Tahini Chocolate Chunk Cookies

“The present is the only thing that has no end.”

— Erwin Schrödinger

This may be a little crazy to say, but these cookies deserve an award! They honestly taste like fudgy brownie cookies, and I am shook.

When I made them for the first time, I immediately texted my old roommate, apologizing for turning down tahini all of those times that we lived together. She tried to get me to try it in every form, even the wonderful chocolate halva bars—I always turned it down. But now, many years later, I’m in LOVE! The flavor is never too strong for me, but it adds this richness that I simply cannot explain, taking anything from good to outright insane and necessary and mouthwatering.

The wonderful thing about these little bites of deliciousness is that they do not need a mixer, there are no fancy baking steps involved, just mixing the wet ingredients together, the dry together and combining the two for a rich and decadent batter, which makes an unreal cookie. As we know, I’m all about the speedy yet worth it desserts or treats these days, as my little one is on the go when he’s awake! He’s also still not eating chocolate or sugar or any of my specialties yet as he is still only 8-months-old, SO it’s not like he can take part in all of this fun because he also puts everything into his mouth!

Anyways, these cookies are worth going to the store to get a HUGE jar of tahini if you don’t keep some in your fridge or pantry at all times! It’s hard to believe that these taste like brownie batter but in cookie form, but they do—trust me. Hell, you can even make them vegan if you want to sub in a banana for the egg, make them GF if you swap out the flour, these are quite friendly to any changes that you feel necessary to make. Just know, these won’t last long, and if you think that the 1 dozen that this recipe makes is enough for the week, HAH (!), think again, my friends!

ingredients

Tahini—5 oz, or ½ C + 2 TBL

Eggs—1

Vanilla Extract—1 tsp

Honey—1.75 oz, or 3 TBL

Coconut Oil, melted—1.75 oz, or 3 TBL

Cocoa Powder—2 oz, or ½ C

Flour—1.5 oz, or ¼ C

Salt—1 ½ tsp

Maca Powder—2 tsp

Baking Powder—½ tsp

Dark Chocolate—3 oz bar, or ½ C

process

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, maca, and baking powder

In another bowl, whisk the tahini, egg, vanilla and honey

Add in the coconut oil once it has been cooler slightly so that it doesn’t cook the egg

Combine the wet and dry ingredients, folding together with a spatula

Fold in the chocolate, this can either be chips or a chopped up dark chocolate bar

Scoop into about 2 TBL sized balls either onto your baking tray or into a container to allow to firm up in the refrigerator for at least an hour

When you are ready to bake them, preheat the oven to 350˚F

Place on your baking pan that has either been sprayed with nonstick spray or is lined with parchment or a Silpat

Bake for 10 minutes

Remove from the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes on the tray before transferring them onto a cooling rack

Store in a sealed container in the fridge

Bon Appétit!

Nut Butter Cookie Dough Bites

“It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.”

— David Steindl-Rast

Good Morning! Happy Weekend!

I will be totally transparent here: this recipe was an ALMOST fail that turned into a BIG win! I had this brilliant idea of making these yummy raw cookie dough bars with a coffee filled crust, but somehow it just did. not. work. I made the “crust,” if you will, a few times, and truly loved it! Coffee, cocoa, almond butter, dates, oh my it was truly lovely! And then, once I layered the following cookie dough recipe on top of it, it just fell flat to me! So, as I sat eating this cookie dough, being totally bummed out, I realized that THIS was the recipe I had to share!! An egg-free (well actually vegan and raw…) nut butter cookie dough!

Is it good as a snack on its own? Yep. Is it ideal for a late-night dessert? Duh. IS IT A PERFECT SMOOTHIE TOPPER?!? Oh, hell yes. That’s when I knew that I had created something so beautiful and delicious: when I threw a bunch of these on top of my morning green smoothie and the flavors were so in sync—wow totally in a dream world with that thought…

I’m truly loving these nap time sweet treats! Even though Oliver can just about sit up on his own in his highchair, I don’t want to spend hours with him just sitting there watching me throw ingredients in a bowl and mutter to myself just yet! But, let me tell you, once this boy can eat and can understand what I’m doing in the kitchen, he will totally be plopped there while I not-so-gracefully run around trying to cook/bake something new (him trying everything, of course!). ANYWHO! The failed first recipe took me probably about an hour. And then, my sad-girl turned ecstatic-girl dough recipe only took half the amount of time! Boom. Another one. Do people still quote DJ Khalid? Is that so 2016?

