HEMP IS A WONDERFUL, WORLD-SAVING PRODUCT.
In addition to it's uses for fuel and fiber, hemp is also a food product, and it just so happens, that it's VERY good for you too. Hemp seeds are one of nature's best sources of plant-based protein. It contains all of the essential amino acids the body needs, making it a complete protein. 2 tablespoons give you a mere 50 calories with 7 grams of protein, 216 miligrams of Omega-3, 4 grams of fiber, and 10% of your RDA of iron. Yes, my friends... in just 2 tablespoons. Did I mention it was also a complete protein!? It's also gluten-free.
You know what? Baking with hemp is delicious. Mariah adores these muffins and I like them too. She wants me to make them again and again, so I guess that means they're worthy of posting. They're very good, and good for you. They make a good breakfast when you pair them with some soymilk and some fruit. Enjoy!
This recipe is courtesy of Bob's Red Mill Hemp Protein Powder. Good stuff.
Hemp Muffins:
1 1/4 c. unbleached white flour
1 c. wheat bran
1/2 c. Hemp Protein Powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1 c. no-sugar-added applesauce
1 1/4 c. soymilk
2 Tb. oil
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Additional brown sugar for topping (opt.)
Shredded unsweetened coconut for topping (opt.)
Mix the flour, wheat bran, hemp protein, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the applesauce, soymilk, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix until just combined (about 50 strokes).
Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling 2/3 full. Sprinkle tops of muffins lightly with brown sugar and coconut.
Bake about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
NOTE: If you use paper muffin cups, the muffins will stick to the paper when they're warm. Once they've fully cooled, they come out of the paper just fine.
If you make 12 muffins, they are 125 calories each (includes opt. brown sugar and coconut).
If you make 15 muffins, they are 100 calories each (includes opt. brown sugar and coconut).
FYI: Hemp protein powder is sometimes expensive, and that's probably because its production is highly regulated by the DEA. There are so many restrictions placed on the hemp-grower that your average, everyday farmer can't afford to grow it (what with all the security and fences and stuff). Not only that, but hemp has VIRTUALLY NO THC. You CANNOT get high from smoking it (THC content is altered by the growing process. Most "commercial" weed is manipulated to have a high THC content).
Hemp does so many wonderful things, and yet it's still controlled. What a terrible shame. It could really save the world.
More on that later. :)
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Split Pea Soup
This soup was actually created by Mariah. Mariah is actually a very good cook and she'll cook me up something every once in awhile, but it's not a hobby for her like it is for me. She made this soup the way she likes it: simple and velvety. This was the first time I had ever had split pea soup, and it was absolutely delicious! This simple recipe is a nice reminder that sometimes it's just as delicious going back-to-basics.
It goes well with a nice crusty bread.
Basic Split Pea Soup:
1 c. split green peas
2 c. water
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp. minced garlic
Vegetable broth
Rinse and pick through the peas. Bring the water to a boil, add the peas, boil for 2-3 minutes, then cover, and set aside for an hour.
When you're ready to cook the peas, change the water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until peas are soft.
When the peas are almost done, saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until nice and caramelized.
When the peas are completely done, add the onion and garlic, and using a hand blender or a regular blender, blend until nice and smooth. You will need to add the vegetable broth before blending to help it smooth out. The amount of vegetable broth you use will depend on how thick you'd like your soup to be (Mariah likes it to be a real thick, spoon-coating soup). Return to the pan to reheat a little if necessary and to serve. Enjoy!
We made this again, except we tossed in a couple of handfuls of fresh basil to the onions and garlic, and then proceeded with the recipe. It was great!
It goes well with a nice crusty bread.
Basic Split Pea Soup:
1 c. split green peas
2 c. water
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp. minced garlic
Vegetable broth
Rinse and pick through the peas. Bring the water to a boil, add the peas, boil for 2-3 minutes, then cover, and set aside for an hour.
When you're ready to cook the peas, change the water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until peas are soft.
When the peas are almost done, saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until nice and caramelized.
When the peas are completely done, add the onion and garlic, and using a hand blender or a regular blender, blend until nice and smooth. You will need to add the vegetable broth before blending to help it smooth out. The amount of vegetable broth you use will depend on how thick you'd like your soup to be (Mariah likes it to be a real thick, spoon-coating soup). Return to the pan to reheat a little if necessary and to serve. Enjoy!
We made this again, except we tossed in a couple of handfuls of fresh basil to the onions and garlic, and then proceeded with the recipe. It was great!
Quick n' Easy Green Curry with Tofu
Mariah loves anything that I make that involves tofu and coconut rice, in this case it's a curry. Green curry is milder than red curry. This is also a Thai-insprired version, rather than an Indian one. To make it vegan, fish sauce was omitted. Also, take care when selecting a curry paste. I use the brand Thai Kitchen because it's vegan and doesn't contain any preservatives. Using Jasmine rice (which is traditional in Thai cooking) also saves time because it only takes about 10 minutes to cook. This dish takes about 30 minutes to make.
Serving this dish over plain Jasmine rice is also a very tasty alternative (1 c. rice to 2 c. water).
Coconut Rice:
1 c. Jasmine rice
1/2 (regular-sized) can coconut milk
1 1/4 c. water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. turmeric
Sauce:
1/2 can coconut milk
1 1/2 Tb. tamari or soy sauce
1 Tb. brown sugar
1/2 Tb. Thai Kitchen green curry paste
1 tsp. chile paste (such as Sriracha)
1/4 tsp. turmeric
2 small dried red chiles
Stir-fry:
1 block extra-firm tofu
1 onion
1 c. mixed frozen veggies (an Asian blend without water chestnuts is good)
1 tsp. minced garlic
oil to saute + 1 tsp. chile oil
2 small dried red chiles
Press tofu for about 15 minutes, or until water stops coming out, then pat dry, cube, and brown on all sides in a skillet with the oil, chile oil, and dried chiles. Set aside. In the skillet, saute the onions and frozen veggies (I always steam my veggies first to make sure they taste okay, since they're frozen and all, but I'm weird like that) with the garlic and a little more chile oil if you'd like.
Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients. When the veggies are halfway-done, add the tofu and the sauce to the skillet, along with two more dried chiles. Cover and reduce to a simmer (this will simmer while the rice cooks).
Rinse the rice and place it in a pot along with the coconut milk, water, salt, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce, and simmer about 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 more minutes before serving.
To serve, place the curry on top of the rice. Feel free to garnish with a little cilantro or shredded unsweetened coconut. Enjoy!
Serving this dish over plain Jasmine rice is also a very tasty alternative (1 c. rice to 2 c. water).
Coconut Rice:
1 c. Jasmine rice
1/2 (regular-sized) can coconut milk
1 1/4 c. water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. turmeric
Sauce:
1/2 can coconut milk
1 1/2 Tb. tamari or soy sauce
1 Tb. brown sugar
1/2 Tb. Thai Kitchen green curry paste
1 tsp. chile paste (such as Sriracha)
1/4 tsp. turmeric
2 small dried red chiles
Stir-fry:
1 block extra-firm tofu
1 onion
1 c. mixed frozen veggies (an Asian blend without water chestnuts is good)
1 tsp. minced garlic
oil to saute + 1 tsp. chile oil
2 small dried red chiles
Press tofu for about 15 minutes, or until water stops coming out, then pat dry, cube, and brown on all sides in a skillet with the oil, chile oil, and dried chiles. Set aside. In the skillet, saute the onions and frozen veggies (I always steam my veggies first to make sure they taste okay, since they're frozen and all, but I'm weird like that) with the garlic and a little more chile oil if you'd like.
Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients. When the veggies are halfway-done, add the tofu and the sauce to the skillet, along with two more dried chiles. Cover and reduce to a simmer (this will simmer while the rice cooks).
Rinse the rice and place it in a pot along with the coconut milk, water, salt, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce, and simmer about 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 more minutes before serving.
To serve, place the curry on top of the rice. Feel free to garnish with a little cilantro or shredded unsweetened coconut. Enjoy!
Food Update... well, mostly
A lot of recipes have been floating around my brain. Last night I made some Hemp Muffins. They were very good. Mariah loves them, but they're not quite what I was wanting. I think a few carob chips are necessary! Also, I used shredded wheat cereal instead of bran because that was what I had on hand. It worked well, but I'd like to try it with the bran.
Also, I'm thinking about making some scones. And some Pineapple Black Bean Enchiladas. And maybe something with applesauce in it. And my favorite black beans over caramelized onions and polenta... so much good food! A friend of mine has a birthday this month and I've pledged to make whatever main dish and dessert suits her fancy. Luckily, she's fond of most my health food and I think she's liked about all my sweet stuff. We have a living room now, so I'm finally ready to start having company over!
I'm also looking forward to going to the farmer's markets this year. The organic and whole food movement is FINALLY starting to seep into this city and I'm so relieved. Driving an hour to buy produce kind of defeats the purpose of buying locally... Heck, I've been waiting almost a year for a store to get some hemp protein powder. It's ridiculous. This city has such a small-town attitude and it's so resistant to change, when in reality it's not that small. It just keeps cutting itself off from any potential growth. I read an article today in the newspaper that made me roll my eyes. It was about an organic food co-op. The article keep going on and on about all the good reasons why someone should join, but then you get to the very last sentence and it says, "no new members are being accepted". Puh-leeze. In a city of almost 80,000 people you wouldn't think these kinds of barriers still exist (especially in such an agriculturally-oriented Midwestern state)... but they do.
You know what though? They can buy all the organic bread they want... my homemade stuff still tastes better. :)
Anyway, as I was saying, this month is going to be full of various black bean and tofu recipes. I also have a bag of unsweetened shredded coconut that's daring me to use it, so stay tuned!
Also, I'm thinking about making some scones. And some Pineapple Black Bean Enchiladas. And maybe something with applesauce in it. And my favorite black beans over caramelized onions and polenta... so much good food! A friend of mine has a birthday this month and I've pledged to make whatever main dish and dessert suits her fancy. Luckily, she's fond of most my health food and I think she's liked about all my sweet stuff. We have a living room now, so I'm finally ready to start having company over!
I'm also looking forward to going to the farmer's markets this year. The organic and whole food movement is FINALLY starting to seep into this city and I'm so relieved. Driving an hour to buy produce kind of defeats the purpose of buying locally... Heck, I've been waiting almost a year for a store to get some hemp protein powder. It's ridiculous. This city has such a small-town attitude and it's so resistant to change, when in reality it's not that small. It just keeps cutting itself off from any potential growth. I read an article today in the newspaper that made me roll my eyes. It was about an organic food co-op. The article keep going on and on about all the good reasons why someone should join, but then you get to the very last sentence and it says, "no new members are being accepted". Puh-leeze. In a city of almost 80,000 people you wouldn't think these kinds of barriers still exist (especially in such an agriculturally-oriented Midwestern state)... but they do.
You know what though? They can buy all the organic bread they want... my homemade stuff still tastes better. :)
Anyway, as I was saying, this month is going to be full of various black bean and tofu recipes. I also have a bag of unsweetened shredded coconut that's daring me to use it, so stay tuned!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Springjam 5
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Sunday, March 1, 2009
Early Spring Update
So, March is a good month. Near the end of February I always get crazy for spring. I'm constantly pointing out to people that clumps of grass are starting to turn green and that buds are forming on the trees. I couldn't believe it yesterday though. Mariah went out side to start the car but came back in and said, "there's a foot of snow on the ground!" We were shocked! While a foot of snow is a slight exaggeration (it was only about 4-6 inches), it all literally happened overnight. Not only that, but I think the highest it got yesterday was 18. Just two days before we were driving with our windows down in 70-degree sun! Missouri is a crazy state. You really can't predict the weather. Mariah, who lived half her life in Montana and the other half in upstate New York, thinks the weather here is nothing short of crazy (last summer she thought she was going to die when the heat hit 104 [heat index 112]. ) But anyway. March is the month of spring, and I'm ready for it!
Remember that farm I always wanted?
I have one. 40 acres of one to be exact. It's all paid off and ready to go. I couldn't believe it! This has always been a dream of mine (ours) and now it's attainable!
Now the planning begins.
We're going to build a small cabin with a loft and a porch. A nice outhouse. A greenhouse. A cellar. There's going to be fruit trees. Nut trees. Vegetables. Herbs. Berries. A well. So much planning and thinking and preparation needs to be done! We've got bonds to get us going and from here on out it's scrimping and saving. They'll be extended camping trips to get us used to the place, and once we're up there permanently, we'd like to get us a few animals. Mostly a couple dogs, a cat, a couple goats, a few chickens. Mariah wants a cow. I'd like a sheep. Solar panels. A wind turbine. We'll see where this goes. The first step has been taken, but many more follow.
