Outdoor entertaining season is here and I’m ready to rock it out at our next backyard party with this amazing vegan skillet s’mores dip, complete with homemade graham crackers!

I can’t take credit for the idea (thanks Food Network) but I did put my own spin on it by making it vegan. Think crunchy graham cracker crumbs topped with warm, melted chocolate and gooey toasted marshmallow. You use the graham crackers as a layer in the dip as well as a vehicle for scooping!

The marshmallow is made from the beloved chickpea water (aka aquafaba), the liquid drained from canned or cooked chickpeas which, when whisked with a little guar gum and sugar, creates a thick, fluffy and slightly sticky texture reminiscent of real marshmallows. When this dip is baked for a few minutes the marshmallow topping becomes a little crispy on top just like toasted marshmallows over an open fire. It’s magical.

Since vegan graham crackers are so hard to find, I went ahead and created a super easy oat-based version. The great part is that the dough is soft enough that it doesn’t require rolling out with a rolling pin—you just spread it out onto a cookie sheet, score it and bake! How awesome is that? Feel free to make a double batch so you can have them on hand when another s’mores dip craving hits (trust me, it’ll happen).

Once you have those components made, the assembly is very quick. Take a cast iron skillet (I used a 12-inch skillet), spread out a layer of crushed graham crackers, then a layer of chocolate chips, then a layer of marshmallow creme (you can pipe it like I did or just spread it with a spoon). Then put the whole thing in the oven for a few minutes, broil for a minute to brown the top, and then serve with the rest of the graham crackers for dipping!

This is genius and the absolute perfect party dip. Seriously. Make it now.

Vegan skillet s'mores dip with easy oat graham crackers

Yield: enough for a crowd

Ingredients:

For the oat graham crackers:

• 1 1/2 cups oat flour (use certified gluten-free if needed)
• 1/2 cup oat bran (use certified gluten-free if needed)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon blackstrap molasses

For the marshmallow creme:

• 3/4 cup chickpea water (the liquid drained from one 19-ounce can of chickpeas)
• 11/2 teaspoons guar gum
• 2/3 cup cane sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the dip:

• 2 cups vegan dark chocolate chips

Directions:

To make the oat graham crackers:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, oat bran, cinnamon and baking soda.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, coconut oil, maple syrup, water, vanilla and molasses. Add this mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until a soft dough forms.
3. Pour the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Use an offset spatula to spread into a thin, even 10x14 inch rectangle (it should spread out fairly easily).  Refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F.
4. Remove the cookie sheet from the fridge and score into 2x2 inch squares (I use a pizza cutter) by making vertical and then horizontal cuts all the way across the dough. Using a fork, poke holes in each scored cracker.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until dry to the touch and golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and score the dough again through the same score lines so it’s easier to separate them once cool. Allow to cool completely before breaking apart.

To make the marshmallow creme:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the balloon whisk attachment, combine the chickpea brine and guar gum. Mix on high speed for 10 minutes (no less!), until the mixture is fluffy and pure white. It should increase in volume and climb up the whisk.
2. Add the cane sugar one tablespoon at a time, until each is fully incorporated. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and continue to process for 5 minutes more.

To assemble:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Take 5 or 6 graham crackers and break them up into the bottom of a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Use the back of a spoon to press down on the crackers and crush them into crumbs. Spread them evenly over the bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over top of the graham crackers crumbs. Then use a piping bag to pipe the marshmallow creme on top (or just spread it with a spoon).
3. Bake on the top rack of the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the top is a little crispy like toasted marshmallows and the chocolate chips are melted. Change oven temperature to broil (500F) and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely, until the top is browned. Serve immediately with remaining graham crackers for dipping.

Recipe inspired by the Food Network.

I don’t know what got into me last week but I suddenly needed a break from the kitchen. That rarely happens, but between recipe testing for a mini project (soon to be announced!) and a couple of food photography gigs, I’d had enough of food and needed a breather.

Sometimes a little downtime is necessary. I’ve felt uneasy about things lately, specifically this little space of mine within the world wide web. I often wonder: Are people reading? Do they enjoy my recipes? Do they even care? We’re living in a world where online content is changing and updating at warp speed—every day there are depressing news headlines making the rounds, a shocking Twitter comment or YouTube video goes viral, “new” recipes posted on a gazillion blogs—and I feel like I’m being eaten alive by social media. I just can’t keep up.

But you know what? This isn’t about being the most popular blogger, making money, or having hundreds of recipes in my archives. This isn’t about being at the top of the search engine when someone types in “vegan” (I’m not mobile-friendly anyway; thanks Google!) or being the first to post about the latest food trend or vegan discovery. When I first started this blog, my mission was (and still is) to document my favourite recipes and to show the world that veganism isn’t about restriction or deprivation. This is about putting attention and care into the recipes I create and then sharing them with you.

I’ve gotten a whole lot more out of this blog than I had ever imagined. It has connected me to an entire community of caring, compassionate and very talented individuals; it has made me fall in love with photography all over again and landed me so many awesome side projects; it has deepened my friendship with Lisa, with whom I’ve partnered on a number of fun projects, including two ebooks and a cookbook (<– pinch me); and it has given me, this very shy girl, a voice.

All this is to say that although I don’t post nearly as much as I would like to, I truly appreciate you. It’s difficult working so hard to fill a space where I feel like no one is listening. But I know you are. And for that, I am grateful. The more people sharing and reading and trying healthy, plant-based recipes means change is happening. As the popular Michael Jackson song goes, together we are healing the world and making it a better place.

What this has got to do with carrot muffins, I have no idea. But here you go, a recipe I’ve been playing with for a few months now, tinkering here and there until I felt it was just right. I’m a big fan of carrots and chai tea, so I figured putting them together in muffin form would be pretty tasty. And, indeed, they are.

Grating carrots by hand is no fun, so if you have a food processor with a grating blade this is the time to use it. These lightly sweetened, chai spiced muffins make use of my favourite flour blend (oat, buckwheat and almond) and the applesauce and moist chunks of carrots make it so there is no need for oil. They make wonderful breakfasts and snacks on the go.

P.S. You have until Wednesday, April 29 to enter my giveaway for an awesome JK Gourmet product pack, including a box of my favourite almond flour!

Gluten-free, oil-free masala chai carrot muffins

Yield: 8 to 10 muffins

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 chai tea bag
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup gluten-free oat flour
• 1/2 cup light buckwheat flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1½ cups grated carrots
• 1/3 cup pitted and chopped Medjool dates

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a muffin pan with 8 to 10 muffin liners.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the almond milk over medium heat until almost boiling. Add the tea bag, cover with a lid and remove from heat. Allow to seep for a 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Remove the tea bag and gently squeeze out any liquid. Discard tea bag. Whisk in the maple syrup, applesauce, and lemon juice.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, buckwheat flour, almond flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt.
5. Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir just to combine. Fold in the grated carrots and chopped dates.
6. Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle a little coconut sugar on top of each muffin. Bake at 400F for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring muffins to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Today I’m going to talk about a new cookbook that has been getting a fair amount of attention lately—one that’s just in time for fall and winter gatherings with a slew of comforting meals in the form of Vegan Casseroles. 

If you’re in tune with the vegan scene, you’ll likely recognize the author’s name and want to buy this book immediately. In case you don’t know, Julie Hasson is the beautiful and talented powerwoman behind eight other cookbooks, a line of gluten-free and vegan baking mixes called Julie’s Original, the Internet cooking show Everyday Dish, the hip food cart Native Bowl in Portland, and the original Babycakes Bakery in LA. Yep, she does it all.

Julie took on quite a challenge with this cookbook topic, and for that I am truly impressed. You see, when people talk about traditional comfort food, it typically means using key ingredients that are off limits to health-conscious vegans. Recreating the flavours of eggplant parm, shepherd’s pie, and cheesy rice and broccoli casserole without the cheese, eggs, butter or even any of the processed vegan substitutes, for example, means Julie had to rethink the whole casserole concept and look at it with fresh eyes.

I love that her new book emphasizes whole food ingredients. The resulting recipes are a mix of retro flavours—with a variety of cashew-based cheese sauces and a lighter cream of mushroom soup for that creamy goodness—and comforting, veggie-full dishes like cabbage rolls, stuffed swiss chard, and creamed greens. You can even invent your own casserole creations by pairing any of the super-simple sauces with your favourite veggies or pasta.

Book chapters include:

• The vegan casserole pantry
• One-dish appetizers
• Dutch-oven and skillet casseroles
• Old favorites and new twists
• Pasta casseroles
• Vegetable casseroles
• Dessert casseroles
• Sauces, toppings and basics

So far, my favourite recipe in this book is the creamy spinach florentine on page 98. It makes use of the almost alfredo sauce from the sauces, toppings and basics chapter to create a creamy base for the pasta and spinach. In this recipe, the addition of Dijon mustard, sherry and fresh nutmeg add a lot of depth and warmth to the dish. I can see myself pouring the sauce over steamed broccoli and other veggies, too.

If you’re not already excited about this book, I’ve got something else to share. Julie is inviting all ADC readers to enter a grand prize giveaway for a brand new BLENDTEC Designer 725 Blender! Five runners up will receive a copy of Vegan Casseroles.

Please note the giveaway prizes can only be shipped to US mailing addresses. Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Even if you don’t win, you’re still in luck because Julie was kind enough to allow me to share the florentine recipe from her book. Go make it now! And then buy the book to get more amazing casserole recipes.

Creamy spinach florentine

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the almost alfredo sauce:

• 2 1/2 cups plain unsweetened soymilk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 3 tablespoons oat flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 11/4 teaspoons fine sea salt, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion

For the florentine:

• 8 ounces dried shell pasta or macaroni
• 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 recipe Almost Alfredo Sauce (see below)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons dry sherry, depending how strong of a sherry taste you like
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

For the almost alfredo sauce:

1. In the jar of a blender, combine the soymilk, water, cashews, nutritional yeast, oat flour, cornstarch, salt, and granulated onion. Blend the mixture at high speed until completely smooth and no bits of nuts remain. If you don’t have a big blender, blend the mixture in two batches.
2. Transfer the mixture to a large saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer, whisking continuously. Once the mixture comes to a simmer, reduce the heat slightly and cook, whisking continuously until thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Tip: Use a good-tasting unsweetened soymilk for this sauce, as the flavor really comes through. If you’re using a high-speed blender, you can skip the soaking step for the cashews and just use them dry. Add a little extra water to blend if needed.

For the florentine:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish.
2. In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Don’t overcook the pasta, especially if you’re using one that is gluten-free. Drain the pasta well and transfer to a large bowl.
3. Drain most of the liquid out of the spinach by gently squeezing it, but don’t squeeze it completely dry. Add the spinach to the pasta, along with the sauce, mixing until the pasta is thickly coated. Add the sherry, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, granulated onion, and nutmeg, stirring well. Add salt and pepper, and adjust seasonings to taste. Scoop the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until hot and slightly bubbly around the edges. Remove from the oven and serve.

To make gluten-free: Use a gluten-free oat flour in the sauce and gluten-free pasta (my favorite here is brown rice macaroni).

Reprinted with permission from Vegan Casseroles © 2014 by Julie Hasson, Running Press.

I’m pretty excited for today. It’s the first day of the annual Toronto Vegetarian Food Festival, and I’m just about to head down to Harbourfront to check out all the new products, eat delicious food and catch up with friends. Thankfully it’s a beautiful day in the city—the sun is shining and everyone is out and about for the weekend.

If you’re in town, be sure to stop by and check out the festivities. We’ve got some amazing speakers and demos lined up, including Roberto Martin, Allyson Kramer, Michael Greger and Heather Nicholds, just to name a few, as well as a Q&A with the director of The Ghosts In Our Machine (an incredible documentary, if you haven’t seen it yet).

This doesn’t have anything at all to do with this pear and banana loaf, but I have been up to my elbows in pears this week. You see, I came home with a huge bag of cute little Forelle pears from a colleague’s tree, and so far I’ve made a pear crousade, a fall-inspired crumble and this amazing loaf. Yep, I’ve been a busy girl.

