Chocolate Chip, Bacon & Macadamia Nut Cookies

FOOD AS MEDICINE:

Weird pregnancy craving or best cookie combo ever? We’ll let you decide! Bacon is a great source of the powerhouse nutrient choline, which helps to support cognitive function, memory and mood starting from conception all the way through senior status with potential to prevent age-related decline and dementia! Choline also has many of the same benefits for pregnant mommas as the better known folate including prevention of neural tube defects, fetal brain development and supporting placental function. One double blind, randomized study showed that choline supplementation in the third trimester improved infant processing speed with doses of 480-930mg choline daily. Best food sources for choline are egg yolks at 115mg each, liver at 119mg per oz and about 50g per 2 slices of bacon! These cookies are seriously delicious and seriously nutrient-dense and packed with a ton of healthy fat from the ghee, bacon, almond flour and macadamia nuts! Great for mamas on the go especially those who are pregnant or breastfeeding and can be shared (gratefully) with the whole fam!

INGREDIENTS:

6 slices pasture-raised uncured bacon

2 Tbsp dark amber maple syrup

½ cup ghee, melted

2 tsp vanilla extract

⅓ cup dark amber maple syrup

2 pasture-raised eggs

2.5 cups almond flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp sea salt

1 cup 70% dark or higher chocolate chips (I used chopped Hu Kitchen Gems)

½ cup macadamia nuts, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350. Place the 6 slices bacon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle with the 2 Tbsp maple syrup. Bake about 12-15 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point, until cooked through and crispy. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Once the bacon has cooled, chop into 1/4 inch pieces. No need to drain the bacon grease or pat slices dry, in fact you can add the drippings combined with the maple syrup that the bacon cooked in right into your wet ingredients!

In the meantime, mix the melted ghee, vanilla, maple syrup and eggs in a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, baking soda and sea salt and mix until distributed. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to mix. Fold the chopped bacon, chocolate chips and macadamia nuts and stir to evenly distribute. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop rounded balls of dough onto two parchment lined baking sheets and pat down slightly. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until browned.