Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan and Whole-Grain)

Well, I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that this is a chocolate cookie that is whole-grain, vegan, and still manages to be as chewy and delicious as the best chocolate chip cookies you've eaten.

The bad news is that this is a chocolate cookie that is whole-grain, vegan, and still manages to be as chewy and delicious as the best chocolate chip cookies you've eaten.

What this means for you is that you will want to eat ALL OF THE COOKIES because they will fool you into thinking that they're actually healthy. And granted - they are definitely healthier than other chocolate chip cookies. But yeah. Unfortunately, they're not actually all that healthy (no matter what I tell myself as I pop yet another one into my mouth).

But they are that delicious. I wasn't sure what to expect with these, as it was the first recipe I'd tried from the wonderful recipe archive Yum Universe. And me = blown away. Also, my friends = blown away. These are fabulous little treats!

I didn't really adapt the original recipe much at all. The only thing I did was use organic granulated cane sugar because I didn't have sucanat on hand. I also added more vanilla extract than what was called for because, well, I seem to always do that. If you're making these for someone with a soy allergy, double check all ingredients, especially the chocolate chips (which often have soy lecithin in them). Otherwise, just do what the nice lady tells you and you will not be sorry.

Click here to get this recipe. And you're welcome. You should also check out the rest of Yum Universe's plant-based recipes - they all look so delicious!

Date-Sweetened Chocolate Donuts by Hope for Healing (Vegan and Gluten-free)

I have a confession to make. I know the Northeast has been in a panic ever since we started hearing news reports earlier this week of the massive snowstorm coming our way (and just briefly: naming it "Nemo"? Really?). But me? I have been beside myself with excitement. First, I love snow. But more importantly, two or three days forced to be holed up in my apartment alone, with no option of going out? That might sound awful to some people, but to me, it sounded like the best gift I could have asked for right now. The last few weeks (and really, last several months) have felt like a whirlwind and a roller coaster. I've been too busy, too rushed, and over-committed. Dealing with some personal struggles (as I guess all of us are, all of the time.) I'm very social and love being with my friends, but as a natural introvert, that also tends to wear me down. And I have been doing a bad job of carving out regular time for myself to recuperate. This forced (and wonderful) solitude is a perfect reminder to be more mindful about taking better care of myself in this way. It shouldn't take a historic snowstorm for me to take the time I need!

So when I heard about Nemo and its up-to-3-feet of snow, I immediately started making plans. Creating a queue of shows to watch and books to read. Getting my cleaning supplies ready to give my apartment a good once-over. And of course, scouring food blogs to decide what I'd bake, and what I'd cook. And when I came across this recipe on the blog Hope for Healing, it shot to the top of my list.

First of all, chocolate? Yes. Check. Second, no refined sugar needed? Double check! I love using dates as natural sweeteners for my chocolate chip cookie dough bites, and I was intrigued to see how they'd turned out in a baked good.

The answer? Beautifully. I adapted the recipe a bit (as I usually do), but stayed mostly true to the original. And these are simply fabulous. They are rich and chocolatey, and oh-so moist! Other donut recipes I've tried to convert from the regular gluten-ful versions have ended up being kind of dry, but not these. These are donuts, friends. I have been tasting them at regular intervals (of course, purely in the interest of quality control for you, dear readers), and I can attest to their shelf stability a day later - they are still as moist and delicious as they were yesterday.

I sprinkled mine with a combination of powdered sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa powder, but you could definitely ice these as well. Maybe add some sprinkles, because sprinkles make people happy.

But whatever your plans are, no matter how busy you are, try to take some time to do something that replenishes your energy and makes you happy. For me, that was baking these donuts. Maybe for you, it would simply be eating these donuts. (Please email me if that is the case because good God, I should not eat 18 mini donuts by myself.)

Date-sweetened Chocolate Donuts (Adapted from this lovely recipe on Hope for Healing)
Makes 18 - 24 mini donuts

1/2 cup pitted and chopped dates
1/2 cup gluten-free chocolate chips
1/2 + tbsp. boiling water
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. salt (feel free to reduce this - I added extra because it pairs so nicely with chocolate)
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 1/2 tbsp. coconut sugar
1 1/2 tsp. chia seeds + 1 tbsp. water (mix together and let sit for 5 minutes until it's a gel)
2 1/2 tbsp. melted coconut oil
2 1/2 tbsp. So Delicious Almond Milk (or other non-dairy milk)
Powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon to top

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray two mini donut pans with cooking spray (click to see which donut pan I have and love).

In a small bowl, combine the dates, chocolate chips, and boiling water and set aside for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until relatively cooled. Stir about halfway through to make sure the chocolate chips are fully melted. When it is cooled, blend very well in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients (tapioca starch, sorghum flour, almond meal, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and coconut sugar) in a medium mixing bowl. Be sure to sift them together - especially the coconut flour, which clumps easily. Add the processed chocolate-date mixture, chia seed gel, coconut oil, and almond milk and mix well together.

Place the batter in the mini donut pans, filling them about 3/4th of the way full. (If you fill them too much, they won't have a donut hole by the time they're finished! Just an aesthetic concern, really.) Place in the oven and bake for 13 - 17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and they are slightly springy. Remove from oven and let sit in the donut pans for another 5 - 7 minutes before removing (or they will fall apart). When they're stable, remove with a knife and place on a cooling rack. When they are completely cooled, sprinkle with the mixture of powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon, or add the topping of your choice.

Store in an airtight container if there are any left over.


*The original recipe called for 2 1/2 tbsp. cocoa powder to be added to the batter; I forgot to add it and mine turned out great, but I can't imagine that more chocolate would be a bad thing! So go on and add it if you're so inclined.
**I think that adding some mini chocolate chips to the batter would also be pretty delightful, although I haven't tried it myself.
***I didn't try making these into donuts by frying them, but the batter consistency makes me unsure about whether it would work. So be forewarned if you decide to try that - but let me know how it turns out if you do!

