vegan / cookbooks

I made a half batch of these cookies, which was clearly a mistake. I ate the last one for breakfast this morning and I could really go for another one right about now. Chewy, oaty, nutty… slightly sweet and warmly spiced… it’s the kind of cookie that’s just healthy enough to get by as breakfast but would be even more perfect as a 2pm snack. If only…

This recipe is just slightly adapted from Amy Chaplin’s book At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen, which is hands down one of the most beautiful cookbooks I’ve ever held. I’ve been a fan of Amy’s for the longest time – among other things (like being Natalie Portman’s private chef), she’s the former executive chef of Angelica Kitchen, a vegan restaurant in NYC that I’ve adored for years. The book is full (really full) of vegan and vegetarian whole food recipes and ideas. Some great basics like miso mayo, homemade curry powder, and homemade kimchi to brownies, cakes, pies, stews, curries, pastas, and beautiful noodle bowls.

One page is prettier (and more delicious looking) than the next – I had a hard time deciding which pages to show you but here are just a few of my favorites.

Pistachio Cranberry Cookies

  PrintRecipe adapted from At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen by Amy Chaplin, ©2014 by Amy Chaplin. Reprinted by arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications Inc., Boston, MA. www.roostbooks.comAuthor: Jeanine DonofrioServes: 16 cookiesIngredients

• 2 cups regular rolled oats
• 1 cup whole spelt flour
• 1 cup almond meal
• ½ teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ cup melted coconut oil
• ¾ cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup vegan mini chocolate chips
• ¾ cups pistachios, roughly chopped

Instructions

Combine oats, spelt flour, almond meal, baking powder, cardamom and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In another bowl, combine coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Whisk until emulsified. Pour into dry ingredients and stir well; mixture will be very wet. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes to allow dough to thicken.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Add cranberries, pistachios and chocolate chips to cookie dough, and mix until combined.

Using a damp ¼ cup measure, scoop cookie dough onto baking sheet, flatten slightly, and bake 15 minutes or until golden around the edges. Using a spatula, carefully transfer cookies to a wire rack. They will firm up when completely cool. Store leftover cookies in an airtight containerl in warm weather, store them in the fridge.

NotesAmy's original recipe calls for ½ cup golden raisins instead of the cranberries and chocolate chips. Let raisins soak in boiling water for 10 minutes to plump up before adding to the cookies.

She also added the zest of 1 orange, which I skipped.

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