Monster "Smashies" (cookies)

Cookies are one culinary endeavor that are fun to experiment with, but also, easy to mess up. I love to experiment and make my own cookies but often times the result are not all that fruitful! I made these cookies two days before I journeyed back to school for my second semester of sophomore year. My inspiration was Kelly's monster cookie recipe. The soaked and cooked teff I had waiting on the counter was just calling to me to be turned into some ingenious cookie creation!

How could I resist? I didn't, and started throwing things together. And what's more fun than this - I made this recipe using one bowl and only one utensil to mix it with, a potato masher! Yes, go back and read that sentence. One bowl, one utensil. It's easy! The kids in your life will love helping you make these cookies.

They cooked beautifully in the oven and when they were all cooled and ready to be sampled I couldn't wait! My family and I all tried one and loved them! These are so tasty and they are packed with chocolate chips - the best part of any cookie! There are also mild hints of banana, walnut and raisin.

Monster Smashie cookies

makes about two dozen cookies

1/4 cup teff grain, soaked in whey and water for 24 hours, cooked and cooled - after this process the teff makes 1 full cup

1 medium banana

1 REAL egg

1/2 cup raw organic almond butter (roasted would probably be fine too)

1/3 cup organic maple syrup

5 drops stevia

1/4 stick REAL butter

2 Tbsp organic coconut flour

1/4 tsp sea salt

pinch xantham gum

~

1 cup organic raisins

1 cup chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life - I will try cocoa nibs sometime!)

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup walnut halves + pieces

To make your cookies:

1. Add teff and banana to a large mixing bowl. Mash together. Add egg and butter. Add maple syrup, stevia, coconut flour, salt, xantham gum. Mash, mash, mash.

2. Dump in the last 4 ingredients, your delicious mix-ins. Or mash-ins, as we should call them.

3. Use a cookie scoop to place them on 2 half baking sheets. Use your Silpats, they're lovely ;) or parchment paper of course.

4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown on top. They do set more as they cool - don't over bake! These keep their shape, so either keep them in a ball from the cookie scoop, or flatten them out with a fork.

5. Cool, please-resist, before eating.

6. Eat and enjoy (hide them before the whole family eats them)... or wrap them in plastic wrap and put them in a large plastic baggy and take them to California with you. Oh, wait... that's what I am doing today!

Because as you read this I am probably flying on a jet plane back to California, don't despair! This does mean I will be extremely busy with all my new classes (when I get my final schedule I will update you) and that I probably will not be posting every week. Or every month. But I will try to post some things that I've had going in the mix - recipes that I've cooked and done photo shoots for but haven't quite made it to the site. I will miss you all. I do love blogging. Please pray for me and my semester.

Until the next update,

Meagan