Dark Chocolate Flourless Crinkle CookiesVegan, Gluten Free And Made With Aquafaba

Make these dark chocolate crinkle cookies for your Valentine!

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Do you have a Gluten Free Valentine?
Are you looking for a special Valentine's day treat that is vegan and gluten free? Well, here's a popular chocolate crinkle cookie with a special twist. Besides being flourless, it's made with meringue produced from aquafaba instead of egg whites!

What's Aquafaba?
Aquafaba has been all the rage in the vegan community. It's basically bean juice. You know, the stuff that you usually throw out when you open a can of beans. It's a great egg white replacer and whips up to make a beautiful, white and fluffy meringue. The first time you make it, it will blow your mind!

When you drain a can of beans, save the juice! 

I have just started experimenting with this so you will be seeing more recipes as I continue my experimentation. But for today, I want to share this decadent cookie recipe in time for Valentine's day. Not my healthiest recipe, but it's a special treat for those of you who love chocolate, fudge-like cookies but avoid dairy, eggs, and gluten. 

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Dark Chocolate Flourless Crinkle Cookies
Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
[makes 2 dozen cookies]

Ingredients
Oil for greasing cookie sheets if not using silicon baking mats
1 1/2 cups dark vegan chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of garbanzo bean juice
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 
2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
Lightly grease 2 large cookie sheets. Not necessary if using Silpat non-stick silicon baking mats.

Place 1 cup of chocolate chips in a small microwavable bowl (DO NOT ADD WATER). Microwave on the lowest setting for about 30 seconds. Stir and continue to microwave in increments of 10 to 15 seconds until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

You can also melt the chocolate in a double boiler which is a lot more trouble but it's a good alternative for those of you without microwave ovens. Make sure the chocolate does not come in contact with water or steam. 

After the chocolate has melted, set it aside to cool for about 12 to 15 minutes. If it's too hot when you stir it into your cookie mixture later on, it will melt the rest of the chocolate chips that you will be adding to the cookie dough.

Drain a 15 ounce can of garbanzo beans, reserving the juice (you should get enough to make this recipe) - measure out 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon. Add the garbanzo bean juice to a medium glass or metal bowl along with the cream of tartar. Beat on high speed until it forms peaks. Slowly beat in 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar until you have pretty firm peaks. 

Can you believe this is bean juice?

In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Using the electric beater on low speed, beat this mixture into the meringue. Once combined, beat in the lukewarm chocolate and then the chocolate chips. 

Once combined, the cookie dough should be stiff. If not, place it in the refrigerator for a bit.

The cookie dough should be stiff.

Place the remaining 1/2 cup of powdered sugar in a cup or small bowl. Drop 1 tablespoon of  dough into the powdered sugar and roll it around until it forms a ball. Repeat until all the dough is used up. It should make about 24 balls.

Place each ball on your prepared cookie sheet. The cookies will spread so place them 2 1/2 inches apart.

I eventually put a dozen on each large baking sheet.

Bake until the cookies flatten and the tops crack, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Using a spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to a cooling rack until completely cooled. 

Once cooled, enjoy them lovingly with your Valentine! 

They store well in an air-sealed container in the refrigerator.

Because of the fudge-like texture of the cookie, it's hard to judge when they are cooked. If you find that they are too soft after they have cooled, you can just pop them back in the oven for another 5 minutes. 

Nutritional Information
Per cookie: 79 calories, 2 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, and 29 mg sodium.

Learn more about aquafaba on the Aquafaba Website!

Vegan Italian Pignoli CookiesAlmond Paste - Great For Gluten Free Baking

Pignoli cookies bring back flavors from my childhood.

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Cookies from my Childhood
If you were an Italian-American kid growing up in Brooklyn, I would venture to guess that you LOVE pignoli cookies. Every good Italian bakery in Brooklyn sold them. At the end of a big holiday meal, there would be fruit, nuts, and often a box of pignoli cookies that one of the aunts or uncles had picked up at a nearby bakery. I don't remember anyone in the family ever making these treats. Why would they bother when they were so readily available?  But sadly, since I moved from New York, I haven't found a bakery that sells them. Luckily, they are pretty easy to make. Who knew?

