I’ve been on a chickpea thing lately. You know, that thing where you want them all the time? I put them on my salads, make all kinds of hummus (duh), add them to veggie curries, make cookies, eat them straight up (am I the only one?). I thought about ways to make a fun, portable snack, and then it hit me: cookie dough balls!

Like any good food blogger, the first thing I did was Google it. And, yes, it’s been done before. I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to discover this. But I went to work anyway and came up with something a little different. These cookie dough balls don’t have the taste or texture of chickpeas, and that is due to a little extra step: I roasted ’em first.

Roasting chickpeas not only dries them out but also adds a wonderful nutty flavour. When mixed with a little nut butter, maple syrup and of course chocolate chips, the resulting mixture looks just like cookie dough. And it tastes just as delicious but without the unhealthy ingredients. Score!

These bite-sized gems have made perfect pre-workout snacks, since they contain extra protein and carbs from the chickpeas and nut butter. I’ve been making a batch every other week or so and stash them in my freezer. I’ll take one or two to work in a little mason jar for snack time. They’re also great for afternoons or evenings when that sweets craving hits.  

Enjoy!

P.S. There’s a Blendtec giveaway happening—you have until December 10th to enter!

Chickpea cookie dough balls

Yield: 12 to 14 balls

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups cooked chickpeas (or one 13.5 oz can)
• 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp natural smooth peanut butter
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 2 to 3 tbsp mini chocolate chips or cacao nibs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Spread out chickpeas on the prepared cookie sheet and roast for 15 minutes or until dry to the touch and a little toasty. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
3. Using a food processor, process the roasted chickpeas, maple syrup, peanut butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary. It should come together and look like regular cookie dough.
4. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in the chocolate chips. Roll the dough into tablespoon-size balls and store in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.

Inspired by Vanessa's recipe.

My creamy chocolate torte recipe came to mind last week when I was dreaming about desserts (which I’m embarrassed to admit happens all too often). I imagined the mousse filling would make a lovely after-dinner dessert served in individual glasses and topped with coconut whipped cream and chopped chocolate and nuts.

The next day, I made that dream come true.

Let me tell you straight up: this mousse is no pudding in a cup. It’s thick and rich and melt-in-your-mouth smooth—everything you’d want in a sophisticated yet simple dessert.

The secret is in the coconut milk. Make sure to purchase a brand with a high fat content (check the nutritional label to make sure it’s at least 20%) and place it in the fridge overnight so that the cream separates from the liquid. (While you’re at it, refrigerate a second can for the coconut whipped cream topping.)  Oh, and good quality dark chocolate is also key to making this mousse truly orgasmic (I use Camino dark chocolate bars with 65% cacao).

One thing I love about this recipe is its versatility. Since there are a myriad of flavour pairings that work well with chocolate, you can put your own spin on it by swapping out the 2 tablespoons of nut butter for your preferred flavour.

For the mousse pictured here, I used macadamia nut butter, but I’ve also experimented with peanut butter (Reese’s Pieces, oh how I’ve missed you!), almond butter (a pairing that will never go out of style), and even pureed raspberries (strained) in place of the nut butter for a more sophisticated version.

Hubby and I will be enjoying this dessert for our third anniversary this weekend. I can’t wait.

As always, I had my kitty cat on hand to help with photo styling…or by sitting in the way of my window light. Please meet Eli, my new photo assistant and the pesky little brother of Leola. He’s quite the character, and he’s also got the loudest motor I’ve ever heard. He was even purring when this photo was snapped!

Dark chocolate mousse cups

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup nondairy milk
• 1 tbsp agar flakes
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
• 3 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 tbsp natural peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Coconut whipped cream:

• 1 can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
• 1/4 cup vegan powdered sugar, or more to taste
• 1/4 tsp vanilla bean powder (or pure vanilla extract)
• 3 tbsp Ener-G egg replacer (optional)

Directions:

1. Pour the nondairy milk in a medium saucepan, sprinkle the agar flakes on top and swirl the pan lightly. Let sit for at least 20 minutes to allow the agar flakes to soften.
2. Scoop out the coconut cream from the top of the can of coconut milk (reserve the remaining liquid for other uses) and add it and the chocolate to the pan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cream and chocolate are melted.
3. Pour the mixture into a blender and add the remaining ingredients. Blend for 2 or 3 minutes until smooth and bubbly.
4. Divide the mixture between four serving glasses and lightly tap on your counter to loosen any air bubbles. Place the glasses in the fridge to set, about 2 hours. Garnish with coconut whipped cream and chopped chocolate and nuts, if desired.

