(INSIDE OUT) CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIE BARS / December 6, 2018 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

(INSIDE OUT) CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIE BARS | dolly and oatmeal

december is undoubtably the season for cookies! so today we’re making these cookie bars. chocolate chip cookies in bar form. that's essentially what these are, but with 2 distinct differences: there's a good bit of almond butter in the batter, which gives them a fudgy quality. and we did an inside out kind of vibe when it comes to the chocolate chips. the chocolate completely melts that way, and creates these perfect little chocolate puddles which are so satisfying. these are actually my favorite cookies to make for the holidays. not because they’re overly holiday - no candy canes, gingerbread, peppermint here. but because they’re quite possibly the easiest to put together. most chocolate chip cookies require chill time in the fridge, but because these aren’t actual cookies (at least in shape) they go right into the oven, and bake in just about 20 minutes. and if i haven’t sold you completely yet, they’re super portable. bake them in the morning, then cover them with some parchment and foil, and bring them to your holiday get together, office potluck, etc, etc!

happy cookie season, friends!

(inside out) chocolate chunk cookie bars | gf & df

print the recipe!

| makes 20 cookie bars |

1 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
1 1/4 cups fine brown rice flour
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted but cooled
1/3 cup unsalted almond butter
2 large eggs (preferably pasture-raised)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces dark chocolate, 55%-65% cacao, chopped into rough chunks

method

preheat oven to 350°F.
spread the chopped almonds onto a baking sheet and toast until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5-6 minutes. let cool completely.
oil and line a 9x13-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough parchment to overhang on opposite sides.
in a large bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. in another large bowl, whisk together the sugar, coconut oil, almond butter, eggs, and vanilla. a little at a time, add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix with a rubber spatula until everything is combined. (the batter will be quite thick - basically an arm workout!) add the toasted almonds and mix once again, until evenly distributed.
dump the batter into the pan, using the spatula to evenly spread it into the corners and sides of the pan.
bake in the center of the oven for 12-14 minutes, until the sides are just golden, and the center is puffy. remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chunks over top. place back in the oven a bake for another 5-7 minutes, until the chocolate has melted into little puddles.
remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool. let cool completely, then use the parchment overhangs to carefully lift the cookie brick from the pan. sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and slice into 20 bars. cookie bars can be stored in a lidded container at room temperature for 3 days.

more holiday cookie recipes:

Maple, Pecan Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF & V) / December 21, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Maple Pecan Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF & V) | dolly and oatmeal

does the world really need another chocolate chip cookie? my answer is a very swift, and affirmative, YES! yes, it does.

if you're a fan of having chopped nuts in your chocolate chip cookie, then i'm pretty sure you'll love these cookies with a resounding amount of pecan flavor in each and every bite. i generally use a homemade pecan butter in these cookies; it's cheaper than store bought, and it's super easy and fast to make. unlike homemade almond butter, pecan butter takes about 5 minutes from start to finish to break down into the creamiest nut butter. from there, there's a bit of oat flour, almond flour, some coconut oil, and chocolate chopped into jagged chunks. they're maple syrup sweetened which is what really brings the flavor of these cookies together. that distinct maple-y, slightly caramelized flavor mixed with the pecan nuttiness, combined with the chocolate chunks takes these to another level. a level somewhere between an everyday cookie, and a fun festive chocolate chip cookie. the texture is quite structured. the day of they're crunchy on the outside and a bit softer on the inside. personally, i'm a fan of baked-the-day-of-cookies, when the chocolate hasn't totally cooled yet and is still warm with little chocolate puddles.

i hope you love them as much as my family does!

wishing you all the brightest of holidays, filled with nothing but cozy times ❤️. xo's!

maple pecan butter chocolate chip cookies | gluten free & vegan

if you're using store-bought pecan butter, look for a brand that's unsweetened and unsalted. if you're in a pinch you could also use another nut butter, although i'm partial to pecan butter in this recipe

| makes 21 cookies |

1 cup pecan butter*
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup melted extra virgin coconut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup gluten free oat flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teasoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
5 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
flaky sea salt, for topping

*to make the pecan butter, add 2 heaping cups of raw pecans into your food processor fitted with a metal "s" blade and process until creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the container, about 5 minutes. store in an air tight jar and store it in the fridge.

method

over a large bowl, sift together the flours, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. in another large bowl, whisk together the pecan butter, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla. add the dry ingredients a little at a time until everything is combined. then fold in the chocolate chunks. cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or at least 2 hours.
preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
using a medium cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons worth), scoop cookie dough onto your prepared cookie sheets. bake in the center of your oven for 15-18 minutes, checking for doneness at 15 minutes, until the edges are just golden brown.
cool the cookies on a rack, then serve.

