heartyspoonful

"What horrifies me most is the idea of being useless: well-educated, brilliantly promising, and fading out into an indifferent middle age."

- Sylvia Plath

• 1/3 cup tahini/smooth almond butter
• 1/4 cup softened coconut oil
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp warm water)
• 1/3 cup coconut flour (plus a few tbsp, depending on consistency)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt

Add-ins:

• Dark chocolate
• Dried cranberries
• Vegan white chocolate
• Crushed Oreo cookies

 Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together tahini/almond butter, coconut oil and coconut sugar until smooth. Add the flax eggs and mix until well incorporated.

Then, add the coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Fold in add-ins of choice. I made two batches: one with dried cranberries and white chocolate, and another with crushed chocolate/vanilla cookies.

Roll into balls. Depending on the size, you can make 12 cookies. I had 10 cookies per batch. Flatten the top a bit and bake for 10 minutes.

Let cool completely before removing from the baking sheet as the cookies need to set. Enjoy! xxx

"It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it."

- Lou Holtz

• 1 19 oz can chickpeas, drained and washed
• 1/3 + 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup cashew butter
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

"Hot coffee and cold winter mornings are two of the best soulmates who ever did find each other."

- Terri Guillemets

• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour 
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup chocolate (I used Enjoy Life Foods mega chunk chocolate)
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp vegan butter 
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup fruit puree (I used pear puree, but applesauce would work, too) 
• Confectioner's sugar

Simmer water in a saucepan (bain-marie), filling halfway. Transfer chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and place the bowl on top of the saucepan. Make sure that the water doesn't reach the bowl. Stir the chocolate with a spoon until melted. Once melted, set aside.

In medium bowl, sift the flours, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. In another bowl, cream the butter and coconut sugar together. Once mixed thoroughly, add the fruit puree of choice and mix again. Pour the melted chocolate and mix.

Pour the dry ingredients with the liquid and mix until the batter is thick and there are no lumps. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Whilst the batter is in the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheeting with parchment paper. Pour some confectioner's sugar in a shallow bowl.

Once the batter is chilled, you can start rolling into balls of about an inch in diametre. Coat the balls with confectioner's sugar. Make sure there's a thick layer as the sugar will be absorbed as the cookie bakes.

Put the balls on the cookie sheet, ensuring that there's enough space between the cookies. Bake for 10-15 minutes (mine baked for 12 minutes). Once baked, let cool on the sheet and then transfer on a wire rack.

Enjoy with coffee or hot mylk! xx

"People have got to learn: if they don't have cookies in the cookie jar, they can't eat cookies."

- Suze Orman

• 1 cup frozen chickpea flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp or more almond milk, as needed
• 1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips

Make sure that all liquid ingredients are at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie tray with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together chickpea flour, rolled oats, salt, baking soda and chocolate chips.

Add liquid ingredients: coconut oil, maple syrup and almond milk. Mix well together.

Make 12 cookies. Bake for 8-12 minutes.

Let cool before serving.

Enjoy! xx

"Pleasure is the carrot dangled to lead the ass to market; or the precipice."

- Robinson Jeffers

When I was 12 years old, I had my first slice of carrot cake with this thick layer of cream cheese frosting. It had raisins and was very sweet. Too sweet even for this sweet tooth. The frosting made my teeth ache and my tummy unsettled. Yet there was something so comforting with every single bite. It was too much and I didn't have a slice for a very long time. I think that sweetness was enough to last me a lifetime.

Fast forward to a decade later and I decided to try my hand at vegan carrot cake. Of course I've baked traditional carrot cakes before, with eggs, copious amount of sugar and a heart attack inducing cream cheese frosting. But just because I'm vegan doesn't mean I should miss the fun, too.

The thing about baking carrot cake is it just bloody takes a long time. All the shredding. All the waiting to cool. The preparation of the frosting. It's exhausting. I do love carrot cake, I love baking a big cake, but I don't always like the intensive labour it requires in the kitchen. Sometimes, but not always. Always willing to find a compromise, I bake carrot cake cookies instead.


Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies (Adapted from Trois Fois Par Jour)
Makes 10

Ingredients:

• 1 flax egg (1 tsp flax seeds, 3 tsp water)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup gluten-free oats
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the flax egg and lemon juice in a small bowl.

In a bowl, mix together flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon. In a small bowl, mix together remaining ingredients (flax egg with lemon, coconut oil, brown sugar and grated carrots).  Pour liquid ingredients with the dry. Careful not to over mix. Put the mixture in a fridge for 15 minutes.

When ready, shape the dough into 10 balls and place them on the sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar if desired

Enjoy! xx