I love to bake. Absolutely adore it.
I know that little tidbit of information may come as quite a surprise to you, considering the only baking that I’ve shown so far on this blog has been of the baked oatmeal variety…
… but baking is actually one of my favorite things to do. Rainy days. Stressful days. Sweet tooth days. There’s just nothing quite as comforting as being in a warm kitchen with a mouth-watering smell wafting out of the oven. And the goodies that come out of that oven aren’t too bad, either 😉
Unfortunately, I can’t even remember the last time that goodies came out of my oven. Well, that’s not entirely true if you count the baked sweet potato that was part of last night’s dinner…
(with maple syrup, raw almond butter, Greek yogurt, and cinnamon)
… but the last treats that came out of my oven? A loaf of banana bread over a month ago, maybe?
Who am I!?!
As a self-proclaimed baking addict, my latest actions have been suggesting otherwise; and the lack of freshly baked goods in my life left me craving an ooey-gooey cookie or a warm muffin like nobody’s business. To remedy that, I made it a top priority to whip up a batch of something this morning. Baking even took precedence over exercise on today’s agenda, because cookies beat buns of steel, right?
Right.
But what to make? The blog world is an absolute gold mine when it comes to delicious recipes, but the catch is there are so many good ones, that it becomes almost impossible to pick just one…
Browsing through my “to-make” list was getting me nowhere – the dratted thing is pages long and everything on it sounded so good! Frustrated, I decided to take a break and work on taking a chunk out of my Google Reader instead, which actually proved to be the solution to my little indecision problem.
I came across Gracie’s guest post on Gabriela’s blog, where she shared the recipe for her Coconut Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies. Uhm. Coconut, bananas, and chocolate? GET IN MA BELLY! Besides being a combination of three of my favorite things, the recipe called for a lot of coconut flour, which was convenient because I had a bag of the stuff that I didn’t quite know what to do with.
It was time to get to work…
I know that a lot of people complain about all the work that goes into baking, what with the messy counters and dirty dishes and all… and while I agree that the clean up definitely isn’t the funnest part of baking, the worst part in my opinion, is waiting for that dratted timer to reach zero while the smells that come out of the oven seriously push the limits of your self-control.
! ! !
Clearly, my self-control could use a little work…
… because these need a little bit of time to cool off before being handled so that they don’t fall apart. But with how heavenly these made my kitchen smell, I think I did rather well, thank you very much.
As for the recipe itself? It did very well. Besides tasting absolutely amazing, with the perfect blend of flavors and just the right amount of sweetness, the texture of these cookies was absolutely spot on.
Doughy. Dense. Perfect. It was like eating a cookie dough version of a coconut-banana macaroon.
And on a completely unrelated note… I realize that I don’t spend a lot of time talking about myself or the day-to-day happenings of my life on here, and it’s not because I’m trying to be sneaky or distant, but because I’m not entirely sure what to say. When it comes to issues I feel passionately about, I can talk for hours, but when it comes to talking about myself? A few sentences and I usually fall silent.
So maybe you guys can help me out a little bit.
I was thinking about starting a Q&A series, so if there’s anything you want to know about me or my life, leave your questions in the comments, or send me an e-mail, and I’ll answer them in upcoming posts.
Hope you guys are having a beautiful weekend! 😀
. – . – . – .
Do you like to bake? What was the last thing that came out of your oven?
Got any questions for me?
mmmm, I love baking muffins. But mine Never turn out nice and fluffy like the ones from ‘bean around the world’ or other cafes. Is it the baking soda/powder? I want my muffin tops!
My dear Amanda, I got one very important question for you : Would it be possible to share a cookie with you someday? Haha, they look absolutely amazing 🙂
I love to bake, it is so nice to work with the dough and know that you create something good to share with those you love. The last thing that came out of my oven was vanilla/raspberry muffins – ahhh… The taste of baked deliciousness truely makes you grateful for recovery.
I got a serious question for you too – if you were to challenge yourself when it comes to food, what food would you then have to give a try?
Love you <3
Of course it would be possible to share a cookie! Just let me know ahead of time when you’ll be coming over so I can whip up a fresh batch 😀
I have always enjoyed baking… starting at a very young age 🙂 I remember I would ALWAYS ask my babysitter if we could bake something together, and not just the boxed mixes, were talking from scratch haha. It was a big deal for me at the time
Before my disordered eating took over my life, I would bake all of the time, tasting the dough/mix as I went along and of course having some of the finished product. But then things got bad and I would still bake but not have a bite, lick, or taste of anything… yep that pesky control part of me certainly played a part here.
I am at such a better state of mind now and again enjoy tasting the delicious goods! Especially the raw batter of pretty much any kind of treat… brownie and cake mix are my favorite 🙂
Question: How long did your Eating Disorder “last” and what made you snap out of it and take on such a healthy and positive view of life?
