To Everyone . . . Tidings of Great Joy! Christmas is upon us and here in Maine - at noon - it is sunny and a balmy 2 degrees! Quite wintry indeed! The forecast is for 14" of dry, fluffy white stuff by tomorrow night . . . better get some sleep, I guess, 'cuz I'll be shoveling my arms off all day. If you're a southerner, snow shoveling, by the way, is a wonderful, cardiovascular, calorie-burning exercise - extraordinaire! On the theme of Christmas, today I'll share with you one of my special raw, Holiday cookie recipes . . . Lemon Doodles. They're one of my favorites . . . and if you love raw food desserts, I'm sure you'll find them most delicious (and nutritious, too)! Enjoy! Lemon Doodles The contrasting flavors of sweet buttery richness and light lemony tartness make an invigorating combination. Be careful not to eat too many of these confections; they're addictive! Kids love them, and they make fabulous "finger food" sweets for parties. Plus, they're full of powerful beauty nutrients . . . perfect for making skin glow, nails strong and long, and hair shine! Ingredients: - 4 teaspoons lemon zest (from 2 medium lemons) - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice - 1 cup raw walnuts - 1/2 cup raw sesame seeds, hulled or unhulled - 2 tablespoons raw agave nectar, raw honey, or maple syrup - Pinch of sea salt - 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut, finely shredded Method: 1. Zest the lemons before juicing one lemon for your 2 tablespoons of juice. The other lemon will keep for a few days in the refrigerator for another use. 2. Put the lemon zest, juice, walnuts, sesame seeds, raw agave, raw honey, or maple syrup, and salt in a food processor and blend for about 10 seconds. Scrape the mixture from the sides of the bowl with a spatula and blend again for 15 seconds. Repeat once more until a moist, seedy dough ball forms. 3. Scrape the dough into a medium bowl. Place the coconut in a separate, smaller bowl. 4. Pinch off pieces of the dough and roll into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Toss the balls in coconut shreds to coat. If you hands get too sticky, wash with warm water, dry, and begin rolling balls again. 5. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Yield: About 25 cookie balls A good source of: vitamins B, C, and E, plentiful calcium, plus potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, natural sugars, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and fiber
NOTE: This blog was written by Stephanie Tourles and adapted from her book, Raw Energy: 124 Raw Food Recipes for Energy Bars, Smoothies, and Other Snacks to Supercharge your Body (Storey Publishing, c2009). The information is true and complete to the best of her knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of Ms. Tourles. She disclaims any liability in connection with the use of this information. It is for educational purposes only.