Cacao Coconut Banana Bread

We've been baking this particularly fabulous (and vegan!) loaf of banana bread every week since January. This is your perfect weekend or -- in our case -- snow day baking project. Yup. We've got yet another snow day over here today.

Anyway, banana bread tastes great, is semi-healthy, and is hard to mess up. You can use up those past-peak bananas and add in whatever you have in the pantry.

And kids love to help (and eat!).

CACAO COCONUT BANANA BREAD

What you'll need . . . 

• 3 super ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (refrigerated kind)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup white flour
• Scant 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• Heaping 1/4 cup cacao powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Handful unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spritz a glass 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray or coat in a little coconut oil.
2. Mash the bananas until they are goopy. You can also run them in your mixer with the paddle attachment.
3. Add the oil, sugar, coconut milk, and vanilla extract to the bowl and whisk well. 
4. Then toss in the dry ingredients -- except the shredded coconut and chocolate chips -- and mix until just incorporated.
5. Then briefly fold in the chocolate chips and coconut flakes.
6. Bake for 50 minutes to a full hour, until edges slightly pull away from sides of pan and the center is set. (You can insert a toothpick -- I used a knife! -- to check.)
7. Let your loaf cool for 20 minutes or so before taking it out of the pan to cool the rest of the way on your cooling rack. 

Slice and enjoy with a good smattering of peanut butter!


Related recipes:

• The BEST Banana Bread
• Nutella + Chocolate Chip Banana Bread 
• Banumpkin Bread 
• Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
• Cinnamon Raisin Applesauce Bread 
• Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

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Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chippers

It's been far too long since I posted a recipe. I actually do have a few to share with you guys, so I thought I'd start off with something sweet today. We've been making these cookies for a while because they're simple to mix together and turn out perfectly every time.

Without further delay . . . 

OATMEAL PEANUT BUTTER CHIPPERS

What you'll need . . .

• 1-1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups rolled oats (uncooked)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch coarse Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup virgin/unrefined coconut oil (softened)
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 cup cane sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1/3 cup coconut milk (refrigerated kind or nondairy substitute)
• Heaping tablespoon flax meal
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup your favorite chocolate chips

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spritz a baking sheet with oil or line with parchment, whichever you have around.
2. Put the coconut oil, peanut butter, and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until fluffy. Then add the milk, flax meal, and vanilla and beat again until well incorporated and fluffy.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
4. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet in batches (I did it in four batches) and mix until everything is uniform. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough and roll them into balls and place on your cookie sheet. Alternatively, if you want a flatter cookie, you can press them down with the palm of your hand.
6. Bake for around 12 minutes -- until golden brown. Then let cool before putting them on a cooling rack. 
7. Repeat the baking process with the remaining dough. Should make 24 large cookies.
8. Store in an airtight container or they'll get crumbly.

HAPPY MONDAY!

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3-Ingredient DIY Face Scrub Vlog

Happy Friday, friends! Here’s a weekend project you can knock out in only a couple minutes, but the reward will last much, much longer. I love exfoliating scrubs for my face. My combination skin requires both gentle and more powerful cleansers, though. Since a lot of scrubs on the market contain those plastic microbeads, I started making my own at home.

This recipe is safe for pregnancy, contains just three ingredients, and will last a good month or more in an airtight container. Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel to get more fun videos like these! (Oh, and don’t mind my wicked-awful roots. Going blonde before pregnancy wasn’t the smartest idea, right?)

BASIC DIY FACE SCRUB

You’ll need . . . 

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup unrefined coconut oil

TO MAKE: Just mix together everything in a food processor, pour into an airtight container, and love your skin! For best results, use only once a day (or less frequently) and scrub gently.




Here’s some facial scrub inspiration:

• Lemon + Sugar Body/Face Scrub
• Baking Soda Exfoliator
• Tea Tree Coconut Oil Face Scrub

* One thing I forgot to mention in the video is that the feel of the scrub, especially after rinsing your face, does take some adjustment. It initially leaves an oily residue that comes off 90% when you towel dry. The hint of oil left behind provides some nice moisturize -- especially this time of year.


