Tropical Oatmeal Snack Cookies

My brain is a little (ok, a lot) bit fuzzy these days. I will start talking and completely forget what I was saying, combine two words into one (all the time), and sometimes have to stop and think before finishing a full sentence. It's worse when we're with friends, and I'm talking more than normal. Between pregnancy and the first few months of being a mom, my brain and mouth coordination is subpar at best. So I can't quite remember when I first started talking to Sonja and Alex. It seems like we've been friends forever. They're the type of people you feel fortunate to have in your life, and you know will always be there for you. 

Because I'm a super dork, I just did a search in gmail with Sonja's email address to see when we first started talking. It appears it was about this time 4 years ago! I really can't believe it's been that long. You can tell it was our first set of emails because we used complete sentences and punctuation. Things are quite a bit more casual now.

Over the past 4 years we've grown really close, and I'm not quite sure what I would do without either of them. In that time I've followed along on their journey in trying to become parents, which started years before we ever met. And if you've followed their blog, then you know some of the story. These two are tough as nails. I'm tellin' ya. Even their road to adoption was anything but easy. After finding out I was pregnant, we frequently joked about how funny it would be if we ended up having babies around the same time. Little did we know that very thing was about to happen.

I remember nearly jumping off the couch when Alex sent me a message on February 19th (1 month + 3 days after Lennon was born). He said, "So this is currently going on." And there was the photo of their sweet boy, Larson Ames. I could barely contain my excitement and happiness for them. This sweet little boy found the perfect, most loving parents ever. What a long journey Sonja and Alex had been on to finally reach this moment. I can't even begin to imagine everything they were feeling in those first few days. (If you're interested in reading more about it, their adoption story is amazing.)

So today we're gathering their friends to help celebrate this beautiful, new family with a virtual shower and healthy snack recipes! Huge thanks to Melissa + Sarah for organizing this special event with me. 

Sonja, Alex, and little Larson - My heart explodes for you three, and it feels so special to share these first, sleepy-eyed months with you. Enjoy that sweet boy! Sending love from Colorado! 

Now, to the cookies. 

They're oh-so-chewy and filled with coconut, dried pineapple, nuts, and oats. I've made two batches in the past week, so you know they must be pretty easy to whip up (not a lot of extra baking time these days). They only require 1 bowl and are also vegan and gluten-free, so I dare you to not eat at least 4 spoonfuls of the raw dough. If you need chocolate in your cookies, I think adding a handful of chips wouldn't hurt at all. Enjoy!

A Couple Adopts Baby Shower! 

Flourishing Foodie  |  Avocado and Asparagus Tartines with Basil Pesto
The Full Helping  |  Individual Strawberry Chocolate Crisps
Snixy Kitchen  |  Roasted Lemon Mint Pesto Tartines, Two Ways
This Mess Is Ours  |  Coriander & Lime Scented Cashews
Making Thyme for Health  |  Hemp Ranch Hummus
Two Red Bowls  |  Buttered Eggs on Toast, with Radish & Parsley
Cookie and Kate  |  World’s Greatest Guacamole
Dolly and Oatmeal  |  Sunshine Mung Bean Spread w/ Gluten-Free Za’atar Bread
Edible Perspective  |  Tropical Oatmeal Snack Cookies
Eat This Poem  |  Red Pepper and Walnut Hummus
Brooklyn Supper  |  Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Cilantro-Avocado Sauce
Gather & Dine|  Muffin Tin Granola Cups with Lemon Greek Yogurt and Berries
The Fauxmartha  |  Laura’s Sunshine Crackers
FoodieCrush  |  Baked Beet Chips
Harvest and Honey | A Healthy Candy Bar

Print Recipe!

adapted from: 1-bowl peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Tropical Oatmeal Snack Cookies 

gluten-free, vegan // yields about 24 cookies

• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon ground flax meal + 1/4 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup natural almond butter, if oily, stir thoroughly
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 5 tablespoons melted unrefined coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
• 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup gluten-free oat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, use 1/2 teaspoon if you don’t add flaked on top
• 3/4 cup 1/4-inch diced dried pineapple
• 1/4 cup raw sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup chopped raw cashews
• flaked sea salt, to top [optional]

Preheat your oven to 350º F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flax and water. Let sit for 5 minutes to gel. Add in the almond butter, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla. Whisk until fully combined.

Add in all of the dry ingredients except the dried pineapple and nuts. Stir with a large spoon until you no longer see dry flour. The dough will be thick but not at all dry. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Scoop about 1 1/2-2 tablespoons of the dough and form into a ball between your hands [no need to be perfectly smooth]. The dough will be a bit sticky but should be able to form into balls. Place on a baking sheet with about 2 inches between each cookie. Flatten to about 1/4 inch thickness using your hand or with a flat bottomed glass and a small piece of parchment paper between the glass and cookie. Top with flaked sea salt and bake for 10-14 minutes. 

Let rest on the baking sheet for 15 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to fully cool. Texture will firm as they cool.

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notes: These cookies are subtly sweet. If you'd like a sweeter cookie, add 2-3 tablespoons of coconut sugar, muscovado, or brown sugar to the dry ingredients. It's easiest to stack the dried pineapple and slice in one direction and then the other. Separate pineapple layers before mixing in. You should be able to sub dried mango instead of pineapple if desired. I used dried pineapple with no added sweetener. 