As you’ll see from the ingredients list, this loaf is humble yet wholesome. It is bursting with fruit flavours and chunks of soft pears, and also makes use of one of my favourite gluten-free flour combinations: chickpea, oat and almond. Oh, and it’s oil-free, too.

I paired the loaf slices with some homemade blueberry jam, the recipe of which will appear in Dreena Burton’s next cookbook. I get the pleasure of working with Dreena once again and have been busy photographing all the recipes for this new book (and from what I’ve seen so far, I think it’s going to be another masterpiece!). To find out about her family-friendly recipes, check out my review of her latest ebook.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free pear & banana loaf

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup chickpea flour
• 3/4 cup oat flour (see note)
• 3/4 cup almond meal
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1.5 cups peeled and chopped ripe pears, divided (about 2 medium)
• 3/4 cup sliced ripe banana (about 1 medium)
• 6 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper so it hangs over the sides of the pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, oat flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
3. Using a food processor, process 3/4 cup chopped pear with the banana, maple syrup, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in the remaining 3/4 cup chopped pear.
4. Use a spatula to pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing.

Note: Be sure to purchase certified gluten-free oat flour if you are sensitive to oats.

The scent of freshly baked banana bread has been wafting through my house for the last week. A sudden craving hit me recently and the next thing I know, I’ve used up every single frozen banana in my freezer in a crazy attempt to perfect a gluten-free version of my favourite baked treat.

I’ve been a big, big fan of banana bread ever since my grandmother introduced me to it when I was a wee child. So, I didn’t take this personal challenge lightly. This gluten-free bread had to be good, with a texture that wasn’t gluey or doesn’t fall apart in your hands, and a light banana flavour that wasn’t too sweet. Oh, and with a beautiful chocolatey swirl throughout. Shouldn’t be too hard, right? I already had it planned out before I even started, but naturally, what seemed so easy on paper couldn’t quite be achieved in the kitchen. It took more than a few trials to get this just right.

This, my friends, was a lesson in texture. I already knew the combination of different flours affects the outcome immensely when it comes to gluten-free baking. My goal was to use a few simple flours and not starches or gums. In the end, it was a mix of three of my favourites that did the trick—oat, buckwheat and almond. Why I didn’t try this combo to begin with is beyond me.

But I digress.

If you’ve never tried making a loaf with a fun chocolate swirl, you’re missing out. Not only does this turn a plain banana loaf into an attractive party dessert, but it’s just so much fun to mix and swirl the batters together to create a totally unique loaf every time.  Thanks to Isa for the fun idea.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free marbled banana bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oat flour (gluten-free certified, if necessary)
• 3/4 cup light buckwheat flour
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tbsp ground chia seeds + 1 tbsp water
• 4 overripe bananas, peeled
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder + 3 tbsp hot water

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly oil a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, buckwheat flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the chia and water and set aside until a gel forms.
4. In another large bowl, mash the bananas until no large clumps remain. Add the coconut sugar, vanilla extract and chia gel. Add the flour mixture and stir to combine.
5. Transfer 1 + 1/4 cup of the batter to another clean bowl. Now, in a small cup whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until the cocoa is dissolved. Add this to the batter and mix until incorporated.
6. Now it's time to marble! Scoop out 1/3 cups of batter and drop them in the prepared loaf pan, side by side and on top of each other, alternating colours as best you can. Repeat until all the batter has been used. Insert a sharp knife or long skewer into the batter and make a swirl motion throughout. You want to try to swirl through each section to gently merge the batters, but take care not to overdo it.
7. Bake at 350F for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Update: Thanks to reader input, I've changed the buckwheat flour to read "light buckwheat" since the swirl doesn't show up well when the darker variety is used. You could also try grinding raw buckwheat groats (not kasha) into a flour.

Wow, it’s ridiculous what a little site redesign does to invigorate my passion for blogging and sharing new recipes. I had so much fun—yet had to do very little—working with Lindsay over at Purr Design on giving ADC a new look. (If you’re reading this through an RSS reader or by email, click over and check out the changes!)

