Healthiest Gluten-free Vegan Chickpea Ginger Cookies

And so begins my holiday freezer stocking. What was supposed to be an effort to stock my freezer with cookies for guests, has quickly turned to stocking my freezer for late night binges. I am piling through cookies... baked and raw with little to no effort. My lack of guests, I think, is actually to blame.  Boredom= eating cookies for the friends I apparently do not have.  Oh geez!

These are a new creation. Similar to the other chickpea cookies I have made, I label these as guiltless holiday indulgences. These are full of fiber  gluten free, wheat free, and tasty! Eat too many of these and you may actually lose weight- a happy colon and a happy Christmas!!

Yum Yum Yum. 

CHICKPEA GINGER COOKIES

Yields 24-36 (dependent on size)

2 CANS Chickpeas (15oz)

1/2 CUP Almond Butter

3 T Coconut flour (Any GF flour)

1/2 t Salt

1/2 CUP Maple Syrup (or cane sugar or coconut sugar)

1 t Vanilla Extract

5 t Ground Ginger

1 1/4 t Cinnamon

3/4 t Cloves

Cane Sugar or Coconut sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.

Rinse and drain your beans.

Place all ingredients in food processor 1 at a time and blend, scraping the sides occasionally with a spatula.

If your batter is too dry add water. Start with 1 T. Add no more than 4 T.

Use a spoon to drop batter onto parchment paper placed on a cookie sheet.

Be sure and flatten these cookies down, as they will remain in the same shape, they do not spread as they bake. If they are too thick they will not cook all the way through.

Sprinkle each cookie with sugar

Bake 15 to 20 minutes.

REMEMBER: There are a lot of beans in this recipe, so gorging on cookie batter will be detrimental to your days activities. BELIEVE ME.

Raw Pumpkin Pie

If you could take just 3 things with you to a deserted island, what would they be? Surely, someone in this life-time has asked you this very question. Or perhaps you are like me, and ask yourself asinine questions like this regularly. Are you practical or unpredictable? Undoubtedly the practical (read boring) things initially cross your mind. But let’s be honest, if you’re on a deserted island, you want to have good time!

This is why water, knife, blanket, and matches no longer cross my mind. More so, I find myself weaving through the really important decisions. Solar powered D.J. booth or water trampoline. Marky Mark or Jared Leto. Margaritas or Kombucha. Lipstick or mascara. Popeye cigarettes or bubble pipe?! Decisions, decisions.

 Luckily this week, my choice was easy. If I am on a deserted Island all I will need is THIS raw pumpkin pie, a fork, and pants with a stretchy waist. Thank you Jennifer Cornbleet!!

Find the recipe HERE.  

I made this pie for Thanksgiving... no one even realized that this was made with carrots and pumpkin pie spice, rather than pumpkin, itself. Sneaky!!

Raw Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie by Chef Katy

If she isn't creating beautiful food or rehabilitating houseplants, she is talking like Cartman and getting drunk. (Perhaps, that last part is not true.) Thank you Katy!!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie by Chef Katy

Yield: 1 Serving

Juice of 1 apple 

Juice of 2 carrots

1/2 ripe banana

1/4 Cup soaked Walnuts

1/4 cup soaked Rasins

1/2 t Pumpkin Pie Spice 

Soak your walnuts and raisins separately overnight or for at least 2 hours

Juice your Apple and Carrots (Save your pulp for crackers!!)

Add your juice to a high-speed blender with the remaining ingredients

From Katy herself: "Enjoy with a tot of Rum if you're feeling naughty "

Pumpkin Pie Spiced Almonds

​Nuts always taste better with spice!!!

How to make Pumpkin Pie Spice

I am not usually predictable, though my behavior upon returning home from my most recent trip certainly was. 1 week ago I arrived home from a 6 week reprieve and educational whirlwind at Living Light Culinary Arts Institute in California. What have I done upon my arrival? Cry (predictable). I have not unpacked a suitcase, done the laundry, OR made a life plan (also predictable). I have sat upon my bed, eaten ice cream and questioned my life’s motives (incredibly predictable).  Le sigh.....

I almost feel as though I am right back where I used to be. Doing exactly what I used to be doing. Do I feel different? Absolutely, yet this "different" is accompanied by a slew of other inexplicable emotions. I just spent 1 month doing something I love, with group of people who were just about as odd and food-obsessed as me. That is special. But now I am home in "real-life", and I have to go back to work. BALLS!!

Do I  feel ready for the monumental task of doing something that I deem worthwhile with my new found knowledge? Am I ready to unpack my suitcase, do some laundry and get creative? S*&%, not really. But hopefully a glass of wine, some WHAM! and spiced nuts will help me get there.

Listen to THIS song, NOW.

Because it is October and everything I make for this month, will probably require pumpkin pie spice. Let us start with my basic recipe for pumpkin pie spice. I usually quadruple this recipe and keep it in the cupboard.

PUMPKIN PIE SPICE

Servings: 3 1/4 tsp

2 tsp Cinnamon

½  tsp Ginger

½ tsp Nutmeg

¼ tsp All Spice