Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Summer Baking

Lately I've been on a baking kick. It's the Man's fault, or more correctly speaking it's his coworker's fault. Several weeks ago he sent the Man home with a giant zucchini. I spent a bit of time trying to figure out what to do with the thing and finally ended up grating it into four 3c containers for bread. I froze three of them, and used the last to bake a couple loaves of honey sweetened, 60% coco chocolate chip, bread.
The good news is that it was really good, and I still have half a loaf left! The bad news is that it started me on a baking kick.

I've had a jar of Almond Butter sitting around that I'd purchased a few months ago on a "health" whim (see almonds are "good nuts" and the fats in them actually tell your body to burn fat, but peanuts aren't so almond butter is healthier for you). Anyway I've had a jar sitting around, it's just not as good as peanut butter on a sandwich, it's great on apples but I don't eat apples all that often so it's just been sitting there not being used. And I thought, as I debated what to bake next, that I really would love some sort of peanut butter brownie...
So I pulled out the brownie pan and made some perfectly amazing brownies, made with Almond butter, whole wheat flour, and coconut.

Then this week I decided that I wanted to use up the last bit of the almond butter. What to do, what to do...
How about some almond butter cookies with a coco chip set into them. The Kiddo helped me with the chips part, and these cookies are SO good. I really hope the Man takes a bunch to work tomorrow or I'm going to end up eating them all!

3 comments:

Gwyneth said...

ZUCCHINI BREAD - SUGAR FREE

3 eggs
3/4 c. oil
1 c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. peeled & grated zucchini
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3 c. flour
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. nuts
1/2 c. chocolate pieces

Beat eggs; add oil, honey and vanilla; mix well. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into greased loaf pans. Top with more cinnamon if desired. Bake at 300 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes.

Gwyneth said...

Almond Butter Coconut Brownies

Ingredients

1/2 cup almond butter
1 cup natural brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 ts salt
1/2 c grated coconut
1/2 c DARK chocolate, chopped
1/4 c almonds, chopped

How to make it

Preheat oven to 350
Combine almond butter and brown sugar.
Add eggs and almond extract and mix until well combined.
In another bowl combine the whole wheat flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
Add dry ingredients to the wet and fold until just combined, (avoid over stirring).
Stir in the coconut and chocolate pieces and almond pieces.
Pour into a greased square pan and bake 30 minutes.

Gwyneth said...

Almond Butter Cookies

1 c almond butter
1 c sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

handful chocolate pieces

Preheat oven to 325.
Mix all ingredients. Spoon by the tsp full onto baking sheet, bake 13 minutes. While still warm press chocolate piece into top of cookie.

makes approximately 44 cookies

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