Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies - finally successful

My quest for a delicious gluten-free, vegan chocolate chip cookies has been somewhat labored. I'm sure my husband, at one point, was wondering where all these ingredients were going and why I always needed more chocolate chips.

You wouldn't know it from my previous blog posts (because I'm too prideful to post my disasters to the whole world) but I have learned some umpteen different ways to make gross, flat, oily vegan, gluten-free cookies. One batch my husband asked me straight faced "Is there sand in these?" Sigh and single tear. 

A few posts ago, I made Cinnamon Quill's Vegan, Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls and they were amazing (see my earlier post) so I went back to the well to see if I could be inspired by her cookie recipe.

So I present to you the first gluten free, vegan chocolate chip cookie that I did not throw away (hehe - fellow gluten free bakers will commiserate with me on that one).

1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup potato starch    
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla (or almond extract)
3/4 cup dairy free chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

A few pinches of course sea salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together. Add oil, maple syrup, and vanilla (or almond), mixing by hand. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts and let the cookie dough rest for about 10 minutes to allow all the flours to soak up the oil and wet ingredients (don't skip this part). Save the sea salt for after the cookies are out of the oven.

 

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls (as a dietitian I do recommend using a smaller scoop so you can portion your cookies) onto the parchment paper. Bake for about 10 minutes–cookies will look a little gooey but they'll finish cooking while they are cooling. Let cool on sheet for about 5 minutes. This is when I top each cookie with a few granules of sea salt. I then even proceeded to put them in the freezer for 10 minutes. Then you can transfer them to a cooling rack. If you try to pick them up before they are cool they will fold over and crumble.

Store in airtight container in a cool place. We keep ours in the freezer or fridge. Makes 1 1/2 dozen cookies, depending on how big you scoop your cookies.

*I recommend for people who are initially trying to reduce their gluten intake but may not necessarily be celiac or gluten intolerant to use 1/4 cup flour (unbleached, non-bromated) instead of the brown rice flour. It allows them to start practicing with gluten free flours without being too discouraged with the different texture that sometimes comes with gluten-free baked goods.

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Kalachandjis - Amazing Vegetarian Food in Dallas

Last Saturday Mike took me on another Saturdate (read about my other Saturdate). We've been wanting to try Kalachandjis Restaurant and Palace for some time but living in North Dallas and making the trip downtown requires a little bit of motivation. 

Clockwise from the top right: Dal soup, Mustard Greens, Cinnamon Raisin bread,
Pumpkin Curry, steamed veggies and brown rice. Tamarind tea at the top.

We made the 20+ mile drive downtown to find the streets lined with cars. We had to drive around the block a couple of times to find a spot to park. Immediately you see the palace, in the middle of a quaint neighborhood, dwarfing all the houses on the street.

We weren't quite sure where to even find the entrance but luckily a group of people were walking in before us and so we discretely followed them. I didn't realize they also held services here. So I was quite taken aback when the first sign I saw said to leave my shoes in the shoe room. What? I'm not taking my shoes off at a restaurant! Luckily a kind patron guided us down another hallway where we were met with a wonderfully long line of people serving up such delicious smelling food.

Everyone around us was dressed so beautifully in traditional garb that we looked like shmucks in our jeans and flip flops; no one but us really seemed to mind. We grabbed our trays and I struck up a conversation with the gentleman in front of me. I asked him how this worked and which foods were not to be missed. Basically, Kalachandji's is a buffet where you can choose soup, salad and a drink or the hot buffet. Mike and I saw so many new and wonderful foods on the hot buffet that it was a no-brainer decision. The gentleman then turned to me and said "Get. The. Cinnamon. Bread!"

We filled our trays, as you can see in the picture. We started with a vibrant soup which I believe was called Dal (please correct me if I'm wrong), brown rice, seasoned steamed veggies, pumpkin curry (soooo good), bitter greens (I thnk they were mustard) and the Pièce de résistance the homemade cinnamon raisin bread (I ate three slices!). The food was so fresh. Each bite was a wonderful surprise to my tastebuds - so many flavors and spices that I'm not used to.

You also can't miss the tamarind tea. It is this sweet drink that tastes like tea and lemonade mixed together. Dessert was this amazing sweet rice and a unique type of pineapple cake. I actually mixed the two and it was so good.

As if the food wasn't enough to entice us to come back, the restaurant setting is a hidden gem in Dallas. The middle of the restaurant opens up to the sky. We sat next to a peaceful fountain and shady tree in the middle of the courtyard. We were lucky to go on a really nice day (blue skies and mid 70's). We can't wait to go back at night. Take a look at the home page of Kalachandji's and you'll see their little twinkly lights and warm lanterns ... sigh. I can't wait!