Gluten Free Baking
Many Italian cookies, like pignoli and amaretto cookies, are made with almond paste. It's the ingredient that gives these cookies their chewy texture and intense almond flavor. Almond paste is made from blanched almonds that have been mixed with sugar. For those of you avoiding gluten, almond paste is great for making yummy gluten-free desserts. It can be found in the baking section of your local grocery store. And since there is already sugar in the almond paste, there is no need to add much more (although I've seen recipes that call for quite a bit.) Another good reason for making them yourself!

A 7 ounce tube of gluten-free almond paste.

Pine Nuts - Buy Mediterranean
Four years ago I got a condition known as "Pine Mouth." This is where you get a bitter metallic taste in your mouth 12 to 48 hours after ingesting pine nuts. A lot of people I know have had the same experience. It can last for days or weeks and makes everything you eat taste like metal. Many link this to the flood of Chinese pine nuts that have hit the market. And, in fact, the nuts that caused this problem for me were from China. 

I have banned pine nuts from my diet for the past 4 years but I've decided to give them another chance, especially because I love them so much and simply adore pignoli cookies. This time, however, I will only eat pine nuts that are grown in Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Italy, and Portugal. They cost a lot more but if I can enjoy one of my favorite desserts and not get pine mouth, it's well worth it! (If anyone of you have experienced pine mouth from Mediterranean pine nuts, please let me know. So far I have not had any unpleasant reaction to these.)

Ingredients for pignoli cookies:
Cane sugar, almond paste, and Mediterranean pine nuts.

Silpat Baking Sheets
I love Silpat baking sheets, I won't make cookies without them. No need to grease the cookie sheet - the cookies will easily come right off of them. Look for Silpat baking sheets at your local culinary store or on Amazon. If you don't have these you can bake these cookies on parchment paper.

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Pignoli Cookies
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 14 cookies]
Requires a food processor such as a Cuisinart and a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking sheet

1 teaspoon ground flaxseed 
1 tablespoon water
7 ounce tube almond paste
1/4 cup cane sugar
1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 cup Mediterranean pine nuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Make a flax egg white by mixing the ground flaxseed in 1 tablespoon of water. Beat with a fork until gooey and set aside. 

Slice the tube of almond paste into 1 inch slices and place in a food processor with an S-blade. 

Process until the slices are broken up. Mix the sugar and the baking powder together and add them to the almond paste. Process until the mixture looks like crumbs.

Add the flax egg and process until the mixture clumps together.

Form 14 little balls, about one scant tablespoon each, and shove each one into a bowl containing the pine nuts. You may have to gently wet your hands to get the balls a little sticky. Push the nuts into the top and bottom of each cookie until they stick. Flatten and form each one in the shape of a cookie.

 Gently place the cookies on the parchment or Silpat-lined cookie sheet.

Place the cookies in the preheated oven and bake until they spread out, get a little puffy and slightly browned, about 15 to 17 minutes. They will be very soft but will firm up as they cool.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet until they are firm enough to transfer to a wire rack, about 5 to 7 minutes. Cool on the rack and serve.

These will disappear in a flash so you might need to double the recipe.

Per cookie: 111 calories, 7 g total fat, 0.6 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 74 mg omega-3 and 2,411 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 2 g protein, 11 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, and 8 mg sodium.

Raw Vegan Vanilla Macaroons With Macadamia Nuts

A great raw treat for your family

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It's Warming Up - Time to Eat More Raw Food!
It's been very warm the last few weeks so my raw food consumption is going up. In the spring I try to eat at least half my food raw. Pretty soon it will be time to do a raw cleanse where I'll eat at least 90% of my food raw for a period of time ranging from a few weeks to a month.
So besides enjoying more smoothies, salads, soups and other raw recipes, it's time to make some raw treats! 
Last year I posted a Raw Chocolate Almond Macaroon which we really love to make. I thought I'd make a vanilla version of these with the added crunch and goodness of raw macadamia nuts. To get them to hold together and make them nice and round, I use a Small Scoop. It's made to scoop 1 tablespoon of cookie dough so it's perfect for scooping up macaroons. 

