Week of Love: Chocolate Granola Cookies and Dandy Blend Espresso Frappe

Valentine's Day is coming! And what does that mean, Sweet Readers? It's time for the Week of Love, a week full of recipes dedicated to Valentine's Day. And today we are starting off with a tasty pairing...

These cookies and herbal coffee frappe make for a healthy snack or yummy breakfast.

I just so enjoy Dandy Blend. It's an herbal coffee made from extracts of barley, rye, chicory, dandelion, and beet root. It contains no gluten - all gluten is eliminated in extract process. It's also caffeine free! So I feel confident drinking it while nursing or letting my four-year-old have some "tea that has the flavor of coffee," as she calls it. Also its instant, which is super convenient!

A little glimpse of our little boy as I wear him around while drinking my snack. I am so thankful for Moby Wraps and Ergobaby carriers! Who else is a baby-wearer?

 

I buy my Dandy Blend from Amazon in two pound bag because it is the best cost. I put it in two jars, freezing half for later and leaving the other half on the counter to enjoy now.

Here's to Love and Chocolate!!!

Chocolate Granola Cookies
1 cup heaping walnuts
2 cup oats
3/4 cup evaporated cane juice sugar
1/4 cup flaxseeds, ground

1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup applesauce

1 TB vanilla
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup chocolate chips

 

1. In a mini food processor (or regular), grind oats and walnuts until like fine sand.

2. In a large bowl, mix first six ingredients. Add in oil, applesauce, and vanilla then fold in chocolate chips.

3. Drop large tablespoonfuls on cookies sheet or stoneware and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes (I use stoneware but if using baking sheet might want to check at 12-15 minutes).

Dandy Blend "Espresso" Frappe

1 cup coconut water

1 large scoop coconut cream

1 banana, frozen or add ice if not frozen

1/2-1 tsp spices (cinnamon and allspice or cardamom for Turkish flavor), optional
Seeds from 1/3 vanilla bean

1 heaping TB Dandy Blend herbal coffee

1. Blend in a blender.

Enjoy!

And a Happy Valentine's Day!

Come back tomorrow for a craft!

 

This post contains affiliate links. Buying through these links may help to support Sweet Roots! I thank all my sweet readers for your support!

 

Maple Almond Shortbread Cookies

These cookies are great with a cup of tea and a good book or conversation and guests - that's precisely why I made these. We were having guests over and the majority of our friends or family do not eat specifically gluten or dairy free (Witty Husband doesn't either). What's great about these cookies, is that one can't tell it's gluten free. Oats are a great introductory grain for those eating gluten free (just make sure they are certified if truly sensitive). They have a hearty, familar taste that everyone can enjoy. Pleasing to a diverse crowd! Plus they are dairy, gluten, soy and egg free along with being vegan. Proves you can have your cookies and share them too!

Also, they remind me a little of cinnamon graham crackers. These would be perfect for campfire smores with our marshmallow root marshmallows! I was wishing I had some marshmallows made so I could toast it in the oven then make a smore sandwich with these cookies and some chocolate. Goodness gracious!!!

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Maple Almond Shortbread Cookies
1 1/2 cup oats (gluten-free certified if sensitive)
2 Tb flaxseeds
1/2 cup sorghum flour *see notes below for replacement
1/2 tsp fine sea salt (don't add if there is salt added to nut butter)
1 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 c maple syrup
3/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla

1-2 TB evaporated cane sugar or coconut sugar to sprinkle on top *optional*

1. Grind flaxseeds and oats in a coffee grinder, blender, or food processor.
2. Combine dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients in seperate bowl. Combine the wet into the dry, smooth with spatula until completely incorporated.
3. Roll into parchment paper to make a tube and refridgerate for 1 hour or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350. Remove tube of dough from fridge and parchment paper. Using sharp knife cut 1/3 inch slices and place on stoneware or parchment lined tray. Sprinkle with pinch of sugar.
5. Bake 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and let completely cool before eating (they will be super crumbly if not cool).

Enjoy!

*Sorghum flour replacers - millet or rice flour will work just fine here.

Week of Love: Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Sandwiches

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Another kid-friendly recipe for a delicious Valentines Treat!

The ice cream is quick (no pre-cooking required) and contains only two ingredients. The cookies contain only six ingredients and there is a paleo version below if necessary. You probably have all of these ingredients in your pantry!

