fig thumbprint cookies.

remember these? while delicious, the recipe ended up calling for more figs than i could possibly pack between two wafers. the end result? one heaping basket of fig newtons and one slightly smaller (but still big enough) bowl of leftover stewed figs. 

now i don't know about you, but i'm not exactly readily overflowing with ideas about how to use up a bowl of sweet stewed figs. making more cookies seemed, and still seems, like one ideal solution.

these thumbprint cookies are great if you're short on time and ingredients. quick, tasty, and versatile, they also last for at least a week in sealed tupperware. while the almond dough and sweet figs complimented each other nicely, these cookies would also be delightful with apricot jam, for instance. 

i'm including the recipe for how to make stewed figs below, in case you - like normal people - don't happen to have a batch just lying around! 

fig thumbprint cookies

1 cup almond flour/meal 


1 cup quick-baking oats

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup canola oil 


1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt 


5 tablespoons stewed figs (see recipe below)

preheat oven to 350°F.

combine all ingredients except the figs in a large bowl. stir to combine well. roll little balls of the dough in the palm of your hand to form each cookie. arrange on a large baking sheets, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart.

press your thumb gently down into the center of each cookie to make an indentation. spoon a scant teaspoon of figs into each cookie.

bake cookies until golden brown and just firm around the edges, 15 minutes. let cool completely before eating!

fig topping

8 oz. dried black mission figs, stems removed and chopped into small bits

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp agave nectar

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

making the filling. in a small saucepan, throw in the chopped figs, water, agave, and citrus. bring to a boil over medium heat, and reduce to a simmer. stirring every minute of so, cook for a good 8 minutes, until figs begin to soften. let them continue to cook, but mash them with a fork or masher (?!) to create a chunky paste. the water will evaporate in the process – if it gets too dry, add in more water, a tablespoon at a time. remove from heat and set aside. you can leave your figs chunky, or if you want a smoother puree, throw it in the food processor (i prefer chunky!).

"adult" fig newtons.

from preparation to post, this healthy cookie series has been highly educational so far. i've grown as a gluten-free and vegan baker and spent way too many hours perusing cookie recipes online. through numerous baking adventures - and misadventures - i've kept my classmates well fed and created a name for myself as "that vegan girl". i've learned that just because a cookie isn't what i (or ina garten) would call a success, people will still eat it, enjoy it, and then lie to you about how wonderful of a baker you are. the best part? knowing it's a lie doesn't detract one bit from how good it feels.we're nearing the end of the series, and i have two amazing recipes left to share. the first are these vegan fig bars. in an attempt to curb my natural tendency to only bake things with chocolate in them, i decided to revamp a treat from my childhood lunchbox: the fig newton. whereas the packaged über-sugary fig newtons aren't particularly appetizing, these bars are dynamite. the smell of freshly stewed figs with agave is heavenly, and the dough is the perfect amount of chewy with a crunch from the chia seeds. what more, you'll have leftover figs to use in other assorted treats.... (stayed tuned!).
"adult” fig newtons

adapted from post punk kitchen

for the fig filling:

16 oz. dried black mission figs, stems removed and chopped into small bits

1 cup water

¼ cup agave nectar

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

for the dough:

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1/3 cup almond milk

½ cup vegetable oil

¾ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ¾ cup all purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

turbinado sugar, for topping

start by making the filling. in a small saucepan, throw in the chopped figs, water, agave, and citrus. bring to a boil over medium heat, and reduce to a simmer. stirring every minute of so, cook for a good 10 minutes, until figs begin to soften. let them continue to cook, but mash them with a fork or masher (?!) to create a chunky paste. the water will evaporate in the process – if it gets too dry, add in more water, a tablespoon at a time. remove from heat and set aside. you can leave your figs chunky, or if you want a smoother puree, throw it in the food processor (i prefer chunky!).

line an 8 x 8 square baking tin with aluminum foil so that the foil hangs over the sides of the pan. spray the foil with a bit of non-stick cooking spray.

now, it’s time for the dough. in a large mixing bowl, combine the chia seeds, almond milk, oil, sugar, and vanilla. whisk for a good 2 minutes to make sure it’s combined. in a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. add dry to wet mixes, a bit at a time, stirring constantly. stir to form a soft dough. using your hands, form the dough into a ball and then divide into two equal parts. shape each section of the dough into a small square about an inch thick.

take the first two square and place it between two large sheets of wax paper. using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a larger square (or square-like shape) about the size of the 8 x 8 pan. if it is slightly larger, that’s ok too.

when you have your square shape, peel off the top layer of wax paper. flip the dough directly onto the pan. push it into pan. this will help to peel off the top wax paper layer, which you should do… now! when the dough is firmly in place, spread the fig filling all over.* don’t forget the corners!

using the same method as with the bottom crust, prepare the top crust. flip the crust on top of the fig mixture, press down firmly so it sticks, and peal the wax paper away.

bake for around 20 minutes, or until the crust is slightly golden and puffed. remove from oven and let cool. when cool, grab the edges of the tin foil and remove the cookie block from the pan, placing it on a cutting board. cut into bars of any size. enjoy, and then store in a sealed container.