Perfectly measures 1 tablespoon of macaroon and allows easy release onto dehydrator sheet

Raw Vanilla Macaroons with Macadamia Nuts
[makes 2 dozen small macaroons]
1/2 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup raw agave nectar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unrefined virgin coconut oil, softened
1 cup dried, unsweetened shredded coconut
24 raw macadamia nuts, chopped in half or quarters


Process almonds in a food processor with an S blade until they are the size of crumbs, occasionally scraping down the sides as needed. 
Add salt and pulse a few times until combined. 
Add agave nectar, vanilla extract and coconut oil and process until smooth. 
Add shredded coconut and pulse until thoroughly combined. 
Scoop out tablespoons of the mixture onto a dehydrator sheet using a small ice cream scoop. You could also just use a tablespoon and form them in your hand before placing them on the sheet.
In about 4 hours, when they are easily removed from the dehydrator sheet, transfer the macaroons directly onto the screen. 
Dehydrate at 115 degrees until they are hardened on the outside but still soft and chewy on the inside. This could take as little as 8 hours total or if you want them a little drier, dehydrate for a few more hours. Check on them so they don't get too dry and hard.


Per serving: 102.4 calories, 8.0 g fat, 3.9 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.4 g protein, 7.2 g carbohydrates and 1.3 g dietary fiber.

Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies With Walnuts And Cranberries - An Old Favorite "Veganized"

"Veganizing" an Old Favorite

In the past I posted a vegetarian version of this cookie recipe that used organic butter and eggs. Since this site has gone vegan, I'm reposting the recipe using Earth Balance buttery spread, Ener-G egg replacer, vegan sugar and vegan chocolate chips. It comes out just as good and they are less than 80 calories per cookies. Another healthy cookie you can bake for Christmas!

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Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts and Cranberries

[makes 2 dozen "petite" cookies]

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup Sucanat or organic cane sugar

1/4 cup Earth Balance vegan buttery spread, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer

2 tablespoons warm water

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cups white whole wheat or oat flour

1 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries, chopped

1/4 cup raw English walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Thoroughly mix the egg replacer and water and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine applesauce, sugar, buttery spread, and vanilla and mix well with an electric beater or fork. Add the egg replacer mixture and beat until mixed in.

In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder and salt and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly with the electric beater or fork.

Fold in the cranberries, walnuts and chocolate chips and drop 24 tablespoons of this mixture on to a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 to 13 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from oven, let sit on the cookie sheet for 1 to 2 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool.

Per cookie: 78.6 calories, 3.6 g fat, 1.2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.3 g protein, 10.9 g carbohydrates, and 1.1 g dietary fiber.

Vegan Crystallized Ginger Cookies - A Wonderful Low Calorie Christmas Cookie

Whole Foods 365 offers vegan sugar and chocolate chips.

Beat ingredients with an electric hand beater for best results.

Drop batter onto cookie sheet, shape and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake 9 to 10 minutes until fluffy, firm and cracked.

Baking Cookies - A Holiday Tradition

Thanksgiving is all about the big meal but Christmas is all about the cookies! One of my favorites are ginger cookies, especially when they have little chunks of crystallized ginger in them.

This recipe is quite a bit healthier than most because they are made with less sugar and fat.

Can a Cookie be Healthy?

All cookies should be eaten in moderation but this cookie actually has some health benefits.

This recipe uses a combination of whole grain flours: white whole wheat and oat flour. Ginger cookies are also made with black strap molasses which is a very good source of iron, calcium, (both of which are critical in the vegan diet), copper, manganese, potassium and magnesium. Ginger has many benefits such as reducing nausea and soothing upset stomachs and is also known to reduce inflammation. Ginger is also used for clearing up congestion due to colds.

Applesauce replaces some of the fat and stevia replaces half of the sugar typically used in ginger cookie recipes so the calorie count for each cookie is only 62 calories! So as far as cookies go, these are pretty guilt-free!

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Vegan Crystallized Ginger Cookies

[makes 3 dozen]

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1 cup oat flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

8 packets stevia

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup organic brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup Earth Balance or other vegan buttery spread

1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk

1 1/2 teaspoons EnerG egg replacer in 2 tablespoons warm water, mixed thoroughly *

1/4 cup blackstrap molasses

1/3 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped

1 tablespoon organic cane sugar for sprinkling

* equivalent of one egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a cookie sheet.

