Healthy Chocolate Christmas Bark (Paleo friendly and full of Superfoods!)

Everyone loves Christmas and all the wonderful foods that goes along with the season. But it can be H E double-hockey-sticks on your waistline. So, to keep that belt loop where it is and not end up with a tummy ache at the end of the day, try making this super easy AND healthy chocolate Christmas bark.

The great thing about chocolate bark is that you can pretty much do whatever you like! I added so many great flavors and healthy ingredients to this recipe. Crunchy toasted nuts, sweet and tart dried cherries, crispy cocoa nibs, and some lovely flaked sea salt for that little bit of extra wonderfulness (technical term.)

I chose these toppings because of their wonderful flavors and health benefits. Lets talk healthy desert for a minute.

• Dark Chocolate has tons of antioxidants and lowers blood pressure. (According to webmd.com) 
• Almonds lower cholesterol and the risk of hearth disease, protects against diabetes, supplies good, heart healthy fats as well as manganese, copper and riboflavin. (According to whfoods.com) 
• Coconut is very low in carbs especially for a fruit. (Oh, didn't you know coconut was a fruit? Yeah, I didn't know that until recently.) Its high in good fats, protein, and fiber. It also has lots of vitamins and minerals. (According to livestrong.com)
• Cherries are an excellent source of potassium, as well as being an inflammation reducer , good for painful gout and arthritis. They can also help you sleep, help lower blood pressure and get rid of excess sodium in the blood stream. (According to foxnews.com)
• Cocoa Nibs increase the amount of endorphins in the body which can help improve a bad mood. It can also help with insulin sensitivity, as well as PMS, cramps, and they can give a great caffeine jolt. (According to livestrong.com)
• Sea Salt may not be any "healthier" than regular table salt, but it is much more natural and tastes better. Sea salt is made by evaporating the liquid from ocean (or other  naturally salty water) and collecting the leftover salt. This salt usually contains natural minerals, flavors and some times color. (According to mayoclinic.com)

If you don't like any of these items than just don't use them. If there is something else that you just love add it on!

I used Enjoy Life's mini chocolate chips because they are dairy, soy and nut free. You can use a different kind of chocolate chips if you like, but be aware that they won't be as paleo approved. You could also use really good chocolate bars, such as Ghirardelli, as long as it was really dark chocolate (at least 75% cocoa.)

Its best to chop and toast the nuts and coconut before melting the chocolate. Also have all of your ingredients ready before melting the chocolate because you want to work quickly while the chocolate is still soft enough to take on the other ingredients. You can toast all of the nuts and coconut together in one pan, but watch it carefully because the coconut is going to brown up very fast.

This bark comes together so quickly, all you have to do is melt the chocolate and spread it out into a thin layer on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with nuts, cherries, cocoa nibs and sea salt. Then the hardest part is waiting for the bark to harden. I stuck it outside in the snow to speed up the process, but the fridge would work too :)

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Healthy Chocolate Christmas Bark
(Paleo friendly and full of Superfoods!)

• Two 10oz. bags of Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips (or really good, really dark chocolate chopped up)
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
• 1/2 cup almonds, chopped and toasted
• 1/2 cup falked coconut, toasted
• 1/2 cup dried cherries, no added sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa nibs
• 2 teaspoons fine flaked sea salt

Toast nuts and coconut according to the directions on the package. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Have all ingredients ready before moving on.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler, in a pot on the stove, or in the microwave (add a bit of coconut oil if using a microwave.) Watch the chocolate very carefully while melting, do not let it burn.

Once melted, pour onto parchment-lined cookie sheet and spread out into a thin and even layer. Sprinkle with nuts, coconut, cherries, cocoa nibs and finally sea salt. 

Let the chocolate cool and harden fully (the fridge helps) and then break into pieces.

Store in an air tight container.

Caramel Stuffed Orange Infused Apple Cider Cookies

Every blog I have read about this recipe starts out with a command:

GO MAKE THESE COOKIES NOW!

I couldn't agree more. These are incredible. They are chewy and sweet with the zest and spicy bite of apple cider. Now, I'm not a huge fan of cookies without chocolate (exceptions: ginger snaps and oatmeal raisin) but I had to give away most of these for fear of eating nothing else. I gave away about 4 dozen cookies just so I wouldn't have a binge weekend.

I made half of these cookies the way the original recipe says to make them, and the other half I decided to experiment with. When I make hot spiced apple cider I always add a whole orange for flavor. So, I added orange zest to the cookie dough to oomph up the cider flavor. I love what it added to the cookies! I definitely recommend adding the orange zest, but of course its optional and the cookies are wonderful without, just a little less zesty)

The only other changes I made to the recipe was the addition of rolling the cookie balls in a cinnamon-sugar mixture before placing on the cookie sheet, like you would do to a snickerdoodle. This is a must in my opinion.

Follow me on Instagram (@coreysuzanne) for more food inspiration! And some other great pics too :)

I used the square Kraft caramels for most of my cookies and when I ran out I used Werther's Original Chewy Caramels. The Werther's Originals are long rectangular shaped and therefore harder to make fit into a round cookie, though not impossible In the end I think they make a better cookie. They don't get hard after the cookies cool down so they are easier to eat and give that nice chewy caramel flavor and texture. The Kraft caramels work just fine, but I think the Werther's Originals are just a little bit better.

