Mesquite Pistachio Cocoa Nib Cookies

I’ve seen mesquite pod meal now in quite a few places, before it was really unknown in Canada. I like the smell of the mesquite baking, it gives kind of a smokiness to the cookie. This is a variation on a honey based chocolate chip cookie recipe that is one of my favourites. This is the second of two desserts I baked today, with pistachios and cocoa nibs. The raw cocoa powder kind of disappeared, it certainly didn’t turn the dough brown; perhaps I had to add more.

Mesquite Pistachio Cocoa Nib Cookies
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup mesquite pod meal
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp raw cocoa powder
1/4 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup light muscovado sugar
1/4 cup butter, slightly softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp honey
1/4 cup cocoa nibs
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped

Preheat oven to 375F/190C.

Combine flours, soda, cocoa powder and salt and whisk together.

Cream together butter and sugars. Add egg and beat until fully incorporated. Stir in vanilla and honey.

Add dry ingredients to the sugar mixture in two additions. Stir in cocoa nibs and pistachios.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cookies all golden all over.

Cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a rack.

Weil Chia Razz

This is the second of the pure fruit and nut bars from Andrew Weil (made by Nature's Gate). This one features chia seed (an ancient grain, and something I have incorporated into my diet), with raspberries and cashews. The main ingredient in this bar is dates (all ingredients save the chia seeds are Organic), followed by raisins, cashews, apples, raspberries, chia seeds, flavour and lemon juice concentrate.

How did it taste? Pretty good, though I tasted more of the dates, the raspberries were an underlying flavour. One thinks that one could make something like this at home.

Spelt Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies

The first recipe I made with the mesquite pod meal is a variation on a honey based chocolate chip cookie recipe that is one of my favourites. Too, I substituted spelt flour for the all-purpose wheat flour, light muscovado sugar instead of brown sugar, cane sugar instead of white sugar, and added salba seeds, to make it really a more nutritious cookie. I have to play with the amount of flour, I think, as these spread quite thin on being baked, where the original recipe, they do not spread much (I think it requires more spelt flour, is all). But they tasted great! The mesquite adds a smokey flavour that works very well with the chocolate. And it smells great baking in the oven. Wow, I'm pleased with the results, other people have enjoyed it as well, and I am looking forwarded to incorporating mesquite in other recipes.

Spelt Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup mesquite pod meal
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup light muscovado sugar
1/4 cup butter, slightly softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp honey
1 Tbsp salba seeds
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F/190C.

Combine flours, soda and salt and whisk together.

Cream together butter and sugars. Add egg and beat until fully incorporated. Stir in vanilla and honey.

Add dry ingredients to the sugar mixture in two additions. Stir in chocolate chips and salba seeds.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cookies all golden all over.

Cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a rack.

Ancient Grain - Mesquite Pod Meal

I first came across mesquite pod meal, or mesquite flour, in a recipe for Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies, I was intrigued by the account of the wonderful smoky flavour of the mesquite pervading the kitchen and whole house. I had heard of mesquite in terms of grilling, usually in the form of mesquite chips, made from the wood, that add a wonderful smoky flavour to your grilled foods. In researching mesquite flour, using the previous recipe as a springboard, I found that mesquite as a food has many health benefits, and has been used by the Native Americans for a long time to supplement their diet. I look forward to trying this intriguing ancient grain in various recipes.

Some things I found out:

Mesquite flour is low in gluten, and is suitable for gluten-free diets. Because of this, too, you need to combine it with other gluten-rich flours, especially if you want to make bread. Typically, you can substitute 1/4 to 1/2 cup of mesquite flour in each cup of wheat flour, though I lie on the conservative side.

Mesquite flour is low glycemic; its glycemic index is 25 (where Sugar is 100), it's potentially good for diabetics. It is interesting to note that once Native Americans adopted the European diet of white sugar and white flour, incidence of diabetes increased within the population.

Mesquite is high in protein, typically 11 to 17 percent protein. It also has a high lysine content, and is rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc.

The mesquite tree's flours can be used to make distinctive tasting honey.

Medicinally, parts of the mesquite tree are antifungal, antimicrobial, astringent, antiseptic, and antispasmodic.