Quinoa Snickerdoodle (gluten-free)

These cookies are a gift.  They are just what I was wanting.  I am so happy with the taste and texture of them that I had to wrap them up in a bow!

Recently, I was visiting a friend in Chicago and we found a terrific vegan restaurant called The Chicago Diner.  We loved everything about this vegan restaurant...the food, the staff and oh....the cookies.  They had a snickerdoodle cookie that was truly addictive.

It was so good, that the very next day we drove 45 minutes out of our way just to share that cookie again.

I haven't stopped thinking about and wishing for it since.  

Now, I have a very delicious snickerdoodle recipe on this blog that I really love, but it is a thin,crispy, chewy snickerdoodle.  And of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.  But why stop at one kind of snickerdoodle when there are others to love?

So after tasting the snickerdoodle at The Chicago Diner, I was determined to recreate their version of this cookie.  Their snickerdoodle was what I call chubby.  It was soft and chewy with a really nice thickness to it.  They used a whole wheat flour in their recipe, but I was feeling like quinoa flour would give it that extra special fluffy chub I was going for

.

Yes, Success!  Delicious and addictive!

As an extra special bonus, this chubby guy is gluten free, high in fiber and protein.

The ingredients in these cookies are:

Organic quinoa flour, earth balance vegan buttery spread, organic evaporated cane juice, organic vanilla, unsweetened applesauce, baking soda, organic cinnamon, cream of tartar and kosher salt.

Contact me if you need a fix!  

VeganBakingMama delivers in NYC or ships anywhere in the continental U.S.

Double Chocolate Cherry Quinoa Cookies (Gluten- Free)

I really love to bake with quinoa flour.  It is such a delicious, high protein, fiber rich flour that gives baked goods a yummy nutty flavor.  Nuts and chocolate is always such a good combination, that I knew the rich cocoa flavors of this cookie would work perfectly with the quinoa. Throw in some tart dried cherries and we have a winner!  

Double Chocolate Cherry Quinoa Cookies 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.

Makes about 24 cookies

With an electric mixer beat together until fluffy:

2/3 cup Earth Balance buttery spread

1 cup organic brown sugar

1/4 cup organic sugar

Then add in and continue to beat for 1-2 minutes:

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon organic vanilla

Then in another medium bowl, whisk together:

1 1/4 cup quinoa flour

1/2 cup organic cocoa (not cocoa mix)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Add the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture and mix until just incorporated completely.

Fold in:

1/2 cup dried cherries

3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

Scoop batter with a cookie scooper, or drop by tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheet.  Gently press the cookie dough a little bit to help it spread.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  The chocolate makes it hard to tell by sight if they are done, so use your other senses instead!  They will smell nice and chocolatey and feel dry on top when they are done.  Remove them from the oven and allow them to sit on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes.  Then move them to a wire rack to continue to cool.  They are yummy warm, but the texture changes as they cool to a delicious, chewy cookie.  Enjoy~

Cherry Chocolate Chip Biscotti (gluten free)

I was beginning to think I shouldn't be in the kitchen today.
Last night at 10:00pm, I dropped a huge, glass bottle of organic olive oil.  It slipped right out of my hands and smashed onto the kitchen floor.  One thousand shards of glass sat floating in a lake of cold pressed olive oil.
I liken this to the Exxon Valdez oil spill.  Tragic.

After cleaning that for over an hour last night and still, today cleaning off baby ducks...I dropped an entire canister of organic cocoa powder.  A giant cloud of cocoa floated down into the kitchen.
Yes, as you might imagine...the cocoa is now sticking to the residual oil spill.

Is anyone feeling a little bad for me?

So, my baking today was set back by a couple of hours.  My coffee had grown cold in it's mug, and I figured I might as well switch to afternoon tea.
Well...I needed Biscotti with that.  Biscotti is one of those cookies that is perfect for dipping in something hot, or just crunching on for a not too sweet snack.

Luckily....I hadn't dropped my gluten free flour too.

Cherry Chocolate Chip Biscotti (gluten-free)

This recipe makes 24 cookies.  

Preheat 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.

Whisk together in a medium bowl:

2 3/4 cups of Bob's Red Mill gluten-free all purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon xantham gum

In another medium bowl, whisk together:

1 cup organic sugar

1/2 cup organic canola oil

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoons warm water

Pour dry ingredients into the wet and stir together to combine.  This will form a very thick dough.  

Mix in with a spatula:

1/2 cup of dried cherries

1/2 cup of vegan chocolate chips

Assemble the batter into two 8 inch by 4 inch "logs".  Use damp hands to smooth them into about a 1/4 inch thickness.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  The logs should look slightly puffed and golden brown.  Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for about 30 minutes.

Using a very sharp knife, cut the log into 1 inch strips (biscotti style!).  Do not saw the log...just cut down with a sharp smooth movement.  Otherwise the cookie will crumble.  (and that's not the way it goes)

Then, carefully slide each piece onto its side and put them back in the oven.  Lower the temperature to 325 degrees and "toast" the cookies for another 15-20 minutes more.  They should turn nice and toasty looking, just be careful to not let them burn.  Remove from the oven and allow to sit on the baking sheet for 10 more minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Brew some coffee or tea and get to dipping!