Easy Cherry Pop-Over

I came up with this recipe as addition to the pumpkin pie we were having for Christmas dinner. Its very similar to a baked pancake so its often topped with a sweet syrup. I made a chocolate sauce to go with the cherries, but I'm sure maple syrup would be delicious as well. This turned out to be a big hit with the whole family. It was so easy, I'm definitely making it again, probably with many more variations to come:)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsps coconut oil
• 1 1/2 cup of frozen black sweet cherries
• juice from half a large lemon
• dash of salt

Directions:

1. TOOLS NEEDED: 1 cast iron pan, at least 9 inches in diameter at the bottom of the pan.
2. Preheat oven to 425 F.
3. In a large, cast iron skillet, melt the coconut oil over low heat. Then set aside to cool a bit while you prepare the batter.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, flour, salt, lemon juice and milk. Whisk thoroughly to get out any and all clumps. You can also process this in a food processor if you watch it carefully and don’t blend for too long. Then add the cherries
5. Pour the batter into the oiled skillet and place the skillet in the oven.
6. Bake for 20-23 minutes.
7. The dutch baby will rise above the pan and be very puffy and golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and allow to cool. The puffiness will sink a bit as the temperature goes down.

Modified from a wonderful resource:
 http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-dutch-baby/#ixzz2ovQMu5wB

Clean Eating Cinnamon Buns

In case you all were wondering what a delicious, decadent, and healthy Christmas breakfast looks like this is half of it( the other was an irresistible spinach frittata but that's other post). These cinnamon buns were spectacular. Cinnamony, sweet with an tantalizing tang from the cream cheese I was thoroughly satisfied and pleased with my creation. Plus my siblings couldn't resist the tastiness (and that's a lot considering the fact my brother throws a fit anytime I don't add sugar to treats). So bake, eat and feel the power of the cinnamon!

Ingredients for the Dough:
Whole wheat pastry flour: 4 cups sifted
Lukewarm buttermilk or milk:1.25 cups
Egg: 1 large, lightly beaten
Date syrup: 85 grams or 1/4 cup
Butter, melted: 3 Tbs
Salt: 1.25 tsp
Instant yeast: 2 tsp

Filling Ingredients:
Date syrup: 1 1/4 cups
Grass-fed butter: 2 tbsps melted
Cinnamon: 3 tbsps
Salt: Just a pinch
Raisins: 1/2 cup
Chopped pecans: 3/4 cup

Frosting ingredient:
Organic Cream Cheese: 4oz.(half a block)
Grass-fed butter: 1/4 cup
Date Syrup: 1/4 cup
Pure Vanilla extract: 1 tsp

Directions:
1.Heat the milk and date syrup over low heat until lukewarm. Remove from heat and add the yeast. In a separate bowl, sift the flour then add the salt, egg and butter. ( you may need a bit more flour, just  Once the yeast mixture gets frothy add it to the other dough ingredients and mix until its incorporated. Knead the dough, adding flour until its tacky not sticky. (Its probably best to let it raise for 30 min-2 hours/overnight to get fluffier rolls before you continue, if not they'll just be less fluffy)
2.While the dough is sitting, chop your nuts and combine all the filling ingredients together (minus the butter).
3. Divide the dough into two balls. Roll it out into a rectangle, about 5x14. Lightly coat the rectangle with butter and spread half the filling mixture onto the dough. Roll the rectangle length wise( so its long an skinny) and cut into 2 1/2 inch sections. Place cut side down(so the swirl faces you) on a grease casserole dish. Repeat with other section. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight or until the dough has doubled in size.
4. Remove the plastic wrap and bake in the oven at 350F for 30min or until golden brown.
5. Mix the icing ingredients together while its baking and add when they're cool. Enjoy(and try not to eat them all yourself)!

Clean(guilt-free) Nutella!

Look at the magic!

These are the star of the show, if you've never had toasted hazelnuts before, try some, try some right now and you shall discover the secret to nutella. After you uncover the wonder all you have to do is add some chocolate, some sweet and some skim milk, and then bam! You have clean homemade nutella! This stuff is awesome! I made some, intending it for a gift and immediately decided I would keep the batch... and then make some more for a friend.

