These cookies are a fabulous way to enjoy the combination of cinnamon and chocolate. I called them “brownie” cookies because of their awesome texture: crispy on the outside and nice and chewy in the middle. To me, they taste just like little cinnamon brownie bites.
Yum.
They also make your kitchen smell heavenly while they are baking.
This is a fun twist on an old favorite. I have been making this recipe for years and it always turns out perfectly. In fact, I’m pretty sure this was the first recipe I came up with “all by myself”. :)
To make it gluten-free, I just subbed out a few different flours where I usually used all-purpose flour. Feel free to re-glutenize it by subbing the 2 cups of AP flour back in, and leave out the xanthan gum.
As a child, did you ever love a food so much that you would risk the wrath of your huge and terrifying older brother to sneak the last one?
The other day my husband and I were reminiscing about childhood junkfood favorites, and I remembered how much I desperately loved Little Debbie Star Crunches. I had a sick obsession with these things. This most likely caused me to block all thoughts of them from my memory after I went vegan. Once my memory was triggered, though, I became dead set on the idea of making them myself. I needed a way to once again enjoy the taste/texture of the individually wrapped treats that I used to stash everywhere: lunchbox, pocket, fridge, freezer, bookbag, dresser drawer. It was kinda out of control.
I loved them primarily because of their gooey and crispy and hard to explain texture… which oddly enough gave them most of their flavor. I think sans the strange texture of a Star Crunch, we would be left with pretty much just “sweet”.
To recreate these things I needed a great filler, because the crispy rice and chocolate part is easy. The answer was the Medjool date! Dates are absolutely magical… I am super happy to have discovered the many uses of them.
These cookies are definitely close enough to an actual Star Crunch to satisfy my craving… without the long list of creepy ingredients and eternal shelf life.
A little unconventional maybe– but pretty delicious for a last minute pantry raid. What I like best about these cookies is their texture– they are thin and chewy and crispy all at once. The flavor is, well, flavorful!
Since Garam Masala varies— I cannot guarantee that your cookies will taste just like my photo. :) Mine was a blend of coriander, cardamom, black cumin, cinnamon, celery, black pepper, allspice, cloves and anise. Each one of those spices had a special place in these cookies. A touch of cocoa really tops them off. Spicy, sweet and kind of chocolatey- could you really ask for anything more?
I just couldn’t resist the kitschy-ness of including a post about aphrodisiac foods right before Valentines Day. So, I did some research googling, and found some pretty interesting “facts” about foods from various unreliable sources on the internet. :)
I thought it would be fun to include a simple list of foods that will spice up your life– that, when blended together, make a mighty tasty smoothie. Whether you are single or attached (or just don’t give a damn)…this smoothie will provide you with a good dose of spunk. <3
Okay, this pie does not actually contain ice cream. But, when the creamy mousse and cashew cream layers are frozen, they sure could pass for ice cream. It is rich with flavor and kind of indulgent as far as ingredients go. But, Valentine’s day is coming up, right? So why not splurge on yourself… or a loved one. This dreamy treat is full of chocolate, dates, almond flour, cashews… and there’s some tofu in there too.
The freezing process is a little time consuming, but the prep couldn’t be easier. It mainly involves using a just food processor and a spatula. The three layers frozen together sort of resemble an “ice-cream cake” in taste and texture. Yet, unlike a certain non-vegan name brand ice cream cake that I used to go crazy over- this one’s full of good stuff. So, refusing a second slice seems almost silly. :)
While not super fancy, these cupcakes are sure to please the kids and adults in your life.
The recipe provides an excellent, almost “no fail” type of cake, while the frosting is over-the-top chocolatey. I think it’s the best chocolate frosting I have made so far, and it goes really well with this simple white cake. Honestly, the cake itself is just a tiny vehicle for all of that awesome frosting.
Instead of experimenting with my own GF flour mixture on these, I decided to use up the last of my GF Namaste Perfect Flour Blend. I just subbed the same amount where regular “all purpose” flour would go. This was my favorite generic cake recipe before going gluten free. Happily, it turned out really well using the Namaste flour mix.
Also, feel free to just skip the whole cake part and get right to the frosting. The cake is pretty darn good- but the frosting is where it’s at!
