The Trail Mix Variation -- awesome school cookies -- vegan, sugar free, nut free, gluten free, grain free!!

In addition to a nut-free lunch, I need to pack 2 nut free snacks for my grade-one kiddo. These are a good kiddie snack because they are packed with natural, high-energy components. Because, you know, I'm still on my high horse about keeping kids away from processed foods. Don't get me started!! This time, for the cookies, I decided to throw in some pea protein powder for extra 'oomph' this time, and added more mix-ins. I think they are delicious, and my child has no trouble gobbling them down when he needs a quick nibble. No nuts means they are school-safe. No sugar means I'm happy. The krisda chocolate chips are stevia sweetened, and of course entirely optional.  The sunflower-seed-and-raisin variety are terrific in my opinion. This version, with the krisda chocolate chips, raisins, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and shredded coconut as mix-ins was really just because I can. But not, strictly speaking, necessary.

1 cup water
1 cup coconut sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1/4 cup ground chia seeds
1/4 cup raw cacao
1/4 cup carob powder
1 cup ground up hemp hearts
1 cup sunflower seed flour
1/4 cup pea protein powder

1/4 cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup whole sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 cup organic raisins, picked through
1/2 cup krisda chocolate chips


directions:

1. preheat the oven to 345
2. combine the ingredients in the order listed
3. form balls of the dough, and place on a lined baking sheet (lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat)
4. flatten the balls with a fork dipped in water
5. bake at 345 for 20 minutes
6. will make 2 trays -- 3 to 4 dozen depending on size

Updated Peanut Butter and Date Fudge

So far I know two people who don't like peanut butter who are now thoroughly addicted to these little delights. Delectable delectable delights. You can use ground vanilla bean or none, and just jump on the extract band-wagon. Either is groovy. They are not the same, but both have the wonderful property of being terrific. And really, how bad can it be if it's terrific. I can't keep them in the freezer, to put it simply. So, for a powerful wholesome bite, check 'em out. And if you love peanut butter already, you may just know what I'm talking about. Rock on.

ingredients:

2 cups shredded coconut
1/4 cup ground chia
1 cup hemp hearts

1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup dates

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup water


directions:

1. put the coconut, ground chia, hemp hearts, ground flax, sea salt, and ground vanilla bean into the food processor
2. process until completely pulverized and homogenous
3. add the dates and pulse until completely processed, but be dainty about it and don't over process
4. add the peanut butter and pulse until fully combined, adding the water as the food processor is running to form a thick dough
5. press into 2 square silicone baking pans, and then cut into bars with a dull instrument (before or after freezing)
6. (this is the after version) when firm, turn onto a cutting board and cut into small bars -- I do 8 by 4, resulting in 32 pieces per pan
7. store in the freezer!

Banana Cookie Bars -- Best Banana to Coconut to Oatmeal ratio ever!!

My husband and son love butter even though I am vegan myself. These are for them. They love these. Completely healthy, but taste amaaaaazing. Vegan option!!!

ingredients


3 cups banana -- try to use very ripe ones -- pureed
1/2 cup organic melted butter (or extra virgin coconut oil if you prefer)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 - 3/4 tsp sea salt (you'll need the larger amount of salt if you use unsalted butter or coconut oil)
2 tbsp ground vanilla bean
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

1/4 cup finely ground chia seed
1/2 cup hemp hearts

3 cup shredded coconut
1 cups oat flakes

extra coconut sugar to sprinkle on top


directions:

1. combine the ingredients in the order listed -- if you are using an immersion blender, puree the hemp hearts into the batter, too.
2. divide into 2 square silicone baking pans
3. score into 16 squares in each pan before baking
4. bake at 345 for 45 minutes
5. cool
6. make sure bars are cut fully
7. store in an airtight container in the fridge

More School Superfood Energy Bars -- no nuts!