Overall, we can say that I am pretty dang jazzed. I love putting granola on top of my smoothies but doesn’t everyone?! So, let’s really get wild here in 2020 and put COOKIE DOUGH on them things. Like, SAFE cookie dough. I eat as much eggy cookie dough as the next person, but I suppose I should be slightly more careful now with our little dude (even though he will totally get sneaky bites of it!). I would even argue that this cookie dough is relatively healthy! There ain’t much in these bites, and a nice chocolate chip in the morning on top of a beautifully greens filled smoothie is truly what we all need these days!

ingredients

Nut butter—9.5 oz, or 1 C

Coconut Sugar—8 oz, or 1 ½ C

Vanilla Extract—1 tsp

Milk—4 oz, or ½ C

Coconut Flour—8 oz, or 1 C

Salt—1 tsp

Maca Powder (optional)—2 tsp

Chocolate Chips—7 oz, or 1 C

process

In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the nut butter and sugar until smooth.

Add in the vanilla extract and milk, mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and maca powder.

Slowly pour this into the mixer, making sure to scrape down the sides.

Add in chocolate chips.

Spread cookie dough out evenly onto a baking sheet or a dish so that it is easier to cut into chunks once it has firmed in the fridge.

Allow to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Once the dough has firmed up, cut it into small chunks/cubes.

Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

This is great as a healthy treat, to top on your smoothies, ice cream, etc.!

Bon Appétit!

Whole Wheat Cookies Stuffed with Dulce de Leche

Happy New Year!

How were everyone’s holidays?!

I hope that they full of lots of family, friends, love, excitement—now let’s make 2017 even better than last!

Ohh 2016, you were quite a sassy little thing weren’t you, so moody, yet so wonderful. While there were many ups and downs, full of pounds of butter and sugar and chocolate chips, some loss, lots of growth and gain, quite a few running blisters, a wedding, a move, a new puppy, some really tough moments, followed by many unbelievably beautiful ones…I’d say 2016 is a year that will never be forgotten.

But the obvious question here: are y’all big New Year Resolution people?!

I used to be, always the normal “go to the gym more often,” “eat more whole foods,” “be more positive.” But I’ve slowly strayed away from that and moved more into the self-love: respecting yourself and your body, finding happiness, etc. One huge thing that I learned over the last year was that you can’t always control what happens, but you can control how your react to it, which is how I try and stay most centered.

So there. Voilà. My updated life outlook!

Along with that, baking will always be my most relaxing activity…I mean unless you want to include cuddling on the couch the pup and Roberto an activity…

I want this year to include a lot more wild experiments in the kitchen, whether it’s testing a recipe 500 times, or seeing how huge I can make a cookie and what silly thing I can stuff it with next, or how tall I can stack a cake, who knows—there will be no fear this year!

The first recipe of 2017 is a more simple one, slightly healthy (what’s up, whole wheat flour?!), but also packed full of homemade dulce de leche and dipped in chocolate…so nevermind with the H word.

As you know, I get random cravings, then I need to get into the kitchen and just bake until they are satisfied! Remember the caramel corn? All started with my need to go to an amusement park…sometimes I even surprise myself… Anyways! This recipe was exactly that: I wanted something salty dipped in chocolate, and a pretzel or a chip just wouldn’t do! Then it was something like oh, a cookie? But hmm, I bet it would be great stuffed with caramel, so let’s make dulce de leche! But still, hello, where’s the covered-in-chocolate part?! Right, a cookie, with all sorts of chocolate chips, a gooey inside, dipped in milk chocolate, sprinkled with salt, AND SPRINKLES!

Oh. Whole wheat flour for a slightly different taste, texture and maybe added nutrients?! It is the New Year isn’t it?           

It’s always fun to read my ridiculous thoughts, isn’t it? I did happen to bring a test batch of these cookies (that’s 30 of them…) to a relatively intimate NYE party, and they were all eaten! So, if that’s not proof that these are addicting and delicious, go grab a bottle of Champagne, then you’ll definitely be convinced!

ingredients

Butter (room temperature)—12 oz, or 3 sticks

Brown Sugar—12 oz, or 1 ½ C

White Sugar—4 oz, or ½ C

Eggs—3

Vanilla—2 tsp

Baking Soda—1 tsp

Salt—2 tsp

Whole Wheat Flour—17.5 oz, or 3 C

AP Flour—10.25 oz, or 2 C

Chocolate Chips—14 oz, or 2 C

Dulce de Leche—recipe here

Milk Chocolate Chips (melted)—2 cups

process

In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.

Scrape down the sides of your bowl.

Add in the eggs and vanilla, mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, sift the flours, baking soda and salt.

With the mixer on low, slowly add in the dry ingredients.

Add in your chocolate chips.

Mix until all is combined.

Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and allow to chill for at least an hour or two, until it has firmed up a bit.