Homemade Nutella

Ingredients:

1 cup hazelnuts
1 tsp safflower oil
4 T date syrup
4 T cocoa powder
4+ T milk (Or more depending on how thick/thin you want it. I used skim milk)
1 T liquid espresso (optional but highly encouraged)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 dash of salt

Preheat the oven to 350. Toast the hazelnuts for about 15 minutes, the skins will start to blacken and fall off. Remove shells for a smoother texture. You can easily remove them by rubbing them in between your palms/paper towel. In a food processor, pulse the nuts into a powder, with the oil. Then add all the remaining ingredients and mix until a paste forms. Feel free to add a bit more milk if you think it’s too thick. Just add a bit at a time. This recipe makes a pretty small batch so feel free to double it. Store in the fridge. I would imagine it to keep for a couple of weeks. That is, if it lasts that long ;)

Mediterranean Pumpkin Stew

This lovely dish was inspired by a free pumpkin that sprang up in our garden one day. It was a good pumpkin, it decorated our house for many a month before it gave the ultimate sacrifice to nourish our bodies and fill our bellies. For your tastiness, we salute you Mister Pumpkin.

 

Directions:

First we slaughter Mister Pumpkin! (side note... you could skip the next couple steps and just use puree but butchery is more fun :))

 



Then we find out it was really Misses Pumpkin, and steal her babies, because they're tasty roasted. Next we prepare the body for eating, by coating the corpse with some coconut oil and a sprinkling of the sacrificial salt and cinnamon. After preheating an oven to 350F. We say one final goodbye and cremate the corpse, cut side down of corpse, on a greased pan, for 40 min.

 

 

We then allow one more chance for the soul to leave, by letting the pumpkin cool. Then we skin it an pulverize the flesh. This is done in the blender with the tomato sauce and water. See below to turn finalize the ritual.

 

Ingredients:
1 small pumpkin(plus a little coconut oil, salt and cinnamon)
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 can coconut milk
1 cup of frozen peas
1 lb frozen broccoli
1 red onion
2 frozen chicken breasts
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp no salt seasoning
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp cayenne

Directions:
1. add the chicken, chopped red onion and coconut milk to the pan and cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes, until the chicken starts to turn white.
2. add your pumpkin mixture and all the spices, cook for 10-20 minutes more, until you can easily pull the chicken apart with a fork.
3. add your peas and broccoli and continue to shred the chicken with 2 forks, just so they're chicken spread throughout the stew. Cook for about 5 minute, or whenever the broccoli is cooked to your liking. enjoy!

Banana Bread

 

Delicious as a bread or as a base for almost any muffin, this recipe will make your whole family jump for joy (although that may just be the espresso working...)



Blueberry Muffins!



 

 

Banana Bread Recipe

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 1 hour
• Yield: Makes one loaf.

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
•  3/4 cup date syrup (change to maple or honey if you want it really sweet)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons espresso
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup whole wheat white flour
•  1/2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour

Method:

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the date syrup, egg, vanilla, and espresso. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour.* Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

*You can split this between muffins and the loaf, add blueberries to the muffin and bake for 20 minutes, the half loaf will need to bake for 40 minutes.

Butternut Squash Frittata

Great for breakfast, brunch or dinner, this cheesy veggie dish is a wonderful idea for any meal on Meatless Mondays!

Ingredients:
1/2 butternut squash roasted, peeled, cubed (and a little olive oil, salt and pepper)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
1 zucchini sliced thin
2 cups frozen spinach
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1 tbsp Kirkland organic no salt seasoning
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp oregano

Directions:

1.  Cut the squash in half, coat with olive oil sprinkle with salt and pepper and place cut side down onto a greased sheet. Roast the butternut squash in the oven at 350 F for 30 minutes. Peel and cube the squash after cooling. Set aside.
2. In a cast iron pan, pour the olive oil in the pan and add the onion, cook until it starts to turn clear. Add the zucchini and the spinach and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Pour on top of your veggies.
4. Place the pan in the oven and bake until eggs are set (30-40 minutes), remove from oven, slice, and enjoy!

Clean Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Tweaked from the recipe on the Quaker box, these really do live up to their name. Soft yet crisp, they're little, comforting bites of fiber-filled goodness. Bake with family, share with friends, and save a few for yourself because before you know it they'll be gone!
Ingredients (for 3 dozen):

• 1/2 Cup(s) (1 stick) of kerrygold butter, softened
• 1 cup date syrup
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 Teaspoon(s) vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1-1/2 Cup(s) whole wheat pastry flour flour
• 1 Teaspoon(s) Baking Soda
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon(s) salt (optional)
• 3 Cup(s) Quaker® Oats (old fashioned, uncooked)
• 1 Cup(s) raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts(optional)
• 3 oz coarsely chopped unsweetened bakers chocolate(optional)

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and date syrup on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs almond extract and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats,raisins, chocolate and walnuts; mix well. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

 

