Carmely Chocolate Chip Cookies

As a follow-up to my Carmely Chocolate Chip Cookie Balls (almost raw/no-bake), I made a few alterations and baked off a batch. They’re still grain free and naturally gluten-free, oil free, and the only sugar comes from the chocolate chips.

Carmely Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c almond meal

1/2 c date paste

1 flax egg (1 TBSP flax + 2-3 TBSP water)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

dash salt

1/4 – 1/2 c chocolate chips

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Evenly scoop onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. (I used my new cookie scoop.) Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

These cookies took quite a while to firm up. I think is the first time I’ve tried to bake with almond meal. The flavor was excellent, so don’t be put-off by the longer cook time.

Recipe Review: Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

I thought I already posted this. I can’t believe I didn’t. I’ve made this recipe three times. Yes. Three times. I hardly ever make desserts more than once let alone three times. So yes, they are that good!

I found this recipe through Pinterest.  I love Pinterest, by the way. Love, love, love it! I keep finding all of these wonderful recipes. (Along with fitness, fashion and decoration inspiration.) The original recipe isn’t vegan, but it easily converted to vegan. All I had to do was sub out the egg for a flax egg. I used golden flax so it matched the peanut butter, and it was totally undetectable. Plus, without the egg, you can worrilessly lick the spoon and bowl 🙂

Aside from replacing the egg with a flax egg, I also reduced the liquid sugar to 1/4 cup of maple syrup. With the chocolate chips, the cookies are plenty sweet enough.

The first time I made these cookies, my batch only made nine cookies. The recipe says it makes 24, which I thought was weird. Until I pulled the cookies out of the oven. Surprisingly, they expand! The cookies from my first batch were total peanut butter fest. Wowza! Talk about rich. So, the second time I made them, I used my cookie scoop (love my Christmas gift from Mr. M!) for the first time and made 20 much smaller cookies. Ah…much better. I also shared some of this batch with a friend, who raved about them!

Because I had such success with the first two batches, I tried this recipe again, but switched up the nut butter and added some walnuts (because the friend I made them for loves walnuts in chocolate chip cookies). I had a jar of TJ’s sunflower seed butter hanging out in the fridge annoying me (I didn’t care for it – weird), and there was about a cup left, which was prefect. Again, I used golden flax for a flax egg and 1/4 c maple syrup, which was plenty sweet. I ended up using about 1/2 c of toasted walnuts (I spread them out on the parchment paper covered cookie sheet and toasted them while the oven was warming – worked perfectly) and a heaping 1/2 c of chocolate chips since this batch was going to someone used to SAD cookies. The resulting cookies was delicious!

I didn’t think I’d like these cookies because I hate nuts in cookies, and I wasn’t a big fan of the sunflower seed butter in its natural state. But I thought wrong. I had to taste at least a bite of one to make sure they were edible, and I ended up eating two. Ha ha!

Another surprise about these cookies (besides their deliciousness) was the inside – it’s black! Apparently sunflower seed butter turns black when it’s heated?! Or maybe it was from some sort of reaction to the flax?? Whatever the reason, it was a little weird-looking, but it didn’t deter my friend from digging into the cookies, so no biggie.

The thing I love the most about these cookies is that they’re grain free. I’ve been trying more grain-free recipes, and I’m really enjoying them. And, being grain free, these cookies are also naturally gluten-free (if your flax isn’t cross-contaminated). Perfect!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Freezer Cups

I made these chocolate peanut butter cups a couple of  weeks ago and never got around to posting the recipe. That turned out to be a good thing, because with the leftovers, I made chocolate peanut butter banana ice cream! That’s right, folks. This is a two-for-one post 🙂

Chocolate Peanut Butter Freezer Cup

Chocolate Peanut Butter Freezer Cups

1/2 c cashews

1/2 c Brazil nuts

1/4 – 1/2 c water

1/4 – 1/2 c cocoa powder

1/4 c maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c natural peanut butter (organic preferred)

Dash salt if peanut butter isn’t salted

Blend nuts, water, sweetener, cocoa powder, and vanilla in a bullet style blender. Put container in the freezer for a few minutes while you assemble the bottom of the peanut butter cups.

In a mini muffin tin or mini cupcake silicone molds, add a dollop of peanut butter. Once all cups are filled, remove chocolate mixture from freezer and top each cup with desired amount of chocolate goodness. Decorate cups as desired.

I added some mini chips to a few of peanut butter cups and some sliced almonds to a few others. I think some shredded coconut would be a nice topper too.

Freeze cups until firm and store in the freezer to maintain desired consistency.

And if, like me, you need the freezer space for more goodies, turn your chocolate peanut butter freezer cups into chocolate peanut butter banana ice cream!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream

4 frozen bananas, chunked

6 or more Chocolate Peanut Butter Freezer Cups

Splash of non-dairy milk

Combine everything in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Eat immediately or store in the freezer.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream

I used my new Vitamix to make this ice cream, and I found the Vitamix’s nemesis – frozen peanut butter! You may want to let your Chocolate Peanut Butter Freezer Cups warm up a little bit before you try to blend them. I stalled out the motor on my new toy…twice!

Chocolate Pomegranate Microwave Mini Sponge Cake

I feel guilty. I don’t like feeling guilty. It’s normally not an emotion I subscribe to. But I can’t help it. I feel guilty for only posting once a week. I feel guilty for not updating the theme like I’ve been meaning to. I feel guilty for not updating the banner like I’ve been meaning to. I feel guilty for not replying to comments in a more timely manner. I feel guilty for not converting to Recipage live I’ve been meaning to. I just plain ol’ feel guilty. But I’ll get over it. Chocolate cake helps.

Ever since we watched POM Wonderful Presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Mr. M has been obsessed with pomegranate juice. So far, he’s brought home at least three different brands and some seeds (which he decided he doesn’t like). I’ve had a little sip of each, and, well, it’s OK at best. I do kind of like the dry feeling it leaves in my mouth like red wine (which I haven’t had since 2008), but if I had to choose a juice, pomegranate wouldn’t be my first choice. But, since there has been a large bottle of it occupying my fridge for the past couple of weeks, I decided to incorporate it into a recipe. After all, it is almost Valentine’s Day, and pomegranate juice is red…and sweet…two major requirements for a Valentine’s Day treat. This is what I came up with.

Chocolate Pomegranate Microwave Mini Sponge Cake (GF)

1/4 c Gluten Free Flour mix (I used Bob’s)

1 T GF Oat Flour

1/4 tsp Pysllium Powder*

2 T Cocoa Powder

1/2 t Baking Powder

Dash Salt

1 T Maple Syrup (or more if you want a sweeter cake)

1 t Vanilla Extract

2 T Pomegranate Juice

1/4 c Applesauce

Wisk together dry ingredients. Add wet. Stir to combine. Place all ingredients into a shallow, microwave safe dish, or separate batter into three microwave safe silicon muffin molds. Microwave cake for about 1 minute on high; microwave cupcakes one at a time on high for about 30 seconds. Eat immediately.

*The psyllium powder is a replacement for xanthium gum. It worked nicely and added a little extra fiber. I’ve also read that flax or chia meal works as a substitute.

Quick Chocolate Pomegranate Frosting

1 T cashews

2 T pomegranate juice

1 T cocoa powder

1/2 tsp maple syrup

Blend ingredients for about one minute in a small, bullet-type blender.  

This cake is spongy, hence the title. It might be too spongy for some people. I made it a couple of times with a different mix of ingredients, and it always turned out spongy. (I’m blaming it on the GF flour mix.) I got used to the sponginess because I really wanted a gluten-free microwave cake. I’ve been trying to eat as little gluten as possible, and I’ve a huge novice working with gluten-free flours (except for oat flour and almond meal, which I’ve had some experience with, but not much). When I add in the desire for my baked goods to be fat-free, I’m really giving myself a challenge!

Since Valentine’s Day is on Tuesday, and week nights are crazy busy for most people, a five-minute cake from cupboard to stomach – including frosting – might be the answer to your gluten-free, oil-free last-minute special treat. (Or quick breakfast…go ahead…treat yourself!)

I’m sharing this recipe at Wellness Weekends.

Coconut Lemon Bars

I’m sorry my posts have been few and far between lately. My course load this semester is a quite a bit heavier than I expected (although my pay isn’t…of course), and it’s taking up a lot more time than I anticipated. I hope to add a few more posts during the week as I get settled into a routine. I hope 😉

Luckily, I’ve been able to keep my Sundays free for cooking and recipe development, and Sunday I came up with a delicious treat: Coconut Lemon Bars. If you like coconut and lemon, these bars are for you. Even if you’re on the fence about coconut (or, as Mr. M mockingly says, you don’t seek out the coconut), you’ll probably like these rich, little treats. They were a HUGE hit at work. I need to make them again just so everyone who wanted to can try them – and so the people who got to try them can have some more. Yup. They’re that good.

Coconut Lemon Bars

Coconut Lemon Bars

Bar Base

3/4 c almonds*

1/4 c sunflower seeds

1/2 c dates

1/2 c prunes

2 TBSP coconut butter**

Blend/food process nuts, seeds, and dates until they form a sticky crumble. Press the mixture into a small pan, or make mini bites by pressing the mix into mini-muffin tins or silicone molds. You can also form the bars into the shape of your choice on parchment or wax paper (Valentine hearts?!).

Coconut Lemon Bars Base

Coconut Topping

1/2 c coconut butter**

2 TBSP maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of your choice)

Juice & Zest of one organic lemon (about 2 TBSP juice & 1 TBSP zest)

Water as needed by the tsp

Blend all ingredients into a thick, frosting like consistency. If your mixture is too thick, add water by the teaspoon-full until desired consistency is achieved. Spread over bar base and freeze or refrigerate bars until coconut topping is firm/solid. Cut into bite sized pieces. (Mine made 20 one inch by one square bites.)

*Try replacing the almonds with pumpkin seeds (pepitas). I meant to try this myself, but forgot. Oops! It’s my plan for the next batch 😉

**Make your own coconut butter! Add two bags of unsweetened, desiccated coconut flakes (or shreds) to a food processor and run on high until a thick, creamy butter forms. Depending upon the power of your processor, it should take about 8-10 minutes. My old, wimpy food processor took about 10 minutes, and my new, heavy-duty one takes about 8. Store your super cheap (less than $2.50 from my local Kroger) coconut butter in a glass container and keep it in a cool, dry place. DO NOT put it in the refrigerator. I did that, and it turned into a coconut rock. But…it returned to its soft, buttery state after a few minutes in a warm water bath. So, if someone accidentally refrigerates your coconut butter, just warm it up, and you’ll be good to go.

I couldn't resist a bite of my own 😉

I’d love to know how these bars turn out for you if you try them. I was shocked by how many of my coworkers liked them. I guess people occasionally like something other than chocolate for dessert. Who knew?!

I’m sharing this recipe with the awesome readers of Wellness Weekends  at Diet Dessert and Dogs, Allergy Friendly Friday at Cybele Pascal’s Allergen Free Cuisine, and submitting it to the Valentine’s Day Bake-Off at Forks and Beans.

Beans & Greens Mushroom Burger

I spend most Sundays in the kitchen. I prep food for the week, plan meals, create recipes, and clean out the fridge. The last part is usually what yields the most interesting creations!

Last week, during my clean-out-the-fridge sweep, I found some mushrooms that didn’t get turned into soup and a half bag of kale pieces that didn’t join their other half in kale chip heaven.  I tossed around the idea of adding the kale to my traditional mushroom soup, but I wasn’t sure how that would turn out, so I came up with something else. Having recently run out of 4 Ingredient Bean Burgers, I decided to turn my fridge finds into burgers for the week. After rummaging through the pantry and the vegetable draw, this is what I came up with.

Beans & Greens Mushroom Burger

14 oz mushroom caps, diced (about 2 cups)

1 med onion, diced (about 1 cup)

3-4 clove garlic, minced (about 2 TBSP, heaping)

2-3 c chopped kale

2 cans beans, rinsed (about 3 cups)

1/2 c nutritional yeast

Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc.

Saute onions and garlic in a splash of water or veggie broth until begin to soften (about 5 minutes). Add mushroom pieces. Continue to saute until mushrooms have cooked down and become soft. Add kale pieces and cover pan to steam/wilt greens. After greens are sufficiently wilted, remove mixture from pan. Set aside. Note: You may have to use a strainer because the veggies tend to give off quite a bit of water.

In a large bowl, add rinsed and drained beans. Puree with a stick blender (or in a food processor or high-powered blender) until mostly smooth. (I like to leave a few pieces for texture and presentation.) Alternately, you can hand mash the beans the with a potato masher. Once beans are mashed, add nutritional yeast, seasonings and cooked veggie mixture. Stir to combine. (If mix is too wet, add additional nutritional yeast or a binder such as quinoa flakes or oats.)

