason not to justify buying or making a little almond flour for this occasion. They are totally comparable in price. I don’t cook with almond flour constantly, so when I do, it’s a special treat. That perspective might relax some of your anxieties about baking with this unique flour. I hope : )

(Please note, you can’t sub wheat flour [or any other grain or bean flour for that matter] for the almond. Another nut flour would work, but otherwise — lo siento mi amigo/a!)

NOTE: This makes a lot of banana bread! Feel free to halve it! ; )

NOTE: This makes a lot of banana bread! Feel free to halve it! ; )

Ingredients:
4 ripe bananas
4 ethically-sourced eggs or vegan substitute (Note: I haven’t tried this, so I can’t make any guarantees — sorry! Will keep you updated on my success.)
1 tsp almond extract
7 Tb – 1/2 C agave (or honey) — up to you how sweet
2 Tb vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 1/1 tsp baking soda
5 C. almond flour
2 Tb cinnamon
1 C dark chocolate chips (optional)

Optional: 1-2 Tb coconut oil. Not necessary, but totally takes it over the top!

Recipe:
1) Massage or squeeze bananas while they are still in their peel to make softening them easier. I literally crush them with my hands, and then remove the peel and dumb they into the bowl. It really makes things easy!
2) Mix wet ingredients and bananas. (I use a handheld mixer and it speeds everything up.) It should be ready when the consistency is fairly smooth — you want the banana to be in tiny little pieces, not big chunks.
3) Mix dry ingredients, and add to wet.
4) Pour into three smaller load pans, or one large and one small. (I always line mine with parchment, and strongly recommend it for even baking and easy clean up.)
5) Bake in preheated 325* oven for about 45 minutes (it might take longer). The top should be browned.
6) Remove when a knife in the middle comes out clean, and let cool in the pan. Slice with a sharp knife.

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If you’re trying to take this over the top, add a tablespoon or two of coconut oil. I don’t know why, but it makes it even better! As you may notice, I add almond extract to a lot of my recipes. This is always optional, I often just like to enhance the almond flavor; I find it gives another layer of complexity and depth to my baked goods. However, if you’re trying to avoid a strong almond taste (i.e., mask that you’re using almond flour), just omit it. : )

Make this! Today! <3

Part of Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays @ Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free

So. I’m heading to San Diego this week, Wed-Friday (BFF Manfriend is presenting at a high-falutin’ conference.) Any interest in a little meet-up one afternoon?

Also. What’s the best banana bread or other baked good you’ve had, ever?

Thank you so much for all your amazing e-mails, comments, and tweets yesterday! I can’t wait for the next post in the series : )  xoxo

You know about 1-2-3 cookies right? Basically, you just throw fun (3 ingredients) in a bowl, believe in magic, and a batch of miraculous delicious happiness jumps out of your oven with double rainbows! Crazy, I know.

Only a slight exaggeration. Usually recipes for this type of cookie contain refined sugar, an egg, and hydrogenated peanut butter (ew). This is a healthified, gluten-free-ified, vegan (and even flourless!) version for the rest of us ; ) It’s easy, simple, and fast to boot (or eat, as the case may be). You could whip these up and take them out of the oven in about 15 minutes. Bam.

The delightful Mama Pea set the blogosphere on fire with doughball feevah, and when I got a hankerin’ for fantastical, easy 1-2-3 peanut butter cookies this weekend, I was eager to test out my own doughballin’ dreams… After playing around in the kitchen a little, and making my friends eat the less-than-stellar attempts (thanks for being good sports, Amy, Noel, and Michael), it happened. Stars, unicorns, little bunnies — the whole glorious thing flew out of my oven in all its wonder.

There are two recipes below — one is for a more banana-y flavor (like a mild mini banana bread?), and it had the best texture. The other uses a flax egg, and it is delicious; it’s also a tad more crumbly. BFF Manfriend gave the banana ones his “BOMB” rating (that’s the highest rating, if you were wondering).

UPDATE: I received two notices that this recipe did not turn out as it should (i.e., the balls weren’t balls at all, but came out flat). Please proceed at your own risk until I retest this again to work out the apparent kinks. It may be an issue with different brands/textures/oil content in various different peanut butters, so I would like to experiment more with that. Shouldn’t be too long, but I don’t want anyone else to encounter issues. Sorry, and thanks for understanding! xoxo

Peanut Butter Banana Doughballs (AKA PB Banana Bread Bombs)
Ingredients:
1/4 C peanut butter
1/4 C mashed/pureed banana
2 Tb agave (or honey)

Recipe:
1) Mix everything together very well.
2) Using a small spoon (I used an overfilled 1/2 Tb measure), scoop balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
3) Pop ‘em in a 325* oven for about 10-15 minutes — until they’re browned on the bottom and lightly tanned on the top.
4) Let cool for 30 minutes to set up.

Peanut Butter Flax Doughballs
Ingredients:
1/4 C peanut butter
1/2 Tb ground flax seed
1 1/2 Tb water
1 Tb agave (or honey)

Recipe:
1) Mix flax and water together to make a flax/vegan egg.
2) Mix peanut butter and agave together. Add flax egg.
3) Using a small spoon (I used an overfilled 1/2 Tb measure), scoop balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
4) Pop ‘em in a 325* oven for about 10-15 minutes — until they’re browned on the bottom and lightly tanned on the top.
5) Let cool for 30 minutes to set up.

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Quick Notes:
- You can indeed make these cookies. Just make them silver dollar size for best results.
- The flax doughballs and cookies will brown more quickly than the banana, and they hold together less when warm. Be sure to allow them to cool (I know, I learned the hard way too…)
- While I normally heart chunky peanut butter, the creamy worked best for these (both are good though).
- Feel free to add a drop of vanilla — I just wanted to keep it to 3 ingredients : )
- This recipe can easily be multiplied and reduced; I halved the above amounts and ’twas perfect.

Watch out for unicorns and rainbow beams when you open your oven door!

What’s the most magical thing to happen in your kitchen lately?

See? I promised no more beans for a few days! And hopefully, since it’s the weekend (woo!) you will have time to get your bake on. Does anyone else find baking a huge stress reliever? At the very least, eating this will be verrry relaxing… When I had to cut gluten out, this was one of those things I got a hankerin’ for now and again. Not crazy often — just when I’d step into a coffee shop, see the cases of biscotti, and start drooling into my cup (unfortunate, as I don’t leave room for cream…poor burned hands). Also, you all know how I love me some CRUNCH.

This was bound to happen.

Nutritional highlights are: high-protein, high-fiber, high deliciousness. In fact, each serving contains over 1000% of your daily deliciousness needs! Who needs a multivitamin now?!

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 chopped almonds
1/2 C dark chocolate chips

Recipe:
1) Mix all dry ingredients except chopped almond and chocolate chips.
2) Add wet ingredients and stir to combine (it may seem too dry — just trust and keep stirring).
3) Add almonds and chocolate chips.
3) Wet hands, and separate dough into two oval-shaped balls.
4) Place on parchment paper, and using wet hands, shape into two logs, or a rounded rectangle. I made mine 1/2 an inch thick, but feel free to do whatever — you might just have a slight difference in baking time. (A longer shape is better than a wider shape, as the middle will take longer to bake.)
5) Bake at 350* until edges are lightly browned (10-15 minutes for me). Remove and let cool for 45-60 minutes.
6) Slice on the diagonal.Bake again at 300* for 10 minutes. Watch closely.
7) Remove and allow to cool.

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I should say, we tested this recipe (and by “tested,” I mean “baked and inhaled,” obviously) a few times, and each round the less cooked batch won! This doesn’t mean it won’t be crunchy — just leave them out overnight partially/lightly covered so that they lose the excess moisture. Crunch City. Or, you can just cook them longer and dismiss our personal test kitchen. It was based more on flavor than texture (despite my addiction). This is one of those fun recipes you can just cater to your preference : ) It’s pretty hard to mess it up!

Each batch of almond-y, chocolate-y biscotti literally disappeared in less than 24 hours… And it’s just me and the BFF Manfriend. So… Get on it.

What is an unusual stress reliever for you? Aside from baking, one of mine is cleaning.

I know, I know… Sorry — I’m already married < 3

This post is part of Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.