Gluten-Free, Vegan and Healthy Florentines

Ingredients:

110 g Oatmeal flour

150 g Almond flakes

120 g Coconut oil

3 g Cinnamon powder

200 ml Maple syrup

100 g Dark chocolate

Method: 

For oatmeal flour, you can easily make it by blending oats in a food processor until they turn into a flour-like consistency. You can adjust the blending time to achieve your preferred texture, whether you prefer it slightly coarse or super fine, similar to wheat flour. 

To make these amazing bars, begin by melting the coconut oil over medium heat. While it's melting, add the maple syrup, and stir occasionally until the oil is completely melted.

In a bowl, combine oatmeal flour, almond flakes, and cinnamon powder. Mix them together using a spatula until well blended.

Add the warm mixture to the dry ingredients in the bowl. Mix them all together until well combined. The warm oil and syrup will help bind the dry ingredients.

For this recipe, using a silicone mold is ideal. To portion the mixture, you can add a full tablespoon of the mixture into each compartment of the silicone mold. This will ensure consistent and perfectly sized bars.

It's essential to evenly distribute the mixture and then use a small spatula or palette knife to gently press it down in the mold. This compacting step ensures that the ingredients are tightly packed together, helping the bars hold their shape and preventing any gaps or loose parts. 

Compacting the mixture in the silicone mold should indeed be done both before and right after baking. The bars may puff up during baking and then collapse as they cool down. This is why it's crucial to gently press them down again immediately after baking while they are still pliable.

The few minutes after baking are crucial for shaping the bars and ensuring they maintain their form. After that short window, the bars might harden and stick to the mold, making it challenging to reshape them.

After the first pressing, place the silicone mold with the mixture in the preheated oven at 175°C and bake them for 13-15 minutes or until the top of the bars gets a lovely golden brown color. 

After baking, place the mold on a wire rack and proceed with the second pressing using a small spatula or palette knife.

After the second pressing and cooling the bars on the wire rack, transfer the silicone mold with the bars into the freezer for about 2 hours. The freezing process will firm up the bars, making them easier to remove and enhancing their overall texture.

While the bars are in the freezer, melt dark chocolate over a double boiler and keep it warm. 

After two hours, remove the silicone mold from the freezer and carefully de-mold the bars. Dip the bottom of each bar in the melted dark chocolate and place them on a baking paper to set. 

Wait for only 15 minutes, and your delightful gluten-free and vegan bars are yours to savor!

Enjoy!

Ingredients 

Makes 10 Cookies

150 g Almond meal

100 g Caster sugar

50 g Egg white

1 Vanilla bean OR 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt 

1.5 tbsp almond extract 

Powdered sugar for coating 

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl and set them aside.

Cut vanilla bean lengthwise and scrap all of the seeds out and whisk it along with egg white and a pinch of salt, when it becomes foamy and thick add it to the dry ingredients and mix well. 

Last but not least add almond extract, and mix well. Roll each cookie and then coat them with icing sugar. 

After placing all of the balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper; bake them in a preheated oven at 170C for about 20 minutes.

-These cookies are not going to be very flat by themself, If you want them more flat press them a little bit with your fingers before baking.

Enjoy.