I love birthdays. It doesn’t matter if it’s yours or mine, I love everything about them! My mom has always gone out of her way made me feel so special so birthdays give me a warm, fuzzy feeling. This year was a wee bit different. The day I look forward to for most of the year was muffled by the roar of Loma Linda's transition to a new electronic access portal (aka our online charting/scheduling/billing system). The stress level associated with this big move was off the charts and the anticipation leading up to it was hard to handle. And wouldn't you know, "go-live" landed smack dab on my birthday...yipee! I wrote the day off long before it ever arrived. Sad. Day.
I figured I deserved a little something special so I decided to treat myself to one of my favorite morning goodies...grain-free style! Biscotti is delicious dunked in a raw milk cappuccino or along side your favorite hot tea. I have never made biscotti before, but I thought I would test out a recipe using y favorite, almond flour.
Those of you who attend my monthly Whole Foods Gluten/Dairy/Soy-free cooking class know that almond flour is my go-to grain-free flour. This recipe is easy (as all almond flour recipes tend to be) and can be changed to fit your own flava! I used unsweetened, shredded coconut to boost the nutrient value and dark chocolate…well…because it’s my birthday!
Dark Chocolate Coconut Biscotti
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
¼- ½ cup raw honey
2 organic eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
3 cups blanched almond flour/meal (I love Bob's Red Mill or Honeyville brands)
¼ tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
Dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ c. pecans, chopped
½ c. shredded coconut, unsweetened
Dried fruit (cranberries or raisins), optional
Preheat over to 350. Blend wet ingredients with a hand mixer or KitchenAid until frothy, about 2-3 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix together almond flour, salt and baking soda. Add dry ingredients into the wet and mix thoroughly. Fold in chocolate, pecans and coconut. Form dough into two 9 x 3 inch logs, place on parchment paper and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until edges are lightly brown. Let cool for 1 hour. With a serrated knife, cut logs on a diagonal and place pieces back on parchment paper and bake for about 15 minutes, flipping once.
Allow to cool and proceed by dunking one into your favorite morning beverage!
Remember, I would LOVE to work with you! Find out about the incredible impact nutrition can have on your life! Contact me at alowellnessredlands @ gmail . com to set up your complimentary Health Consult!