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Archive for March 2012

Super Charge Me Cookies

by Gabriela
March 5th, 2012

If you’ve been reading Une Vie Saine for awhile, you’re probably already well aware of my obsession with Super Charge Me cookies.

They’re seriously the best, healthiest, tastiest, bangingest (yes, that’s a word) cookies ever. I love good-for-you foods, but I rarely assert that vegan or “healthified” baked goods live up to their butter-and-sugar counterparts. These cookies are the exception. 9 times out of 10, I’d take them over a Toll House chocolate chip one. I make them a few times a month for various occasions, and they always get rave reviews and recipe requests.

I wish I could claim credit for them, but alas, they’re the genius creation of Dreena Burton. And since it’s been awhile since I shared the love, I thought it was time to renew my vows.

Super Charge Me Cookies

From Dreena Burton’s Eat, Drink and Be Vegan

Makes about 12 cookies- I usually double it!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup rolled oats (NOT instant- use the whole oats!)
  • 2/3 cup spelt flour (you can sub other flours, but lower gluten ones work best- like whole wheat pastry or all-purpose)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut (if you don’t like coconut, add an extra tablespoon of oats)
  • 1 cup mix-ins (have fun here! I always use chocolate chips, and I also love pecans, walnuts, chopped peanuts, dried fruit, M&Ms, etc.)
  • 1/3 cup flax seeds
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup (this can also be subbed for melted honey or agave, but it changes the flavor, so play around and figure out what you like)
  • 3 tablespoons nut butter (natural almond butter gives them the best consistency)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil (melted coconut oil works too, but again, it changes the taste and texture a bit)
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, sea salt, cinnamon, coconut and mix-ins with a fork.
  3. In a separate smaller bowl, mix the flax, maple syrup, nut butter, vanilla and oil until all the chunks of nut butter are gone.
  4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry, and stir well until everything is well combined and no dry patches remain.
  5. Use a tablespoon (for small cookies) or a 1/4 measuring cup (for large cookies) to drop the cookies onto the baking sheet. They can be rather close, since the cookies don’t spread much.
  6. Bake for exactly 13 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

These cookies are fabulous. They’re thick, dense and chewy, and have a complex, nutty/cinnamony/oaty flavor. Plus, they’re filling enough to be an actual snack, whereas most cookies need a side of real food to fill you up. Enjoy!
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Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups

by Gabriela
March 2nd, 2012

Recently, I’ve been going through lots of old posts and putting a decent amount of them on “private” for the time being. There’s nothing inappropriate or endangering written in them; I’ve just realized lately how much information about me is so easily available on the internet, and it’s a little weird. I love my readers and the support everyone has given me over the years, but I also know from numbers that there are hundreds more lurkers than the few dozen I’m familiar with- lurkers that are undoubtedly mostly awesome, but could include future employers and scary internet trollers.

So, I’m keeping the blog mystery, so to speak: leaving the posts that are relevant, interesting, fun and have a point- and hibernating those random rambles whose silly information mounts up to a lot. Quality over quantity, right?

While doing my blorginization, I stumbled across this recipe that I posted a few months ago in the middle of a dinner post. Homemade peanut butter cups are incredibly easy to make and a total crowd pleaser- they obviously deserve their own post! There are tons of recipes for them out there, but here’s my take on them.

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups

Yields about 24 mini cups or 12 large ones

Ingredients

  • 12 oz bag good-quality semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 cup natural chunky peanut butter, refrigerated
  • 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar.
  • roasted salted peanuts, for garnish
Directions:
  1. Line 24 mini muffin tins or 12 regular muffin tins with paper liners.
  2. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips by microwaving at 50% power for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through.
  3. Add the sea salt to the melted chocolate and stir very well. Use two spoons to pour a thin layer of chocolate into the bottom of each muffin mold, then place in the freezer for a few minutes to solidify.
  4. In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter and confectioner’s sugar. Use a teaspoon to scoop the mixture onto the hardened chocolate.
  5. Working quickly, spoon the remaining chocolate over the peanut butter. Top with a few salted peanuts and immediately refrigerate or freeze until solid.

So easy. The sea salt really brings them to the next level, and I’ve found that just by adding those few peanuts, you trick people into thinking you’re some kind of candy magician.
What steps to you take, if any, to keep your information private on the internet? Have you ever edited down your blog or social media profiles?
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