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.

similar recipes:

mujadra tacos w/ leeks, spring herbs & pea tendrils

black beluga lentil hummus w/ roasted fennel & garlic

za'atar spiced chickpea crackers w/ maldon sea salt

A Latke Party! / December 6, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

this post was created in partnership with bed bath & beyond.

i think we're all murmuring with slight anxiety/disbelief: it's december already, and feeling those go, go, go holiday vibrations. there's a very present buzz in the air this time of year, and i find myself taking those few extra deep breaths in a given moment to try to let it all go. i'm not a huge holiday shopper, the crowds and hubbub and music and lights can be overwhelming. so, when i do venture out, i have to make a concerted effort not to be overstimulated by everything that's surrounding me. and that means finding effective and efficient ways of going about shopping and preparing for holiday get togethers. like this latke party!

lists are my favorite way of getting organized. i usually start out with ideas on my notes app on my phone. from there, there's likely another rough draft, but written on paper. if i have the time, i'll go over my list again, and write a final copy. that might sound like a lot of time spent on lists, but it's done over a few days when i can squeak in a minute or 2 to jot an idea down. another thing that helps me streamline is going to one store for everything. and since the holidays are gearing up, i needed to add some dinnerware pieces to our very minimal assortment of all things entertaining.

but if you had told me i could find everything i needed for this latke party at one store (that i would have actually liked), i would have laughed at you. turns out that was totally a possibility. bed bath & beyond has a huge selection of items to choose from, but i found so many things that were totally my style and complimented other pieces i already had in my possession. i already owned some of their pieces from the Artisanal Kitchen Supply collection and love them. so, i decided to go with more of the same dinner and salad plates. because it was an easy-breezy latke party, i wanted the table to be minimal, but still really inviting, and candles usually set that tone without having to think much about a centerpiece. i went with these (baby-safe) electric wax candles that i never thought i would love, but totally do! and because much of the food was going to be brown (potatoes, on potatoes, on potatoes), i used light and airy colors to keep things glowing - whites, light grey, muted green, and these blushy pink napkins. everything came together so much more beautifully than i could have imagined. one stop shopping, truly at its finest :)

these latkes are a bit lacey and delicate, and super crunchy and craggy. they're my great-grandmother, nana helen's recipe that has taken on minor iterations throughout the years, but the core ingredients always stay the same. russet potatoes, onion, enough baking powder and cream of tartar to cover the tip of a butter knife (as per my great nana helen), some salt, and an egg. easy-peasy. a lot of times you'll find horseradish or herbed sour cream to serve with latkes, but i love how those light flavors pair right alongside the potatoes, so i added them to the mix and served them with traditional applesauce, and a (dairy-free) garlicky yogurt sauce, so good 👌🏼 so whether you're making your traditional latkes, my nana helen's latkes, or something else entirely, enjoy the sweet moments with the ones you love.

big huge hanukkah hugs! xo

horseradish, shallot & herb latkes | gf

if you don't like horseradish/or just want a more simple latke, omit the horseradish all together. i call for avocado oil and ghee for cooking the latkes, both have high smoke points so they're great for frying.

| serves 4-6 |

3 russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried
4 large shallots
1 large pasture raised egg, whisked
3-4 tablespoons jarred horseradish, drained
3 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill, plus more to serve
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
pinch cream of tartar
avocado oil
ghee (optional)

to serve alongside:

unsweetened applesauce
garlicky yogurt sauce (i doubled the recipe)

latke pie

i used this recipe, swapping q potato out for 3 small (or 1 large) parsnip

method

using the course section of a box grater, carefully grate the potato and shallot. using a dishtowel (or cheesecloth) squeeze as much liquid as possible from the potato mixture. place the potato shreds in a large mixing bowl and mix in the egg. then add 3-4 tablespoons horseradish (depending on your preference), herbs, salt, baking powder, and cream of tartar and stir until combined.
heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. while it's heating, line a large plate or baking sheet with paper towels, rip a few extra paper towels and set aside to drain the oil from the latkes as you cook.
add 1/4-inch of oil to the hot skillet, add a little knob of ghee if desired (the ghee adds a bit of buttery flavor). once the oil is hot, use a spoon to drop heaping tablespoons of latke mix into the hot skillet, use the spoon to spread the mixture a bit. cook 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crisp. transfer to paper towels to drain, and repeat with the remaining mixture.
eat right away or keep warm in the oven. serve with more chopped dill (optional), and sour cream and/or applesauce.