Zucchini Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Zucchini time!!! I don't know about you but my stock is starting to creep up into the dozens and I think I can safely say that by this time next week I will have enough zucchini to last me until winter. But I am zucchini hoarder and you probably are not. So if you got any zuck hat needs a home, send them my way. The more zucchini the merrier.

A afternoon of work lost to the rain (again...What the Fuck!)  but I just called it an opportunity to get some paperwork done and bake. It was an unusually cool day as well so the oven on was kind of a welcomed addition. Hanging out in the kitchen with music and the oven on is a great afternoon so I took the rain with little complaint. What to bake? Well in goes like this. I ask the mr what he would like and if I say ok (just have to make sure I've got the ingredients) I get to making it but add some zucchini to it.  That goes for everything, savory or sweet. During zucchini season it's in EVERYTHING! So he wanted cookies, and zucchini cookies are what he got.

These cookies are not weird. They are nice and soft and chewy like a good oatmeal cookie should be. Zucchini adds that little something you didn't know you wanted but are glad it's there and the coconut and chocolate chips round them out. These cookies are just right, just ask the mr. I have had to hide them on him so he doesn't eat them all.

The stuff. Flour in the bowl with salt and baking soda. Rolled oats, cinnamon and shredded coconut. Brown sugar, coconut oil, shredded zucchini and chocolate chips. All the cookie stuff.

How cookies are made. Coconut oil and sugar get creamed together. The shredded zucchini is added and mixed into that. Then in goes the dry. That get all mixed together and last, but no least, add in the chocolate chips.

Cookies dough.

Scooped into balls that were given a little pat so to cook more evenly and getting ready to take the trip to the oven.

Pulled from the oven and set to cool o a rack. Look at all the pretty green speckles.

Now they are just waiting for a mouth to eat them.

What better way to spend a rainy afternoon with all the zucchini?

Happy Weekend. Stay dry.

-C

---

Zucchini Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 2 dozen

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup old fashion rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cups soft (nit melted) coconut oil)
• 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350

Grab a large bowl and mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, coconut, and oats. In another large bowl, mix together the sugar and coconut oil until all the sugar and oil have combined and is nice and smooth. Add in the zucchini and mix then dump in the dry stuff. Mix until fully incorporated. Add in the chocolate chips and mix those in until ever bit of the dough has got some.

And now scoop the dough onto a baking sheet. I used a scoop so all my cookies are the same size but spoons work.  Once all the balls of dough are on the sheet, give each ball a little smoosh just so it doesn't have a high dome. Then into the oven they go. 10-13 minutes or until the sides are golden brown, Remove and let cool for a minutes on the sheet then transfer to a cooling rack. They are fragile at first but will stiffen up once they cool.

Once cooled ea what you would like and store the rest in a airtight cookie jar or freeze.

Coconut Lime Shortbread Cookies

The mr was being awesome and spent the afternoon in the pantry adding a few finishing touches I requested ( more shelves and more supports) There really isn't enough room in there for the both of us and the air compressor, but I needed to be close by to tell him what to do (in a non annoying way) so I figured the best way I could help was to be in the kitchen and make cookies. That's helpful right? Answer is yes, cookies are always helpful. 

It's been a while since I made cookies and I am pretty sure that these were the first cookies that I have made in this kitchen which seems crazy and I should go on a cookie making binge. I finally moved all of my food and baking stuff over from the loft so now I can bake on a whim. Cookies, cakes, bread... whatever I want whenever I want.  It is so nice having my baking things all around me. I feels like home.

And I think from now on whenever we have a house project that I am not to interested in doing (like we need to empty and clean out he basement) I will just make cookies instead. I'll be like "Oh, I could help with that or....I can make you favorite cookies" (with a wink, wink and a kissy face)  We will see if that floats with the mr. I'll let you know.

The stuff. Coconut flour, regular flour, and a little bit of salt. Sugar, coconut oil, ground chia seeds with water and a lime.

Zest the limeand mix into the flour.  Add the juice to the chia seeds.

Mix together the chia seeds, sugar and melted coconut oil until evenly combined

Then dump dry into wet and mix until it turns into dough.

Take any liberties in shape you want here. I rolled some into balls and some I made into hearts. These cookies don't spread so pretty much any shape you make it's going to stay that way. Just make sure to smoosh the doughwith you hand or a fork to an even 1/2 inch so it bakes evenly.

Once the baking sheet is full, stick it in the preheated oven.

12-15 minutes laterthe kitchen smells all nice and the cookies are golden and ready. Stick them on a rack to cool.

Oh but wait, why not add some chocolate drizzle.  Easy easy. Justmelt some chocolate chips with a bit of coconut oil.

