healthy

PUMPKIN SPICE TAHINI (MUMMY) BALLS / October 15, 2020 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

PUMPKIN SPICE TAHINI (MUMMY) BALLS | dolly and oatmeal

Bare with me. we’re getting a teeny bit crafty today, all in the name of Halloween. Truth be told, I kind of like kids crafts, I think it’s the former preschool teacher in me. But now that ames is 4, and super into all things Halloween, I wanted to surprise him with the little mummy monster balls.

These are a riff on my chocolate chip cookie dough balls from a while ago. And while they’re just as delicious, we made a few swaps to make these a bit more festive for fall. I love tahini with cozy, autumn spices; so pairing it with pumpkin pie spice seemed almost necessary here - it’s so good, guys! We add a few layers of dark and white chocolate, then mummy eyeballs for good measure! I wanted to make these a little more wholesome in anticipation of all the sugar bombs in the near future, so these balls are full of healthy fats, free of dairy, gluten, grains, and refined sugar (minus the candy eyeballs, of course!). We’re using almond flour for the base. From there, we use a mixture of tahini, coconut oil, and maple syrup for texture, sweetness, and binding purposes. A few dashes of pumpkin spice and a couple pinches of salt. A quick chocolate shell, and some white chocolate mummy drizzles, and we’re good to go.

They’re a super quick and fun little project that requires zero baking! I got you ;)

pumpkin spice tahini (mummy) balls | gf & v

print the recipe!

notes:

if you don’t like/have tahini swap it for another nut butter - almond or cashew butter for a more neutral flavor, peanut or hazelnut butter for more of a distinct flavor.
don’t like/want pumpkin spice ball, swap for a different spice, or leave it out all together.
not in the festive mood, drop the eyeballs and cover your balls in your preference of dark or white chocolate. maybe garnish them with some toasted pumpkin seeds and a pinch flaky salt?

| makes 10 balls |

ingredients

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

dark chocolate shell

1 bar (3.2 ounces) dairy-free dark chocolate (preferably 70% cacao)
1-2 teaspoons coconut oil

white chocolate shell

1/2 cup dairy-free white chocolate chips
1-2 teaspoons coconut oil
20 edible candy eyes

method

line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
in a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, pumpkin spice, and salt. using a rubber spatula, mix in the oil, maple syrup, tahini, and vanilla. fold together until a dough forms.
scoop roughly 1.5 tablespoons worth of cookie dough, roll the dough between your palms to form a smooth, uniform ball; place on your prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
freeze dough for at least 30 minutes.
while the dough balls are chilling in the freezer, make the dark chocolate and white chocolate shell. in a double boiler, melt the chocolate separately. remove from heat and stir in the coconut oil to thin it out a bit (if chocolate is too thick add more coconut oil 1/4 teaspoon at a time until it’s thick, but runs off the back of a spoon). let cool completely.
once the balls are solid, use two forks and gently dip the balls one at a time in the dark chocolate. place back on the parchment and repeat with remaining balls. freeze again for another 20-30 minutes, until chocolate is solid.
remove the balls, use a fork and drizzle the white chocolate over the the tops of the balls, making (rustic) horizontal lines. (you could also pour the melted white chocolate in a small ziploc bag, and snip the corner to make a piping bag.). plop 2 eyes on top, and gently press them down. go over the balls once again with the white chocolate drizzle, making the lines more visible.
pop the balls back in the freezer for another hour to freeze through. remove and store the mummy balls in an airtight container in the fridge. balls can stay for up to 1 week.

PESTO CASHEW CREAM SAUCE | V / July 5, 2020 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

PESTO CASHEW CREAM SAUCE | dolly and oatmeal

today’s prep sauce is a good one. a bit indulgent, insanely tasty, and like all our prep sauce sunday sauces, it’s easily used for multiple meals. it’s what i like to call a do-it-all sauce. this creamy pesto is put together by essentially making 2 separate sauces, and combining them to make one phenomenal sauce. we start by blending a simple savory cashew cream - raw cashews, water, vinegar, garlic, salt & pepper. it’s luscious and creamy, and lends the perfect velvety texture to this pesto. next, we blend up our pesto. you can use whatever combination of greens and herbs you like, but i went with a basil/arugula combo just because i love these 2 flavors together. then we add the usual suspects: toasted pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, s & p , and evoo. then, then best part, we stir in a good bit of cashew cream. we generally eat in pasta, but you could drizzle it over grilled poultry, fish, or vegetable kebabs. it could definitely be used for dipping - cut up veg, or even grilled (or toasted) bread would be a dream. and this creamy pesto could easily be thinned out a bit and used as dressing for salads, roasted vegetables, a leaf-less salad like this one, or even used for potato salad.

and before i sign off, i wanted to link to a recipe on my instagram feed that you won’t find here on the blog. it’s for yet another indulgent recipe for chocolate chip peanut butter blondies. they are chewy and dense, just like a good blondie is. plus, there’s peanut butter and chocolate - can’t really go wrong with either one!