Chicken Pumpkin Souffle

above photo credit:Terry Wingfield

Warm in flavor and temperature, this is the perfect winter recipe when you're tired of soups and stews. Flavored with coconut, cinnamon and allspice it also has a fun Indian flair that adds something different to your regular routine.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups pumpkin puree (works well with homemade)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (can use the "broth" from the chicken)
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 cups cooked, shredded, chicken*

*you can cook the chicken any way you want but below is how I did it
Ingredients:

• 5 frozen chicken tenderloins
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp Trader Joe's curry powder

Directions for chicken:

Combine the ingredients in a cast iron pan on the stove, cook on medium-low heat, until the chicken easily falls apart when pierced with a fork, approximately 30 minutes/

Directions for souffle:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. In a food processor, blend together the puree, coconut milk, eggs, cinnamon, and  allspice. Process this for a full 3-4 minutes. You want it soft and very, very smooth.
3. Add the chicken and pulse 3 or 4 times to incorporate the meat into the mixture. You are not trying to blend the meat, just mix it in.
4. Pour into an 8-inch cast ion pan with a lid 
5. Set this pan inside cookie pan with side.
6. Add about 1 inch of water to the bottom pan (or skillet, or….)
7. Bake for 40 minutes.
8. Remove from oven, cool slightly and serve. This is best served warm as it warms the body and soul :)

Love is the Cornerstone

As some of you may know, I recently posted about the importance of educating yourself about what goes in your body. And while I still stand by that belief let me clarify the fact that knowledge and wisdom isn't everything; love is. After all, Solomon had is all and still declared it as meaningless. I find this is something I continually have to remind myself of.  As I was reading though Job last night, I came across a passage declaring God's impotency and was led to a new view of the story of the fall. When Eve was tempted one of the reasons was that the fruit was "desirable for gaining wisdom". The reason for this temptation is often explained as our innate desire to be God, but now  I view it more as an innate desire to be closer to God, and know him more. You see, Eve knew that that God was omnipotent and therefore hoped that gaining something similar to God would therefore make her closer to Him. This desire comes from the fact that we are relational beings, its just how God designed us, we want to be closer to Him and we also want to be closer to other(hence Eve then sharing the fruit with Adam after). The problem, however, comes when our views of what God is, and what He wants from us get distorted. Because while God is omnipotent, that's not what God IS. What God is, is love. So keep this as the cornerstone of your journey through life. Share love and be love, in everything you do, think, and say. You'll be more filled with joy and so will others around you, a win-win for everyone!

Dark Chocolate Mocha Ice Cream!

 

 

This is ice cream you could easily have everyday and my suite mates and I practically do (or at least some version of it). We've enjoyed it so much that we have actually broken a blender from making it so often, its just that good. Made with bananas, dark chocolate, and coffee its full of fabulous flavanoids, B vitamins, and potassium, but still has the creaminess and flavor of chocolate ice cream. So make and be merry!

(makes 2-4 servings)
Ingredients:
6 frozen peeled bananas
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup coffee
5 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp ground espresso beans
1 oz dark chocolate chopped into chocolate chips
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4th teaspoon allspice

Directions:
Add all the ingredients in a blender and mix till smooth :)

Steamy, Creamy, Mashed Potatoes

I don't always eat white potatoes but when I do, I make sure they're organic yukon gold potatoes.

Smooth and creamy, like Paula Deen just spreads buttery love all over them (only after just boiling them in a little salt and water). And turning them into mashed potatoes, with roasted garlic, (and some real butter) it's like eating clouds from butter heaven! And it practically is, and with all the omega-3s from the pastured dairy, this is the one mashed potatoes recipe that won't send you there in a hurry. Delicious plain, or with a little gravy,enjoy them either way and you won't regret a single second you spent making them.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

• 7 medium, organic* Yukon gold potatoes  
• 1/4 cup Kerrygold butter
• 1/4 cup organic half and half
• 1/4 cup greek yogurt
• lots of pepper
• salt
• ½ tbsp rosemary
• 1 head roasted garlic,(just cover in olive oil and bake in a toaster oven for about 15 min, just be careful not to burn) squeezed out of skin

Directions:                    

1. boil potatoes till tender (you can also roast you’re garlic in the mean time too)
2. place immediately in cool water, and once cool enough to touch, peel, the skins should pull off pretty easily.           

3.      drain and mash potatoes oil and butter.

