Let’s Keep it Real. And Delicious 
Erin Power came to my attention with her blog www.fatgirlinskinnyjeans.com where she writes about her love of food and her approach to bringing balance into her life through baking with real ingredients – natural ingredients. She grew up in a family with both French and Italian backgrounds and food was a focus – often in quantity. She struggled with body image issues and turned to food. After years of different approaches Erin landed on a combination of pure, healthy eating and humor. She takes a light-hearted approach to talking about food, but don’t let that fool you. She is serious about her baked goods and won’t go without them. Instead, she creates treats with healthy foods: nuts, high quality chocolate, fresh and dried fruits and the recipes are also often gluten-free. She created these Midnight Cookies for us for when a chocolate craving hits. What follows is Erin’s guest post.
Midnight Cookies
What if I told you that eating well can still taste good? And if it didn’t mean that you have to give up all of your favorite treats? Would you be interested? I sure hope so!
It’s super important to remember this key information: REAL food with calories is BETTER for you than ANY artificial substitute that has zero calories. It’s pretty much up there with remembering to wear clean undies just in case you’re ever in a car accident and rescued by the likes of Bradley Cooper, or brushing your teeth before making out with the man of your dreams, who may also happen to be Sir Bradley Cooper.
Let us be honest. Depriving ourselves of the things we love most never works in the end. After a week or so, or even longer for the strongest of will, you get the itch don’t you? And all you want is to bathe in a tub of chocolate, or stuff your face with bread and sweets until you burst! Don’t do this! Don’t be that person. Treat yourself well all of the time, and eat well all of the time. This does NOT mean lettuce leaves and egg whites until death do us part. This means eat REAL food! Real ingredients are far more forgiving on your hips, and sometimes even BETTER for you than the “healthier” alternative.
Trust me, my hips don’t lie. I’m not some naturally thin girl telling you all of the ways to be better aka like me, leaving out the fact that I got the gift solely via genetics. In fact, I’m constantly reminded of this every time I work in tight quarters or walk around an antique store ‘cause they’re always filled to the brim with knick-knacks hanging out on the edges of all hip-level tables, just waiting to be knocked over by these child-bearing curves. However, I AM that girl that LOVES food. Good food. And am always looking for new ways to treat myself without the guilt of knowing I’m eating crap, or just asking to up my jean size.
Take these cookies for example. They’re filled with deliciousness, and a little less sadness as they’re made with all the good stuff. All the real stuff. Midnight Cookies, here to please you, here to fill that chocolate craving. You’re welcome.
For more recipes like the one attached, and for a few more chuckles, follow my blog Fat Girl in Skinny Jeans at www.fatgirlinskinnyjeans.com.
Enjoy and be well.
Erin
- 2 cups peeled and toasted hazelnuts, finely ground
- 1 cup gluten-free flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose blend
- 1 cup sifted Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate chunks
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup coconut palm sugar
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped hazelnuts
- 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
- Position racks in upper and lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- Whisk together the ground hazelnuts, flour, cocoa, baking powder and fine salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in chocolate chunks and cranberries; set aside.
- Whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla in a mixing bowl, then add to dry mixture, stirring well. It will be a bit sticky!
- Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls between your hands. If it’s too sticky, try using a cookie scoop coated with coconut oil.
- Place cookies about 2 inches apart on prepared pans. Stir topping ingredients together and sprinkle on top of cookies.
- Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, then bake for another 5 minutes. The cookies will not change shape very much the tops will brown a little bit and the tops will feel dry to the touch; the interiors should remain chewy. Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the pan. Cool on rack for additional time if storing them. Store in airtight container for up to 5 days. They also freeze well.
- Dig in!!!
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