Have a bit of spare time on your hands? Make these simple and delicious cookies. They are as healthy as cookies get. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
1½ cups almond meal or ground almonds
1 cup dried dates
1 cup shredded coconut
2 tablespoons cacao powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons natural crunchy peanut butter
¼ cup water
Extra peanut butter for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper. In a food processor place the almond meal and the dried dates. Whizz until the dates are a very fine crumble. Add the cacao, shredded coconut and baking powder. Stir until combined. Add the peanut butter and water and mix together until the mixture is moist and all the ingredients are fully combined. Roll the dough into 16 balls and place in a row on the baking try. With a wet fork, press each ball down to form the shape of a cookie. Place the bikkies in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool. Garnish with a small dollop of peanut butter.

For more great recipes by Gold Coast local Caralee Caldwell, check out her page here.

Waffles are a highly underrated sweet breakfast dish, not quite a pancake, but equally as delicious.

Hailing from Belgium and extremely popular in the US, the thick golden, lattice-like treats were somewhat of a rare delicacy in Australia.

However, there are a growing number of venues on the Gold Coast serving up the sweet, topping laden goodness that are waffles.

On March 25th it’s World Waffle Day (which is fab news obviously) here’s our list of the top six spots listed from north to south.

Cardamom Pod
Whether you’re looking for a sweet or a savoury fix, Cardamom Pod has got you covered with their always delicious vegetarian treats. There’s a Banana Bread Sweet Waffle with caramelised banana, peanut butter fudge, mocha sauce, fresh berries and Snickers ice cream, YES PLEASE YUM. 
Where: 2685 Gold Coast Highway, Broadbeach

Bubbo Dessert
Fresh off the streets of Hong Kong (aka Hong Kong street food) bubble waffles have taken the dessert world by storm and we are lucky enough to have one in the heart of Surfers Paradise. Not your traditional waffle square, these ingenious creations are bubble waffles topped with the most delicious of sweets and wound into a cone shape (can eat on the go). The Galaxy is a charcoal waffle with star lollies in the bubble pockets, RAINBOW ICECREAM, fresh cream, sprinkles, Fruit Loops, chocolate sauce and icing sugar and if that’s not the best thing you’ve ever heard, do you even dessert.
Where: Shop 10, 2 Elkhorn Ave, Surfers Paradise

The Loose Moose
The US-style establishment boasts an absolutely goodie-packed menu and of course, waffles are a firm favourite. Particularly when they are of the Ferrero Rocher variety. They are a crispy buttermilk waffle with Nutella, double cream, chocolate soil, fresh berries, Ferrero Rocher chocolate, vanilla bean ice cream, raspberry couli and dust. It’s a party in your mouth. Wash that down with a Freakshake and you’ve got yourself a time at The Loose Moose.
Where: Oasis Shopping Centre, Surf Pde

Cowch
Expect next level waffles at the mecca of dessert goodness – Cowch. The options are endless but you can’t go past the Nutella Waffle Sandwich with a stack of two waffles, a generous scoop of chocolate icecream, a handful of strawberries and obviously, a generous amount of crowd-favourite, Nutella. It’s a sugar coma waiting to happen. There are also Belgian Waffles if you’re after more of a classic situation.
Where: Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, Broadbeach

Easy Street Diner
An American-style diner serving up traditional style eats, Easy Street Diner bring you a combination you never thought possible – chicken and waffles. That’s right, Belgian waffles baked to order with southern chicken tenders, maple syrup and whipped butter. Additional crispy bacon comes highly recommended.
Where: Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach (between Peerless and Sunbrite Ave)

Oh My, Waffle 
Have we left the best for last? We’ll let you decide, but Oh My, Waffle opened not too long ago as a one-stop waffle shop. Yes please! There are 16 different waffles to devour additional vegan options too), but we suggest starting with the classic Straight Outta Burleigh! (big fan of the name…) consisting of a golden waffle topped with strawberries, brownie pieces, melted Whittaker’s Creamy Milk chocolate, ice cream & whipped cream. What’s not to love?
Where: Shop 6,1837 Gold Coast Hwy, Burleigh Heads

Words by Kirra Smith

Unfortunately, this restaurant has now closed – but you should stick around and check out these other restaurants!

If there are two guilty pleasures we indulge in way too often around here they are doughnuts and cocktails. Combine the two and you’ve created something a little bit magical that we will probably consume every day for the rest of time.

Can you imagine; the soft, sweet, comforting goodness of a doughnut infused with the tangy, soothing delight of a cocktail. It’s almost too much.

Well imagine no more Gold Coasters because as of this coming weekend, cocktail-infused doughnuts are a thing we can indulge in every single day for the rest of time, so catch you later shredding for summer diet (that didn’t really exist in the first place).

They are the work of Mermaid Beach newbie The Doughnut Affair and let us say, they are some of the very best dougnhuts the Coast has ever seen.

The whole world in fact. The Doughnut Affair began in New York City where owner Kurt Lehndorf first tasted the mouthwatering creations. As you will, he fell in love with the never-before-seen collaborations between TDA and other well known food and beverage brands – the most famous of which was combination of Chandon and a doughnut to create the Chandonut – and he decided to bring the business to our sparkly shores.

Lucky us.

The Mermaid Beach edition will be no different, with plenty of collaborations in the works featuring local brands and businesses you already know and love. But with the added life-giving goodness that is doughnuts.

As of Saturday, October 26th there’ll be six flavours on offer, each of which is as good as any doughnut you’ve ever sampled before (but some of which that have alcohol, so they’re obviously better).

Starting with the Pina Colada Doughnut that is indeed made up of Malibu-ganache, pineapple compote and melt-in-your-mouth doughnut heaven.

Next up is the Champagne Strawberries and Cream with champagne-infused whipped cream, fresh strawberries, strawberry jam and again with the doughnut heaven.

There’s a Breakfast Doughnut with prosciutto, rocket and blue cheese and it’s like a mini doughnut breaky burger and it’s so very delicious.

Don’t forget Bourbon Bacon with bourbon maple syrup glaze, caramelized bacon, black salt and crunchy basil. It’s absolutely amazing.

There’s a plain-glazed goodies, Choc Hazelnut, a gluten-free Salted Caramel godsend, so all the yummiest flavours.

For the kids, there are doughnut balls and they can choose from an array of toppings to have drizzled over the top.

Doughnut-maker extraordinaire Grace is a fourth generation Pastry Chef and if there’s a person on the Earth more passionate about doughnuts than us, it’s her. You’ll see when you taste them.

There’ll also be milkshakes (love you also), kombucha and juices and coffee by boutique Melbourne roasters Code Black who are making their debut on the Gold Coast.

So that’s a lot of words but we have a lot of love for The Doughnut Affair and so will you come Saturday. Good luck not going back every day for the rest of time.

LOCATION: 2375 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach
HOURS: TBC

Words and photos by Kirra Smith