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During a conversation about something entirely unrelated yesterday, the HH uttered that well-known truism: “There are only two things you can really count on: death, and taxes.”
Well, I have to tell you (and I said this to the HH, too, of course), that hasn’t quite been my experience. For instance, I’ve found over the years that you can also count on the government to increase taxes every few years. And that the second I switch lines in the grocery store, the woman just ahead of me will pull out an item without a price code, necessitating a long and protracted search on the store shelves. And that winter will feel far too long, no matter how few snowfalls we receive.
And you can always–always–count on Britney to do something that prompts a flurry of media squealing, while concomitantly providing literature students everywhere a real, flesh-and-blood embodiment of the word, “bathos.”
Most of us also have our “old reliables” that we count on in the realm of food. My friend Sterlin, for instance, habitually cooked up Date Pasta whenever she required a quick and dependable meal to impress a potential beau (sadly, while the food always turned out great, the beau did not). The Nurse, on the other hand, can count two ”Wowzah!-Zowie!-Sacre bleu!” recipes in her repertoire, both guaranteed to dazzle friends who drop in on a moment’s notice; they’re invariably bowled over when presented with a plate of still-warm, enticing and from-scratch hunks of cake within 30 minutes of arrival (either a fragrant, warming Cinnamon Coffee Cake –recipe handwritten, grease-stained and fading, on an old index card from my mother’s collection–or a lickety-split Chocolate Cake from the legendary Second Helpings, Please!, nowadays known as Wacky Cake).
In recent years, the Butterscotch Blondies from Sweet Freedom (which can be mixed, baked, and ready to eat in about 35 minutes) have asserted themselves as my new standard “old reliable” recipe. Before the blondies, however, my favorite quick and easy dessert was always apple crisp.
Which is odd, not least because apple crisp contains no chocolate. It’s neither a dessert I crave, nor even one I particularly love. Part of this indifference stems from a distaste for baked apples (at least, until I tried these). Still, apple crisp is easy, it’s quick, it can be made with relatively few ingredients, and it’s familiar, comfort food. It can pass for pseudo-healthy (an apple a day, and all that). And it’s even permitted within my ACD-determined restrictions on sweeteners, since it relies on the natural sweetness of the fruit itself.
Last week, when the HH and I were invited to dinner at my friend Eternal Optimist’s place, I returned to my Granny Smith roots and threw together a stevia-sweetened crisp to feed the five of us in attendance. Though the dessert went over well, I wasn’t entirely pleased with the texture of the crumble topping, which seemed a tad dry without sugar to caramelize and provide gooey binding power.
The following day, I’d cooked up some savory pumpkin biscuits based on this recipe (I subbed pumpkin for sweet potato, omitted the sweetener, used flax instead of Ener-G and added sage and garlic salt to the mix–fab!), and subsequently found myself wondering what to do with the leftover pumpkin. Then it hit me: why not mix it with the apples in a crumble-type bar? It seemed the perfect solution, adding texture and flavor to the humdrum apple. (“Mum, that combination sounds a little odd to us, actually. And you know we could have helped you dispose of all that extra pumpkin, no problem.”)
So I played with the original and came up with this layered bar that boasts a moister filling and softer crumble than the all-apple one. The topping, when pressed into place, also forms the bottom crust; the filling is tart and textured, with tender shoots of grated apple suspended throughout the pumpkin purée.
If you like your fruity desserts sweet, though, take note: my version only barely verges on what could be called “sweet” (in fact, the HH informed me it wasn’t quite sugary enough for his taste). Feel free to add more stevia, agave, or other sweetener, as you like. And less sweet means you needn’t feel guilty if you decide to consume the leftovers for breakfast the next day–if there are any, that is. But I wouldn’t count on it.
Since these bars straddle the line between “dessert” and “healthy,” I thought they’d be the perfect contribution to Amy’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays event, over at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free.
Apple Pumpkin Crumble Bars (ACD Friendly–Phase II)
Dense, moist, and not too sweet, these bars are a perfect afternoon snack or weekday dessert. The fruity filling isn’t gooey like that of a true apple crisp, but more like unsweetened applesauce. The bars are even better the second day, after the crust has a chance to absorb some of the moisture from the filling and softens up a bit.
1/3 cup (80 ml) melted coconut oil, preferably organic
2 Tbsp (30 ml) yacon syrup or agave nectar (or maple syrup would work, too)
20 drops plain or vanilla stevia liquid
1 Tbsp (15 ml) finely ground flax seeds
1/3 cup (80 ml) plain or vanilla soy, almond or rice milk
zest of one lemon
3/4 cup (80 g) walnut pieces
1/2 cup (90 g) natural almonds (with skin)
1 cup (115 g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats (not quick cook or instant)
1/3 cup (45 g) coconut flour
1 Tbsp (15 ml) cinnamon
1 tsp (5 ml) ground ginger
1/4 tsp (1 ml) cardamom (optional)
1/8 tsp (.5 ml) fine sea salt
2 cups canned or homemade unsweetened pumpkin purée (sweet potato would make a great substitute here)
3 medium sweet apples, peeled, cored and grated on large holes of a box grater
2 Tbsp (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
20-30 drops plain or vanilla stevia (to your taste), or 1/4 cup-1/3 cup (60 ml-80 ml) agave nectar
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a 9″ (22.5 cm) square pan with parchment, or spray with nonstick spray.
In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, yacon syrup, stevia, flax seed, soymilk and lemon zest; set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, blend together the walnuts, almonds, oats and coconut flour until the nuts are ground and mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the cinnamon, ginger, cardamon and salt and blend just to mix. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in the bowl and toss with a fork (as if making pie dough) until it comes together in a very moist yet crumbly dough (it will stick together if pressed, but should readily separate into crumbles if tossed with the fork). Set aside while you prepare the filling.
To make the filling, mix together the pumpkin, apple, lemon juice, vanilla and stevia.
Take about half the crumble mixture (you can just estimate) and press it firmly into the bottom of the pan. Top with the filling, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture evenly over the filling and press gently with the palms of your hands.
Bake in preheated oven until edges are browned and the top of the crumble begins to brown a bit. (The filling won’t bubble the way typical fruit pie fillings do). Allow to cool to room temperature before cutting into squares; reheat if desired to serve. Makes 9 large servings. May be frozen.
Last Year at this Time: Nava’s Sweet and Sour Cabbage and Bread Stew
Two Years Ago: A North American’s Anzac Biscuits (or, My Ode to the Antipodes).
© 2010 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
Whew! Well, it took me a little longer to get to this post than anticipated. But I’m happy to report that my stack of exams has all been marked, the final grades submitted, and all that remains of this semester are a few meetings next week. And then: par-tay!