More homemade beauty products, etc.:

• DIY Natural Lotion Cubes
• 5-minute Homemade Deodorant
• No More Shampoo, Really!
• Homesteading // Cleaning with Baking Soda

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100 Calorie Cookie Dough Bites

I could eat cookie dough for hours (forever?). In fact, I’ve been snacking on quite a bit of it after creating my new favorite cookie recipe of all time, Maple Pecan Oatmeal Chocolate Chippers. But all that sugar, all that fat, all that dessert-y type stuff, I know it’s not good for me, especially in high doses.

Not surprising: I’ve been struggling with sugar and food in general due to stress. Now that I have a few months to really focus on myself, I’ve decided to start by keeping a food diary for a short period of time. I’m not into long-range calorie-counting. In fact, it makes me crazy and isn’t good when you consider my disordered past. But I do think the exercise of writing eats down can be a good one to just see a.) what you’re eating in general and b.) how much of it you’re consuming versus activity, etc.

So, this is how these 100 calorie cookie dough bites came to be. I won’t go nuts and call them “healthy” -- they contain less than 2 grams of protein per serving -- however, they are somewhat toned down from the ingredients in my usual cookie recipes. And they’re portioned out . . . versus the hugely rounded gobs I usually spoon into my mouth. It’s something in the right direction.

100-CALORIE COOKIE DOUGH BITES

What you’ll need . . . 

• 2 cups GF rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 3 tablespoons Earth Balance
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons flax meal
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method . . . 

1. In your food processor, pulse oats into flour and mix with the coconut flour. Set aside in a large bowl.
2. Put the Earth Balance, coconut oil, maple syrup, and flax meal in the food processor. Pulse into well incorporated.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a spatula until everything is moistened.
4. Fold in the pecans and chocolate chips. Then portion out by tablespoonfuls onto a plate.
5. Place in the fridge to firm up, then store there for the week.

// This recipe makes 18-20 tablespoon-sized balls. Between 95-105 calories.


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DIY + Natural Lotion Cubes

When I was a teenager, I was absolutely obsessed with lotions and sprays from Bath + Body Works. I'd cover myself head to toe in all their smelliest concoctions even if my legs burned from the lotion after shaving. As I've gotten older, I've decided against all the chemicals in those types of products and -- instead -- skipped lotion in my routine.

My friend shared her homemade lotion recipe with me several months ago. I've been hooked on making variations ever since. Seriously! Making body care products at home is as easy as it is satisfying.

Note: I used tea tree oil in this "recipe" because it's good for the skin. It's naturally antibacterial and also soothing. I'm actually hoping to modify this recipe in the future to make a cube specifically good for acne and/or cuts, etc. Be advised if you have very sensitive skin that you'll want to use fewer drops of tea tree oil since it can cause some irritation -- or substitute in your favorite essential oil, like lavender.

DIY LOTION CUBES
Make five totally customizable 1-ounce cubes.

What you'll need . . . 

• 1/4 cup shea butter
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 ounce beeswax*
• 10-20 drops tea tree oil**
• 1 tablespoon dried lavender buds (optional)
• Silicone Ice Cube Mold

* I had considered searching for beeswax locally, but I was pleased to find organic, hand-poured beeswax on Amazon from the nearby Pocono Mountains for around $1/ounce.
** Use your favorite essential oil.

Method . . . 

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and place a smaller pot inside (like a double-boiler). You'll melt everything safely in here since the beeswax is flammable and can't take the direct heat.
2. Drop in your shea butter and oil. Grate your beeswax finely to facilitate faster melting.
3. Then just stir until everything is well incorporated and take off the heat for a minute or two.
4. Add your essential oil drops and whatever other add-ins you'd like.
5. Pour into molds and transfer to your refrigerator to fully set. Then pop out of molds and store in a baggie or airtight container.

I know shea and coconut oil can be used AS-IS for moisturizing skin -- but it's fun to have them in bar form. They'd make great gifts, so I'm going to keep fine-tuning in time for the holidays. Oh, and now that I have some beeswax on hand, I can finally make my own lip balm and a few other projects (candles, etc.) I've been wanting to try.

Have you ever made lotion at home?

