As 2009 draws to a close, I wanted to wish all of you a very, very happy New Year. [Mush alert: upcoming sappy New Year's message!]
I am so very grateful to all of you out there, both readers and other bloggers, for continuing to stop by, for all of your warm, thoughtful, wonderful comments (and I do love your comments! Keep ‘em coming!), for your intelligence, your ideas, your feedback and your amazing support over the past year. It’s because of you that I keep coming back here so often and because of you that I enjoy blogging as much as I do. Thank you!
I hope you have a magical New Year’s Eve and a happy, loving and healthy 2010. I look forward to another year spending time with you all!
“Mum, tell them that we wish them all a Happy New Year, too! After all, we have to wait seven dog years before we can celebrate New Year’s Eve again.”
[When I first conceived of the Festive Freebies event, I imagined I'd post a new giveaway every day or two, ending on December 25th--sort of like the 12 days of Christmas (minus a few). Ah, well, work, and life--and then December 25th itself--got in the way. Instead, I'm wrapping up the Festive Freebies for 2009 this week, leading into the new year. Hope this gets your year off to a sweet start! This is the last giveaway for 2009.]
[Moist and rich-tasting marble cake with a generous ratio of chocolate.]
Who doesn’t love chocolate? As you all know, it is, hands-down, my favorite food (thank goodness for cacao nibs, dark 70% bittersweet and other healthy varieties, or I might have to consider abandoning this ACD).
You know those quizzes that ask, ”what’s the one thing you’d take if you were stranded on a desert island?” Well, my answer would be chocolate. Or, maybe, the HH and some chocolate. (“But Mum, what about us? Do you mean to say you wouldn’t take US??!!“) And The Girls, of course, if the rules allow (though they couldn’t eat the chocolate, so I’d have to bring some carob, too–this island is getting mighty crowded all of the sudden).
Anyway–I’m thrilled to be able to give away two chocolate prizes; one in Canada and the other worldwide. Just click here for more information and to enter!
* Two years in a row constitutes a tradition, doesn’t it?
[A casual luncheon table setting]
This year, the HH is off work between Christmas and New Year’s, which means he’s been home every day since December 24th. The Girls are lapping up the extra attention (not to mention the extra trail-walks), and I’m thrilled to be spending so much more time together hanging out, listening to music, reading the newspaper, or (as we’ve been wont to do over the last two days), chillaxing in front of the TV, watching the Mad MenMarathon on Bravo.
Unlike last year, the HH and I enjoyed our holiday dinner– just the two of us–at home. By the time the food was prepped and cooked, it was almost 8:00 PM (those potatoes do take much longer to roast than anticipated, don’t they?) and we were fairly exhausted. Of course, that didn’t prevent us from thoroughly enjoying the bounty of delectable dishes: Holiday Nut Roast (from the recent ACD ebook); lemony roasted potatoes (recipe to follow anon); roasted heritage carrots from our organic box (how disappointing to find that their regal purple hue is only skin-deep!); rice-based stuffing; smoky almond gravy; and homemade cranberry sauce (credit the HH for that one–he actually cooked up two versions: one with sugar for him, one with stevia for me).
Sadly, we were also so ravenous by the time the serving dishes hit the tabletop that I neglected to take photos. Bad blogger! I’ve never really learned to be one of those bloggers who regularly snaps images during the cooking process, at restaurants, at friends’ houses, and so on (in fact, I can’t even remember to take the camera along with me in those situations!). So I apologize for the lapse–but I think you’ll be even more interested in what we cooked up today.
Although the CFO didn’t spend the holidays with us this year (“Mum, will you invite her again next time? We really liked those Montreal Nylabones, you know“), we decided to continue the tradition established last December and put together an Indian feast. I adore Indian food, and with my office mate (“Ms Mate,” aka MM) from work scheduled to drop in for a festive lunch, it seemed like a great idea.
