Chocolate Chip Cookies (Grain Free)

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond flour (you could substitute up to 1/2 cup of almond butter, but you must reduce the butter to about 2 tablespoons)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 cup or more chocolate chips
• Optional: unsweetened coconut, toasted nuts, dried fruit, or all of the above
• Optional: 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot powder (this helps stabilize the cookie). If you don't like these options, coconut or coconut flour works nearly as well.

Instructions

1. mix the almond flour and baking soda in the bowl of a food processor
2. add the butter and pulse until only slight grainy.
3. add the egg, honey and vanilla extract and pulse until just combined 
4. stir in the chocolate chips and other goodies
5. refrigerate the dough for about 15 minutes (you can make a wax paper log and chill that way)
6. drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten each cookie with the palm of your hands (or, if you used the log method, slice to 1 inch to 3/4 inch thick)
7. bake at 350°F until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes
8. remove from oven and let it cool on baking sheet for 1 to 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely
9. store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week (like they'll last that long)

Adapted from livinghealthywithchocolate.com

Blueberry Crumb Bars

For the dough

•  1 1/2 c. flour
• scant 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 egg

For the filling

• zest and juice from a orange or clemantine
• zest and juice from a lemon
•  2 1/2 -3 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen and drained)
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• enough peach jam to coat the blueberries. (1/2 - 1 c.)

Heat oven to 375 F. Grease a 8x8 inch pan. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. With a fork or your fingers, cut in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Sprinkle half the dough into the greased pan and press lightly to make a fairly solid base. In a bowl, mix together the jam, cornstarch, and the zest and juice from the citrus. Gently stir in the berries. Pour the berry mixture over the dough and sprinkle remaining dough over the blueberries. Bake for about 40 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool before cutting. These improve with some time in the fridge. They also freeze quite well. (You could replace the fruit with blackberries or raspberries or whatever you have on hand, and you could do the same with the jam.)

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Sangria

• 1 bottle red wine -- I often use Cupcake Pinot Noir; use what you like 
• 1/2 cup apricot brandy, Triple Sec, Limoncello or other sweet fruit liqueur or a combination
• juice of 1 orange, 1 lemon and 1 lime
• seasonal fruit, chopped if necessary -- berries, peaches, mangoes are favorites
• 1 bottle Italian soda or 1 liter seltzer + 2 Tbsp honey or to taste

Mix all ingredients except soda in a pitcher and refrigerate overnight. Serve over ice about 50/50 with soda or seltzer. This is not overly sweet. Can increase honey or add sugar to taste.