Tournament Cookies

A Taekwondo tournament just isn't quite right without a big bin of tournament cookies. These cookies are so amazing. They are salty, sweet, chewy, chocolatey, filling, and most of all, pretty darn healthy. I discovered these cookies a while ago in the Planet Organic cookbook. They were called Cosmic Cookies, but since I've started bringing them to tournaments, they've gotten a few new names. Ten Pound Cookies (because they're so heavy), Horse Treat Cookies (because apparently they look like horse treats) and just plain Tournament Cookies (for obvious reasons).

Whatever you call them, these cookies are amazing, and a big hit, even with people who don't like "healthy things". You can vary your ingredients based on what you like, but, due to food allergies among the people who eat my cookies, I choose to make them vegan and gluten-free.

Cosmic Cookies

Adapted from the recipe in The Planet Organic Cookbook

2 1/4 cups quick-cooking oats (if you're worried about gluten, make sure they're certified gluten-free and that you can tolerate them)

2 cups flour of your choice (I use gluten-free flours most of the time)

1 cup sunflower seeds

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup whole flax seeds

1 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar)

1 tbsp cinnamon

2 1/4 tsp sea salt

1 3/4 cups chocolate chips (I use dark, dairy-free chocolate)

1 1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup molasses or honey

3/4 cup oil (I use melted coconut oil)

1 cup non-dairy milk of your choice

Step One: Put on your favourite song. Preheat your oven to 350F.

Step Two: Throw all of your dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.

Step Three: Mix all of your wet ingredients together in a separate bowl, then add to dry ingredients. Thoroughly mix.

Step Four: Using 1/3 cup measure, plop dough onto cookie sheets and flatten slightly. Bake for 24 minutes, or until cookies are firm and golden brown.

Step Five: Let cool on rack. Try not to eat them all. Eat some at room temperature. Put some in the freezer and eat them frozen. Just eat them. They're pretty much guaranteed to be delicious.

And just look at my friend, the one in blue, sparring. I'm pretty sure she was running on Cosmic Cookies that day. If you eat enough of these, perhaps you'll be able to kick a person in the head. Anything is possible...

Enjoy!

Almond Butter Bread

I love almond butter. I spread it on toast, smear it on apples and bananas, add it to smoothies and oatmeal, and sometimes, eat it all by itself. It’s like heaven in a jar. And almonds are supposed to be good for you...

I found the recipe for this bread in Clean Eating magazine. It was originally called Honey Almond Sunflower Loaf, but I decided it should be called Almond Butter Bread. It seriously tastes like almond butter, at least, in my opinion. I don’t have any food allergies, and I’m not a vegetarian, but I still like that it’s also gluten-free, soy-free and dairy-free.

You should make it. Soon.

Almond Butter Bread

Adapted from the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of Clean Eating Magazine.

1 cup almond meal

3/4 cup buckwheat flour

1 1/4 cups quinoa flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg

2 eggs whites

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/3 cup oil (I used coconut)

2 tablespoons raw organic honey

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted sunflower seeds

cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350℉.

Mix the first four ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the next five ingredients. Add the 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds to the wet ingredients. Then, combine the wet and dry ingredients.

Spray a 9-inch loaf pan. Then, pour batter into the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

I’ve made this bread two times, and both times, it has split and risen in an odd way. It still tasted great and was very pretty! I ate this bread with butter and jam. It would go well with savoury things as well.