Lazy Samoas

I have memories of eating Girl Scout cookies as a little girl and I didn't want Brody to miss out on tasting one of my favorites...Samoas! A friend shared this vegan recipe with me last year and I think they are a great substitute!

This recipe is free of: milk, eggs, peanuts, fish and shellfish 

*Could be Gluten Free if you used a GF all purpose flour

This recipe from is from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.

Lazy Samoas

2 cups grated sweetened coconut

1/3 cup unrefined coconut oil

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup nondairy milk

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

For Decorating:

1 cup chocolate chips

2 Tablespoons unrefined coconut oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

2. Pour the grated coconut into a large heavy skillet and toast over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally and toast coconut to a light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Promptly remove the coconut from the heat and stir occasionally as it cools. If the coconut continues to turn overly brown promptly pour from the skillet into a large dish and spread around to hasten cooling and stop cooking.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil [warm a bit if it's too solid], brown sugar, nondairy milk, ground flax seeds, and the vanilla until well blended and smooth. Sift in the all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt and mix to form a batter. Fold in the coconut.

4. Scoop about 1 Tablespoon of dough 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie with the back of a measuring cup and use your fingers to work a small hole into each center. Bake for 8 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are golden.

5. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Transfer the cooled cookies onto waxed paper, then place them on the onto a cutting board or other firm surface that can be easily slid onto a refrigerator shelf.

6. while cookies are cooling, melt chocolate chips in a microwave or double-boiler, then stir in the coconut oil into the melted chocolate. Allow the chocolate mixture to cool for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Dip cookie bottom into the chocolate and return them to the waxed paper. Now drizzle the remaining chocolate over the cookies, either by dipping a fork into the melted chocolate or by pouring the chocolate into a pastry bag fitted with a very small round tip. Chill cookies for at least 30 minutes to completely firm up the chocolate. Store the cookies in a loosely covered container in a very cool place.

Amazing Allergen Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have you tried Enjoy Life's NEW Crunchy Chocolate Chip handcrafted cookies? Oh...you need to!

When I first found out about Brody's food allergies, I was thankful for Enjoy Life because I knew that their ENTIRE line of products were "safe." It definitely helped make my life easier as I was trying to figure out the world of food allergies. It was also an easy recommendation for others who were dealing with food allergies (even if they are different from ours) because everything is free of the top 8 allergens (wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish and shellfish).

We have been eating the Enjoy Life cookies (the small soft ones) and they are good...but these NEW cookies? THEY ARE GREAT!!!!! They taste like a "bad for you cookie" without all of the stuff that you don't want. It still amazes and encourages me how something can be free of so many allergens and still taste amazing!

A friend of mine gave some of these new cookies to a non-food allergic child who was over to play with her son who has multiple food allergies. The result? The child kept asking for more! There is something that makes a mom feel good when those who do not have food allergies want what your child is having because it is GOOD.

Go out and grab a box. You won't be disappointed. I even had to try a few just to make sure I REALLY liked them ;)

Thank you Enjoy Life for helping to make my life easy and yummy!!!

Check out the other new crunchy varieties also

Mint Thins

Merry Christmas! I wanted to share one more fun cookie recipe with you before you are sick of looking at cookies :) These will remind you of those yummy mint Girl Scout cookies. They are super easy to make and the are really good.

Mint Thins

This recipe is free of milk, eggs, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, fish and shellfish

*Could be wheat free if you used the right cracker

Ingredients

1 10 oz bag of Enjoy Life semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

about 36 crackers (I love Back to Nature Classic Rounds because they do not have trans fat or other junk in them..BUT they do have wheat...so you can pick your favorite wheat free cracker to substitute for this recipe).

1 safe peppermint candy cane (or dinner mints) crushed

Directions

Microwave chocolate in a small microwaveable bowl. Make sure to do it a little at a time, so you do not burn the chocolate. Stir until completely melted. Blend in extract.

Dip crackers in melted chocolate, completely coating crackers (I gently set one side in the chocolate, and then flip it over into the chocolate). Place on waxed paper covered baking sheets; sprinkle with safe crushed candy.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm

Chocolate Chip Shortbread

My friend Nicole made these, and I was so excited to find out that the recipe can easily be changed to be safe for Brody. These are so pretty and taste delicious!

Chocolate Chip Shortbread

This recipe is free of milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish

Ingredients

2 cups of safe flour (or regular flour if you can have it)
Pinch of salt
2 sticks (or 1 cup) of safe butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 tsp safe vanilla extract
1 1/2 c mini semisweet chocolate chips (Enjoy Life is Allergen Free)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325. Whisk flour and salt together in a medium bowl
2. With a mixer, beat butter, sugars and vanilla until smooth. Reduce speed and add flour to mixture in 3 batches. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Bake until golden 45-50 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.
3. With a sharp knife cut shortbread into 36 rectangles
4. Melt remaining chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Dip each cookie into chocolate and shake off excess. Transfer to waxed paper and let stand 10 minutes.

Peppermint Meltaways

Here is a blog worthy recipe (if you like peppermint). After searching for safe cookie recipes for Brody, trying some out (YUCK!!!! YUCK and MORE YUCK!), this one is worth sharing with you :)

Peppermint Meltaways

This recipe is free of milk, eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish

Ingredients

1 cup of safe butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp safe vanilla extract

1 1/4 safe flour (or regular if you can use it)

1/2 cup corn starch

Glaze Ingredients

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons safe butter, softened

1/4 teaspoon safe peppermint extract

1 to 2 tablespoons rice milk (or soy milk)

safe candy canes or hard peppermint candy, crushed

Directions

Combine safe butter, powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon safe vanilla extract in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour and cornstarch. Beat until mixed. Cover; refrigerate until firm (30-60 minutes).

Shape rounded teaspoons of dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely

Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies. To make glaze, combine powdered sugar, safe butter, peppermint extract and enough safe milk for desired glazing consistency in small bowl. Immediately sprinkle with safe crushed candy.