We began the preparations yesterday evening, soaking chick peas and cooking up lentil dal (because, as we all know, it’s always better the next day). After reading about them on Lisa’s blog a while back, I decided to try koftas for the first time. I mean, Indian falafel? What could be bad? Alongside the koftas I planned a favorite lentil dal from Meena Pathak’s Indian Cooking for Family and Friends, a spicy potato and pea bahji, and some simple brown basmati rice seasoned with vegetable broth and crushed mint. The pièce de résistance was a tried-and-true recipe for creamy tempeh and peas that I posted about here. I also had some spicy date chutney on hand and–what the heck–put out the remains of the cranberry sauce as a stand-in for fruity chutney.
[Oh, and this first course: my new favorite Caesar Salad, from Clean Food]
As it turned, out, we fell once again behind schedule (read: Ricki racing around frantically wiping countertops; unearthing a clean tablecloth from the linen closet just to decide no, placemats will have to do because there’s no time to iron; searching madly for a gift bag–and finding one only moments before Ms. Mate arrived; gasping in horror and re-washing water-spotted wine glasses à la Cascade commercial; finally accepting the fact that–whether occurring in this dimension or any other–there would be insufficient time to whip up the bhaji). Still, I contend, Don Draper was worth it.
Our lunch ended up extending toward dinner. It was great to catch up, hear about MM’s Christmas and plans for the upcoming semester (during which I’ll be on holiday–whoopee!), and see how well she got along with The Girls (“Mum, she was very nice and everything, but you do realize that we missed our afternoon walk, right?”). The HH and Ms. Mate drank wine while I guzzled sparkling water with a splash of unsweetened cranberry juice (thanks for the suggestion, Johanna), so didn’t feel deprived at all.
[Broth-infused basmati with a sprinkling of dried mint--perfect accompaniment to dal]
For dessert, I served up some goodies already stored in my freezer, including the remainder of the Hazelnut Melting Moments from a couple of weeks ago and some fabulously moist Marble Cake (recipe to follow). But it was my own dessert concoction–an ACD-friendly treat that I assumed wouldn’t appeal to anyone else–that proved to be the sleeper hit of the meal. It’s a mousse-like pudding that I can’t wait to share with you all in a later post.
After a filling, satisfying lunch like this one, our dinner will naturally be something quick and light. The bonus to a large meal midday is, of course, less kitchen time later on–which provides all the more hours to chillax with your loved ones.
[Stay tuned for the final Festive Freebie giveaway of 2009--next post!]
Once you discover the ease and versatility of a good dal recipe, you’ll want to make it regularly. I’ve added a few more ingredients to the simple formula for a dal that pulses with intense flavor (no pun intended). This recipe comes together quickly and provides a great source of protein.
1-1/4 cups (300 g) lentils (I mixed brown, green and red)
1 cup (240 ml) water
2 cups (480 ml) vegetable broth or stock
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
1 tsp (5 ml) ground turmeric
1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground cloves or 2 whole cloves
2 green cardamom pods or 1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground cardamom
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped fresh cilantro, plus more to garnish
Place the lentils, water and stock in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes or until lentils become slightly mushy.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frypan and cook the onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add the spices and continue to cook over medium heat until the mustard seeds begin to crackle and pop, 3-5 minutes. Once the lentils are ready, add the onion mixture along with the spices to the pot and stir well. Stir in the lemon juice, cilantro and salt and continue to simmer until desired thickness is reached. Makes 4-6 servings. May be frozen.
Even though we love spicy foods in our house, I knew that Lisa likes hers even spicier. Consequently, I toned down the chilis just a bit in these koftas. If you like fiery-hot foods, go ahead and use the maximum amount.