// RELATED

Powerful DIY Laundry Detergent
5 Green Cleaners That Work
5-Minute Homemade Deodorant
8 Ways We've Eliminated Plastics
Cleaning Produce The Natural Way
Chemical-Free Clean With Castile Soap

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Cookie Dough Stuffed Cupcakes

You see . . . Pinterest wasn't a thing when I started blogging many (many) years ago. I get aggravated at how food blogging (and everything else, it seems) has become this ever-escalating let's-see-who-can-come-up-with-the-craziest X, Y, or Z. In other ways, however, I get struck by genius at every turn. Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, Pinterest gives me inspiration, even for the foods I share on my own blog because sometimes I like to push the limits.

So, I'm two weeks too late for this to officially be a birthday cake. Still, I wanted to whisk up something delicious for dessert to celebrate the big 3-1. And I took two existing recipes on this site and used this stuffed cupcake recipe (thanks for sharing, Tyler + Pinterest gods) as my inspiration.

Sprinkles = optional, but highly recommended.

(VEGAN) COOKIE DOUGH STUFFED CUPCAKES
with a chunky peanut butter + coconut "fudge" frosting

What you'll need . . . 

• 1 recipe-ful of Half Dozen Chocolate Chippers (do not bake, leave out baking powder)
• The cupcake batter from the Big Hunk O'Love Cupcakes recipe*
• The Frosting from the Big Hunk O'Love Cupcakes recipe

* These peanut butter + chocolate + banana stuffed cupcakes are delicious too! You should try them! As a note: I used CHUNKY peanut butter in the frosting this time around.

Method . . .

1. Make your cookie dough and then spoon out into 12 equal sized balls. Freeze for a couple hours until hardened.
2. In the meantime, make your cupcake batter. If you're waiting for everything to freeze, place it in the fridge while you wait. Just be sure to take it out 20 minutes or so before baking.
3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard cupcake pan with paper liners, then fill each 2/3 full + otherwise evenly distribute cupcake batter.
4. Place one frozen cookie dough ball into each cupcake, then place in the oven for 10 minutes. Then rotate 180 degrees and bake for another 20-25 minutes. Until toothpick inserted into the cupcake (not the cookie dough) comes out clean.
5. Take cupcakes out of the oven to cool completely before frosting.
6. Then spread frosting and decorate however you wish. I like to keep my cupcakes in the refrigerator, which makes the frosting turn into that refrigerator fudge consistency. Do whatever you like. It's your party!

// YUM

This recipe makes 12 large cupcakes for a fraction of the cost they'd be at the bakery. No, really. I can't believe how much a good cupcake costs these days. I'd much rather make my own. And if you really strip this recipe/process down, you'll see it's is far less daunting than it seems.

I promise.

What sweet or savory treat did you eat to celebrate your birthday this year?

And be sure to check out another amazingly fun (never)homemaker hybrid recipe -- Half Dozen Chocolate + Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies. Might be one of my favorites . . . ever.

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Spelt Cornbread

Guess who got a walk in yet again this morning!

We went a bit farther than yesterday, too. It feels so amazing to start in the day this way. We recently stopped Ada's 11 PM feed, and I'll write more about it on Writing Chapter Three later today. I'm just hoping her good sleep habits keep on going despite the change. This productivity kick has my mood way improved.

We ate dinosaur kale chips, chipotle tofu "steaks", and spelt cornbread for dinner last night. I'm having my usual eggs and some cornbread again for breakfast, and I'll have another green smoothie for a morning snack.


I vary my diet for obvious reasons, but if there are leftovers I like -- and there are few leftovers I actually enjoy -- I tend to gobble them up. This is the first cornbread recipe I've developed that doesn't have sugar or maple syrup in it. The flavor of the coconut oil and water gives it a light sweetness. However, you may also replace these ingredients with olive oil and plain water.

SPELT CORNBREAD

What you'll need . . .

• 2 cups polenta/corn grits
• 1-1/2 cups spelt flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 1/3 cup virgin coconut oil
• 1 cup coconut water
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 can corn kernels, drained and rinsed well (optional)

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spritz a 9 x 13 pan (I used a glass dish) with olive oil.
2. Whisk together the corn grits, spelt flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave. Then add it to the warm water and coconut water. You need to make sure the water mixture is warm -- I learned the hard way that the coconut oil hardens on contact with cold.
4. Then pour the wet mixture into the dry and mix until well combined. 
5. Fold in the corn kernels and then spread into your baking pan.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, then check the center. It will likely still be gooey. Bake for another 5 minutes and possibly another couple after that, depending on your oven. Bread is done when center is set, but still moist.