Come to think of it, I already hosted my first party this season (except that makes it sound as if there will be more than one, doesn’t it?), a pot luck dinner a for some friends from nutrition school. Though only two of us are vegan, everyone brought along a vegan dish. Aren’t they an amazing, open-minded crowd? This year, in fact, almost everyone managed an ACD-friendly dish as well, so I was able to partake of almost everything. Here’s what we feasted upon:
Appetizers:
Sides:
- Tossed baby greens with dried organic cherries
- Cous Cous salad with olives and veggies
- Greek Lemon-Roasted Potatoes (a fabulous, ultra-easy recipe that I will post about anon!)
Mains:
Desserts:
- Chocolate Macaroons
- Sweet Potato Pie
- Marble Cake
- Hazelnut Melting Moments cookies
Herbal tea, Perrier, red wine
These Hazelnut Melting Moments (one of my contributions, and one of the foods I couldn’t eat, ironically) are my remake of a confection I used to serve all the time at dinner parties. They speak of the holidays to me, so I figured I’d whip up a batch (well, if you heard cookies talking, could you say “no” to them? Lucky for me I don’t hear dead people).
Way back in my 30s, I lived in a basement apartment. Of all the places I’ve lived as an adult (with the exception of the wee postwar bungalow I owned when I first met the HH), that apartment was my favorite. Why, you ask? Well, you know what they say: ”location, location, location.”
You see, the place was situated on the venerable Heath Street in Toronto, just a hop, skip and condominium or two from the St. Clair subway and in the tony Forest Hill area of town. The building itself was a renovated Victorian mansion; our landlady had gone to some trouble to furnish the upper three flats with marble bathroom tiles, hardwood floors, stylish light fixtures and even reverse-osmosis water filtration systems in the kitchens.
My place, on the other hand, hadn’t been upgraded a whit; it was, simply, a basement apartment, much like any other (except in the basement of a lovely old mansion in a wealthy area of town, of course). Perhaps my landlady assumed people in that part of the city wouldn’t lower themselves–no pun intended–to live in subterranean digs; whatever the reason, I couldn’t believe how affordable the place was, and leapt at the chance to move in.
It may have been a basement, with peephole-sized windows that framed pedestrians’ footwear as they trod by above; it may have been a haven for a constant procession of bugs, spiders and even the errant mouse on occasion (I’m sure you must have heard me shriek when I first spied that little rodent taking a stroll through my living room); it may have housed the furnace for the entire building in my coat closet (the other tenants regularly knocked on my door at all hours of the day or night to ask me to turn up the heat); but I loved it. It was clean, it was roomy, and it was warm (courtesy of aforementioned furnace).
And it was the setting for many a dinner party.
These days, one event a year seems like plenty; but back then–what I now consider “The Year of Living Sociably”–I’d use any excuse to entertain. Your birthday? Let me throw you a party! Got a promotion? I’ll cook dinner for you and four friends! Just adopted a daughter from China? Let’s have the entire group who flew over from Canada to my place!
It was my first apartment on my own after I got divorced from the Starter Husband, and I took every opportunity to socialize. I even held my divorce ceremony and subsequent “I’m Free!” reception there. And I hosted a “I think I’m in love” bash when the HH and I finally got together.
Like a regular guest, these Hazelnut Melting Moments made an appearance at almost every gathering (though they never stuck around to the end of the soirée). Partway between a shortbread and a chocolate chip cookie, they are slightly sandy, buttery, with a hint of citrus. Topped with a melty pool of chocolate that oozes and dribbles on your chin if you eat them while still warm (not that I’d have any experience with such things), they’re an indulgent treat for the season. My newfangled version, either gluten-free or not, as you like, was every bit as delicious as the original (luckily, my guests ate them all, so I wasn’t tempted).
The cookies keep well, and would make a wonderful holiday gift. Something, say, to bring along to a party.
Hazelnut Melting Moments Times Two
Because these beauties are similar to shortbread and not cakelike, they are easily adaptable to gluten free cooking. I’ve made both versions (the GF at my pot luck, and in these photos), and they were a huge hit with everyone.
1/3 cup (60 g) Sucanat or any unrefined evaporated cane juice
1 Tbsp (15 ml) water
2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup (80 ml) coconut oil, preferably organic, soft at room temperature (but not melted)
1/4 tsp (1 ml) nutritional yeast, optional (adds a richness to the flavor)
2 tsp (10 ml) lemon or orange zest
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) finely ground chia seeds
1 cup (240 ml) finely ground hazelnuts (filberts), either raw or lightly toasted before grinding*
1-1/4 cups (175 g) light spelt flour or 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp (270 ml) all purpose GF flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill AP flour)*–or use your own favorite combination of gluten free flours
3 oz (85 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325F (165C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, mix together the Sucanat, water and vanilla until the Sucanat begins to dissolve. Add the coconut oil, nutritional yeast, vanilla, lemon zest and chia seeds and mix well.
Remove 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of the ground hazelnuts and set aside in a small bowl. Add the remaining hazelnuts and flour to the bowl and mix well until the dry ingredients are incorporated and you have a stiff dough. Work it with your hands if necessary until the dough holds together (if it is really dry, add up to one more Tbsp or 15 ml of water). The dough should NOT be sticky or too soft.
Using a small scoop or teaspoon, scoop out portions of dough and work them in your hands to create balls. (The GF dough may be too dry to roll it in your palms; I squeezed it in my fist, moving it back and forth from one hand to the other and squeezing it together each time I passed it back and forth, until it held together.) Place the balls about 1-1/2 inches (4 cm) apart on the cookie sheet.
Using your thumb or index finger, press an indentation on the top of each cookie (this may cause the outer edges of the GF cookies to crack or separate; just push them back together with your fingers).
Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden around the edges. While the cookies bake, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler of over extremely low heat, stirring constantly. Fill each indentation with about 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) melted chocolate, then sprinkle with a bit of the 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of reserved ground hazelnuts. Cool and devour. Makes 12-15 cookies. May be frozen.
* If you’re using metric measures, I apologize for using volume measurements instead of weight for the nuts and flours; my kitchen scale has broken, and I couldn’t wait to post the recipe! Will buy a new scale this weekend. 
Last Year at this Time: Gastronomic Gifts IV: Jam-Filled Turnovers
Two Years Ago: Dog Day: Is That a Treat in Your Pocket, or Are You Just Happy to See Me?
© 2009 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
I recently received a copy of the newly published Clean Food by Terry Walters. The book focuses on local, whole, natural foods.
I’ve posted my review as well as recipes for Seaweed Cabbage Sauté and Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies in the “Giveaways/Reviews” section of the blog.
To read the full review and recipes, click here.
Look! It’s Ricki at the Vegetarian Food Fair again!
Nope, I didn’t take a spin in the Time Tunnel. Nope, I don’t have a twin sister who demonstrated a recipe at another Veg Food Fair this weekend. Nope, I haven’t figured out how to implement Einstein’s theory of relativity and traveled back in time. And nope, you did not unwittingly ingest some strange form of hallucinogen, which is now showing its effects in this blog post.
This post is simply a means to re-post last week’s Butterscotch Blondies with Chocolate Chips and Dried Cranberries recipe, which was lost when a *&%$!!! hacker broke into my blog site and hijacked the page for a few days. I contacted my service provider and they cleared it up–minus a couple of entries (and minus all your wonderful comments about the Food Fair–sniff, boo hoo!).
I’ll post another recipe tomorrow, but in the meantime, here are those blondies again. And nope, I didn’t eat them this week, either. 
Butterscotch Blondies with
Chocolate Chips and Dried Cranberries
from Sweet Freedom
These are a favorite dessert in our house. They are rich-tasting, chewy, and the combination of rice syrup and maple syrup mimics a butterscotch flavor extremely well. Use the suggested cranberries and chocolate chips, or any of the variations, below.
1 cup (140 g) light spelt flour
3/4 cup (90 g) barley flour
1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking soda
1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt
1/3 cup (80 ml) brown rice syrup
1/3 cup (80 ml) pure maple syrup
1/3 cup (80 ml) sunflower or other light-tasting oil, preferably organic
1 Tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp (1 ml) rum or butterscotch flavoring (optional)
1/2 cup (100 g) non-dairy chocolate chips
1/3 cup dried tart cherries (45 g) or cranberries (40 g)
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line an 8” (20 cm) square pan with parchment paper, or grease well and then flour the pan (flouring is essential, as the blondies tend to stick to the bottom of the pan without the parchment).
In a medium bowl, sift together the spelt flour, barley flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the brown rice syrup, maple syrup, oil, vanilla and flavoring (if using) until well blended. Gently stir in the chips and cherries.
Pour the dry mixture over the wet and stir to blend. You will have a fairly thick and sticky batter. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating pan about halfway through, until a tester inserted in the center comes out just barely clean (a moist crumb or two is fine). Take care not to overbake, or these will dry out! The batter will fall a little as it cools; this is as it should be. Allow to cool completely in pan before cutting into squares. Makes 16 squares. May be frozen.
Variations: use 1/3 cup each pistachios (or nut of choice) and dried cranberries, or replace the cranberries with raisins and add about 2 tsp (10 ml) freshly grated orange zest.
© 2009 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
Last Year at this Time: Banana-Berry Breakfast Cakes
First of all: Wow. I am truly bowled over by the enthusiastic response to the giveaway, and thrilled that so many of you would like my cookbook! Thanks, all, for your entries and your comments. I have been slow in responding to comments, but have read them all and will respond to any questions later today. (Oh, and the contest continues until May 15th, so if you haven’t entered yet, you still can!)
I did want to clarify one point about the recipes, though: while there ARE some gluten-free recipes in it (about 25%), the book does not include gluten free recipes exclusively. Spelt does contain some gluten–though about 30% less than wheat–and it is often suitable for people with gluten sensitivity such as myself. Most of my recipes employ spelt, barley, or oat flours (much like any of the desserts on this blog). I thought it important to mention this, in case some of you are expecting a gluten-free cookbook (that will have to be next time!)
[My typical dinner these days: raw collard rolls with bean spread; fresh tomato; green beans. No wonder there are no new recipes!]
I’m afraid I don’t have a new recipe for you all today, as much as I’d intended to post one a few days ago. After a whirlwind high school reunion last weekend in Niagara Falls, I came home to discover that the charming candida in my system was being its opportunistic self and took advantage of my slightly altered diet and shift in regular routine while away from home. Ever since I got back, I’ve been feeling sapped of energy and spending more hours in bed than Sleeping Beauty (no prince for me, though. . . unless you count Chaser licking my ear as a magical “kiss”).
(“But Mum, I have to keep licking your ear! All beauty aside, how else am I supposed to let you know it’s time for a walk?”)
My (conventional) doctor has now prescribed an oral anti-fungal medication for me, something about which I’m not at all pleased (even though it does confirm candida as a culprit), but which, it seems, is entirely necessary since virtually none of the other methods I’ve tried have worked. On the ACD site where I found my current diet, they do caution that a candida problem can never be entirely eradicated with diet alone; so I’m okay with the pills. I will see my naturopathic doctor next week, so perhaps he’ll have a new idea.
In the meantime, I am determined to continue with the regime, and have faith that it will take effect eventually, bringing about a healthy change–as it did the last time I followed this diet (for a duration of two years!! Let’s hope it doesn’t take that long this time round). The only bright spot so far is that the weight-loss lull has finally been shattered: as of this morning, I’ve lost 17 pounds (7.7 kilos) since I began the diet on March 9th (just about 8 weeks). My weight hasn’t been this low since 2003. Yowza!
[Butterscotch blondies with chocolate chips and dried cherries]
I did bake some goodies from Sweet Freedom for the gang at the reunion, though (still can’t resist baking something for any gathering!). There were about 60 of us. And while I’m still in regular contact with my own (female) friends from that era, such as Sterlin (who flew in from England to room with me!), the Geminis, Phil, Babe, and so on, I haven’t seen any of the guys since grade eleven (the highest year of high school in Montreal). And when I did finally see them–Quel Surprise!
[Miniature orange-cranberry scones]
There were a few blank stares as I first spied some of the men, but once they introduced themselves, it was easy to spot the sixteen year-old in the forty-something faces and there were hugs all around. Within minutes, we all assumed our old, familiar camaraderie and went on to enjoy a raucous weekend with tours of the Falls, karaoke (I didn’t sing, but Sterlin and I did hop on stage as backup “dancers” for a pair who sang “Addicted to Love”), and a goodbye brunch complete with awards for everything from “Guy you’re most surprised is a parent” to “Person who brought the most photos of family” (that was Sterlin).
[Easiest Almond Cookies--grain free and gluten free]
Am I glad I went? Absolutely. I reconnected with a couple of people with whom I’d been very close in high school, and with whom I’m sure I’ll be in touch once again. And it was terrific to hear, “You haven’t changed a bit! I’d recognize you anywhere!” repeatedly, despite my own sense that I’d changed dramatically in the past 30 or so years. There’s already chatter on Facebook about the next reunion!
[Chocolate Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies]
For the next little while, my posts may be a bit less regular or more infrequent than usual, as I feel I need to concentrate a bit more diligently on regaining my physical health and equilibrium. I will still be cooking, though, and will post recipes whenever I have them! And I’ll continue to read all your blogs and comment whenever I can.
