One of the members of Metro CrossFit is a blogger and Paleo chef. Meet Heather Connell of Multiply Delicious!
I blogged about and gave away a copy of her e-cookbook back in February and today I’m here to tell you about her new print cookbook, Paleo Sweets & Treats: Seasonally Inspired Desserts that Let You Have Your Cake and Your Paleo Lifestyle, Too.
Heather was kind enough to have a the publisher send me a copy of the cookbook and I was so excited when it arrived in the mail last week. As most of you know while I do not follow a strict Paleo diet, I do enjoy incorporating it Paleo meals into my rotation on a regular basis and I have had fun this year playing around with some Paleo baking. My Paleo banana bread is one of my proudest kitchen accomplishments of late!
I am so impressed by Heather’s cookbook and want to make all the treats in it! This cookbook shows you how to bake seasonally using natural products that work with the Paleo lifestyle. Heather developed, tested, wrote and photographed every recipe in the book.
The photos above give you a taste of some of the deliciousness you’ll find in Paleo Sweets & Treats. Looks as good as “regular” dessert, right???
I couldn’t wait to try one of the recipes for myself. I decided to bake the Chocolate Cakie Cookies because I had all the ingredients on hand and they’re one of Heather’s all-time favorites and loved by her friends and family.
These cookies are not only Paleo but also vegan and gluten free! They feature a mix of bananas, almond butter, cocoa powder, almond flour and dark chocolate chips to yield a very fudgy, rich and cake-like cookie that is kind of like a hybrid cookie/brownie.
They are simple to prepare and I love the short ingredient list. These cookies are very “cakie” so I took Heather’s advice and stored them in the fridge after cooling. I enjoyed one for dessert last night and just one was enough to satisfy me since they are so rich with the cocoa and almond butter and flour. The banana flavor is noticeable but it’s not like you’re eating a banana cookie.
I’m posting the recipe below but I’m also giving away a copy of Heather’s new cookbook! Simply leave a comment on this post telling me why you want the book and I’ll pick a winner at random on Friday. One entry per person. U.S. residents only. If you do not win the giveaway you can purchase a copy on Amazon for just $15!
Paleo Dark Chocolate Cakie Cookies
(Recipe source Paleo Sweets & Treats)
Ingredients:
1 cup ripe bananas, mashed (about 2)
2 tablespoons almond butter
3 1/2 teaspoons cacao powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips/chunks
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
In a large bowl, mash bananas using a hand mixer. Add almond butter, cacao powder, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and mix to combine using hand mixer. Add almond flour to bowl and mix everything until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips/chunks into batter until well incorporated.
Scoop even scoops using a ice cream/cookie scoop and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake cookies for 15 minutes or until cookies are slightly golden on tops and bottom.
Yield: 10-12 cookies
*Note from Heather: Cookies are even better the next day. Due to their “cake” like texture I prefer to keep them in the refrigerator so they stay fresh longer, but they probably won’t last too long.