More tamarind tea and ... I forgot to mention they had vegetarian lasagna. You can
see it right above my glass on Mike's plate.

If you've been to Kalachandji's what has been your favorite food?

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Vegan Cookie Dough Truffles

When my sister and I were growing up we would joke that if we had one wish, we'd wish for a box of assorted chocolates so big that we'd have to eat our way to the edge. To this day, I still love assorted chocolates and February 15th is the hardest day of the year. Why February 15th? Because that's when all the assorted chocolates are 75% off!
So this year, as a vegan I'm a little limited in which chocolates I choose to eat. So when I found Chef Chloe's Vegan Cookie Dough Truffles, it immediately went to the top of my "to make" list. Here it is! Chole's recipe. Thanks Chloe for absolute deliciousness. Enjoy.

Ingredients
1/2 cup Earth Balance
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (I plan to try this recipe again with GF flour)
1/3 cup dairy free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life)
12 ounces dairy free chocolate chips

Directions
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
Using a mixer , beat margarine, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and water until combined. Add flour and beat until incorporated. Fold in mini chocolate chips.

Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 hour. 

Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls with the palms of your hands. Place on prepared baking sheets. Freeze for 15 minutes. 

Melt the remaining 12 ounces chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Let cool to room temperature. Remove one tray of cookie dough balls from the freezer. Dip each ball into the melted chocolate and remove using two forks. Place the coated balls back onto the baking sheet and transfer to the refrigerator. Repeat with the second tray of cookie dough balls. Chill until the chocolate is set, about 20 minutes. Store in refrigerator until serving. 

Just a note: I put the truffles on a wire rack but that was a bad idea. They broke a lot when I was pulling them off. My mouth didn't mind but it did make them look a little less pretty.

Please note that this is not my recipe and all "oooh's", "aahhh"s" and "mmmm's" go to Chef Chloe. 

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My Vegan Date

I had a Saturdate with a super hot man and we went on a Vegan Adventure! Besides our regular Friday or Saturday night dates, Mike and I each take a turn, once a month, planning a Saturdate. The rules are that it has to be cheap and when possible include something on our list of places to see or things to do.

Mike buying our DART tickets.

A real Texan, driving a car, not a horse.

We live just north of the fabulous Dallas metroplex. We are in love with and obsessed with New York City. We watch movies about it and shriek when we see a place we've been to. We love the food, the diversity, the lights and the energy. While we try to get to New York when we can, Dallas is our own mini-NewYork with skyscrapers, the DART rail (our own version of the subway) and the eclectic people and restaurants of a buzzing downtown. 

So cool that something is
underground in Dallas.

For those who've never visited Dallas, we don't ride horses, wear cowboy hats and chew sprigs of wheat. I visited Scotland a few years ago and the kind people I stayed with had apparently watched the soap opera Dallas one too many times. When I told them we didn't even own horses, much less ride them into town to go to the General store it was if I told them Santa Clause didn't exist.  But I digress...

Us on the DART rail.

So Saturday morning we got ready and headed over to the North Carrollton DART rail station. We purchased our train tickets and boarded the (extra clean) DART rail headed for downtown Dallas. It was about a 45 minute ride but it totally reminded me of New York (minus the pushing and shoving of the routine boarding/unloading at each stop). 

Hey! It's me at City Place station.

THE tallest escalator ever (and kinda artsy too)

We took the green line towards Buckner and got off at the West End stop, waiting only a few minutes before boarding the blue line towards CityPlace. This DART rail rides above ground most of the time but you can't imagine my delight as we neared the City Place stop that we began our decent into the belly of Dallas. It was JUST LIKE NY!! We exited at City Place to a completely modern and oddly quiet platform. As we rounded a corner, we came face to face with the largest escalator I've ever seen. We rode two sets of escalators to the top (nearly six stories). We exited and not 20 yards in front of us was the McKinney Avenue Trolley stop. 

A real, live trolley with conductor - FREE!

The McKinney Avenue Trolley is a restored, vintage trolley that runs a course around Uptown Dallas passing landmarks such as the Magnolia Theater, Hotel ZaZa, Stoneleigh Hotel, The Meyerson Symphony Center, the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Dallas World Aquarium. 

Our MAT ride. We made the photo black
and white so it would be a vintage picture.

We boarded the quaint, and wonderfully heated, Trolley and rode through Uptown. It was so delightful! We got off at Routh street and headed NW toward Howell street where we found our little vegan gem, The Dream Cafe. I don't want to mislead you. The Dream Cafe is not completely vegan but there are some little treasures on the menu. 

Oops, was so hungry, forgot to
take a picture before eating.