And drizzle it all like yeah

Sweet coconut lime goodness. My pantry is all done and the mr got some love cookies. All in a days work.

bye!

-C

---

Coconut Lime Shortbread Cookies

makes about 12-15 cookies

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (melted and cooled)
• 1 lime (juice and zest)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons plus 4 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips and teaspoon coconut oil for drizzling (optional)

Preheat oven to 350

In a medium bowl, whisk the flours, the salt and the zest of the lime. After zesting lime, juice it and mix2 tablespoons of the juice into the chia seeds along with the water. In a separate larger bowl, mix together the sugar and coconut oil until combined then mix in the chia seeds. Dump the dry mixture into the wet and mix until combined and dough has formed.

Roll cookie dough into balls the size of walnuts. Place on cookie sheet and about 1/2 inch smoosh flat with either your hand or a fork. If you want, shape the dough into a shape (like a heart) just make sure to flatten it so it bakes evenly. The cookies don't spread so you can place then really close together on the cookie sheet. Place i oven and bake for about 13-15 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are a nice deep golden brown. Place cookies on a wire rack to cool. Now they don't need it, but I was told the chocolate drizzle was awesome...

Place chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl and place in microwave at 30 second intervals until the chocolate and oil can be mixed together into a drizzable consistency. Now take that and drizzle all over tops of cookies.

Eat. Store uneaten cookies in airtight container

Parsnip Snickerdoodles

After spending a good few hours driving around to different stores with the mr looking at all sorts of appliances mostly stove, all I wanted to do was bash my head against a dish washer. But then I would have to choose one to bash against and I can't seem to do that.  Agh, I hate shopping, especially for something that I really need and cost a lot of money and I don't want to screw up.

It's all about the stove, the main tool in the kitchen. I want it to be awesome, pretty, super functional. It needs to be able to not break (I break ovens) when I crank the heat way up. I don't want or need anything fancy like infer red censors or a led touch pad(that is just more things for me to break), I just want a simple, easy to clean, power house that will do my bidding and not look like shit. Oh, and not be a million bucks.  And that there lies the problem. Those un-fussy powerful ovens are the super duper expensive ones. Yup. I am all over the place with this and it's got me overwhelmed. To top it all of, there is a deadline. The stove needs to bought and in the house but the end of next week.

What I am hoping for now is that appliance fairy from the super duper expensive oven store comes by my house and drops me a stove for the reason none other then I want it. Mahaha. Dreams.

When the shopping trip ended the mr dropped me off at home to do a few things while he went back to the house and painted trim. My plan was to sort through bills, research ovens some more( so much researching) and clean the car(its stinks). As soon as I walked into the house I realized something. I haven't been home at this time in like a month. There is sunlight, I can open the door cause it's warm out, and I just didn't really give a crap about doing anything. I took a look around my tiny loft and with my tiny kitchen and tiny oven. My tiny oven, no fancy, no gadgets, not even very powerful, but has baked and roasted and boiled so so many things. That's when I decided that I wasn't going to do anything that I came home to do, I was just going to bake something, spend a little more time in my tiny, one wall kitchen. And so that's what I did. Parsnip snickerdoodles. The idea popped into my head a few weeks back and I just so happened to have a few parsnips left in the fridge (I was saving them for my dinner but I figured the mr deserved cookies), so there really was no question. I was making cookies. After the past few weeks I think we all need to bake some mother F-ing cookies.

Cookies came out fantastic, the house smelled amazing, and I got to just chill for a bit, not thinking about new ovens or bills or money, just watching the cookies bake. It was nice.

The stuff. Gonna need a parsnip or two along with some flour, sugar, coconut oil, salt, baking soda, vanilla extract, cream of tarter, and cinnamon.

First thing is to soften the parsnip. Chop it up and place into a pot with about and inch of water and steam until fork tender. Once done, toss into a food processor to puree it all up.

Parsnip puree for the cookies ans enough left over for a quick snack.

The measured puree goes back into processor with sugar, vanilla, and coconut oi and get pulsed all together until combined.

Then the rest of the dry ingredients go in.

Pulsed until a nice dough forms.

A ball of cookie dough awaiting a cinnamon sugar bath.

Make little balls of dough them coat them in the cinnamon sugar and place on a cookie sheet.

I give the cookies each a little squish with my fingers cause thy are not going to spread much.

And into the oven they go.

Minutes later and out they come.  Cinnamon sugar Parsnip goodness.

Nothing beats not doing the things that need to be done them baking a pile of cookies.

-C

---

Parsnip Snickerdoodles

makes 2 dozen

• 1 large or 2 small parsnips (1/2 cup pureed parsnip )
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Grab parsnips, chop into chunks andtoss into a pot with about an inch of water. Stick on stove on high until water boils then down to a simmer with a lid on pot until the parsnip chunks are fork tender.

