Christmas Cookies

Christmas 2012 was such a fun time, definitely one of the best we had.  It's so nice to get everyone together, plus all the laughter and joking that went around. I did meal planning and holiday cooking with my mother, which has taken on a new meaning since going paleo and cooking healthy meals for myself. My sister got me the Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook for Christmas and everyone was like "what is paleo? I've never heard of it, it's not on the FoodNetwork or Today Show or anything" hahahaha

What is Christmas without holiday cookies? These chocolate chip pumpkin cookies were a HUGE hit with my non-paleo family!! I took the cookies out of the oven and people started grabbing at them! I had to snap this picture really quick with my iPhone (note the different angle to hide the cookies that people had already taken hahaha). These cookies were gobbled up in minutes. Secretly converting my family to paleo, one recipe at a time...

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies


INGREDIENTS
1 egg & 2 egg whites
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 c coconut flour
1/4 c coconut sugar crystals
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
Dash of salt
Enough chocolate chips to your liking (my family loves chocolate so I used about 2/3 c but you could get away with far less)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine wet ingredients in a medium bowl: eggs, pumpkin, & oil.
3. Push mixture to the side of the bowl. Add dry ingredients to the other side of the bowl: flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt. Mix the dry ingredients, then combine the wet & dry together. (NOTE: Batter should be thick but mold-able. If it's too thick, add more oil or another egg white).
4. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Form into cookies (about 2 tbsp each) and place on a greased cookie sheet.    
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.
7. Let cool and serve!*

Yield: 1 dozen



*NOTE: The last ones to the be eaten (which had cooled somewhat) tasted better than the ones piping hot out of the oven so I recommend waiting for them to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving to the cookie monsters in your household ;)