Lactation Cookies

Lactation Cookies (Oatmeal cookies with 1 c walnuts, chocolate chips, 3 tbsp flax seed, and 6 tbsp brewer's yeast)

adapted from Quaker Oats

Banana Nut Bread (Paleo)

Since participating in a 30-day Paleo challenge, I have been trying to keep up with living a Paleo lifestyle.  One of the things I wanted to change was the sugar-laden quick muffins and breads I was grabbing for breakfast; enter discovering Elana's Pantry.  It was difficult to pick just one of  her recipes; everything looked so good.  It was hard to believe it was all gluten and grain free.  Because I had some overripe bananas, I went with the Banana Nut Bread.  This ranks high up there for my tried and true Paleo swap outs; even my none Paleo believing friend didn't know it was Paleo.

Banana Nut Bread (Paleo)
adapted from Elana's Pantry
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
2 cups almond meal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease a 3 x 9 loaf pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together, the almond meal, baking soda, and salt.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Stir in the bananas, vanilla extra, honey, coconut oil, and walnuts.

Pour batter into the pre-greased pan.  Bake for 55-65 minutes or until top appears dry and a toothpick inserted through the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool in pan and then serve as desired.  Keeps well wrapped up at room temperature for 3-5 days.

Blueberry Crisp (Paleo)

I decided to mix things up this weekend by bringing a paleo dessert to a friend's house instead of my usual baked goods.  It was the perfect treat after a nice barbecue dinner.  To make it completely paleo, I suggest a nice scoop of almond ice cream or coconut milk ice cream on top.  We went 50% paleo and enjoyed it with some sugar free vanilla ice cream.

Blueberry Crisp (Paleo)
Adapted from Paleo Desserts: 125 Delicious
6-8 servings

Ingredients:
11 oz container of fresh or frozen blueberries
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup of almond meal
1/2 cup of finely chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
1/2 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/8 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of vanilla
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon of coconut oil, melted

Directions:
Step 1: Grease a 8x8 baking dish with coconut oil.  Toss blueberries with the lemon zest.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, stir together the  dry ingredients - almond meal, nuts, shredded coconut, cinnamon and salt.

Step 3: Stir in the vanilla extract, honey, and melted coconut oil.  Add more or less coconut oil based on how dry or wet the mixture looks.

Step 4: Sprinkle the wet mixture on top of the blueberries.  Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350F or until bubbly and golden brown on top.

Serve warm or cold.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

After trying the NY Times chocolate chip cookies I made last week, my sister commented that her favorite was still the copycat Levain Bakery chocolate chip walnut cookies I made awhile ago (but never blogged about for some reason until today).  I was fortunate to have tried the original cookie right from the source while in New York a few years ago and it was as amazing as you could possibly imagine.  However, I couldn't remember how this copycat recipe stacked up against all the cookies I have been making lately; so, in the kitchen I went again.

Unfortunately, these cookies baked up very flat; nothing like the original - thick and chewy, chock full of chocolate and nuts.  However, I blame it on over mixing the dough and using room temperature butter and not chilled butter.  They tasted good nonetheless.

Copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

from Beantown Baker
Makes 20-24 cookies

Ingredients: 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled butter, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs 2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp corn starch 1 cup 60% bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions: In a medium sized bowl, combine the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and corn starch. Whisk all the dry ingredients together.

Put the white and brown sugars in a stand mixer bowl or large mixing bowl and mix until well combined and almost all lumps have disappeared.

Add the chilled cubed butter and continue to mix at medium speed.

Add the eggs, one at a time, continuing mixing until well incorporated.

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in increments until fully incorporated.

Mix in chocolate chips and walnuts by hand.

Refrigerate the cookie dough overnight.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, distribute the dough onto baking trays lined with parchment paper or baking mat. Fill trays with 6 cookie dough balls, bake about 14-15 minutes.

The cookies should be removed from the oven when they look slightly underdone. They will continue to cook as they cool on the tray.

Remove from the tray after and onto a wire wrack to completely cool.

Stores in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.

Baked Cinnamon Apple Walnut Oatmeal

Been stuck in a breakfast rut the past few weeks as I try to stick to my clean eating (less processed foods) lifestyle.  Then I remembered this baked apple cinnamon oatmeal that I bookmarked at the start of the New Year.  It was quick to whip up and I was able to pack a week of breakfast and then some.  Definitely would change the fruit and nut around for variety.

Baked Cinnamon Apple Walnut Oatmeal
slightly adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
Makes 9 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups old fashioned rolled outs
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1/3 cup honey
1 egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 Gala apples, peeled, cored and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F.  Grease an 8-inch or 9-inch baking pan; set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, walnuts, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the milk, honey, egg, and half of the melted butter, and vanilla extract.

Arrange the sliced apples in a single layer on the bottom of the baking pan.  Cover the apples with the oat mixture.  Slowly drizzle the milk mixture all over.  Slightly shake the pan to disperse the milk among the oats.

Baked for 35 to 45 minutes or until the top if golden brown and the oatmeal mixture is set.

Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 5 minutes.  Drizzle the remaining melted butter over the top.  Oatmeal keeps in the fridge for up to a week.  Best served warm.