Dump cooked parsnips into food processor and blend until smooth. Scoop out puree, measure a 1/2 cup (any extra is a snack) and add it back to processor. Add in coconut oil, sugar and vanilla and pulse until combined. Add in the cream of tarter, baking soda, salt, and flour and pulse it all together until a a dough forms. Dump dough onto counter and bring together.

Preheat oven to 350.

iI a small bowl, mix together the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon. Take small lumps of the dough and roll into balls. Roll the balls all up in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place onto a baking sheet with a little space between them. With your hand or a fork if you want,  smoosh the cookie somewhat flat. When the sheet is full, place into oven to bake. Cookie should take about 9-10 minutes or until slightly rised and the bottom is a light golden brown.

Remove cookie from oven, place on a rack to cool, then you know, eat them.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

One of the mr's little brothers really likes peanut butter cookies. He is always asking me to make them for him so this past weekend, for his 24h birthday, I did just that. Peanut butter chocolate chip birthday cookies,  Just for him. (I know, I am the best)

After rushing home the evening before to make this awesome cookies for the boy, I waited until a decent time the next day and I shot him a text.. "Happy Birthday! Where are you?, I want to bring you cookies!". That was at noon. I get a text back around 3... "just woke up, I'll come get them later." (Sleeping until 3pm.. that must have been a crazy ass birthday morning!)

Well guess what. That little shit didn't come get the cookie that I made all special like for him so now the mr has slowly been picking them off. And the mr. says that these cookies are like magic. That they are so freaking good, probably the best peanut butter cookie he has ever had.  (he doesn't usually say things like that about cookies so the really must be amazing)

So if you are reading this Qui.. you have a a few magic cookies left...but I can't promise anything after tonight.  The sister is coming over for dinner and I'll just give them to her for dessert..........

The stuff. Rolled oats, peanut butter, brown sugar, sea salt and chocolate chips. Also a bit of baking soda, some vanilla extract and a bit of water.  You need no flour, eggs or butter, these cookies are all about simple goodness.

Notes. Chunky or smooth peanut butter is cool here and you can use natural or skippy.. the skippy cookie will just be a bit sweeter. And the sea salt. If you don't have sea salt, add a teaspoon of table salt to the cookie batter. The sea salt is for the tops of the cookies and you should NOT use table salt for that.

Start by sticking the oats into a food processor and blending until your oats become oat flour.

Then dump everything else in (water first), EXCEPT the chocolate chips.

And pulse until it all comes together into a yummy peanut butter cookie dough.

Dump the dough into a bowl and now mix in the chocolate chip.  Once you do that, stop eating the dough and stick the bowl in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to slightly chill.... 

After the bout in the fridge, grab your dough and scoop out like sized balls of dough and place them on baking sheet. Give each ball a smoosh (use a fork or your fingers) and sprinkle the tops with a small little pinch of sea salt (again, if you don't have sea salt, so not use table salt... just skip this)

And into the oven they go...

Only until slightly golden brown and just starting to look almost done..... that's when they are done (about 8 minutes)

Let the cookies cool for a minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to finish.

Super awesome and super duper duper good. Made with love and good intentions for a little shit... but left to be eaten by others

But really these are so easy and fast to make. I'll probably just end up making the boy a new batch. (again, so nice)

Have a super duper day!

-C

---

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

Make about a dozen

• 1 cup old fashion oats
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 heaping cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 ish cup chocolate chips/chunks (the tiny chips work the best)
• flaked sea salt (optional)

Note. Flaked sea salt is a perfect finish for the cookie but if you don't have it or don't want to use it, add a teaspoon of table salt to the cookie batter but don't sprinkle the tops with it.

Place oats in food processor ans blend until it turns into flour. Add in water, pulse, then add in the rest, EXCEPT the chocolate chip.  Pulse until a dough forms. Dump the dough into a bowl and now mix in the chocolate chips.

Stick the dough in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes.... In the mean time, do the dishes and a little cookie dance.

Preheat oven to 350.

With a scoop or spoon. scoop out your preferred sized cookies onto a baking sheet. Give each cookie ball a little smoosh with either a fork for a pattern or just your fingers. Sprinkle each smooshed cookie with a pinch of sea salt.

Stick the cookies in oven and bake for 8-9 minutes, until just barely golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool for a minutes then remove from sheet to cool on a wire rack.

Place a cookie or two on a plate, stash the rest away (or else you will eat them all) grab a nice cold glass of some milk situation or a pipping hot cup of coffee and sit down with a good book or even a smutty magazine (no judgment here), read, eat cookies and be happy.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Banana Pop Tarts

We are back.. Woo hoo!! Did you miss me? cause I missed you guys.

