Oy. I've been trying to work more on The Book lately because an agent has expressed interest (more on that soonish) but I'm back with that recipe for vegan/gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
To recap: A couple of weeks ago I did a vegan-for-a-week challenge with interesting results. While I was looking for recipes online I came across the cookbook for Babycakes, a vegan and gluten-free bakery to the stars in NYC. My cousin actually has the cookbook and I remember leafing through it one day but we were both kind of put off by the sheer number of pricey ingredients for each recipe (think things like agave nectar, garbanzo bean flour, and xanthum gum) Even so, Erin McKenna's two cookbooks have rave reviews on Amazon and they were running a special so I ordered them.
True to my memory, the lists of ingredients were a bit overwhelming but McKenna had a good point when she said that heart disease ain't exactly cheap either. So, while coconut oil may be more expensive than butter in the short run, it's better for you and your wallet in the long run.
I decided that I would make a recipe the next time I was in The Bachelor Kitchen and, since I'm such a considerate girlfriend, I asked James what he wanted me to make: Chocolate chip cookies.
A classic that sounded like a good place to start. Here's a link to the recipe on Oprah.com since I don't want to get sued and who messes with Oprah?
Here are some tips and tricks I picked up. Learn from my mistakes, children.
Bob's Red Mill is the brand of choice for Babycakes since they make lots of great gluten-free mixes, but buying bags of stuff at the grocery store can add up. Luckily, they sell a ton of it for cheaper at Ocean State Job Lot! So, go there.
Also, Marshall's and T.J. Maxx often have things like agave nectar for a few dollars cheaper. Of course, you're gonna want to check the expiration dates on this stuff, but it's definitely worth the trip.
Since coconut oil is the fat used, be prepared to have your cookies taste like, well, coconut. It's not super overwhelming, but they do taste different than Toll-House.
Also, working with coconut oil and xantham gum yields different results than butter and eggs. McKenna says this in the book, but it bears repeating: DON'T OVER MIX. If you feel the urge to keep mixing just a little bit more, resist. The first batch came out a little too chewy and I'm guessing that's why. As you're mixing the dry and wet ingredients together, keep in mind that you still have to mix in the chocolate chips after wards.
If your batter looks like this, put down the spoon.
Once I had mixed everything together and was ready to scoop the dough out onto a cookie sheet I realized something: James' cookie sheet was missing. Sigh. Dammit, Bachelor Kitchen! So, I improvised by flipping some of his baking pans over. It worked well enough but the cookies spread out a lot, so this happened:
The lesson here is if you're cooking/baking in someone else's kitchen double-check that they have everything you need before you get started...especially if they work at their family's restaurant and never cook at home.
Overall, the cookies came out pretty good, the second batch being the best. It crossed my mind that I had no idea how they were supposed to taste since I've never had gluten-free vegan cookies before, but everyone who tried them said they were great and that I should stop worrying about them. So, enjoy. Especially if you can't digest wheat.
To recap: A couple of weeks ago I did a vegan-for-a-week challenge with interesting results. While I was looking for recipes online I came across the cookbook for Babycakes, a vegan and gluten-free bakery to the stars in NYC. My cousin actually has the cookbook and I remember leafing through it one day but we were both kind of put off by the sheer number of pricey ingredients for each recipe (think things like agave nectar, garbanzo bean flour, and xanthum gum) Even so, Erin McKenna's two cookbooks have rave reviews on Amazon and they were running a special so I ordered them.
True to my memory, the lists of ingredients were a bit overwhelming but McKenna had a good point when she said that heart disease ain't exactly cheap either. So, while coconut oil may be more expensive than butter in the short run, it's better for you and your wallet in the long run.
I decided that I would make a recipe the next time I was in The Bachelor Kitchen and, since I'm such a considerate girlfriend, I asked James what he wanted me to make: Chocolate chip cookies.
A classic that sounded like a good place to start. Here's a link to the recipe on Oprah.com since I don't want to get sued and who messes with Oprah?
Here are some tips and tricks I picked up. Learn from my mistakes, children.
Bob's Red Mill is the brand of choice for Babycakes since they make lots of great gluten-free mixes, but buying bags of stuff at the grocery store can add up. Luckily, they sell a ton of it for cheaper at Ocean State Job Lot! So, go there.
Also, Marshall's and T.J. Maxx often have things like agave nectar for a few dollars cheaper. Of course, you're gonna want to check the expiration dates on this stuff, but it's definitely worth the trip.
Since coconut oil is the fat used, be prepared to have your cookies taste like, well, coconut. It's not super overwhelming, but they do taste different than Toll-House.
Also, working with coconut oil and xantham gum yields different results than butter and eggs. McKenna says this in the book, but it bears repeating: DON'T OVER MIX. If you feel the urge to keep mixing just a little bit more, resist. The first batch came out a little too chewy and I'm guessing that's why. As you're mixing the dry and wet ingredients together, keep in mind that you still have to mix in the chocolate chips after wards.
If your batter looks like this, put down the spoon.Once I had mixed everything together and was ready to scoop the dough out onto a cookie sheet I realized something: James' cookie sheet was missing. Sigh. Dammit, Bachelor Kitchen! So, I improvised by flipping some of his baking pans over. It worked well enough but the cookies spread out a lot, so this happened:
The lesson here is if you're cooking/baking in someone else's kitchen double-check that they have everything you need before you get started...especially if they work at their family's restaurant and never cook at home. Overall, the cookies came out pretty good, the second batch being the best. It crossed my mind that I had no idea how they were supposed to taste since I've never had gluten-free vegan cookies before, but everyone who tried them said they were great and that I should stop worrying about them. So, enjoy. Especially if you can't digest wheat.
No comments:
Post a Comment