"Everything you need to spice up your life."

Coconut Cookies, mounds of healthy goodness

I love coconut!  Anything with coconut; sweet, savory it is all good to me.  When I came across a recipe for Coconut Bars on Elana's Pantry, I had an addition to my to do list.  My intention was to make them this weekend.  As I was getting the ingredients together, I realized I need to get back on my power bar kick.

 

I love having them around for something to satiate without having a meal.  Suprisingly my father has taken a liking to those creations. That makes me happy.  Being the Superman that he is, he will go a long hard day without anything to eat, except maybe some peanut butter and crackers.  Not the worst thing - but not a power bar.  So I decided to make a couple adjustments to the recipe, and this is what I ended up with; to the delight of my own personal Superman.  I love coconut and I love my father!

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup Coconut Milk 
• ⅓ cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
• 1/2  tbsp Coffee & Chocolate Spice
• 3 tsp Stevia   (6 packets)
• 1 1/2 cups Almond Flour
• 1/2 cup Coconut Flour
• 1 ½ cups Desiccated Coconut
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup chopped Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Bark

Preheat oven to 350°.  Mix eggs, coconut milk, oil, and stevia in a bowl.  Fold in flours, coconut and salt.  Make a ball with the dough insert chunks of the Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Bark and flatten onto a greased baking sheet or baking stone.  You should have enough dough for 18.  Bake for 10 minutes, rote the pan in the oven and bake for another 5-8 minutes, until the cookies are browned to your liking.  Cool and enjoy!

Do you think coconut is a guilty pleasure?  Are you not so sure about how I can call this decadent delight a healthy treat?  In an article in the Huffington Post, Dr Joseph Mercola gives these great reasons why coconut and it's oil are good for you.

• Improving your heart health.
• Boosting your thyroid.
• Increasing your metabolism.
• Promoting a lean body and weight loss if needed.
• Supporting your immune system.

IF YOU LOVE COCONUT:

• Roasted Pumpkin and Quinoa Salad
• Island Haddock simmered in a spicey green curry sauce
• Carrot Cake
• The truth about Irish Coffee

 

Photo Credit:  Julie Cecchini

The only recipe for chocolate chip cookies Gina Doty makes!

 

 Urban legend tells of a fashionista who lunched at the restaurant in the famed Dallas branch of Neiman Marcus.  After sharing a chocolate chip cookie with her daughter for dessert, she requested the recipe from her server.  While the waitress was not allowed to give away the recipe, she could sell it for "Two Fifty".  When the unabashed consumer got her bill she was shocked to find the 250 was $250.00.  After her arguments went unheard by the store's accounting department, the enraged cookie lover decided to shared the secret recipe with all her friends and family, encouraging them to share and share alike.

While several versions of the recipe can be found including different types of chocolate and oatmeal, we just loved this one Gina passed on to us.  The addition of coffee brought the flavor profile to a whole other level of deliciousness.

Hello Julie

This is the only choc. Chip recipe for a cookie I make and when I have them, I put macadamia nuts chopped in quarters in it too.

Gina

Neiman Marcus Signature Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
3 TB granulated sugar
1 egg, room temperature (also can put egg into bowl of warm water for 10 min)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour (Or try this Gluten Free version)
1 3/4 tsp instant coffee, slightly crushed (or King Arthur espresso powder)**secret ingredient that makes this recipe superb!
8 oz unsweetened chocolate chips

 

1. Cream the butter w/ sugars til fluffy
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla
3. Combine the dry ingredients and beat into butter mixture
4. Drop by large spoonfuls onto a greased sheet.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or 10-12 min. for a crispier cookie.

Note: I cooked 9 min for making a large cookie (I used my large scooper).

If you have a cookie monster in your home:

• White chocolate and nice spiced cookies, perfect for dunking

• Ginger Snap Cookies

• Coffee Shortbread Cookies

• Orange-Walnut Butter Cookies

Photo Credit:  Julie Cecchini