The past two weeks we nutters. We traveled so hard, did and saw so much stuff. We had such a blast. I will tell you all about it with lots of pictures, but give me a few days cause I am still on crazy, sleep deprived, jet lagged brain and am still having a hard time comprehending normal world activity.. I think I am going to need the rest of the week to recover and get my head back into the real world. ( I don't mind living in a fog for a little while, it suits me) And if my writing is a little wonky or maybe doesn't make sense.. again, jet lag brain.

So anyways, lets talk about food. Right before we left we had a sleep over with the littles. I figured I would make them something kind of special for breakfast because I am awesome ans because we weren't going to see them for a while. Pop tarts. Who doesn't like a pop tart?  These littles, they love them a pop tart. Not that long ago they went through a phase where all they wanted to eat were pop tarts (I did not support that habit). So that is what I made (a bit more healthy then the store bough ones) and yup, they were amazing (so I was told) and devoured with every sprinkle eaten and fingers licked clean. I mean, peanut butter anything is good, and banana with that is even better. Stick a little chocolate and sprinkles into with that...Everyone can get down with these

The stuff. For the crust we need some flour, a little brown sugar, salt, cold earth balance, some peanut butter, and some ice cold water. For the filling, just some more peanut butter and a couple of ripe bananas. And completely optional( kinda) chocolate spread and sprinkles to top with afterword.

Start with the crust. A big bowl with the flour, salt and brown sugar that all gets whisked together. Then cold peanut butter and earth balance go in.

Just like a normal pie crust, use a a pastry cutter or fork to cut in the fat until a crumbly mixture forms.

Then, a few tablespoons at a time, add in he ice water until the mixture starts to come together into a dough.

Dump it onto a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap and gather it together into a ball. Wrap it really tight and stick the dough in the fridge (for a least an hour, but a few hours or over night would be good)

When the dough has chilled and you are ready to proceed, grab the dough and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface. You want to try and keep it a kind of a rectangular shape and rolled about 1/2 an inch thick.

Trim the edges (bake off scraps for a little extra treat) and cut the dough in half length wise then in 6 equal sizes width wise.(you should wind up with 12 pieces)

Take one side of each pair and place on a a baking sheet. Smear each piece with a good glob of peanut butter but leaving a little boarder.

Then slice up the bananas and layer those on of of the peanut butter.

Place the tops onto the bottoms (gently) and with a fork, crimp the edges of the tarts closed. Then take the fork and poke a few holes into the tops.

Now into the oven they go.

After about 25 minutes or so, you end up with the most magical smelling, golden brown pop tart.

And because it's a pop tart, you must drizzle on a little some thing something (nutella or chocolate spread of any kind) and sprinkles. Do not forget the sprinkles.

Ready for eating.. Peanut Butter banana greatness. Best served a little warm and with some type of cold milk (plant, nut, or cow) and eaten in front of tv watching cartoons.

These will ruin store bough pop tarts for you. Sorry (not sorry)

Have a great day guys.. Really am happy to be back!

-C

---

Peanut Butter Banana Pop tarts

The Crust

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup earth balance
• 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 7-8 tablespoons cold water

The filling

• 2 ripe bananas thinly sliced
• 6-8 tablespoon peanut butter

Optional toppings

• chocolate spread or Nutella
• sprinkles

Start by making the crust. Grab a big bowl, add in the flour, salt, and brown sugar ans whisk together. Then add in cold earth balance and if you think of it, cold peanut butter. Cut that into the flour with a pastry cutter or a fork and when the mixture is kinda crumbly start adding in tablespoons of ice water until the mixture starts to come together then dump the dough onto a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap, press together, wrap it all up, and stick it into the fridge. Let chill for at least ans hour or up to over night.

When you are ready for pop tarts, preheat oven to 375 and grab dough from fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface,  into a large, 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Trim the sides of the rectangle and cut in half length wise. Then cut that into 6 even pieces width wise, giving you 12 pieces.

Place the 6 bottom pieces of the dough onto a baking sheet. Smear each piece with about a tablespoon of peanut butter and then top with a few pieces if thinly sliced banana. Place the top pieces on each bottom and using a fork, press the edges of the dough together. Then take fork and pop a few holes into the top to let the steam escape.

Place into the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the tarts are nice and golden brown. Remove from oven, drizzle with nutella or chocolate and cover with sprinkles.

Eat right away with a tall glass of some kind of milk

Any left over (if that happens) can be stored in the fridge for a day or two or frozen to be enjoyed whenever the craving hits you.