Kiran's Kind Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am excited, because my dear friend in California, Kiran, is guest hosting this blog entry.  Please check out her blog at Wish.  Please enjoy her contribution to Chunky Chef, in her words:

One of my favorite things to do with my kids is cook.  It is one area where I have enough confidence in the outcome that I can just let them have fun with it.  It is almost always a relaxed and fun activity for all of us.  Even the 1 year old is starting to get in on the action with an occasional stir or dump of ingredients.  Last week we had several days of rain and cookie baking is the perfect rainy day activity.  My two boys seem to have very different palates.  One loves chocolate more than any other food (he takes after his grandmother for sure).  The other has declared that he hates chocolate and only likes vanilla desserts.  So it is always a big debate when we are going to make a dessert...what kind shall we make?  who will we please?  Since the weather was so gross and we had nowhere to be I decided on this day that we'd make chocolate chip cookies AND snickerdoodles.  Since I have recently made a switch to a vegan lifestyle the cookies had to be vegan.  I consulted several cookbooks and recipes and came up with adaptations/combinations of recipes I found in Vegan Lunch Box and Babycakes, based on what ingredients I had in the house.  Some vegan dessert recipes have weird ingredients.  Using applesauce to replace some of the margarine makes a moist and cakey cookie which my 4 year old thought would make excellent ice cream sandwiches.  If only the cookies had lasted long enough to try it.

For the snickerdoodles we used this recipe (http://veganyumyum.com/index.php?s=snickerdoodles&searchbutton=Go%21) from Vegan Yum Yum.  Yum Yum indeed!

 

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 C whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 t baking soda

1/4 sea salt

1/2 stick earth balance butter flavored margarine, softened

1/2 C applesauce

3/4 C maple sugar or sucanat or brown sugar

3/4 C white sugar

3/4 C silken tofu, drained

1 1/2 t vanilla

1 package of vegan chocolate chips (because we like lots of chocolate)

In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking soda and salt

In a large bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer) beat margarine, applesauce, sugars, tofu and vanille until light and fluffy.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Add chocolate chips.

Place large spoonfuls of cookie dough on baking sheets  3 inches apart.  Bake until dark golden brown around edges, about 15 minutes.  Let sit on baking sheets for a minute or so then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. 

I Love Chocolate and This Chocolate is Love

 
A couple of weeks ago, I emailed my favorite chocolate company, Endangered Species Chocolate, and asked to try some organic bars.  I received my samples yesterday with much excitement.  They were very, very well packed (including an ice pack).  I have only one small suggestion- less packaging for shipping please!  That huge box contained 3 chocolate bars. Do you know about Endangered Species Chocolate?  Besides making superb, delicious chocolate, there are so many things to love about this brand:

1. The chocolate is fair trade, thus promoting healthy working conditions for cocoa farmers in other countries.
2. 10% of their profits are donated to wildlife preservation, habitat conservation and humanity.
3. Their products are packaged with recycled, recyclable soy-printed labels.
4. They sell organic, vegan, gluten free, kosher chocolate and more!
5. Their products are made in the USA in a green facility.
6. Their mission is to make the planet better for all creatures who live here.

I discovered Endangered Species Chocolate about 4 years ago when I learned about fair trade, especially fair trade chocolate.  Since then, I have been a little bit addicted.  I pick up at least one bar every time I grocery shop!  Since their chocolate is so rich, a bar lasts longer than junk chocolate- it's worth savoring!  I have two favorite bars:  Dark Chocolate with Hazelnut Toffee and Milk Chocolate with Cherries.

Thank you Tina for the samples.  I sampled Organic Dark Chocolate with Cherry, Organic Dark Chocolate with Orange and Organic Dark Chocolate.  They were all so rich and dreamy, the chocolate almost melts in your mouth immediately!  The flavor is strong, tangy, but comforting with no hint of waxiness.  The fruit flavoring is subtle, but very complimentary.

Once again, Endangered Species Chocolate, thank you for making your wonderful products conscientiously and sending me samples.  Peace and happy chocolate eating!  L

Oh My Gosh- I Am In Love With These Chocolate Cookies

I confess- I am a complete addict to these chewy chocolate cookies.  There is no comparison.  I found this recipe in the NY Magazine website.  I made two small modifications:  I substituted pecans and I reduced the vanilla.  They are so good that we made a batch yesterday, ate them all and made another batch today.  Yum!

Here's my version.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Trust me, this step is necessary or you'll lose half your cookies on the baking sheets.

Mix together:

3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt

Once mixed, drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheets.  Bake 14 minutes.  Cookies will be shiny on the outside and chewy on the inside.  Enjoy!!

Pure Indulgence: My Favorite Cake Ever

There's nothing healthy about this post, except the smile on my face after eating cake!  This is my staple cake recipe and it has never failed me.  White cake recipe is from The Joy of Cooking.  Chocolate silk frosting recipe is from Betty Crocker's Chocolate Cookbook.  Strawberry jam was homemade by Mom.  Enjoy!

White Cake

Preheat oven to 375F

Mix together:

3 1/2 cups white flour
4 teaspoons double acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 egg whites

Beat until well combined and light.  Turn into greased two 8 or 9 inch round pans.  Bake for approximately 25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean and outside is golden.

Let cake cool and turn out of pans onto baking racks.  Cool until room temperature.

Spread strawberry (or raspberry) jam onto one cake and top with second cake layer.

Chocolate Silk Frosting

Mix:

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cups buter
6 to 9 tablespoons cocoa powder (to your desired chocolate taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 3 tablespoons milk (to achieve spreadable consistency)

Frost cake.  ENJOY!!!!

Garlic Chocolate

So, about 9 years ago I discovered the most delicious gourmet confection: garlic chocolate.  Garlic Ken, previously known by me as "that crazy garlic guy," is a true garlic romantic.  He has a garlic farm on Gabriola Island, BC and loves to make garlic delicacies:  pickled garlic, garlic chutney, cured garlic, minced garlic and soy and sherry marinated garlic.  And of course, his most famous and exotic creation is the garlic chocolate.  The first time I tried it, I put a little piece in my mouth to be nice.  Wow!  The hidden secret about Ken is that he is a superb chocolate maker:  no wax, no artificial fillers, all organic ingredients and high quality dark belgian chocolate.  Now I have to refrain from gobbling up a whole bar in less than a minute.

If you'd like to try Ken's Original Gabriola Bar, contact him at:

Ken Stefanson
1925 Horseshoe Road
Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X3

gabriolagourmetgarlic@shaw.ca
1-866-GARLIC4U (toll-free)

If you want to know more about Ken, check out this article: Improving The Taste of Chocolate.

7 Healthy Reasons To Enjoy Chocolate--Without the Guilt!

This article puts my chocolate passion into perspective. Check out the article below.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-patricia-fitzgerald/7-healthy-reasons-to-enjo_b_257159.html

"Special" Chocolate Brownies

I have a complete love of chocolate. In fact, my day is not complete without some nibble of the cocoa goodness. Here is my almost guilt-free recipe for dark chocolate brownies. I use them as my daily fix. Adapted from The Sneaky Chef.

Preheat oven to 350

Mix:

2 egg whites
2 tablespoons walnut oil
6 tablespoons agave nectar (honey, maple syrup or brown rice syrup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 tablespoons flax seed
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

Flatten into greased 9x9 pan. Bake 12 to 14 minutes.