You are so inspiring to me girl 😀
Oh! Another question. Do you have any siblings? It’s always fun to hear about family!
Ugh I haven’t baked in so long either and have seriously been craving a good fruity muffin. I must get on that! I think baking sort of intimidates me. Especially if it involves yeast.
Hmmm questions, huh? Favorite books? I’m always looking for recommendations. Or maybe talk more about how you got into cooking your own food!
I love baking as well! It’s such a therapeutic thing for me. Those cookies look delicious. I feel like I’ve been talking too much about myself I feel like I need to talk about other things but I don’t know what else to talk about.
I have a question! What are your workouts usually like? I know you had mentioned you injured your foot is it getting any better?
Mmm those look deelish 🙂 now I have an idea for what to do with the coconut flour I have sitting around!The last thing I baked were chocolate covered Katie’s snickerdoole blondies! And let me tell you half the ban was gone in about 30 minutes.
Questions.. Your favorite products or staple foods (besides oatmeal of course! Haha)
I am SUCH a baker! Whenever I’m bored/stressed/angry/hungry whatever me and my oven become besties 🙂 And I’ve wanted to make those ever since I first saw them, but I neeeed to buy some coconut flour!!
Question: What do you do for a living?
I think I’m gonna go bake something now! 😀
those look soooo good! I just baked yesterday, and I love it too 🙂
Wow these look soo good!! I am in love with baking. I tend to bake at least 3 times a week. And if I say so myself…I have gotten rather good at it 🙂 My friends call me the ‘baking queen’ hehe 😛 It just takes me away from everyday life and gives me a space to do something that’s fun and creative and more to the point – yummy! My dream job would be just to bake all day, seriously. I have a list as long as my arm of recipes I’m still wanting to try and it never stops growing!
I’d like to know what your typical day is like maybe? 🙂 xxx
What a great recipe for cookies! I do enjoy baking especially on a cold winter day! I do enjoy baking – my next baking experiment is to try homemade bread and pizza dough – I’ve always been intimidated by recipes with yeast!
Question where to you see yourself in 10 years?
Happy Sunday! Aim:)
!! I’m the SAME way with working with yeast. I really wanna try my hand at homemade bread, but I’ve never used yeast in a recipe so I’m afraid I would screw up somewhere along the way lol.
i saw those cookies! they look so good! the texture especially! mmm i kinda like to bake.. im dnt love it.. but i dont love cooking either… but once in a while ill get the urge to bake!
Wow those look AMAAAZING! I’m a baking addict as well but because of uni work getting all over my grill (not literally, obvs.) I’ve had to put baking on the back burner (damn these puns!). The last thing I baked was a ginger slice. Oh my, it was amazing 😉
xxx
Omgsh. Serious cookie craving right now.
I tried to make muesli yesterday (*tried). Hahahahaha. Unfortunately it didn’t come out so good.. Gonna keep trying until I reach your perfection! ^~^
MmMM, those cookies must have been good! I need coconut flour! But the sweet potato with greek yoghurt, is what I REALLY crave right now! Looks delicious!
I love to bake, but have done it way too little lately. I often make raw desserts though, so easy. But there is something special with baking. Love the smell of it, so relaxing!
I love baking, nothing clears my head so quickly and so nicely as baking some wonderful pie or cookies:)
I love baking. And I miss baking… I really need an oven. Or at least an oven toaster 😀 . I want to make a huge batch of chocolate and peanut butter cookies and share them with my crazy colleagues who tend to work way too much and completely forget about having fun.
A very random question – if you could be someone else for a day, who would you choose to be?
I had this exact dilemma today..I wanted to bake, but there were SO many good recipes I couldn’t pick one. So I decided to make ice cream cake instead!
I don’t like to bake very much, but I love when other people bake for me! My favorites are baked breads like pumpkin chocolate bread, banana bread, and zucchini bread. The last thing I baked was peanut butter cookies for my xc team. The only question I have for you is what do you do with all the leftovers when your having a crazy baking week? Because if there’s too many to handle, I make a great taste tester =}
Hmm…I think a second question could be…what’s your favorite baked bread?
Lol! I actually used to have that problem when I baked a lot more, but since cutting back, there haven’t been many leftovers. BUT if I ever find myself being buried by cookies again, I’ll let you know 😉
I am so getting back on the baking and cooking inspiration after the wedding! Things have been son crazy, but after the wedding i will be free and get to play with all my new kitchen gadgets I have got from my bridal shower last month and more I’m sure from tomorrow’s bridal shower!
The cookies look good!!
Love ya!!
Those cookies look so dense! I have never cooked with coconut flour, but now I’m wanting to!
