Chocolate-covered Gluten-free Peanut Oat Cookies

When I was younger, I loved those crunchy biscuits with a thick chocolate bottom that was both a cookie and a chocolate treat in one. Craving the sweet, I decided to make up my own healthy version of the old-fashioned chocolate biscuit.


Chocolate-covered Gluten-free Peanut Oat Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup of organic peanut butter (no sugar added)
• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 1/2 cup of stevia sweetener crystals
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/4 cup of shredded coconut
• 1 cup of quick oats
• 1/2 a small packet of chocolate melts or chips (you may need a little more depending how thick you like the chocolate on the cookies) * you can also crumble a few bits of chocolate into the cookie mixture at step 3 if you like a little extra chocolate taste. 

Direction:

1. Preheat the oven to a hot 200 degrees and line a large baking tray with oven paper.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the peanut butter, coconut oil, vanilla, stevia and egg.
3. Add in the coconut and oats and mix together until combined.
4. Using a tablespoon, scoop out a spoonful of the mixture and roll into a ball before flattening out on the oven tray. Flattening the cookies will help them to bake golden and crunchy.
5. Repeat this rolling and flattening until all the mixture is used up. You can put the cookies quite close together on the tray because unlike traditional biscuits, they won't spread when baking.
6. Bake for 15 minutes until very golden and toasty; or cooked to your liking.
7. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. When cooled, microwave the chocolate on medium heat for about 2 minutes but check regularly as to not let it burn. Mix the chocolate together until smooth.
9. Cover the bottom of each cookie with the melted chocolate using a spoon.
10. Let set before transferring to a container and keeping in the fridge. 

Holly Madison's Healthy Green Smoothie

Staying healthy during your pregnancy is paramount and 6-months along Holly Madison is making sure she soaks up all the vitamins she needs by starting her day with a delicious green smoothie. Smoothies are a great breakfast as they are easily digested, hydrating and pack more vitamins out of your vegies and fruits than a juice because the fibre is retained. You can get creative and mix up a variety of combinations but to get you in the mood, here is Holly's favourite mix.

Holly Madison's Green Smoothie

Ingredients:
-2 cups water
-2 large handfuls of spinach
-1 banana
-2 cups strawberries

Directions:

-Blend spinach and water well
-Add banana and strawberries (be sure to cut the leaves off of the strawberries)

Feel free to add even more strawberries for a sweeter taste! This makes 2 large smoothies.

Holly and her baby bump

Vegan Carrot Cakes with Coconut Icing

These little cakes are divine; so moist and sweet without breaking any vegan rules! Silken tofu has become my new favourite ingredient to use in my baking. It has such a mild taste, it adds moistness to cakes without affecting flavour and can also make a great icing (as you will later find out).

Vegan Carrot Cakes with Coconut Icing

Ingredients:

• 1 mashed banana
• 2 finely grated carrots 
• 1 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup of flaxseed oil
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup of agave syrup
• 2 tablespoons of stevia sweetener powder
• 1 1/4 cups self-raising gluten-free flour
• 1/4 cup of silken tofu
• 1/4 cup of sultanas 

Icing:

• 1/2 cup of stevia powdered icing sugar (or real icing sugar)
• 1/2 cup of silken tofu
• 1 teaspoon of maple syrup
• 2/3 cup of shredded coconut
• 3 tablespoons of toasted muesli (can be gluten free if required)

Method:

1. In a large bowl, sift the cinnamon, baking powder, and flour, and stir to combine.
2. In a large jug or bowl, whisk together the agave syrup, oil, carrots, banana, tofu and vanilla.
3. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients, adding the sultanas. 
4. Gently mix until combined.
5. Fill 12 greased muffin tins with the mixture and bake in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes, until cooked through. The muffins will be very moist but should be firm to touch.
6. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool further.
7. To make the icing, blend together the sugar, tofu, maple syrup until blended (or use a whisk until all lumps are removed). Stir through the coconut until the mixture thickens. Once cakes are cooled, top with a dollop of the coconut icing and sprinkle with a little muesli to finish.