GOAL #3: To spin off last night's topic of negative versus positive, I'm trying now to stay positive in all areas, even those I didn't previously expect were getting me down. This includes focusing on the people, places, and things in my life that most matter and letting go of negative connections and influences.

It's a big goal, and something I'll probably write more about eventually.

Strangely enough, many of these mood suckers are related to the time I spend online. Whether it's rolling my eyes at random Facebook status updates, Googling medical issues (remember when the doctor said Ada's head is too big? Yeah. No good.), or stressing because I've let my inbox overflow beyond manageable. Computers are great, but they sure do complicate life.

I'm hoping to cull the loop of websites I visit on a daily basis and limit time online in general. Sitting in a dark corner at 9 PM and mindlessly surfing isn't benefiting me any -- even if I am reading news or useful information. We have an entire bookshelf teeming with books. I have a sewing machine that gets little use. I have a birthday party to plan.

I'd rather be productive with my time. You know, actually MAKE things instead of just pinning them on Pinterest. (Though I can't see cutting out Pinterest!) We'll see how it goes!

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Chocolate Dream Pie with No Roll Crust

ATTENTION: We interrupt what we had originally scheduled for today's post to bring you this incredible vegan chocolate pie.

When I was in college, there was this insanely fantastic vegetarian restaurant called ABC Cafe near the Collegetown/Cornell area in Ithaca. On the dessert menu was a Chocolate Dream Pie and I'd always, always get it.

Sometimes I'd even go to ABC just for dessert. It was THAT good. (Random fact: We got engaged right outside the cafe in 2005 after eating dinner there!)


Sadly, the cafe closed shortly after we moved. Since, I've tried replicating the recipe. I first tried with our Nutella Pie and added strawberries. Using silken tofu didn't give me the right texture, however. The Chocolate Dream Pie was firmer, almost like cheesecake.

Good news! I have found the solution: Extra-firm tofu with some chill time in the fridge. Simple as that.


CHOCOLATE DREAM PIE WITH NO-ROLL CRUST

What you'll need for the crust . . . 

• 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour 
• 1 tablespoon flax meal
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (liquid) 
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Large pinch of salt 
• 1/4 cup cold water 

What you'll need for the filling . . . 

• 1 cake extra firm tofu, drained well 
• 1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut butter (we splurged on Justin's -- but peanut or almond butter would be great, too!) 
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips, melted
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or to taste, but I found it was sweet enough this way) 
• 3 tablespoons coconut milk or other non-dairy milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and oil with your fingers -- until it resembles coarse meal.
3. Then stir in the water until the dough pulls together. Press the dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Prick the bottom a couple times with a fork.
4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or so, until it is lightly golden. Let cool entirely before filling. 
5. In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients for the pie. Adjust to your tastes before pouring into cooled pie shell. 
6. Eat right away or place in refrigerator until firmer, usually an hour or two will do the trick.

The chocolate filling would be tasty enough on its own as a sort of vegan chocolate mousse. If you're skeptical about tofu and chocolate, don't be. I promise you that you'll love it -- and if it isn't chocolatey enough for you, the answer is simple: Add another 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Or more nut butter.

The pie crust would work well for fruit and other sweet pies. For quiche or savory pies, you can sub out the coconut oil and sugar for olive oil and no sugar. Alternatively for this recipe, you could make a graham cracker or chocolate no-bake crust.

MORE CHOCOLATE PIE LOVE:

Chocolate-Coconut Pie
Nutella Pie with Strawberries
Chocolate-Pumpkin Pie
Vegan Coconut-Carob Pie


Don't miss our weekend recaps today on Writing Chapter Three. We went to the zoo, went swimming, and did lots of other fun stuff. Here's part I and part II.

