Eggless Almond Biscotti

These traditional almond biscotti are satisfying and not overly sweet. They go great with coffee and after every bite you'll be saying mm mm mmm!

Ingredients:
1.5 cups unbleached all purpose flour
Pinch of salt
0.5 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp honey
4 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup of Almonds (coarsely blended in blender or pre-sliced)
pinch of fresh nutmeg
(5-6 tbsp) Couple tablespoons of water (you have to keep adding until you have a sticky but formable dough)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together. Add the sugar, honey, oil, vanilla extract, nutmeg, almonds, and water to the dry mix and combine. Knead the dough until it can stay intact. On a sheet-pan (greased or lined with parchment paper) place the dough and form a rectangle not too thin (about 1/2 inch thick). Put in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Then take the biscotti out and let cool. Slice evenly and place back in oven for about 10 minutes on each side or until golden brown. (Dip in melted chocolate if desired!)

Eggless Coconut and Walnut brownies

I love to bake but eating eggs is not apart of my diet. These brownies are moist and perfect for your sweet tooth. They are not too sweet, though! Chocolate lovers could simply omit the coconut flakes and use cocoa powder and/or chocolate chunks. I was sitting at home while I realized that there is a coconut sitting on my dining room table. The coconut became my inspiration to make these brownies. They turned out great and so yummy! Share them with your family, friends and neighbors and they will love the different approach to traditional brownies.

Ingredients:
2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut flakes (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, sift the flour with white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the coconut flakes and walnuts. Add the oil and vanilla extract to the dry mix. Slowly incorporate the water until a batter that is not too thick and not too thin. (Between cookie and cake like batter!). Mix until everything is well blended. Pour the batter into a 9 by 13 inch pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the edges are slighty golden. (***Sticking a toothpick in will not work for brownies! you have to just bake for 25 minutes until edges are golden brown or else they will be tough***) Let them cool for about 15 minutes and cut into squares. Sift some confectioners sugar and/or coconut flakes on top for garnish. Enjoy!

Easy Chickpea Appetizer

This chickpea appetizer is easy and great to make for a dinner party. The fresh roma tomatoes perfectly balance the hearty taste of the spread. Chickpeas are a great source of iron and protein, which is something that many vegetarians lack in their diet. This dish is a great way to use chickpeas in an appealing way!

Ingredients:
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 can of chickpeas, drained and washed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2-3 dashes of hot sauce
pinch of paprika
salt and pepper to taste
fresh mozzarella, cut into thin small squares
1 fresh roma tomato
thyme sprigs, chopped finely

Directions: While the puff pastry is thawing according to package directions, prepare the chickpea spread. Either mash using a masher or use a food processor. I mashed the chickpeas by hand because I like the texture. So, mash the chickpeas, oil, cumin, lemon juice, hot sauce, paprika, salt and pepper together. Adjust the salt according to taste. Chop the roma tomato, mozzarella, and thyme and set aside. Let the chickpea spread sit and also preheat the oven to 350 degrees until the pastry is done thawing. Then, cut the puff pastry into squares of any size you prefer. Spread the chickpea 'filling' on each square and sprinkle the thyme leaves on. Place the squares on a sheet pan and put in oven for 15-20 minutes or until slight golden around edges. After taking the appetizer out of the oven, place a mozzarella slice and roma tomato on each one. Serve immediately while still hot and crispy.

Oxo Good Grips Smooth Potato Masher   (works for the chickpeas as well!)