The wind had been blowing cold air on us during our little walk to the cafe so when we walked in and were met with warm air and the smell of delicious baked goods, I was in heaven.

I ordered a Tofu Scramble with spinach and mushrooms, vegan sausage and a side of fruit. Mike ordered the same but with eggs and cheese. When the food arrived, I was excited and then slightly saddened. They had put the most delicious and delicate looking popover on the plate with strawberry butter. Now, I must say, I believe in this vegan lifestyle but I won't lie and say I don't miss real butter and buttery flakey breads.  I must confess, I knew it was made with butter but I tried one bite of the popover - that's it! And immediately I felt bad.  But normally I would have eaten the whole thing and thought nothing of it. So in the end I may have had a flakey falter but in the grand scheme I have come a long way. 

A bonus picture. Mike is an artist and, although I'm his wife,
I think he has such an artsy eye! I'll post more of his artwork later. 

The tofu scramble was pretty good. I don't like my tofu in cubes so next time I think I might "scramble" it a little more.

With our bellies full and my toes defrosted, we finished our Trolley ride and made our way back north on the DART rail. If you are ever in Dallas, make sure you ride the McKinney Avenue Trolley. It was my favorite part of the day.

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Hi I'm Alicia and I'm a Vegan ... and why my blog is called Vegan Buttons



The love of my life, Mike, and I. We laugh all the time.



In October of 2011, I married the man of my dreams. One thing I really enjoy about our relationship is our passion for food. I'm a Registered Dietitian for a grocery store chain and love to bake (I know that sounds paradoxical) and Mike (my super handsome husband) is an amazing cook, specializing in soups. In fact, I call him my Souper Man.

We both grew up in homes where our moms provided heatlhy meals. I remember growing cantaloupe, watermelon and asparagus in my backyard as a little girl. It wasn't uncommon to see me eating artichokes at the age of 7. Mike's mom has been an athlete for all his life. Mike remembers growing up eating bran flakes and snacking on fruit while other kids had twinkies and Coke. He remembers doing his homework in the back of a studio while his mom taught step aerobics.

After high school, I went to college for 7 long years to get a Master's in nutrition, complete an internship and take the board exam to become a Registered Dietitian. I love my job. I love showing people the joy of food. Mike went to college and studied graphic design. Before Mike and I met, his father passed suddenly from heart disease. As you can imagine, the tragic event changed Mike forever. But one of the positives of this change was Mike's peaked interest in the effects of food. While he knew how to eat healthy, he had fallen prey to the sedentary and time-warping nature of a computer job. He winces when he tells me he would drink Dr. Pepper and Doritos for lunch. After his father passed, he resolved to change his eating habits and lifestyle.



The other love of my life, Whiskey Jack Jerome.
He's about 95 lbs heavier now.
I'll post more pictures of my Lovey later.

We dated for 2 years before we were engaged and many of our dates were peppered with nutrition and food conversations. But, our biggest food conversation didn't come until we had returned from our honeymoon. Our obsession with documentaries had once again held us captive on a Friday night. Our random choice for the evening was Forks Over Knives, a documentary exploring how the radical, yet largely unpopular, vegetarian lifestyle profoundly affects our health. Forks over Knives, together with the influence of Food, Inc, the book Skinny B*tch and welcoming our big-hearted-floppy-eared-chocolate-lab Whiskey Jack Jerome to our family began to marinate in my head. I had to do this. I wanted to be a vegetarian.

After the movie, Mike literally turned to me and said "I want to try being vegetarian." And so it began. That was in October of 2011. Today is February 3, 2012 and we are still vegetarian/vegan while trying to incorporate gluten free too. I use that wavering forward slash because there are so many things to learn and I keep finding out that I ate something that had milk proteins or honey or fill-in-the-blank.

So this blog is meant not as "follow me, I know all there is to know about being vegan" but more of "come laugh with me as I learn about gluten-free, vegan foods, baking, restaurants, and how this change of lifestyle can be fun and rewarding."

Now, before I sign off, I want to explain why I would name my blog "Vegan Buttons." My sweet puppy, Whiskey, has many a nickname including, but not limited to: Whiskamus, Whiskopotamus, Mr. Whiskers, Lovey, Love Muffin and my all time favorite is Love Button. My long term goal is to own a gluten-free, vegan bakery. I originally wanted to call it Love Button Bakery (because, yes I am a crazy dog owner and I want the bakery to also include gluten-free, vegan dog treats in honor of Whiskey). However, I was rudely awakened to the urban meaning of Love Button and quickly removed that from the list of possible bakery names. I still love the word Button and envision an entire brand built around Buttons Bakery. So as I begin this journey, with the hopes of one day loving people through my smile and sweet treats, I humbly present to you my first blog post for Vegan Buttons.

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