almond butter mocha chip cookies /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

i have been using almond butter more and more in every day things, and i've come to like it more than peanut butter (well, sometimes i like it more).  usually i buy a small jar, as almond butter is super expensive.  but this time around i decided i was going to make my own.  i was really inspired by this blog post and this one, and thought i would give it a try.  no one warned me of the insanely loud (wake-the-dead) noise my food processor would make in the first few seconds of grinding.  it was so loud that i moved the processor across to the other side of the apartment and put it on top of an ottoman to hopefully drown out some of the noise.  at first the almonds become this big unruly lump, then they begin to come together.  after about 10-12, you will notice that the engine of your food processor will get quite warm, at this point you're seeing the almonds turn into butter.  it's a really cool process to watch.  i'm not sure i would do this weekly (for fear of the food processor exploding), but it was definitely worth it!

these cookies were really inspired by a recipe that used bananas both as a binder and a sweetener.  however, almond butter, unless sweetened, is not so sweet.  therefore, i played around a couple different times, with a few different flavors.  the result is a really good cookie! it's almost brownie-like, but not as rich.  the cookies are made with almond flour and oat flour, but you can substitute those for whatever flours you like.  just be careful of the dry to wet ratio if you're planning on using sugar, you may want to add more almond butter or even almond milk if your batter is too dry or thick.   

almond butter  + mocha chip cookies

 makes about 20 cookies

1 cup almond butter

1/2 cup raw agave nectar

1/4 cup coconut oil, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup oat flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons finely ground decaffeinated espresso

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt + a pinch more (if you're using store bought almond butter, take note of how much added sodium there is.  you don't want to be doubling the amount of salt)

5 - 6 ounces 70% cacao dark chocolate, roughly chopped

directions

pre heat oven to 350°

line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

· in a large bowl, combine the flours, cocoa powder, espresso, baking powder, and salt.  set aside

· in a medium bowl, combine the almond butter, coconut oil, and agave

· add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine until ingredients are mixed.  add chocolate chunks

· using a tablespoon measure, scoop out the batter forming balls.  place on baking sheets leaving about 2 inches between each ball

· bake for 10-12 minutes rotating halfway through

enjoy!

rose sugar doughnuts /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

doughnuts have never really been my thing unless they were freshly made, with a side of hot apple cider.  growing up there was a small family-run farm in the next town over.  my family would go there occasionally during the fall to get seasonal new york apples.  from what i can remember there were only apple orchards, but they had a small indoor shop that had vegetables, homemade pies, different flavored "candy canes", and of course doughnuts that were made right there in front of you.  you would eat them as they came out of the fryer, dunked into cinnamon sugar, with a cup of hot apple cider.

a few weeks ago heidi, from 101 cookbooks posted a recipe for berry muffins with a rose cinnamon sugar.  i thought the idea of this rose sugar was so clever that i thought for weeks how i was going to incorporate it into a recipe of mine.  frank had recently bought me a doughnut pan (i know, the doughnuts they produce are far less exciting than the fried ones, but you guessed it, they are way healthier) and i had been playing around with a couple doughnut batter recipes.  the first time i didn't crush the rose petals enough and frank awkwardly  ate the doughnut as petals stuck to his lip.  the second time, i pulsed them in a food processor.  the result was perfect.

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doughnuts | makes 6

1/2 cup almond flour

3/4 cup oat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 teaspoons rose water (optional)

3 tablespoons raw agave nectar

coconut oil for the pan

// rose sugar

adapted from 101 cookbooks

1 tablespoon slivered almonds, toasted and cooled

1/4 cup coconut palm sugar

5-8 dried edible roses

irections

pre heat oven to 350°

with coconut oil, grease a doughnut pan using your fingers or a pastry brush

in a large bowl, sift the almond flour, oat flour, baking powder and saltin a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla extract, almond milk, rose water, and agave nectar - stir to combine

add the wet ingredients to the dry

transfer the batter to a batter bowl or spouted measuring bowl, fill each doughnut mold 3/4 of the way up

place in oven, bake for 15 minutes rotating halfway through.  remove from oven and let cool completely

while the doughnuts are cooling, place the coconut palm sugar in a food processor, process until the granules turn into a dust.  add the toasted almonds and pulse until coarsely ground.  add the dried roses, pulse until coarsely ground

when doughnuts are cooled all the way through, dip the doughnut tops into the rose sugar.  similarly, you can roll the entire doughnut in the sugar, depends on what your preference is.  enjoy!