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If my first grade teacher would describe me in one word, she'd tell you I'm a "worrier". I was a stressed out kid, never quite feeling settled when there's no fuss about. Deep inside, I always thought if there's no storm in the sea that is my life, then something's wrong indeed. I felt like I had to always be on the lookout, just in case... 

That worried feeling never quite left me. I never managed to shake it off. I'm surprised (but ultimately rather pleased) that I don't have deep frown or worry lines sketched on my forehead. I'm not the only one who feels this way, of course. It's as if we inherently feel life doesn't owe us anything good and that for the good to come, we have to fight hell and high water first. 

But, really, this all comes down to living in the moment, right? Just another kind of weaving of words, but it's all the same. I suppose I've learned to enjoy the moment, especially when good things are happening and just be grateful. But, yes, I lay sleepless some nights thinking about the possible typhoons and hurricanes that may happen in the future. Clear skies and clear waters sound well and good, but perhaps, as humans, we'll find that too boring in the long run. All that so say, I should put on my noise-cancelling headphones when the Sirens of Worry try to lure me with their enchanting music of doubt and fear.

There's really no easy transition from all that blah-blah above to the recipe, so let's cut the awkwardness and jump right into it. I accidentally bought two packs of gluten-free oatmeal and the sheer quantity was giving me panic attacks. I mean, come on! What else to do with excess oats but to make oat flour for baking? Plus in brownies? Who can say no to that?

Vegan Tahini Brownies

Makes 9/12/16 squares *

Ingredients:

• 1 cup gluten-free oat flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder **
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water)
• 1/8 cup warm nut milk of choice
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 2/3 to 3/4 cup maple syrup ***
• Sea salt to top (optional)
• Sesame seeds
• Dark chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.

To make flax egg, in a small bowl, mix together water and ground flax. Chill in the fridge for at least five minutes.

In a medium bowl, sift together oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, combine flax egg, almond milk, maple syrup and tahini. Add in coconut oil and stir until smooth. If the coconut oil starts to solidify, warm the liquid mixture a bit.

Pour wet into dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, depending on the texture you prefer. Let cool completely before slicing. Pair with cashew ice cream (or your preferred vegan vanilla ice cream) for some additional love!

Enjoy! xx

Notes:
* I made 9 in total, but if you want to be less of a glutton (unlike me), then you can definitely cut smaller pieces.
** I used dark chocolate cocoa powder and it tasted exactly like dark chocolate bar.
*** I used 2/3 cup instead of 3/4 cup for my sweetness preference. You can add more liquid if the batter is too thick (or add more almond milk).

So, basically I am food... because that's practically all I think about all day long. Maybe not every minute of the day, but for the major part of my waking day. Let's see. I think about the oatmeal I make in the morning. Whilst mixing the oats in the pot, I think of the toppings I'll pair the oatmeal with. I take the first bite and I think of the next bite. I eat the last spoonful and I'm already dreaming of my next snack... And then the cycle begins yet again. Perhaps I'm alone in this, but I highly doubt that. *wink* 

It's no surprise then when I say that if a random idea pops into my head, I'll get on and do just that. Well, especially when it comes to vegan baking. I have this notebook where I list all the different vegan desserts I'd love to develop and bake. The list spans a couple of pages (like it's no big deal, but honestly, I'm ready to have a full blown panic attack at the thought). I bake one thing, but I'll just add more to the list. It just doesn't end. Oy vey.

The brookie. A hybrid between a brownie and a cookie. Literally, it's a brownie topped with cookie dough. Most of the recipes I found were too complicated and required way too much vegan butter and sugar. In the name of efficiency, I mixed two recipes that I already know by heart: avocado brownies and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.

Watch me butcher the steps below... because to me it's pretty obvious now how to proceed.


Brookies
Makes 12 slices

Ingredients:

Brownie layer:

• 1 avocado, mashed
• 1/4 cup neutral oil of choice
• 1 cup spelt/whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup-3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp pink salt
• 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of water or almond milk
• Handful of chocolate chips

Cookie layer:

• 1 cup gluten-free flour blend
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp pink salt
• 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 flax egg
• Handful of chocolate chips

 Preheat oven to 350F. Line a square pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix mashed avocado and oil together. When combined, add in flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Don't overmix. Add water/almond milk gradually (start with 1/2 cup) and mix until smooth. Add more liquid as required. Throw in chocolate chips and fold.

In a separate bowl, cream together vegan butter and coconut sugar. Once softened, add in vanilla and flax egg. Then, add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until well incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour the brownie batter first into the prepared pan. Top with the cookie dough and smooth out using a spatula.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, depending on the texture desired (more gooey or denser). Let cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy! xx

"Coffee is a language in itself."

- Jackie Chan 

My parents weren't big coffee drinkers, but growing up, I always thought it was so "adult" of them to have a cup of coffee in the morning with their breakfast. My dad preferred his coffee black, although in the afternoon, he'd have a cup with some cream and sugar. My mum was all about her cup in the morning with sugar and milk. That's it. I had to wait for the next morning to breathe in that wonderful coffee aroma. 

I had my first cup of coffee a couple of months after turning 18. Don't ask why I took that long to try coffee. I guess I never really thought I needed it. Until one morning, no amount of tea and lemon water was enough to wake up my senses. My sleeping problems got worse and after lunchtime, I found myself yearning for my warm bed. It was time to try some caffeine and see how my body would react. I'll be honest with you: Coffee barely has any effect on me. I can still dose off after my morning cup of coffee. I reach for extra cups during a long work day only because of how it makes me feel. I feel comforted, like a warm hug in a cup. 

I've never baked using coffee before. I've made desserts that pair very well with coffee, but this particular gift from the heavens has never been an ingredient. It was time to change that. What better way than to include my current favourite Dandies marshmallows as well. I was browsing the Dandies website for recipe inspiration and guess what was featured? Espresso brownies. Disclaimer: I did change up this recipe a little bit because it's a little too indulgent for my taste. I mean, 1 1/2 cups of sugar? You don't need that much sugar in whatever you're baking. Unless you're baking a 5-tiered cake of something. The recipe below includes my modifications, just FYI. 

 What diet?

Espresso Brownies with Dandies Marshmallows

Makes 9-12 squares

Ingredients:

Call it self-control, but yes, even though rumour has it Oreos are "vegan", I still avoid them like a bad ex-boyfriend. But the urge to make brownies topped with Oreos kept on knocking on my door. Instead of Oreos, I looked for "healthier" alternatives. Yep, I decided to go home instead of go big. I found a gluten-free and dairy version and though these are less sweet compared to Oreos, I think they hit the right spot. 

At first, I thought of making my avocado brownies and topping them with the cookies. When you have too many zucchinis staring at you, asking to be cooked, you have to come up with a creative way to incorporate the veggies. As with my baking history, it's pretty obvious that I'm all about veggies in desserts. Here we go.

Vegan Zucchini Oreo Brownies

Makes 9-12 slices 

Ingredients: