Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies with Coconut Sugar and Coconut Oil

I had originally made these goodies with all things coconut: coconut flour, coconut sugar and coconut oil but the cookie gods told me I had a coconut problem and so those cookies did not bid well. The coconut flour, it turns out, is super dry and even if you add more liquid, the cookie falls apart. So, as a compromise I thought I'd try these with whole wheat flour. I've also heard almond flour works better than coconut flour but being that I've never baked with almond flour, I will let you brave bakers try it. Have a try at these and happy baking!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Coconut sugar
1/4 cup Sugar in the raw
2 1/2 Tbsp honey
1/2 cup organic Coconut oil, unrefined
2 cups Whole wheat flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking powder
4 oz Dark chocolate (I used 98% cacao which is super duper dark chocolate and just added honey to my liking when I melted it or you can simply use dark chocolate chips).
8-10 cherries, chopped and de-seeded.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet.
Mix the coconut sugar, sugar in the raw, honey and coconut oil in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix the wheat flour, salt, and baking powder together. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture until well blended. Cookies may get a little crumbly but if they are too crumbly, add a bit more coconut oil.

Take tablespoonfuls of the mixture and roll into balls, gently squish the balls in the palms of your hands and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden browned.

Add the dark chocolate to a glass bowl that fits over a small pan filled with water. Bring water to a low boil and melt the chocolate on low heat until it is completely melted, making sure not to burn it. Set aside.

After cookies are done baking, use a butter knife or rubber spatula and dip it into the chocolate and drizzle over the cookies. Top with the chopped cherries and enjoy!

Creamy Italian Spinach Chicken Bake with Asparagus, Gouda, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts

Whew! What a mouthful. And you'll be getting quite a mouthful with this exquisitely tantalizing and hearty dish. This is perfect for those who love the taste of Italy without all the carbs but feel free to toss it with some pasta or dip some bread in the sauce, either way, you won't regret it!

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs, cooked and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 bunch asparagus chopped, lightly grilled with olive oil and salt
1 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 16 oz bag frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 14 oz artichoke hearts, quartered
22 oz light or regular alfredo sauce (I used about 1 and 1/2 jars of the 15 oz jars but feel free to use more)
2/3 cup chopped gouda cheese
8 oz pre-packaged shredded Six Italian cheese mixture (parmesan, mozzarella, provolone, asiago, romano, and fontina)
Black pepper
Rosemary
Basil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large casserole dish, drizzle a bit of the alfredo sauce on the bottom. Sprinkle a few of the artichoke hearts on top of the sauce, followed by a bit of the chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus, spinach and Six Italian cheese. Drop a few pieces of the chopped gouda evenly throughout the mixture. Repeat this until all of the ingredients are used. Top with black pepper, rosemary and basil. Bake for 25-28 minutes.