Okay folks… they may not look like regular chocolate chip cookies… but you gotta trust me on these. They are seriously addicting little bites of awesomeness.
Since I first started eating gluten free, I have been trying to create a replica of my all time favorite vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe. Well, I finally have come very very close! But, I wanted to pause for a moment, and celebrate this little gem that I found along the way.
The cookies themselves are a little unorthodox, as they are made with buckwheat flour and almond flour… but the taste is quite remarkable. I have made these four times in the last week… which proves how much my son and husband enjoyed them. They loved them.
Not bad for my first attempt at using buckwheat flour– which by the way, is my new BFF. <3
These are super rich and chocolatey, exist somewhere in between a cookie and a truffle, and are loaded with peanut butter. Yes, they taste as awesome as they sound. If you are feeling a little lazy (or are just out of chocolate chips) the cookies are fantastic if you skip the dipping step.
Okay, I have officially called off the cookie posts for now… they’ll be back… I just need a moment or two to figure out the chemistry of baking all over again.
But here’s a good treat to take your mind (and my mind) off of cookies for a while: chocolate covered dates! These are made with Medjool dates… which I find absolutely irresistible… but any date could probably be used. This is so simple, you may have already tried this- but if you haven’t yet -now is the time. I think this may be my new preferred way to enjoy chocolate. Actually, dates are my favorite thing next to chocolate and avocados… so, yeah, I LOVE these things. Try stuffing some other things in there too while you’re at it… almonds, more chocolate, whatever you want… the dates make a cozy little nook for all your bite sized goodies.
Over the next month, I will be celebrating the upcoming holiday festivities (and escaping the chaos) by baking cookies. A lot of cookies. For me, the best part about the month of December is baking and making sweets… so many sweets, in fact, that there is hardly room to store them all. During this time of year, my mom would dedicate the entire “formal” dining room as a cookie and fudge haven. All month long she would bake her butt off— right up until Christmas morning. The huge stack of dessert boxes would rival the enormous pile of gift packages… and disappear quickly. She never gave any away. Her children were just gluttons for sweets.
So, prepare to be drowned by a sea of cookie recipes all throughout the next month. If I happen to sneak in a recipe or two that is savory… it will most likely come in the form of a cookie. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving… and now on to the cookies!
Okay, so you can’t see the cayenne..but it’s there. It’s a fiery little undertone that sneaks up on you after the chocolate flavor seduces your taste buds into taking one more bite. I picked up the framework of this recipe from an old cookbook a while back. It was touted as an “egg-less, milk-less, butter-less, cake”. Originally, it called for oil and salt, but I nixed the salt and instead of oil used melted Earth Balance. Then I added cocoa powder, and cayenne pepper for a kick, and topped them with glorious cinnamon laced frosting. And yes, that is freshly ground black pepper on top. My new favorite sprinkle.
This recipe for vegan blondies topped with caramel sauce is simple, gooey, and totally loaded with calories! Modify by adding nuts, dried berries, or omitting chocolate chips. Bring a fork and enjoy with a tall glass of soymilk…or two.
Blondies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt Earth Balance and stir in brown sugar. Mix in baking powder, baking soda, salt, egg replacer, and vanilla. Add flour and 1 tbsp water. Mix in chocolate chips. Spread into 9”x9” greased pan. (This part is a bit cumbersome, my technique is partial spreading and partial patting… do whatever works to get it to cover the bottom of the pan evenly).
Bake for 20-25 minutes, cool. Top with caramel sauce.
Caramel Sauce
Mix together all ingredients except for vanilla. Bring to boil over medium heat. Cook 7 minutes; stirring occasionally. Stir in vanilla. Store leftovers in fridge in airtight container.
Ahh, the Whoopie Pie has re-entered my life. Last time I was grocery shopping, I noticed that our local Kroger started carrying organic, non-hydrogenated shortening. It had been years since I had used shortening in anything. But, seeing the white tub with the ingredients reading : “Mechanically Pressed Organic Palm Oil” just made my taste buds yearn for that greasy texture once again. This recipe is one of the best ways to enjoy this stuff… straight out of the tub, mixed with sugar, and sandwiched in between two chocolate cakes. Whoopie! Continue reading