Macaroons

2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350. While egg whites until still. Place in separate bowl. Combine yolks and honey. Add vanilla and almond extract. Mix in the coconut, almonds, and chips.
Scoop uniformly onto parchment lined tray sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Gently press them to hold a better shape as they with be very loose and just make little piles as you scoop them. They will need a little coaxing to be pretty. Add sprinkles.
Bake around 10 minutes. Watch closely. You know they're done when the are toasty! Cool and peel off of sheet gently. You can freeze these for later too. Makes around 30 with a 2oz cookie scoop,

No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pie (Cane Sugar FREE!)

Cane sugar free! The coconut sugar in the crust gives it a light graham cracker flavor. The filling is very rich and creamy. No baking required! Takes about 10 minutes to make! 

Crust:

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup flax meal

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup coconut sugar

Generous 1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup coconut oil

Pie:

1 cup creamy natural peanut butter

1 cup date purée

8 oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1/3 cup honey

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

2 tsp vanilla extract

For crust-

Combine dry ingredients with whisk. Stir in melted butter and oil. Press into deep dish 9 inch pie pan. Freeze.

For filling-

Combine all the ingredients in stand mixer with whisk attachment. Whisk on high for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides twice. 

Remove pan from freezer and spread filling inside. Top with salted peanuts and mini chocolate chips. I used Enjoy Life brand. Use another brand if you want to completely avoid cane sugar. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve chilled with whipped cream.

Substitutions-
I believe another nut butter would work well too. Sun butter gives a pretty good "peanut butter" flavor as well. You could use all coconut oil. Also, you could use agave in place of honey. 

Super Easy Banana Bread (dairy free, egg free) only 7 ingredients!

1/4 cup ground flax
1/2 cup warm water
3 bananas, mashed
scant 3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cup white whole wheat flour or AP flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flax and water. Set aside. Mash bananas in a mixing bowl. Add sugar and combine. Add in flax mixture. Combine dry ingredients into wet by gently folding with spatula. Do not over mix. Add batter to greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until golden on edges. Turn out of pan after 5 minutes. Cool, slice, serve.

No Cook No Bake Samoas Bars (Chocolate, Coconut, Caramel Bars)

about 1 sleeve of saltine crackers, maybe a little more
1/2 bag of chocolate chips
1 jar caramel ice cream topping
1 bag of sweetened shredded coconut

Mix caramel sauce and the coconut in a bowl. Set aside. Lay out a sheet of waxed paper. Melt the chocolate chips and spread chocolate in a rectangle on the waxed paper. Lay the saltines face down in a grid on the chocolate. Let chocolate harden. Spread the coconut mixture on the saltines. Press it down pretty firmly to flatten it and make it stick to the crackers. This takes a little time a patience. The mixture is thick and very sticky. Drizzle with a little more melted chocolate if you'd like. Let the bars sit for about an hour before cutting. Cut the crackers apart. Store covered. Make about a couple of dozen.

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

1 15oz. can pumpkin
2 eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp molasses
2 packet stevia
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup whole milk plain yogurt
1/2 cup almond milk
1 cup ap gluten free flour (any flour would work I think, even oat)
2 tbsp flax seed meal

Combine in a big mixing bowl. Pour into greased deep dish pie dish. Bake at 375 for about 55 minutes until center is set. Cool completely before eating.

Katah (Armenian Sweet Rolls)

5 eggs
1 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups raw sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup warm water
4 1/2 tsp dry active yeast
9-12 cups AP flour
Sturdy stand mixer

1 egg
3 tbsp water

Combine eggs, butter, sugar, milk, water, & yeast in mixer bowl with dough hook attachment. Add 4 cups flour. Mix to combine. Add 3 more cups flour and mix to combine. Add 1 cup flour at a time now, until the dough is sticky & lose but comes off the sides of the bowl in a slight ball.  This is a very large batch of dough. It will almost fill your entire mixer bowl. Take your time mixing everything in. You may need only 9 cups of flour to reach the the appropriate consistency. I usually need more (around 11 cups).

Once mixed (no need to knead!) , let rise 3-4 hours.

Punch dough down, and roll pieces a little larger than a golf ball under palm until you make a 1/2" diameter log shape. You don't need any flour for rolling and shaping. The dough is soft and supple and shouldn't be sticky anymore. Shape the log into a pinwheel or an "S" shape. *Traditionally, you would roll a few of the Nigella seeds into the dough as you shape it. I sprinkle them on at the end instead. You can do either, it's a personal preference thing.

Place rolls on parchment lined baking sheets about 2" apart.

Let rolls rise another 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix one egg with 3 tbsp water in a small dish. Brush each roll with egg wash using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with a few Nigella seeds (if you didn't already add them).

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the rolls are golden and sound "hollow" when you tap the top.

Makes about 36 rolls. They can be frozen. Serving them warmed is best.

Nigella Seeds
Nigella seeds can be read about here. They are pungent, bitter, peppery, and have a hint of Oregano flavor. They can't be substituted…you can leave them out…but you'll be seriously missing out! They can be purchased at specialty food markets or on sites like Amazon.

Spinach Fondue

1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup chardonnay
5 cups shredded mild cheddar or colby jack cheese
2 8oz. packages cream cheese
1 box chopped spinach, thawed & drained
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a saucepan over medium heat, slowly warm up all ingredients. Stir (or whisk if necessary) until the sauce is smooth and coats the back of the spoon. Takes about 10-20 minutes. The slower you warm it up, the better chance you have to avoid any graininess.

Serve with bread cubes, veggies, apple slices, meatballs, etc.

Serves 6 meal portions or 12 appetizers portions.

Cranberry Jalapeno Appetizer

1 jalapeno, seeded and deveined

1/4 cup raw sugar

2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice

2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp. minced green onions
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves
1 8oz. package cream cheese

In a food processor, add jalapeno, sugar, & lemon juice. Pulse to mince the pepper. Add cranberries, green onion, and cilantro. Pulse until cranberries are minced and everything is combined. 

Place the cream cheese in the middle of a serving plate. 

Spoon the cranberry mixture over the cream cheese. 

Serve with a small spreading knife & crackers. 

To eat, spread a bit of cream cheese and cranberry mixture onto each cracker. 

*Thanks to my friend Gail for introducing this to me.

Cranberry Coffee Cake

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup raw sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup chopped almonds
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp orange extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in mixing bowl. Add cranberries and almonds. Stir to coat the berries. Add eggs, butter, and extracts. Fold until barely combined.

Spread mixture evenly in greased 9" pie pan or 8"x8" pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes- until golden brown on edges and cranberries are bubbling.

Cool before serving.

Freezes well.