Cookie Problems: Coconut Sugar Milk Chocolate Cookies

Welcome to another episode of COOKIE PROBLEMS! I have a cookie problem and it grows and grows. Thankfully I've been ripping it at the gym across the street from my house lately so I've been whittling away at the old post-partum baby weight. No biggie though!!! Eating delicious cookies is much more important, right? :)

I was sent some very peculiar-sounding but not really peculiar at all sugar a few months back - organic coconut sugar! I wasn't sure if it would be super coconutty tasting, but as I opened the package this beautiful caramel aroma wafted out, and it smelled almost like ginger snaps. I couldn't wait to try it. You use it cup for cup to replace regular sugar - so there's no muss and no fuss!

But you want to know how it tasted, right? 

I whipped up some milk chocolate chip and Skor bits spelt flour cookies to try out the coconut sugar... and WOH!!! The cookies were frigging delicious. I didn't notice any coconut flavour at all, simply a rich molasses-y flavour, similar to brown sugar. I think I'll definitely try baking with coconut sugar again, but it's definitely on the more expensive side, so if you're on a budget, you can try it occasionally. 

MILK CHOCOLATE + SKOR BITS SPELT FLOUR COOKIES

Makes 2 dozen cookies. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients: 

1 cup of unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup of organic coconut sugar (I used Organika brand)
1 egg (I used an organic brown egg if you were wondering... :)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup of milk chocolate chips
1 cup of Skor bits (or toffee baking bits)

Make it! 

1. Using a stand mixer or beaters, cream the butter and sugar on high.
2. With the mixer on low, scrape down the bowl with a spatula and add the egg and vanilla extract.
3. Stir to combine the spelt flour, baking powder and sea salt.
4. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined and dough begins to form.
5. Throw in the chocolate chips and Skor bits and mix to combine.
6. Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out 1 1/2 inch balls of dough onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 12 minutes, turning pans halfway.
8. Set to cool on wire racks. Try to resist diving in face first into these delicious cookies!!!

Happy baking (and COOKIE CHOMPING everyone!)

Thanks to Organika for sending me some of their "sweet" organic coconut sugar to try out!

A Lovely Fall Cassoulet!

I went to a beautiful casserole party the other night for a sweet friend's birthday. Everyone brought warm dishes of casserole delights, delicious ingredients nestled in earthenware or glass pans. It was the perfect party to get Fall rolling along. I had a few ideas but ran out of time for my initial idea (a cold layered sushi casserole!), so I went with a lovely vegetarian dish: a white bean and leek cassoulet with oven dried cherry tomatoes, topped with olive oil-rich crunchy roasted garlic croutons. To serve, place white bean mixture into your prettiest dish, and top generously with croutons. Don't put the croutons on too early as you don't want them to get soggy. Top with a sprig of beautiful rosemary if you are feeling jaunty! This can easily be a delicious, elegant and filling vegan dish as well - simply omit the butter when making the mire poix (carrots and leeks).


WHITE BEAN & LEEK CASSOULET with OVEN DRIED TOMATOES

Ingredients:

3 cans of white cannelini beans
3 large carrots, diced into cubes
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced thinly in rounds
A pint of cherry or grape tomatoes
Fresh parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
Vegetable broth (I used Whole Foods organic brand, in the Tetra-pak)
A few tablespoons of unsalted butter
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
A bulb of garlic
A crusty baguette

1. Oven-dry 2 cups of halved cherry or grape tomatoes on parchment paper on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Set aside.

2. Next, in oven, roast 1 bulb of garlic with extra virgin olive oil in tin foil, for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees (or until garlic is soft). Remove from oven, remove garlic from skin and chop finely, setting it aside.

3. While you're roasting stuff in the oven: Combine the sliced leeks, cubed carrots, 1 tablespoon of butter and a few glugs of extra virgin olive oil in a cast iron pot. Cook leeks and carrots on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add 1/4 cup- 1/2 cup vegetable broth to deglaze pan.

4. Add your three cans of white cannelini beans. Simmer on low for 20 minutes, allowing beans to heat. Add half of the roasted garlic to the mixture. Use potato masher to partially mash beans into broth and mixture. Season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

5. Tear apart a crusty French baguette into crouton-sized pieces. Toss with 2 tablespoons or a few glugs of extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, the rest of the roasted garlic and some chopped fresh parsley. Bake in oven until crispy, 15-20 minutes on 325 degrees.

6. To assemble: fold in oven dried tomatoes (reserving a few for decoration), to bean and leek mixture. Top with garlic and parsley croutons. Place a few dried tomatoes amongst the croutons, and sprinkle with some more fresh, finely chopped parsley. Decorate with two sprigs of fresh rosemary, and serve!