If you don't have an ice cream machine, you can make your own banana ice cream in you blender. And use that instead!

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Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup peanut butter (I used lightly salted Adams Crunchy Peanut Butter - no sugar added)
2 T flaxseeds
1/2 cup heaping oats (GF certified if sensitive)*
1/4 cup nondairy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Grind flaxseeds in coffee grinder. Add to nondairy milk and vanilla extract. Let sit five minutes.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients.
4. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls on a baking sheet or stoneware pan. Use a fork to squish the cookies down a little.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from pan and let cool.

*For a paleo version, use shredded coconut instead of oats. And use coconut sugar instead of cane sugar.

If there is not time to make the ice cream below (although it's fairly quick if you have an ice cream machine maker), use a coconut milk strawberry ice cream or chocolate instead (So Delicious and Luna &Larry make great flavors). Or make your own banana ice cream in you blender.

Quick Jelly/Jam Ice Cream
2 cups nondairy milk (use a can of coconut milk for 1.5 cups of the milk for creamier, more ice cream like texture)
1 cup jam or jelly of choice (I used a multi-berry a family member made)

1. Add ingredients to an ice cream machine and use according to instructions.

When cookies have cooled, assemble the sandwiches and enjoy!

Double Chocolate Black Bean Cookies with Sesame

I can't take credit for these delicious and healthy cookies. I used the base from Sarah Britton's Black Bean Chocolate Chili Cookies and did my own take on her recipe. I wasn't even planning to post this until my sister begged me too. Well, begging might be exaggerating - I mean I'm not that cruel. For my take, I used chocolate chips and less sweetener, I passed on the cherries and cayenne (but that would make a delicious addition). Instead, I generously sprinkled sesame seeds over half the batch.

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Sesame seeds are a wondrous little seed. You can see them featured in my bone-building chocolate sesame melts. Sesame is one of the most calcium-rich foods, teaspoon for teaspoon. It's also loaded with trace minerals such as magnesium. Eating magnesium with calcium is important as it acts as a "'glue' that binds calcium to bone’s protein matrix, creating strong, dense bones. (Spry). Eating one ounce a day of sesame seeds can help provide 28% (based on a 2,000 calories diet) of the calcium needed daily (Nutrition Data.com). When incorporated into the diet, these little wonders of joy can help provide a good base to building strong, healthy bones (or mantaining them).

I love sesame seeds sprinkled on eggs, rice, soup, cooked greens and baked goods! Of course, these are optional (hense why I photographed half of them without). You can buy them from your local grocery store in the bulk section or Mountain Rose Herbs sells organic sesame seeds for an amazing price of $4 for one pound.

Black Beans are a great source of iron, protein and fiber. You can read more about this understated superfood on Sarah B's post.

Besides these wonderful nutritients, the cookies are relatively inexpensive and quite easy to prepare. No bowls are dirtied. Only the food processor!

Also if you don't want to turn on your oven (and you haven't used eggs in the batter), this batter makes a wonderful dip for apples or spread on sweet crackers. Or just eaten by the spoonful *wink wink*.

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All in all, these fudgy cookies are a great treat or snack for anyone! Being vegan and void of most allergens.

Doubling the recipe is a good idea so you have enough to share!

Double Chocolate Black Bean Cookies with Sesame Seeds (or brownie dip if you prefer not to bake it)

(This recipe is inspired by my bone-building chocolate sesame melts and mainly by Sarah B's black bean chocolate chili cookies).

1 1/2 cup cooked black beans (or one 15 oz can, drained and rinsed well)
2 Tb coconut oil
1/3 cup + 2 Tb cocoa powder
1/2 tsp course sea salt
1/4 cup maple syrup (or you can use same amount of non-dairy milk with liquid stevia equivalent)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tb chia seeds (or 2 Tb ground flax seed or Sarah says you can use 2 eggs)

1/2 heaping cup chocolate chips or 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In food processor, add beans and coconut oil. Process until smooth.
3. Add remaining ingredients (except for sesame seeds) and process until smooth (about a minute). Wait a few minutes for it to thicken and the chia to expand.
4. Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls onto stoneware or parchment lined tray and flatten with fingers or fork.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool for at least ten minutes before removing from pan.

Makes ten or so unless you eat a lot of the batter like we did.