I just found out they have a snack programme at my son's kindergarten. Yay. Unfortunately, in addition to fruit or vegetables, they are given jam sandwiches, cream cheese sandwiches, melba toast, and sugar laden yogurt. Control-freak, helicopter mother to the rescue. I send these with him as an alternative to the sugar, sugar, and more sugar offerings they are provided with. P.S. isn't it  kind of weird that they've been feeding my kid for a month without telling me?

ingredients:

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup organic sesame seeds

1/4 cup flax meal

1/4 cup wheat grass

1 tbsp maca powder

2 tbsp hemp hearts

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1 tbsp ceylon cinnamon (if you don't have ceylon, skip this part, because saigon or korintje won't work)

1 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp carob powder

1 cup pitted honey dates

1/2 cup goji berries

1/2 cup golden berries

1/4 cup sesame butter (tahini)

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1/2 cup coconut butter

directions:

1. in a food processor, combine the raw almonds, pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, sesame seeds, flax meal, wheat grass, vanilla bean, ceylon cinnamon and sea salt

2. turn on and process until it resembles sand

3. add the dates, goji berries, and golden berries and pulse and then process until ground up

4. add the coconut oil, and pulse

5. add the coconut butter, and pulse

6. divide between 2 square silicone pans, score into pieces, and freeze

7. when fully chilled, break along the score lines, and store in airtight containers in the fridge.

Blueberry Cake for Breakfast -- a gluten free, light, delicate monstrosity

My people call it cake. I call it breakfast. I made this little concoction when I had people coming over for a morning tea party. Blueberry cake and seasonal fruit, and a cup of tea. Need I say more? I used my coffee grinder to reduce the cashews, chia seeds, shredded coconut, hemp hearts, and sesame seeds to a fine powder.

 ingredients:

 2 cups warm water
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil (unrefined and organic -- I prefer Nutiva)
1/2 cup unpasteurized local honey
 1 tbsp ground vanilla bean (thank you vanillafoodcompany.com)
1 tsp ground ceylon cinnamon (ditto)
1 tsp sea salt
ground black pepper (just a little)
1/4 cup hemp hearts, ground
1/2 cup raw cashews, ground
1/2 cup white sesame seeds, ground
1/4 cup white chia seeds, ground
1 cup shredded coconut, ground (organic)

 4 eggs

1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups blanched almond flour (thank you nuts.com)

 2 cups of frozen blueberries (still frozen) or fresh if you have

 coconut sugar to sprinkle on top (optional)


 directions:

 preheat the oven to 345
grease a large rectangular glass baking dish

1. combine the honey, coconut oil, and water
2. add the vanilla bean, cinnamon, sea salt, and black pepper
3. stir in the ground hemp, cashews, sesame seeds, chia seeds, and coconut
4. mix in the eggs and the baking soda
5. stir in the almond flour
6. quickly fold in the blueberries and pour into the pan
7. sprinkle with coconut sugar
8. bake at 345 for 60 minutes



This cake bakes up light and moist and sweet and delicious. It was a perfect brunchy treat, and seconds were had by most, thirds by some.

Date and Hemp Cookies -- nut free, gluten free, yummy little bits of naughtiness

Any of you who follow my blog or even just check in regularly know that not only do I love peanut butter not wisely but too well, I bake with almond flour a whole heck of a lot. In other words, yes I am nuts. About nuts. I love 'em. I do. I eat nuts every single day.

With kindergarten looming on the horizon for my little big man, I realize I'm going to have to toe the no-nuts kindie line, and start making snacks for my kid that don't involve nuts of any kind. Gulp.

And I figure some of my readers out there might appreciate it too, since I do know some people have school aged kids.

Over the past while I've also cultivated a leaning towards shredded coconut, which can slide delightfully into many concoctions without screaming about its coconutty alliances. I grew up in a coconut hating household. And while I am not a coconut lover (sorry -- don't hate me) -- I find of its own the flavour to be stultifying and unappealing -- I love what can happen when things like coconut oil (extra virgin of course), shredded coconut, coconut butter, and coconut flour come into play. Sigh, and coconut milk in the green curry of my day dreams ...

There is something that happens in these cookies that -- while not quite on the level of alchemy -- transcends math and chemistry, my friends. Perhaps it's romance, perhaps it is philosophy, but I will tell you something unexpected happens when the flavours of hemp, coconut, date, vanilla, and sesame jump on the same bandwagon and take a ride around the town together.

