Almond Sesame Bites

These cookies (vegan and gluten free) have been approved by my roommate as her favorite cookies I've made yet. They are soft, subtly sweet, well-textured, and delicious. Try them with chocolate chips or dried fruit for a little extra sweetness.




Almond Sesame Bites


2.5 cups blanched almond flour
2 tbsp coconut flour
4 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp celtic sea salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 tbsp almond extract
optional additions: 1/2 cup chocolate chips, vegan chocolate chips, dried fruit

Mix the first six ingredients together. Add the liquid ingredients. Mix well. Scoop 1 tbsp drops onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for ten minutes. Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Ginger Biscotti

These crisp and crunchy cookies are zesty, and lightly sweet. They have received the coveted two thumbs up, one mouth full award from my very palate-clever roommate.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

Double Chocolate Ginger Biscotti

6 tablespoons vegan margarine, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp flaxseed meal

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger

4 tbsp green tea
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2.25 cups whole wheat baking flour

1 tsp almond meal

75 g 72% dark baking chocolate, melted

80 g semisweet chocolate baking chunks, melted

80 g semisweet chocolate chips (mini ones preferred)

40 g dried edamame

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

In a large bowl, beat together the margarine, sugars, and soy sauce. Add in the vinegar, flaxseed, tea, ground and minced ginger, baking soda, and baking powder. Sift in the flour and almond meal, and beat until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and edamame. Drop the dough, in tablespoon drops (shaping slightly into squares if you like, onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for ~14 minutes, remove and let cool on the cookie sheet for about three minutes before moving to a drying rack. Enjoy warm. Go on, have a peace!

TBP Stir-Fry

Here's another lovely large batch meal that you can make and serve yourself from for a few days. Tofu for protein. Portobello mushrooms for texture, protein, selenium, copper, potassium, and phosphorus. Broccoli for vitamin C, A, folic acid, calcium, and fiber. Broccoli and portobello mushrooms are also both  carriers of super-useful phytochemicals that serve to help fight cancer and provide helpful antioxidants. Yum, yum, yum. I like it by itself, but you could serve it with rice if you're looking for something more filling than it already is. And if you're looking for extra protein and fiber, serve this with quinoa.

TBP (Tofu-Broccoli-Portobello) Stir-Fry

1 tbsp sunflower oil
8 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 inches fresh ginger, minced
4 portobello mushroom caps, chopped
1.25 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 14-oz package extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 cups broccoli, steamed and chopped
sliced almonds, for garnish
3 tbsp Gokutan Shiro Dashi (This is a Japanese seasoning sauce I use that is excellent. It is a combination of soy sauce, bonito extract, mushroom extract, seaweed extract, sugar, salt, and sweet sake. You can find it at a Japanese grocer pretty easily. If you choose not to go with this, I recommend the following: in a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tsp agave nectar, 1/4 tsp salt. Mix well and allow to sit for a couple minutes.)

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring them, until they are fragrant. Add the vinegar, stir, then add the chopped mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms have withered and the liquid has evaporated (takes about 5 minutes). Add the broth, shiro dashi, brown sugar, tofu, and broccoli, bring contents of the sauce pan to a simmer and lower the heat to about medium low. Continue to simmer contents, stirring occasionally until the liquid has evaporated (this takes about 15 minutes).

Serve warm. Enjoy!

St. Patrick's Green Beer Cookies

Show up your friends' pitiful excuse for holiday spirit and their green beer with something more. Green Beer Cookies. Yes! Bite-sized, sweet green morsels made with your favorite ale.

St. Patrick's Green Beer Cookies


3 tbsp nonfat plain greek yogurt
3/4 cup soft dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp agave nectar
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp spirulina
3 tbsp Guinness or other ale
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp almond meal
1 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Blend the greek yogurt, sugars, and vanilla extract together until smooth.
Add the vinegar, flaxseed, spirulina, ale, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix until all are smoothly combined.
Sift the flour in, while mixing. Add the almond meal. Continue to mix until consistent.
Fold in the sliced almonds.

Drop 2 heaping tsp of the batter onto the cookie sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool for about five minutes, then move to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or room temperature! Go on, have a peace! I dare you.

Rosemary-Cherry Cindy Flatirons

A while ago, I promised my long-time and wonderfully supportive reader Cindy Cupcake a healthy cookie recipe named after her. I have been experimenting for a while, trying to find something that's as unique and lovely as she is. This is what I've come up with: wide, flat, moist cookies with subtle flavors of rosemary and cardamom offering a rich, flavorful tapestry to your tongue even after the cookie is gone, and cherries that are warm bursts of honeyed sweetness in an otherwise gentle setting. Each of these is a filling, protein-rich, and densely flavorful. One is enough for a serving (but you'll want more). I hope that you all enjoy these as much as I have.

Rosemary-Cherry Cindy Flatirons

6 tbsp vegan margarine
3/4 cup soft dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
3 tbsp water
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp cardamom
2 cups whole wheat flour
6 oz rosemary needles, minced fine (bundle the leaves together and snip them into bits with scissors)
8 oz dried cherries

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Cream the margarine, sugars, honey, vanilla and almond extracts, salt, and cardamom together until smooth.
Add the vinegar, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, and water. Mix until all are smoothly combined. Add the minced rosemary needles. Mix on low.
Sift the flour in. Continue to mix until consistent.
Fold in the dried cherries.

Drop heaping tablespoons of the batter onto the cookie sheets. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool for about five minutes, then move to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm!

Thank you, Cindy, for reading!

Scratch Apple Pie

As promised, here is my dad's wonderful apple pie recipe - the how-to guide to a from-scratch pie that is delectable to the last crumb. This is not an easy or a quick recipe, like most of mine. But it is something that everyone can do with the right amount of patience and the end result is entirely worth the time you put into it. A message from my father: "This recipe as all about exceptionally flaky flavorful crust that explodes in your mouth with each bite, and toasted brûlée-like apple filling throughout with a firm, filling texture. You will probably never get this in a restaurant, as it is a little more involved than commercially practical. It does not always look pretty since the dough breaks easily. This is something special you can only get at home."

Scratch Apple Pie
(serves 7-10, depending on slice size)

Ingredients:
apples (6-8 large or 14-16 small - should reduce to ~8 cups after baking): Fuji, Granny Smith, Gala, and/or Braeburn - Granny for tartness, Braeburn for sweetness, Gala and Fuji for sugar (most of the 'apple flavor' comes from the Braeburn and Gala)
fruit fresh
white pepper
ground cinnamon
arrowroot
vanilla extract
whole nutmeg
zest of one lime
zest of one orange or tangelo
unsalted butter (frozen) [butter-flavor all-vegetable Crisco shortening can be used instead of butter for vegans and other non-dairy folk, in the same proportions]
shortening
superfine sugar
applejack (chilled in freezer)
brown sugar Splenda mix
pie crust mix (this is the cheatin' way. ask if you'd like the actual how-to on crust making)

Tools you'll need:
wax paper
aluminum foil
rolling pin
pie rim, optional (this is a circle of metal to protect the rim of your pie crust and keep it from burning while baking)
medium sized grater for shredding frozen butter
small-points grater for zesting and grating nutmeg
ceramic pie pan (12")