1/4 cup (60 ml) pumpkin seeds, raw or lightly toasted
2 cups (480 ml) cooked chickpeas (about 3/4 cup or 180 ml dried beans)
1 medium potato, boiled and mashed (I used a Yukon Gold)
1/4-1/2 small jalapeno pepper, finely chopped, or 1/4-1/2 tsp (1-2.5 ml) cayenne pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) turmeric
1-1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) fine sea salt
3 Tbsp (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
1/2 cup (120 ml) coarsely chopped parsley
2-4 Tbsp (30-60 ml) coconut milk, regular or light, as needed
more olive oil or toasted sesame oil to brush on koftas
If using dried chickpeas, soak them covered in room-temperature water overnight, then drain, rinse, and boil in fresh water until soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drain and cool.
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or spray with nonstick spray.
In a food processor, grind the pumpkin seeds until they resemble coarse crumbs. Place in a small bowl. Add the cooked, cooled chickpeas to the processor (no need to wash it) and whir until they are also crumbled. Place about 2/3 of the mixture in a large bowl. Add the mashed potato to the bowl.
To the chickpeas in the processor, add the ground pumpkin seeds and all remaining ingredients except the extra oil. Process until the mixture comes together as a smooth paste. It should be smooth and loose but not liquid. Turn the paste into the large bowl with the chickpeas and potato, and mix well until everything is well incorporated and the mixture holds together. If you need a bit more coconut milk for the mixture to hold its shape, add it now.
Using a large ice cream scoop or 1/3 cup (80 ml) measuring cup, form the “dough” into patties and flatten them on the cookie sheet. Brush the tops lightly with oil.
Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, then turn gently, brush the tops with more oil, and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve with chutney or yogurt. Makes 9-10 large koftas. May be frozen.
*Asafetida can be difficult to find. I lucked out at an Indian market next to my favorite bulk store, but if there isn’t a source in your neighbourhood, many food sites tell you to substitute extra garlic (I’d say one extra clove in each of these recipes).
Hope everyone had a great day today whether you were opening presents, enjoying a feast with family, or just spending time doing what you love (and you’ve gotta love those nearly-empty movie theaters, right?)
As promised, random.org has helped me choose a cookbook giveaway winner. After reading all your entries, though, I’ve decided to alter the prize just a wee bit.
You see, the whole point of this giveaway was for me to send a gift to one of you–which meant purchasing it at amazon and sending it your way. But I have to say that I was truly bowled over by how many of you chose Sweet Freedomas the book you’d like! And while I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that you’d like to have my book, it occurred to me partway through the giveaway that, since I still have a stash of books here in my garage, giving away one of those would sort of defeat the point of buying a new book for someone.
So I’ve decided to give away two books!
One randomly chosen reader will receive the cookbook of her or his choice excluding Sweet Freedom. For the Sweet Freedom winner, I used random.org again and chose the person closest to that number who had asked for the book. So without further ado, the random winners are:
“Oh my! What a fun giveaway =D. My pick would be Ratio by Michael Ruhlman, as it looks like a wonderful resource for learning the art of a recipe!”
And for the winner of Sweet Freedom:
Jessy, of happyveganface (comment #104)! Here’s Jessy’s comment:
“oh man, Ricki – i can’t decide! what a wonderful idea for a giveaway! i love it, and thank you! to be honest, i don’t own your book yet (although it is on my amazon wishlist) & i’d absolutely love to! yay! keeping my fingers crossed! thanks again, Ricki!”
Congratulations to both of you. Please email me at dietdessertdogs AT gmail DOT com with your mailing address so I can get those books out to you asap.
And stayed tuned for one more giveaway before the end of the year, featuring one of my very favorite things!
“Does it involve food, Mum? Because, well, you know it’s one of my favorite things, too. And, of course, baseballs. . . “
Whether you celebrate today or not, hope you enjoy the day and some time to relax with friends and family!
