Nut Bread Round Two

One of my first posts was of Paleo Nut Bread. Since then, Sarah, from My New Roots, also posted a nut bread.  She called it the Life-Changing Loaf of Bread, and since she is my favorite blogger there was basically no excuse not to make it. 

This bread is dense since it is almost all nuts and seeds, but so yummy. It has more flavor than the last one I made and again, it is perfect for toast. The main ingredient Sarah points out in this bread is the psyllium (sill-ee-um) seed husks. They are the binding ingredient since there is no flour or egg in the bread. They are also filled with fiber, which helps to regulate the digestive system.

Recipe makes one loaf of about 16 slices with 150 calories each slice

Ingredients:

1 cup sunflower seeds
½ cup flax seeds (ground)
½ cup hazelnuts
1 ½ cups rolled oats
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
2 cups water

Directions:

1. Place fitted parchment paper in a metal loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350°F

2. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, stirring well (Sarah suggests mixing it right in the pan). Whisk maple syrup, melted oil and water together in a measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick. Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or up to a day (I let mine sit overnight). To ensure the dough is ready, it should retain its shape even when you pull the side of the parchment paper out of the pan.

3. Place loaf pan in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan and remove parchment paper, place it upside down on a cooling rack and bake for another 30-35 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing (difficult, but important).

**Store bread in a tightly sealed container for up to five days. If you want to freeze, Sarah suggests slicing it before hand.

Almond Meal Coconut Cacao Cookies

Today was my first day home for spring break, so of course, what did I want to do the most? Bake something. I figured as a good sister I should make something for my little sister to eat when she came home from school. These almond meal cookies with coconut and cacao nibs from my Sprouted Kitchen cookbook caught my eye. They looked quick, were gluten free, and I had all the ingredients (almost), so I went for it.

My mom, sister, and I all tried these cookies and agreed they were delicious. If my sister likes something that is remotely healthy, then I know I have hit the jackpot. These melt in your mouth straight from the oven and are perfect with a cup of coffee.

The only replacement I made in this recipe was for the muscovado sugar the original recipe called for. It called for 1/3 cup, which I replaced with coconut sugar and agave because I didn't have any muscovado. Muscovado is unrefined brown sugar and gives the cookies moisture along with a caramelly taste. Feel free to also replace it with brown sugar if you do not have any of the above ingredients.

Recipe makes 18-24 cookies, depending on size. I made 22: 90 calories per cookie.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups almond meal
1/4 cup cacao nibs
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 Tablespoon agave nectar
1 egg
3 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Stir together almond meal, cacao nibs, coconut, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

2. In another bowl beat egg until it has doubled in size and is all one color. Whisk in the melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and agave.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until just combined. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes, or up to a day.

4. Preheat oven to 375 F. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet with no parchment paper on it. Gently press on tops of cookes to flatten a little.

5. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until edges are barely brown.

Fig Newtons

Growing up I LOVED fig newtons... but Mama Wendy never bought them. They were on her list of junk food. There were a lot of foods on this list now that I come to think of it; no pop, no fruit rollups, no sugar cereal, no white bread, not even chocolate milk. But, now that I'm older, I thank her for raising us kids like this. If we're being completely honest, I will do the same with my kids. 

Lately, I've also been kind of fig obsessed. I'm not sure why I didn't discover them earlier in life. So once I found this recipe, I decided I had to make it. It fulfills my childhood craving, and my current love. As with all my recipes, I did not come up with it on my own, I found this one on My New Roots. Sarah, the author, has become someone I admire and would love to meet someday. Her recipes are always delicious, good for you, and never cease to amaze me.

These are best eaten straight from the oven, Lauren and I may or may not have eaten the whole pan the first time we made them (oops). They are the perfect cookie to satisfy that cookie craving too!

Makes 20-24 newtons

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 cup dried figs (any variety will work)

½ - ¾ cup strong-brewed rooibos tea

½ vanilla bean, scraped

2 tsp. lemon juice

pinch sea salt

Dough:

1 cup rolled oats (try half as almond flour to boost the protein)

¼ cup coconut sugar

¼ tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp. of cinnamon

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 ½ Tbsp. chia seeds

3 Tbsp. strong-brewed rooibos tea

3 Tbsp. coconut oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Brew the tea. Use two bags to make the tea very strong. Boil ¾ cup water and pour over the tea. Let steep for 15-20 minutes, then remove the bags or strain. Take out three tablespoons and stir in 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, set aside to gel.

2. To make the dough, blend 1 cup of rolled oats in a food processor to make a rough flour. Add coconut sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and pulse to mix. Next add the coconut oil, chia-rooibos gel, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Pulse to mix until the mixture forms a ball. Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, cover tightly and place in the fridge to chill for at least one hour (this can be done a day ahead if desired).

3. To make filling, roughly chop figs and place them in a small saucepan with ½ cup brewed tea, lemon juice, salt and scraped vanilla seeds, including the pod.  Cook over low-medium heat until the figs start to break down and the mixture thickens (about 10-15 minutes). Add more tea or water if necessary. Let cool slightly, remove vanilla pod, then blend in a food processor. You can make the filling as smooth or chunky as you like. The filling can also be made in advance, if desired.

4. Remove dough from fridge, place on a piece of parchment paper and lay another sheet on top. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out until the dough is a little larger than 4.5” x 20” To make a rectangle trim off any excess dough around the sides. Spoon fig filling along the center, then fold in both sides and press lightly to seal. Cut 20-24 pieces out and place each one, seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. Bake cookies in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. Enjoy.