Chocolate Chip Hummus Recipe, Vegan, Glutenfree

 

Yes, yes, yes... I am a beaner (mostly vegan, lovin' legumes) and I also love the cocoa bean-- soooooo.... when I ran across a recipe for "cookie dough dip" made with garbanzo beans AND chocolate chips... well, you know, I just had to give it a go.

  

And it turns out, it is delisssssshhh.  Yum yum yum yum.Now, notching incongruous innovation up just a bit, have you ever imagined what dipping cookie dough with a potato chip might be like?  Yeah, well, so did I.

And I found the perfect light, but vaguely-reminiscent-of-wafer potato chip-- Kettle Bakes in the very simple but elegant SEA SALT (plus sliced potato and sunflower oil) flavour. Not sure where these potato bakes can be purchased now.

Into your food processor (one that will really do the job of creaming this cookie dough, such as a Cuisinart) put:

INGREDiENTS

*1 1/2 C. (250 g) canned Garbanzo Beans / Chick Peas (well-rinsed)
*1/4 C. Almond Butter (I used Maranatha Raw Almond Butter)
*2 tsp. Vanilla (I used Vanilla Powder but regular vanilla extract works)
*1/8+ tsp. of Salt
*1/8 tsp. Baking Soda
*2 T. Flaxseed ground up to a fine powder in my coffee bean grinder
*1/4 C. Maple Syrup

Process until smooth, smooth, smooth.

Then stir in 1/3 C. Chocolate Chips.

What do you think?


So this is how I made it (you can tweak it up as you like, as I did with the inspiring

 recipe at Chocolate-Covered Katie:The Healthy Dessert Blog)

Gingerbread cookies- Wheat and Gluten-Free Recipe

 

I am totally thrilled by this recipe-- it rolls out great and the house smells like Christmas as the cookies bake, and then, of course, they taste delicious.  (See notes and attribution at bottom of recipe.)

INGREDIENTS

2 cups organic brown rice flour
1 1/2 cups arrowroot powder
1 1/2 cups amaranth flour
3 T. organic baking powder
2 t. organic cinnamon
10 drops Young Living Ginger Essential Oil
5   drops Young Living Nutmeg Essential Oil
5   drops Young Living Clove Essential Oil
1 1/2 cups Organic Cane Sugar
1/2 cup organic applesauce
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, melted in a cup in a bowl of hot water
1/3 cup blackstrap molasses
2 T. vanilla
coconut oil, for oiling cookie sheets or you can use a silicone sheet on top of a pizza pan like I did-- no extra oil needed and the cookies don't stick at all.

Decorator's Frosting
 In bowl or VitaMix (what I did), combine together the brown rice flour, arrowroot, amaranth flour, baking powder, and cinnamon,  and set aside. Pour into a small bowl (if you are using the VitaMix).  Place the remaining "wet" ingredients in the VitaMix and combine. Pour into a large bowl. 

 Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir well to combine.

 Cover the bowl, place it in the refrigerator, and chill the dough for 1 hour or more.  (I left mine overnight in my cool sideroom).   

Using a little oil, lightly oil (or mist with oil) two non-stick cookie sheets and set aside. Sprinkle a little arrowroot over a work surface (I didn't bother with this step). 

Divide the chilled dough into quarters, work with only one quarter of the dough at a time, and keep the remaining dough covered and chilled until needed. Working in batches, roll out the quarter of dough to 1/4-inch thickness, and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.

 Carefully transfer the cut cookies to the prepared cookie sheet. 

Bake them at 350 degrees for 6 minutes (the cookies will feel slightly soft to the touch). Allow them to cool on the cookie sheets for 3 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely. 

Repeat the rolling and cutting-out procedure for the remaining cookie dough. Store the cookies in an airtight container.

To make Gingerbread People: Cut the dough using a person-shaped cookie cutter. Carefully transfer the cut cookies to the prepared cookie sheets...

To make Glazed Gingerbread Cookies: Cut cookies as desired and bake as directed above.

 Prepare the Decorator's Frosting and use it to decorate the completely cooled

 cookies, as desired. 

