Tosser Cookies

With all the ongoing dramas over the Great British Bake Off this new card that I launched in September has proven to be very popular.   I love the image (it’s one of those designs where I came up with the punchline within about three minutes of seeing it) and I must admit it speaks to be as a vegan skeptic.  I mean I eat vegan food often, not because I need or want to but because I just don’t think about it.  But one area of cooking where I find it difficult to realise is baking.  I’m not an avid baker myself – it’s far too precise for my “see what I’ve got and chuck it together in a pan” method of cooking.  But every now and then when I crave something sweet and comforting a little cake or tray bake is just what I need.  My belly doesn’t but that’s another story.

Gluten free vegan can’t be that bad can it so I gave it try based on a recipe from Running with Spoons and I was pleasantly surprised.  They’re a little bit grainy but that might have been too much powdered almonds but otherwise they were nice and dense and sweet – even the vegan chocolate was absolutely fine.  So I still think this card is a funny one but maybe not all vegan baking is as joyless as I once thought.

The recipe,  with thanks to Running With Spoons is as follows:

Gluten Free Vegan Choc Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup oat flour
• 1/4 cup ground almonds
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
• 2 Tbsp. unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1 tsp. ground chia or flax, mixed with 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F / 180 C / gas mark 4  and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine rice flour, oat flour, almond meal, baking soda, and sea salt, whisking until fully incorporated.
3. In a smaller mixing bowl, combine coconut oil, apple sauce, coconut palm sugar, flax “egg,” and vanilla, whisking until everything is fully combined and smooth.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until well combined. If the dough seems a bit dry, use your hands to make sure everything is well mixed. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Using a generous tablespoon, scoop out dough and roll it into balls. Place the balls on your prepared baking sheet, and use your palm to flatten them. These cookies don’t spread much, so make them the shape you want before baking them.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn golden brown. The less you bake them, the chewier they’ll be, so feel free to remove them as early as 7 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool on sheet for ~5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container.

Bake and eat. Simples!