Last week I did it with a raw concoction that rocked beyond beyond, and rang a note of white chocolate for me in the date and hemp energy bars. This week, it is these gluten free, grain free, sugar free, dairy free, nut free cookies. Yes, I know what you're thinking. Snoring. Why bother? But somehow they are not boring. They are not devastatingly sweet. But they are mellow and tasty, and pleasingly sweet. (Oh, and do try the date and hemp energy bars. Those frighten me. In a good way. While you're at it, try this green curry (and this one. Soooooo good.) 

ingredients:

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, ground

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup flax meal

1/2 cup hemp protein flour

1/2  tsp sea salt

2 tsp ground vanilla bean

1/4 cup ground chia seeds

1/4 cup ground sesame seeds

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup pitted honey dates

2 eggs

1/4 cup coconut oil

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. in your food processor, process the coconut and pumpkin seeds

2. add the flax meal, hemp protein powder, sea salt, vanilla bean, ground chia seeds, and ground sesame seeds and baking soda

3. put the processed seeds into another bowl

4. in your food processor, process the dates and eggs, then add the coconut oil and process again

5. mix the two batches together

6. put spoonfuls onto lined baking sheets, and shape and flatten with a wet fork

7. bake at 345 for 14 minutes
8. whisper kind wishes on the wind ...

makes 4 dozen cookies

store in an airtight container once cool

Offer your adorable husband some with his tea.

savoury snacks -- hemp and mesquite 'cookies'

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 eggs

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp chili powder

1/4 tsp chipotle powder

2 tbsp mesquite

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/2 cup flax meal

1 cup hemp protein powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup almond meal

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine ingredients in order listed

2. roll tsp of dough into balls, and flatten with a fork onto a lined baking sheet

3. bake at 345 for 16 minutes

Coconut and Seed Cookies -- Nut free for once, for pete's sake

I haven't gotten my organic pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds yet, but I thought it would be a fine day to do some nut-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, grain-free baking none-the-less. You're probably asking yourself why on earth anyone would want to do that. Well, the reasons are many. One is that since my baking often uses almond flour, it is often not appropriate for situations where there are nut allergies such as schools. I have a feeling my kid is going to starve when he starts school, because our diet is really very nut dependent. We'll have to take more forays into the world of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, methinks. Reason number two is that I myself prefer a diet that leans on seeds and nuts instead of grains. Reason number three is that without sugar, the cookies can cause less of a systemic inflammatory reaction to those who are sugar sensitive, and these cookies can be enjoyed as a healthy snack instead of just a rare treat. Finally, in my hopes that there might be a little something for everyone in this blog, I am eschewing dairy once again. I apologize to all vegans out there, because I have opted to use eggs in this recipe. Really, they need it for togetherness and texture. I assure you that my eggs are from pastured happy chickens from a small nearby farm on which everyone does their part and everyone enjoys their lives. For those of you who think I'm crazy for caring about that sort of thing, you might be in the wrong place, but welcome none the less. :)

Yes, so I was moved to concoct these shredded-coconut-heavy cookies, using once again the rich and buttery tasting hemp seeds, along with chia and flax. The coconut nectar, spices, and sea salt hint at caramel in the flavour. To me, they are quite yummy. I haven't yet asked my husband if he'd sit in the dark with a them and a glass of milk, but I'll guess the answer is no. That is a behaviour he reserves for brownies. However, I think they are a successful gluten-free, nut-free, sugar-free concoction. So, yay.

Try 'em and let me know what your opinion is!

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
2 tbsp warm water
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp coconut nectar
1 egg

3/8 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1/2 tsp saigon cinnamon
1/2 tsp korintje cinnamon
(or you can just use 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon)
black pepper
1 tsp ground vanilla
1/4 - 1/2 tsp wildcrafted ground stevia leaf

1/4 cup hemp seeds (sans shell)
1/2 cup flax meal
2 tbsp chia seeds

1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cups shredded coconut


directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the coconut oil with the warm water to melt it
2. add the coconut nectar and apple cider vinegar
3. add the eggs whenever the mixture is cool enough
4. add the cinnamons, vanilla, black pepper, stevia, and sea salt
5. add the hemp seeds, flax meal, and chia seeds
6. stir in the baking soda
7. mix in the shredded coconut
8. put by teaspoon onto a lined baking sheet and flatten with a fork
9. bake at 345 for 18 minutes

Makes approx 2 dozen cookies. Allow them to cool fully, then store in an airtight container in the fridge.