Be on the lookout for the hashtag #ACoupleAdopts on social media today! Lots of fun posts happening!

Ashley

Peach Almond Bread

This post is sponsored by Bob's Red Mill.

Ohhhhh, peach almond bread.... You gave me a run for my money. I was |thisclose| to giving up on you. But thankfully, on Friday at 4pm, I conquered you and then stuffed my belly full of your peachy, bready goodness. After the photo shoot, of course.

But who am I kidding? I stuffed my belly full during the failed attempts as well. And in all seriousness (this is really serious stuff), this was one of the hardest baked recipes I've ever tried to tackle. There are similar recipes in the archives, but once you throw fresh, juicy fruit in the mix, it changes everything. I was really striving for a dense, but moist, but sturdy loaf. So many of the trials just didn't want to fully bake and were wet in the center. I think it had something to do with the peaches on top, which in a few attempts the peaches were caving in to the loaf after coming out of the oven. In one attempt, I tried adding an extra egg, but that led (I just typed "legg") a noticeable eggy flavor. And no one wants and egg-loaf!

My go-to baking mix as of this year is a mix of oat flour, sorghum flour, and almond flour. I used to use buckwheat instead of sorghum, but I wanted the more subtle flavor of sorghum flour in this loaf. I've found they bake very similarly, at least in my tests so far. I also chose almond flour instead of almond meal for a lighter texture and color. Almond meal contains the ground skins of raw almonds as well as the almonds, whereas almond flour is ground from blanched almonds. I love adding almond flour to my baked goods because it lends moisture and a delicate, soft texture to baked goods (due to the fat content). 

It's so convenient that you can go to most grocery stores now (not just natural food stores) and find the eye-catching display of Bob's Red Mill flours in the baking aisle. I feel like they've really changed the flour-game and offer so many options for gluten-free and gluten-filled bakers. They've been my favorite flour (and grain) supplier for awhile now, and a large part of that is because of the variety they offer, and of course, the quality. I've been using BRM flours for years + years now (hello, doughnut cookbook!), so it only made sense that I'd partner up with them this year to show you all just how much I love them. 

Don't forget to read the notes under the recipe, which will help guarantee your baking success!

Print Recipe!

adapted from my: banana bread + triple chocolate quick bread

Peach Almond Bread

gluten-free/dairy-free, yields 1, 8x4/9x5 loaf

• 3 medium peaches (just starting to ripen and slightly soft to the touch)
• 1 cup gluten-free oat flour
• 3/4 cup sorghum flour
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1 tablespoon ground flax meal
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup lightly packed muscovado sugar (or brown sugar), plus 1 tablespoon for dusting
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or soy/whole milk)
• 1/3 cup applesauce 
• 3 tablespoons refined avocado oil (or other baking oil)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
• sliced almonds, to top

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Place one strip of parchment in an 8x4 or 9x5 pan that overhangs the wide sides of the pan. Grease the short ends of the pan. 

Dice 1-2 of the unpeeled peaches into 1/4-inch cubes and measure 3/4 cup. Take another peach and cut 4 large pieces around the pit. Place cut side down and make about 16, 1/8-inch slices (no larger). 

In a large bowl whisk together the flours, flax, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs until the whites are completely dispersed (30sec). Whisk in the milk, applesauce, oil, vanilla, and almond extracts. Pour the wet into the dry and stir until you no longer see dry flour. (Batter will be thick.)

Fold in the diced peaches until evenly dispersed. Pour/scrape batter into your loaf pan and spread evenly. Place sliced peaches in 2 pinwheel patterns, trying not to overlap the peaches too much. Make sure to leave open space on top of the loaf. Sprinkle almonds in open areas and then dust the top of the loaf with about 1 tablespoon muscovado sugar.

Bake for 55-65 minutes (9x5 may take slightly less time) in the center rack of your oven. Toothpick test for doneness. You want the toothpick to be slightly moist (not fully dry or sticky). Let cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, then carefully pick up by the overhanging parchment and let fully cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, gently slice with a sharp bread knife on a cutting board. Loaf holds together best once fully cooled. 

Keep stored in a sealed container at room temp (or in the fridge) for about 4 days.

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Notes:

• Sub flours at your own risk. 
• Do not sub flax-eggs for the eggs.
• Avoid adding more than 3/4 cup diced peaches to the bread or it will have a hard time cooking through.
• If peaches are too ripe, they will not allow your loaf to cook properly. If peaches are rock hard, they won't have much flavor.
• Avoid fully covering the top of your loaf with sliced peaches.
• Melted coconut oil will work in this recipe. Best if other wet ingredients are at room temp when you whisk in the coconut oil.

Summer isn't over until you've eaten at least 2 dozen peaches and made this loaf. Plenty of time left!

Thank you for all the LOVE on my last post. You are all the best! Happy Wednesday!

Ashley

Today's post is sponsored by Bob's Red Mill, and I received compensation + product for writing this piece. Opinions are always my own. If I didn't love it, you wouldn't hear about it. Thanks for your continued support!