[Ultra-Fudgy Brownies]
As always, I am deeply grateful for all of you out there who read this blog and continue to provide support and comments. Because of all of you, these health issues have been made to seem manageable. Now it’s time to really kick that candida’s butt once and for all!
Last Year at this Time: Vanilla versus Vanilla (cupcakes and muffins)
© 2009 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
[After yesterday's somber ACD-focused post, today it's time for. . . cookies!]
I remember reading an article several years ago in a popular magazine that theorized about which males epitomize the term, “sexy.” Since they sought out trends rather than individuals, the likes of Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Johnny Depp et al were all immediately disqualified. In the end, whom did they decide was the sexiest type of man? The Cowboy.
Yep, little lady, you heard me right: those rugged, ruddy men sporting wide-brimmed hats, faded bandannas, checkered shirts, washed-out jeans and pointy-toed boots. And let’s not forget unkempt, greasy hair, calloused hands with dirty fingernails, mud-crusted clothing, and tobacco-stained teeth. Oh, they’re sexy all right; I mean, if being able to lasso a sweet, saucer-eyed, helpless calf and tie up its hind legs with your bare hands isn’t sexy, well, what is? (Clearly, I was not alone in my skepticism; I have no doubt the author of Brokeback Mountain intended to challenge the stereotype as well, or he wouldn’t have set the first major Hollywood gay love story–now that’s a string of adjectives, isn’t it?–in cowboy country).
Well, I have nothing against cowboys, really, but must admit I’ve never found them very appealing on a romantic level. (Now, a firefighter, well, that’s an entirely different story. . .right on, Denis Leary!).
We could also consider the full roundup of cowboy-related foods. Remember that great scene in Mel Brooks’s Blazing Saddles? Baked beans heated on a skillet over an open flame. . . yum! Or how about a hash browned breakfast topped with eggs, under the open skies? (Oooh, that reminds me of my own Cowboy’s Tempeh Hash recipe–must post!). And eclipsing them all by a Texas mile–are Cowboy Cookies.
Let me take a step back here, and leave the cowboys–er, in the dust, so to speak–for a moment.
I’m fairly certain that most of you, by now, have heard of Toronto’s own jae steele, holistic nutritionist and cookbook writer extraordinaire. Jae’s book, Get It Ripe, was an instant bestseller both because it contains a plethora of yummy recipes and because it offers an encyclopedic introductory section (almost half the book) dishing up healthy nutrition, whole foods ingredients, cooking methods, and so on. I’m guessing many people who love the recipes also purchased the book as a handy reference guide to healthy eating.
I first met jae several years ago when I taught a practicum at my nutrition school alma mater. Because we both attended the same school, we share a similar philosophy toward food, and I feel very comfortable with all of jae’s recipes. Like me, jae worked as a vegan baker in a restaurant before embarking on her cookbook. So I thought it might be fun to bake up one of her dessert recipes.
That’s when my eyes alighted on her Cowgrrrl Cookies, a crisp-and-chewy blend of oats, chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, and a hint of cinnamon–sort of what you’d get if you bred a classic Dad’s oatmeal cookie and a Chocolate Chip cookie mama. I knew I wanted to try them. The result was, as expected, spectacular–a dense yet chewy cookie studded with a variety of textures and flavors, from soft and melty (chocolate chips) to sweet and pliable (raisins) to slightly smoky and nutty (walnuts). The dough itself baked up, bronzed to perfection (sort of like a shirtless cowboy, no?), light and crisp on the edges while maintaining a certain moist, taffy-like chewiness in the center. Yee-haw!
When I subsequently researched the original Cowboy Cookies (from which jae took her vegan inspiration), I discovered that no one has actually determined the origin of their name. One article declared they were so good, “They’d cause a stampede!” while another suggested that the confections “are so dense and full of ingredients that they could feed a cowboy for a week.” Either way, the original is brimming with butter and eggs–not exactly suitable to the DDD brood–so I was happy to go with jae’s delectable vegan, spelt-based version.
Yessiree, I brand these the best rustlin’, best tastin’, best health-supportin’ Cowgrrrrl Cookies anywhere–hot dang!
Luckily, I’ve already made these babies a few times, so I didn’t feel obliged to “test” the batch (thereby negating my entire six weeks of the ACD). These are crisp on the edges, chewy in the middle, with lots of texture from the chips, raisins, and nuts. The HH, an avowed nut lover (well, in reality he’s more of a “nutty lover”), absolutely adored these.
Forget cowboys (and their cookies), I say! I’d more likely be attracted by these any day.
With their wealth of natural ingredients and down-home charm, I thought these cookies would be a perfect contribution to Food Renegade ’s Fight Back Fridays. Giddyup!
Cowgrrrl Cookies
from Get It Ripe by jae steele (with the author’s permission)
A great snacking cookie filled with delightful extras. The recipe bakes up a big batch so you can share with all your ranch hands, too!
2 cups (280 g) light spelt flour
2 cups (200 g) old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda
1/2 tsp (1 ml) sea salt
1-1/4 cups (225 g) non-dairy chocolate chips
1/2 cup (70 g) organic raisins
1/2 cup (55 g) coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) cinnamon
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp (210 ml) softened organic coconut oil or sunflower oil, preferably organic
1 cup (180 g) Sucanat
1/3 cup (80 ml) room-temperature applesauce
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the oil and Sucanat until well combined. Add the applesauce and vanilla and mix again.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix just until all the flour is absorbed. Use a small ice cream scoop or heaping tablespoon (20 ml) to place mounds of dough on the cookie sheets about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Flatten slightly.
Bake for 13 minutes, or until golden. Makes about 3 dozen.
Last Year at this Time: Frugal Frittata
© 2009 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
[Welcome to the new home of Diet, Dessert and Dogs! I'm still tweaking the format and layout of the blog, so please bear with me while I update some links, combine some page tabs, etc. It should all be up and running smoothly within the next week or so!]
A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Coombs Family Farms, an organic farm in Vermont that specializes in “all things maple,” to see if I’d like to sample some of their syrup. Since maple syrup is a well-loved staple in my kitchen and many of my baked goods feature it as a key sweetener, I was delighted to accept their offer and eagerly awaited the package.
A few days later, I received this:
A bottle of their certified organic syrup, along with a maple-leaf shaped piece of maple candy!
Anyone who’s ever consumed real maple syrup can attest to its unique flavor–sweet, slightly smoky, with an appealing, earthy aroma. Made from the sap of maple trees, it’s naturally rich in minerals (per volume, higher in calcium than dairy milk!). The syrup is available for purchase in three grades of A (light, medium and dark) and one of B–each darker and more intensely flavored than the last. I was sent a bottle of grade B, an intense, soulful auburn that was so thick and deep it was nearly opaque. As soon as I removed the cap, the maple perfume escaped to envelop the room with that distinctive scent.