How to do it:
Preset oven to 440 F.
Cover a baking sheet with foil.
Spread out wax paper on the counter. Sprinkle a light powdering of fruit fresh on the wax paper. Core and peel the apples, slice into 8-10 slices per apple. Lay out the apple slices on the fruit fresh sprinkled wax paper. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon, superfine sugar, and a little more fruit fresh.
Spread shortening on aluminum-covered pan.
Transfer the slices and seasoned apples to the baking pan, laying them out so they all face the same direction and snugly cover the whole tray. Bake apples until browned.
Meanwhile, make the pie crust mix to direction, grate 1 stick of frozen butter, and replace the water with applejack (slowly add this into the mix until you get the right texture, it should be ~1/4 cup). Remember - butter before applejack; this is part of what makes this crust super flakey and delicious.
Knead that together, adding whole wheat pastry flour until you get a nice solid ball. Place the ball in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
In another bowl, 1/4 cup applejack, 1/2 cup Splenda brown sugar, zest of lime, zest of orange or tangelo (makes the pie taste fruity, not citrusy), 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg (a little bit of shell and a little bit of the inside), 3 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp arrowroot, and 1/4 tsp white pepper; this makes your slurry for the apple filling. When the apples slices have baked and browned, let them cool for a little while and then add them to the slurry. You want to coat the slices thoroughly and the best way to do this is by hand. It's messy, but it's fun. Cover with a bit of plastic wrap and let the apples soak up the slurry flavors for a bit.
Take the pie crust out of the fridge. Coat a large piece of wax paper with flour. Place 2/3s of the pie crust roll on top of it, sprinkle a little more flour on top, place another sheet of wax paper on top of that and roll out the crust. Now this part, you may have to redo a couple times. The trick is to make the pie crust all the same thickness - not too thin, not too thick. Crust flakiness is enhanced by a) alcohol, b) grated and folded in frozen butter, c) pre-baking the bottom crust part-way, and d) shortening between the folds. Quickly roll out and fold the dough 4 times, smearing just a trace of room temperature shortening between the layers of each fold before rolling again.
Place your pie pan over top the rolled out dough and flip the whole deal. The pie crust should fall to the pie pan. This is going to be a very flakey crust, so it's likely your crust will fall apart as you make the transfer. This is okay. You'll want to patch it together, Frankenstein-style, so there are no gaps and the crust covers the lip of the pie pan.
When the crust is suitably saddled in the pie tin, take your thumbs and press them around the edge to get that nice crimped-edge look. Bake the crust in the oven for about 20 minutes and remove to cool.
Next you layer in the slurry-soaked baked apples, by hand, forming a densely packed coil from the bottom up. Your goal is to make sure there is as little air as possible between the apples in the pie and that they fill the crust all the way up.
Now, take the remaining 1/3 of pie crust dough you set aside, roll it out, and cut it into slices about two thumbs' width wide. Criss-cross these slices of dough over the top of the apples, leaving gaps, and pressing the ends of the slices into the pre-baked crust.
Protect the edges of the pie crust with aluminum foil or a pie rim to protect the crust during baking so you can bake the pie to dark-golden brown without burning the edges.

Bake again, for about 40 minutes and hang out during this, checking in on the progress every once in a while and enjoying the amazing smells that are going to emerge from your oven. When it's finished, remove from the oven and let cool for about 20 minutes or longer.

Go on. Have a peace. Tell me this isn't incredible. Enjoy!

Notes:
1. Dark rum can be used as a substitute for the applejack - it's also tasty, but changes the flavor. The goal of using applejack is to add flavor to the crust and get a much more flakey texture than would have been obtained by using water. You avoid the polymer-like gluten goo with the applejack's 40% ethanol and water proportions instead of 100% water. The alcohol is all gone after baking. Using alcohol instead of water makes the dough more difficult to work with, but enhances the flakiness of the crust in an unbelievably tasty way... and the crust retains this airy texture for up to 2-3 days after baking (assuming it survives that long).
2. Put the dough in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to get it cold again after handling. It is best to start with all major dough components having been in the refrigerator long enough to get cold (flour, applejack, sugar). The dough needs to cool after picking up warmth from your hands and the room before rolling. *Even freezing the rolling pin ahead can make rolling this unique, extra-flakey dough go more smoothly.

Options:
*All butter-flavor shortening instead of butter
*Add sharp grated cheese in the filling (extra sharp cheddar or parmesan)
*Glaze by brushing the top crust with a fine grain sugar, beaten egg, and milk mix (1/3 - 1/3 - 1/3)
*Use a full-cover top crust with a pie bird to let steam escape

Irish Fruit Brack

Irish Fruit Brack
(serves 4-8)

2 lb mixed dried fruit (I use dried Bartlett pears, blueberries, dark cherries, and golden raisins)
6 oz brown sugar
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 cup hot strong tea (I use English breakfast, but any black tea will do)
4 tbsp Irish whiskey
4 eggs worth of egg whites
3 large spoonfuls whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Place fruit, sugar, lemon juice and zest, tea, and whiskey in a large mixing bowl and let it soak for about four hours.
Preheat oven to 300 F.
Spray an 8x8 cake pan with butter Pam or brush it with melted margarine.
Pour eggs and vanilla extract over the soaked fruit and mix thoroughly.
Sift flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon together. Add to fruit mixture until dry ingredients and mixed in and moistened.
Pour bowl's contents into greased cake pan and bake for two hours.

Serve and enjoy. :)

Pumpkin Mookies

I love autumn. The moment that first swell of cold hits me in the street in September, I get a thrill of anticipation that sends me to the store in search of pumpkins and squash. I lived in New York for a while and I remember how excited I got as I drove to school and saw the first leaves turning from green to red. Now, in California, I don't get to watch the leaves turn, but I can still get my pumpkin fix!

Here's a tasty little treat I came up with today which is simply and awesomely autumn-y. :) They were supposed to be cookies, but they came out with more of a muffin consistency than I had anticipated. So, for your munching pleasure: mookies!

Pumpkin Mookies

(makes 18-24)

2/3 cup IC's EZ Homemade Pumpkin Butter (recipe at the bottom)

2 tbsp almond milk

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup Grade B maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 tbsp flax seed meal

~1 cup all purpose flour

~1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Set oven to 325 F. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together your liquid ingredients until they are smoothly combined. Sift in the powder ingredients, then stir until the batter is consistent and lumpless. 

Spoon out 1-2 spoonfuls batter onto the cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 15 minutes. 

Enjoy!

IreniCineri's EZ Homemade Pumpkin Butter

(makes 2 claussen pickle jars full)

1 can canned pumpkin

3/4 cup apple cider

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1.5 cups brown sugar

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low heat. Simmer there for 30 minutes, stirring regularly. 

Let stand on the stovetop for about 15 minutes, then scoop into your prepared jars.

This pumpkin butter makes an excellent autumnal addition to baked goods and pastries, but can also be enjoyed simply spread on a piece of toast or (if you're feeling decadent) sucked off a spoon. 

Note: You can buy mason jars at Costco or Michaels. Personally, I just save all my jars from everything, clean them, and store them until I find a use for them. (You will see one of the many uses I have found for them when I get around to talking about my fun halloween decor...)

Go on! Have a peace!

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Fall

I was in the mood for some guilt-free treats with a twinge of fall, so I put together a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe with some tasty alterations for your fall snacking pleasure.

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Fall

(makes ~2 dozen cookies)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup plain, unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup almond milk

2 tbsp tapioca flour

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or 1 cup carob chips if you prefer - I like both)

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds, ground

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Grind pumpkin seeds in a food processor. If you don't have a food processor, you can grind them in a coffee grinder. Shake out the ground seeds into a wide shallow bowl or a rimmed plate.

Prepare a pair of cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, mix together the sugar and applesauce until well combined. Next, add the almond milk and tapioca flour and beat until the batter is smooth and clump-less. Mix in the vanilla last.

Add half the wheat flour, all of the baking soda and salt, and combine well. Then add in the remaining flour and carefully fold in the chocolate chips and dried cherries. 

Scoop small spoonfuls of the dough and roll into a ball between your palms. Dab the outside of each dough ball with the ground pumpkin seeds and place on the cookie sheets about three fingers width apart, flattening slightly either with your fingers or a fork.

Bake for about 15 minutes. Then let cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. 

Go on! Have a peace. :)

Tasty in my Tummy OSM Crumble Cookies

Tasty in my Tummy OSM Crumble Cookies
(About 50 cookies)

1/2 tbsp agave nectar

3/4 cup organic brown sugar

1 tbsp flaxseed meal

4/3 cup chopped prunes

1/2 cup canola oil

1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 1/3 cup sorghum flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 cups OSM hot cereal mix (you could also use plain rolled oats)

water for shaping (I used about 2/4 cups, but you'll want to add it bit by bit)

Preheat 350 F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Combine all the ingredients. Wet first. Dry second. Mix until well-combined and "doughy". 

Add water a little bit at a time if the dough is too dry. 

Roll the dough into golf-ball sized drops between your palms and place them on the tray. 

These will not expand as they cook. They'll be the same size when they come out as when they went in.

Bake for 12 minutes, then move to cool on a drying rack. 

These are tasty, crumbly, and awesome. They have a consistency sort of like soft shortbread. Go on. Have a peace. :)

Note: OSM Hot Cereal is a warm tasty treat made of oats, cracked-wheat, oat bran, millet, and sunflower seeds. That's it. It makes for a great oatmeal substitute in the mornings and it also makes these cookies very, very tasty. OSM products are available from The Bunnery in Jackson Hole. They are also soon becoming available in certain independent grocery stores in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, and Nevada. 

Mouthwatering Muesli Cookies

I have returned home, cleansed of blood and debris (I was shooting a zombie film), and thought a nice way to say hello again here would be to offer sweets. So here's a treat for all of ya'll who are still reading/subscribing/feeding good things to the people you love.

Mouthwatering Muesli Cookies
(makes about 24)

1 cup sweet sorghum flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup organic brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1.25 cups muesli (I used Trader Joe's Fat Free Blueberry Muesli, which is awesome. It has dried blueberries, raisins, currants, and apples in it and is made with whole rolled barley flakes and whole rolled rye flakes.)
~1/4 cup water

Set oven to 375F.

Stir the melted coconut oil, sugar, and vanilla extract together, then beat in two eggs. Add flour and stir. Fold in muesli. Add water little by little until the consistency is a little looser. The batter looked a little runny when I put it onto the cookie sheets (covered in parchment paper like always) but they fluffed up nicely in the oven.

Bake for 10-15 minutes. Longer if you like them a little crispier. Please note that they continue to become crispier as they cool, as well.

These are so tasty, and they make your kitchen (and the rest of your house) smell delectable. :)

Go on! Have a peace!

Sesame Sweet Potato Morsels

Here's a delicious recipe I rolled out of my brain today. Another sweet-potato snack that will make you smack your lips in delight. :)

Sesame Sweet Potato Morsels
(makes 44 bite sized morsels)

2 medium sweet potatoes
2 small spoonfuls brown sugar
1/2 cup sorghum flour
3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, plus more for sprinkling
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup carrot juice
1/2 tsp baking powder

Brush the outsides of the sweet potatoes with a thin layer of olive oil and bake at 425 F for 1 hour.

Remove them, peel them [judiciously eating the skins to minimize clean up ;) ], slice them, and throw them in a mixing bowl. Mash them up (you can use a potato masher - I used a spoon). Add the other ingredients and mix well.

Next using a small spoon (I used a melon ball scooper), dollop out a little round of the batter onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Should make 2 sheets of 22 dollops.

For one sheet, I dribbled a little drop of honey on top of each cookie and then sprinkled sesame seeds on top of that. For the other, I drizzled a little olive oil over the top of each, which caramelized gently during the baking process.

I wasn't sure how these were going to come out, but they ended up sort of like a cross between a soft cookie, a delicious baked yam, and a sesame bar. So good, and not too sweet. :) Go on! Have a peace!

[Note: I have just been notified that this is a "free" food on the Weight Watcher's program. Can this be true?? Anyway. Eat without guilt regardless.]