Cookies!

Bism Ilah wa as salaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

I wanted to give some yummy joy to you; a little decadence for those special occasions and for those who are catering to a serious sweet tooth. I'm a serious baker, so I take basic recipes and then make them into what I have in my mind. What you will find below is a basic recipe with all the variations I have tried so far. Some of them are nothing short of dangerous, but they bring amazing smiles and ooh's of joy and satisfaction, mashaa'Allah!

Basic cookie recipe:

1 cup butter softened

1.5 cups organic sugar

2 organic or at least hormone-free eggs
2.5 cups organic wholewheat pastry flour (or King Arthurs White Wholewheat, but regular wholewheat will work as well, but use 2.25 cups)

1/2 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt

6 ounces of chopped up chunks of good quality  chocolate bar (beware of the ingredients, as many contain vanilla extract but Lindt, Cadburys, and Hersheys do not mashaa'Allah).

or

cut up chunks of chocolate caramels or other chocolates of your choice from a box of chocolates.

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Add dry ingredients. Add chunks of yum.

Make nice balls and smush them down a bit on the baking trays.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.

Now for the good stuff.

Milk Chocolate Cookies:

One fine day, I wanted a milk chocolate cookie. I knew the taste I wanted but didn't find a recipe. SO...I took the basic recipe, added

Add 1 teaspoon of organic vanilla (well it was a ground up vanilla bean, but you can use Trader Joe's alcohol free vanilla in glycerin base or the Frontier one or vanilla powder)

and substitute 1/4 cup organic cocoa for the same amount of flour.

Bake same at the basic recipe.

Now for the nutty stuff:

Peanut, Hazelnut, or Cashew Cookies:

I had some peanut cookies in Bahrain and also some cashew ones, and decided to make my own.

Take the basic recipe and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and then after putting the dough balls on the tray,push down a bit and either stick the halved nuts well into the top of each cookie to cover it, or simply mix them into the dough and then smush down a bit to flatten.

Now for the truly irresistible:

The Peanut Butter Cup Cookie:

I found a recipe online that was quite good, but hard to manipulate. After a couple of times, I realized that the milk chocolate cookie dough would work better for the cookie. It is really excellent if you are a Reeses lover.

Use the Milk Chocolate Cookie recipe.

Make up some homemade or all natural peanut butter and use about 1/4 cup with 2 tablespoons of powdered organic sugar (I just stick regular sugar in the processor). If it isn't smooth enough to manipulate without crumbling, add a small amount of milk to make it smooth enough to roll into little balls.

Make a milk chocolate cookie dough ball of at least a tablespoon, make a big thumbprint in it and pop in the peanut butter ball. wrap the dough around to cover the peanut butter and flatten slightly on the baking tray.

I have also made these with the vanilla cookie dough (that I used for the nutty cookies) with the peanut butter inside - the brainy blond version, LOL.

These may need more time as they are thicker...perhaps 10-12 minutes but use your judgement.

These may be healthier than other versions, but they are not any less fattening. Just remember, Allah and His Messenger - salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam - love moderation in all things!

Barak Allahu feekum!

Healing Earth

Bism Illah wa as salaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Over the years, I have written about "My Dream of Sunnah Living," our plans to acquire land, and most recently in the "Mai in June" post, about the land we own (Healing Earth) and our plans for it. We have posted the following on the Madinah blog and the Facebook page, but I am also posting it here in the hopes it reaches a wider audience. It isn't easy seeking others who want to share a vision and truly strive for it, but if they are out there, then bi ithn Illah, we are making an effort to find them. Please pass this on, if you know of anyone who might seriously be interested. Barak Allahu feekum!

Healing Earth Wants You!

Are you looking for a peaceful place to live, work, and raise a family that adheres to the Da’wat us-Salafiyyah… where every day has purpose?  Join a progressive thinking, Islamic based, and service oriented organic farm/Islamic retreat as a steward of the land that lives on-site and works towards establishing the farm and retreat in Roy, New Mexico.

We are looking for a few families, who will be dedicated partners in the establishing of natural/off-the-grid buildings and the running of Healing Earth LLC as stewards of a 51 acre farm/retreat.  This position offers an extraordinary opportunity for those with a passion for permaculture, spiritual growth & practice, and environmental stewardship.

If you are looking for a different way to live and a chance to make a difference in the world, but don’t have the financial means to make it happen, let us help one another. Email us at: healingearth@ymail.com with your contact information, why you want to be a part of our project, and demographics of yourself, family, and Islamic practice.

To learn more about our vision, please visit: http://healingearthblog.blogspot.com/