Now, I’ve enjoyed maple syrup for many years. Like pretty much everyone raised in Quebec–the heart of Canada’s maple country–I consider myself a maple aficionado, if not an expert. Maple syrup is ubiquitous in La Belle Province: you can find it on every checkered tablecloth in every greasy-spoon breakfast diner, cheerily lining the shelves in corner grocery stores, awaiting the call in every kitchen cupboard. When I was in grade school, each spring our class would make an annual trek up north for “sugaring off” parties, where freshly tapped, warmed maple syrup was poured over vast expanses of pristine snow to create a kind of maple taffy that we kids scrambled to scoop up with plastic spoons. I might even classify myself as a bit of a maple syrup snob, in fact, one who’d never even consider trying the artificially flavored stuff from that iconic slender-waisted bottle.
Still, despite my fine maple sensibilities, I’ve never really thought it essential to buy organic maple syrup. For one thing, the price is usually, shall we say, immoderate. In addition, I’ve always recalled a conversation I had with a student once in a sociology of food course I was teaching. She mentioned that her family owned a local maple tree farm. There was really no difference between organic and non-organic syrup, she explained, since most maple trees aren’t sprayed with pesticides anyway (unless infected by some vermin or another). I filed away that bit of information and continued to purchase my regular (non-organic) variety.
Well, let me tell you, that student got it wrong (luckily, she wasn’t writing a test at the time). Now that I’ve tasted the Coomb’s organic version, I’m not sure I can go back to my generic brand. Their syrup is outstanding, with a rich, deep amber color and more intense maple flavor than I’ve ever tasted. It’s perfectly sweet and subtly smoky, with a heightened maple essence that lingers gently on the palate, enduring like an unexpected compliment.
Seriously, I may not be able to tolerate my old brand any more. To heck with the price–I’ll just have to be more judicious in my use of it, I reckon. Or else use a bit less and savor every drop more. Or simply ignore the cost entirely (I suspect that a pawn shop may come into play at some point). Seriously, it’s that good.
My first taste of the syrup was straight, poured onto the Lemony Almond Pancakes I wrote about a few days ago (I wanted to sample the delicacy in its pure, unadulterated state before combining it with other ingredients). The flavors melded beautifully, the maple’s presence strong enough to match the zesty lemon while counterbalancing the slight sourness of it. The HH practically asked to drink the stuff straight out of the bottle (but I wouldn’t let him, of course, as I was saving it for my subsequent kitchen experiments). He did manage to polish off the maple candy in one sitting, however–I got barely a nibble!
With such a winning flavor, I opted to design a cookie that would really showcase the unique taste that is “maple.” I concocted these Maple Flax cookies (sorry, the two of you who are also on the ACD; these are NOT ACD-friendly–I created this recipe a couple of weeks ago). They are naturally gluten free (and even flour-free, in fact). In this case, the light, chewy texture was a natural outgrowth of my desire to minimize other ingredients in order to allow the natural maple to shine through. And you will most definitely taste it, with every chewy, sticky, sweet and maple-y bite.
Thanks again to everyone at Coombs Family Farms for allowing me to sample this extraordinary product. Now my only lament is that I can’t find any more of it here in Toronto!
They’re not quite Irish, but since they contain oats, I can claim a Celtic connection, anyway. . . Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone!
P.S. It’s time for another Sweet Freedom giveaway. . . stay tuned for details next post!
Maple Flax Cookies
Looking somewhat like oatmeal cookies, with a crunchy exterior and chewy center, these intesely maple-flavored treats will please everyone. Whole flax seeds add bulk, while the oatmeal and flax meal both contribute heart-healthy soluble fiber.
1/2 cup (60 g) whole old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick cook)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) coconut oil, solid at room temperature*
3 Tbsp (45 ml) pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp (30 ml) Sucanat or other unrefined evaporated cane juice
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp (30 ml) finely ground flax seeds
3 Tbsp (45 ml) whole flax seeds
1/4 tsp (1 ml) baking soda
1/4 tsp (1 ml) baking powder
1/8 tsp (.5 ml) fine sea salt
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray.
In the bowl of a mini food processor or coffee grinder, whir the oats until they resemble a coarse meal. Pour the meal into a small bowl and set aside.
To the unwashed processor bowl, add the coconut oil, maple syrup, Sucanat and ground flax seeds. Blend until combined well and smooth. Set aside while you measure the rest of the dry ingredients, or at least 2 minutes.
To the bowl of oats, add the whole flax seeds, baking soda, baking powder and salt, and mix to distribute everything. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir to create a sticky “dough”.
Using a melon baller or teaspoon, drop the mixture onto cookie sheet about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Do not flatten the cookies (they will spread on their own).
Bake 10-13 minutes, until puffed and cracked on top and dry on the edges. Allow to cool completely before removing from sheet (they will firm up as they cool). Makes 8-10 cookies. May be frozen.
* If your room temperature is warm enough that the coconut oil melts, place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or so to firm up before using in this recipe.
Last Year at This Time: Katie’s Creamy Aspara-Dip
© 2009 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
[There's just nothing like a homemade gift for the holidays. This year, with the purse strings a little tighter than usual, I'm determined to make at least a few in my kitchen--and thought I'd share my ideas in case you'd like to partake, too. Here's the last post in the series.]
Can it be possible that there are only TWO DAYS LEFT before Christmas?? The last few months seem to have flashed by–faster than the scenery outside a train window. Or your waiter at a busy New York bistro. Or the chaps on a Chippendale dancer. Or even Taylor Hicks’s 15 seconds of fame. Where have the langorous, sunny days of summer gone? Whence the flip-flops, the frayed T-shirts, the cutoffs, the rain-stained Keds? To what secret destination have all the squirrels sequestered themselves (to the great dismay of The Girls)? How did I miss entirely the red and gold and sepia-emblazoned maple trees of autumn?
Instead, we’re suddenly faced with pummeling snow, jarring, backward-beeping snowplows outside our bedroom window at 5:47 AM, innumerable layers of socks, long underwear, undershirts, turtlenecks, polar fleece, scarves, hats, earmuffs (yes, those last two at the same time), mini-gloves inside bigger gloves, boots, cleats on boots–basically, about 14 extra pounds to lug around on our bodies between December and March. (And that’s not even taking into account any of the chocolate I’ve eaten.)
Well, as promised, here’s the final Gastronomic Gift that, like the days just passed, can be completed in a flash. These are not ornate, sugar-coated or piped with brightly colored icing for the holidays, but nevertheless, they were so good that I felt it would be Scrooge-like to withold these gems.
I don’t know why, but macaroons spell “holiday” to me (maybe somebody should lend me a dictionary). This recipe for amazingly chewy, chocolatey, irresistible macaroon-like cookies is taken (almost) verbatim from the brilliant Ellen Abraham’s Simple Treats, and it is a defnite winner. At a recent pot luck supper at my place (post to come anon), all eight of the women present raved over these and the cookies were gone, well, in a flash.