Form 6 large balls from mixture and place on foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet. (Spray foil with cooking spray.) Slightly flatten each ball to desired patty thickness. Bake burgers at 375F for about 45 minutes, or until hold shape when moved and are no longer wet or gooey in the middle.

I used one can each red and white kidney beans.

Mashed beans. Pretty pink!

The mushrooms may seem like a lot before they cook down, but don’t worry; in a few minutes, they’ll shrink to half (or less!) their size.

Oven Baked Onion Rings

I’ve been in love with oven baked onion rings since the first time I made OMG Onion Rings from Appetite for Reduction. I’ve made them quite a few times, tweaking the recipe a little bit each time, until I finally came up with something I feel comfortable calling my own.

Baked Onion Rings

Baked Onion Rings (Gluten-Free, Oil Free)

1 giant onion, thick sliced, rings separated

1/4 c gluten-free flour (I like garbanzo-fava bean mix)

1 TBSP corn or potato starch (or arrowroot powder)

1/2 c vegetable broth

2 tsp apple cider vinegar (don’t leave this out – it gives the batter a nice tang)

1c (or more) crushed gluten-free cereal – corn flakes work great!

Preheat oven to 425F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix flour, corn starch, vegetable broth, and ACV in a wide-mouth bowl. Pour a small amount of cereal on a salad plate.

Set up a coating station with liquid mixture next to the plate of cereal next to the baking sheet. Dip onion rings in liquid mixture. Transfer coated onion ring to plate (using a fork) and coat with crunchy cereal. Move coated onion to baking sheet. Repeat until all rings are coated and on baking sheet. Spray rings with cooking spray. Bake 8-10 minutes until cereal starts to brown. Remove from oven and flip rings. Spray with cooking spray. Return to oven and bake an additional 6-8 minutes or until that side begins to brown.

These are sooo good.  I can easily eat an entire onion’s worth of rings, but I don’t recommend that 😉 Try these with my 4 Ingredient Bean Burgers.

Recipe Review: Fig Bars

I’ve been trying lots of other peoples’ recipes lately, so I have quite a few recipe reviews to share with you.

The first review is for Fat Free Vegan’s Skinny Fig Bars. Um, ya. These are amazing. Seriously ah – mah – zing. I rarely make desserts twice, but in the last few weeks, I’ve come across a couple that I’ve already made at least twice (and one I’ve made three times already!). That’s saying a lot for me. (There are just so many awesome desserts out there that I can’t repeat many eats, or I’ll never get to enjoy even a fraction of what awaits me in dessert wonderland. LOL)

This can’t-live-without dessert I must have in the freezer at all times. Seriously. It’s that good. And it’s great frozen! (I wish I didn’t know that. Or rather, my pants wish I didn’t know that.) The middle doesn’t freeze solid, and the crust warms on the counter in a couple of minutes. Or in your hand/mouth instantly 😉

I opted for the almonds in the filling, but opted out of the glaze.  The almonds didn’t chop up very well in my wimpy food processor. (Mr. M bought me a massive food processor for Christmas, but I can’t have it until them, so the next time I made these, watch out!) I even tried using almond slices, so it might be a good idea to rough crop them yourself and fold them into the fig/date mix.

I also added a couple of packs of stevia to the oat flour crust just to give it an added touch of sweetness. (I think stevia brings out the sweetness of other sweeteners without adding that distinctive stevia taste.) Belive me, the filling is plenty sweet enough to cover for the crust.

Skinny Fig Pie!

I didn’t think I had a glass dish to accommodate this recipe, so I used a deep dish pie plate and made Fig Newton pie. This is one pie I actually like!

I was able to get 16 pieces like the recipe suggests, which, at first, I thought would be WAY to small, but they were just right – and about 115 calories per slice. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Who got into the pie?! Oh ya. It was me. Mmmm….

The next time I made these Fig Bars, I’m going to try making them in a mini-muffin tin, hoping they’ll be more like Fig Newtons with crust encasing the filling. I’ll let you know how they turn out!

Side note: Aside from hoarding canned pumpkin, I’m now also hoarding dried figs. Are they available year round?! Someone please let me know!