Tag Archives: cookies

flourless peanut butter cookies.

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Peanut Butter Cookies

A variation on my much loved Flourless Cashew Cookies, these simple, sweet and nutty cookies are not only vegan, but naturally gluten-free too – and as with their cashew cousins, there’s no added fat. With only five simple ingredients, you’ll be whipping up these toothsome temptations in no time at all and seeing them disappear even faster than that. Who needs cholesterol-laden eggs and arterie-clogging added fats to hold cookies together? These scrumptiously sweet, flourless morsels are powered by peanuts and tofu – hello, protein! Peanuts, a member of the legume family, are also a good source of iron. That’s a nice bonus, but who are we kidding: the main draw here is the scrumptious taste and delightful crumb – and these cookies don’t disappoint.

I said it with their cashew cousins and I’ll say it again for the peanut: experiment with other nut and seed butters too, like almond, sunflower seed, or macadamia – yum!

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

(vegan, gluten-free)

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter (just peanuts)
1/4 cup blended silken (or soft) tofu
3/4 cup golden sugar (scoop and level)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Using a food processor or high powered blender, blend tofu until completely smooth.

3. In a large bowl combine peanut butter and tofu until well blended. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add dry mix to wet mixture and stir until combined. Note: The dough will be very stiff – this is normal. Do NOT add additional liquid – it’ll take some muscle to combine everything, but the stiffness is required. If you add liquid, the cookies will over spread.

4. Drop dough by slightly rounded tablespoons (or similarly sized cookie dough scoop) onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Use a fork to slightly flatten each cookie.

5. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes. The cookies will be mildly golden all over and will feel very soft to the touch when they first come out of the oven (they will harden as they cool). After baking, allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.

Makes 18-22 cookies.

I originally shared this recipe with One Green Planet, for whom I am a contributor.

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flourless cashew cookies.

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Flourless Cashew Cookies

I have a confession to make: I love cashews. If you present me with a tin of mixed nuts, I will present you back with a tin in which there are no cashews to be found – and nary a cashew crumb. I have another confession to make: I love cashew cookies. Love. My love for both nut and cookie was the inspiration for this out of this world delicious recipe. The resultant flour-less cookies are simple, sweet and nutty confections that are not only vegan, but naturally gluten-free too – and with no added fat. With only five simple ingredients, you’ll be whipping up these toothsome temptations in no time – and soon see them disappear before your very eyes. Scrumptious, with a delightful crumb: these cookies don’t disappoint. They’re a new favourite of mine.

This recipe also makes a solid base for any nut butter with minor tweaks like adjusting the amount of salt. For Peanut Butter Cookies, I increase the salt to a 1/2 teaspoon. While I list a range of salt below (1/8 up to 1/4) to account for differing tastes, I prefer the Cashew Cookies with the lesser amount of a 1/8 teaspoon. I find that while the flavour of peanut butter lends itself quite nicely to a salty counterpoint, the sweetness and subtle flavour of cashew is easily overwhelmed by too much. Experiment with other nut and seed butters too, like almond, sunflower seed, or macadamia. Enjoy!

Flourless Cashew Cookies

(vegan, gluten-free)

Ingredients:

1 cup cashew butter
1/4 cup blended silken (or soft) tofu
3/4 cup granulated (white) sugar (scoop and level) **do NOT substitute brown sugar or you’ll get flat cookies. White sugar only.
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon sea salt (or up to 1/4 tsp)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Using a food processor or high powered blender, blend tofu until completely smooth.

3. In a large bowl combine cashew butter and tofu until well blended. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add dry mix to wet mixture and stir until combined. **Note: The dough will be very stiff – this is normal. Do NOT add additional liquid – it’ll take some muscle to combine everything, but the stiffness is required. If you add liquid, the cookies will over spread.

4. Drop dough by slightly rounded tablespoons (or similarly sized cookie dough scoop) onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Use a fork to slightly flatten each cookie.

5. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes. The cookies will be mildly golden all over and will feel very soft to the touch when they first come out of the oven (they will harden as they cool). After baking, allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 18-22 cookies.

Flourless Cashew Cookies

I originally shared this recipe with T.O.F.U. Magazine, for whom I am a proud contributor.

holiday cookie project: a roundup and a giveaway.

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Here we are, standing at the precipice of November, about to fall into December. I can’t believe we’re at the end of Vegan MoFo 2010. To mark the occasion, I’d like to do a roundup of my favourite cookies from The Holiday Cookie Project thus far – a best of the best, so to speak. I also have a truly fabulous book to give away – more about that after the roundup.

I thought I’d pick a top ten. This was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be because all of the cookies made for the project were wonderful. All were delicious. All baked up as expected. How is a cookie aficionado to choose? I finally decided to make selections based on overall popularity, ease of making, attractiveness (these cookies are, after all, auditioning for a spot on the Holiday cookie tray), and bribes for repeats. This is the list I came up with, in no particular order. It’s completely subjective, of course, but a fairly accurate representation of what I’ll probably be making again for the Holidays. If you wish to learn more about one of them, click on the image to be taken to the post for that particular cookie.

Holiday Cookie Project: Top Ten

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles

Macadamia Ginger Crunch Drops

Macadamia Ginger Crunch Drops

Chocolaty Crinkle Cookie

Chocolaty Crinkle Cookie

Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars

City Girl Snickerdoodles

City Girl Snickerdoodles

Gingerbread Biscotti

Gingerbread Biscotti

Chocolate Chip Cookie

Chocolate Chip Cookie

Pumpkin Pie Brownies

Pumpkin Pie Brownies

Citrus Glitters

Citrus Glitters

Cherry Almond Cookies

Cherry Almond Cookies

Green Tea Walnut Biscotti

Green Tea Walnut Biscotti

Okay, so there are eleven cookies there – I couldn’t help myself. Consider it a little homage to This is Spinal Tap.

This is not to say the Kitchen Sink Chocolate Biscotti, NYC Black and White Cookies, Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows, Pignoli Almond Cookies, Magical Coconut Cookie Bars, Peanut Butter Crisscrosses, Espresso Chip Oatmeal Cookies, Roasted Almond Cookies with Fleur de Sel, and Blackstrap Gingersnaps weren’t awesome, because they truly were – but hard choices had to be made.

It may be the last day of Vegan MoFo, friends, but The Holiday Cookie Project needn’t end. There were more than a few cookies in Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar that I didn’t get to this month, and I’m hoping to squeeze a few more in before the Holidays are upon us (ahem, sandwich cookies!). I think this may be the start of a deliciously sweet Madcap Cupcake tradition. Next time around, I’ve my eyes on Kelly Peloza’s The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur.

In case you missed it:  all of the cookies made for this year’s Holiday Cookie Project can be found in Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.

And so we bid farewell to Vegan MoFo 2010!I hope you’ve taken a peek at the awesome work of all the vegan bloggers taking part this year. Their talent is staggering – and truly inspiring.

Vegan MoFo

Cookbook Giveaway:


Last month I promised to give away a brand spanking new copy of Fran Costigan’s awesome book, More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally,and here it is! Just leave a comment right here on this cookie roundup post telling me what your favourite cookie was from the Holiday Cookie Project – and if you have favourites from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar that I didn’t get to this month, please give me your recommendations so I know what to tackle next! I’ll draw a random comment late Sunday night, December 5th.

Good luck – and thanks so much for reading along this month. I’ve loved reading your comments and sharing your enthusiasm for cookies.

…and we have a winner!!

Random.org result

Random.org result

Thanks to Random.org, we have a winner…number 5: Congratulations Chanterelle! I am about to look up your email and send you a message to get your information – so I can send the book out to you :)