In a medium bowl, mix together wheat and oat flours, baking soda, stevia, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves and set aside.

In a large bowl, place applesauce, brown sugar, vanilla, Earth Balance, soy milk, egg replacer mixture and blackstrap molasses. Beat together well with an electric hand beater, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary. If you don't have a hand beater, beat with a whisk.

Add the dry ingredients and beat again until combined.

Add the crystallized ginger and beat again until the ginger pieces are mixed in uniformly (they tend to clump together).

Drop teaspoons of batter onto a greased cookie sheet. Once the batter is on the sheet, you can flatten it and form it with your fingers. I baked one dozen cookies per sheet (they spread out when baking) and made 3 batches. Once you've formed the batter into flat, round cookies, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of organic cane sugar over each dozen cookies.

Bake for 9 to 10 minutes.

Remove from oven, let sit for about a minute and carefully remove cookies with a thin spatula onto a cooling rack. Cool and eat or eat them warm. They will keep for days.

Per cookie: 62 calories, 1.9 g fat, 0.6 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0.8 g protein, 9.2 g carbohydrate and 0.6 g dietary fiber.

Raw Vegan Texas Pecan Pralines

A Family Favorite

Having lived in Texas for so many years, pralines became a favorite sinful treat. They were always the finale of a wonderful Tex Mex meal. I still can't walk through the Dallas airport without being drawn to the Lammes Candy stand, a company that makes pretty awesome pralines. But knowing what's in them, it's become impossible to indulge. Most pralines are made from granulated sugar, corn syrup, butter and cream - not exactly the food groups I endorse. So I took a shot at duplicating the flavor with simple, guilt-free vegan ingredients - just good old raw Texas Pecans, medjool dates, and a little sea salt and vanilla extract. Although pecans are high in fat, it's the good kind. They are high in oleic acid which is the same fatty acid found in olive oil, one of the mainstays of the healthful Mediterranean diet. They are a bit of a challenge to "hold together" but I find refrigerating them for a few hours really does the trick.

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Raw Vegan Pralines

[makes 12]

1 cup raw organic pecan pieces or halves

6 medjool dates, pitted and chopped

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons chopped raw organic pecans

12 whole raw organic pecan halves

Place the cup of pecans, the medjool dates, salt and vanilla extract in a food processor with an S blade and process until the mixture sticks together. Place the processed pecan mixture into a bowl and mix in the 2 tablespoons of chopped pecans. Form into 12 small patties and press one whole pecan half into each patty. Place on a flat plate covered with wax paper and refrigerate for 4 hours or more. Serve chilled.

Per praline: 107.4 calories, 7.7 g fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.0 g protein, 10.5 g carbohydrate and 2.1 g of fiber.

Raw Chocolate Almond Macaroons - Great Raw Dessert For Passover Or Easter

Process almonds in a food processor.

Add salt and raw cacao or cocoa and process until blended.

Blend in agave nectar, almond extract and coconut butter.

Add shredded coconut and pulse until combined.

Scoop macaroons onto a Teflex sheet and dehydrate.

Unrefined, "virgin", coconut oil.

Dried organic shredded coconut.

Macaroons

Macaroons are my husbands favorite cookie. Whenever we go to "Slice of LIfe, our favorite vegetarian restaurant where we live in Sebastopol, Doug always buys one of their chocolate dipped macaroons on the way out and savors it all the way home. While making almond milk for my last posting, I took the residiue almond pulp, threw in some coconut and stevia and dehydrated it to see what would happen. Unfortunately the result tasted like saw dust so I kept experimenting until I had much better results. The next time I started with soaked almonds instead of pulp (although I think pulp would work, I just didn't have any more), some cocoa for intensity, agave nectar for sweetness and a touch of salt. They looked great but I dehydrated them too long and they were so hard you could break a tooth while trying to eat one. In round three I added some almond extract for an even more interesting flavor and a little coconut butter to keep the cookies from drying out. This finally resulted in a delicious macaroon that received Doug's seal of approval!

