A "Hulking" Xmas to you!

It’s the start of the holiday season and since the media, businesses and the like have splashed their commercialized, materialistic and religious versions of the holidays all over the place like Xmas vomit (I know – sounds horrible doesn’t it?), I won’t do that in my blog.  Well, at least I hope I won’t but if I start to resemble them please feel free to stop me by throwing a snowball at me.  Wait! We have no snow at the moment so I guess there goes that idea!  Yep, there is no snow in this area of Northern Ontario (Manitoulin area) just yet.  And because there is no snow yet, I hear plenty of people complaining that they want the snow as it wouldn’t be Xmas without it; but that’s BS.  Yep, it is!

Xmas without snow happens in many places but it is still Xmas all the same.  Personally, I think we have stereotyped Xmas to death with idea of snow (and other things) that people have become fanatics for the white stuff.  What gets me is that after the holidays are over then people are “sooooo” done with the snow and can’t wait until spring; absurd it is!  I tell ya; never a happy medium around here!  But despite all the craziness that is put upon us during the holiday season, I am not a Grinch just yet.  It may sound like I am and I may even resemble the Grinch when I am in a line-up at the store/mall/wherever during the holidays but I am not.  Although I have been known to turn a wee bit green at the idiocy of it all so perhaps I am the Hulk during this time? Maybe? Come to think of it, it’s good to be the Hulk during Xmas because the Hulk has muscles that I need to carry the unusual amount of gifts and groceries to and from the house to the car that I get conned into getting all in the name of Xmas.  There, it is settled; no Grinch here!

I have always been a giving individual throughout the entire year regardless if it’s around a holiday or not. However, because it is the “Holidays” I thought it would be awesome to share a recipe or two with you from my cook book before I publish it; my gift to you. Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!! 

Hey, if I can’t beat them (those commercialized, materialistic people of the world) I might as well join them as it allows me to give you a gift under the guise of the Xmas spirit (I would have given the gift regardless because hey, that is me!) While I cannot buy you anything fancy or promise you a future filled with many things, I can leave you with perhaps a chuckle and something to bake that will make you feel all warm and cozy inside.  If it doesn’t, well, I don’t have an exchange policy so the gift is yours to keep! Ha! Did I say Merry Xmas and Happy New Year yet? Lol

Ok…so here goes my first recipe. Just before I give you the recipe I do need to let you in on a secret if you haven’t been following me until now (whispering starts right now) all my recipes are gluten free and have a hint of vegan to them. (Whispering ends here just in case you didn’t stop whispering.) Yes, it is true.  Did you see my disclaimer that you can’t exchange the gifts? You are welcome! Enjoy! Happy Hanukah, Winter Solstice, Xmas and New Year, Chinese New Year, etc, etc, etc…..hahahaha

Crunchy Shortbread Cookies

What you need 1 cup of vegan margarine or I like to use coconut oil (not melted) 1 ¼ cups coconut sugar or brown sugar (firmly packed) 1 teaspoon maple syrup or vanilla extract 2 ½ cups of gluten free flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill or my own blend of ½ cup of arrowroot flour, 1 cup of brown rice flour, ½ cup of potato flour & ½ cup of teff or buckwheat flour) 1 teaspoon of xanthum gum Icing Sugar Frosting 2 cups gluten free icing sugar 2 tablespoons vegan margarine or coconut oil 2 tablespoons water Food coloring

The low down on how to put it all together

In a large bowl, mix margarine/coconut oil and coconut sugar/brown sugar until creamy. Add in maple syrup and blend.  In a separate bowl, mix the xanthum gum and the flour mixture.  Once this is done, mix in the dry ingredients with the soft ingredients (sugar mixture) and blend thoroughly.   Form the mixture into a ball and then wrap in plastic and put in the refrigerator for an hour to chill.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Celsius and grease cookie sheets.  On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness.  Once rolled, cut the dough with cookie cutters into the shapes you want the cookies to be.  I like making these cookies around Xmas and make Santas, stars, nutcrackers and Xmas booties.  Place to cookies onto the cookie sheets and then bake for 35 minutes or until firm and lightly brown.  When done, transfer the cookies to racks to cool and decorate with icing sugar frosting.

When you are done mixing the icing sugar, separate it into 4 bowls and add in the food coloring that you want to make in each bowl.  You can paint the cookies using a cheap, new paintbrush that you dip into the icing color of choice.  The kids and even the adults love it!  I sometimes decorate it further as the icing is setting with little cake sparkles that you can get in the baking isle in your local grocery store.

Raw Brownie (totally to die for!)

What you need Willpower; you need it with this one! 2 cups of whole walnuts (I used chopped ones) 2 ½ cup of Medjool dates, pitted (If you can’t find Medjool, then find a date that looks good to you) 1 cup of raw cocoa 1 cup of raw, unsalted almonds that are roughly chopped Icing (optional) 1 ripe avocado 5 tablespoons cocoa powder 5 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup A few tablespoons of flaked coconut or nuts

The low down on how to put it all together Place the walnuts in a food processor and blend on high until the nuts are finely grounded.  Then add the cocoa and continue to blend.  Next add the dates one at a time through the top of the food processor while it is running until you end up with a mixture that sticks well together. In a bowl combine the walnut mixture and almonds.  Once mixed, place the mixture into a cake pan (8x8) and add the icing before placing in the freezer until ready to serve.  Cut into pieces while frozen and share with you best buddy or not!  I think the brownie tastes good with and without icing, but you can be the judge of that. This recipe was adapted from Sarah Britton (My New Roots). And while my sister Sandy didn’t “love” this brownie, she didn’t hate it either!  I personally loved it as there is no flour in it or lots of sugar; just love! hahaha