Fun With Flax

Sometimes I feel like I'm turning into a weird hippy-version of myself. One day I woke up and decided that I needed to jump on the flax train.

Right around the beginning of high school, I noticed that I just could not make it from breakfast to lunch without feeling like I was starving by 10am. I decided to save breakfast as the last thing to do before I left for school, but even that didn't help. Now, how many years later? I've finally got my solution (yeah maybe my metabolism is a little crazy but this works).

Flax. This simple little seed that makes me feel so full! I love it! And I can't even taste it! After I got my urge to jump on the flax train, I went down to our local (aka next door) health food co-op store and scooped up some flax meal. I started adding it to my bowl o' Vanilla Honey Greek Yogurt with added assorted berries. I couldn't taste it and I made it until lunchtime! So amazing! Yes, I am really excited.

There are lots of other blogs and websites out there where you can read about the benefits of flax. So go do that. I just love that it's high in omega-3s and fiber. Woot!

Once flax became acceptable as a "good food" to me, I couldn't wait to try it out in other things. I found a recipe via Pinterest for different kinds of granola. I'd been buying granola for my yogurt and the good stuff was getting expensive. My mom-in-law made an awesome granola for us for Christmas and it inspired me to try to make my own!

I made an almond vanilla granola which came out... not too tasty (still eating that mistake - I'm too cheap to throw it away!). Then I tried this recipe from Always Order Dessert for Triple Chocolate Quinoa Granola. Holy chocolate granola goodness. It was sooo delicious. I brought some to work and they demanded more. I sent some to my mom for her birthday and she demanded the recipe. I have yet to sit down and eat some myself (remember, eating the first mistake) so I'm pretty excited to get to it! The recipe calls for chia seeds (which are supposedly even BETTER than flax) but I substituted in my amazing flax meal instead. I had some leftover quinoa so I was able to throw that in. The only things I had to buy were the rolled oats and raw cocoa nibs (which my husband recommends you do NOT eat by themselves, haha!). Give this a try! I want to experiment with subbing in coconut oil for the olive oil since I have a lot, maybe throwing in some wheat germ, sunflower seeds, and more chocolate chips? :)

I also had to give a cookie recipe a try. And I saw this in my very first copy (thanks, Mom!) of the Food Network Magazine. This picture pretty much enticed me:

That and the fact that I already had all the ingredients! Love it when that happens.

Let me tell you that these cookies are a match made in heaven for K and I. For some weird reason, he loves crunchy cookies. I love delicious, soft n' chewy cookies! Whenever I make cookies for us I have to do some juggling to make sure we both get our fix.

These cookies are baked perfection, for both of us, all in one go. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Wow! And ya know, "semi-healthy" with the addition of the flax. TRY THEM!

Oatmeal-Flax Choco-Chip Cookies
Adapted from Food Network Magazine
Makes 32 small or 15 big cookies

Ingredients:
- 6 oz (12 T) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 c granulated sugar
- 3/4 c packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
- 1 c quick cooking oats
- 1/4 c flax meal
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 c (or more!) semisweet chocolate chips

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, mix and scrape the bowl.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, letting them incorporate fully.
4. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and slowly add to the mixer, on low speed.
5. Mix until just combined and fold in chocolate chips.
6. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet for three minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Notes: I decided to go against my "small cookie" routine and go BIG! using my cookie scoop. These took a bit longer in the oven (13-16 minutes). Not sure the small cookies will be as chewy but it's worth a shot! I would love to try this recipe with whole wheat flour and maybe bigger chocolate chunks!

These also fit perfectly in my snazzy ant-proof cookie jar (thanks FSIL!!). That chalkboard part is just too much fun!

So, try some flax. And these recipes. Got any more to share? I'm game.

Ono Chocolate Haupia Pie

So ono it wen brok da mout.

So delicious your mouth will be broken! This simple pidgin sentence is the best way to describe this amazing pie. It's got a chewy pressed crust with coconut in it, then there's a layer each of smooth and sweet chocolate pudding and haupia (coconut pudding for you Mainlanders). Oh. My. Gosh. 


As I ate my piece of pie, I kept thinking "This reminds me of something! But what??!" Then it dawned on me - this is like the pie version of a Mounds candy bar. Yum! 


I was lucky enough to get this recipe from my brother's girlfriend and I am SO thankful!! After the two of them visited my husband and I for our wedding, she went home and tried to come up with the perfect Chocolate Haupia Pie ala Ted's Bakery, which is very popular here. She did a great job! The recipes come from a few different places but they are all good.


Give it a try; you won't be sorry.