Happy Spring!
Remember that farm I always wanted?
I have one. 40 acres of one to be exact. It's all paid off and ready to go. I couldn't believe it! This has always been a dream of mine (ours) and now it's attainable!
Now the planning begins.
We're going to build a small cabin with a loft and a porch. A nice outhouse. A greenhouse. A cellar. There's going to be fruit trees. Nut trees. Vegetables. Herbs. Berries. A well. So much planning and thinking and preparation needs to be done! We've got bonds to get us going and from here on out it's scrimping and saving. They'll be extended camping trips to get us used to the place, and once we're up there permanently, we'd like to get us a few animals. Mostly a couple dogs, a cat, a couple goats, a few chickens. Mariah wants a cow. I'd like a sheep. Solar panels. A wind turbine. We'll see where this goes. The first step has been taken, but many more follow.
Happy Spring!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Easy Weeknight Asian - Pad Thai
I love Pad Thai. It's quick and easy, fun to eat, and very versatile. This is another weeknight meal that only takes about 15-20 minutes from start to finish. Real Pad Thai uses fish sauce, so I substituted for tamari. I also left out the egg.
Sauce:
2 1/2 Tb. lime juice
1/2 Tb. lemon juice
2 Tb. sugar
2 Tb. tamari
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. Thai chili paste
Stir-fry:
1/4 box (about 2 oz.) thin rice noodles
1 Tb. oil
1/2 bag broccoli slaw
1/2 block smoked tofu
1 tsp. minced garlic
Toppings:
Green onions, chopped
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Unsalted, roasted peanuts, chopped
Toasted sesame seeds
Additional chili paste
Lime wedges
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add rice noodles and stir. Turn off heat and let sit for about 8 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, heat a skillet with oil. Add slaw, tofu, and garlic and saute until crisp-tender, about 3-5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, tamari, garlic, and chili paste. Add it to the stir-fry and simmer another minute or two. Remove from heat. Drain and rinse the noodles and return to the pot. To serve, place hot rice noodles on a plate, top with stir-fry, and then top with desired toppings. Serve with lime wedges. Enjoy!
Sauce:
2 1/2 Tb. lime juice
1/2 Tb. lemon juice
2 Tb. sugar
2 Tb. tamari
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. Thai chili paste
Stir-fry:
1/4 box (about 2 oz.) thin rice noodles
1 Tb. oil
1/2 bag broccoli slaw
1/2 block smoked tofu
1 tsp. minced garlic
Toppings:
Green onions, chopped
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Unsalted, roasted peanuts, chopped
Toasted sesame seeds
Additional chili paste
Lime wedges
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add rice noodles and stir. Turn off heat and let sit for about 8 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, heat a skillet with oil. Add slaw, tofu, and garlic and saute until crisp-tender, about 3-5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, tamari, garlic, and chili paste. Add it to the stir-fry and simmer another minute or two. Remove from heat. Drain and rinse the noodles and return to the pot. To serve, place hot rice noodles on a plate, top with stir-fry, and then top with desired toppings. Serve with lime wedges. Enjoy!
Easy Weeknight Asian - Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Tofu
I'm going to post two of my favorite recipes. I often make them in the same grocery period (the two weeks between each payday...) because I can split some of the same ingredients up for another meal later in the week (hooray for Pad Thai!). This first recipe is a real quickie, only about 15 minutes from start to finish. To help cut time I buy smoked tofu and broccoli slaw mix. Around here the price slaw mix is comparable to buying all the fresh veggies and making it yourself. Anyway, this dish really isn't that spicy, even with the chili oil. It also has a nice peanutty flavor and provides a satisfying crunch.
Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Tofu:
Peanut sauce:
1/4 c. seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbs. smooth peanut butter (I use Skippy Natural. It's good stuff).
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1/2 Tb. agave nectar
1 tsp. chili oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
A few shakes of toasted sesame oil
Stir-Fry:
1 Tb. oil
1 tsp. chili oil
1/2 bag of shredded broccoli slaw
1/2 block smoked tofu, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 (8 oz.) pkg. udon noodles
Toppings:
Green onions, chopped
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Unsalted, roasted peanuts, chopped
Toasted seasame seeds
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the udon noodles, and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, add oil and chili oil to a skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add slaw mix, tofu, and garlic and saute a few minutes or until crisp-tender. While all this is going on, make peanut sauce by whisking all the ingredients until smooth. When noodles are done, drain and rinse. Add the noodles, along with the peanut sauce, to the stir-fry. Turn off the heat and mix to coat the noodles with sauce. Divide into bowls and sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, peanuts, and sesame seeds to serve. Enjoy!
Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Tofu:
Peanut sauce:
1/4 c. seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbs. smooth peanut butter (I use Skippy Natural. It's good stuff).
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1/2 Tb. agave nectar
1 tsp. chili oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
A few shakes of toasted sesame oil
Stir-Fry:
1 Tb. oil
1 tsp. chili oil
1/2 bag of shredded broccoli slaw
1/2 block smoked tofu, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 (8 oz.) pkg. udon noodles
Toppings:
Green onions, chopped
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Unsalted, roasted peanuts, chopped
Toasted seasame seeds
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the udon noodles, and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, add oil and chili oil to a skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add slaw mix, tofu, and garlic and saute a few minutes or until crisp-tender. While all this is going on, make peanut sauce by whisking all the ingredients until smooth. When noodles are done, drain and rinse. Add the noodles, along with the peanut sauce, to the stir-fry. Turn off the heat and mix to coat the noodles with sauce. Divide into bowls and sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, peanuts, and sesame seeds to serve. Enjoy!
Pico!
I adore freshly made pico de gallo! It's quick, easy to make, and good on just about everything. Here's a basic recipe to begin with, but feel free to adjust to your liking. I like mine a little sweet, a little salty, lime-y, and with a good heat! I also choose to use Roma tomatoes because they have a good flavor, but are low on seeds and pulp. Enjoy!
5 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, minced (remove the seeds for a little less heat)
1/4 c. cilantro, losely packed, chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Prepare all ingredients. I also roll my lime around on the table until it's soft to release all its juice. In a bowl, mix the tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, sugar, and salt. Mix well. You can also store it covered in the refrigerator for a couple days.
5 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, minced (remove the seeds for a little less heat)
1/4 c. cilantro, losely packed, chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Prepare all ingredients. I also roll my lime around on the table until it's soft to release all its juice. In a bowl, mix the tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, sugar, and salt. Mix well. You can also store it covered in the refrigerator for a couple days.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
St. Valentine's Day Dinner, Part 2
FLARTS!
I'm sure most of you are not familiar with Flarts, and well, I've kind of created them after seeing them on tv. There's this amazing cartoon called "Chowder" and it plays on Cartoon Network. It's about this little boy who's an apprentice to a chef named Mung Daal (all the characters have food names). It's a really funny cartoon and it has a cult following. There's lots of references to things older people would get (like songs or movies), the concept is ridiculously cute, and Chowder (along with Mung Daal and Schnitzel) are just plain loveable.
In the famous, "I'm Not Your Boyfriend" episode, Panini (a girl character) gives Chowder some Flarts, which are like a heart-shaped cookie. He munches on them throughout the episode. I love this cartoon so much I decided to pay homage to it and make this cookies. After all, they are famous for romance...
This show is pretty quirky, and some of the food items have funny names. There's a dish called "froggy apple crumple thumpkin" as well as "old thyme cow pie". Then there's "grabbles" (a fruit), "slomatoes" (a vegetable), "grubble gum" (a candy) and so on. I really love this cartoon! It's such a nice change from all the other cartoons you see on tv nowadays.
FLARTS:
1 1/2 c. unbleached white flour
1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. nonhydrogenated vegan margarine
1/3 c. vanilla soymilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 small jar (10 oz.) organic raspberry preserves
1. Whisk together the white flour, wheat flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. In a large bowl, beat margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Gradually beat soymik, vanilla extract, and almond extract into the margarine mixture until combined. Beat in flour mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Pat the dough into a ball, cover it well with plastic wrap, and then place it in the refrigerator to chill for a least an hour. If you skip this step, the cookie down will be extremely hard to work with.
5. After removing the dough from the fridge, turn out onto parchment paper and roll out until the dough is about 1/8-1/4 in. thick. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, press hearts into dough, making them as close together as possible without overlapping. DON"T PULL APART. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and chill for 30 minutes. You can skip the re-chilling if the dough is still nice and firm and they seem to pull off the paper easily without ripping.