Wishing you all a day filled with love, happiness, laughter and healthy eating (okay, maybe a leeeetle non-healthy eating)
“Mum, we can’t wait to spend time with family. . . we get lots of love and healthy eating, and you know we’re very good at relaxing. But, um, what’s in that present behind the tree–? Aren’t we supposed to get something today? Right, Elsie, aren’t we supposed to–”
“Zip it, Chaser, or we’ll never get that treat Mum promised us for wearing these ridiculous bows. *Sigh.*”
Last Year at this Time: Have a Wonderful Holiday (The Girls’ Holiday post 2008–see Elsie in a Santa hat!)
[Have you entered the Cookbook giveaway yet? Choose any cookbook you like and you could win it as my Christmas present to you this year! Click here to enter--only one day left!]
I meant to post about this recipe yesterday, but somehow, I’m, er, running a tad behind schedule. How did I get so woefully tardy on my holiday preparations this year? Usually, I’m that student you always hated, the one who handed her essay in two days early. Or that friend who’s already seated, calmly sipping tea and reading The History of Love, when you arrive at the restaurant for lunch at the designated time. (Sorry, really. Seems I couldn’t help it. . .just anal that way).
But not this year; no sirree. I suppose I can attribute the shift in efficiency to a strange confluence of medical and dental appointments, late-in-the-term exams and massive marking duties, some broken plumbing and emergency repairs plus various and sundry other distractions scattered throughout the month. I could blame the influence of the HH (always a great fallback position) and his über laid-back approach to Christmas shoppingthe holidaysshovelling snow everything, leaving chores or errands until the last minute, which seems to work just fine for him but is in fact disastrous for me. Or I could blame this infernal candida (even better fallback position), which has been acting up as if sparked by the holiday spirit itself.
Years ago, I vowed I would never leave holiday shopping to the last minute. This pledge came after one particular Christmas in Montreal during my graduate school years. I’d flown “home” from Toronto to be with my family, but as a don in residence, I wasn’t allowed to leave the campus until December 23rd. The CFO suggested we wait until I arrived so we could shop together–on December 24th. “We’ll just start really early, before the crowds develop,” was her reasoning. It must have been the jet-lag, but it seemed logical to me, and I agreed.*
Entering the first shopping mall, I was overcome with a mounting sense of dread as we shuffled along amid the throngs, shoulder to shoulder with a mass of strangers moving in unison from displays of scarves and mitts to shelves of sweaters and lingerie to stacks of boots and books to walls lined with dresses and coats to counters replete with mixers, radios, food processors, mixing bowls, wine glasses, can openers, oven mitts. . . . within minutes, I was a little light-headed and approaching dizzy.
After about half an hour of such torture, the CFO and I looked around at the mob of seemingly lifeless bodies perambulating like automatons, no expression (or worse, grim determination) on their faces, moving as if compelled by some unseen, insidious force. . . wait a minute–did that guy have both his arms outstretched before him, palms toward the ground? Was that a little drop of blood I saw in the corner of that grandma’s leering mouth? Was that woman at the Henckels counter lifting that blade a little too high over the saleswoman’s head? Suddenly, we both decided we had to get out of there. Now.
With only a few meagre bags at our feet, sipping cappuccino (as I still did in those days) at a nearby café, we felt enormous relief at having escaped relatively unscathed from what seemed like the scene of the latest horror movie: Christmas Night of the Living Dead, perhaps, or Invasion of the Booty Snatchers, or The Lost Buys. Or, even more to the point, simply The Shopping Mall (Mmwhahahahaaaaaa!).
Nope, never again.
Okay, so maybe December 22nd is, in reality, not much better than December 24th, but at least I got the job done yesterday (with minimal dizziness or bloodshed). The HH, on the other hand, still hasn’t even started his Christmas shopping. Mwhahhaahahaaaa!
This salad will provide a refuge from the holiday insanity (or, perhaps, some rejuvenation after the Big Day). I came across the recipe on Shannon’s blog while catching up on blog reading (another area I’m woefully behind). The original hails from Molly, and, like all of her recipes, it’s a winner. It’s quick (start to finish in less than 30 minutes), satisfying and nutritious all at once. The combination of butternut squash (for just a hint of sweetness) and chickpeas (for protein) with a smattering of red onion (for bite) and aromatic cilantro (for–well, for deliciousness) is addicting.
