A Guiltless Pleasure: Choco-Walnut Cookies

I've got a chocolate hangover and I'm blissfully content. Who'd have thought that three basic ingredients could produce such delicious delirium?

Toasted walnuts + egg whites + cocoa = delicious delirum 

Walnuts: A great source of omega-3's, manganese, copper and protein, they promote brain function and bone health.
Egg Whites: A good source of vitamins and minerals such as zinc, calcium and potassium.

Cocoa: Rich in antioxidants, it triggers the brain's production of natural opiates and helps cardiovascular health.

Mix them together with a little sweetener and a pinch of other healthful ingredients -- chia seeds,  ground flax seeds, cinnamon - and you've got a decandent, satisfying treat.

I couldn't stop at one. But there's no guilt here because of all the beneficial ingredients.

Choco-Walnut Cookies with Mighty Macaroons

Gluten Free Choco Walnut cookies

2 1/2 cups toasted walnuts

4 egg whites

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup sugar/ maple syrup

1 Tablespoon vanilla 

pinch salt (optional)

pinch cinnamon (optional)

1 teaspoon chia seeds (optional)

1 teaspoon ground flax seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa and sugar.

Add vanilla, eggs whites and optional ingredients, stirring just enough to moisten everything.  

Stir in toasted walnuts. 

Drop a tablespoon full of batter onto the baking sheet. Bake for about 9 - 12 minutes. I like my cookies gooey, so I let them bake for just 9 minutes, just until the outsides are firm.   

Store in an air-tight container to keep them moist. The cookies freeze very well.

My new guiltless pleasure

Rev Up Your Morning with a Quickie for Breakfast

I don't have time for anything long and lingering during the week. But I do need to clear the cobwebs from my brain and rev up my metabolism first thing in the morning.

Since this blog is intended for family consumption, let's focus on the food.

My typical breakfast looks like this: a triple espresso on the right, a bowl of yogurt with honey and Energy Crunch on the left. In the cyclone in the middle, I check homework and lunches, hunt for lost mittens, referee an argument, and yell out the countdown to the bus. Not much time for a slow sit-down.

This week, my coffee has a new mate. It's a perfectly portable fast fix. An ideal breakfast for me and my gang during the morning mad scramble.

A mouthful packs a wallop of energy and nutrients. Chia seeds help sweep out the gastrointestinal tract. Sesame seeds add manganese, copper, calcium, iron and fibre. Raw cacao is high in magnesium and iron. Flax seeds add Omega3 fatty acids. All glued together with almond meal, shredded coconut, egg and honey.

The kids and I made a double batch this weekend to stock up for breakfast and snacks for the week ahead.

Mighty Macaroons
1/2 cup almond meal
2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1 teaspoon crushed raw cacao 
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon ground flax seeds
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey


Combine everything in a small bowl.
Using two teaspoons, form small mounds and place on lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes and 350 degrees.
Yields 12 small,  Mighty Macaroons. Great for breakfast or for dunking in melted chocolate.