I saw that post too! Those cookies look so scrumptious! I admit I don’t exactly know how to bake (or rather haven’t taken the time to)- however when I go visit my grandparents in Finland I always make gingerbread cookies or korvapuusti (Finnish cinnamon buns w/ cardamom) with my grandma…yummmm! Oh and my mom makes amazing baklava, chocolate cheesecake, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!
Ooh I totally had those cookies bookmarked as soon as I saw them 😀
I love to bake, but I’m not very good at it. I’m not good at getting exact measurements of things and baking requires a bit more of that. 😛
All right questions.. hrrm.
I would love to know your favorite books?
Favorite color? .. that’s always a good one 😉
A popular food around the blog world you really DON’T like?
Okay, if I think of more.. I’ll be back!
I LOVE baking!
Question, what is your skin care regime?
I love to bake, last thing that I baked was chocolate chip cookies, plain and simple.
Hmm, questions…favorite thing that someone else in your family bakes?
I have lots of questions (like can you guide me out of this hell i’m in…but u don’t want or need to hear it).
Despite being on bed-rest (one week and counting…self-imposed)…i’m eating a lot of chocolate…feels so wrong when i literally lie down or sit up each day alone. but trying to look at the positives (chocolate has iron and magnesium)…(whole grains have clarity for the brain)….guilt is the devil on my shoulder…i hope it fades and i can be healthy again. i hope.
do you have a job? are you still living with your parents? would love to hear more about what you do ! 🙂
Must.make.these. I love the “doughy” aspect of these. They sound perfect!!
How do u make those yummy smoothies?and what does a typical day look like for u?xoxoxo
Is that a winter-themed reindeer plate? lol…I love it! The cookies look wonderful too 😉 I often times have the same problem when I want to bake but don’t know exactly what! And then I see so many suggestions online that I just get so overwhelmed that I either wing it, or grab a cook-book. The choices are a bit shortened then!
Last thing that came out of my oven was one of my coconut flour dessert bake thingers. But if you mean “real baking,” it was…ahhh…oh!! wicked good granola bites 😉
Hmmm…question for you.
What is your ideal job?
Will you hate me if the Bruins beat the Canucks?
Lol Maaaaaaaybe I did bust out the Rudolph plate. And maaaaaaybe I will hate you just a tad if the Bruins beat the Canucks 😉 Naw, I could never. But the question in… would you hate me if the Canucks beat the Bruins?
Ahh so jealous that you made these! I need to acquire coconut flour asap! The last thing I baked (in my toaster oven) was Super-Charge Me Cookies. I love those, but can’t wait to do some hard-core baking once I get home and have a real kitchen!
I love baking too, but I’ve been a little uninspired lately. I wish I had coconut flour (I actually looked for some today and couln’t find any) bc I would make these in an instant!
Coconut flour?!?! O my word!!! I am definitely going to have to hunt that baby down the next time I go grocery shopping! I’ve never heard of such a beautiful baking item 🙂
Those cookies look delicious! The last thing I baked was some homemade granola bars and, surprisingly, they came out perfect–just the right amount of crunch 🙂
I’m in love with baking, in spite of the mess I make in the kitchen, and I’ve had lots of time to do it recently. Right now I’m slightly obsessed with bread, probably due to the large jar of yeast I have in my freezer. On Wednesday I made whole wheat pitas, and on Thursday I made some yummy cinnamon rolls. Last week I made some black bean brownies which turned out absolutely wonderful.
I have the same problem you have though–how do I decide among all the recipes I want to try? I suppose I could have worse problems 🙂
You’re my hero. Working with yeast and making homemade bread still intimidates me. It just seems so complicated and easy to screw up along the way! I’m gonna have to get over it eventually, though, because I LOVE freshly baked bread.
Ahh, my mum and I just bought a bag of coconut flour yesterday and we are searching for recipes . . . A fine idea!
I made blondies for work last week! Deeelicious 🙂 Your cookies look very tasty as well, btw!
My question = What is your ideal Saturday?
I’m not going to lie… I’m not a fantastic baker. I always get ‘inspired’ (or at least that’s my word for it) to tweak the recipes a bit, or add a spice of my own. Which means that for the most part my baking it too dry or too moist or just not right. The patience thing is also a bit of an issue for me, waiting for it to bake AND cool? That’s a job and a half 🙂
As for some questions…What are your biggest fears? What is the one thing that can always make you smile? Are you a pet person?
Lol I always used to tweak recipes too… heck, sometimes I still do. Once in a while they come out pretty terrible, but I guess I must have learned some things along the way, so they’re usually not complete disasters 😉 It’s all about trial and error.
(your FAVORITE book, I should say)
Yay! Love baking. The last thing I baked was a red velvet bundt cake.
Question for you – what is your favorite movie and your book?
Wow that looks delicious! I haven’t baked much other than brownie mix ages ago… maybe when I finally get to move into my own apartment again, I’ll have to start up!