Today is a big day... today marks the first recipe that I am posting since... I don't know, forever ago? It has been ages hasn't it!? Sheesh! This is not due to a lack of cooking... in fact I have (probably) spent a good third (maybe more) of my time in the kitchen since arriving back to LA (I know, very 1950s house wife of me, but whatever, I like to cook and bake!). I didn't realize when I got back just how much I missed preparing my own food; it is an absolute luxury for me and I was definitely taking it for granted before I left on tour.
What kind of things have I been making? I'm glad you asked! The answer is EVERYTHING, I have been making a little bit of everything. I have been making a lot of Thai dishes, burning my nose with Thai chilies, and Mexican rice has become a staple (Drew is obsessed). I am marinating a ton these days (my favorite has been an ancho/chipotle chili chicken marinade... it is WOW), slow cooking, baking, prepping, mashing, and stirring to my little hearts content. I have also been using cookbooks more (I kind of follow the recipes, so that's a step in the right direction I suppose). Most recently I have been quite taken with the Hemsley and Hemsley cookbook (I know, I'm late to the game). I have made their buckwheat tortilla shells (BRILLIANT), whole roasted cauliflower, and theses insanely yummy and oh-so-addictive cinnamon raison cookies!!! Being who I am, I may have altered the recipe just a bit...
-CINNAMON RAISIn COOKIES-
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Ferinheight.
What you will need:
1 1/4 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 tsp baking soda
pinch sea salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 dates
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup coconut oil, very soft or melted
1 tbsp raw honey
3/4 cup raisins
Blend 1 cup raw almonds and 1 cup raw sunflower seeds in your food processor or vitamix (or ninja, or high powered blender, you do you, I don't judge) until a fine 'flour' like consistency is achieved. A little variation in texture is fine, I like a little crunch in the cookies! Add in baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and dates, pulse for a couple seconds until evenly blended (dates should be fairly broken down, I usually mash them with my fingers before adding them to the blender. Transfer your flour mixture to a large bowl. Add in remaining ingredients, stirring well to combine. Place remaining 1/4 cup almonds into your blender and pulse until a smooth (or semi-chunky if you want that crunch) flour like consistency is formed, stir into your dough mixture, add in raisins At this time as well. Take a pingpong ball sized amount of dough and roll it between your palms, once it is smooth press slightly into a circular 'cookie' shape and place on the baking sheet (I use a baking mat for easy clean up). Continue with the rest of the dough until all of the cookies are formed (9-12 cookies depending on how aggressive you are).
Place cookies in the oven. Bake at 300 degrees F for 14-18 minutes, checking regularly so they don't burn.
Allow to cool fully then try not to eat them all in one sitting. Place remaining cookies in the fridge (not necessary, but they are insanely good chilled... also they are insanely good with a cup of hot coffee!).
Drew was doubtful about these cookies. He isn't really a 'raisin' kind of guy... pretty sure he advocated for a second batch the moment the first round was gone, enough said.
Needless to say I am a fan of healthy eating... but I am also a fan of a good dessert. These cookies fit the bill for both (SCORE!). Happy cookie baking all, may your homes (apartments, hostels, dorm rooms) smell of warmth and cinnamon raisin cookies!
xx
