Perfect Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Raise your hand if you're in favor of chewy cookies vs. crunchy cookies! Good. Because I found the recipe for the PERFECTLY chewy, delicious, sweet yet salty, paleo chocolate chip cookie. And I'm even going to claim that these are better than the original flour, butter, crisco, filled chocolate chip cookies that your grandma made. Yea, they're THAT good.

My pictures aren't all that great because I made these at night and took the photos immediately since I was so excited, but trust me, they taste 100 times better than they look. Plus, I have to add of course, that they're grain free, refined sugar free, gluten free, paleo, and all that jazz. I just cannot get over how good they tasted either - blew me away!

As you can see, it's been a while since I've baked cookies, and I forgot the whole "make sure you leave space between each blob you place on the tray", but even though I pretty much baked one large cookie, they still tasted just as delicious.

And guys, these are simple to make. I promise. You will need to have a good amount of almond butter, paleo flours (I ALWAYS have coconut and almond flours in my pantry) and of course chocolate chips on hand, but those are things you should be keeping in your pantry anyway! I mean, who can live without almond butter and chocolate chips!? I chose this dark chocolate option from my favorite Thrive Market, but you can grab any brand you'd like. I actually get ALL my baking ingredients from Thrive, but I provided some other great alternatives from Amazon below too, especially if you've got that Amazon prime membership like I do.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 6 tbsp coconut oil or unsalted butter (room temperature). Coconut oil should be a softened butter consistency - not liquid. Throw it in the fridge for a bit if it is. 
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 6 tbsp almond butter (room temperature) 
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg (room temperature) 
• 1 cup (or more) chocolate chips (I use the Thrive Market brand)

Directions:

1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Stir all the dry ingredients (almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda & salt) together in a medium bowl.
3. Using an electric hand mixer in a larger bowl, beat together the coconut oil and coconut sugar for about 1 minute. If you don't have an electric mixer, you could use your hands, but it needs to be mixed very well.
4. Add the almond butter and vanilla extract to the wet ingredients, and mix until well combined. Add the egg and beat for about 1 minute.
5. Stir in the flour mixture until everything is mixed well and forms a dough like texture. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Roll the dough into small balls and place on the baking sheet. Press down slightly with your hand. You can also add more chocolate chips to the tops of the balls.
7. Bake for about 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are nicely browned and the surface no longer appears wet.
8. Let cool completely before storing!

Life Lately

Wedding season with my love, (Washington, Connecticut). Wearing probably my absolute favorite dress to date - splurge on this one you guys, you will not regret it.

Kind of healthy, yet not really, gluten-free cheesecake. I mean, how healthy can cheesecake (made with cream cheese) really get?! I used the real stuff too (organic of course). Recipe here.

Not sure why this hollow back handstand pose is SO DARN HARD for me, but I'm getting there! Practice practice practice.

Finally made it out to Sunday in Brooklyn for Nick's birthday. Incredible menu, full of light, healthy, delicious small plates. Highly recommend  the chicken drumsticks (SO good), and the super unique craft cocktails ("Champagne Problems" specifically, because it has beets, mint, and is so delicious).

I had the opportunity to spend 4th of July at the most incredible house I've probably ever stayed at. I spent the weekend in this pool, getting some much needed vitamin D, and explored the town of Amaganssett (which I'm entirely obsessed with now - so cute!). 

I've been on a huge matcha kick these past few months and have finally gotten to a point where I can make a great one at home. It's become my daily morning routine. I originally purchased Sunfood matcha, but it just wasn't the kind I love in a drink (its the type that would work better with baking). So a couple weeks ago, I finally splurged on some real, true, matcha. Yes, it's pricey, but it's much cheaper than going and buying a $5 latte every day! Stay tuned for a post on how I make my matcha lattes soon!

One more shot of this dress, because it really is that good.

Cutest shop in Amaganssett - I wanted all the baskets! I can't remember the name, but it was on the right hand side as you're just entering town.

I couldn't get enough of this bathroom, which was in the house we rented while in Washington, CT for the wedding. Goals.

Meat sauce is on repeat in our household. Warming, hearty, healthy, and delicious, it's the perfect meal (and we always have leftovers for the next day). Throw it over some zucchini noodles for a lighter dish in the summer! Recipe here.

One of my favorite views of NYC.

Slightly obsessed with all the Beautycounter products I just stocked up on, this mask being one of them. It brightens, firms, lifts, and gives my face this fresh and clean glow in 10 minutes flat. To top it off, it's non-toxic and full of natural ingredients. But then again, I wouldn't let anything else touch my skin, would I?

I've just recently started putting brazil nuts in my smoothies. Did you know that only one a day gives you 100% of your daily intake of selenium?! Pretty cool, and a very easy way to get it in.

Blackberry Cheesecake with Gluten-free Crust

I've been on a sweets kick lately. I feel like all the blog posts I have lined up are for cookies, cakes, sweet treats, etc. I mean, that's not the worst thing in the world though, is it? I guess I'll try to sneak something a little different in there to mix it up though maybe.

Today's recipe is a new one for me. I'm the kind of person that likes to stick to things that involve chocolate, but for some reason, cheesecake was calling my name (that and I had fresh blackberries in my fridge that had to be used up). It's a pretty simple and quick recipe too, and deliciously rich so it'll make enough to last you weeks. I froze half of mine to save for later which worked out nicely.

You can use any fruit you'd like but this recipe does work best with berries - raspberries or blueberries would be a great substitute, and the lemon in this cheesecake gives it the perfect tart kick that cuts the sweetness a bit. I did sneak in a few superfoods, like chia seeds, gelatin, coconut oil, and of course the lemon juice I just mentioned, so you can't feel too guilty snacking on this delicious treat. Recipe below!

Ingredients:

Crust

• 2 cups of old fashioned oats
• 3 tablespoons room temperature coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons almond or cashew milk
• 1 cup pitted medjool dates
• 1/4 cup chia seeds

Filling

• 2 8 oz containers of organic cream cheese
• 6 oz fresh blackberries (or other type of berries)
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3-4 lemons, juiced)
• 1 tbsp gelatin powder

Directions:

1. Line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Place the oats in the food process and process until finely chopped up. Add remaining crust ingredients and process until well mixed.
3. Press the crust down into the pan firmly until well packed. It's easiest to use your fingers to make sure it's even across the entire pan.
4. Once the crust is removed from the food processor, add the blackberries and process until pureed.
5. Place the gelatin and lemon juice in a sauce pan and heat over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes until well dissolved and the mixture is warm (do not let it boil!). 
6. In a separate bowl, whip the cream cheese and honey together. I used a hand mixer, which is kind of required, since this mixture is so thick.
7. Add the lemon juice/gelatin mixture to the cream cheese and mix well. Lastly, fold in the pureed blackberries to create a marble like effect.
8. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust and place in the fridge to let it firm up. You can also place in the freezer for about an hour to make this happen quicker.

*adapted from EatGoodForLife

As always, you can find most of these ingredients on Thrive Market, which is where I usually order them, since you get such a huge discount. Would love to hear feedback about how this turned out in the comments below! xoxo