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$2.50 Chocolate-Coconut Peanut Butter

When I first came upon Ashley's nut butter recipes, I fell in love with making peanut butter at home. But I've been lazy during my pregnancy -- often dropping up to $6 on store-bought varieties. (And I HATE over-spending on grocery items.)

So, I bought some dry-roasted peanuts and blended them up with chocolate. I proceeded to eat it -- ALL of it -- almost immediately, which isn't a pregnancy thing. It's just a ME thing. I have no control with anything chocolate-peanut butter. In fact, Stephen and I were talking about our Halloween candy habits as kids -- and I divulged how I would eat each and every Reece's peanut butter cup immediately upon returning home from trick-or-treating.

What can I say? The stomach likes what it likes.

What did I do the minute I got home this evening? That's right -- I made MORE peanut butter to fill the empty jar hole in my heart. Hopefully I can contain myself better this time around and make it last.

If not, I have four more cups of peanuts in our pantry.


$2.50 CHOCOLATE-COCONUT PEANUT BUTTER

What you'll need . . .

• 2 cups dry roasted peanuts (they have to be dry roasted or they won't turn into PB)
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips (mini ones work best, but see below)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional, but highly recommended)

Method . . .

1. Toss peanuts and 1 teaspoon of salt in your food processor and blend until they turn into peanut butter. Really, it WILL happen. You may need to scrape down the sides a bit to make sure all peanuts get blended evenly . . . but just be patient. It takes about 2-3 minutes.
2. Toss in the coconut oil and chocolate. I wrote that mini-chocolate chips work best because they quickly melt into the peanut butter. If you are using larger chips . . . you may wish to pulse them before you start to make them smaller. I used semi-sweet chips -- not vegan ones. But you can use whatever kind you like.
3. Keep blending until smooth and uniform. You may wish to add more salt, depending on your tastes. I love salt. So, I added more.

Then store in a sealed jar (I used a pint glass jar topped with some plastic wrap held by that metal screw top). I don't know technically how long the peanut butter stays "good" because it never lasts me more than a few days. I imagine at least a week or two. Also, I arrived at the $2.50 cost because about 4 cups of peanuts costs less than $4.00 at our Wegmans. So, 2 cups: $2.00. The other ingredients are used in such small amounts . . . it's an educated guess-timate.

Still, way better than dropping over double that. Cheap(er), custom, drippy goodness . . .


Stephen enjoys his on apple slices. I eat it straight off the spoon. I bet it'd be great in baking, too!


Today on (never home)maker, baby! I wrote all about week 36 of my pregnancy. Wild. 4-ish weeks to go. And in my belly shots, you can totally see where Baby A likes to hang out in my uterus. TMI? Maybe. There's no shame at this point.

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My Favorite Homemade Peanut Butter

What KIND of peanut butter, you ask, should go inside those delicious chocolate-pumpkin pies? Homemade, of course. We've covered how to make it before, though you may have missed it. If you haven't already invested in a food processor, now's the season. Making my very own peanut butter has changed my freaking LIFE, no exaggerations.

I cater each batch to my mood. But lately, I've been making the same kind over and over again. I think I found my favorite. I use only a little bit of sugar and salt. Some coconut oil for a signature flavor. I can't even begin to thank Ashley enough for showing me the way.


So, if you want to make your own peanut butter to put inside your not-pumpkin pies, keep reading.


MY FAVORITE HOMEMADE PEANUT BUTTER

(Adapted from Master Ashley's instructions.)

What you'll need . . .

• 3 cups unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts (found in most bulk food sections)
• 1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 heaping tablespoon virgin coconut oil (melted or hard, it doesn't matter)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (sometimes more, depending on my mood)

Method . . .

1. Place the peanuts in your food processor and process until they form a big lump.
2. You'll need to break this lump into a couple smaller lumps to allow for more processing.
3. Just be patient. This process will take a few minutes. When it looks like peanut butter (spread-like consistency), add in your sugar, salt, and coconut oil.
4. Keep processing until smooth. You may want to let it get soupy, so just let it grind.
5. For "chunky" peanut butter, I sometimes add in unsweetened coconut flakes. Yum!
6. One batch of this lasts an entire week at our house. And it's less expensive than store-bought varieties!

