When Good Cookies Go Bad

I should have known.... never, ok, well rarely, do I try recipes from the backs of boxes, the insides of lids, etc. But when I found this teff flour, which I intended on using to make injera tomorrow, I happened to see that there was a recipe for peanut butter cookies on the back!

At first, I was thrilled, since our vegetarian group meeting was upcoming and I knew there were several celiac members (gluten-free). Teff being gluten free, and this product being officially tested as safe for celiacs, I jumped in. A little warning voice in my head said, "But this recipe calls for no baking powder or baking soda, and this flour is damn expensive!" Hold the expense, I told the voice (I love to talk to myself, but it's even better when I talk back). These people are worth it, I said. Besides, I'll just add some baking soda.

Well, the results, as you can see, are picture perfect. They cooked nicely and didn't stick to the baking sheets. The flavor was peanut buttery and not too sweet. But the texture? Well, let's just say my husband called them, "sand cookies," and recommended that I not serve them to the general public. I scowled at the voice in my head but what was I to do? I could not, will not, throw them out. So I thought I would ask my dear readers, many of whom are excellent with the food experimenting thing, to give me some ideas. I have nearly two dozen sandy peanut butter cookies! What to do next? (I did have one idea - crumble them with some oil and bake them into pie crusts). Please leave a comment and help a poor vegan baker out!


Meanwhile, here is something that did turn out - very well indeed! This is Dreena's "Hempanola" (Eat, Drink and Be Vegan) Yup - it's got hemp seeds! I've used them before, but they're mighty hard to find. When visiting my parents, I saw that my mother (of all people! - she's never even smoked...I don't think) had a bag of hemp seeds in her fridge (for Dreena's Apple Hemp muffins - go figure!). She helped me procure some and now... I'm all smiles as I scarf down this excellent granola. Actually, I really can't stop eating it.... someone help me!.....Small note - I didn't find the barley flakes (after searching every possible store in two states) so I just used oat. And I used a tropical fruit mix for my add-ins. Yummy breakfast for the new year, but still I prefer muesli, as it doesn't make me crave sugar for the rest of the morning.
Speaking of good food (no mistakes here!) I also made Eat, Drink and Be Vegan's Chickpea Sensation Patties. I knew after tasting just the raw mix, I was going to flip for these! They were perfectly spicy, very flavorful, and not too much work. I had some leftover brown rice from New Year's, so that part of the recipe was already done! We enjoyed them in whole wheat pita pockets with balsamic-flax dressing, which could barely hold the lettuce, shredded carrot, and shredded cucumbers I had to pile in there! I'm a vegetarian for a reason, you know!

However, I did notice that I couldn't really taste the awesome flavor of the patties with all that veggie stuff in the way. My husband remarked, upon first bite, "They're ok." I thought - well, he hasn't really tasted them yet. I encouraged him to eat one without the toppings and he was really impressed! Impressed enough to eat four total patties that night (this coming from a man who sometimes "forgets" to eat lunch). The next night, I was eager to eat these again, but this time I served them with fresh kale (quickly stir-fried with olive oil and garlic), and topped them both with Everyday Vegan's Tahini-Tamari Sauce and a few shreds of carrot (just for effect). The best! Now, if you haven't read my blog in a while, you'll be interested to know why my blog name has changed. Just check out the post before this one. My peaceful thought for the day: I returned from my vegetarian group meeting so thankful for people that think the same way I do, and with whom I can talk openly about the horror of the meat industry and it's harm to the planet. It made my step and my heart lighter. Peace.