Cinnamon Nut Butter

I love to make homemade nut butters and have blogged about that before. In the spirit of the holidays, I decided to add CINNAMON to the nut butter. Not only is cinnamon a flavor that reminds me of the holidays, family, friends, and cool weather, but also it has health benefits! I love to incorporate cinnamon into my diet as it helps fight diabetes (which runs in my family), it helps prevent cognitive decline (which runs in my family), fights inflammation, has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, and helps fight cancer. If you like the flavor of cinnamon, as I do, then why not add it to your favorite foods!

PICTURE: WARM CINNAMON NUT BUTTER ... straight from the Vitamix!

The recipe is simple. It requires about five minutes of your time, three cups of nuts, and a powerful blender (I use a VitaMix).

Base Recipe:
3 cups of nuts ... add to a Vitamix and Blend until as creamy/crunchy you prefer your nut butter
Store in an airtight container ... or package and give as a gift!

Cinnamon Twist
Add 1.5 cups of nuts to Vitamix and blend.
Add 1/4 cup of cinnamon and 1.5 cups of nuts and blend
NOTE: Change the amount of cinnamon based on personal taste. This gives a cinnamon flavor but does not lose the nut butter base...the flavor is layered.
Store in an airtight container ... or package as a gift!

Holiday Quinoa Bites

I love simplicity in the kitchen. Quinoa is one of the versatile foods in my pantry. It is great for savory meals, it is great for a hot cereal, and it can be made into cookies. I adapted my SUGARLESS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE recipe to make Holiday Quinoa Bites.

I doubled the base recipe below ... to share with family and friends!

Base Ingredients:
1 very ripe banana (that's the natural sweetness)
1 cup of flax seed meal
1 cup of almond flour (it's gluten free)
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup dried cranberries + diced dates from Futterman Farms
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup soy butter (I used WOW Butter)

OPTIONS: Roll balls in coconut or sesame seeds for decoration

** I use Bob's Red Mill Ground Flax Seed Meal, Almond Flour, and Quinoa **



Substitutions:
Hazelnut Flour works well too
If making these for someone with a nut allergy ... use quinoa flour, coconut flour, or oat flour.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 on a parchment lined baking sheet
Let cool
Store in an airtight container OR enjoy right away!

Gluten Free and Vegetarian Persimmon Cookies

I was given some persimmons by a yoga student of mine was excited to find a variety of ways to use them. Some of the persimmons I diced and added to a salad while I used the others for baking. I combined a few cookie recipes to come up with a gluten free recipe that my husband and I enjoy! These cookies are great fresh and can be stored in an airtight container for a few days. They are best when fresh so make a small batch … or share with friends!

Ingredients:

1 Flax Egg

·      1/2 Cup Butter Softened (not melted)

·      1 Cup Persimmon – (fruit washed and pureed)

·      2 Cups Gluten Free Flour (I used 1 cup of Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour and Pamela’s Nut Flour Blend)

·      1 TSP Baking Powder

·      1 TSP Baking Soda

·      1/2 TSP Salt

·      1/2 TSP Ground Cloves

·      1/2 TSP Ground Nutmeg

·      1 TSP Cinnamon

OPTIONS: 1/2 cup diced walnuts, dates, or raisins

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
• Prepare the flax egg  (5 -10 minutes) in a small bowl or ramekin
• Allow the butter to soften to room temperature if you can prepare in advance. If not, microwave for 20-second intervals until it softens but does not melt.
• Combine the dry ingredients in the stand up mixer. Add the flax egg, persimmon, and butter. Mix until well blended.
• Spoon onto the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Instructions:

·      Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

·      Prepare the flax egg  (5 -10 minutes) in a small bowl or ramekin

·      Allow the butter to soften to room temperature if you can prepare in advance. If not, microwave for 20-second intervals until it softens but does not melt.

·      Combine the dry ingredients in the stand up mixer. Add the flax egg, persimmon, and butter. Mix until well blended.

·      Spoon onto the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.