Seaweed Cookies (Nereocystis luetkeana)

This morning I made one of my favorite treats - Seaweed Cookies. This is something that I have made regularly for years and have had a great time trying different variations. Seaweed is one of the most nutritious foods available, and I love incorporating it into my diet whenever possible. This summer, for our first year anniversary, my husband and I will be traveling to the San Juan Islands to harvest a bunch of kelp, dulse, and bladderwrack. I am especially looking forward to making some bull whip kelp pickles!

What you'll need is:
3 cups ground nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc) (or whole toasted sesame seeds)
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/8 cup (possibly less) granulated kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana)
Oats (optional)
Dried fruit (optional)
Coconut oil (optional)
13" glass casserole pan or cookie sheet

Preheat the oven to 350. I like to put a little coconut oil in my glass casserole pan and let it warm up in the oven. The coconut oil helps the cookies not to stick, tastes great, and is also a very healthy oil to include in the diet. If you don't have any on hand, butter would work as well.

To make this I first mix the nuts and seaweed together. I've definitely overdone it on the seaweed before, so I just add little by little until I see green specks throughout the mixture. I then add maple syrup little by little mixing in between additions. If using dried fruit you can throw it in at this point as well. You want a mixture that will hold together well, but is not overly doughy.

I put the mixture in the glass pan and using wet hands I press down the dough until it is even and covering the whole bottom of the pan. I then sprinkle oats over the top. I bake it for about 17 minutes or until the edges are brown. After it cools slightly I slice into bars with a pizza cutter and enjoy.

Although we really try to limit our sweets, I really like this treat as it is a healthy dosing of protein along with the syrup. This is a great treat for those with gluten intolerance - just omit the oats. If you're allergic to nuts, try whole toasted sesame seeds in place of the nuts.