Sautéed Parmesan Kale

Stupidly good. And healthy to boot! This simple dish has become one of my go-to meals over the last few weeks. It's so easy to throw together, is quick, healthy, and can be eaten alone or with a grain mixed in (I've used brown rice and quinoa so far). It would also be delicious in a grilled cheese sandwich. I love it so much that I've eaten it for two meals in a row a few times. It is possible that not to long from now, I will have eaten my own weight in kale.

And I'm ok with that. See, kale has intimidated me for a long time. I just didn't know what to do with it. There it was, all....leafy. Leafy and expectant, as if I knew how to turn it into something delicious. Well, I didn't. So I avoided it. Even though I knew how healthy it is, and had heard all the promises about how kale is basically the answer to all life's problems. I still avoided it.

And then one day, at the grocery store, there it was again. This time, in the frozen aisle. And I picked up a bag and decided that I would make kale.

And I did! This recipe is so easy, and I especially love it for the fact that this Vegan Parmesan Cheese is the closest thing to real parmesan cheese I've tasted in a while. The best part is that it's foolproof! Everything can be adjusted to your own taste. This takes 6 - 9 minutes tops to make, and can be a side dish or a main dish - it just depends on how big a bucket of kale you're in the mood for.

Sautéed Parmesan Kale
Makes 1 serving

Cooking spray
1 cup frozen kale
2 - 3 tbsp. minced onion (to your own taste)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (to your own taste)
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. chipotle powder (or substitute another chili powder or red pepper flakes)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 - 4 tbsp. Vegan Parmesan Topping

Coat a skillet well with cooking spray. Combine the kale, onion, garlic powder, and chipotle powder, spray well with cooking spray, and sautee over medium heat until the minced onion is slightly browned. Continue cooking for another few minutes and then salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the vegan parmesan topping and serve immediately.

**Ideas for other ways to use this recipe:

• Combine the sauteed kale and parmesan with cooked quinoa for a lovely pilaf.
• Add a layer of this to a grilled cheese sandwich (using Daiya cheese wedges).
• Serve as a side dish with scrambled eggs and toast.

Sweet Vegan Blueberry Corn Muffins

Sweet, crumbly, and moist - that's how these turned out. They are absolutely wonderful. So good that I scarfed down two whole ones within 7 minutes of their coming out of the oven. So yeah. That happened.

But I didn't feel too guilty because I eliminated most of the oil in these. So on top of their being vegan, they're also low-fat and use banana and applesauce to bind them together. So your internal narrative can center around all the wonderful potassium and doctor-sending-away-ness of the muffins instead of those piddly 2 tablespoons of oil. At least, that's what happens in my head when I eat them. Everyone I gave them to thought they were just as fabulous as I did - vegans and non-vegans, gluten-free and gluten-ful alike. The only thing I'll recommend is that you store them in the fridge, as they became a bit TOO moist sitting out on the counter at room temperature (even in my chilly basement apartment).

Sweet Vegan Blueberry Corn Muffins (Adapted from this recipe)
Makes 12 muffins

3/4 cup gluten-free cornmeal
1/2 sorghum flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 soft ripe banana, mashed
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. smooth applesauce
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp. So Delicious Almond Milk (or other non-dairy milk)
1 1/2 tbsp. gluten-free vanilla extract
1 - 1 1/2 cups wild Maine blueberries
Raw sugar to sprinkle on top

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl (everything up to and including the brown sugar) and mix well. In a separate mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the banana, olive oil, applesauce, soy milk, and vanilla extract). Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix well. Add the blueberries and stir them in gently.

Fill each muffin liner 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 18 - 22 minutes, or just until they are slightly browned on top and a toothpick comes out clean. About halfway through the baking, when they have started to set, sprinkle each one with a little raw sugar (quickly, and without moving them too much!).

Serve warm from the oven, or store in the fridge and eat cold. They are delicious no matter how you eat them!

Airy Mexican Wedding Cookies

I'm a pretty predictable person, in an almost mathematical way. Overcast afternoon + pressing deadline for work or school = I will definitely be baking something. Sometimes all I really need is the pressing deadline for work or school. #masterprocrastinator

Some of the omissions in this cookie recipe may make you skeptical. No eggs? Only 2 tbsp. sugar for the entire batch of cookie dough? Add to that the fact that I decided to cut the fat down by substituting applesauce and vegan cream cheese for some of the butter, and it really makes you wonder how it could still end up being a cookie-like creation.

I know. Me too.

But trust me - these are anything but skimpy. They are light and tender and wonderfully full of vanilla, with a lovely little crunch from the pecans. Just be careful when you're eating them, as the powdered sugar may or may not explode all over your clothes when you take a bite. (Some of my friends avoided this quite deftly by just popping the whole thing into their mouth at once. So....you have options.)

And the best part is that these take almost no time to throw together. The dough comes together in a matter of minutes, and they will be melting in your mouth before you know it.

Gluten-free Mexican Wedding Cookies (Adapted from this recipe)
Makes 20 - 24 small cookies

3 tbsp. Earth Balance butter stick
3 tbsp. vegan cream cheese
2 tbsp. smooth applesauce
2 tbsp. white sugar
1.5 tbsp. vanilla
1 cup gluten-free flour blend
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/3 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 300 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix together the Earth Balance, vegan cream cheese, and applesauce with an electric mixer. Add in the 2 tbsp. white sugar and vanilla and continue to blend until all ingredients are creamed.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add in stages to the cookie dough batter, mixing each bit in with the electric mixer. By hand, stir in the chopped pecans.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on the parchment paper. Bake at 300 F for about 15 - 18 minutes, or just until the bottoms are browned and they are firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let sit on the cookie sheet for 2 - 3 minutes, then roll each one in powdered sugar while still warm and place on a cooling rack. Once cooled, roll in powdered sugar once more time. Store in an airtight container with layers separated with waxed paper so they don't stick together. 

