The Queen of Tarts

Double Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Every time I make a batch of cookies, I am thrown back into my mother's kitchen, or the kitchen's of my mother's friends growing up in Providence.  Cooking, aside from having small children and working, seemed to be a common thread that kept everyone together and coming around the table for more. When we would sit down for a family dinner or lunch, it was not just our four-some immediate family, but often a group much larger that brought in parents, grandparents, and children from all over.  Many a meal ended with oversized cookies served on a large platter:  mocha chip, chocolate orange, oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, lemon shortbread, and linzer.  As many ideas as my mother had in her head, she could create a recipe for them.  I still think about those cookies and genius behind many of the recipes. While variations on the traditional chocolate chip cookie are still my favorite, I recently started to experiment with new flours and recipes to see what could come up with that would break from the norm.  Several months back I made a coconut chocolate chip cookie that combined both whole wheat and white flours, canola oil, coconut milk, and agave nectar, chocolate chips, and salt for an "oatey" crunch that had just the right balance of sweetness from the chocolate and salt.

I recently read about Teff Flour in the Flying Apron Gluten Free and Vegan Baking Book and bought some at Whole Foods Market.  One of the great things about Bob's Red Mills products, is that the back of the packages often have a few recipes.  And this is what inspired me to make these double nut chocolate chip cookies.  I knew that Teff Flour was from Ethiopia, but I had never used it before.  Worst case scenario was that I made the batch, and then threw the whole thing out.  It is something that I am rather used to in the trial and error thing called cooking.

These cookies are both gluten-free and vegan, and they are reminiscent of good old fashioned peanut butter cookies.  They have a wonderful nutty texture, and satisfy both a sweet and chocolate craving - one (or maybe 2) cookies should take care you.  Plus, they are packed with good stuff, and do not require a lot of fuss to make!  So I have both my mom and Bob from Bob's Red Mills to thank for this recipe!

Double Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies 

(Inspired by Bob's Red Mills Teff Peanut Butter Cookies)

1 1/2 C Teff Flour

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 C agave nectar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 C canola oil

1/2 C peanut butter (I used salted, chunky, all natural)

1/2 C almond butter (I make my own almond butter, but it is smooth and salted)

1 C dark chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350F and set aside an ungreased cookie sheet.  Combine dry ingredients in a mixer. In a food processor, combine the nut butters, agave, and canola oil until well mixed.  Pour into the dry mixture, and turn the mixer on low speed.  Gradually add the chips and vanilla.  I use a cookie scoop (1 inch) and place the balls on the cookie sheet and gently press down with the palm of my hand and then use the tines of a fork to press down a little harder to flatten the dough.  (yields about 26 cookies) Bake for about 12-14 minutes (I like my cookies slightly under done...)

Please note - these cookies can crumble - they are delicate, but freeze well and after cooling, if you freeze them, they will hold their form better.

Flying Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have never meet anyone who has not liked chocolate chip cookies.  I have met many people whose opinion differs as to what kind of chocolate chip cookie they like - chewy, crispy, full of chips, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, etc.  But never, ever, have I met anyone who has not liked them.  With this post, I am sure that they will make themselves known, but until they do, I will hold tight to my convictions.

I have tried many, many different kinds of chocolate chip cookie recipes in my 30+ years, and have found some that I like more than others.  Perhaps the best kind are those that are made with someone else, whether it be a good friend, or the help of little hands...

I recently started baking with more non-traditional ingredients and incorporating these into my cookies, cakes, and confections.  Whether it be agave nectar for sugar, whole wheat flour for white flour, or even coconut oil for butter, I wanted to see what I could do to "bake better" for myself.  Sure, I am positive that many people would disagree, and tell me that it is a waste of time, money, and energy to stray away from butter and eggs and good old flour.  But I actually enjoy the chemistry that goes into finding out why the ingredients react - or fail to react - based on what goes into the mix.  I also tell myself that I am doing something good for myself, and whether this is the case or not, that is my story, and I am sticking to it so there!

It actually all started with a chocolate chip cookie you know... A coconut chocolate chip cookie that led me down the path to baking without eggs, and trying out alternative recipes.  I then stumbled on the Baby Cakes NYC Cookbook and made several batches of those cupcakes, which are perfect little snacks (I make mini unfrosted ones, keep them in the freezer, and defrost a few when I need something sweet).  For full disclosure, following my Baby Cakes post, I was contacted by a publicist for the new cookbook "The Flying Apron", which is a vegan and gluten free bakery out in Seattle.  I received a copy of the book, and looked through it nightly for several weeks until today, when I opened it up and finally decided to make the chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I had the ingredients all collected, so I really had no excuse to not give it a go.

