Nutella Flax Seed Coco Butter Bars

I needed something to munch on this holiday weekend with all my time at home and these bars are perfect.  A little sweet, a lot healthy and freezer convenient as well.  They took less than 10 minutes to mix up and get chilled ready to eat.  The Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread is low sugar, the ground flax seed works well as a binder instead of white flour,
and the Coco Butter helps keeps the shape.

Nutella is running a Sweepstakes right now to win a case of Nutella!

Now that would be awesome!  Check it out here: http://www.nutellausa.com/giveaway.htm

Any bar with Chocolate, Hazelnuts, Coco Butter and Shredded Coconut can't be half bad right?

Just don't tell anyone they're held together with Flax Seed and they'll be a new favorite to snack on.

The recipe for these lovely little bits couldn't be easier:

Line a container with wrap to make cutting the bars easier or spay w/ vegetable spray

Cover the batter with shredded coconut and push down into batter

Be sure and check out the great Cookbook giveaway going on now through Monday at
"Averie Cooks"

Ginger Snap Truffles

Winner of the Best Price Nutrition Probiotics Giveaway was Courtney.

This is a quick and easy recipe from Kraft Foods for tasty little ginger bites.

They only took 30 minutes to make and will probably be gone before I finish posting this if I'm not more controlled. They're wonderful!

I've adapted it to be Dairy Free:

1 8 oz. tub of Toffuti Non Dairy Cream Cheese (or TJ's or other non dairy)

40 + Organic Ginger Snap Cookies ( I used Nature's Promise)

finely crushed to make about 2 1/4 cups, divided

8 Oz. of Non Dairy Chocolate, melted

MIX cream cheese and 2 cups cookie crumbs until well blended.

CHILL the mixture until it is firm enough to roll in your hands.  I had to work fast here.

SHAPE into 30 (1-inch) balls; place in single layer in shallow pan. Freeze 10 min. Dip in chocolate; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan. Sprinkle with remaining crumbs.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Keep refrigerated.

Here's the Kraft Foods version for regular Dairy Cookies:

Ginger Snaps Cookie Balls recipe

Thanks for all the Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil Giveaway Entries

No Bake Nut Butter Cookies

These no bake cookies are fabulous, healthy and a great project to make with kids (a little messy in the making so little hands would have a ball patting them out)

Coco - Nut Bars

Combine ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender and blend until you have a smooth batter like texture:

Cheerios Creamy Peanut Butter Cookies

Silicone Flower Cookie Mold

I wanted to come up with something new using the Peanut Butter Cheerios I won in Love Veggies and Yoga's  giveaway last week, (thanks again Averie!) and I wanted to use a new silicone mold I found at TJ Maxx Friday

so here's what the results are:

White Chocolate Banana Cream Peanut Butter Cookies.....................wow, too long of a name Huh?

Anyway, here's what's in them and I'm sure you could use any type of cupcake mold to make the same shape for them.

For the cream layer:
2 large frozen bananas slightly thawed
4 oz. Dairy Free Cream Cheese ( I used Tofutti)  softened
1 tsp. liquid Stevia
1 tsp. Agave nectar
Blend all these ingredients in a blender until ice cream like mixture is achieved.  Store in the freezer until ready to spoon into molds.

I had about 2 oz. of melted dark chocolate and 2 oz. of white chocolate for layers

And the peanut butter layer is:

2 Tbs. melted organic spread like Nature's Promise
1 tsp. liquid Stevia
1 1/2 Tbs. Natural Unsweetened Peanut Butter like Crazy Richard's
1 cup of Cheerios cereal (new Peanut Butter flavor)
Blend all these in a food processor until crumbly wet mixture is achieved.

Spray the mold or pan with some vegetable spray lightly.

Spoon in the first layer with enough dark melted chocolate to cover just the bottom of each section.
Cool in the freezer until firm.
Spoon on the second layer just like the first with white melted Chocolate and cool again in freezer.

3rd layer is a Table spoon or so depending on what mold you're using, of the peanut butter mixture pressed down firmly into the mold leaving enough room for the final layer of cream.

