these are good.  i’m not bragging.  ok, maybe i am.  a little.

eating cleaner is becoming a choice all the kids are getting behind, and i can actually now say, “go make a paleo snack,” and the kids know where to look.  i’m getting braver at experimenting with unusual (formerly, at least, to me!) ingredients like cacao nibs and hemp seeds.

i’m trying to feed teenagers.  athlete-teenagers.  and a ten year old who has biceps already.  and does not stop eating.  i mean it!  so i’m forever looking at ways to add healthy fat and protein and fiber.  i decided to add coconut and hemp to this cookie recipe.

did i make them look as good as they are?  because these are good.  did i say that already?  don’t you want to make them?  here you go!

Paleo Black Forest Cookies With Coconut

 Ingredients

3 cups nut flour (almond, pecan, walnut, chestnut)

1/4 cup dried unsweetened coconut (shredded)

1/4 cup dried cherries (or cranberries)

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

1 tablespoon cacao nibs

1 tablespoon hemp seeds

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup maple syrup (warm to room temperature)

2 eggs

 

Directions

Stir together flour, coconut, cranberries, chocolate chips, nibs, sea salt and soda, and seeds.  In a separate bowl, beat liquid ingredients.  Stir together and drop by rounded tablespoons onto a baking-mat-lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 6-8 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cookies are done when the top no longer looks wet and they are slightly firm.  Enjoy!!!

and the coolest part?  when you’ve had a couple one, you don’t feel like you’ve just destroyed your chances at ever being svelte.  🙂

oh, and in case you were wondering, here are some facts about hemp  (taken directly from Body Ecology):

What is Hemp, Really?

Hemp seeds come from the plant Cannibus sativa L. Sound kind of familiar? In fact, the hemp plant is often confused with the marijuana plant because they are of the same family (Cannibus) and closely resemble one another. Because of this, hemp has had a checkered past and the debate continues even today.

The hemp “seed” is actually an achene: a simple dry fruit with a hard shell, just like sunflower seeds. It is considered one of the most versatile and economical plants, with many uses from food to biofuel.

Benefits of Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds are nutrient-powerhouses containing:

All 20 amino acids, including the 9 essential amino acids (EAAs) our bodies cannot produce.

• A high protein percentage of thesimple proteins that strengthen immunity and fend off toxins.²Eating hemp seeds in any form could aid, if not heal, people suffering from immune deficiency diseases. This conclusion is supported by the fact that hemp seed has been used to treat nutritional deficiencies brought on by tuberculosis, a severe nutrition blocking disease that causes the body to waste away.³
• Nature’s highest botanical source of essential fatty acid, with more essential fatty acid than flax or any other nut or seed oil. ⁴
• A perfect 3:1 ratio of Omega-6 Linoleic Acid and Omega-3 Linolenic Acid – for cardiovascular health and general strengthening of the immune system.
• A superior vegetarian source of protein considered easily digestible.
• A rich source of phytonutrients, the disease-protective element of plants with benefits protecting your immunity, bloodstream, tissues, cells, skin, organs and mitochondria.
• The richest known source of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids. ⁵