Properly named Chocolate Coconut Cookies by their creator, these yummy bites came together easily and quickly with the aid of my trusty food processor (which, I’ve discovered as I transcribe the final recipes for the cookbook, has become quite the fixture in my baking these days). Once baked and cooled, the cookies can be stored and packaged without worry, as they are fairly sturdy as well.
Since the CFO is scheduled to arrive tomorrow, I’ll be taking a break from blogging between now and some time after Christmas (except for an already pre-scheduled post on the 25th).
Our celebration this year will be quiet and intimate, but special nonetheless. And, for the first time, with just more than a year of blogging under my belt (and see? without even leaping on that opportunity for a fat-belt joke), I feel very lucky to be sharing this first holiday season with all of you, my readers and other bloggers I’ve “met” in the past 13 months. I couldn’t have imagined how much I’d come to love and appreciate this amazing community back in November 2007, when I started this blog.
So thank you, all, for reading, for commenting, for offering your own blog posts, recipes, and ideas on a regular basis. Here’s wishing you all a peaceful, restful, joyful holiday season. I hope you are able to spend time with those you love, those you care about, and those who make you laugh. And throw in some great food and gifts while you’re at it, too.
* * * Happy Holidays! * * *
“Um, Mum, did we hear you correctly? Did you just mention that Auntie CFO is coming to visit–?? All-RIGHT! New Nylabones!”
[And don't forget: There's still one day left to bid on any of the fabulous prizes for Menu for Hope. Just go to the main donation page and pick something you like, for only $10 per ticket--proceeds go to the UN World Food Programme. My prize is a year's subscription to Martha Stewart Living magazine, plus a one kilo (2 lb.) jar of Omega Nutrtion organic coconut oil. Prize code: CA 05.]
Chewy Chocolate Macaroons
adapted from Simple Treats
These spectacular treats are deceptively simple to make, and totally addictive. If you manage to save enough to give away, be sure to print a warning on the package.
1/2 cup (60 g.) cocoa powder
1/4 cup (30 g.) barley flour
1/4 tsp. (1 ml.) baking soda
1/4 tsp. (1 ml.) baking powder
1/4 tsp. (1 ml.) fine sea salt
2-1/2 cups (190 g.) shredded, unsweetened coconut, lightly toasted [I didn't bother to toast it and it was still fine!]
1/3 cup (about 100 g.) date purée OR 8 pitted, dried unsweetened dates
1 Tbsp. (15 ml.) water, if using date purée; OR 5 Tbsp. (75 ml.) water, if using dried dates
1 cup (180 g.) Sucanat
1 tsp. (5 ml.) pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray.
Place the cocoa, flour, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt into the bowl of a food processor (no need to sift, as the processor will do that work). Add the coconut and pulse once or twice to combine. Add the dates or date purée, either 1 Tbsp./15 ml. water (for purée) or 5 Tbsp. /75 ml. water (for dry dates), and Sucanat to the flour mixture. Pulse repeatedly until the dates are incorporated (for dry dates, they should be chopped very fine), and the mixture comes together in a moist dough.
With a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, measure out balls of dough and place about 2 inches (5 cm.) apart on cookie sheets. Flatten cookies slightly with your palm or the bottom of a glass. (For a more decorative cookie, you can dip a fork in water and then press around the edges with the fork, as in the edges of the Jam-Filled Turnovers).
Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating pans once about halfway through, until cookies are dry on top and lightly browned on the bottom (use a spatula to lift a cookie and peek underneath). Let cool on cookie sheets for 5 to 6 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Makes 18-20 cookies. May be frozen.
Other Gastronomic Gifts:
GG I: Fudge Two Ways
GG II: Brandied Apricot-Ginger Spread
GG III: Marzipan-Topped Shortbread **Note: the original recipe was somehow transcribed incorrectly–please use the current version with the correct amount of flour!!
GG IV: Jam-Filled Turnovers
GG V: Tutti Fruiti Christmas Cookies
GG VI: Pumpkin Butter
Last Year at this Time: Brussels Sprouts even My Honey Will Eat
© 2008 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
* Or, Ricki Finally Decides to Get Political
[There's just nothing like a homemade gift for the holidays. This year, with the purse strings a little tighter than usual, I'm determined to make at least a few in my kitchen--and thought I'd share my ideas in case you'd like to partake, too. ]
[Dig those green threads of lime zest in there! Red and green--how festive!]
I bet you can tell from the title alone that this is a retro recipe. For me, the name “Tutti Fruiti” brings to mind Mrs. Cunningham’s kitchen on Happy Days, or Leave it to Beaver, or Doris Day. I mean, it just sounds so Barbie doll. . .so potroast-and-mashed-potatoes. . . so poodle skirts and bobbysocks. . . so 1950s Housewife. Or does it?
Maybe it’s just me, but just when did feminism get such a bad rap? (Oh oh–I’ve uttered the “F-Word”!! I can hear the roar of footsteps as droves of my readers hightail it for the exit). But seriously. I happened to grow up during a time of great social change for women, when being able to make our own choices and earn our own money was still a novelty, one that was both thrilling, and ground-breaking. (Hmm. Sort of reminds me of the excitement in the air over recent political developments, too).
These days, I’m sensing a backward shift in attitude all over the media. It makes me sad to think that young women today feel they can’t embrace independence and self-sufficiency without giving up everything old-fashioned at the same time. Claims of Grrrrrrl power from hyper-sexed, no-unmentionable-flaunting, party-hardy starlets who trumpet liberation but are really just craving male attention are just one facet of the problem. You know that social attitudes have really shifted when they hit your soap opera. As The World Turns (my own indulgence, as I may have mentioned before) may have one of the first gay story lines on daytime, but they seem to have abandoned their women back in the fifties.
Case in Point: Jack and Carly. Here’s a sample:
Carly [to her ex-husband, Jack]: What? You spent the $5000 intended for our son’s boarding school tuition on your new wife-to-be’s wedding dress??!!
Jack: Don’t worry, Carly, I will make sure our kids are taken care of.
Carly: I’m warning you, Jack, you’d better not squander your money on that woman. If our kids have to suffer because you can’t pay for them. . . well, I promise you, I will make your life a living hell.
Jack: I told you I’d take care of it, Carly, and I will! [storms off in a huff.]
Does anyone else read that dialogue and wonder, “Um, excuse me, but where is Carly’s portion of that tuition?” Why isn’t she also contributing to her son’s schooling? And before you hurl epithets at my insensitivity to the woman’s dilemma, consider that Carly’s character is supposedly a millionaire. That’s right: as a former high-flying fashion designer, she has way more money than her honest-cop ex-husband. Yet despite rolling in dough, she expects the man to pay for everything. Poor old Gloria Steinem (and I suppose she really is old, nowadays) is probably rolling over in her Playboy bunny suit.
