SunflowerButter Cookies

On Wednesday night I was out to dinner at one of my very favorite vegan restaurants.
 Caravan of Dreams is a warm and inviting restaurant on East 6th Street in the Village.
This place makes you feel a little like you are somewhere in Seattle, a little like you are home, and a lot, like you are in a place where people care about what goes into your body in the most delicious way.

So while I was there enjoying dinner with a friend, Mother Nature decided it was the exact right time to dump almost a foot of snow in what must have been an hour.  Even the ever ready island of Manhattan could barely handle that.  It took us an hour and a half to get from the East Village to home on the Upper East Side. We laughed our way through the blizzard, a cab ride, a twenty five block snow filled walk, a bus ride 6 blocks and eventually another walk the rest of the way home. When I walked in at midnight, I was feeling pretty good from my adventure, but craving something sweet and warm.
I
 went into the kitchen looking for whatever it was that I had baked that day, and there is was, like a good old friend, the "peanut butter" cookie.  Really though, a Sunflower Seed Nut Butter Quinoa cookie.  With chocolate chips to boot.  Delicious! I ate it in bed, this cookie didn't even crumble, and fell asleep happy!

SunflowerButter Cookie

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together these dry ingredients:

1 1/4 cups Bob's Red Mill all purpose flour

1 Cup Quinoa Flakes

1 tablespoon potato starch

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon xantham gum

Then add in:

2 teaspoons best quality vanilla extract

1 cup organic brown sugar

1/4 cup agave

1 cup all natural organic Sunflower seed nut butter

1/4 cup applesauce

2 tablespoons vanilla or regular rice milk

Optional:

3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

Mix the ingredients together until they are fully incorporated.  You will get a sturdy, thick, dough.  It should not be too wet or sticky. If it is sticky, add another tablespoon of rice milk until you can handle the dough.  Then form the dough into balls about the size of a walnut and place them on the lined cookie sheet.  Press the centers down slightly to flatten the cookie a bit.  (I sometimes like to place chocolate chips in that little well.)

Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven for about 18-22 minutes.  They will get a golden color and feel slightly soft to the touch.

Cool on wire racks.  These are super delicious warm, but freeze beautifully too.  Make sure to wrap individually or by twos, and then place inside a freezer bag.

Don't wait for a snowy night....they are fabulous anytime!