Raw Pepita-flour Choc-Chia Cookies

We go through almonds like crazy here. With my little gluten intolerant one and me being the same, nearly everything I make has almond meal in it. This is fine, I love sneaking the protein and nutrients into my pancakes through raw almonds mixed with buckwheat flour, but it gets expensive, and I'd like to sneak even more goodness into our meals and treats and create more variety too.

So I've been playing around with pepita flour and sun-flour (sunflower seed flour) and am a little bit excited by the results.  I followed this recipe from Paleo Movement blog to make Pepita-flour Pumpkin bread. I added mashed pumpkin and omitted the maple syrup for a more pumpkin-y pumpkin touch. Next time I'll be adding cinnamon and nutmeg but the pepita flour was perfect.

Yesterday I was craving chocolate by the usual 10am but with no such substance in the house I resolved to whip up one of my Thermomix chocolate ball/slices with what-ever I had available, plus the essential raw cacao powder.

I almost went a step further and added the baking soda to shape and bake cookies like these beauties but my need for instant chocolate and lack of time with school holiday activities whirling around me I ate a couple of spoonfuls and threw the rest of the flattened balls into the freezer. 

A few hours later my Raw Pepita-flour Choc-Chia Cookies emerged. Actually I used half sun-flour and half pepita flour but the name is already too long. I could squeeze 'gluten-free, nut-free, egg-free, no-bake, paleo, vegan...' into the name too but hopefully you get the gist.

Here's my recipe:

-A cup of pepitas

-A cup of sunflower seeds (or any nut or seed you have handy)

-2 Tbs Chia Seeds

-1/4 cup Cacao or good quality cocoa powder (or more if you like a richer flavour)

-1/4 cup rice malt syrup (or to taste, you may need more)*

-2-3 Tbs Coconut oil

-2 Tbs water

Whizz up your seeds (and nuts if using) in your Thermomix or a high powered food processor, speed 9 for Themomixer's.

Add the remaining ingredients but leave the water until you have mixed all other ingredients together and tasted your mix. You will need to scrape down the sides and move the mixture to free up the mixture a couple of times to mix it thoroughly.

Add the water to create a more gooey mixture ready for rolling and flattening on a tray.

Pop your raw cookies into the fridge or freezer, I like to use the freezer in the hope that I'll forget about them and they'll last longer.

*You can use maple or agave syrup if you like but you'll need less as these are sweeter than rice malt syrup. I prefer the latter as it is fructose-free and helps create a 'gooey-er' texture.

You could also try pressing the mixture into a slice tray and pouring melted dark chocolate over it once it is chilled for a raw brownie treat.

Have fun playing with seed flours. I'm using them in place of almond flour where possible and hoping to replace coconut flour too as I seem to be reacting to some coconut products. The joys of the irritable bowel...

xoxo

'Fudgy Chocolate Balls' - with hidden green things

Our littlest won't eat anything green, especially not vegetables. I struggle to get nuts into her when she needs some sugar-free energy, and of course she won't eat seeds, ESPECIALLY not pumpkin seeds.

So when I was at Coles recently and spotted a bag of 'Trail Mix' packed with all sorts of good-for-you things and only one not-so-good thing: the dried cranberries have some sugar in them (but there were no preservatives-hallelujah!) I came up with a SUPER quick and easy way to hide all the good and green seedy bits:

I chucked the whole bag of Trail Mix into the Thermomix (a food processor would be just as good), whizzed it all together on speed 9, added 1/4 - 1/3 cup of cocoa powder and a dash of water to moisten the mixture and rolled these fudgy delights into energy balls for my ever-hungry girls. Win!

I recently made another batch with a slightly healthier trail mix from Aldi and added some dates for extra sweetening. Not AS popular with our little sweet tooth but she would eat them over plain nuts any day.

For a quick and easy gluten, egg and dairy free treat for the kids stock up on:

-Packets of trail mix or any nuts/seeds mix

-Quality pure Cocoa powder

-(dates/sultanas if your mix is fruit-free)

*Oh and coconut to roll the balls in (sulphar-free if possible)

Sadly they are not for me as they are not fructose-free. I make sure I'm stocked up on these yummy simple almond chia cookies for the perfect accompaniment to my tea.

xoxo

Tea and cake

Before we moved home I decided in this little hard working brain of mine that I would not just have a vast array of tea on offer for those who care to visit and stay a while, but I would endeavour to always have fresh cake in the pantry, fridge or oven to share with one and all.

Because tea and cake are just so perfect for one another and I really want them to be best friends around here, along with aprons and smiles.

So I'm starting today with my 'cake-a-week' challenge, and of course I am not starting with a simple chocolate or butter cake.  I'll save the carrot cake and my favourite apple tea cake for another week.  I'm starting out with an Earl Grey Tea Cake, my first ever and I'm a little bit excited because it is gluten free which suits me and my littlest to a tea! And I just LOVE earl grey tea.

I've used a recipe from here but changed it to suit my Thermomix so I'll share it with you so you can share tea and cake with me wherever you are.

You will need:

•               300g of brown rice 

•               150g chickpeas (for garbanzo or besan flour)

•               1/2 Tbsp baking soda

•               1/2 tsp sea salt

•               2/3 cup canola oil

•               1-1/2 cups brewed Earl Grey tea 

•               1/2 Tbsp + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

•               1-1/2 cups pure maple syrup (I used 1 cup because one bottle only had a cup in it!

I know, there are no eggs or chia seeds in it! My cake is cooking as I type so I am a little worried that I'll be sharing a failed recipe with you, but isn't it great for those with allergies? No dairy either.

So wiz up the brown rice on speed 9 for 30 seconds and set aside. Then mill your chickpeas in the same way (definitely block your ears for this one!)

Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix gently on speed 4.

Mix all of your wet ingredients in a separate bowl and then combine in the thermomix and mix together on speed 5, scraping down now and then. It may take a minute or so.

I noticed two things.

The mixture is very runny! Fingers crossed.

It is an expensive cake to make! I used a whole bottle of pure organic maple syrup and I was ½ a cup short.

Pour into a lined loaf tin and cook on 170 C for an hour or until it springs back when you touch the top.

Once your gorgeous smelling cake has cooled, enjoy it with your favourite tea.

Verdict:  My cake is extra super delicious and perfectly moist and springy! Its too sweet for me even with only a cup of maple syrup, but perfect for my little people. So definitely cut back to one cup or less.

I can't wait to serve some to my friends this week, esp. my earl grey-loving friend Kellie 

xoxo