Mom's Apple Crisp, Dark Chocolate Coconut Cookies

While I was letting the ice cream sit in the refrigerator yesterday, I knew I needed to make something to go with it. I dug around the house and pondered a bit what I had on hand that I could use to make something, as we were snowed it. I realized I had everything to make my mom's Apple Crisp recipe. I changed it up a bit, by using Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, and Spenda's version of Brown Sugar. It was wonderful!

Also, I just got my hands on the Agave Nectar Cookbook, as it came up on my queue at the library. WOW! (Thanks Sarah for telling me about it!:) This author is a woman after my own heart! All the recipes are using Agave Nectar instead of sugar, AND she uses Whole Wheat pastry flour! I was so thrilled. It seems like everything else I've found either has white flour, or fake sugar, and is just only half of the deal. She is the real deal. I want to meet this woman and shake her hand. Check it out if you can get your hands on one. I plan to buy it and use it for all my recipes in the future. Foodies... she has Apple Pie, Lemon Bars, cupcakes, muffins, coffee cakes, maragarita pie.....from all the simple things, to more interesting recipes like Whole Wheat Crepes, anf French Pear Frangipane Tarte. If you haven't discovered Agave Nectar yet, put on your shoes and hop in the car, and drive over to your local health food store. It's a revelation for anyone that wants to cut down on, or cut out refined sugar, but also doesn't feel comfortable with all the sugar substitutes out there. It does not raise your insulin levels when you consume it, so it's even safe for diabetics. What's it made out of? It's a clean, natural sugar. It's organic, Kosher, and plant-based. It's made from the agave plant (yes, the same one used to make Tequila). What does it look like? Honey. It comes in a container like honey, and you can get it light or dark colored. (see my picture above) I am thrilled to be able to support a local company that makes it right here in CO, called Madhava.

SO I for one, am going to be happy to have to stop experimenting with it, and have some actual recipes that I know will work. Not everything is easy for me though people, I still have to convert these to High Altitude! *sigh*. Now if someone would just make a High Altitude Agave Nectar Whole Wheat cookbook......

It's funny because the day before this book came in, I took an old chocolate chip cookie recipe, and just randomly tried it with Whole Wheat Pastry Flour and Agave Nectar, and it worked well. They were pretty fluffy, but yummy. I like my chocolate dark and bitter, and was not going for traditional choc chip cookie flavor, so they are really different. It evolved into sort of an original recipe as I ended up changing some other things too. I used 60 percent Ghiradelli choc chips, unsweetened coconut, and because I like it raw, raw cacao nibs! A very different taste, but the kids loved them. They said they'd be happy if I always made these instead.

Mom's Apple Crisp

1 cup sugar
3 TBSP cornstarch
2 cups water
1 cup oatmeal
2 cups flour (I recommend Whole Wheat Pastry)
3/4 cup brown sugar (I used Spenda's Brown Sugar sub. with no problems)
3/4 cup shortening/margerine
1/2 tsp salt
6-7 apples peeled and sliced (can use more, I did 8)
cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 X 13 inch pan. Set water to bowl on stove in a small saucepan.

In a seperate bowl, mix together sugar and cornstarch, and add to boiling water. Stir until thickens. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool. (can put in fridge)

In another bowl, mix together oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, shortening/margerine, and salt with a pastry blender. (can use two knives if you don't have one, criss crossing them to cut).

Put one half of crumbly mixture on the bottom of the pan. Put apples on top, and pour the thick liquid mixture over all of it. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Put the rest of the crumbly mixture on the top, and sprinkle with cinnamon again.

If it's filled with lots of apples, put foil underneath it in case it bubbles over. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. If you have leftovers, store in the refrigerator. Freezes well, if you want to double it and make one to throw in the freezer for later.

Top with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream from previous post, of course!! :)

For Those Who Like It Dark.....my recipe for

Dark Chocolate Coconut Cookies

1 stick of butter or margerine, softened
1/2 cup Agave Nectar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 heaping cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup 60 percent Ghiradelli's Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup finely grated unsweetened organic coconut
Optional: (aquired taste) 2 TBSP of Scharffen Berger Raw Cacao nibs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl beat butter, egg, and Agave Nectar until fluffy. Add vanilla, flour, salt and baking soda. Mix well. Stir in chocolate, coconut, and nibs. Spoon onto a buttered cookie sheet and bake about 11-12 minutes. (keep an eye on, at different altitudes)

yummy!! enjoy :)