While the dough is chilling, you can make your dulce de leche sauce—found here! This will take between 2-3 hours, so it’s a great time to get it done!

When you are ready to bake your cookies, preheat your oven to 350˚F.

By this time, your dough should have firmed up, and your dulce de leche should be finished and cooled.

Make dough balls that are about 1 oz, which is around a tablespoon—this can be eyeballed!

Flatten them out and make them into little “bowls” so that the filling will have a nice place to sit.

Put about a ½ tsp of dulce de leche in the middle.

Take another ball that is the same size, flatten and make another bowl out of it, this will be the top to your filled bottom cookie bowls.

Cover the filling with this second flattened piece, press the edges so that it seals in the dulce de leche, and then gently roll it in your hands so it makes a completely closed cookie dough ball.

This is one!

Do this with the remainder of your cookie dough and filling.

Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.

It will be hard to tell when they are finished baking due to the color of the whole wheat flour, but they should be completely set on the edges and just slightly underbaked in the centers.

Allow to cool completely before dipping them in chocolate!

To make the chocolate for dipping, make a double boiler and melt about 2 cups of chocolate chips.

When the chocolate is completely melted and smooth, remove from the heat (make sure to wipe the bottom of the bowl to remove any of the warm water!), and dip each cooled cookie about halfway with chocolate.

Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle with just a little bit of salt and some sprinkles for extra color, crunch and excitement!

Whether or not you allow to chocolate to cool and set entirely…

Bon Appétit!

Happy Trails Cookies

Okay, my friends, I have done it. I have made a cookie that actually is a bit healthy, a lot flavorful and ridiculously moist. There is so much going on in this tiny little bite that you won’t even want to question why I give permission to eat more than 1 at a time!

The inspiration for this recipe is something super personal to me—Earth Day. Not only is it this coming Friday, but it is something that someone very close to me, who we lost all too soon in February, loved. My stepdad—a true adventurer, outdoorsman, hands-on, lover of nature—it is all him behind this here cookie. While he may not be with us any longer, his spirit will always live on, which is why it felt like a crazy coincidence that I would have this urge to make these “Happy Trails” cookies right around Earth Day, right around when the weather is becoming the perfect hiking weather, and his birthday is only a few weeks away.

Like many of us, healthy eating is always the big plan, but then we see something sweet and our heads are instantly like well, I mean, it won’t kill you to eat this entire box of Thin Mints, right? …my stepdad would always hide his because maybe one of us kids would maybe get into them each year..

Anyways!

I am giving you the best of both worlds here. Half butter, half coconut oil—check. Raisins and chocolate chips—double check. Lots of nuts, even more carrots—yes and yes. Want to know something magnificent? First off, the carrots provide so much MOISTURE! The softest, most dream like cookie that isn’t cakey, you can thank those beautiful carrots for more than just good eyesight! Secondly, the carrot flavor is not overpowering. If you are looking for a carrot cake intensity, this, unfortunately, will not give you that, but mixed with all of the other goodies in this cookie, you have yourself quite a treat. Finally, your add-ins are so versatile, you can swap out whichever ones—but this combo is quite perfect if you ask me!

I am giving you a little bit of health and a little bit of sugar in these cookies! You may think that granola bars and apples are the only great outdoor activity snack, but guess again! This here recipe is the perfect addition to your most wild of adventures. Dedicated to my spunky, crazy, full-of-life, extraordinarily courageous step-dad whom I know would highly approve of this recipe! 

ingredients

Butter, room temperature—4 oz, or 1 stick

Coconut Oil, melted—4 oz, or ½ C

Brown Sugar—8 oz, or 1 C

Sugar—2 oz, or ¼ C

Eggs—2

Vanilla Extract—1 tsp

Flour—18 oz, or 3 C

Baking Soda—1 tsp

Salt—1 tsp

Cinnamon—2 tsp

Carrots, shredded—4 oz, or 1 C

Chia Seeds—0.25 oz, or ½ TBL

Sunflower Seeds—1 oz, or ¼ C

Peanuts—2.5 oz, or ½ C

Raisins—3 oz, or ½ C

Chocolate Chips—3 oz, or ½ C

process

In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the butter and sugars.

Once smooth, slowly stream in the melted coconut oil.

Add the eggs and the vanilla.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Slowly add this to the mixer.

Scrape down the sides of your bowl.

Add in the shredded carrots and the remaining add-ins.

Remove from the mixing bowl and wrap in plastic to chill.

When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350˚ F.

Roll into balls, about 2 oz, and bake for 12-14 minutes, until slightly golden.

Remove from the pan onto a cooling rack.

Wait a few minutes (to avoid burning your mouth!) before devouring.

Bon Appétit!