I don’t see any conflict of interest in calling myself a feminist and still enjoying all the activities that take place in the kitchen (no, not those activities, people! I was referring to cooking, baking, eating and the like!) In fact, I’ve always been proud to use the title ”Ms.” (and no, it’s not just a title for divorced women). Another shock: I also retained my name when I got married (to the first one, not the HH). I mean, I’d had the name since I was born, didn’t I? I was pretty attached to it. My ex-husband argued that we were more of a coherent “team” with the same last name. Okay, I countered, then let “the team” carry my last name. (I’m afraid I can’t reprint what he said in response to that.)
And what does this sudden pro-feminist rant have to do with cookies, you may wonder?
Well, in high school, one of the greatest feminist role models I’ve ever known was Mrs. Jennings. Mrs. J was quite a powerhouse: she held a full-time job as a high school teacher; she was on various academic boards; she had a part-time freelance gig outside of school; and she was one all around tough cookie (no pun intended). Probably only about 10 years my senior at the time, Mrs. J certainly looked the part: she was rather strident in her manner, with a mile-high ‘do that bore a striking resemblance to a rusted Brillo pad. Her shoes were sensible, her suits stiff and straight-cut in that “must-emulate-male-businessmen” way, and her demeanor was always entirely humorless. At the same time, she showed us girls what could be accomplished by women who were smart and self-sufficient.
Oh, and she taught Home Economics.
Home Economics! Even the name sounds anachronistic. But it was in Mrs. J’s class that I learned how to measure dry ingedients in the metal cups and wet ingredients in the glass cups; how to level my baking powder with the back of a knife; how to roll dough from the center outward; how to distinguish between a selection of six different kinds of milk**; and how to make Tutti Fruiti Christmas Cookies. That woman really could do it all! And she taught us it was okay to be a feminist and still love all the old-fashioned female virtues, too.
Of course, the original recipe wasn’t vegan (Mrs. J wasn’t that liberated). But I’ve retained it all these years because these were just the perfect holiday cookie in every way: they are delicious, they are incredibly easy to make (of course, any woman with all that going on had to find ways to save time in the kitchen), they travel well, and they seem to appeal to everyone. The original recipe also contained old-fashioned gumdrops, chopped up. Well, darned if I didn’t have the perfect substitute right on hand–the yummy gummies I got as a gift in my swap package from Neil! The lime zest is my own addition, to round out the Christmassy colors.
Of all the fancy, frosted, cookie-cut or filled cookies I make at the holiday season, these remain my very favorites (and they’re not even chocolate!!). Soft yet slightly crumbly with a light, citrus, almond-perfumed aroma and dotted throughout with brilliant bits of shiny color like fragments of stained glass, these cookies are a treat to eat.
And when you don the frilly apron to serve these to friends and family, hold up your feminist head with pride! Real women bake cookies, too.
“Mum, we love all the activities that go on in the kitchen, too. And we would love to be self-sufficient with free access to our food.”
On a Final Note: I’ve also been totally remiss about a lovely award I received a while back from Georgia.  I meant to post about it then, and of course it slipped my mind until now (I may be a feminist, but my memory sucks). Thanks so much, Georgia, for this Proximity Award! Here are the award details:
“This blog invests and believes in PROXIMITY – nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”
I won’t tag anyone specific, but will open this up to anyone who’s willing to proudly call herself (or himself) a feminist!
** That would be whole, 2%, 1%, skim, sweetened condensed, evaporated, and dried-reconstituted. Nobody had even heard of alternative milks back then!
As a much healthier version of the original, this recipe is my contribution to Michelle of The Accidental Scientist for her Heart of the Matter “December Full of Heart-Healthy Decadence” event. (And yes, coconut oil is considered heart-healthy!).
Tutti Fruiti Christmas Cookies
The perfect holiday cookie: quick and easy, and with a light texture and fruity flavor, easy to eat as well.
1/2 cup (90 g.) Sucanat
1 Tbsp. (15 ml.) water
1/4 tsp. (1 ml.) EACH: almond extract, lemon extract, pure vanilla extract
zest of 1/2 lime
1 Tbsp. (15 ml.) finely ground flax seeds
1/3 cup (80 ml.) melted coconut oil (such as Omega Nutrition, which you can win through the Menu for Hope!)
1/2 cup (120 ml.) chopped candied fruit, gummy candies, chopped dried cranberries, or any other small chopped festive food of your choice
1-1/4 cups (175 g.) light spelt flour
3/4 tsp. (7.5 ml) baking powder
1/4 tsp. (1 ml.) baking soda
1/8 tsp. (.5 ml.) fine sea salt
In a large bowl, mix together the Sucanat, water, extracts and lime zest. Stir to dissolve the Sucanat as much as possible. Add the flax seeds and melted oil, then stir in the chopped fruit or candies.
Sift the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt over the liquid ingredients and stir to blend. You will have a soft dough.
Shape the dough into two logs about 1-1/2 inches (4 cm.) in diameter and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray.
Unwrap the cookie logs and cut them into disks about 3/8 inch (3/4 cm.) thick and place about 2 inches (5 cm.) apart on cookie sheets.
Bake in preheated oven 10-13 minutes, rotating the sheets once about halfway through, until golden brown. Allow to cool 5 minutes on sheets before removing to a rack to cool completely. Makes about 30 cookies. May be frozen.
Other Gastronomic Gifts:
GG I: Fudge Two Ways
GG II: Brandied Apricot-Ginger Spread
GG III: Marzipan-Topped Shortbread **Note: the original recipe was somehow transcribed incorrectly–please use the current version with the correct amount of flour!!
GG IV: Jam-Filled Turnovers
GG VI: Pumpkin Butter
GG VII: Chocolate Macaroons in a Flash
Last Year at this Time: Quick and Easy Tofu Masala
© 2008 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
[There's just nothing like a homemade gift for the holidays. This year, with the purse strings a little tighter than usual, I'm determined to make at least a few in my kitchen--and thought I'd share my ideas in case you'd like to partake, too. ]
First, a Menu for Hope update: As I mentioned last time, Menu for Hope is a fundraiser that continues until December 24th. Buy tickets at $10 each, and you can bid on any of the fabulous prizes offered by bloggers from all over the world!
The prize I’m offering, a year’s subscription to Martha Stewart Living, has just been bumped up a notch! Since so many of my recent cookie creations feature coconut oil, the nice folks at Omega Nutrition have donated a large (one-kilo/2 pound) jar of their Organic Coconut Oil to the prize. That way, you can convert all those butter-laden recipes in Martha’s mag to healthier versions!
