Crunchy Almond Butter Bites

These are best friends with peanut butter bites. They are ridiculously yummy but not as in your face. Nobody is as in your face as peanut butter. Even with the freezer door shut, I can hear the peanut butter bites yelling 'In Your Face'. Not the almond butter bites though. They are mannerly and refined.

equipment needed:
mixing bowl and mixing spoon
scraper and plastic spatula
measuring cups
measuring spoon
square silicone pan or square glass pan and baking parchment


ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut nectar
1/2 cup smooth almond butter

1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean

 2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup hemp hearts
1/4 cup buckwheat groats
1/4 cup dates, pitted and chopped


directions:
1. combine the coconut nectar with the almond butter and mix in the sea salt and ground vanilla bean
2. stir in the shredded coconut and hemp hearts
3. stir in the buckwheat groats
4. stir in the chopped dates
5. press with great force into the square pan. I like to cover it with parchment whilst pressing so it doesn't end up on my hands, but that's just me.
6. score into bites
7. chill or freeze
8. remove from pan and store in an airtight container (I keep mine in the freezer)

** chickpea flour sticks with chili powder -- vegan, gluten free, grain free,

I get my chickpea flour  -- in this case besan flour -- from the Indian market up the street. I made these with it. One time with chili powder and mesquite, another time with garlic and oregano. The thing they had in common both times is that they were delicious. But personally, I thought the flavours worked a little better with the garlic and oregano. Although a two year old who was with us seemed to disagree, if the vast quantity of chili powder chickpea flour sticks he ate was any indication.

equipment needed:

measuring cups
measuring spoons
mixing bowl
mixing spoons
silicone mats
baking sheets


ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water
2 tbsp coconut sugar
2 tsp bread yeast

1/4 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 1/2 cups chickpea flour
1/2  cup raw almond flour

1 tsp sea salt
3 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp mesquite


directions:

1. mix together the warm water, coconut sugar, and yeast, and set aside to proof
2. in a bowl combine the dry ingredients
3. add the water/yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and mix to form a dough
4.  roll dough into sticks -- sprinkle with large salt
5. let rise for a while
6. bake at 345 for 20 minutes

Soft Pretzels

My rotten little beast of a son -- whom I Rotten Beast because he knows I adore the face off of him -- declared we would make soft pretzels. Ta da!!! Mix 'em, knead 'em, rise 'em, boil 'em, bake 'em. Piece a cake.

equipment needed:

measuring cups
measuring spoons
bread mixer or strong hands
large pot for boiling the pretzels
silicone mats
baking sheets

ingredients:

2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup tapioca starch
2 cups kamut flour
1/4 cup corn meal


1 cup warm water
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 tsp bread yeast


directions:

1. in a bowl or large cup, combine warm water, coconut sugar, and bread yeast
2. allow to foam, setting aside until you are ready for it
3. in the bowl of your mixer or in a large bowl, combine the sea salt, Kamut flour, tapioca starch, and corn meal
4. add the proofed water/yeast combination to the dry ingredients and mix, kneading until the dough is soft and stretchy.
5. break off small pieces of dough and roll into long thin sticks, then twist the sticks into proper knotted pretzel shapes.
6. place them on a silicone baking mat to rise for 1 1/2 hours
7. boil water in a large pot, adding a few tbsp of baking soda
8. boil the pretzels in the baking soda water for 2 minutes
9. drain the pretzels (I use a slotted spoon and then let them rest on a wire baking rack)
(If you so desire, this would be a good time to sprinkle them with large salt crystals. We didn't.
10. place on the silicone mat
11. bake at 345 for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on size of pretzels

Savoury Movie Snacks -- gluten free, grain free, healthy options

My son announced to me that he would like to eat these during our 'family movie' night. Our family movie night ritual involves eating snacks while watching a movie that we take turns picking. When my husband picks, it's usually some classic like Swiss Family Robinson or The Nutty Professor. When my son picks, it's generally something he's seen before like Bolt or Robots. When I pick, it's usually something questionable like A Dolphin's Tale (that turned out to be pretty moving) or Big Miracle that involves animals in need and people who care enough to try to help them, or people in need and the animals that try to help them.

Movie snacks are along the lines of popcorn or breakfast cereal flakes or grapes, but for some reason my son became fixated on these for movies snacks. So: garlicky savoury goodness it is. I'm not gonna complain.

They don't just have to be for movies. I just ate one for breakfast.

ingredients:

3 cups water

6 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

4 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

4 tsp chili powder

4 tbsp mesquite powder

3 tsp granulated garlic powder

1 tbsp oregano flakes

1 tbsp marjoram

1 tbsp basil

black pepper

1/4 tsp chipotle powder

1 1/2 cup flax meal

1 1/2 cup shredded coconut, ground up

1/4 cup chia seeds, ground

6 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups almond flour

directions:

1. combine the ingredients in the order listed

2. pour into a greased 3 L baking dish

3. bake at 345 for 75 minutes

4. when fully cooled, can be sliced into quarters length-wise, then thinly sliced width-wise, laid single layer on cookie sheet, and baked at 250 for 180 minutes or until they are completely dry and crunchy.

crunchy spicy savoury snackiness ...

macaroons -- vegan, gluten free, sugar free etc

I like the simplicity of these cookies. I think they are versatile -- would lend themselves to various sweeteners -- maple macaroons anyone? -- as well as various flavours. I have some Orange and Lemon organic flavour (basically it's essential oil) that I'm looking forward to taking for a spin.  Anyway, I kept it plain and uncomplicated this time, and they were very quick and very easy to make. They are not as puffy and soft as the usual macaroons -- maybe I'll soak the coconut next time. I like 'em!

ingredients:

1/2 cup water + 2 tsp egg replacer
1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp ground vanilla bean
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1/4 cup ground chia seeds

3 cups shredded coconut



directions:

1. combine the ingredients and stir really well
2. roll into balls and flatten, place on a lined baking sheet
3. makes 24-28 cookies
4. bake at 345 for 16 minutes