Sauteed Hakurei Turnips with Green Garlic

Have you ever heard of - or seen - a Hakurei Turnip before?

I had not. So when I opened my first box of farm share goodies from Siena Farms, I wasn't totally sure what they were, much less what to do with them. They don't look like the turnips I'm used to - these are tasty and crispy raw, with a subtle sweetness that is drawn out even more if you sprinkle a little salt over them. After tasting them raw, I was curious to see how they hold up under heat.

Deliciously, it turns out. They're sort of starchy, but with fewer calories than potatoes and a nice, light texture. And with the simple additions of green garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper, you won't go wrong!

Farm Share Experiment #1 = success.

Sauteed Hakurei Turnips with Green Garlic

1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 piece green garlic, chopped
1 clove garlic, diced
4 - 6 Hakurei turnips, sliced finely
1/2 tsp. fresh oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil and add the green garlic, garlic, oregano, and sliced turnips together. Sautee over medium heat for 4 - 7 minutes, or until the turnips are nicely browned and soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

German Vollkornbrot (Seeded Bread)

Many years ago, before I was diagnosed with celiac, I spent two years living in Germany. And in a way, I'm grateful for the fact that I wasn't yet diagnosed. Sure, I felt awful most of the time and struggled with all kinds of symptoms that come with undiagnosed gluten intolerance. But on the upside, if I had to be dealing with all of that, at least I was surrounded by some of the best glutenful food I've ever tasted. The softest pretzels, the most delicious and refreshing (and largest) wheat beers, Bavarian potato salad I could probably eat a vat of, and bread. Oh, the bread.

The bread in Germany is of a very different strand than it is here in the U.S. We tend to enjoy softer, more pliable breads here; breads that will soak up your peanut butter and jelly, and cushion your club sandwich. But not German bread. German bread is unapologetically solid. It packs a punch and is often the wholest of whole grain and has a dense texture studded with lots of seeds and nuts.

I love it. 

So when this month's Gluten-free Ratio Rally challenge for bread rolled around, I knew just what I wanted to make: a replica of my favorite German bread, Vollkornbrot ("fully seeded bread"). I relied mainly on dark whole grain flours like teff and buckwheat, added apple cider vinegar for a sourdough-like flavor, and dumped a full cup of seeds in there - pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and chia seeds. And you don't have to stop there. Go wild. Add whatever you want. I'm pretty confident it will turn out to be delicious. 

A big thanks to Karen of Cooking Gluten Free for hosting this month's Rally!

Ruhlman's ratio for bread is 5 parts flour to 3 parts water, but I ended up needing to add a bit more water to mine, so that my ratio ended up more like 5 parts flour to 3.5 parts water. I made this in a bread machine, but you could certainly make it the traditional way and just let it rise for a good 30 - 45 minutes in a warm place before smoothing it into a bread pan and baking in a conventional oven.

This won't rise very much, but that's ok. That's the German way, at least for this particular style of bread. It's meant to be very dense and cut into thin slices. My German roommates and I used to sit around the breakfast table for hours, chatting away the late morning and cutting slice after slice. We would eat it with all kinds of wonderful jams, Nutella, slices of cheese with butter.... After this loaf came out of the breadmaker, I felt so nostalgic that I pulled out some of my homemade German Forest Berry jam to enjoy spread across a toasted piece.

I hope you enjoy as much as I did. Here's the recipe, and be sure to check below for the links to the rest of the fantastic bread creations that my fellow Ratio Rally friends came up with!

Breadmaker German Vollkornbrot (Seeded Bread)

100 g teff flour

75 g buckwheat flour

50 g sorghum flour

25 g potato starch

2 tbsp. flaxseed meal

2 tbsp. chia seeds

1 tsp. salt

1.5 tsp. xanthan gum

175 g warm water

1 tbsp. canola oil

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp. sugar

3 tsp. rapid rise yeast 

1 cup mixed seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, etc.)

Bread machine directions:

Combine the wet ingredients and the yeast into the bread machine pan. In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients except for the mixed seeds (which you will add later in the bread machine cycle). Pour them over the wet ingredients and set the bread machine to the gluten-free cycle. After the first rise (during the second knead) or whenever your bread machine tells you to do it, add the cup of mixed seeds and stir to mix well. Make sure to spread the dough out evenly in the pan. Let bake for the rest of the bread machine cycle. Remove from pan when done and let cool on a wire rack.

For conventional ovens:
If you are making this in a conventional oven, no problem! If you go this route, you'll want to proof the yeast before you add it. To do this, stir together about 1/2 cup of the water, the tbsp. sugar, and the 3 tbsp. yeast and let sit in a warm place until it doubles. Combine the dry ingredients, including all of the seeds and nuts, and then add all of the wet ingredients at once and mix well. Place into a greased bread pan, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 30 - 60 minutes, or until it's grown substantially in size (it may not double, but it should get marginally bigger). Meanwhile, preheat the oven to about 350 F. When the bread has risen, stick it into the oven and bake for 25 - 40 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when you tap on the bottom and the edges are golden brown.

More Recipes
Check out these other wonderful options for some gluten-free breads to try from my fellow Ratio Rally friends!