If you’d like to bid on my prize (a year’s subscription PLUS organic coconut oil), head on over to the main donation page and cite prize code CA 05. And if you’re not keen on Martha, there are loads of other amazing prizes there as well!
And now, on to today’s Gastronomic Gift. . .
These are the cookies that inspired the creation of My Life in Balance Buttery Spread the other day. This recipe goes way back in my cookie repertoire. . . waaaay back. (Did anyone else just have an image of the Friendly Giant pop into their heads? “Look up. . . . waaay up!”).
When my sisters and I were still tweens, we’d eagerly await the holiday season because it meant an entire day bake-a-thon with my mom. The CFO and I would usually be stationed at the kitchen table chopping nuts in an old-fashioned, spring-loaded manual nut chopper (in my twenties, I found one at a garage sale for 25 cents–twenty-five cents!–and have used it on many occasion since, with great success). There’s nothing quite like the visceral satisfaction one gets after repeatedly pumping that windmill-shaped blade up and down inside the glass jar, watching the whole nuts jump and dance like water sizzling on a hot skillet. Looking at the tiny, uniform crumbs that are created, you can think, wow–I just made that, by hand (and also, “wow, my biceps sure are sore now.”). And of course in those days, no one had even heard of food processors!
My sister and I also acted as sous pastry chefs, slicing up maraschino cherries, zesting oranges or lemons, souring milk with lemon juice or vinegar, or meting out chocolate or butterscotch chips. Over at the counter (where the Sunbeam Mixmaster was parked), my mom would cream butter, blend eggs, stir milk and cocoa and flour and then scoop the final product onto ancient cookie sheets that looked like picture frames with their still-shiny silver centers, bordered with the charred remains of cookies past.
When she was done scooping, Mom would proffer the bowl and wooden spoon, its buttery, sugary amber batter still clinging in spots. At that piont, The Nurse also joined in for the Licking of the Bowl ritual. We all agreed that for certain recipes, the raw mixture tasted even better than the final baked product; and so the yield for those cookies was always reduced by about 30% by the time the cookies were done.
When I was finally established in my own apartment some 1000 kilometers (600 miles) from home, I determined I’d uphold the tradition by making my own tins of cookies for friends and colleagues at Christmas time.  To amass a fresh collection of soon-to-be treasured cookie recipes, I’d scour the supermarket checkout each year to purchase the annual mini cookbooks with titles like ”Holiday Baking” or “Christmas Treasures” of “101 Cookies for the Holidays”–pamphlets published by Pillsbury, Crisco (gasp!), Betty Crocker, General Mills, and the like. I’d pore over each page and meticulously mark the recipes I wanted to try with ripped up sticky notes (I mean, why waste a whole one, just as a bookmark?).
Then I’d set up the ingredients assembly-line style and bake away for the entire day, re-creating the buzz and activity of my mother’s erstwhile home bakery. Unfortunately, I discovered that the yield of each recipe in my own kitchen was still reduced by about 30% before the cookies were baked (one of life’s unsolved mysteries, I guess).
These jam-filled turnovers are one of the treats that became a holiday staple back then. Deceptively simple to make, they embody sleek sophistication with their half-moon contour, fluted edge and glossy, drizzled glaze; and each turnover enfolds a dollop of glistening, fruity filling. The original recipe called for cream cheese and butter, with a filling of regular (high-sugar) raspberry jam, its brilliant fucshia glinting with each bite. I subbed coconut oil and silken tofu for the crust (that is, the prototype of the buttery spread), and used slightly less sparkly fillings of Brandied Apricot-Ginger spread or all-fruit strawberry jam.
Perhaps not as rich as the original, this recipe still results in a very malleable, easily rolled dough that bakes up crispy and even a tad flaky on the edges, filled with bright, sweet jam of choice.
These treasures are really impressive when glazed, and I’d recommend doing so if you are comfortable using confectoner’s sugar. I wasn’t happy with the agave-based version I created (it ended up with a texture like chewy candy), but would still suggest brushing these with a mixture of equal parts agave nectar and orange juice or soymilk to provide extra sweetness and a glossy finish to the crust if you don’t glaze them.
Since the cookies are baked on cookie sheets (though mine, of course, are scrubbed meticulously, even around the border), I’m submitting this recipe to Joelen’s Culinary Adventures. The Tasty Tool she’s profiling this month is Baking Sheets.
Jam-Filled Turnovers
The first word that comes to mind when you see these cookies is “dainty.” With their fluted edges and delicate shape, these little pockets of sweetness are perfect for a holiday celebration table or as take-away gifts for guests.
2 ounces (60 g.) firm-silken tofu (such as Mori-Nu)
1/3 cup (80 ml.) melted coconut oil
2 tsp. (10 ml.) finely grated orange zest
1/8-1/4 tsp. (.5-1 ml.) salt, depending on your taste
1/2 cup (70 g.) light spelt flour
2 Tbsp. cup (30 ml.) preserves of your choice (I used strawberry and apricot)
Orange glaze (below)
Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray.
In the bowl of a food processor, whir together the tofu, coconut oil, orange zest and salt until smooth and buttery. (Hey! Like a buttery spread!). Add the flour and pulse until you have a soft dough.
Gather the dough and place on a floured board. Roll it out to 1/8 inch (2 mm.) thickness (the thinner you can get the dough, the better). Using a 2-1/2 inch (6 cm.) cookie cutter, glass, or a 1/4 cup (60 ml.) measuring cup, cut out as many circles of dough as you can. Gather the remaining dough and re-roll, then cut more circles; repeat once more if necessary to use up all or most of the dough. (You should have about 12 circles).
Spoon about 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml.) of the preserves onto half of each circle. Moisten the edge of half of the circle with water, then fold the dough over the preserves, pinching edges together if necessary. Press the edges with a fork to seal.
Place the cookies about 1 inch (2.5 cm.) apart on prepared cookie sheet . Bake 10-15 minutes or until edges are light brown. Immediately remove from the cookie sheet; cool. Brush with orange glaze while warm. Makes about 12 cookies. May be frozen.
Orange glaze: mix about 2 Tbsp. (30 ml.) orange juice with 2 Tbsp. (30 ml.) water and brush over the still-warm cookies.
Other Gastronomic Gifts:
GG I: Fudge Two Ways
GG II: Brandied Apricot-Ginger Spread
GG III: Marzipan-Topped Shortbread **Note: the original recipe was somehow transcribed incorrectly–please use the current version with the correct amount of flour!!
GG V: Tutti Fruiti Christmas Cookies
GG VI: Pumpkin Butter
GG VII: Chocolate Macaroons in a Flash
Last Year at this Time: A Sweet Alternative (info about agave nectar)
© 2008 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
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