Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies

I need your help.

Before I came to America, I was really excited to exercise my couponing prowess. I had seen some television shows where people get tons of stuff at the grocery store for next to nothing, because they use sales, price matching and coupons. There was coupon matching, double coupon day, etc.

I have been here for almost 6 months and have yet to encounter such coupon chaos. Where is it??

It must be because I don’t routinely go to standard box stores. Instead, I scope out cheap, fresh produce at the food market and Trader Joe’s and order random ingredients online. There are a few different websites I like, depending on what I want to buy. Sadly, these food-friendly websites did not really succumb to the “Cyber Monday” craze. In my mind, it is all in the best interest of keeping a mostly minimalist pantry.

But, one site was different. Although, it wasn’t even a Cyber Monday Deal. The sale is still on now.

You could do it, too! We could be in this mess together!

My friend let me know about a super deal on coconut flour. $29 for 25 lbs, after a coupon. Free shipping. Since coconut flour can sell for over $8/lb, this was a positive steal. But also A LOT of coconut flour.

Rob was not pleased. I am not entirely sure where to store it.

It is such a unique ingredient that I love, so I will definitely be experimenting with it. My friend has suggested adding it to oatmeal, smoothies, crackers and even whipping it into a coconut butter-type spread.

My first dent into my coconut flour stash was small, but still worthwhile. These cookies were delicious and festive, to boot. While they have a texture of a crumbly shortbread, that is where the similarities end, because these are wholesome with so few ingredients: pecans, maple syrup, coconut flour and salt. You can bake them or dehydrate them. I opted for the latter and they were a sweet and delicious cookie.

Do you have any tricks for couponing? Did you join in the Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals? Any cool recipes for coconut flour?

This is my submission to this month’s Dead Easy Desserts.

Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies (Raw or Baked)
Courtesy of Practically Raw Desserts

2 cups dry pecans
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup maple syrup

1. In a food processor fitted with its S-blade, pulse nuts until they are finely ground. Do not overprocess. Add the coconut flour and salt, and pulse to combine. Drizzle in the maple syrup, and pulse until the dough sticks together.

2. You have two options now: dehydrate them or bake them. If dehydrating (which is what I did), scoop dough into small balls, roll into balls with your hands and place on a Teflex-lined tray. Flatten balls until they are 1/2-inch thick. Dehydrate at 110F for 4 hours, flipping over onto a mesh-lined tray half-way through. The cookies should be dry and firm.

3. If choosing to bake them, preheat oven to 300F. Place dough balls onto a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet and flatten until they are half-inch thick. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies are dry. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet prior to handling, as they make crumble apart.

Store cookies at room temperature for 2 days, the refrigerator for a week or the freezer for a month.

Makes 20 cookies.