walnuts

OLIVE OIL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (GLUTEN-AND-DAIRY-FREE) /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Happy April! I should probably be talking about buds sprouting, and green grass shooting through the earth. Maybe the fragrance of a springtime rain shower? But here we are, talking about cookies :)

These are by far my favorite chocolate chip cookies. Bold statement much? They’re dense and chewy, with crisp exteriors. There are puddles of dark chocolate, buttery pecans, and flecks of salt for that perfect bite time and again. They’re a throwback to a better version of these cookies they used to serve in middle school - slightly underdone, a little gooey, but so very satisfying. I’ve been a fan of olive oil chocolate chip cookies for a while now. I originally developed a recipe in my book years ago, and I’ve always come back to their simple complexity. The olive oil adds a subtle grassy fruitiness, that’s creates a wonderful balance with the sugar-laden chocolate chip cookies. Plus, everything is right in the world when chocolate and olive oil have the opportunity to work together.

We keep these cookies on the smaller side, about a 3-inch diameter, so that you can eat a whole cookie without feeling like it’s too much. No shade to super large cookies, but I personally prefer eating a smaller portion. Here’s a few other notes on these cookies in case you might have any questions:

  • Olive oil. I nudge you to use a good quality extra virgin olive oil here. It’s going to give you those big flavor notes you’re looking for. A few of my favorites: Birghtland (expensive for the 1/2 cup the recipe calls for, but worth it if you can swing it), and my everyday go-to, California Olive Ranch (best budget-friendly EVOO in my opinion).

  • Chocolate. I call for chocolate chunks. I generally buy bars, and chop them coarsely. You can use chocolate chips, but the cookies won’t have those mouthwatering chocolate puddles, and they will also spread more. You can also use chocolate wafers. A couple favorite dairy-free chocolate brands include: Chocolove’s 65% dark chocolate bars, and Guittard dark chocolate wafers.

  • I use a cookie scoop here, which isn’t a deal breaker, but it makes it a lot easier to evenly portion the cookies. If you don’t own one, and make cookies often, I suggest purchasing one. This is the one I have.

  • Superfine brown rice flour. This is a frequent ingredient in many of my recipes. I find that the superfine flour produces baked goods that are less grainy. But if all you have is regular brown rice flour, that will work as well, but it will effect the texture of the cookies.

I hope I’ve sold you on the magic of olive oil in chocolate chip cookies, and that you get the chance to make these!

olive oil chocolate chip cookies

| makes 18 cookies |

print the recipe

ingredients

  • 3/4 cup superfine brown rice flour

  • 1/2 cup sorghum flour

  • 1/4 cup arrowroot powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 6 ounces dark chocolate chunks (preferably 60-70% cacao)

  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts

  • Fleur de sel or Maldon salt, for sprinkling

method

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and sugar. Whisk in the egg, and vanilla. A little at a time, mix the dry ingredients into the wet using a rubber spatula until the flour mixture is completely combined. Fold in the chocolate and nuts. You’re going to use a bit of elbow grease, but just keep going until the chocolate and nuts are evenly distributed.

  3. Using a medium scoop (approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons), portion cookie dough out onto your prepared cookie sheets, spacing about 2-inches between each cookie.

  4. Pop one tray in the fridge and bake the other for 10-11 minutes, until edges are golden and set. Cool cookies on a rack, and repeat with the other tray of cookie dough.

  5. Once cookies have cooled a bit, sprinkle with fleur de sel or Maldon salt. Eat cookies warm (if possible). Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

CHUNKY MONKEY BANANA BREAD MUFFINS (GLUTEN-AND-DAIRY-FREE) /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

comfort in the form of food. i think it’s a place where we’ve collectively found relief in these times (if we’re fortunate enough). the past few weeks i’ve been craving everything from eggs, to meaty pasta dishes, buttered toast, and very specific baked goods. i think the psychological toll of a pandemic has us reaching to foods that soothe us/make us happy. no wonder then, the internet is aflame with homemade sourdough, pasta & carbs aplenty, banana bread, focaccia, etc., etc., etccccc. yes, many have more time on their hands to cook and pick up a new hobby, be that cooking or baking. but many of us, have way less time if there are children running or crawling around the house. i am grateful to be able to spend this time with my family, so many with essential jobs don’t have the opportunity to do that. but i would be remiss if i didn’t mention that i’m exhausted. both frank and i can easily feel overwhelmed at any given moment. despite that, we’re trying to make the most of our days - art projects, little morning walks, lots of music and dancing, and baking - lots of baking!

but let’s talk muffins, because we all deserve one (or 10). i took a bit of liberty with the recipe title. if you’re familiar with the ben & jerry’s ice cream flavor, chunky monkey, then you already know there’s banana and lots of chocolate chunks and walnut pieces. not much has changed here, except that instead of ice cream, it’s chunky monkey in muffin format. which naturally means you can eat one any time of day.

we use a couple brown, spotty bananas - the kind that sit on the counter that no one wants to touch (they should be that ripe). from there we use a few different flours to get a super puffy/fluffy gluten-free muffin with a good texture to boot. i call for 1 cup + of chocolate chunks because you will want and need more to top these muffins. while a couple ingredients are non-negotiable, many of them can be swapped for what you have on-hand - so ask away in the comment section if you don’t have some of the ingredients, and i can do my best to guide you, because you’re going to want to make these asap 😉

all my love and wishes for good health ❤️

chunky monkey banana bread muffins | gluten-and-dairy-free

notes:

while i love the combination of flours here to achieve a really good muffin, some can be substituted if you don’t have them all on-hand. please ask in the comment section and i will do my best to guide you :)

print the recipe

| makes 12 large muffins |

  • 1 cup fine brown rice flour

  • 1/2 cup almond flour

  • 1/4 cup arrowroot flour

  • 1/4 cup oat flour

  • 2/3 cup coconut sugar

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

  • 1 cup banana (roughly 2 large bananas), smooshed with a fork

  • 1/2 cup melted coconut oil

  • 2 large pasture raised eggs, at room temp

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 cup chocolate, plus more for topping

  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, plus more for topping

method

  1. preheat oven to 350°F, and line a muffin tin with 12 liners.

  2. in a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. in another large bowl, whisk together the smooshed banana, oil, eggs, and vanilla. mix the dry ingredients into the wet a little at a time, until combined. then fold in the chocolate chunks, and walnuts.

  3. evenly divide the batter among the 12 muffin tin liners, and top with extra chocolate and walnuts.

  4. bake in the center of your oven until a cake tester inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.

  5. let muffins cool for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the muffins to a cooling rack.

  6. eat warm, or at room temp. muffins will stay good for roughly 3 days on your counter, covered with parchment paper.

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COZY BANANA BREAD GRANOLA

DARK CHOCOLATE KABOCHA SQUASH MUFFINS

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