I wanted a fresh, streamlined look and, most importantly, a more organized and user-friendly recipe index—check it out by clicking on recipe index in the menu bar above. All recipes are now indexed visually by category and ingredient, or you can click on the archives drop-down menu in the right-hand sidebar to view all posts by date.

Another great feature is that you can save your favourite recipes to an online recipe box (also available from the menu bar above), which means you can keep track of your recipes all in one place and add ingredients to a shopping list before heading out to the grocery store. To save recipes to it, simply click the save button on the right side of any recipe and you’ll be prompted to add it to your recipe box. I teamed up with Ziplist for this feature, so if you don’t already have an account it’s super quick and free to create one. You can search and save recipes from thousands of popular food websites, including epicurious, Martha Stewart, Simply Recipes and Skinnytaste.com.

The recipe box has a ton of great features, including a meal planner that allows you to plan your meals for the week—just drag and drop recipes into a calendar and you can generate a shopping list for those recipes. Pretty cool, right? Oh, and there are also mobile apps available, so be sure to download the Apple or Android app (both are free) so you can access your lists and recipes on the go!

Aside from the recipe features, I’ve also added thumbnails to the reviews page, added a press page and updated my about page, so take a look around and let me know what you think! On the right-hand sidebar, you’ll also find a subscribe option if you want to get ADC content updates delivered to your email inbox. For RSS readers, you can add this blog to your reader by clicking on the RSS icon on the right side of the menu bar.

What does this have to do with cookie dough balls, you ask? Well, nothing. But since this blog is all about food, I wanted to welcome you to my newly designed home with a bowl full of treats. These little guys are ridiculously easy to make, and are perfect bundles of energy to pop in your mouth straight from the freezer.

This recipe was inspired by my raw cookie dough bites, which is by far the most popular recipe on the blog. This version is made nut-free by using sunflower seed butter (try using 100% natural and unsweetened, if possible) and has a soft, melt-in-your mouth texture reminiscent of real cookie dough but without the flour, butter and eggs.

If you don’t end up keeping these all to yourself, they would also be great dipped in chocolate and served on a party platter. Enjoy!

Nut-free cookie dough balls

Yield: one dozen

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
• 3 tbsp agave nectar or pure maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup oat flour (use certified gluten-free, if necessary)
• 2 tbsp flax meal
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch of sea salt
• 2 to 3 tbsp mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the sunflower seed butter, agave nectar and vanilla extract.

2. Add the oat flour, flax meal, cinnamon and salt and stir to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips.

3. Scoop out the dough (I use a tablespoon measure) and roll into balls. Place on a small cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place them in the freezer to firm up. Transfer the balls to an air-tight container and store in the freezer. These can be eaten directly from the freezer.

Yacon powder is lighter in taste than the more popular syrup form, which has a flavour that is often described as a cross between an apple and molasses. Much like brown rice flour in texture, with a yellowish colour reminiscent of the desert, the powder form tastes sweet and starchy, with a fruity undertone. I picked up a box in Kensington market a few weeks ago and it sat on my shelf until I figured out what to do with it (sometimes my inspiration is a slow process). Then I had a revelation: the sweet, fruity flavour of yacon and the richness of dark chocolate chips practically beg for a marriage via cookie combination!

In this recipe, oats and almond meal add a wonderful flavour complexity and the coconut oil gives them a shortbread-like texture, making these a truly remarkable treat. Because yacon is found in the desert, it likes to absorb moisture, so you may notice it clumps very easily once opened. I just run it through my spice grinder before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. I also made my own oat flour and almond meal by grinding whole oats into flour and whole almonds to a fine meal. I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I do!

Chocolate chip hemp cookies

Yield: one dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oat flour (use certified gluten-free, if necessary)
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1/2 cup yacon powder
• 2 tbsp hemp hearts
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tbsp warm water, if needed
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, almond meal, yacon powder, hemp hearts, baking soda and salt.
2. Add the coconut oil and mix to combine. If the dough seems dry, add the water 1 tablespoon at a time. The mixture should stick together when pressed between two fingers. Fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Roll the mixture into flat disks by hand and place them on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Allow to cool completely. Store cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature.