Gluten-free version of our Breakfast Cookies
Hi Everyone,
One of our sharp-eyed friends pointed out that I did not say when to add the oats in the recipe I shared yesterday. My apologies! Add them at the very end and mix just long enough to combine. Otherwise, the oats will break down. Here's the recipe again with this correction.
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Ingredients:
1 cup honey
2/3 cup canola oil
2 cups grated carrots
2 eggs
3/4 cup Cup4Cup flour
1/4 cup ground flaxmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon or ground cardamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 cups oats
1 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions:
1 Preheat oven to 360 degrees
2 Combine honey and canola oil in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add carrots, eggs and mix well.
3. Mix flour; flaxseed meal; baking powder; ground cinnamon or cardamon; nutmeg; baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Add to wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
4. Add the oats and raisins at the end so they do not break down -- and mix until the mixture is just combined.
5. Drop large spoonfuls on a baking sheet and form into scone-like forms
6. Bake at 360 degrees until tops and bottoms are golden about 15-17 min.
Enjoy
Buckwheat blinis also make a great post-skating food
Hello Friends,
I hope you are all staying well and enjoying whatever the weather brings us.
I was lucky enough to skate off a neighbor's dock on Monday and Tuesday (before the snow came) and discovered -- post skating -- that those buckwheat blinis I wrote about last week also make a great post skating food: with chocolate sauce and whipped cream (if you have it).
Warm the blinis and the chocolate sauce, of course.
Stay well!
Susie
p.s. My grandsons are just getting their skating legs but their enthusiasm takes them far!
file:///C:/Users/Susie/Downloads/IMG_1059%20(3).MP4
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Buckwheat Blinis -- Perfect January Fare
Hello friends,
I'm a seasonal eater, as you've probably gathered by now, and January means buckwheat blinis and smoked salmon. It's a way of celebrating the New Year and the new administration and of boosting one's health and Omega 3 status. I use a Blini recipe that a Finnish chef gave me twenty years ago. You'll need a mini pancake pan of the kind sold by NordicWare to make these small pancakes. They keep (wrapped) in the fridge for weeks (if they stay around that long).
I've never shared this recipe before and hope that it will inspire you to try these earthy buckwheat pancakes. The original recipe -- Blinnies `a la Grand M`ere -- is in French but I translate it here. (Please excuse the accents but I can't figure out how to get them above the letters.)
p.s. I wasn't a grandmother when I first started making these blinis but now that I am, I'm especially grateful to the grandmother who shared this.
One package of yeast (50 grams)
200 milliliters of warm water
3 scant teaspoons salt
3 eggs (Omega 3 eggs, of course)
400 milliliters or 1 2/3 cups warm cream (I usually use half and half)
100 grams melted butter (Grassfed, of course)
300 grams or 1 1/3 cup buckwheat flour
100 grams or 1/3 cup wheat flour
50 grams or 3 heaping Tablespoons flaxseed meal
600 grams or 2 1/3 cup boiling milk
Mix the yeast in the warm water; add the salt, eggs, warm cream and melted butter.
Add the buckwheat, flour and flax and mix.
Cover with a dishcloth and let rest in a warm place for 4-5 hours.
Add the boiling milk to kill the yeast.
Grease your special pancake pan and heat over a medium-low flame to make the blinis. (They take longer to cook than you might think.)
Serve with chopped egg and onion and salmon roe or smoked salmon and sour cream or creme fraiche.
Bon appetit.
We're offering our Sample Box again. Try two of our most popular flavors for just $7!
Hello Customer and Friends,
I just wanted you to know that we're offering our Sample Box again. You can try two of our most popular flavors: Orange Cranberry Nut and Banana Coconut for only $7. The cookies are free; the $7 covers shipping. No other charges will be applied. Find out how satisfying and delicious our Breakfast Cookies are with this special, seasonal offering. Orders from the Continental United States only. Not eligible for coupon codes or promotions. Limit One Per Customer. Please consume your samples in the next couple of weeks or freeze for later use.
Please tell your friends who are interested in trying the Breakfast Cookies and please stay well!
Susie
https://www.susiesmartcookie.com/cart
Homage to the Cocoa Breakfast Cookie
Happy New Year dear Customers and Friends. I hope you all stayed well over the holidays and had some special time with family -- virtually or in person.
I was able to see my grandsons and when I asked them, one morning, what they wanted for breakfast, all three shouted, "Chocolate Breakfast Cookie".
This is my favorite of our four flavors, but that opinion, I have to admit, is not widely shared. Perhaps that's because this Breakfast Cookie is modeled after a chocolate torte I once had at a hotel in Venice (back when we traveled and did other fun things). So I think of it as just the right amount of chocolate for breakfast -- but it is definitely not decadent.
However, that chocolate flavor can easily be intensified (without the addition of any calories) with 20 seconds in the microwave or by toasting in a toaster or oven. Or with a sprinkling of fancy salt. Or both, as my oldest grandson likes them. Only the youngest prefers them at room temperature. The middle asks for his to be toasted "at 6" (i.e., the 6 setting on the toaster. You can't say they don't know their own minds.)
With this little bit of extra treatment, the Cocoa Breakfast Cookies now taste more like a brownie -- but they still have the wholesomeness of all of our Breakfast Cookies. Why are they my grandsons' breakfast choice? You might say it's because they taste like a brownie, but I prefer to think it's because the Breakfast Cookie keeps them going in a way that most breakfast foods do not.
In any case, I appreciate their good taste -- and tips -- and wish them -- and all of you -- a healthy and happy New Year,
Susie
Persimmon Pudding -- high in Omega-3s
It's getting close to Christmas so I'm making my family's favorite Christmas dessert.
It is none other than Nancy Reagan's Persimmon Pudding, which my sister-in-law Jenny Howell introduced our family to oh so many years (decades!) ago.
I always make several changes to the recipe to make it high in Omega-3s (and with a good Omega-6 to Omega-3 balance); and nobody, I promise, will know the difference. We're very lucky if we have any left for breakfast the next day. The kids love the flaming part of the pudding -- and the pudding too. Here's Nancy's original recipe with my suggestions. The next time you hear, "Oh, bring us a figgy pudding," think of this and sigh. The only trick to this recipe is buying the persimmons well ahead of time so that they are truly ripe (i.e.,soupy). I steam my pudding in a pressure cooker so it only takes 25 minutes or so to cook. There are so many things that will be different about this Christmas but I hope the persimmon pudding is the same. Merry Christmas to all and to all a steamed pudding!!
• 1/2 cup melted butter (grass-fed butter, of course!)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour, sifted (to make this high in Omega-3s, I use 4/5 cup flour and 1/5 cup flaxmeal)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 cup persimmon pulp (2 to 3 ripe ones)
chopped walnuts about 1/4 cup
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. warm water
• 3 tbsp. brandy
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten (Omega-3 eggs, of course!)
• 1 cup seedless raisins
Stir together the melted butter and sugar. Mix the flour and flax with salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and add to the butter and sugar mixture. Add the persimmon pulp, soda dissolved in warm water, brandy, and vanilla. Add the eggs, mixing thoroughly but lightly. Add the raisins and nuts. Put in a buttered steam-type covered mold and steam two and a half hours or until thoroughly cooked. Flame at the table with 1/4 cup warmed brandy and serve with the Brandy-whipped cream sauce below or a simpler, lighter topping of slightly sweetened whipped cream.
Brandy-Whipped Cream Sauce
• 1 egg (Omega 3 egg, of course!)
• 1/3 cup melted butter (Grass-fed butter, of course!)
• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
• Dash of salt
• 1 tbsp. brandy flavoring (optional)
• 1 cup whipping cream (Grass-fed if available)
Beat the egg until light and fluffy. Beat in the butter, powdered sugar, salt, and brandy flavoring. Beat the cream until stiff. Gently fold it into the first mixture. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Stir before spooning on the pudding.
St Nicholas Cookies
Dear Friends and Customers,
Because this will be such a strange Christmas for so many of us, I thought I'd share my favorite Xmas cookie recipe. It always brings cheer to my family, and I hope it does the same to yours. The recipe was given to me by my neighbor Georgette Vermeersch, who came from Belgium, but I've modified it, of course, to boost its Omega-3s.
St. Nicholas Cookies
Ingredients:
3 2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup flaxseed meal
2 cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon
4 TBS Milk
3 TBS molasses
1 package vanilla sugar (I use a packet of Dr. Oetker's Vanilla Sugar but there may be a way to make it yourself)
250 g grass-fed butter (such as Kerry or Anchor or a local option)
100 g slivered almonds, toasted
dash ginger powder (1/2 teaspoon)
lemon zest, grated, from one lemon
Directions:
Lightly toast almonds in a broiler
Combine and mix all ingredients in a mixer
Divide the mixture into thirds and shape each third into individual logs, approximately 2 inches in width.
Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, up to several weeks.
When ready to prepare, remove a log and slice as thinly as possible, a little less than 1/8" inch (see pic; I use a bread knife for this).
Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees or until very lightly brown. Watch this carefully as the cookies can easily burn. The cookies also darken as they age. BTW, the flavor of these cookies also intensifies as they age. They keep really well in an airtight tin.
Merry Christmas from Susie's Smart Cookie. I hope we can all find ways to safely share the joy of the season.
Susie
A Special Holiday Offering from Susie's Smart Cookie -- 20% off. Sale ends 12/31.
Dear Customers,
We're all looking for ways to stay healthy and well during this crazy Covid holiday season.
So why not send your loved one a box of Susie's Smart Breakfast Cookies to help them through these unprecedented times.
Satisfying and delicious, Susie's Smart Breakfast Cookies are a great breakfast to go -- or to eat at home (where many of us are these days). Plus, they have the added benefit of boosting one's Omega-3s, essential fats that help every tissue in our bodies, but especially our brains, which are mostly fat, and need the Omega-3s to behave optimally.
Because we know how stressful this year has been, we're doubling our usual holiday discount and allowing customers to use the discount multiple times. Please use the Discount Code Holidays2020 to take 20% off all your orders. Our sale ends 12/31; but order by December 16 to guarantee delivery before Christmas. Shipping, as always, is free. Happy Holidays to all of you from Susie's Smart Cookie; and please stay well and sane. 2021 is just around the corner.
Best,
Susie and Michele
Zucchini with Walnuts -- a great way to use this perennially-available vegetable in winter
Hello dear customers and friends,
My grandmother was a great cook and hostess so when I stumbled across this recipe of hers, I had to give it a try. I usually sauté zucchini very quickly and serve it without any sauce, but I was intrigued by the addition of wine and walnuts. It turns out that this is a good way to make a substantial side out of zucchini that would pair well with any hearty chicken or meat dish. The canola oil and walnuts means that it has a healthy balance of Omega-3s and Omega-6s. Thank you Catty! Enjoy.
1 1/2 large zucchini or 4-5 small
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup scallions, sliced or a sliced shallot
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 Tsp lemon juice
Cut zucchini into 1/2 inch slices. Slice scallions or shallot.
Slightly brown on both sides in the canola oil.
Add wine and lemon juice and 1/4 cup water. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add walnuts, season with salt, and serve.
Thanksgiving in a Pandemic
Dear Friends and Family,
No matter how small (or large) your turkey is this Thanksgiving, don't forget that there are many ways of adding Omega-3s to it -- and the rest of your dinner.
Here are 5 suggestions that will make your Thanksgiving dinner is as healthy as it is delicious.
1. Use canola oil to rub on your turkey (along with salt and pepper) before roasting.
2. Add flaxseed meal to your stuffing -- about 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal per cup of stuffing.
3. Use Omega-3 eggs to make your pies. Look for eggs that have 250mg of Omega-3s per egg -- or more.
4. Use grass-fed butter, such as Kerry or Anchor butter, in all of your dishes.
5. Add a small amount of flaxseed meal to your pie crusts by replacing 2 tablespoons of flour with flax.
No one will know that you have taken these small steps towards a healthier Thanksgiving but your cells and bodies will thank you!
And Thank you for being a Susie's Smart Cookie customer.
To your health,
Susie and Michele
Carrot and saffron risotto -- as pretty as it is delicious!
When this recipe for Carrot and Saffron risotto popped up on The New York Times Cooking App, I knew I had to try it. I wondered if my grandsons would find the saffron too strong -- or unfamiliar, but they loved it! Comfort food in a time of Covid. I use a pressure cooker to prepare risotto -- and highly recommend it, but you can prepare this dish in whatever way you make your risotto.
Ingredients:
1 small shallot minced
3 - 4 TBS canola oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups Arborio rice
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, ground in a mortar and pestle
2 cups grated carrot
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 TBS half and half
1 TBS butter
2 heaping TBS flaxseed meal (for their Omega-3s)
salt and pepper
Instructions
Add the pulverized saffron threads to the chicken broth and set aside.
Sauté the shallot in canola oil in the pot of the pressure cooker, then add the risotto, coating with oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until it has cooked off.
Add the broth and carrots to the pot and stir to break up the risotto. Close the lid and bring to a boil. When the pot has reached pressure, turn down the heat and continue to cook for 7 minutes. When the risotto is creamy and just cooked, add butter, cream, parmesan, flaxseed meal, and correct seasonings. Serve immediately with a salad. So simple; so good. Be well.
Have you had Success using the Susie's Smart Breakfast Cookie Diet?
Hello Customers,
The editor of Woman's World contacted us to ask if any of our customers would be willing to share their weight-loss experience with their magazine.
I know it is a great deal to ask, but this publicity would be a huge help to our company -- AND it could be an opportunity to promote your favorite organization or charity.
Thanks for considering this request! Woman's World is looking for a woman in her fifties or sixties who has lost 40-50 pounds.
Stay well and thanks again for giving this some thought.
Susie