We call these Tiny Teds, no one is yet comment, at least not to me, that they are in fact shaped like hearts, not teddies, not even remotely close to teddies. My kids have never had the real deal and although they are oblivious to this there were times when I felt we were surround by miniature chocolate bears, perhaps even moments when I fleeting wandered if I was depriving them; was my two year old missing out by not having this seemingly essential little pack in his snack box? I worry no more. Our recipe is the perfect substitute and great for school events and parties as they cater to many allergies. Our Tiny Teds are free from nuts, eggs, dairy, gluten, grains and refined sugar. I hope you enjoy them, be sure to let me know.
I best get hunting for a tiny teddy cookie cutter!
Wholefood Simply Tiny Teds
1 cup coconut flour*
2 rounded tablespoons honey
2 rounded tablespoons coconut oil or 50 grams of finely chopped butter**
1/2 teaspoon concentrated natural vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon cacao or cocoa (optional)
Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit
You can combine the ingredients in your blender or food processor, this is the approach I take when I make them with butter, however when I use coconut oil I follow the second method outlined below.
If you are using your blender or food processor pulse the mixture at medium to high speed until the mixture is roughly combined and starting to stick together, use your hands to form a nice soft ball of dough. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and place in the fridge for 5 – 15 minutes. Roll the mixture out between two sheets of baking paper, cut into desired shapes and bake for 5 – 8 minutes, allow to cool completely before touching.
If you are using coconut oil you can do it in a bowl and this would be my preferred method when using coconut oil.
Put the flour and cacao or cocoa into a bowl. Add the honey, oil and vanilla, mix with a spoon to roughly combine and then start working it with your hands. Once it is holding together and you have a nice dough – this might take a bit of kneading with your hands, shape the mixture into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap or put into a container and place it in the fridge for 5 – 10 minutes. Remove dough, roll it out between two pieces of baking paper, cut into shapes. Cook for 5 – 8 minutes. Allow to cool and enjoy!
*You can also use 1/2 a cup of coconut flour and 1/2 a cup of almond meal or arrowroot flour, many people have written in to say they used 1/2 a cup of LSA with success.
**The coconut oil that I use is relatively solid and when using butter I take the block straight from the fridge.
The coconut flour does have a unique texture that may not appeal to everyone.
This recipe has had a vey mixed response, I would say it is the most controversial of all of our recipes. If this is your first time at Wholefood Simply I don’t know that this is the best place to start. It seems some people are having trouble getting the mixture to come together, I personally have never had this problem and cannot quite figure out what is going on. I have amended the recipe in an attempt to make it as clear as possible. If your mixture is crumbly even after kneading it with your hands then I suggest adding a little more coconut oil or butter. The recipe has worked for many and we have made it countless times, I hope it works well for you.