Peanut Butter and Cheerio crumbs

The final layer is filling what space is left in each section with a spoonful or so of the banana cream mixture, you might need to let it sit out a minute before spooning it into molds if you've had it in the freezer a while.  Smooth out the cream as this will be the bottom of each cookie.
Optional:  I pushed some more Cheerios down into the cream layer to finish off the bottoms.

Freeze the finished cookies until firm and then unmold or pop out of pans.  Keep frozen for storage in a sealed container.

PS:  I took the leftover melted chocolate I had and mixed in some more Peanut Butter Cheerios and made an awesome crispy chocolate bar..............yum, thanks again to Averie and General Mills for their inspiration on these.  I will be purchasing more soon! 

Enjoy!
This post is linked to:  http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/  and http://glutenfreepantry.blogspot.com/2012/02/allergy-free-wednesdays-blog-hop-week-5.html
http://allergyfreecookery.blogspot.com/2012/02/allergy-friendly-lunchbox-love-22412.html

Raw Lucuma Shortbread Cookies

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Recipe - Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups Navitas Naturals Raw Cashew Nuts (unsoaked) 
( I used a cup of cashews and 1 cup of Almond Meal)
1 cup dried coconut

1 tsp. vanilla
(I used 2 droppers of Vanilla Stevia)

4 Tbsp. Navitas Naturals Lucuma Powder 

4 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
2 Tbsp. maple syrup, optional (didn't use because the Lucuma and Stevia were sweet enough)
Top with a dusting of cinnamon/ palm sugar mix

Directions
First, place cashews in food processor fitted with the S blade, and process into fine powder. Empty food processor and then grind coconut into a fine powder. Place ground cashews back into the food processor and add vanilla and lucuma. Grind until it is all mixed and like a fine powder. Melt coconut oil in a dehydrator or by inserting the container into a bowl of hot water. Add melted coconut oil and lightly process until all mixed. If too dry you can add some maple syrup one tablespoon at a time until it is the right consistency to hold together and roll out. Roll out like you would a traditional shortbread, cut into shapes and decorate (with gogi berries, shredded coconut, powdered cacao). If you don't have a dehydrator just freeze the cookies. If you have a dehydrator, place on mesh screen and dehydrate for up to 12 hours. Will store in the freezer for up to 3 months. http://lucuma.gojiking.co.uk/

http://www.wilton.com/store/site/

These are some of the best cookies I've ever eaten..................................ENJOY!

     This post is linked to:  http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/slightly-indulgent-tuesday-12412/

Valentine's Day Chocolate Hearts

Thanks to Averie at Love Veggies and Yoga  I was able to pick up these great molds at Target in their dollar bins.  Silicone molds for only $1 per pair of molds, awesome.  Had to try them out with some of my homemade chocolate.......

Almond Butter Mocha Fudge

Almond butter and meal are great nutritional foods that can easily and inexpensively be made in your own kitchen with a few basic tools.  Here's a great link on the steps to get started making your own, you can also purchase either at most grocery stores these days as well. 

http://naturalnoshing.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/homemade-almond-butter/     

Low Glycemic Black Bean Brownies

Gluten Free Cherry Walnut Truffels

These are a great afternoon snack, low in carbs, high in nutrition and flavor.  The inspiration came from Elana's Pantry posting for "Chocolate Power Bar Balls".  Her recipe calls for dates which are delicious but also a little high in sugar.  I changed mine up some by using dried cherries.  I did a second batch that I made into actual bars instead of balls and put them on the dehydrator so I can take them in the car for work.  The balls really should be kept in the fridge.  Either version, you can add and subtract to suit your own preference

Dark Chocolate Salty Bark

There are sooooo many varieties of chocolate bars at health food stores these days you'd think that I could find a perfect mix.  But no, I had to come home and mix up my own version.  Glad I did.  This mix is great and very low GI.  Enjoy!

Orange Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Orange Chocolate Chip Biscotti w/Cinnamon Sugar coating