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Almond

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Chewy Almond Cookies

Rachel Sherwood

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I am always in search of healthier treats and this one is a true gem! It is free from all the extra junk with the added bonus of no gluten or dairy to fit special diets needs. It’s so simple to make; add it your holiday baking list today.

These chewy almond cookies are gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free! Enjoy a variety of flavor combinations to fit any taste.

Chewy Almond Cookies
Chewy Almond Cookies

2 cups almond flour

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

½ cup sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or pecans

½ cup dried apricots, raisins, tart cherries or cranberries, chopped

½ cup cocoa nibs*,  or mini chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand, they are soy free as well)

½ cup real maple syrup or honey

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

½ teaspoon baking soda

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium to large size bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. The dough will be loose but will stick together when pressed.

Raw "dough" will look crumbled but will stick together when pressed
Raw “dough” will look crumbled but will stick together when pressed

 

Press dough into 1 in balls and place 2 inches apart on lined baking sheet. Press the dough balls with your hand to flatten slightly.

Flatten dough slightly before baking
Flatten dough slightly before baking

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes until slightly golden. Cookies will be soft. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet so they can firm up before eating.

Store cooled cookies in a sealed container. If not going to eat right away, keep in the refrigerator or freezer.

You can also pre-make the dough and scoop into balls within two days or make dough balls and freeze them to have fresh hot cookies anytime.

White Chocolate Cranberry Chewy Almond Cookies
White Chocolate Cranberry Chewy Almond Cookies

Combinations I tried:

Apricots and Coco Nibs with sliced almonds

Cranberries and white chocolate chips with pecans (these were extra sweet as the cranberries and white chocolate chips have extra refined sugar in them)

Raisins with walnuts and 1-teaspoon cinnamon

 

 

*Note the smaller pieces of chocolate tend to keep the cookies together better. You can also omit the chocolate all together if you prefer like I did in the cinnamon raisin ones.

*Coco nibs are a pure form of unsweetened chocolate, They are peeled and crumbled from whole cacao bean.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Let me know what your favorite combination is.

I almost forgot– If you don’t care about dairy free or don’t have coconut oil at home, butter works just fine too!

Healthy Snacks: Coconut Almond Lime Bites

Healthy Snacks: Coconut Almond Lime Bites

Rachel Sherwood

Mommy and baby party day

(Mommy and baby party day)

This past week Alexander and I hosted our first party since he was born. He is now 4 moths old and I have learned a lot about healthy eating with babies especially since making meals one-handed is a skill I have not yet mastered. I learned that with a baby, the best meals are ones that are good at room temperature or cold, they can be eaten one-handed without the need to be cut, preferably no utensils at all.

My menu for this party was filled with healthy snacks for my new mommy friends. After having Alexander I notice I am hungry all the time and constantly looking for simple healthy snacks that I can grab easily or take on the go. These Coconut Almond Lime Bites are a perfect protein-packed healthy snack for anyone with a busy lifestyle.

Healthy Snacks: Coconut Almond Lime Bites

Looking for power-packed healthy snacks that taste great? Try these Coconut Lime Almond Bites to eat well on the go.

Healthy Snacks: Coconut Almond Lime Bites

Coconut Almond Lime Bites

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Start to Finish: 45 minutes

Makes 20-24 Bites

These coconut lime almond bites are great for an on-the-go snack that will keep you energized.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, plus additional for rolling
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped unsalted almonds
  • 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup almond butter
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
  • Zest from 1 lime
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

In a medium bowl, combine ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and roll into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in additional coconut flakes to cover. Store covered in refrigerator.

Vanilla Almond Meringue Cookies

Rachel Sherwood

Vanilla Almond Meringue Cookies

If you decided to make some Homemade Eggnog, you must be wondering what to do with all the extra egg whites? It’s easy to mix up a batch or scramble egg whites, a frittata or an egg white quiche, but this time of year with the dry air it is perfect to make meringue. You can shape meringue into cookies, cups, or really any desired shape. It is difficult to make meringue in the summer as the warm humid air makes it hard for them to completely dry out. You will want to bake these meringues in a low slow oven to get them dry and crisp. Once they are dried out meringue can be stored in an airtight container for up to a year. Enjoy cookies as they are, dip in chocolate, fill cups with fresh fruit or crumble meringue over ice cream for fun texture. These simple treats can be enjoyed all year, but the cool winter months is the best time to be baking meringue.

Vanilla Almond Meringue Cookies

  • 8 egg whites
  • 4 ½ cups powder sugar
  • 1-teaspoon real vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

With an electric mixer, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar one cup at a time, whipping at medium speed gradually working up to high speed after all sugar is incorporated. When the mixture becomes stiff and shiny like satin, stop mixing, and transfer the mixture to a large pastry bag or zip top bag.. Pipe the meringue out onto the prepared baking sheet using a large round tip or a star tip.

Place the meringues in the oven, bake for 2.5-4 hours, until meringues can easily be removed from the pan and are completely dry. Allow cookies to cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature.