Itching.
I have been itching to blog for the past, oh I don’t know forever, but yet again the hustle and bustle of every day life has gotten the best of me. The thing is, is that I could, in theory, whip out my iPhone, upload a few Instagram shots and give you guys a lackluster blog post in all of 20 minutes – but that’s just not my style.
When I post I like to do it right. That usually includes trying out a recipe at least twice before I post it, taking some respectable looking photos using the grown-up camera (I’m no Helmut Newton but I try), editing said photos and then writing up the actual post. Time consuming yes – but also very gratifying. That said I’ve been feeling a lot of blog-guilt lately, especially since you, dear readers, are so good to me. Even when I fail to post for weeks at a time, your comments, Facebook posts an e-mails never subside. I’m so grateful and lucky to have readers like you
So, in an attempt to appease my guilt, I present to you what has become my most successful healthy dessert recipe yet.
Healthified Vegan Red Velvet Cookies
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
- 1/2 cup organic brown sugar (you could also try this with xylitol for sugar-free cookies)
- 1/3 cup organic coconut oil
- 1/4 cup cooked beetroot puree
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup date molasses
- 1 1/4 cups organic wholewheat pastry flour*
- 1 tsp raw cacao powder (unsweetened cocoa will also work)
- 1/2 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
For the frosting:
- 1 cup cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp of cornstarch – to thicken
*I can’t always find this, so sometimes I sieve regular wholewheat flour to remove some of the coarser wheat bran an just use that.
Directions:
- In a bowl, combine the wet ingredients (coconut oil, date molasses, vanilla extract and beet puree) with the sugar and whisk till well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, cocoa power, salt, and baking power and add to the wet ingredients. Mix well and then place in the fridge (or freezer, if you’re in a hurry) until the dough firms up.
- To bake, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F an line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough into uniform balls about 2 inch thick, place on the sheet and flatten. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies puff up and are just starting to brown – careful not to overbake as they should be slightly crispy on the outside but soft and chewy in texture.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting (otherwise you will end up with a sticky mess, trust me.)
- For the frosting combine all the ingredients in a small food processor and pulse till blended. Add cornstarch as needed to thicken and place in the fridge to firm up.
- Frost the cookies using a piping bag or a dessert spoon if you’re feeling lazy. Scrounge up some red cookie crumbs to garnish and serve!
I’ll be honest, the first couple of times I made this I used the original frosting recipe which is decidedly not all that healthy – but I was baking them for my boss’s birthday and wanted to impress. The healthified frosting however, is just as good in my eyes. It may not be as pristinely white but hey, no big deal.
As for the cookies? I urge you to try them and let me know what you think. The feedback I received on multiple occasions was that they were delicious and dangerously addictive.
And not one person would’ve guessed that they were full of healthy fats and wholewheat flour, let alone a vegetable!
Michelle says
Hi, I’m glad your blog is back and really looking forward to trying these !
I was just wondering if I’ve missed something about the ingredients for the frosting? I read your note about combining the ingredients & adding cornstarch but don’t see the frosting ingredients listed.
For the beet root puree, did you get it ready made or did you make it yourself ?
Thanks!
Michelle
Nada says
Hello Michelle,
So sorry I just realised the recipe is missing! I’ll scramble back to my notes and fix it now. As for the beetroot puree I made it myself but you could easily use store-bought.
Nada says
Hi Michelle – the recipe has been updated! 🙂
Michelle says
Thanks !!