Chocolate Haupia Pie
Serves 8-10


Pressed Crust
(Makes one pie crust)
adapted from The Cambrian


1 and 1/2 cups blanched almonds
1 and 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
6 T sugar
6 T unsalted butter, cold




After reading the ingredients list, I thought to myself, what could be more Hawaiian than swapping out the almonds for macadamia nuts??! I had some in my icebox (they keep longer) and figured I would use them up and, hello: Mac Nuts + Chocolate + Haupia = AMAZING, right?! Yes. Well, my little alteration to the recipe did NOT work. At all. I ended up with some weird bubbling mass in a pie pan instead of a delicious golden brown crust. I'm guessing that the fat content of the macadamia nuts plus the butter was just too much to handle for this crust. If you are crazy on the idea, I bet the addition of some flour would cure the problem.


Instead I ran down to our local co-op health food store because I knew they had almonds and they are a 1 minute walk away from the apartment. Well, bad news. They only had whole, raw almonds. The recipe called for blanched so I knew I had to do something. Luckily almonds are easy to blanche and peel. Check it out:

Place almonds in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and let sit for 1 minute and 1 minute only.

Pour out the hot water and douse with cool water to stop the cooking process. Drain the almonds. Pop the skins off (super easy!) and pat dry.

Voila! Blanched almonds!

Now yes, it is far easier to just buy them already blanched from the store in little 1/2 cup packets, but I'm betting that they are much cheaper to buy in bulk. Hence the inclusion of this process. It just took a little extra time!

I love doing pressed crusts because they are less messy than ones you have to roll out and they taste way way better than traditional pie crust. I am a pie crust hater, which is good because my husband loves pie crust so he eats my leftovers. Match made in Heaven.

Best tool for the job: The Food Processor.

Makes it quick and easy!

I chopped up the almonds to a "medium" size because I knew I would do more pulsing with the rest of the recipe. Just don't leave the nuts too big. The moisture from the butter needs something to soak into (i.e. the teeny tiny almond crumbs).

Add in the coconut and pulse a few times, then add in the sugar and butter. I cut the butter up in little cubes to help the processor along.

Pulse until it is well-combined and then dump it out into your pie pan. Press the crust into the pan and up along the sides. You can use something with a flat bottom to help out or just use your fingers. At this point, I heat my oven to 375F and pop the crust into the icebox to firm up the butter a little bit while I wait.

Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes and take it out when the edges are slightly crispy. 

Hershey's Hotel Chocolate Pudding

(Makes enough for two pies!)

adapted from Food.com

2 and 1/2 cups whole milk, divided

1 cup sugar

3 T all-purpose flour

4 T cornstarch

2 T good quality cocoa powder*

1/2 tsp salt

3 egg yolks

2 and 1/2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, finely chopped

2 T unsalted butter

1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

*I use Cacao Barry brand cocoa powder. Rich and dark!

In a one-quart saucepan, combine 1 and 1/2 cups of the milk with the sugar.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Add the egg yolks and remaining cup of milk, whisk to combine well.

Bring the milk in the saucepan up to a boil, then temper in 1/2 the liquid into the egg mixture. Return everything to the pan and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Be careful not to overcook the pudding. When you see it thicken to a desired consistency, remove it from the heat.

Add in the butter and chocolate, then the vanilla. Whisk to combine well. Pour into the cooled pie crust until it is filled about halfway. Let set and cool in the icebox.

Haupia Filling

(Makes enough for two pies!)

Adapted from Hawaiian Sun Coconut Milk Package

1 bag (12 oz) Hawaiian Sun Coconut Milk (found in the freezer section)

1/2 cup sugar

6 T cornstarch

3/4 cup water

This is a very simple haupia recipe. I have seen it made with the addition of milk, heavy cream, butter and corn syrup. All those ingredients make it very creamy. Also, the thickness is controlled by the amount of cornstarch you choose to use. So if you want something very firm (this recipe is firm) add more cornstarch. If you want something looser and spreadable, add less.

In a small saucepan, bring the coconut milk and sugar to a slow boil, being careful not to let it scorch.

In another bowl, stir together the cold water and cornstarch.

When the coconut milk has come to boil, whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Bring to a boil, being sure to constantly whisk the mixture until it become very thick and you see some large bubbles appear.

Pour half over your pie and smooth it out. Let set in the icebox.

And ENJOY!

This pie is also delicious with a good dollop of fresh whipped cream!

We ended up sharing this pie at the Couples Bible Study that we lead every Tuesday night. I'm glad we have people to share with. I love baking but I definitely do not want to eat it all! Plus I love to share.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!