Hello, everyone! I caught up on most of my reading and made it back this week with a new book and recipe to share with you this morning.

The recipe I’m sharing is a basic breakfast cookie recipe that I modified to make gluten free. These are delicious, healthy, and so easy to grab on busy mornings. They’re honestly wonderful any time of the day. I have to credit TheMinimalistBaker for this basic recipe even though I modified it. You can see the original unmodified recipe Here.

Ingredients (modified for gluten free +) – Makes about 18

• 2 medium ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp raw honey
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (gluten-free)
• 1/2 cup gluten free flour (coconut, arrowroot)
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/2 Tsp baking powder
• 1/2 Tsp baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tbsp lightly chopped walnuts
• 2 Tbsp dried cranberries or raisins
• 1/2 cup dairy-free semisweet or dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
2. In a large bowl or mixer, mash the bananas, almond butter, pumpkin puree, oil, and honey until it’s a fairly smooth batter. A mixer works perfectly.
3. Stir in vanilla, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
4. Add oats, almond meal, and flour. Mix well.
5. Add chocolate chips, cranberries, and walnuts. Stir until well combined.
6. Drop cookies by large scoop size on a baking sheet and press down slightly to flatten.
7. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the cookies are slightly golden brown.
8. Rest on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store in an air-tight container to keep fresh for up to 5 days.

Here’s how I made them: I doubled the recipe…

I make my own almond meal. In the processor, it’s so easy. Add in your almonds. About a cup or so.

Process on high until a meal has formed. It takes about 1 minute.

This is what I love about this Cuisinart processor. You can use the two top plastic inserts and the full processor remains clean.

Another tip is to buy your nuts in bulk and keep them in the freezer. Then you’ll always have them when you need them. I just store mine in gallon freezer bags.

Chop up about 3-4 Tbsp of Walnuts

I’m using this local nut butter company in Michigan. This stuff is delicious, or you can make your own in the processor the same way you do the meal. It just takes about 12-15 minutes to make. If you have a Vitamix, you can make nut butters in that as well.

Add in your honey, bananas, pumpkin, and coconut oil. If you’re using a mixer like a Kitchenaid, you don’t need to mash the bananas first.

Whip it up for a minute until everything is blended and smooth.

 Add in the vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix it well.

Now we’re going to add in the flour. I went gluten free on this recipe using a 50/50 mix of arrowroot and coconut flour. Add it in the bowl.

Coconut flour is very fibrous and can be tricky. Doing a 50/50 mix with another gluten free flour does the trick.

We’re going to add the flours in the bowl with our almond meal and oats.

Mix it in good.

The last ingredients are dark/dairy free chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and walnuts. Mix that up and we’re ready to form the cookies.

I’m using a regular ice cream scoop to make the cookies very large.

Evenly space them, press them a little flat, and bake for about 17 minutes.

These are so delicious.

Crispy on the outside while soft on the inside.

They are so moist and aren’t dry at all!

With these breakfast cookies, I’m having a favorite tea by Pukka called “Womankind.” The cranberry, rose, and vanilla flavor goes well with these cookies. If you’d like to see my previous post on brewing perfect tea, click HERE.

Hope you enjoy!

Continue for this week’s book!

This Week’s Book

I’m still reading The Cottingley Secret and hope to have it finished by next week. I’m adding one more book this week.

The Spell of the Horse

by Pam Billinge

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Blackbird Digital Books (September 18, 2017)
• ISBN-10: 0995473552
• ISBN-13: 978-0995473553

Blurb: The ability of the horse to sense emotion, energy and spirit is way beyond what most of the human world realises. A must-read for those wishing to understand the spiritual connection between horses and humans.

When Pam’s mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she began to notice the way her horse responded to her emotional turmoil. Thus began an exploration into the spiritual relationship between horses and humans and their infinite capacity to help us heal. Building on her remarkable discoveries, Pam began her pioneering work as a horse-led coach and therapist. By sharing her own path to redemption through personal tragedy, and other stories of healing inspired by the incredible interactions she has observed between horse and human, Pam puts forward her uplifting insights about the true nature of the horse, setting out some simple principles to help the reader transcend life’s challenges.

Discover the lessons which horse behaviour have taught the author about

* managing anxiety
* surviving bereavement
* letting go of fear and finding courage to live with joy and purpose
* listening to inner wisdom without overthinking dilemmas, allowing the right things to happen in life without force

This memoir will appeal to fans of The Outrun by Amy Liptrot, The Wild Other by Clover Stroud and H is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald. Pam Billinge is a body psychotherapy professional and leadership coach at the top of her game in the UK field of horse-led therapy.

*I love horses and have owned them for part of my life. The relationship you can build with a horse is so very special. It takes work, but it’s so worth it. I’m very interested in learning how the author discusses horses helping with anxiety and fear. I’m starting this tonight and cannot wait. I love reading memoirs and people’s life stories.*

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Thanks for reading today’s Breakfast and a Book. With the new school year in full swing, I may be cutting down to every other Wednesday with Breakfast and a Book.

I hope you all enjoy the rest of the week!