I had it for lunch yesterday, then again today. The creamy cloak of tahini drizzled over the warmed squash base makes for a delightful contrast in flavors and temperatures, reminiscent of the all-in-one dinner bowls I wrote about a while back. In fact, I think this would be more than sufficient for dinner if served with a healthy grain or hunk of hearty bread.
*Of course it wasn’t jet-lag; there’s no time difference between Toronto and Montreal. It was just wishful thinking.
Warm Butternut Salad with Chickpeas and Tahini Dressing
Oddly, even though the original recipe is called “Warm Butternut Salad,” Molly’s instructions tell us to cool the squash and not re-heat it. I simply used the squash almost straight from the oven to keep the base warm, and to save time.
For the Salad:
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1″ (2.5 cm) pieces
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) allspice (I’d go with 3/4 tsp or 3.5 ml next time)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
fine sea salt, to taste
1-1/2 cups (360 ml) cooked chickpeas, or one 15 oz (425 g) can, drained and rinsed very well
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh cilantro, finely chopped
For the Tahini Dressing:
2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
3 Tbsp (45 ml) well-stirred tahini
1 medium garlic clove, finely minced
3-1/2 Tbsp (52.5 ml) fresh lemon juice (not bottled)
2-4 Tbsp (30-60 ml) water, as needed
Preheat the oven to 425F (220C). Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, combine the butternut squash, 1 clove garlic, allspice, 2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil, and salt to taste. Use a large spoon or your hands to toss the squash until everything is evenly coated. Turn the mixture onto the baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, until the squash is just tender (take care not to overbake at this stage). Remove from oven and cool about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the dressing: in a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the 2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil and tahini until smooth. Add remaining ingredients (start with just 2 Tbsp/30 ml water) and whisk until smooth; the sauce should be the texture of thick cream. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (I had to add a bit more lemon juice).
To assemble: combine the baked squash, chickpeas, onion, and cilantro in a mixing bowl and toss gently (so as not to break up the squash). For individual servings, spoon onto plates and drizzle each individually with dressing. Or toss the entire salad and serve in a large bowl, family-style. Makes 4-6 servings. Will keep, covered, in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
[Tis the season for gift-giving--and I'm thrilled to be able to share with my readers! I've got several delicious giveaways planned between now and the end of the year. Happy Holidays!]
[Which would be your choice? Maybe none of these? That's okay, too!]
I know that not everyone enjoys the same kinds of recipes that I do, so I thought it would be fun to give away a cookbook to someone and let the winner choose what s/he would like (as long as it’s available on amazon, that is).
I’ve compiled a short list of cookbooks that I own, love, or covet. Let me know which of these you’d like to win–or even one that’s not on this list–and I’ll send the winning commenter the cookbook of her/his choice via amazon (and while you may not receive it just in time for Christmas, it will make a great start to the new year in your mailbox!).
Here’s my list of top choices, in alphabetical order:
To win, simply leave a comment at the bottom of this post telling me which book you’d like, and why.
Contest is open worldwide.
The giveaway window is fairly short–only until midnight, December 24th–so get those entries in and spread the word! After the 24th, I’ll choose a winner at random and announce it on the blog on the 25th. Merry Christmas!
Extra entries can be earned through any of the following (then come back here and comment again to let me know you’ve done so):
Tweet on twitter
Post on Facebook
Post on your own blog
Send an email to someone who’d be interested in entering, telling them about this giveaway–and either forward or cc me at dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom (but don’t forget to come back and comment here–it will make tallying entries much easier for me)
Good luck, everyone! Here’s to ending the year with some great new recipes!
Whew! Well, it took me a little longer to get to this post than anticipated. But I’m happy to report that my stack of exams has all been marked, the final grades submitted, and all that remains of this semester are a few meetings next week. And then: par-tay!
