Easy Baking Ideas (Especially, for new Moms!)

Life with a newborn is pretty wonderful but it is pretty busy! I don't have as much time to cook and bake as I did in the past. It actually took me quite awhile to get back into the kitchen after my baby was born. The first month luckily, I was living near my parents and they brought dinner over nightly for my husband and I. They pretty much had a little catering business going on and it was wonderful! 

Then we moved away from California and away from them :( .  Our first month in Colorado we ate a lot of frozen veggie burgers (and we still do!), as well as some microwave dinners. Eventually, I missed cooking and being in the kitchen so I made myself get out my cookbooks and look on Pinterest to find some fun, quick and easy meals and snacks to make. Usually, these were recipes I could quickly get together or at least prep while my baby was taking a nap. Below are two snacks that I've made a couple of times. The muffins I had to make twice because the first batch I accidentally left out on the counter and my dog ate ALL of them! The cookies are so yummy and I don't think they lasted longer than a day in the house!

Chocolate Chip, Almond, Coconut Cookies

Ingredients (8 large cookies)

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 cup All-Purpose unbleached flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 6 Tbsp melted coconut oil (melt before measuring)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine almond flour and all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda. Whisk, making sure to break up an clumps of flour.

In a small bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, honey, almond extract, and water.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir with a rubber spatula or spoon until combined.

Fold in the chocolate chips and shredded coconut.

Scoop out 1/4 cup portions and place on prepared cookie sheet. Using the back of a spoon or your fingers, gently press down on the scoops of cookie dough so they form discs.

Bake for 12 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly golden brown around the edges. Cookies will be very soft.

Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a baking rack to cool completely.

Slighting adapted from: Healthy Food For Living

The other fun little snack are these Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Mini Blender Muffins.   

I'm just linking the blog where I found them because I followed the recipe exactly. Enjoy!

Ciao,
Betsy