Tropical Oils

I am not yet ready to jump into the debate over tropical oils. On one hand, you've got a contingent that believes that tropical oils (coconut and palm oils) can help you lose weight , build energy and help you fight disease. On the other side of the argument you have those who focus on their high content of saturated fat which conventional wisdom tells you to avoid. Personally, I don't avoid tropical oils but I eat them sparingly. I will continue to watch for data that proves the many health claims made about them before I voice a strong opinion. In any case, enjoy this recipe as a "holiday treat", not a health food to consume in large quantities every day.

Great Dessert for Passover or Easter

Macaroons are a popular Passover dessert since they are made without flour. But the Easter bunny could enjoy these just as much!

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Raw Chocolate Almond Macaroons

[makes 18 small cookies]

1/2 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight and rinsed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons raw cacao or cocoa

1/3 cup raw agave nectar

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 tablespoon organic, unrefined virgin coconut oil

1 cup dried, unsweetened shredded coconut

Process almonds in a food processor until they are the size of crumbs. Add salt and cocoa and process again until combined. Add agave nectar, almond extract and coconut oil and process until smooth. Add shredded coconut and pulse to combine. Scoop out scant tablespoons of the mixture onto a Teflex dehyrator sheet using a melon baller or small ice cream scoop. You could also just use a tablespoon. In about 4 hours, when they are easily removed from the Teflex sheet, transfer the macaroons directly on the dehydrator screen. Dehydrate at 115 degrees until they are hardened on the outside but still soft and chewy on the inside. This could take as little as 8 hours total or if you want them a little drier, dehydrate for a few more hours. Just pop one in your mouth while dehydrating until you like the consistency. Hopefully there will be some left by the time they are done!

Per macaroon: 81.2 calories, 5.8 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.2 g protein, 7.1 g carbohydrates and 1.3 g of fiber.

Healthy Holiday Whole Grain Cookie Recipe -Oatmeal with Cranberries, Walnuts and Chocolate Chips

Fold in cranberries, walnuts and chocolate chips.

Drop tablespoons of batter on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

It's Not the Holidays without Cookies

What is it that compels us to bake during the holidays? Is it the cold weather or childhood memories? I'm not sure. But baking cookies for the holidays doesn't mean we have to throw our healthy eating habits out the window. Here are a few ideas for a healthier cookie:

• Use organic white whole wheat flour or organic oat flour instead of regular white flour - It has 3 times the fiber.

• Use Sucanat or organic cane sugar and cut down on the amounts.

• Only use aluminum free baking powder. Studies suggest a link between aluminum and Alzheimer's.

• If you use eggs, buy omega 3 enriched, organic, cage free eggs. Vegan egg replacers can be used instead of eggs like Ener G egg replacer.

• If you use dairy, buy organic butter made from milk free of bovine growth hormone and antibiotics. Vegan buttery spreads like Earth Balance can be used instead of butter.

• Substitute some of the fat with unsweetened apple sauce or pureed prunes.

• Go light on the chocolate. Opt for dark chocolate with a higher percentage of cacao.

• Use raw English walnuts in your cookie recipes. They are rich in omega 3 fatty acid.

A Versatile Cookie Recipe

This is basically a healthy oatmeal cookie made with a white whole grain or oat flour and less sugar (only 1/3 cup) and less fat (only 1/4 cup) than most cookie recipes. Feel free to substitute the cranberries with raisins or dried cherries. You can substitute the English walnuts for pecans or other nuts. Dark chocolate chunks or carob chips can replace the milk chocolate chips. Have fun and experiment.

Check out the Vegan Version of this recipe.

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Oatmeal Cookies with Cranberries, Walnuts and Chocolate Chips

[makes 2 dozen cookies]

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup Sucanat or organic cane sugar

1/4 cup organic salted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large omega 3 enriched, organic, cage free egg

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cups white whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries, chopped

1/4 cup raw English walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine applesauce, sugar, butter, and vanilla and mix well with a fork. Add a lightly beaten egg to this mixture and combine thoroughly. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder and salt and mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently combine. Fold in the cranberries, walnuts and chocolate chips and drop 24 tablespoons of this mixture on to a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from oven, let sit on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool.

Per cookie: 75.4 calories, 3.6 g fat, 1.6 g saturated fat, 15.3 mg cholesterol, 1.5 g protein, 9.9 g carbohydrates, 0.9 g fiber, 132 mg omega 3 and 657 mg omega 6 fatty acids.