Come to think of it, I already hosted my first party this season (except that makes it sound as if there will be more than one, doesn’t it?), a pot luck dinner a for some friends from nutrition school. Though only two of us are vegan, everyone brought along a vegan dish. Aren’t they an amazing, open-minded crowd? This year, in fact, almost everyone managed an ACD-friendly dish as well, so I was able to partake of almost everything. Here’s what we feasted upon:
These Hazelnut Melting Moments (one of my contributions, and one of the foods I couldn’t eat, ironically) are my remake of a confection I used to serve all the time at dinner parties. They speak of the holidays to me, so I figured I’d whip up a batch (well, if you heard cookies talking, could you say “no” to them? Lucky for me I don’t hear dead people).
Way back in my 30s, I lived in a basement apartment. Of all the places I’ve lived as an adult (with the exception of the wee postwar bungalow I owned when I first met the HH), that apartment was my favorite. Why, you ask? Well, you know what they say: ”location, location, location.”
You see, the place was situated on the venerable Heath Street in Toronto, just a hop, skip and condominium or two from the St. Clair subway and in the tony Forest Hill area of town. The building itself was a renovated Victorian mansion; our landlady had gone to some trouble to furnish the upper three flats with marble bathroom tiles, hardwood floors, stylish light fixtures and even reverse-osmosis water filtration systems in the kitchens.
My place, on the other hand, hadn’t been upgraded a whit; it was, simply, a basement apartment, much like any other (except in the basement of a lovely old mansion in a wealthy area of town, of course). Perhaps my landlady assumed people in that part of the city wouldn’t lower themselves–no pun intended–to live in subterranean digs; whatever the reason, I couldn’t believe how affordable the place was, and leapt at the chance to move in.
It may have been a basement, with peephole-sized windows that framed pedestrians’ footwear as they trod by above; it may have been a haven for a constant procession of bugs, spiders and even the errant mouse on occasion (I’m sure you must have heard me shriek when I first spied that little rodent taking a stroll through my living room); it may have housed the furnace for the entire building in my coat closet (the other tenants regularly knocked on my door at all hours of the day or night to ask me to turn up the heat); but I loved it. It was clean, it was roomy, and it was warm (courtesy of aforementioned furnace).
And it was the setting for many a dinner party.
These days, one event a year seems like plenty; but back then–what I now consider “The Year of Living Sociably”–I’d use any excuse to entertain. Your birthday? Let me throw you a party! Got a promotion? I’ll cook dinner for you and four friends! Just adopted a daughter from China? Let’s have the entire group who flew over from Canada to my place!
It was my first apartment on my own after I got divorced from the Starter Husband, and I took every opportunity to socialize. I even held my divorce ceremony and subsequent “I’m Free!” reception there. And I hosted a “I think I’m in love” bash when the HH and I finally got together.
Like a regular guest, these Hazelnut Melting Moments made an appearance at almost every gathering (though they never stuck around to the end of the soirée). Partway between a shortbread and a chocolate chip cookie, they are slightly sandy, buttery, with a hint of citrus. Topped with a melty pool of chocolate that oozes and dribbles on your chin if you eat them while still warm (not that I’d have any experience with such things), they’re an indulgent treat for the season. My newfangled version, either gluten-free or not, as you like, was every bit as delicious as the original (luckily, my guests ate them all, so I wasn’t tempted).
The cookies keep well, and would make a wonderful holiday gift. Something, say, to bring along to a party.
Hazelnut Melting Moments Times Two
Because these beauties are similar to shortbread and not cakelike, they are easily adaptable to gluten free cooking. I’ve made both versions (the GF at my pot luck, and in these photos), and they were a huge hit with everyone.
