Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
56g (1/2 stick / 4 tsbp) butter, softened
250g (1 cup) homemade peanut butter
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp corn syrup
200g (1 cup) light brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
125g (1 cup) flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cornstarch
1) In a large bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, salt, corn syrup and brown sugar until light and very fluffy. Add egg, egg yolk and continue beating until smooth.
2) In another bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cornstarch. Stir the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix just until incorporated.
3) Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C / 350F. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Form balls and flatten a little. These cookies will not spread.
3) Bake for 9-11 minutes. Do not overbake - if they look underbaked in the middle it's ok - they firm up while cooling. Remove from the oven and let sit on a counter for at least 10 minutes before removing from the baking tray. Dust with some powdered sugar.
Makes 28 cookies
Recipe by collecting memories
Date Caramel, Cashew Butter and Cocoa Fudge Bars (No-Bake)
Base:
30g (1/4 cup) unsweetened dark cocoa powder
20g (2 tbsp) ground flax seeds
85g (1/4 cup) honey
50g (1/4 cup) unrefined coconut oil
Middle layer:
125g (1/2 cup) cashews
30g (2 tbsp) unrefined coconut oil, melted
40g (2 tbsp) honey, melted
1/4 tsp salt
Top layer:
175g (1 cup) dates
2-4 tbsp boiling water
1/4 tsp salt
1) Line the bottom and the sides of a standard loaf pan with parchment paper or prepare a silicone loaf pan.
2) In a small saucepan, combine together all the ingredients for the base and heat until the coconut oil and the honey is melted. Stir until smooth and spread evenly into the loaf pan. Refrigerate while you prepare other layers.
3) Make the cashew butter layer: Place cashews into your food processor and process until smooth and very creamy. It will take around 10 minutes. It takes more time and patience than peanut butter. But don't worry if the mixture doesn't look like getting smooth - it will look grainy like a curd but eventually it will turn into butter. Trust me. Just don't stop processing. Make sure you make a few short breaks to let your food processor rest.
4) When the cashew butter is ready, mix it with melted honey and coconut oil and salt. Stir until very well combined and spread onto the chocolate layer (first make sure that the first layer has set). Return to the fridge.
5) To make the caramel layer, add dates, salt and 2 tablespoons of water into your food processor. Process until smooth. You may need to add more water if the batter looks sticky and hard. I needed 3 tablespoons of water.
6) Spread the caramel layer onto the cashew butter layer and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.
Store in the fridge.
Recipe by collecting memories
Soft Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies (No flour, butter, sugar, eggs)
250g (about 2 large) bananas, mashed
15g (1 tbsp) unrefined coconut oil, melted
83g (1/3 cup) homemade peanut butter
85g (1/4 cup) real honey, melted
90g (1 cup) old-fashioned oats, ground
90g (1 cup) quick-cooking oats
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp flax seeds, ground
25g (1/4 cup) dessicated coconut
40g (1/4 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
1) Preheat oven to 160C / 320F degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2) In a small large bowl, add banana, coconut oil, peanut butter and honey. Mix until combined.
3) In a small bowl, stir together oats, salt, ground flax seeds and dessicated coconut.
4) Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Mix in half of the chocolate chips.
5) Drop 9 scoops of dough onto the parchment paper (the cookies will be large). Press the remaining chocolate chips on top of the cookies. The cookies will not spread so you can flatten them a little bit. Bake for 12-14 minutes. The less you bake them - the better!
6) Cool completely before serving.
Serves 9 large cookies.
Recipe by collecting memories
Pan-Fried Chickpeas with Caramelized Onions
240g (1 cup) cooked chickpeas, very well drained
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch salt
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chili paprika
1) In a saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Add onion and cook, over medium heat, until soft and translucent. When they start browning, stir with a wooden spoon and cook for another 10-15 minutes until caramelized, stirring occasionally. Add more oil if needed. Be careful not to burn them.
2) Add garlic, salt, smoked paprika and chili paprika. Stir to combine. Add chickpeas and stir-fry for 2-4 minutes.
Serves 1.
Recipe by collecting memories
Vegetable Cake
1 large zucchini (370g), grated
1 carrot (150g), grated
1 small potato (130g), peeled and grated
1 medium onion (140g), grated
80g (1 cup) your favorite cheese, grated
5 eggs, lightly beaten
90g (3/4 cup) Spelt flour (any other flour would work)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp chili powder
Large pinch of salt
1) Preheat oven to 180C / 350F. Grease a 20x20 cm / 8x8 inch baking dish.
2) In a large bowl, mix together all the vegetables. Add cheese, eggs and seasonings. Finally fold in the flour.
3) Pour the mixture into the baking dish and bake until golden brown on top and firm to the touch (it might take around 30-40 minutes; keep an eye on it and remove from the oven once the center is set).
4) Cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm or cold.
Recipe by collecting memories