Adina | Gluten Free Travelette  Seedy Sandwich Bread
Angela | Angela’s Kitchen  Our Family’s Basic Gluten Free Dairy Free Bread
~Aunt Mae (aka ~Mrs. R) | Honey From Flinty Rocks  Chia Millet Bread
Brooke | B & the boy!  Buckwheat-Oat Bread
Charissa | Zest Bakery  Cherry Pecan Pot Bread, Gluten Free  
Claire | This Gluten-Free Life  German Vollkornbrot (Seeded Bread)
Erin | The Sensitive Epicure English Sandwich Bread (gluten-free & egg-free)   
Jenn | Jenn Cuisine  Gluten Free Boule
Jonathan | The Canary Files Gluten-Free, Vegan Mediterranean Soda Bread
Karen | Cooking Gluten Free!  Gluten Free Sandwich Bread/Gluten Free Naan
Meaghan | The Wicked Good Vegan  Vegan Gluten-Free Bread
Meg | Gluten-Free Boulangerie  Ciabatta (gluten-free, egg-free/vegan)
Monika | Chew on This!  amaranth skillet flatbreads, amaranth mini pita rounds
Morri | Meals with Morri No Knead Sun-dried Tomato & Basil Flatbread (yeast free/grain free) 
Pete & Kelli | No Gluten, No Problem  Gluten-Free Challah
Rachel / The Crispy Cook  Gluten Free Chickpea Sandwich Bread
TR | No One Likes Crumbley Cookies  Gluten Free White Bread
Tara | A Baking Life  Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread & Boule

Cherry Amaretto Pancakes for One (Vegan)

Do NOT let the vegan thing scare you off. These fluff up just as nicely as any egg-laden pancakes, I promise you that. And they are so simple to throw together - trust me, I know because I made about 5 different batches before I got the ratio right.

These are wonderfully sweet, but if you're trying to reduce your sweets intake, you can leave the sugar out and still get great results. That's because sugar or no sugar, the pairing of cherries with the amaretto syrup is unbeatable. The flavor in these is just heavenly. The recipe below will make enough for one really hungry or 1 1/2 moderately hungry people, so I recommend doubling the recipe if you're having a guest for breakfast. Or if you just don't want them to run out as quickly (which....let's face it. You won't.)

Cherry Amaretto Pancakes for One 

Makes about 6 small or 3 medium pancakes
*This recipe is easily doubled or tripled.

3 tbsp. + 1 tsp. sorghum flour (3/4 oz.)

2 tbsp. almond flour (1/2 oz.)

2 tbsp. tapioca starch (1/2 oz.)

1 tbsp. white sugar (1/2 oz.)

1/8 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. EnerG Egg Replacer + 1 tbsp. water

2 ½ tbsp. So Delicious Vanilla AlmondPlus Milk

1 ½ tsp. Earth Balance Buttery Spread, melted

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. amaretto syrup (can substitute ½ tsp. almond extract)

1/3 cup cherries, chopped into small pieces

Maple syrup, amaretto syrup, and extra cherries for topping

Measure out the flours and mix them together with the salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat the egg replacer with the tablespoon of water until frothy, then add the almond milk, melted vegan butter substitute, vanilla, and amaretto syrup and mix together. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ones and stir to combine. Add in the chopped cherries.

Meanwhile, spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray and preheat at medium heat. When the skillet is preheated, add about 1 ½ - 2 tbsp. worth of batter for each pancake (the batter will spread in the pan). Cook for about 2 – 3 minutes on each side until done all the way through.

Serve hot topped with maple syrup, amaretto syrup, and the extra cherries mixed together. 

Chewy (Better Than) Fig Newtons

Who doesn't love fig newtons?  Seriously, if such people exist, I have not met them. 

I don't know exactly what made me crave them last week.  It may have been because the last time I was at Trader Joe's, I came across a new product that made me want to jump in the aisle.  Fig butter!  And it was so cheap.  Needless to say, I stocked up, afraid that it would disappear quickly, like other favorite TJ's products that have vanished oh-so-suddenly from the shelf, leaving me standing forlorn in the aisle (cranberry chutney, I'm talking to you!).

These are super simple to make - I swear.  You mix the dough, spread it on parchment or wax paper, spread the fig butter over half of it, and then fold it over.  It's like a little fig burrito.  AND - they are gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free.  Seriously. 

For my first attempt, I tried this recipe from Elana's Pantry just as she made it.  They were tasty, all right - but I didn't feel like they had the heavier texture of fig newtons that I was really looking for. 

So I innovated a bit.  I tweaked the flours, adding some more whole grainy goodness to balance out the plain almond flour.  I made the dough a little drier, and substituted applesauce for some of the fat.  I baked them for slightly less time. 

They came out so wonderfully, even I can't believe it.  I brought these into work with me, and my co-workers couldn't believe they were gluten-free.  One woman liked them so much that she kept checking in with me to see how many I had left, torn between taking one at the expense of someone else and just, you know, really wanting another fig newton.

But maybe you'll think of some other, new way to make these that will be even better.  If you do, please share your own tweaks with me.  Until you come up with your favorite version, though, these will definitely hit the spot for a fig newton craving. 

Chewy Fig Newtons
Makes about 40 small cookies

1/2 cup almond flour
1 cup + 1 tbsp. sorghum flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. canola oil
2 tbsp. applesauce
2 tsp. vanilla extract
6 (or more) tbsp. fig butter (you can buy this at Trader Joe's or use any other fig jam/butter)


In a small bowl, combine the flours, salt, and xanthan gum and mix together well.  In another small bowl, combine the agave nectar, honey, oil, applesauce, and vanilla and mix well to combine.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix together until it's as smooth as it can be.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. 

Remove the dough from the refrigerator.  Take about half of it and plop it onto one side of a large piece of wax paper.  Fold the wax paper over in half and use a rolling pin to make an even rectangle that is about 10 - 12 inches long and about 4 inches wide.  Peel back one half of the wax paper (so that the top of the dough is now exposed) and then transfer the whole thing to a piece of greased parchment paper for baking.  You can do this by greasing the parchment paper, then pressing it onto the top of the dough, then flipping the whole thing over and peeling back the rest of the wax paper (which will now be on top).

Spread a generous amount of fig butter along one half of the dough - as much as you want, really.  Go crazy.  Make them figgy.  Then, using the parchment paper to help you, fold the dough in half.  Peel back the parchment paper carefully from the top of the cookie.  Use a knife or fork to tuck in the dough fringes so that none of the fig butter is exposed. 