Following recipes to the 1/8 of a teaspoon in gluten free / vegan baking is critical, and I tend to not be the best at that.  I like to add a little here and a little there, and make things up as I go.  However, if I plan to post things on a blog, and expect people to follow a recipe, that will not really work.  So, when I opened up the Flying Apron's Gluten-Free & Vegan Baking Book I already started to see substitutes for ingredients listed in my mind... coconut oil instead of the recommended canola oil.  Agave nectar instead of the recommended organic cane sugar, almond milk instead of the recommended rice milk etc.  So there was really only one solution - I have both recipes below for you... you can do either one, or you can make them both!  I made the one in purple, and the cookie is not the crispy one that you might find with heaps of butter, but the result is a cookie, a substantial cookie, with a small hint of the coconut and crispy edges, with a soft middle.  Enjoy, from the bottom of my heart...

Flying Apron Chocolate Chip Cookies (with adaptations...)

2 3/4 cups brown rice flour

1 1/2 cups + 1tbsp garbanzo bean flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp sea salt

1 c canola oil [1/2 c canola oil+1/2 c coconut oil]

1 c organic whole cane sugar [2/3 c agave nectar]

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c rice milk [1 c almond milk]

1 c vegan chocolate chips [1 1/2 c vegan chocolate chips]

optional: 1/4 c chopped nuts

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  The a standing bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment add the oil(s), sugar (agave nectar), and vanilla and combine until well mixed.  With the speed on low, add the flour mixture and the milk (almond or rice) and mix until well combined - this will take about 2 minutes.  Add in the chocolate and nuts if you are using them.  Scoop out the dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart...

and bake for about 14-16 minutes until the top is golden brown. (I like to under bake my cookies, so I bake them for 14 minutes).

Sugar and Spice and Toblerone makes it extra nice

 

Sugar cookies are really the perfect holiday cookies.  Years ago my aunt held the most incredible Christmas parties in the world and had a table set aside for the kids.  The table was filled with sugar cookies of all shapes and sizes on one side, and the other side had icing, edible glitter, and dragees that would inevitably end up all over the floor as we piled them on top of the cookies.  While the decorating was fun, eating the cookies was even better.  However this year I decided to take a sugar cookie recipe and make it a little more fun.  I had several dozen mini-Toblerone chocolate bars and thought that placing layers of Toblerone in between the sugar cookie cookies would make for the perfect holiday treat.

Happy Holidays!

Toblerone Sugar Cookies (based off of the Classic Sugar Cookie Recipe by Carole Walter, Great Cookies)

Prehear oven to 350 F (Makes 2 dozen cookies)

8 mini Toblerone milk chocolate bars(break into separate triangles)

3 C Cake flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks butter

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 C sugar

Mix together the dry ingredients and set aside.  Mix the butter and salt in an electric stand mixer until pale and fluffy on medium speed.  Add in the egg and the vanilla.  Scrap down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add in half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix until well incorporated, then add in the remaining ingredients.  Once mixed, take the dough and form into a log shape and wrap in wax paper.  Chill in the refrigerator for an hour.  If needed, reform the dough into a log shape so that you can cut circles.  You should have enough dough for 4 dozen cookies, but you will be layering them so your recipe will actually yield 24 cookies.  Once you cut a cookie, lay it on a lined cookie sheet, place 2 pieces of the Toblerone on top and then another layer of cookie dough.  You do not need to press down on the cookie as it will fold down on its own. 

 

Bake the cookies for about 12-14 minutes and then remove from the oven.  If you want to make the cookies a little over the top, drizzle with melted dark chocolate...

An Introduction to Babycakes NYC

I love to bake.  My cupboards are filled with flours, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, oils, shortening, and then in the fridge there are always the necessary eggs and milk when needed.  However more and more I am turning about from baking and cooking with animal products and trying out vegetarian and vegan recipes.  I have never been a huge meat eater, but there is something that is so simple and clean about eating a diet that is animal free.  Moreover, I have several friends who eat this way and also have food sensitivities and/or allergies so I am always looking for alternative recipes.  I recently stumbled across the Babycakes-NYC cookbook and did not have to think for more than a few seconds before marching up to the register and bring home my latest purchase.

I have tried many gluten-free desserts, however they are in the cookie form for the most part, and I have bought them in the supermarket.  I have made some gluten-free desserts (black bean brownies), but none have involved multiple types of specialty flours, xanthun gum, and coconut oil.  After reading through the Babycakes-NYC cookbook several times (It will pull you in and you will have a hard time letting go...), I had to give the recipes a go!

I learned very quickly that it is critical that you read over the recipe FIRST and ensure that you have every single ingredient.  The specialty flours are a bit pricier that regular flours, however you are creating a high quality ingredient treat.  Your body (and taste buds) will thank you. Do not leave anything out, there is a reason that all of these items are included below!