My Favourite Power Bar -- SsssssssssuperFoods SuperPower SuperBar

I feel like I'm eating big chunks of candy when I eat this. It's kind of spicy and fragrant, redolent of vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, with the taste of chocolate and berries tying it together. Not that it would float your boat if what you really want is some Callebaut or a corner store chocolate bar. But for me this is it. It satisfies, is a big chewy mouthful, and tastes great. This is chewier than the other power bars I've posted, and certainly will appeal to a different audience because of this.


ingredients:

2 cups pitted dates (or 1 cup unsulphured apricots and 1 cup dates or 1 cup apricots, 1/2 cup dates and 1/2 cup organic raisins ... etc. You get the picture. Any dried fruit you have (organic and unsulphured) that has dried out a bit too much to be enjoyable to eat can be salvaged in this recipe, too.)
1 cup raw almonds
4 tbsp coconut butter
1/4 cup flax meal

1 tbsp acai
2 tbsp pure green barley powder
2 tbsp maca powder
1 tbsp mesquite
2 tbsp hemp protein powder
2 tbsp raw cacao (or 4 tbsp raw cacao for true chocolate lovers)

1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp ginger for more zing)
1/2 tsp ground vanilla

1/2 cup raw pistachios
1/4 cup raw goji berries


directions:

1. in a food processor, pulse the almonds until they are finely milled
2. add the dates, and pulse until all is pureed together
3. add the coconut butter and pulse
4. add the flax, sea salt, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla, and pulse
5. add the acai, barley, maca, cacao, mesquite, and hemp, and pulse until thoroughly combined
6. add pistachios, and pulse until finely chopped
7. add the goji berries, and pulse until finely chopped
8. when the mixture is combined well and sticking together well, press it into a square glass pan, smooth the top with your hands, and put it into the refrigerator.
9. when it is thoroughly chilled and firm, cut into bars, squares, rectangles, triangles, circles, stars, rhomboids, trapezoids, hexagons, or octogons. Do not attempt a dodecahedron. Leave that to the professionals.
10. share with your friends, especially Zoe and Su. They really like them.

**note: if your mixture seems too crumbly, you can try adding a little extra coconut butter, or a tbsp or 2 of coconut oil. Or both ;)

update: Just for fun, I added a quarter cup of finely ground chia seeds and a quarter cup of extra virgin coconut oil


variation february 11: 1/4 cup hemp powder instead of 2 tbsp, 1/4 cup ground chia, 1/4 cup coconut oil, a little extra coconut butter, 1/2 cup goji berries instead of 1/4 cup, and 1/4 cup pistachios instead of 1/2 cup. :) (and 1/4 cup raw cacao instead of 2 tbsp, as usual)

Power Bars -- Power to the People

RAW SUPERFOOD 'POWER' BARS

I realized I had many ingredients on hand that seem to fall into the category of 'superfood' -- that would be food that packs a real nutritional punch. I thought it would be fun to throw a bunch of stuff into the food processor and see what came out the other side. We're on our third batch this week, so needless to say, they seem to be very popular in our house. They are a little high in sugar because of the raisins and dates, but they go down easy, are packed with protein (and fiber, both of which help regulate blood sugar levels), phytonutrients, and deliciousness, and are very quick and easy to make.

ingredients:

1/2 cup organic flame raisins (but any kind of seedless raisins would be pretty much equivalent)

1/2 cup pitted honey dates (that means the pit has already been removed, unlike seeded grapes which mean the grapes have seeds. go figure.)

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1/4 to 1/2 tsp sea salt (some salts are 'saltier' than others, some tongues like salt more than others)

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 cup pecan meal

1/2 cup blanched almond meal

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup flax seeds, finely ground (aka linseeds)

2 tbsp salba seeds, whole or ground (aka chia seeds)

2 tbsp maca root powder (they now sell this at bulk barn)

2 tbsp hemp protein powder

2 tbsp raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder)

1 tbsp acai powder

1. using a food processor, puree the raisins and dates (check for random pits before throwing the dates in the food processor)

2. add nuts, seeds, salt, and cinamon, and whirl.

3. add maca, hemp powder, cacao or cocoa, and acai, and mix

4. add coconut oil

pulse until everything is finely and even chopped, and can easily be encouraged to clump together. Press the mixture into a square pan and chill it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

I cut it into 32 pieces and then put them into an airtight container in the fridge. They store well. Who am I kidding? They never last long enough to worry about it.

If you want to skip the maca, hemp, or acai, add the equivalent in extra cocoa, or almond meal.

If you want to use only raisins or only dates, substitute the one for the other. Apricots would probably work too, but stick to unsulphured ones. Hmm. Pistachio and apricot next time?

You can safely skip the salba without affecting the texture enough to worry.

Other nuts are fine to try, although some hard ones (eg whole almonds) can be tricky to work with.

Yummy. My 2 1/2 year old son seems to be in love with them. Then again, he's also been known to pick up the occasional cigarette butt in the park and put that in his mouth.