Place the parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 10 - 13 minutes, or just until the dough is set and is ever-so-slightly browned.  It may not look totally done - that's ok.  Remove from the oven and let sit on the pan for about 3 - 5 minutes, then, using a sharp knife, cut into little fig newton squares and cool on a rack. 

Repeat the process with the other half of the dough, or freeze it to use later.  Keep refrigerated, but leave out at room temperature or zap in the microwave briefly before serving for the best flavor.

Fresh Carrot Salad with Sunflower Seeds and Blueberries

I love cooking - that much should be obvious.  But there are days when even I can't take it.  Days that are so hot, and so lazy, that I just want a 5-minute meal.  To put a bunch of things in a bowl and be done.

Today was one of those days.  And it also happened to be the day that one of my friends sent me the link to the New York Times Minimalist guide to summer salads.  The list is extensive, with almost any ingredient I could think of, put together with ingredients I might not have thought of right away. 

Number 7 on the list caught my eye immediately.  I had carrots.  I had blueberries.  I love both.  It was a done deal. 

This salad comes together in a matter of minutes, and will be a lovely addition to whatever else you're having for dinner, or great on its own as well.  The crunchy carrots and sunflower seeds balance the berries, and the lemon and pepper bring out the flavors in a refreshing, delicious way.  It's delightful.

Save this one for a hot day when you want something quick, refreshing, and cool.  And enjoy.


Fresh Carrot Salad with Sunflower Seeds and Blueberries (from this list)

1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup blueberries
1 - 2 tsp. olive oil
2 - 4 tbsp. lemon juice (to taste)
black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients.  Eat.  Enjoy. 

Grilled Eggplant Pesto Melt

You know how sometimes you turn around and the person who's been there all along is the one you end up wanting?

That's how I'm feeling about eggplant right now.

Who knew it was so full of flavor, and that it would develop such an irresistible, almost buttery texture when grilled?  That it would melt on the tongue like that?  Clearly I didn't know what I was missing.

I made pesto the other night (something I've been meaning to do forever, since buying dairy-free pesto is usually not possible, and when it is, it is not cheap).  So far, I've made pesto chicken wraps, and I've had some on pasta.  And tonight, I threw some on the grilled eggplant I had just made.  And just for good measure, threw some Daiya Vegan Cheese on top.  And oh, my God.  Heaven.  This is a super easy dish to make, and if you eat enough of it, it could totally be your dinner!  But it would also be an excellent appetizer, and just fancy enough in its simplicity to be party food.  It takes less than 15 minutes to put together - but I swear it won't taste like it.

For grilled eggplant:
1/2 eggplant, cut into thin slices
Cooking spray or olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For topping:
1-2 tsp. basil pesto per eggplant slice
Daiya Vegan Mozzarella Cheese

Heat a nonstick pan with cooking spray.  Place the sliced eggplant over medium heat and fry for about 4 minutes on each side, or until it's browned on the outside and soft on the inside.

You can do this next step either while it's still in the pan, or you can use the oven or microwave.  Spread some pesto on each slice of grilled eggplant and sprinkle with Daiya Cheese.  Heat until it melts.  You can either make them into little eggplant sandwiches or leave them open-faced.  Serve immediately.

Fudgy (but secretly healthy) Brownie Batter Dip

I've become ever-so-slightly obsessed with finding healthy ways to pig out on foods we all love to indulge in.  Like cookie dough, for instance.  Mmmm, cookie dough - why is it that it tastes so much better than the cookies themselves?  I've pondered the same question for brownies.  Maybe more than is normal.  There's something illicit about eating brownie batter, and at the same time, nostalgic. And, you know....sometimes unsafe.

But fear no more, because there is nothing unsafe about these.  No raw eggs.  Just raw awesomeness.  It takes mere minutes (minutes!) to throw together, and the only problem is that it might take an equally short amount of time before it's gone.

I know that this is pictured on a cracker here.  But I'll be honest with you - even though I'm calling this a dip, I know you won't judge me if I tell you that I ate most of it straight out of the bowl with a spoon.  After all, that's how brownie batter was meant to be enjoyed: unmitigated in its delicious fudginess.

Fudgy (but secretly healthy) Brownie Batter Dip

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well
3 - 4 tbsp. cocoa powder (to your own taste)
2 tbsp. Marshmallow Fluff or Ricemellow Vegan Marshmallow Cream
2 tbsp. agave nectar
1/4 cup brown sugar (more or less to your own taste)
2 tbsp. nut butter (I used a combination of peanut butter and sunbutter)
2 tbsp. smooth applesauce
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. flaxseed meal (optional)
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine everything but the chocolate chips in a food processor and blend until very smooth.  Adjust everything to your own taste.  Remove to a bowl and stir in the chocolate chips.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.  For best results, eat with a spoon, or serve as a dip with gluten-free graham crackers.

Tangy Vegan Chili

And just when I thought I couldn't be surprised by chili!  This is a recipe I have actually been meaning to post since a few months ago, when I first had it at a party hosted by my friends Matt and Mimi (click on their names to check out their fabulous blogs). It was an April Fool's party, and there was talk of chili, so I came with a batch of my banana cornbread muffins in tow, still warm from the oven.  Before I'd even climbed all of the stairs, I could smell the chili wafting down to me.  And if it smelled good, it tasted even better.

Matt made the chili, but says the recipe comes from his mom, Fonda Lowe.  It's a forgiving recipe, and most of the spices can be added to your own taste.  What you see below is an adaptation of what Matt did, which was based largely on the availability of ingredients in my kitchen when I made it.  It is quick and easy to throw together.  You can use any beans you want - black, white, pinto, chili.  Go to town!  The taste offers a slight departure, but one you'll be glad you took - trust me.  It's a chili that might not taste exactly like the chili you're used to.  That's because of a few less traditional - but brilliant - additional ingredients.  This chili is smoky and sweet, with a little kick and tang.

