Treat yourself! Recipe included

Valentines isn't a big deal in our house and I am lucky enough to have a few valentines if you count my partner and three kiddos each and every day. But none of them would know what to give me other than maybe flowers which aren't my thing and can be sprayed with toxic chemicals.

I don't treat myself too often so, I decided today would be the perfect day to love myself a little. I made these Grain-free Butter Cookies with Homemade Jam. Truth be told, you don't need the jam. They are super yummy and crispy on their own but I wanted a little something extra today.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Grain-free Butter Cookie

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 teaspoon of good quality salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup cold butter

3/4 cup pure maple syrup or 1/2 cup of honey

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extra (check the ingredients on your vanilla. Sometimes they put other ingredients like sugar or vanilla "flavor" which you don't want)

In a medium sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients then cut in the butter with a fork until. Add all of the wet ingredients and, using your fork or your hands (this is my preference), mix together until completely combined. Cover in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes. This makes it much easier to roll out and work with. Preheat your oven at this time to 350 degrees.

Once chilled, place half the dough onto a piece of parchment that will fit into your baking sheet. Place the second piece of parchment on top of the dough and flatten with your hand so it will be easier to begin rolling out. Using your rolling pin, coming from different angels, roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Remove the top parchment and, using a cookie cutter, cut out your cookies, leaving some room between so you can easily remove the excess with a knife. Remove the excess and place back with the rest of the dough then return the dough to chill in the fridge again.

Bake for 12-13 minutes or until they look golden. Remove from oven and let cool while your begin your next batch with a new piece of parchment.

If you want to create the cutout style cookies in the picture, simply use a much smaller cookie cutter for the inside of half of the cookies. You need a top cookie and a bottom cookie for each finished cookie.

Once baked and cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container until you are ready to serve them.

For the Jam:

Ingredients

1 quart washed fresh organic strawberries

1 pint of washed fresh organic raspberries

1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries or raspberries (I like this brand) - just be sure the only ingredient is the fruit.

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

4 teaspoons gelatin (I use this brand)

1/2 cup water

In a medium sized pot, combine all of the berries (including the freeze dried) and the maple and water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium, high, leaving on for about 10-12 minutes. Stir often as the bottom can burn if you don't pay attention.

Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the gelatin. Let sit for 5 minutes then return to medium heat. Stir until the gelatin is combined and fully dissolved. This can take about 5 minutes. Once dissolved, you can choose to cover and place in the fridge to set or you can strain the contents into a bowl and then cover and place in the fridge to set.

Anyone that is experiencing digestive issues should strain the contents out so you remove all the seeds that could potentially cause issues if the lining of your digestive tract is already irritated. Whether you strain or not, the jam is delicious!

Let the jam set for at least 4 hours but it could take as long as overnight.

Once set, use a fork to stir the jam really well. You don't want "Jello" on your cookie, you want a spread!

Spread the jam on the bottom cookie about 15-20 minutes prior to eating. If you spread the jam to early and leave either in the fridge or on the counter, the bottom cookie may become a bit soggy. Another option altogether would be to serve the cookies with a bowl of the jam on the side to dip the cookies into.

Give them a try, you won't regret it!