Vegan Carob Brownies

These are AMAZING!  And they only have 3 natural ingredients!  And you don't have to bake or cook them at all!  My son and husband gobbled these right up - couldn't get enough of them!  I've decided after making several batches that they actually taste like tootsie rolls!  Yummy!!   I have not eaten chocolate in over a year and I was really, really wanting it, so I used carob, which, unlike chocolate is caffeine free and alkalizing!  Hooray!

All you need is:
10 - 12 large medjool dates (Use soft ones.  If they aren't soft, soak them in some water first.)
Two giant, heaping spoonfuls of almond butter (plain, no salt or oils added)
Three tsp carob powder (You can find this at natural food stores or online)

Directions:
Place everything into a food processor.  Process until it starts to form a unified ball.
Everything should be smooshy and there should be no separate date pieces.
Use your hands to shape into a large square.  Then, cut into four squares with a knife. 
That's it!  You can eat it right away or put into the refrigerator - it's just as good cold. 
Or you can just start eating it right away and forget about the whole shaping and cutting thing.  It tastes like candy, anyway!  Enjoy!!

Grain Free, Paleo Gingerbread Men

My son and I think that these are the best grain-free cookies we have ever had!  Yum!  And they were fun to make, too!

I got the original recipe for "Gingerbread Men" from Elena Amsterdam's, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook.  Then, I made a few tweaks to suit our needs.  Here's the recipe I used:

Ingredients:
3 cups blanched almond flour
1 tbspn ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp ground ginger
pinch of sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 cup coconut oil (If it's cold and solidified, melt it down first.)
scant 1/2 cup honey (If using raw like I do, soften on low heat first.)
1 tbspn vanilla extract
1 egg
Little things like raisins, cacao nibs or chocolate chips, goji berries, cranberries, etc. for decorating

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking soda and cloves.
In another bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, honey, vanilla extract, and egg.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix until combined.
Cover the dough and place into the freezer for at least 2 hours.
Remove from freezer and roll the dough to 1/2 inch thickness between two sheets of parchment paper.  If sticky, dust with almond flour.  Remove the top sheet and parchment paper and cut the cookies using a cookie cutter (I got mine at Bed, Bath and Beyond).  Roll the dough again and repeat until you have used all the dough.
Place onto the cookie sheets and leave space between each cookie.
Decorate with your toppings of choice - this was a blast for my son!
Bake for 8-12 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges.  Let the cookies cool on the sheets and then enjoy.

Note: I accidentally baked my first batch too long, but they turned out amazing with a little crispiness around the edges, so don't worry if this happens.  The other batch was delish, too!