6. Preheat oven to 325. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and top with cut-out hearts. Bake for about 15 minutes and let cool on the pan (to crispen them up).
7. In a small saucepan over low heat, cook raspberry preserves until reduced to about 1 cup. It should take about 15 minutes or so. When cool, place about 2 tablespoons jam on one heart cookie and top with another to make a "jam sandwich".
There you have it! My vegan rendition of "flarts"!
This recipe makes a delicious sugar-type cookie. You can cut them out in shapes, or roll them into balls, bake them soft or bake them crispy. You can morph them into thumbprints or snickerdoodles, or roll them out and ice them like a traditional sugar cookie. Have fun!
UPDATE:
Sorry I don't have a picture of any "flarts", but I do have a recipe modification!
Jam Thumbprint Cookies:
To make jam thumbprints, prepare the recipe as above. Starting from Step 4:
After removing the chilled dough from the fridge, roll pieces of dough between your hands to get balls about an inch or so in diameter.
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and using your thumb, make a little indentation in the center of each ball.
Fill each ball with about 1/2 tsp. of preserves of choice (I usually use raspberry or blackberry), basically just enough to fill the well you made.
Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for two minutes, then let cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!
I'm sure most of you are not familiar with Flarts, and well, I've kind of created them after seeing them on tv. There's this amazing cartoon called "Chowder" and it plays on Cartoon Network. It's about this little boy who's an apprentice to a chef named Mung Daal (all the characters have food names). It's a really funny cartoon and it has a cult following. There's lots of references to things older people would get (like songs or movies), the concept is ridiculously cute, and Chowder (along with Mung Daal and Schnitzel) are just plain loveable.
In the famous, "I'm Not Your Boyfriend" episode, Panini (a girl character) gives Chowder some Flarts, which are like a heart-shaped cookie. He munches on them throughout the episode. I love this cartoon so much I decided to pay homage to it and make this cookies. After all, they are famous for romance...
This show is pretty quirky, and some of the food items have funny names. There's a dish called "froggy apple crumple thumpkin" as well as "old thyme cow pie". Then there's "grabbles" (a fruit), "slomatoes" (a vegetable), "grubble gum" (a candy) and so on. I really love this cartoon! It's such a nice change from all the other cartoons you see on tv nowadays.
FLARTS:
1 1/2 c. unbleached white flour
1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. nonhydrogenated vegan margarine
1/3 c. vanilla soymilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 small jar (10 oz.) organic raspberry preserves
1. Whisk together the white flour, wheat flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. In a large bowl, beat margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Gradually beat soymik, vanilla extract, and almond extract into the margarine mixture until combined. Beat in flour mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Pat the dough into a ball, cover it well with plastic wrap, and then place it in the refrigerator to chill for a least an hour. If you skip this step, the cookie down will be extremely hard to work with.
5. After removing the dough from the fridge, turn out onto parchment paper and roll out until the dough is about 1/8-1/4 in. thick. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, press hearts into dough, making them as close together as possible without overlapping. DON"T PULL APART. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and chill for 30 minutes. You can skip the re-chilling if the dough is still nice and firm and they seem to pull off the paper easily without ripping.
6. Preheat oven to 325. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and top with cut-out hearts. Bake for about 15 minutes and let cool on the pan (to crispen them up).
7. In a small saucepan over low heat, cook raspberry preserves until reduced to about 1 cup. It should take about 15 minutes or so. When cool, place about 2 tablespoons jam on one heart cookie and top with another to make a "jam sandwich".
There you have it! My vegan rendition of "flarts"!
This recipe makes a delicious sugar-type cookie. You can cut them out in shapes, or roll them into balls, bake them soft or bake them crispy. You can morph them into thumbprints or snickerdoodles, or roll them out and ice them like a traditional sugar cookie. Have fun!
UPDATE:
Sorry I don't have a picture of any "flarts", but I do have a recipe modification!
Jam Thumbprint Cookies:
To make jam thumbprints, prepare the recipe as above. Starting from Step 4:
After removing the chilled dough from the fridge, roll pieces of dough between your hands to get balls about an inch or so in diameter.
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and using your thumb, make a little indentation in the center of each ball.
Fill each ball with about 1/2 tsp. of preserves of choice (I usually use raspberry or blackberry), basically just enough to fill the well you made.
Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for two minutes, then let cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!
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