1/3 cup (60 g) Sucanat or any unrefined evaporated cane juice
1 Tbsp (15 ml) water
2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup (80 ml) coconut oil, preferably organic, soft at room temperature (but not melted)
1/4 tsp (1 ml) nutritional yeast, optional (adds a richness to the flavor)
2 tsp (10 ml) lemon or orange zest
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) finely ground chia seeds
1 cup (240 ml) finely ground hazelnuts (filberts), either raw or lightly toasted before grinding*
1-1/4 cups (175 g) light spelt flour or 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp (270 ml) all purpose GF flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill AP flour)*–or use your own favorite combination of gluten free flours
3 oz (85 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325F (165C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, mix together the Sucanat, water and vanilla until the Sucanat begins to dissolve. Add the coconut oil, nutritional yeast, vanilla, lemon zest and chia seeds and mix well.
Remove 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of the ground hazelnuts and set aside in a small bowl. Add the remaining hazelnuts and flour to the bowl and mix well until the dry ingredients are incorporated and you have a stiff dough. Work it with your hands if necessary until the dough holds together (if it is really dry, add up to one more Tbsp or 15 ml of water). The dough should NOT be sticky or too soft.
Using a small scoop or teaspoon, scoop out portions of dough and work them in your hands to create balls. (The GF dough may be too dry to roll it in your palms; I squeezed it in my fist, moving it back and forth from one hand to the other and squeezing it together each time I passed it back and forth, until it held together.) Place the balls about 1-1/2 inches (4 cm) apart on the cookie sheet.
Using your thumb or index finger, press an indentation on the top of each cookie (this may cause the outer edges of the GF cookies to crack or separate; just push them back together with your fingers).
Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden around the edges. While the cookies bake, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler of over extremely low heat, stirring constantly. Fill each indentation with about 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) melted chocolate, then sprinkle with a bit of the 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of reserved ground hazelnuts. Cool and devour. Makes 12-15 cookies. May be frozen.
* If you’re using metric measures, I apologize for using volume measurements instead of weight for the nuts and flours; my kitchen scale has broken, and I couldn’t wait to post the recipe! Will buy a new scale this weekend.
[These babies are coming up later. . . but for now:]
We have a winner to the “Healthy Baking Kit” giveaway! I’ve managed to copy the Random Number Generator (though I still haven’t mastered how to capture the exact image as it appears on the site), so without further ado, I present to you the winner of the amazing kit of healthy baking ingredients!
True Random Number Generator
82
Commenter Number 82–Laura! Here’s your comment:
Great giveaway! I’d like to try everything, but especially the teff, I had never heard of it and am so sick of wheat!
Well, now you can chuck that wheat and try a bunch of other flours, coconut oil, yacon syrup, stevia and more, Laura! Congratulations!
Please email me at dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom with your address so I can arrange to have your kit sent out to you asap!
When I first thought about the holidays this year, I resigned myself to the usual ACD fare: hummus, salads, lots of greens and maybe some veggie patties. But then I thought, why shouldn’t I have a great holiday dinner, too? I set to work coming up with a delicious menu that both the HH and I could enjoy together–complete with a yummy dessert.
If you’re on an anti-candida (or any sugar-free, gluten free) diet, the holidays don’t have to be dire! Anti-Candida Feast will provide everything from appetizer to dessert for your holiday meal. I’ve created a dozen brand new recipes and paired them with a few more favorites from this blog.
All recipes are gluten free, stevia-sweetened and suitable for anyone on an anti-candida diet, or any diet that features whole, natural foods and is free of gluten, eggs, dairy, and sweeteners (except stevia) or anything artificial. (Some recipes are suitable for phase 2 of the ACD, containing unsweetened chocolate, coconut milk or gluten free flours).
To order your own copy of Anti-Candida Feast for just $5.00 US, use the “Buy Now” button in the left sidebar, or click here for the Ebook page (PayPal button is after the book description).
And don’t forget that you can win many of the ingredients to make the desserts in the ebook by entering the healthy baking kit giveaway–running until tomorrow! Just click here to enter.
