We're getting closer and closer to this baby's arrival and I officially began gradually stocking our freezer last week so that we have some meals and baked goods on hand after baby's arrival.  Since that start, the coronavirus shut downs have heavily moved forward and for good reason, but I don't know if the grocery store availability will have us dipping into those baby meals sooner than later.  Regardless, the meals won't go to waste and I'm grateful that we have some preparations in progress.  We're certainly in new terrain at this point and I hope that you and your families are healthy and safe wherever you are.

One of the preparations I'm making for baby's arrival is this updated version of these new mama cookies.  I made a previous version here with our last delivery, but I wanted to update with a new recipe that was closer to a classic oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.  They're packed with ingredients known to help increase milk supply, but I call them new mama cookies because they're wholesome and convenient for all sleep deprived mamas, regardless as to how they choose to or need to feed their sweet little baby. A wholesome cookie is going to come in handy if you're up every 1-2 hours, every night for months.

The star ingredients in these cookies, aside from the dark chocolate chips, are oatmeal, flax seed and brewer's yeast.  Brewer's yeast can have a little bit of a strong odor and a bitter taste so I keep the amount to 1 TBS in the entire recipe.  These may make a sweet little surprise for any friends or family that are expecting.  What mom wouldn't love someone to show up with homemade cookies?

Here's what you'll need to get baking:

Ingredients
-1/2 cup butter at room temperature (grass fed preferred)
-3/4 cup coconut sugar
-2 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 1/2 cups oat flour (to make oat flour, I simply processed 1 1/2 cups oatmeal in my high powered blender.  You could also use a food processor or purchase oat flour already processed if you prefer)
-3/4 cups oatmeal
-1/4 cup flax seed
-1 TBS Brewer's Yeast
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp baking powder
-1-2 tsp cinnamon
-1 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions
In a large bowl, use a stand or hand mixer to cream together the butter and coconut sugar.  Then add in the eggs one at a time, mix and add in the vanilla.  Once these ingredients are combined, begin to add in the dry ingredients of the oat flour, oatmeal, flax seed, brewer's yeast, salt and baking powder.  Mix together with the mixer on low/medium until a cookie dough forms.  Fold in the 1 cup of dark chocolate chips.  Cover the bowl of prepared cookie dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for approximately 1 hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie tray with parchment paper.  Using a small cookie scooper or spoon, scoop out the cookie dough into roughly shaped domes and place on the prepared cookie tray approximately 2 inches apart.  Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 11 minutes.  Allow to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before gently transferring to a wire baking rack to finish cooling.  

This recipe makes approximately 35 cookies, depending on the size of cookies that you scoop.  You can serve them immediately or freeze in a freezer bag once they have cooled completely.

Stay safe and healthy friends!

My pregnancy sugar dragon has been in full swing lately so I'm weaving in a healthier version of the chocolate chip cookie, which makes them appropriate for breakfast....or at least that's what I'm going with. I believe in a "no guilt" approach to wellness, exercise and nutrition and I can generally feel when I've swung a little too far to one end of the spectrum between truly enjoying indulgences and over doing it a bit, which is where I'm at right now.  If you've followed my recent Instagram posts, you'll know that we just hit the 1/2 way mark of this pregnancy and we found out that #4 is a boy! Just about 20 weeks to go and I want to keep active and well.  So, onto these breakfast cookies.  They'll give you that sweet little something with the wholeness of oatmeal and no refined sugars.

Ingredients
-1/3 cup ghee or grass fed butter
-2 scoops protein powder (I use Devotion Angel Food Cake)
-2 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-2 ripe bananas
-1 1/2 cups oats
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1-2tsp cinnamon, depending on taste preference
-2 TBS flax seed
-2 TBS chia seed
-1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together the ghee/butter, bananas, eggs and vanilla.  Add in all the dry ingredients, except the chocolate chips.  Stir until fully mixed together.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Prepare a cookie tray with parchment paper or non-stick cooking spray.  Using a small cookie scooper, scoop out the dough into little balls on the prepared cookie tray.  Bake at 375 for approximately 12 minutes.  Allow to cool and enjoy!

This cookie is my Ode to the Tangy Orange Creme Cadbury Irish Rose. Have you ever had a Cadbury Rose? Have you ever been blessed by a gift of a box or tin of Cadbury Roses? If not, I highly suggest that you get on this little adventure.  Cadbury Roses have been the pinnacle of chocolate indulgences my entire life.  I was born in Ireland but my parents emigrated to Canada when I was 3 and we later moved to the U.S.  Every few years, we would head back over to the Emerald Isle to visit family and we would have a few family members visiting us in between.  Each trip across the Atlantic, regardless of which way the traveler was going, resulted in some gifting of Irish chocolate. I remember rummaging through the box of roses while carefully reading the flavor menu either on the back of the container or via the little card in the tin. There also may have been some competing with my brother to be the first to get certain flavors, such as the Tangy Orange Creme (although I recall that the flavor name didn't always have the word "Tangy" in it.  I may have to check my Cadbury history).  In my world, Tangy Orange Creme was followed by Strawberry Creme, the Caramel Barrel and then we moved on to the more truffle like textures with the hard caramel and more solid, nutty chocolates at the end of the box. All of the roses are delicious but the Tangy Orange Creme ranks No. 1.

While the flavors of this cookie are based on my favorite Cadbury Rose, the cookie itself is also inspired by those beautiful American Hershey Kiss Peanut Butter Blossoms that dazzle Christmas cookie tables and swaps at this time of year.  The cookie is a soft, buttery texture with chocolate and orange flavors, instead of peanut butter, and a beautiful square of Cadbury Dairy Milk or Royal Dark is smushed right into the middle of it when the cookie comes out of the oven all warm and begging to be eaten.  The orange adds a rich and festive flavor twist that makes these great Christmas cookies.

Ingredients
- 3/4 cup of butter at room temperature
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1/2 cup white sugar
-1 egg
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/4 tsp orange extract
-zest of 1/2 large orange
- 1 1/2 cups flour
-1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/4 cup white sugar for coating
-Approximately 3 bars of Cadbury Dairy Milk or Royal Dark (more if you plan to eat while baking!)

Directions
Cream together the butter and sugars in a stand mixer.  Add in the egg, extracts and orange zest while stirring on low and increasing to medium.  In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients and stir until completely mixed together.  The batter will be thick.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.

Remove from the fridge and pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line a cookie tray with parchment paper.  Using a cookie scooper, scoop out the cookies and roll in your clean hands into approximately 1 inch balls.  Roll the uncooked cookie into the 1/4 cup of sugar until coated and place on the tray.  Repeat until the cookie tray has approximately 9-12 cookies on it spaced apart.  Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 9 minutes.  Remove from the oven and immediately top with a square of Cadbury chocolate in the middle of the cookie.  Allow to cool on the tray for approximately 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire baking rack to cool completely.  Repeat the process until the entire batter is used up.  The recipe will make 30-36 cookies depending on size of the cookies.  Enjoy!