Allow the frosting to set completely before transferring the cookies to an airtight container.

Yield: 3 - 4 Dozen

NOTES AND ATTRIBUTION

I got it from the Veganchef.com but I made some adjustments-- I did not use any baking soda and increased the baking powder to 3 T. and therefore left out the salt (I'm a low salt eating plan).  I used some essential oils instead of all dry spices.  I substituted extra virgin coconut oil for the safflower oil called for in the original recipe.  I also used a great silicone sheet that meant the cookies did not stick as they cooked and popped off nicely.  You can search on the Veganchef.com site for the original recipe if you want a more traditional take. :

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Disclaimer:This blog reflects my own personal beliefs about the health benefits of being gluten-free. I am not a Medical or Health Care professional and any information or products contained in this blog are not meant to replace your responsibility to consult with the appropriate health care provider about your own circumstances and concerns.

Recipe for Gluten-Free German Pfeffernusse Cookies

 As I mentioned previously (maybe in another blog lol), I recall making delightful pfeffernusse cookies with my late mother-in-law.  I was young and pregnant.  She was compassionate.  Together we covered the entire top of her kitchen table with cookies in various stages of glazed-ness.  

Then, as I remember, they disappeared for a while so they could mellow out.  Initially they are very hard, could crack your dental ware... I am not in the mood for another expensive trip to get my porcelain crowns replaced.

Here is my version of Pfeffernusse--vegan and Gluten-free-- it involves raw cacao powder so in truth they taste a little like a cross between the pfeffernusse and a scone (or in my humble opinion).   The spicy, peppery-ness fills the air with love when they bake.  You might want to listen to this music as you mix and bake them.

• 1/3 C. Molasses
• 1/2 C. Honey
• 3 T. Virgin Coconut Oil
• 2 "Flax Eggs" (Mix 2 T. Flax Meal in 6-8 T. Hot Water and let sit)
• 2 T. freshly grated lemon peel
• 1 1/2 C. Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Biscuit Baking Mix**
• 1 C. Almond Flour
• 1/2 C. Cocoa or Raw Cacao Powder
• 3/4 tsp. ground Cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. ground Cloves
• 3/4 tsp. ground Cardamom
• 3/4 tsp. freshly ground Pepper
• 1/2 tsp. gluten-free Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt 
• 1 cup gluten-free powdered sugar to dust cookies after baking (optional)
• Jam or Jelly of choice for thumbprints ( I used homemade Blackberry)

1. You can add all the wet ingredients (including lemon peel and flax egg) to a mix bowl and mix up, and then add dry ingredients (except for dusting sugar), or you can do what I do in a rather non-traditional way and just dump everything into your food processor and process until creamy smooth.

2. Then put a sheet of plastic wrap tightly over the canister or bowl and refrigerate the batter for 8 or more hours (I did it overnight).

Vegan Carrot-Spice Gluten-free Cookie Recipe

 

Carrot-Spice Gluten-free Vegan Cookies

Anyone fearful of missing out on Christmas baking because of gluten-sensitivity or CD is really in luck this year-- the internet is teeming with recipes for delicious gluten-free treats. As far as baked cookies go, this next recipe could be classified a "health cookie" (except maybe for the sugar?). Once your mouth gets over the fact that it is not your standard wheat molasses-type cookie, your taste buds say, "al-right!" It's a cookie of substance!

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup raisins or dried cranberries

1 egg substitute (mix 1 T. of ground

 flaxseed with 3 T. of water until creamy)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (an apple+ in the Vitamix and whirl)

2 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla

2 1/2 C. brown rice flour

1/2 teaspoon of each of the following: cinnamon, ginger, coriander (ground)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

METHOD:

*Cream sugar and EVOO in large bowl.

 *Add carrots, raisins, egg, applesauce, molasses and vanilla; mix well.

*In a large bowl, combine the brown rice flour, spices and baking powder; slowly stir flour mixture into other ingredients and mix until well blended.

*Drop by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets.

*Bake in 350°F (175°C) oven 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are set and lightly browned.

*Remove from baking sheet while still warm. Cool on wire rack.

Makes 4 dozen.