4.      Add the rest of the ingredients, mash and devour!

*and yes they do have to be organic as potatoes are part of the dirty dozen
http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php
 

Warm Apple Pear Crumble

In the morning there was a Jenna, and the Jenna created a great multitude of desserts for Thanksgiving Day. And by the coffee press there was a note and the note said, “You may partake of the pumpkin, but you may not have the apple crumble, for that you must wait.” Now the father was also there in the morning, and the father misread the note and decided to consume the crumble and proclaimed, “Oh it’s sweet!” and shared it with the mother. And the mother said, “This is good! But this is the wrong breakfast, the Jenna will be disappointed.” And so she was, and demanded a warm fire as homage for the crumble, and it was given to her and all were satisfied.

And here is the recipe for that very crumble and it is GOOD! It even got an audible mhmm from my brother as he stood by the fire and devoured it.

Apple Pear Crumble Ingredients:

Filling:

·         1 tsp vanilla extract

·         2 large pears, peeled and cut thin

·         2 large granny smith apples, peeled and cut thin

·         The juice from 1/2th a lemon

·         2 whisked eggs

·         3 tbsp date syrup

·         2 tbsp cinnamon

·         Dash of nutmeg

·         1/8^th tsp salt

Crumble:

·         ¾ cup organic whole wheat pastry flour

·         ¾ cup oatmeal

·         ½ cup grass fed butter

·         ½ cup date syrup

·         ½ cup raisins

·         ½ cup chopped pecans and/or walnuts

·         1/8 tsp salt

·         1 tsp vanilla extract

·         1 tbsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare the apples and pears and add the lemon juice to them as soon as possible, in a large mixing bowl. Whisk the eggs and add to the apple mixture, then add the remaining filling ingredients.  Pour filling into a greased casserole dish (an 8*8 one would be a good size).  Then add all the crumble ingredients together and cover the filling. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown (if this occurs early on, cover with a lid). Serve warm and enjoy!

*side note: we had this sitting in the oven on warm for hours on thanksgiving day, and leftovers the next day and it just kept getting better! 

Date Syrup

 

In case you all haven't noticed, date syrup is my preferred substitute for sugar. Now, don't get me wrong, real maple syrup and honey are fabulous as well but they're a lot more expensive (you can make about 8 cups for less than $5) and its hard to know if you're getting the real deal (quite a bit of honey is mostly corn syrup). That being said maple syrup and honey also a lot sweeter, so you'll probably need half as much if you ever want to substitute. Besides being cheaper, date syrup is that it won't raise your blood sugar as much because of the fiber in the dates. Also, deglet noor dates are also a good source of iron, magnesium, potassium and manganese.

 

So lets get to it then, all you need (to make about 3 cups) is:

• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 1/2 cups pitted dates
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

 Then just put everything in a blender or food processor and blend baby, blend!

About 1 minute later (or until its fairly smooth) you'll have your date syrup.

 

Store in an air-tight glass container in the fridge for up to three weeks. Feel free to flavor this as well with things like vanilla and cinnamon for a delicious jam :)

Tropical Sweet Potato Casserole

 

This casserole is GOOD (and even better in the days to come, if it lasts that long)! The meringue is the perfect substitute for marshmallows and the pineapples actually make it very reminiscent of ambrosia salad. One word of advice though, watch the meringue very, very carefully when you broil it, otherwise it will turn out a bit charred (as seen in the picture), but its still great especially if you like burnt marshmallows. 

 

Ingredients:
Main Part:

• 4 medium sweet potatoes baked and peeled
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons date syrup
• 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of fresh or frozen pineapple
• 2 medium oranges peeled and de-seeded
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Meringue Topping:

•  3 large pasteurized egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup date syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 9*13-inch-pan
2. Whisk whole eggs, date syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, milk, vanilla and salt in a large food processor (or blender) until smooth. Add the sweet potato; mix until smooth. Blend in pineapple and oranges. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with pecans.
3. Bake the casserole until heated through and the edges are bubbling, 35 to 45 minutes. Set aside while you make the topping.
4. To prepare meringue topping: Position rack in top third of oven; preheat broiler. Beat egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the date syrup
5. Spoon and spread the meringue on top of the casserole. Broil until lightly browned, WATCHING VERY CAREFULLY to prevent burning, 30 to 90 seconds, until golden brown.