*note: i used about ¾ of it the fig mixture here and reserved the rest for another recipe.

healthy cookie series: part 2!

i'll take a moment to respond to a few commonly asked questions:  
1) yes, cookies are still healthy. please stop asking. 
2) you're right - i haven't posted any pumpkin recipes yet this fall. 
3) again, you're right - i should be and i am ashamed of myself. (in the mean time, can i interest you in this pumpkin bread from last year?!)  

in case there's any doubt, i fully understand just what kind of egregious cooking blog faux paux i've committed by failing to celebrate one of the grandest seasonal ingredients around. consider today's post a meager, belated attempt to right that wrong. and help you make delicious cookies! 

this recipe is part deux in a three-part series highlighting cookies to accommodate specific diets. these vegan pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are the perfect fall flavor sweet tooth fix. they are also an excellent dough to make and store in your freezer (vegan dough never goes bad!).

this recipe makes a lot of cookies. mind you, it's not too many - because, of course, there's no such thing as too many - but enough to keep you running back and forth from the oven all afternoon trying to stop it from overflowing with cookie dough. i only have one baking sheet, so i decided to use half the dough to make cookies in september and the rest just this past week. both times, the dough (a lot of which i obviously did not eat directly from the bowl) was divine. and the cookie reviews just as rave.

vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

adapted from post punk kitchen 

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/3 cups rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 2/3 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup vegan chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350. grease a baking sheet.

combine flour, oats, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium sized bowl.

in another bowl, throw together sugar, oil, maple syrup, pumpkin and vanilla. stir until very well combined. add dry ingredients to wet bit by bit, folding to combine. fold in the chocolate chips! 

mold the little cookies into balls and drop onto the greased cookie sheet. they don't expand too much so an inch apart should do it. this batch makes a ton of cookies, so if you have more than one cookies sheet at your disposal, use it. bake for about 15-18 minutes. 

remove from oven and leave to cool. eat with friends.

healthy cookie series: part one!

i think it's important to start by setting some things straight about the above title: 

yes, cookies are healthy. get over it.

in fact, if made right, cookies can supply you with oats, grains, honey, and a warm fuzzy feeling. if that doesn't equate with health, then i don't know what does.

unfortunately, i haven't been able to experiment with all too many cookie recipes since starting this blog (exception: please check out these ridiculous macaroons), as my oven for the past year was somewhat picky regarding what it would and would not burn/decimate in some way or another. cookies were, to put it lightly, not its baked good of choice. there are horrifying pictures that bare witness to this harsh reality, but for the sake of the children, i've tucked them away in a folder deep in the corridors of my hard drive. 

in any case, today's a new day! and a new oven! an oven that, unlike some ovens, doesn't subscribe to anti-cookie propaganda (i'm slightly sad that 1) my old oven can't actually read how sassily i'm speaking about it and yet 2) i'm still sort of writing this post as if it can). so over the next couple of months, i'll be posting three to four cookie recipes that are not only really really tasty, but also appropriate or customizable for certain diets (gluten free, vegan, SCD). 

my younger brother aptly described today's vegan and gluten free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies as "insane", and i think he's just about got it. these little guys are crunchy, sweet, and dense with flavor. this recipe makes about 20 cookies, some of which i topped with almond slices (though i think walnuts or pecans would be a nice alternative). also, feel free to add raisins or any other mix-in of choice to the dough right before baking. 

vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

*for gluten-free cookies, use certified gluten-free oats

2 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp cinnamon

2/3 cup steel cut (or gluten free) oats

1 ripe banana, mashed          

1/2 cup agave nectar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

1/4 cup almond slices (for topping)

preheat oven to 375F. lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

in a medium bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and oats. in another bowl, combine the banana, agave, and extracts. pour wet ingredients into dry, and add the chocolate chips. (as there are no raw eggs or animal products in this, feel free to try some of the dough and see if it needs anything else. i may or may not have added more cinnamon...).

using a small spoon - or better yet, your hands - form the dough into little balls. place on baking sheet, top with a couple of almond slices, and bake for around 17 - 20 minutes. the finished cookies should be toasted around the edges and slightly doughy in the center.

the highs and lows of macarooning.

where have i been?! june was a crazy month spent frolicking around berlin from the early mornings to the late evenings. i really wish i could say that - amidst the chaos - i was able to cling to some normalcy through healthy, natural home-cooking. but the sad truth, my dear foodies, is this: way more than half of my meals were consumed outside of anyone's kitchen. that's right: i ate out. a lot.

to be fair, berlin has excellent culinary options! especially for an aspiring vegan or vegetarian, you'll rarely be left stranded empty handed (or stomached). still, i was starting to miss winding down my days by preparing meals from scratch, as well as sitting down peacefully to share them with someone. 

i also started missed baking! and while i've been holding back posting about these delicious macaroons for a while now, i'm glad to be making my reappearance (granted, onto my own blog..) with this recipe. 

the day i decided to make macaroons, i got a bit antsy about trying out something new and decided therefore to test out a few recipes. while the pictures above testify to the success of one of them, the photo below tells the story of 2nd baking attempt gone very, very awry.

presenting macaroon pancakes...

i wish i could say i know what went wrong with this poor batch. but truth be told, i haven't a clue. could have been the condensed milk, or perhaps a faulty measurement on my part. and while obviously i still devoured the entire batch in record time, i was happy to have the other less aesthetically disturbing batch on hand to offer friends and family. and the ridiculously easy recipe to share with you here!

choco-dipped coconut macaroons
as seen on epicurious

1 large egg white
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes
pinch of salt
100 g melted chocolate

preheat oven to 300 degrees F. grab a sheet of parchment paper.

stir together egg white, sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and a pinch of salt until combined. stir in the coconut flakes. divide mixture in four and using your hands, make four macaroon mounds. drop onto the parchment paper with about 2 inches of space between each one.

bake until the tops are starting to get oh so slightly golden, which should take approximately 15 to 20 minutes. remove and let cool. you can also leave the macaroons as they are now. but if you want to take things to the next level....

melt 100 grams of chocolate - i used semisweet chocolate chips. you can do this over the stove or in the microwave. once the macaroons have cooled for about 20 minutes, dip their bottoms in the hot and gooey chocolate. let them rest on their sides on the sheet of parchment paper until the chocolate has hardened.

try not to consume the entire batch all at once.