lastly, i wanted to share the Always Pan, by Our Place. full disclosure, it was gifted to me. but it’s an 8-in-one ceramic skillet that i absolutely love cooking with. if you’re on the market for a new fry pan/steamer/saucier head over to my post here for a code for $10 off.

sunday hugs ❤️

pesto cashew cream sauce | v

| makes 1 heaping cup |

print the recipe!

notes: the cashew cream makes plenty extra for other uses. some of my favorite include: use leftover cashew sauce as sour cream, blend it with 1/2 chipotle pepper to make vegan chipotle crema, add it to tomato sauce to make an even more delicious creamy tomato sauce, add it to dressings for a creamier consistency, add to soups, or blend in some herbs and make a dip!

method

in a container of a food processor fitted with a metal “s” blade, add the basil, arugula, pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, a few pinches salt, and a few grinds of pepper. with the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor and blend. taste and adjust, adding more salt, or lemon juice if need be.
transfer the pesto to a mixing bowl. stir in 3 tablespoons of cashew cream until fully combined. add another tablespoon if you want it creamier. use right away, or store in a tightly fitted jar in your refrigerator for up to 1 week.

make cashew cream

place the cashews in the container of high-speed upright blender. add the water, vinegar, garlic, salt, and a few cracks of pepper. blend everything on high for a couple of minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container, as needed. blend until the cashew sauce is silky smooth. store in a lidded container for up to 1 week.

ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 cup baby arugula
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
salt & cracked pepper, to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons - 1/4 cup cashew cream (recipe below)

cashew cream (makes extra)

1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight (or at least 4 hours), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup filtered water
2 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
cracked pepper, to taste

CRISP & CHEWY FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE W/ A VEGAN OPTION)) / July 2, 2020 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

CRISP & CHEWY FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE W/ VEGAN OPTION) | dolly and oatmeal

if you asked frank how many chocolate chip cookie (CCC) recipes i’ve tested in the past few years, and how many of them that i was happy with, he would probably answer you: zero! so there’s a reason i lean on a CCC recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks (sweet laurel bakery) each and every time we have a craving for them. the recipe has a few simple ingredients, it’s easy to make with amesy, and they’re on the healthier end of the cookie spectrum. while i love all these things about them, they still miss the mark (IMHO) of a typical CCC with that crisp exterior, and that melty, gooey center.

that’s where these CCCs come in. they’re still made with simple, gluten-and-dairy-free ingredients, but they have the taste and texture of my dream CCC! crisp, crackly on the outside, with chewy and soft centers. i wanted to keep the ingredient list on the simpler/traditional side, so maybe for the first recipe ever i’m only calling for 1 type of flour (!!!). from there, we use just general pantry staples: baking powder, baking soda, some salt, coconut sugar, coconut oil, and 1 egg (peep the recipe notes below for a vegan option). it’s a super straight forward recipe - no special ingredients, no soaking, no grinding your own flour, we’re just trying to keep everything easy-peasy here.

wishing everyone a safe and healthy start to summer 💛

crisp & chewy flourless chocolate chip cookies | gf & DF (w/ a vegan option!)

notes:

vegan option: swap the egg for a flaxseed egg: 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed+ 3 tablespoons water. whisk together and let the mixture sit for roughly 10 minutes, until it forms a gel-like consistency. use as directed in the recipe method. these came out delicious as well. however, the texture of the cookie is a bit softer and chewier than when using an egg.
can i use vegan butter instead of coconut oil? i tested these with equal amounts of miyoko’s vegan butter and to my surprise, i didn’t love them. the coconut oil gives these cookies that crisp exterior, while the vegan butter made the entire cookie soft. they still tasted delicious, but i personally prefer coconut oil.
as for dairy-free/vegan chocolate chips, my preference is lily’s brand, and in a close second is hu chocolate gems.
these are best eaten on the day of, as the CCCs sit they will get a bit softer.

PRINT THE RECIPE

| makes roughly 18 cookies |

dry ingredients

2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
flaky sea salt, for topping

wet ingredients

1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup melted (and cooled) unrefined coconut oil
1 large pasture-raised egg, at room temperature (or 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed plus 3 tablespoons water)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips or chunks, plus a few more for topping (i use these)

method

prepare 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. set aside.
in another large bowl, whisk together the sugar and coconut oil until combined. add the egg (or flaxseed egg) and vanilla and whisk until combined once again.
add 1/2 the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, use a rubber spatula and mix until combined. add the other half of the flour and mix once again until everything is completely combined. fold in the chocolate chips or chunks.
use a medium cookie scoop (roughly 1.5 tablespoons) to scoop your cookie dough out onto your cookie sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie. refrigerate for 20 minutes, until firm to the touch.
while the cookies are chilling, preheat your oven to 350°F.
one tray at a time, bake cookies in the center of your oven for 12-15 minutes, until edges are lightly browned and golden. sprinkle with flaky salt and let cookies cool on a rack for about 20 minutes before eating. these are best warm on the first day, but can be stored at room temperature covered with parchment for up to 3-4 days (if your house is hot, store in the fridge and warm in the oven if need be).