The other wonderful thing about this chili for me was that it introduced me to an ingredient I had never tried before: textured vegetable protein (Bob's Red Mill makes a gluten-free one!  I haven't checked any other brands.).  And therein lies the secret to the "meatiness" of this vegan chili.  TVP is super easy to use and expands into hearty little chunks that add an air of dense protein to the chili. 

It's seriously, seriously good.  Just try making it and not practically licking the pot clean.

Tangy Vegan Chili

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped finely
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 large or 2 small green peppers, diced
2 tbsp. tomato paste + 1 1/2 cups water OR 1 can diced tomatoes (with the juice) + water to cover all ingredients
1 cup Bob's Red Mill Textured Vegetable Protein
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 - 2 tsp. chili powder (to taste)
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 bottle Trader Joe's Barbecue Sauce
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well
2 - 4 tsp. liquid smoke (optional, but highly recommended) (Colgin is gluten-free!)

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the olive oil and onion in a pot and cook over medium heat for about 4 - 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and continue to cook until the onion is translucent.  Add the green pepper, tomato paste, water, textured vegetable protein, spices, barbecue sauce, black beans, and liquid smoke and stir well.  Bring to a low boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 - 30 minutes, or longer.  Basically, you should simmer it until you are happy with the way it tastes.  Add more water as needed if you're going to simmer it for a longer period of time.  It's delicious on its own or served with corn bread.

Ratio Rally: Strawberry Banana Scones with Lemon-Almond Glaze

What do you think of when you hear the word "scones"?  I think of tea.  Proper English teas, with tiny cucumber sandwiches and fancy tiered trays of desserts and small porcelain cups.  I think of raised pinky fingers.

This month, the Gluten-free Ratio Rally took on scones.

It's hard to find a universal ratio for scones.  Michael Ruhlman doesn't lay out a ratio for them.  He gives one for biscuits, but while scones are related, they're really somewhere in their own separate domain.  You can see the family resemblance.  A similar profile; a familiar crumb.  But they have their own thing going on.  They're independent.

So this month was particularly challenging, because not only was I trying to find the right combination of flavors, but I was also trying to find the right ratio at the same time.  To complicate matters, there are different kinds of scones as well - classic scones, cream scones, drop scones....  It's almost enough to make you throw in the towel and just make a cake or cookies instead.  Almost.

I hope it goes without saying that I had my fair share of baking failures this month.  Some were too liquidy, while others were too dry.  (I realize that it's starting to sound like the scones version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but seriously, the consistency was really tough!)  The first batch that actually tasted good turned out to be more like a cake than a scone.  Delicious, yes.  But scones they were not.

But finally came a version that I could dust with flour and pat out into rounds.  I could cut it into pieces and move those pieces to a baking sheet without them falling apart.  And they baked up into wonderful scones which, especially when paired with the lemon-almond glaze, tasted pretty heavenly.  They were dry enough to be, well, scones and crumble apart, but moist enough to actually stay together.  The ratio of flour : liquid : egg : fat I ended up with was 2.5 : 1 : 0.5 : 1.  Kind of a strange ratio, but there it is all the same.

I think it's important to note that the strawberry flavor may not come through very strongly if you don't add the chopped strawberries to the batter.  If you don't want to add them for some reason, I'd add a bit of strawberry extract to make sure that it gets its fair share of the limelight.  Also, I did add chocolate chips to some of these to test out the flavor.  They were really good, although I sort of had the feeling that they were standing between the lemon almond glaze and my palate.  So I've included them in the recipe as optional, and depending on how much you love chocolate and strawberries together, you can take them or leave them.

These are best eaten warm.  Warm from the oven is best (does anyone out there really wait for baked goods to cool before eating them?  I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who goes right in for a taste...right?), but at least microwaved for 10-30 seconds if you're having one from the fridge or freezer.

So here you go.  Put the kettle on - it's time for tea.

Strawberry Banana Scones with Lemon-Almond Glaze
Makes 12 medium scones

For scones:
75 g almond flour
100 g brown rice flour (plus extra for kneading/dusting)
75 g tapioca starch
50 g potato starch
45 g granulated sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
50 g shortening
100 g banana (1 small ripe banana), cut into pieces
100 g pureed strawberries
1 egg or Egg Replacer
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup finely chopped strawberries
Optional: 1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips
Optional: 2 - 4 tbsp. non-dairy milk to

For Lemon Almond Glaze:
60 - 100 g powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. almond extract (this is very strong, so use sparingly and to your own taste!)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 - 3 tsp. cold water (until you have desired consistency)

Preheat the oven to 425 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and combine well.  Add the shortening and cut it into the flour with a pie cutter.  Add the banana pieces and cut those in the same way.

In a separate bowl, mix together the strawberry puree, egg, and vanilla.  Stir just until combined and then add in the chopped strawberries (if you want, reserve a few to place on top of the scones as they are baking).

Dust a flat surface generously with brown rice flour (this dough will be kind of sticky).  Shape the dough into a circle about 7 - 8 inches in diameter and dust generously with brown rice flour.  Using a large knife, cut it into sixths and place the pieces onto the greased baking sheets.  If desired, press a few strawberry pieces into the top of each one. Using a pastry brush, brush a light coating of the non-dairy milk onto each scone.

Bake at 425 F for 12 - 18 minutes or until firm to the touch and ever-so-lightly browned.  Remove from oven and leave on the hot baking trays for a few minutes to help them solidify more, then remove to a rack to cool.

Drizzle with the lemon almond glaze (see below) when they are completely cooled.  Store in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze.  Warm before serving.

