Breakfast Cookie Remix | autoimmune protocol + paleo

Hi there, it's me. I'm still alive. It's been a busy season here for me, and blogging has taken it's natural place on the back-burner. Le sigh. I think of a good blog entry at least once a day and make a note of it, and of those it would seem actually .05% make it all the way to this point. So, you know it must be good if I am actually planning, writing, editing, including pictures AND posting it. Huzzah!

And, it is good. Get excited! So, first, some backstory: I've been paleo for about 3 months now and have seen some improvement in my skin, but I am still "flared" in areas and am having occasional new flares so the internet told me to take the plunge into the autoimmune protocol. I researched this months ago and we felt like it would probably be the best choice based on my symptoms, but honestly going from eating a standard American diet to AIP was quite unrealistic for me and had "crash diet failure" written all over it. Paleo lifestyle and then a casual descent into AIP seemed more my pace, and after a trial run a few weeks ago I am 80/20 paleo for the rest of the year (like I cheated and had some dairy on Thanksgiving and it was tasty, but I've pretty much had a bellyache since then) and then the week after Lincoln's birthday party I plan to do 8 weeks AIP and then some reintroduction of common allergens. This is mostly because while I was a complete and total zombie during my AIP week (no coffee is brutal), my skin was almost totally clear by the end of the week, not itchy, inflamed, red or uncomfortable. It was unreal and amazing! But, I was such a zombie without coffee and having total withdrawals I know there is no way I can make it through the holidays without my Nespresso, so... January it is. Clearly, I'm an addict, but that's another post for another day...

So here's the meat! The excitement! The breakfast cookies that rock my world! If you follow me on Instagram you'll have noticed that just a few weeks ago Lincoln decided that he liked solids. Like, a lot. So I went on a quest to feed him and myself in a way that introduced him to a variety of food groups (minimal dairy, no refined sugar and avoiding gluten as much as possible) without having to prepare two separate meals/snacks 5 times a day. Enter Danielle Walker's Allergy Friendly Breakfast Cookie. The first time I made these I stuck close to the recipe but found that I was NOT a fan of dried apricots nor did I know what a currant is (and I still haven't looked it up..). But they were good! And I was mid-AIP week and withdrawing from coffee/delicious things and anything shaped like a cookie was good to me. Then, I let Lincoln have some and he LOVED IT. So, I made another batch, this time adding 2 oz. of pumpkin puree and some cinnamon and nutmeg and the rest is history. I made a double batch the other weekend and froze some so we'd have some extra should I run out in a pinch. They are a super easy texture for Lincoln to eat and although they are crumbly, you can squish the pieces together like play-dough to put it back together. Each time I follow the recipe less and less closely, like if I have an extra banana, I'll throw it in. The palm shortening does a good job of holding things together so its okay if you're not super exact. These are the perfect addition to a morning cup of coffe, an after-nap snack for your little one, a healthy pickmeup with an afternoon cup of tea, a late night "sugary" indulgence or most recently for us, a road trip snack. Enjoy!

AIP Breakfast Cookie (Remixed from Danielle Walker at AgainstAllGrain.com)

Ingredients:
½ pound ripe bananas (about 1 cup mashed, 2 small bananas)
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons palm shortening (or ghee)
2 oz pitted dates (about 3 or 4-- if you want to puree them into the cookie soak for 5min first)
3 oz pumpkin puree
1/3 cup coconut flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1½ tsp lemon juice
½ cup finely shredded dried coconut
2 tablespoons raisins


Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a food processor or blender, puree the bananas, dates, pumpkin, applesauce, and shortening until it has the consistency of baby food, about 30 seconds.
• Add the coconut flour, cinnamon, vanilla, baking soda, lemon juice and pulse until combined.
• Add the dried fruit and shredded coconut and pulse twice. Don’t run it long enough to puree the dried fruit, just enough to incorporate it.
• Spoon golf-ball sized balls of dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Flatten the cookies and make them the shape and size you want prior to baking, they will not expand while baking. 
• Bake for 18-20 minutes.
• Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack, then store in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze for later!