And speaking of peanut butter. I'm definitely thinking of making these vegan whoopie pies again soon. Homemade peanut butter would be perfect in them! For now, I'll munch on the mini-pies, though. Liz had a great idea, but they are already almost gone.

What can I say? We love to eat!

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Double Chocolate Chip & Walnut Cookies

Ah, another adventure with the BabyCakes cookbook. Last time we brought you a basic chocolate chipper recipe which has fast soared to my favorites list. This  time around, I thought I'd try something more sinful. More chocolate-y. And while I love the cookbook -- my only critique is that I don't ever see myself routinely stocking my cabinets with evaporated cane juice, xanthan gum, and some of the more exotic (but frequently used) flours.

(Fava bean flour? Why does that somehow make me think of Hannibal Lecter? Oh, that's right.).

I have been putting out some extra cash for coconut oil because I like it so much, but with our budget -- I'm thinking of calling a stop to that, too. The stuff is like $9 a container -- more than double the price of Earth Balance. It works SO incredibly well, though. So I have one more container left and will use it up like a rock star.

These cookies turned out just as good if not better than their plain chipper counterparts. I added the walnuts for some extra crunch, and I would highly recommend you do as well. The flavors blend famously. And the texture is undeniably amazing.






What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup coconut oil (though I imagine you can use Earth Balance or butter)
• 1-1/4 cups raw sugar (pulsed in your food processor so it's finer grains -- or just use brown sugar)
• 1/3 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour (or gluten free -- book recommends Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum (BUT I read you can just substitute more flax meal, and I did)
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
• 1/2 to 1 cup whole walnuts (crushed just slightly)

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
2. In bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream together the coconut oil, sugar, applesauce, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla -- until fluffy.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, flax meal, baking soda, and xanthan gum (or more flax meal to sub.).
4. Carefully add dry ingredients to wet and mix until dough is formed.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts until just distributed evenly.
6. Scoop out heaping tablespoon amounts of dough onto the cookie sheets. Space 1-inch apart and gently press with the heel of your hand to flatten.
7. Bake on center rack for 14 minutes -- rotating the sheets after 9 minutes to help evenly bake.
8. Cookies are "done" when they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Let cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

I hope you all enjoy the recipe. As I wrote earlier, it's one of the best cookies I've ever consumed.

Now, I've received a few emails and comments about providing nutritional information with my recipes. I just wanted to say that for now, I am unable to do so. Not only because I don't have a background in nutrition, but also because I'm unfamiliar with tools that will allow me to easily calculate without having to add up the caloric amounts of each separate ingredient myself. And if you know me, you know I'm horrible at math.

The BabyCakes cookbook does not provide nutritional info for these cookies -- however, in the future, if this information is included with a recipe I try -- and I tweak it (which I always do -- except with those PPK chocolate peanut butter pillows), I'll be sure to include as much info as I have. <3

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Kitchen Adventures: Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookie

I decided to some some experimentation last week with one of my favorite cookie recipes. And so, the vegan pb-chocolate chipper was born. I may have already made a similar cookie, but this one's better. I pulled from BabyCakes wisdom -- using coconut oil in place of butter and applesauce instead of eggs. I incorporated some white whole wheat flour I received as a gift in place of the unforgiving bleached all-purpose. I used peanut butter we bought in bulk. And dark brown sugar for some extra taste.

These cookies are fancy and tasty. Versatile and chewy. Just look at 'em:



What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup peanut butter (I used the kind you buy in bulk, but Skippy Natural will work well, too)
• 1 cup coconut oil
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups while whole wheat flour
• 1-1/4 cups wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup flax meal
  
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• vegan chocolate chips (1 cup -- I used Sunspire)
  

Method . . .

1. Preheat the oven to 315 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream together the peanut butter, coconut oil, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the applesauce and mix until well incorporated. Stir in vanilla.
3. Sift together flours, flax meal, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Fold dry ingredients into the wet.
4. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and form 2-inch balls that you place 2-inches apart on the cookie sheets. Gently press down with the heel of your hand to flatten slightly.
5. Bake for between 12 and 15 minutes -- until lightly golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack.