Chocolate Cupcakes - adapted from the Babycakes-NYC

1 3/4 C garbanzo-fava bean flour

1/2 C potato starch

1 C unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tbsp vanilla extract

1 C hot water

1/4 C arrowroot

1 tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

2 tsp salt

1 C coconut oil

1 1/3 C agave nectar

3/4 C applesauce (unsweetened)

Preheat the oven to 325F and line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.  Mix the dry ingredients together and then add in the oil, vanilla, agave nectar, and applesauce.  Stir batter until smooth.  Spoon out about 1/3 cup into each of the muffin tins so that they are almost full.  Bake the cupcakes for 22 minutes, rotating the tin 180 degrees after 15 minutes.  The cupcakes should bounce back to the touch when light pressure is applied when they are done.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the tin for 20 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the tin.

Frosting:

If you have a favorite frosting, and you do not have to use a vegan one, go for it.  However, this frosting is rich, creamy, and has a hint of coconut flavor with a buttercream texture. Make sure that you allow the frosting sit in the fridge so that it will harden BEFORE you frost it.  However, if you want to pipe it on, you will then want it to warm up just a bit after it hardens - it is kind of a science to get it just right.

1 1/2 C unsweetened soy milk

1/2 C dry soy milk

1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tbsp coconut flour

1/4 C agave nectar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 C coconut oil

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

In a blender or food processor, combine soy milk, soy powder, cocoa powder, cocoa flour, agave nectar, and vanilla.  Once the ingredients are well incorporated, add in the coconut oil and lemon juice and mix.  Pour the mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate for 6 hrs up to 1 month.

Buttermilk Raisin Nut Bread

Baking bread is perhaps one of the most rewarding things that you can do in the kitchen - or at least that is what I think.  I still remember on of the first times that I made bread; I was about 6 years old and my father and I spent the greater part of the day kneading, waiting for the first rise, kneading, waiting for the second rise, and well, it went on until we finally got to put it into the oven and bite into delicious warm goodness.  I was hooked, but bread is not an easy thing to make, and it is a time consuming endeavor.  There have been many times since when I have made my own bread, and all different kinds, but there is always the time issue, and life sometimes just does not allow days on end for bread making.  That being said, I recently bought Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.  I am an avid follower of Zoe on twitter, and several months backs, everyone started to "tweet" about this fantastic cookbook.  I finally broke down and purchased the book.  I had to see for myself if bread could truly be made in an efficient fashion.

Lucky for me, and my friends and family, the book is so much better than I could have possibly imagined.  Yes, it has every bread recipe you would want to get your hands (and teeth) on, but it has recipes that go beyond bread like homemade granola, chilled Moroccan-style gazpacho, and spicy kebabs.  Yes, this book is the only book you will need for bread.

I started with the Buttermilk Bread (p. 207) and the recipe makes three 1 1/2-lb loaves.  Because I am a fan of whole wheat flour and adapting recipes, I read the recipe over a few times, and the second time I made the batch, pulled off a "cantaloupe size" ball of dough after the rise and add a mixture of raisins, chopped almonds, and flax seed.  The loaf is moist, dense enough for a sandwich (I like the sweetness raisins with a sharp cheddar) and the nuts add just the right amount of texture.  

Buttermilk Raisin Nut Bread (adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day)

2 cups of lukewarm water (about 100F)

1 cup of buttermilk

1 1/2 tbsp of granulated yeast

1 1/2 tbsp of salt

1 1/2 tbsp of sugar

3 c of all-purpose flour

3 1/2 c of whole wheat flour

3/4 c raisins

1/2 c chopped almonds

1/4 c flax seeds

1 egg lightly beaten (for the egg wash on the dough)

Place the yeast, salt, and sugar with the water and butter milk in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.  On low speed, gradually add in the flour, 1 cup at a time.  Once all of the ingredients are well incorporated, the dough should form a ball Cover dough (but not airtight) and allow to rise for 2 hours.  At this point you can start to make a loaf or place in the refrigerator.  Refrigerate for in a lidded (but not airtight) container and you can use this for up to 7 days.

When you want to bake, lightly grease a 9x4x3 inch loaf pan.  Sprinkle flour over a clean surface area and place a "cantaloupe size" size of the dough and roll it out to an 8x16 inch rectangle.  Brush the surface with the egg wash and even distribute the raisin mixture across the dough.  Start to roll the dough from the short end, and as you do pinch the sides.

Place the dough - seam side down - in the loaf pan and allow to rise for an additional 40 minutes (or 1 hour and 40 minutes if you have just taken the dough from the refrigerator.

While the dough is rising, preheat oven to 375F.  Once the dough has risen and the oven is ready, place the loaf in the oven on the middle rack and bake for about 40 minutes (it might need less baking time - check around 36 minutes), and until the top is golden brown.  Remove from the loaf pan, and allow to cool before serving if you can! Eat as is or top with butter, or make into a sandwich, or...