Hallowe'en Chocolate and or Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Cookies-- Vegan hallowe'en treats

Today I made cookies to give out at Hallowe'en. I don't feel good about supporting processed food manufacturers, so I like to manufacture my own processed food instead. These spelt and oatmeal cookies tread the line between junky and okay. If you made them with coconut sugar instead of brown sugar, they would be more virtuous still. I made them vegan especially because I live in an area with a large South Asian population, and many of my neighbours are vegetarians. However, if you are not vegan, you can just sub in eggs for the egg replacer. Finally, they have the option of being chocolate chocolate chip or just chocolate chip. We made both!!!  Important note: I will label the wrapped cookies with my address and ingredients, so that they don't immediate get thrown in the garbage .... I hope.

photo by zephyr (4 years old)

photo by zephyr

ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (melted)

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup water

2 tsp egg replacer + 1/2 cup of water mixed together (or 2 eggs beaten up)

1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange extract (optional)

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp ceylon cinnamon
1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

4 cups large flake oats

1/2 cup raw cacao (optional)

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 cups organic spelt flour

1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

directions:

1. put the oats  in a bowl and set aside 

2. combine butter and sugar in a second bowl

3. mix in the eggs or egg replacer to the butter and sugar

4. add the vanilla extract and vanilla

5. add the ceylon cinnamon and the sea salt, add the water

6. combine the oat mixture with the egg/butter/sugar/water mixture, and add the cacao if using

7. let the combined mixtures sit for  1 minute.

8. add the baking soda and stir

9. add the flour, and mix well

11. add the chocolate chips, and stir well.

12. drop by spoonful onto a lined baking sheet. Flatten and shape with a damp fork.

13. bake in a preheated oven at 345 for about 14 minutes

makes 5 dozen  cookies

viking granola

Our granola has continued to evolve. This one doesn't involve chopping the nuts which means it takes less time to make. However, it's eaten only by my husband, and he doesn't mind big nuts. Little mouths might prefer smaller pieces.

ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup hot water

1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp ground vanilla
1/2 tsp sea salt

2 cups shredded coconut
2 cups almonds
1 cup pecans
1 cup cashews
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds

1 cup oat flakes
1 cup spelt flakes
1 cup quinoa flakes


1 cup flax meal
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup hemp hearts
2 cups raisins


directions:

1. preheat the oven to 250
2. In a small bowl or large measuring cup combine the peanut butter, coconut oil, and maple syrup and heat gently to melt by adding 1/2 cup of hot water. Stir the vanilla, sea salt, and cinnamon into this mixture.
3. in a large bowl, combine the coconut, almonds, pecans, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, oat flakes, spelt flakes, and quinoa flakes. (Do not add the flax meal, chia seeds, hemp hearts, or raisins. Those will join after baking)
4. stir in the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, and water mixture and mix very very well.
5. spread the concoction onto 2 lined baking sheets, and bake at 250 for 2 hours. Leave in the oven to dry until cool.
6. when cool, pour into a bowl and add the raisins, chia seeds, hemp hearts, and raisins, and mix well.
7. store in an airtight container.