These cookies are best warm. They are good room temperature, but when they are warm they are just uber gooey, and chewy, and cinnamon-y, and apple-y, and caramel-y, and autumn-y, and... you get the point. Eat these warm from the oven, or pop them in the microwave for about 7 seconds. Or for the best eating experience, make a cup of hot apple cider (coffee or tea work too) and set your cookie on the rim of your mug. Let the steam from your cider waft up and into your cookie, softening the caramel and creating the perfect crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside cooking eating experience you will ever have the pleasure of, well, experiencing.

Caramel Stuffed Orange Infused Apple Cider Cookies
(recipe adapted from Scrambled Henfruit. Be sure to check out her lovely photos!)

• 1 cup softened butter (2 sticks)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 box (7.4 oz) Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink mix -not sugar free- all 10 packets (in the grocery store near the hot chocolate mixes.)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1-2 tablespoon(s) fine orange zest (about two oranges worth) - optional
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1-2 bag(s) Kraft Caramels or Werther's Original Chewy Caramels
• Cinnamon-sugar mix (or mix 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment. (You really need the parchment!

In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon and orange zest.

In a mixer (or with an energetic spoon) cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well.

Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined.

Refrigerate for about an hour. (If you're really impatient you don't have to do this, but it makes it so much easier to work with.)

When you are ready to bake, unwrap your caramels and put about 1/4 cup cinnamon-sugar mixture into a bowl. Scoop out cookie dough ball about the size of a walnut. (I used a rounded cookie scoop-full. My scoop holds about a tablespoon.)

Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand. Press the unwrapped caramel into the center of your dough and seal the dough around it, covering it completely. Roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets 2 inches apart.

Bake 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. Please don't over-bake! Once the cookies are done, slide the parchment off of the baking sheet right out onto the counter. Allow cookies to partially cool on the parchment. When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully twist off of parchment and allow to finish cooling upside down (either on the parchment or on a rack.) If you forget about them and they cool too much and stick to your parchment, put them into the freezer for a few minutes and they'll pop right off.

Yield: about 4 dozen, depending on how large you make your cookies (or how many caramels have been snitched out of your bag before you begin.) Store in an airtight container.

A Not-So-Glamorous Cookie Exchange

For some reason in my head Christmas Cookie Exchanges are these high-falutin' ladies events. Mimosas and sweater sets. Super fancy cookies that super-moms make and still manage to look fabulous and have well behaved children. 

In reality (or at least my reality), cookie exchanges are just a good old female bonding time. Eating cookies and gabbing away while our children run around like hooligans destroying everything in their wake. 

This year I went to my sister-in-law's cookie exchange. I knew a few of the moms and didn't know a few more. The party was so laid back and chill. No one cared that my kid had mac and cheese sauce all over his face and clothes, or that he was drinking out of any sippy cup he could find. It was the perfect little holiday gathering of moms. 

We all ate mac and cheese and drank lemon aid, and then munched on cookies until it was nap time And let me tell you, the cookie selection was insane. Cookies I have never heard of, and some classics. Here is what I can remember:

• Unicorn Poop
• Gingerdoodles/Snickersnaps (see yesterdays post)
• Chocolate Chip (can't go wrong)
• Cake Mix Cookies 
• Hot Cocoa Cookies
• Chocolate Jam Thumbprints
• Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip

I didn't get too many pictures because I totally forgot I even had my camera until everyone had already left. I do have some though, so here they are. I hope your mouth starts watering a little and you want to host your own Not-So-Glamorous Cookie Exchange.

me and jude eating a cookie (I think he was trying to smile.)

the cookie smorgasbord

unicorn poop

cake batter cookies and hot cocoa cookies

gingerdoodles/snickersnaps

chocolate and jam thumbprints

oatmeal cranberry white chocolate chip

 

chocolate face

dorthy and the princess (or is she a fairy?) enjoying their cookies

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Gingerdoodle/Snickersnaps - Christmas Cookie Bake

My sister-in-law is hosting a cookie swap tomorrow and I have decided to tackle the Gingerdoodle. It will be more work (due to the fact that I will have to make two separate doughs), but they just sound so fantastic! The idea is make a gingersnap and a snickerdoodle and smooch them together. They end up looking so lovely and marbled, and the taste is pure festive Christmas. Molasses and spices + cinnamon and sugar = awesome!

Here is the recipe (straight from Bakergirl):
The only thing I did differently is that I used butter rather than shortening. My version of the snickerdoodle dough was not crumbly at all. 

Gingerdoodles (or snickersnaps, if you will)

Snickerdoodle Dough

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon cinnamon + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar for rolling cookies in

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and mix well, until creamy. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar and mix until combined. Dough will be a little of crumbly, but it'll come together when you roll it into balls.

Combine cinnamon and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl and set aside for rolling dough in. 

Gingersnap Dough

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon ginger

1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies in

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add molasses and egg and continue beating. Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Put 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl and set aside for rolling dough in.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease baking sheets with no-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Roll a small amount of gingersnap dough into a ball and toss in granulated sugar. Roll a small amount of snickerdoodle dough in a ball and toss in cinnamon-sugar.

Place both doughs together and gently roll or squeeze together (it worked best if I kneaded the snickerdoodle dough in my hand a few times before rolling both doughs together since it's a  thicker consistency).

Place on baking sheets and bake for 9-11 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes before moving to cooling racks.

Source: A Year of Cookies. 

I just love how pretty they turn out.