Paleo Patriot Cookies

Unless you live under a rock you probably know that last Monday, Patriot’s Day in Massachusetts, was marred by two bombs being detonated at the Boston Marathon finish line.  While we all waited for the who/what/why and any additional information, life went on for me commuting to Cambridge on a daily basis.  Then came Friday.  Without seeing the news the night before or on Friday morning (I like NPR, but John listens to country music on Pandora on the way to work and he was driving so he wins) we headed into Cambridge at 5:43am. Roads were eerily deserted, but hey, it is Friday morning on a school vacation week, right? Exiting the highway at 6:21am my cell phone is ringing (who is calling me now?). My awesome coworker, “Where are you? Don’t go into Cambridge! The city is on lockdown! You can come to my house for breakfast, but don’t go into the city!” I’d like to thank T-mobile for my shittastic reception along the highway because I now see 5 missed calls (phone never rang) and text messages – even from a friend in Vegas! We pull over, John has gotten no info from work and not a single cop we’ve passed (about 5 in total) has stopped us, but I’ve been told by everyone to stay away from our building. So we go to his building. 45 minutes later after many cruisers rush by sirens blaring we head home…before the official lockdown. By late afternoon and the manhunt still ongoing I knew I was never getting to work, so I ran errands and made some new paleo cookies. Here they are paleo raspberry filled cashew butter cookies that, by the time I dipped them in chocolate, were celebratory cookies because the suspect who was the reason for the manhunt and lockdown of the city was captured!  Therefore I am naming them patriot cookies, in honor of our history, and in honor of all of the patriots who were involved in the events of the last week: police, FBI, first responders, and everyday citizens who dropped everything to help others and find those responsible.  Thank you.  I realize locking down the city and suburbs cost tens of millions of dollars and you know what?  Catching this guy was worth it!

Ingredients:

Cashew Butter Cookie Dough

3/4 cup organic palm shortening

1 1/2 cup coconut crystals

1 1/2 cups cashew butter

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 3/4 cups almond meal

Raspberry Filling

24oz frozen raspberries, thawed

2/3 cup coconut crystals

1 cup water

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

Chocolate Coating

10 oz Enjoy Life dairy free, soy free, nut free, gluten free semisweet chocolate chips

1 tsp. canola oil

Method:

In a small saucepan over medium heat combine raspberries, coconut sugar, water and lemon juice.  Simmer the raspberry mixture for 20 minutes.  Before pressing the mixture through a wire mesh strainer (to remove as many seeds as possible) I took an immersion blender to the mixture to make it smoother and easier to strain.  Once the mixture was strained I slowly stirred in the xanthan gum a little bit at a time, then I set the mixture aside.  For the cookies in your stand mixer cream together shortening and coconut crystals, then add cashew butter and blend well.  Add eggs, salt, and vanilla and blend well.  Add almond meal and blend until evenly combined into dough.  Using a one tablespoon size cookie scooper dollop dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Use your thumb or knuckle to make a well in the center of the cookie.  Fill the well in the cookie with a half teaspoon of raspberry filling.  Bake the cookies at 350°F for 12 minutes.  For the chocolate mix the semisweet chocolate chips with canola oil and melt in a double boiler.  When cookies have cooled completely dip half of each in the chocolate mixture.  Makes about 85 cookies.

Tags: Paleo chocolate dipped raspberry filled cashew butter cookies