Coconut whipped cream:

1. For best results, place your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
2. Scoop the coconut cream from the top of the can of coconut milk (reserve the remaining liquid for other uses) and place it in the cold mixing bowl. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla bean powder and egg replacer (this is entirely optional, but it helps create a lighter, fluffier texture) and whisk until soft peaks form.

Not long ago, I fell in love with vegan baking and would spend countless hours hopelessly experimenting with new flours and flavours in my tiny condo kitchen. After much persuasion from my husband, I finally put myself out there and started sharing my baking results with others—and amazing things happened. Not only did I start to realize my potential, but I made an impact on others. Colleagues became curious about using healthy substitutions in their own kitchens, family members embarked on new ways to improve their diets, and friends sought out advice on cutting meat from their daily meals.

There is nothing more rewarding than sharing your passion with the world and realizing your skills have the potential to change lives, change habits, and even change the world, just by encouraging others to celebrate the deliciousness of a plant-based diet.

In other words, today is about baketivism. This means using vegan baking as a form of activism.

The beauty of Vegan Baking Day is that you can make up your own rules. The concept is simple: bake up your favourite vegan goodies and take them with you to work, school, band practice, jury duty, shopping…wherever you find yourself on the last Friday of September. The official website lists some tips on how to plan ahead, choose your desserts and have fun, too.

Since I’ve had one heck of a busy week, I wasn’t able to create my own treats (maybe next year). While perusing options on a few of my favourite recipe blogs, Angela‘s easy chocolate chunk toffee bars stuck out as something easy and recognizable. Needless to say, my colleagues loved them.

Chocolate chip toffee bars

Yield: 12 bars

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup 12-grain flour (or spelt)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
• 2 tbsp Earth Balance (or other nondairy spread)
• 1/4 cup Sucanat
• 2 tbsp natural almond butter
• 2 tbsp natural peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper (long enough to it draps over the sides).
2. In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, chia seeds, cinnamon, salt, sliced almonds and walnuts. Set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, stir together the brown rice syrup, Earth Balance, Sucanat, almond butter, peanut butter and vanilla on medium-low heat until the Earth Balance is melted and the mixture is smooth.
4. Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with the oat mixture and stir well. The mixture will be very thick. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Scoop the mixture into the pan and smooth out with the back of a wet spoon or offset spatula. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes. Allow the bars to cool in the pan for 20 minutes and then place the pan in the freezer to set (I left it for an hour). Cut into bars and serve, or store in an air-tight containter for future snacking.

Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows.

Now, on to dessert.

I don’t remember the last time I bit into a Snickers bar, but I’d imagine it tastes something like this sinfully delicious tart, which was the perfect ending to a meal with my brother- and sister-in-law last Saturday. They came to the city for the day and I suggested they stop by for dinner and drinks before heading home that evening. With little time to prepare, I whipped up Angela’s creamy 15-minute avocado pasta, a salad and bruschetta for our meal, and, lucky for us, I just happen to have this new recipe creation in my freezer for dessert.

It’s a little nerve-racking when I share my dessert experiments with others, not knowing if it should have been tweaked just a little more. Thankfully, this peanut caramel and chocolate tart came out just as I had intended. The combination of a light peanut crust (adapted from my pistachio-poppyseed crust), toasted peanuts and caramel (made from a base of brown rice syrup and peanut butter), and a smooth dark chocolate ganache turned out to be a sophisticated, vegan version of the popular candy bar I grew to love as a child. The best part? No sugar or butter or other non-vegan ingredients are required. Enjoy!

Peanut caramel and chocolate tart

Yield: one 8-inch tart

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 3/4 cup unbleached AP flour
• 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup ground peanuts (or other nuts)
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup sunflower or canola oil
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup peanuts, toasted

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
• 1/4 cup smooth, natural peanut butter
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• 2 tbsp flax meal
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp arrowroot
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

For the chocolate topping:

• 4 oz. dark chocolate
• 2 tbsp almond milk

Directions:

For the crust:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the unbleached flour, whole wheat flour, ground peanuts, baking soda and salt.
2. In small bowl, whisk together the oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and mix until a dough forms.
3. Press the dough into a flat disk shape and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. While the dough is chilling, proceed with the filling (recipe below).
4. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out between 2 pieces of parchment paper, working from the middle out, until it is large enough to fit into a 7- or 8-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
5. Carefully transfer the dough to the tart pan and gently press it down to fit, filling cracks where needed. Be sure the dough is not thicker where the sides and bottom meet. Trim any excess dough on the rim. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
6. Evenly spread the toasted peanuts over the bottom of the tart and spoon the filling over top, making sure all the peanuts are covered in the filling.
7. Bake the tart at 300 degrees on the bottom rack of the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the filling starts to bubble and the crust is light golden. Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to cool completely. Return the tart to the fridge for 2 to 3 hours to firm up before topping with chocolate ganache (recipe below). Place the tart back in the fridge to allow the chocolate to firm up before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer, covered with plastic wrap.

