Chewy Peanut Butter, Flax Seed and Chocolate Chip Cookies

     This recipe makes some tasty chewy cookies! And no flour is needed to make them! I used my small coffee grinder to grind the flax seeds and in my opinion, you don't even taste them in the cookies (but they add protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids). The apple sauce helps add moisture that the flax seeds take out.

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/2- 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
   Put all ingredients except chocolate chips in mixer. Mix for 1-2 minutes until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Put dough in fridge for about 30 minutes before forming balls and putting on cookie sheet. Makes about 15-20 cookies depending on how big you make them. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes. I recommend checking them at 8 minutes just in case because of oven/cookie sheet variances.

Practically Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

   
      I call these muffins "practically Paleo" because I use regular chocolate chips in them. I don't follow the Paleo diet but I had some coconut flour that needed to be used up and I find Paleo baking interesting because it's a challenge to make yummy tasting treats without the standard ingredients like flour and sugar. I adapted the recipe I found on this blog.

    They turned out pretty delicious and I would make them again, but I have to admit it's the chocolate chips that really make them worth baking.

    I was out of paper baking cups so I put the batter in a greased muffin pan. For easy clean up, I would recommend washing the pan soon after taking the muffins out since the recipe is egg heavy. I didn't do that of course and had a hard time getting the pan clean.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 6 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips 

     Mix together wet ingredients (you may need to melt coconut oil first, but this usually isn't necessary in sunny Florida) except for zucchini and chocolate chips. In a separate bowl mix together dry ingredients, then combine with wet ingredients. Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Makes 10-12 muffins.