Tag: raisins

Oats & Bits Cookies

Today I am sharing a recipe for what I have called Oats & Bits Cookies.

There are some cookies that the supermarket bakery sell that we quite like. However they are not gluten free and are high in sugars, preservatives and so on. So I decided to see if I could make my own homemade variety.

I am sharing the gluten free recipe I came up with. I am calling them Oats & Bits Cookies, as I am certain that you could change up the ‘bits’ or ‘fold in ingredients’ depending on personal preference.

Oats & Bits Cookies

Makes 16-18

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups of oats

1 cup almond flour

½ cup maple syrup

85 gms butter (melted)

pinch of salt

1 tbsp vanilla paste

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Bits (or Fold in) Ingredients

40g raisins, currants or dried blueberries

1 tbsp pepitas

1 tbsp choc chips (I used dark, dairy free chips)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180’c and line a baking tray with baking paper.

– Pulse 1¾ cups of the oats in a food processor till they are a fine crumb, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.

– Then add the remaining oats, almond flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to the bowl.

– In another smaller bowl, whisk the vanilla, syrup and butter together.

– When combined, add to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well.

– Lastly fold in the raisins, pepitas and choc chips.

– Using a tablespoon, place spoons of the mix onto the tray and press lightly into shape.

Bake for 20 min, or until golden.

Let the cookies cool on the tray for a while before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

I think that the beauty of these cookies is that you could add anything from the pantry as a fold in ingredient.

Things like – chopped nuts, chopped dried apricots, your favourite muesli or granola, whatever you fancy.

I hope you have fun creating your style of Oats & Bits Cookies.

 

Till the next post,

 

Live clean n Prosper

Sharing a Carrot Cake Bliss Balls recipe

Today I’m sharing a Carrot Cake Bliss Ball recipe.

Initially I couldn’t decide what to write about this week, until a friend of mine praised some bliss balls I made for her. She advised that she had put them in the freezer so she could have them as her work snacks over a week.

The recipe is adapted from one I saw in the Woolworths free recipe magazine.

These balls are so easy to make and really do taste just like carrot cake. They are perfect for school or work snacks.

Carrot Cake Bliss Balls

This mix makes approx. 20 balls.

Ingredients

100g pitted dates

100g raisins

¾ cup grated carrot

½ cup pecans

1¼ cups desiccated coconut

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla essence

 

¼ cup fine shredded coconut to roll balls in

 Method

First, put the pecans into your food processor and pulse till crumbly, and place them into a bowl.

Next put the dates, raisins and carrot into the processor and pulse till combined, then add the coconut, chopped pecans, vanilla and spices.

You can play around with the measurements of the spices to suit your taste.

Process till the mix is combined.

Now the mix should look crumbly, and if you scoop out a teaspoon full, it should press together. (If the mix is a little dry, just add water, a tablespoon at a time.)

I use my tablespoon-measuring spoon to scoop out the mix and pressed the mix into shape.

 Now for some nutritional information,

Carrots have a number of health benefits.

They are a particularly good source of beta-carotene, fibre, vitamin K, potassium and antioxidants. The traditional orange coloured carrots get their bright colour from beta-carotene.

The beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A promotes good vision, and is important for growth, development, and immune function

Raisins have benefits too.

As a dried fruit, they are naturally sweet and higher in sugar and calories. Raisins are also beneficial to our health when eaten in moderation. In fact, raisins can aid digestion, boost iron levels, and keep your bones strong.

Raisins are a good source of iron. One-half cup of raisins contains 1.4 milligrams of iron. That’s about 7 percent of the recommended daily amount for most adult females, and 17 percent for adult men.

Raisins are also high in calcium and antioxidants.

Pecans also have qualities beneficial to our health.

A few studies have shown that pecans can lower “bad” LDL cholesterol in people with normal cholesterol levels.

Pecans are rich in polyphenol antioxidants, specifically flavonoids, which have been tied to heart benefits. In fact, the nuts have more than twice the flavonoid content found in almonds, cashews, and pistachios, and seven times the amount in walnuts.

Pecans are also an excellent source of thiamin and zinc, as well as manganese and copper. Manganese helps regulate blood sugar, and is needed for healthy bones. Copper aids in iron absorption, and works with iron to help the body form red blood cells.                                     (Sources – www.healthline.com & www.health.com)

So the iron in the raisins and the copper in the pecans actually work together to improve our health.

I hope you enjoy these bliss balls as much as my friend does.

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper.