Cookies

Just over one month ago I decided to recover from MS.  I have learned so much about myself, my body, health and nutrition.  Slowly but surely, my symptoms continue to improve.  I think of my pre-recovery diet and shake my head - it's no wonder I felt like crap most of the time.  Since changing my diet, I have to say I really don't miss any of the stuff I ate 'before'.  Except cookies.

I love cookies.  I love snacks and sweets and chips and puffed corn products.  Anyone who's ever been to my house knows that my pantry is usually filled with every kind of goodie imaginable.  Now that I'm in recovery, I've had to forego all of my regular snacks and find healthy alternatives.  That's been pretty easy when it comes to crunchy stuff (sweet potato or beet chips, almonds and pumpkin seeds - stuff like that).  But I hadn't yet been able to find a cookie that actually looked, felt and tasted like a good old-fashioned home made cookie.

***Disclaimer - I do not bake home made cookies.  I have been known to bake pre-made cookies or stuff from mixes.  But now I leave the real baking to my girlfriend who, in consideration of preserving her anonymity to ensure compliance with the Witness Protection Program, I shall refer to in this blog as 'Betty'***

So Betty knows that I just love chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips. (They are awesome).  I've mentioned before that Betty's following the diet along with me and so her pantry is stocked with all of the gluten free,  dairy free, egg-free, soy-free, legume-free stuff a baker such as Betty might need.  She comes up with recipes and tests them out on her kids.  We figure that if kids like what she's made, it's a pretty good sign that the stuff is tasty.

Betty has been working on a cookie for me and this weekend, she came up with a really good one.  A really, really good one.  'Really' good as in 'Could-Make-a-Girl-Scout-Cry' good.  In the zeal to create the perfect chipless chocolate chip cookie, Betty hit on the idea of using almond butter to keep the dough from crumbling.  The result was pure magic.  Betty ate about 8 cookies right off the cooling rack.  I exercised a bit more restraint and was able to wait till they were off the rack and on plate.  And then I ate a dozen or so. 

Six weeks ago, who would have thought?  My body is recovering, I feel better than I have in years, the future is amazing . . . and I still have cookies.

I love cookies.  Life is good.


Bonus:
Here's the recipe if you want to bake something for when you invite me over for tea sometime:

1 C Spectrum Vegetable Shortening (no trans fats, made from organic palm oil)
1/3 C almond butter
2 T pure molasses
1 C Xylitol sweetener
2t vanilla

Beat together.  Then add:
2 servings Egg Replacer

Beat again.  Then add:
1 C gluten free baking flour
1 1/4 C almond flour
1t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Blend all.  Bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes.  Let cool a few minutes before transferring to a rack.  (You can get all of the ingredients at a health food store, in the health food section of a grocery store, or at a store such as WholeFoods)
 

Pickup Betty . . . Betty pickup
                     Laverne & Shirley