more holiday recipes:

chocolate tahini cake w/ tahini frosting

A Winter Mezze / December 13, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

i don't know about you, but the holidays, and more specifically christmas, has always meant a good amount holiday hors d'oeuvres. my family's christmas eve tradition was to basically snack on a whole spread of cheeses, fruit, bread, crackers, nuts, etc. throughout the night. it was my favorite! it was a special night where we gather around the coffee table in our living room that my mom would set up with all the snack-y items along with special little hors d'oeuvres forks, fancy paper napkins, and sparkling apple cider in our nice glassware. my dad would make a fire, and we would sit and snack and chat and have the best time.

our christmas eve tradition was something that always stuck with me, not the gifts, or which year's christmas tree was the best. the moments i spent with my family, in that living room, munching on finger food was. i yearn for traditions like that to continue with amesy. we're still in the everyday hustle of having a little one running around that it's difficult to see how or where those traditions will be molded and made, but i have great hopes that they will naturally take place.

this year i wanted to keep that snack-like tradition going, but make a change to be more friendly to how we generally eat nowadays. so i made a cozy, winter mezze. there's a take on a dish that was my favorite from a restaurant in brooklyn called, tanoreen. it was a fried cauliflower dish with tahini sauce and pomegranate molasses that i would scarf alongside a big helping of mujadra. the spiced cauliflower i made here is my iteration of it. we season it with 7 warm spices, then roast on a high heat so it gets a bit of carmalization on its edges. from there it's served warm with a creamy tahini sauce, and a few drizzles of the punchy pomegranate molasses. there's also a beet techina (tahini dip) that's perfectly smooth and creamy, and seasoned with a bit of cumin, a good amount of lemon juice, some earthiness from the beet, and little flecks of crunch from the poppy seeds. it's all served with falafel, warm flatbread, hummus, fresh cut veg, some briny olives, and some sweet fruit.

i'm so grateful to simply organic for their, cook for a change initiative that's highlighting ways we can change the way we're cooking, connecting with others through food, transforming classic dishes into ones that fit your lifestyle, or trying different cooking techniques. and you can get involved for such a wonderful cause. simply organic and the Ceres Community Meals Healing Project are teaming up to deliver organic meals to critically ill people during this holiday season. if you would like to participate: take a photo of how your cooking change tagging it with, #cookforachange. tag a friend and challenge them to #cookforachange as well. 1 tag + 1 hashtag = 1 meal delivered. i love the idea that no matter what you're cooking, or how you're cooking it, that you can relate and connect through the nourishment of food. whether that's in the physical act of eating it, or sharing moments with those you love.

wishing you all cozy times ❤️ xo

this post was created in partnership with simply organic. all thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own. thank you for supporting the sponsors that help keep dolly and oatmeal going!

beet techina (tahini dip) | v

| serves 4-6 |

1 small red beet, root and top trimmed
1 cup tahini
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon Simply Organic ground cumin
filtered water
fine salt & fresh pepper
2 teaspoons Simply Organic poppy seeds
fresh dill, to garnish

7-spice roasted cauliflower

| serves 4-6 |

1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons 7-spice mix (ingredients below)
kosher salt
tahini sauce (recipe below)
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
pomegranate molasses, for serving
chopped parsley, to garnish

7-spice mix:

1 teaspoon Simply Organic allspice
1/2 teaspoon Simply Organic ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Simply Organic ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon Simply Organic ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon Simply Organic ground cardamo m
1/8 teaspoon Simply Organic ground ginger

tahini sauce:

1/4 cup tahini
1 small clove garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
fine salt & fresh pepper
filtered water

method

preheat oven to 400°F. prick the beet all over with a fork, drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil. bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour, until fork tender. let cool completely.
beet techina. add the cooled beet, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and 1/2 cup water to a high-speed blender or food processor. blend until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides, and adding more water for desired consistency. season with salt and pepper. scrape the dip into a lidded container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use (dip can be made a couple of days in advance).
spiced cauliflower. preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. add the cauliflower florets to a large bowl and drizzle well with olive oil. mix in the spice mix, and season with salt. spread the cauliflower out onto the baking sheet. cook for 30 minutes, tossing the cauliflower halfway through, until edges are golden.
while the cauliflower is cooking, make the tahini sauce. whisk together the tahini, garlic, and lemon juice, add water a couple tablespoons at a time until the sauce is runny. season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
place warm cauliflower in a serving bowl, drizzle with tahini sauce. top with pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, pomegranate molasses, and chopped parsley. serve warm.