To make Lemon Almond Glaze:
Combine all ingredients and mix well until you have the consistency you want (you want it to be relatively thick so it stays on the scones).  Drizzle over the cooled scones.

If you like scones, you'll want to check out what everyone else came up with this month - they all look pretty fabulous to me!  For a complete list of scone creations from the other gluten-free bloggers in the Ratio Rally, visit Lauren's site, Celiac Teen. She hosted the Gluten-free Ratio Rally this month.

Amie of The Healthy Apple made Rice Crispy Scones
Britt of GF in the City made Blueberry Buttermilk Scones
Brooke of B & the Boy made Coconut scones
Caleigh of Gluten-Free[k] made Scones
Caneel of Mama Me Gluten-Free made Savory Jalapeño Cheese scones
Caroline of The G-Spot made Carrot Raisin Scones with Cinnamon Glaze
Charissa of Zest Bakery made Amaretto-Soaked Cherry and Almond Scones
Erin of the Sensitive Epicure made Millet Scones
Gretchen of Kumquat made Maple Oat Nut Scones
Irvin of Eat the Love made Savory Green Garlic Bacon Thyme Scones with White Pepper Maple Glaze
Jeanette of Jeanette’s Healthy Living made Coconut Pineapple Scones
Jenn of Jenn Cuisine made Banana Apple & Currant Scones
Karen of Cooking Gluten-Free made Oat Scones with Currants
Kate of Katealice Cookbook made Cinnamon Fruit Scones
Lauren of Celiac Teen made Multigrain Scones
Lisa of Gluten-Free Canteen made Bisconies
Lisa of With Style and Grace made Lavender Earl Grey Lemon Scones
Marla of Family Fresh Cooking made Vegan Avocado Scones
Meaghan of Wicked Good Vegan made Simple Scones with Clotted Cream and Strawberry Jam
Melanie of Mindful Food made Hazelnut Cream Scones with Blackberry Jam
Meredith of Gluten Free Betty made Cinnamon Raisin Scones
Mrs. R of Honey from Flinty Rocks made Classic Cream Scones and Almond Fig Scones
Peter and Kelli of No Gluten No Problem made Mesquite Scones
Sea of Book of Yum made Dairy-free Scones
Shauna of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef made Currant Scones
Silvana of Silvana’s Kitchen made Pecan Streusel Scones with Cinnamon Drizzle
Tara of A Baking Life made Ginger Scones
TR of No One Likes Crumbley Cookies made Cinnamon Pecan Scones
Wendy of La Phemme Phoodie made Red Velvet Scones
Winnie of Healthy Green Kitchen made Coconut Raisin Scones

Chickpea Farinata Bread

If you are like me and have never heard of or tried Italian farinata before, you are in for a treat.  This is one of the simplest loaves of bread you could hope to make, although I hesitate to lump it into the category of "bread" lest it mislead anyone about what to expect from the texture.  This is dense.  It's just chickpea flour and water, really.  Add a few spices, and it's ready to go in the oven.  Heck, we skipped the mixing bowl entirely and stirred this up right in the pan.  Don't be concerned when it looks....well....soupy when you stick it in the oven.  Ours resembled crepe batter (very thin and runny) and we exchanged dubious looks as we closed the oven door behind it.  It seemed impossible that it would solidify into anything bread-like and/or edible under any amount of heat.  But, seemingly miraculously, we opened the oven door 20 minutes later to find that it had browned on top and settled into the dense bread you see pictured.  Fantastic. 

The whole loaf only has 680 calories if you make it as directed below, and 24 grams of protein.  This makes a really dense loaf, so it can stand on its own as part of a main meal (perhaps served with soup or salad on the side).  But it was also great to have as a power snack during the day.

The great thing about this bread is how versatile it is in terms of flavor.  The original recipe also called for thinly sliced onions to be cooked into the bread, which my friend Lisa had had the first time she ate this (served by friends of hers), but which we omitted.  It also did not call for cumin originally, but we happen to love cumin - a lot - and it just goes so well with chickpeas that we dumped a ton into ours, with wonderful results.  Check out this post about farinata for some great ideas about how to customize it (topped with zucchini and parmesan cheese??  Yes, please!)  Feel free to make it your own.  Play around with it to find the flavor you like.  But if you're a fan of chickpeas like I am, you will find a new addiction in farinata. 

Chickpea Farinata Bread

For a flatter bread:
1 cup warm water
1 cup chickpea flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 - 2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp. olive oil
1 thinly sliced onion, sautéed (optional - we did not add this into ours)

For a thicker bread (like the picture above):
2 cups warm water
2 cups chickpea flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
2 - 4 tsp. cumin
2 - 4 tbsp. olive oil
1 thinly sliced onion, sautéed (optional - we did not add this into ours)

Preheat the oven to 450 F.  Spray a 9-inch round pan with cooking spray.

In a separate bowl, mix all of the ingredients together.  Pour into the pan and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or just until browned on top (for the thicker bread, you'll need to leave it in for 20 - 30 minutes; start checking for doneness after 20 minutes with a toothpick).  Remove from oven and let settle and cool for 5 - 10 minutes.  Serve warm.  If desired, sprinkle with addition cumin before serving.  

Roasted Red Pepper Cashew Hummus (Vegan and Raw)

This is a lovely twist on traditional hummus dip.  In fact, I'm not entirely sure that it should even be called hummus, given the complete absence of the chickpeas, which are replaced entirely with cashews in this recipe.  All I know is that it was really, really tasty.  After several minutes of blitzing in the food processor, this raw dip was silky smooth, creamy, and wonderful.  It has a slightly sweet flavor from the roasted red peppers, with a salty tinge that lingers on your tongue.  I'm learning the art of keeping things simple, so I only added small amounts of a few other spices to this.  Not too many, though, because the roasted red peppers have such a strong flavor, and it's not fair to have to compete with that.