For the filling:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the brown rice syrup, peanut butter, agave nectar, flax meal and vanilla until smooth.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the arrowroot and almond milk until the arrowroot is dissolved. Add the mixture to the brown rice syrup mixture and stir until well combined and smooth.

For the chocolate topping:

1. Melt the chocolate using a double boiler and whisk in the almond milk until smooth.

My debut featured a recipe for a decadent chocolate torte: a thick layer of chocolate cake makes up the base, and the rest is the creamiest, richest and perhaps most intense little slice of pure chocolate sweetness I’ve ever created. Enjoy!

Creamy chocolate torte

Yield: one 6-inch cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1/2 cup spelt flour
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp nondairy milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Mousse filling:

• 1/4 cup nondairy milk
• 1 tbsp agar flakes
• 1 cup coconut cream (see note)
  
• 3 oz dark chocolate, chopped (or 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips)
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1 1/2 tbsp natural smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

For the cake:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the coconut oil, maple syrup, nondairy milk and vanilla and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the coconut oil melts.
2. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir just to combine. It will be a very thin batter.
3. Pour the batter into a lightly oiled 6-inch springform pan and tap the bottom of the pan on your counter to loosen any air bubbles.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the crust comes out clean.
5. Allow to completely cool in the pan.

For the mousse filling:

1. Pour the nondairy milk in a medium saucepan, sprinkle the agar flakes on top and swirl the pan lightly. Let sit for at least 20 minutes to allow the agar flakes to soften.
2. Add the coconut cream and chocolate to the pan and heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cream and chocolate are melted.
3. Pour the mixture into a blender and add the remaining ingredients. Blend for 2 or 3 minutes until smooth and bubbly.
4. Pour the mixture onto the top of the crust in the springform pan and tap the pan on your counter to loosen any air bubbles.
5. Put the pan in the freezer to set, about 2 hours. Garnish with peanut butter and chopped peanuts, if desired.
6. If storing overnight, wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap and tin foil. To serve, remove from the freezer, unwrap and let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

Coconut cream is merely the cream from the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk (look for brands with at least 20% fat content). You should get about 1 cup of cream from one can. The remaining water at the bottom can be reserved for other uses.

I’m pretty unpredictable when it comes to baking for a crowd though. Sometimes I’m in the mood to “wow” the crowd, and other times I settle for comfort food recipes that are popular and recognizable. Either way, I always put a spin on it. Sometimes it’s obvious and sometimes it’s not.

This delicious pudding is one such example. Can you tell by the photos that it’s full of beans? You can’t tell by the taste either. It’s a thick, creamy chocolate-and-nut heaven thanks to the addition of silken tofu, cocoa and nut butter. It’s also incredibly versatile—I’d consider using it as a tart filling, a cream centre for cupcakes or even on its own as a pudding parfait. Here, I used some of it as a filling for mini almond-oat tart crusts. The pudding can be made a day in advance (it thickens and provides a deep chocolate and nut flavour after being refrigerated overnight), and then filled or piped or layered the day of your celebration…or just eat it as a simple fibre-rich pudding!

I was inspired to create this delicious recipe for this month’s SOS Kitchen Challenge, featuring adzuki beans. If it wasn’t for the challenge hosts, Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs, and Kim of Affairs of Living, this pudding would have never happened. The recipe below makes enough crust and filling for about 20 mini tarts. Enjoy!

Adzuki pudding tarts

Yield: 20 tartlets

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup almonds
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
• 2 tbsp canola or sunflower oil
• 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Adzuki pudding:

• 1 1/2 cups cooked adzuki beans (or 1 can)
• 1 12-oz package firm silken tofu (I use Mori Nu)
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 6 tbsp natural nut butter (I use almond and peanut)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Directions:

Crust:

1. In a food processor, process the oats and almonds to a fine meal.
2. Add the cinnamon, salt, brown rice flour, baking powder and coconut and pulse to combine.
3. Finally, add the oil, maple syrup and vanilla and process until well combined. The mixture should stick together when pressed between two fingers. If it seems too dry, add a teaspoon or two of water.
4. Press the mixture into the bottom of oiled tart tins. Bake at 350 for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until dry to the touch and lightly browned. Allow to cool completely before filling.

Adzuki pudding:

1. In a high-powered blender, puree the beans and silken tofu. Add the remaining ingredients and blend for 2 or 3 minutes until smooth.
2. Refrigerate the filling in a covered container for several hours or overnight to allow it to thicken up. Pipe or spread the filling into tart crusts and refrigerate until ready to serve. Tarts are best eaten the day they are made.

Crust recipe adapted from More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts.