Good For You: Hippie Cookies

As a nutritionist, I am not an advocate of the Raw Food Diet. I find many of its tenets are based on misconceptions about human nutrition and I feel it doesn’t promote optimal health. A balanced mix of both raw and cooked foods is, I believe, ultimately the best dietary approach. It is irrefutable after all—some foods are just better for you when they’re cooked.

Tomatoes for example benefit from cooking as it renders their lycopene content 5 times more bioavailable. Of course, there is also the question of taste. Generally speaking, baked cookies, cakes, crackers etc. taste better than their raw counterparts. I’ve sampled many a “raw food bar, truffle, cake et al” and gnawed my way through dozens of dehydrated crackers only to find them lacking any real mouth-watering appeal. At least, that was my experience until I discovered a remarkable exception to this negative generalization – yes dear readers I have just discovered a line of raw food cookies that are quite simply divine. Hippie Cookies, manufactured by Burnaby BC’s Left Coast Naturals are not only the tastiest raw food cookies I have ever tried—they are as equally scrumptious as the most delicious conventional cookie I’ve ever tasted.

Available in three flavors—Lemon-Coconut, Chocolate-Cashew and Vanilla-Almond, these raw food cookies are truly “good for you”.  Made chiefly from organic coconut, cashews, and almonds, in addition to all natural flavor enhancers like lemon juice, cacao, vanilla and crystal Himalayan salt, these goodies really do benefit from the raw treatment.

Here’s why – nuts, unlike some foods are best-eaten raw — heating them degenerates their beneficial fatty acids. That’s important to note because a plethora of studies has shown the monounsaturated fatty acids found in nuts like almonds and cashews can help us stave off everything from heart disease and type 2 diabetes to obesity. Want another healthy reason to indulge in these nutty sweets? Besides healthy fats, almonds and cashews are also chock-full of disease fighting vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Emerging research suggests these specific compounds may help reduce the risk of several chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s.

Coconuts, which botanically, are a drupe and not a nut, are no slouches when it comes to promoting health either. Coconut contains lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid that has proven anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. In addition, premliminary evidence suggests lauric acid can help with weight management.

With their pure nutrient-dense ingredients, positively hedonistic flavor and outstanding health benefits, the only negative thing about these cookies is their “addictive” quality. Remarkable restraint is needed to stop at just one! My personal favorite is the Lemon-Coconut variety and I found surprising ways to enjoy their piquant lemony taste. I crumbled the chewy, macaroon-like orbs to make the following simple, yet elegant, dessert for guests.  I urge you to get creative with these raw delights yourself—they are truly worthy of a resounding “Good For You” recommendation.

Lemon-Blueberry “Sundaes”

• 4 cups Vanilla Ice Cream or Gelato (I used Mario’s Vanilla Gelato)

• 4 Lemon-Coconut Hippie Cookies crumbled

• 1 cup frozen blueberries

• ¼ cup Blueberry Vinegar

• 2 1/2 Tbsp. Maple Syrup

Place the frozen blueberries in a small saucepan with the vinegar. Allow them to macerate for a few minutes. Press down on the blueberries with a fork to release their juices.

Next, slowly heat the mixture over medium heat until it comes to an “almost boiling” point. Turn the heat down and simmer the mixture for a minute or two. Add the maple syrup and stir frequently until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mix to cool a bit until it is “just warm”.  While it is cooling divide the gelato evenly among 4 dessert dishes. Crumble one Hippie Lemon-Coconut Hippie Cookie over each dish. Pour the warm blueberry sauce over each dish and serve.

Hippie Cookies are available:

• In Victoria at: Market on Yates, Mother Nature’s Market, Lifestyle Markets

• In Vancouver at: Whole Foods Market, Choices, Natureway Farm Market, Meinhardt Fine Foods, Foodness, Nesters.