Southwestern Turkey Soup

On the eve of returning back to college after thanksgiving break, I decided to make my family one last dish as we're already running low on leftovers. The one leftover that was not depleted was the turkey and a ten pound bag of black bean (thank you Costco!) and in lieu of the cold weather I decided a big pot of stew would be a nice parting gift; and it was! Everyone enjoyed it and I'm half tempted to bring it back with me. So when you're tired of yet another turkey, mashed potato, gravy sandwich try this heart warming soup and you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients:

·         4 cups cooked black beans

·         2 Vidalia onions

·         7 cloves of minced garlic

·         4 cups of clean tomato sauce

·         Juice of 2 limes

·         2 cups water

·         2 carrots chopped

·         1 jalapeño minced

·         3 chopped sweet potatoes

·         2 ½ cups shredded cooked turkey

·         1 chopped tomato

·         2 cups frozen spinach

·         2 cups roasted frozen corn

·         4 tbps cumin

·         1 tbsp Kirkland no salt seasoning

·         1 tsp black pepper

·         1 tsp paprika

·         1 tsp oregano

·         ½ tsp sage

·         ½ tsp cayenne

·         Cilantro to garnish

Direction:

Add everything together in a large pot in the order listed, bring to a boil for 1 min then reduce to a simmer for an hour until the sweet potatoes are tender. This is very good with a dollop of greek yogurt and cilantro, or even with some shredded grass fed cheddar cheese on top.

Tangy Cranberry Sauce

 

This pretty side dish is a crowd pleaser for all, both those who love and hate cranberry sauce will enjoy this recipe. Its the perfect blend of of sweet and sour and pairs great with turkey, brussel sprouts or even greek yogurt the next day.

Ingredients:

·         ¾ cup of fresh squeezed orange juice with a little zest (you’ll need 3-4 large oranges)

·         1/8^th tsp salt

·         Dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

·         1 large granny smith apple peeled and finely chopped

·         1 8oz. package of fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions:

1.       Bring orange juice and spices to a boil in a small sauce pan

2.       Once boiling add apples and continue to boil for 5 minutes

3.       Add cranberries and reduce to simmer until the cranberries have all popped (about 10 min). The longer it cooks, the thicker the sauce gets

Savory Corn Bread Pudding

The inspiration for this delicious dish came to me in the middle of the night and literally kept me up for two hours just because I was so excited about it. And my lack of sleep was not in vain, in fact the first words out of my sisters mouth were, "you're making this for Christmas!" The only thing that could possibly make it better would be some fresh chopped jalapenos, so feel free to experiment.

FYI: the reason for it's name is because its a softer, more moist (sorry about the word but it is) cornbread, but not quite a corn pudding either, just a fabulous mix of the two.

Savory Cornbread Pudding

• 1 package of polenta (I used an organic sun-dried tomato version)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 very ripe bananas mashed
• ¾ cup frozen fire-roasted corn
• ½ cup shredded grass fed cheddar cheese
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tbsp rosemary
• ½ tbsp thyme
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• Spray oil or butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a greased cast iron pan in the oven while it’s preheating

Mash the bananas and polenta together then add the rest of the dry ingredients (except for the corn and cheese)

Add the wet ingredients: olive oil, buttermilk, eggs. Whisk it together until it all comes together. Then fold in the corn and cheese

Pour mixture into preheated cast iron pan. Bake at 400 for about 40 minutes. It’s done if it springs back when you press on it, or when a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting.

Fig Newtons

These little bites of heaven are amazing! They're soft, sweet and have a bit of crunch from the walnuts. I must say they're a specialty of mine and there's a little story behind them.

About eleven years ago, my family moved into the house that just happened to have a fabulous fig tree in the backyard. Soon after, my mom made her very first batch of fig jam by cooking down the figs with a little water, salt and lemon juice and man was it good. Several harvests later, the baker in me decided why not put this deliciousness inside a shortbread cookie dough? The results were spectacular! My homemade fig newtons were well received by my family, friends, and neighbors. Then a year ago, I'll admit that I was a bit afraid I wouldn't be able to make a clean version of them and it just wouldn't be the good. But low and behold, some cinnamon, nutmeg and kerrygold butter later the verdict is the same, a million times better than the store bought version and delicious as always! I hope you enjoy them as much as I have :)

Filling

·         About ½ cup fig jam (cooked down figs with orange zest)

·         ¼ cup raisins

·         Cinnamon and nutmeg to sprinkle on top

·         Optional (but highly recommended) topping: add  chopped walnuts

Cookie part

·         ¼ cup grass fed butter

·         1 ¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour

·         1/8 tsp salt

·         ½ cup of date syrup (1:1 of dates:water and a little lemon juices blended together or honey/maple syrup)

·         ½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350^oF. Mix all the cookie ingredients together with your hands until similar to a shortbread cookie dough (you may have to add more flour). Roll dough onto cookie sheet into a long rectangle until about ¼ inch thick. Spread fig jam down 1/3^rd of the dough. Add raisins on top (may be less than ¼ cup) and sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg and walnuts on top. Fold the sides of the dough together to meet in the middle. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, broil for the last 2 minutes or so. Slice, serve and enjoy!