It's important to have a lower cooking temperature with the coconut oil. At first, I had set my oven for the "normal" recipes 350 degrees F setting. But soon realized I would have a burn-fest on my hands. How I figured that out . . . well, experience. The week before I had used some coconut oil in brownies that I planned to bake in my new bundt pan. I set the oven temp too high and a couple minutes after placing them in the oven, I smelled burning.

I have to quickly take them out of the oven, scoop them into cupcake wrappers and bring the temp down low (by holding the oven door open and setting it for 315 degrees F). Here's how they turned out. (They were the worst vegan brownies ever, so you won't be seeing this recipe anytime soon...)



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Pie in the Sky: Vegan Coconut-Carob Pie

I did a little cooking in the kitchen with Richard Simmons this weekend. If this statement sounds incredibly strange/unexpected to you, go check out last month's post about Mr. Simmons great book of desserts. Basically, I have an entire book full of the guy's most "dazzling desserts" -- and I'm not afraid to say I think they look scrumptious. From cookies, to cakes, to pies and other traditionally wicked-high-in-calories creations, Richard takes care making them with less sugar and fat, but not less taste.

Now that you're up to speed, I chose to start my culinary quest with the "My, oh, my! Chocolate Mousse Pie" from the "Pie in the Sky" chapter -- however, make it in my own, vegan way . . . and not with chocolate (or gelatin, evaporated skim milk, etc.) at all. The pie's about as natural and detox-appropriate as you can get (OK. Again, not a true detox, but if you HAVE to eat some kind of dessert -- this one's not full of crap).



Instead, I whipped up this delicious coconut-carob pie. Carob because Stephen loves the stuff (and because I spent a mint on a gargantuan container of chips at Greenstar this weekend). Coconut because I thought the pairing would be, well, a match made in heaven.

What do you think?

Richard writes:

"Like so many of my culinary introductions, I first met a chocolate mousse when I was a child, in a fancy New Orleans hotel, the Roosevelt. Anyway, it was love at first taste, even though I wasn't quite sure what to make of it."

Oh, Richard.

"Was there a Mr. Mousse who created it for Mrs. Mousse, like the great chef who created the fabulous meringue dessert for the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova? Could I use the leftovers in my hair?"

I've made vegan chocolate mousse before (it's a simple blending of tofu, chocolate, and a bit of honey or agave). However, in that particular instance, I used soft tofu, didn't drain . . . and the next day, my pie was a big pile of goo -- full of water. Disgusting!

It's vital that you use firm silken tofu, or you -- too -- will have a tremendous mess to clean. And no pie to eat.



What you'll need . . . (for the crust)

• 8 graham cracker rectangles (I had a ton left over from my s'mores binge this summer. Yes. Graham crackers have honey in them. I know some people don't feel honey is vegan. When I was vegan, though, I ate honey.)
• 1/3 cup (heaping) unsweetened coconut flakes
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
   
2. Break up graham crackers and place in a food processor. Process into fine crumbs.
3. Add coconut flakes and pulse until well mixed.
4. Add agave and coconut oil and pulse until well moistened. (It will still SEEM a little dry, but if everything is coated in some wet ingredients, you're good to go on to the next step. If not, add a bit more agave or oil, 1 teaspoon at a time).
5. Turn into a 9-inch springform pan (I used a tart pan). Spread crumbs evenly over bottom of pan and 1-1/2 inches up the sides.
6. Cover with piece of plastic wrap and press crust firmly. Remove plastic.
7. Bake crust for 5 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool completely. (I actually put my crust in the refrigerator to speed up the process.)

What you'll need . . . (for the chocolate mousse filling)

• 12 ounce package firm silken tofu (If you've never used tofu in desserts before, I realize it can sound gross. But it's not at all! It soaks up whatever flavor you put with it. Trust me. You'll love it!)
  
• 8 ounces vegan carob chips
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1/4 to 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (depending on how much you like coconut)

Method . . .

1. Take the tofu out of its package and press with a clean paper towel (to get the last bits of moisture off).
2. Melt carob chips in a double boiler (or in the microwave on medium) until smooth.
3. Put tofu, carob, agave, and coconut in your food processor and blend until well mixed.
4. Pour "mousse" into chilled pie shell and refrigerate for at least one hour, or until set.

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