I ate this with corn chips, but it would be wonderful with pita chips as well, if you can find or make gluten-free ones.  I also used it in place of ketchup on a black bean burger I had this week, which was fantastic, and it would be great as a layer in a sandwich or as a tapenade with melted cheese on top, too.  Unfortunately, I ran out of the dip before I had time to try all of the different ways I thought of to use it.  But I'm sure that a few more batches will be coming my way before long...



Roasted Red Pepper Cashew "Hummus"

1 cup roasted cashews (I used the 50% reduced salt kind from Trader Joe's)
2 whole roasted red peppers, skin and seeds removed
1 - 2 tbsp. lemon juice (to taste)
2 tsp. agave nectar
1/2 tsp. salt (add more or less to your own taste)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Dash of cayenne pepper (to taste/tolerance)
Dash of cumin (to taste)

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend on high speed for about 4 - 5 minutes, or until very creamy.  Remove and adjust spices as needed.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serve with corn chips or as a tapenade.

Roasted Broccoli and Edamame with Garlic

There's a lot of green in this post.  I was feeling the need for something really healthy for dinner tonight, and, feeling inspired by a friend who raved last night about some roasted broccoli she had made, I decided to try it out.  I've always prepared broccoli by boiling it or steaming it.  And don't get me wrong; I love it that way.  But I feel like I discovered broccoli for the first time with this recipe. Seriously, you will never look at broccoli the same way again.  No longer will your mind fly to adjectives like "smushed" and "overcooked" when you ponder broccoli.  Instead, you will think about slightly crisp yet soft florets, roasted under high heat with whole garlic cloves and simple spices.  I was definitely cursing the fact that I only had 1 1/2 cups of broccoli in my freezer tonight!  Check out the inspiration for this recipe here on the Amateur Gourmet's site.  He does a better job of raving about this broccoli than I have, plus offers a few more tips for ways to spruce this up if you feel it needs sprucing.  I adapted his recipe slightly and have re-posted it below.

Originally, I was just going to make the broccoli, but at the last minute, decided to throw in the edamame for some protein (but did not add any extra oil to coat them).  I put them on separate halves of the pan so the edamame would have a chance to get crispy without being overshadowed by some of the larger broccoli florets, and they were fantastic, crispy, and full of spice.  So if you are in need of a green dinner, make this.  Trust me, you won't be sorry - you will never look at broccoli the same way again.

Roasted Broccoli and Edamame with Garlic

For the broccoli:
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, rinsed and patted dry
3 whole garlic cloves, chopped into large chunks
2 tsp. olive oil
To taste:
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
Dash of garlic powder
2 - 3 tsp. lemon juice
Optional:  Sprinkle of parmesan cheese or vegan parmesan cheese

For the edamame:
1/2 cup frozen edamame, thawed, rinsed and patted dry
1 - 2 garlic cloves, chopped into large chunks
To taste:
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper
Ground Cumin
Garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 425 F.  Line a baking dish with a sheet of foil.

Toss the broccoli, garlic, olive oil, and spices together in a bowl and spread onto one half of the lined baking dish.  Then toss the edamame and spices separately and spread onto the other half of the lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20-25 minute, stirring once or twice for even browning.  When the broccoli is browned and tender, and the edamame is crispy on the outside (but soft on the inside), remove from the oven.  Sprinkle the lemon juice over the broccoli.  Serve immediately.

Healthy Truffles

You may be asking, how can truffles be healthy?  And with good reason.  Normally, truffles are buttery, silky smooth balls of intense chocolate.  They melt in your mouth and overwhelm you with their richness.  They embody indulgence.

People in grad school tend to do a lot of stress eating.  (Although, let's face it, I've always been a stress eater anyway, so I can't blame it entirely on grad school.)  Truffles, and chocolate in general, are an obvious default candidate for those frenzied hours of studying and snacking.  So I am in an ongoing quest to make my stress eating a little less awful by developing healthier versions of some of my favorite snacks.  My friend Sarah (whose adorable children I babysit) and I have been tweaking this recipe for chocolate chip cookie dough balls a little bit each time we make them, which is often (her kids devour them as quickly as she makes them.)  Sarah had the brilliant idea to add cocoa powder to the regular version to make a sort of "brownie bite," and from there, we just kept tweaking until this version came about.  In my chocolate-addled state of mind, I decided to take it a step further and roll them in cocoa powder (just to add to the chocolate quotient).  And, ta-da!  Truffles.

I brought some of these to school with me to share with some of my classmates, who loved them.  One friend said that the texture was great because it really fools you into thinking you're eating a truffle; another said they were simply amazing overall.  The best part is how quickly and easily you can whip up a batch because it's truly just a matter of throwing all of the ingredients into your food processor and hitting "blend."  And you can't really mess these up because you can always tweak them by adding a little more of one ingredient or a little less of another until you find the combination and texture you personally like.  The recipe is very forgiving in that way.  And if you don't feel like rolling them into balls, just put the mixture in a bowl and eat it with a spoon.  I won't tell (because I've definitely done that before). 

So go ahead.  Indulge.  Because now, it's healthy.

Healthy Truffles

7 Trader Joe's Fancy Medjool Dates (with pits removed)
1/3 cup cashews
1/4 cup gluten-free oats
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 tbsp. Marshmallow Fluff or Vegan Ricemellow Marshmallow Fluff
1 1/2 tbsp. pure cocoa powder + 1 tbsp. for rolling truffles
1-4 tbsp. So Delicious Coconut Milk, as needed
1 tbsp. granulated sugar (for rolling truffles - optional)

Place the dates (be sure to remove the pits!), cashews, oats, vanilla, coconut, Fluff, and cocoa powder in a food processor and blend on the highest speed.  When the food processor seems to have done as much as it can with those ingredients, start adding the So Delicious Coconut Milk one tablespoon at a time.  You want these to be very creamy so the texture is like the inside of a truffle, but still firm enough that you can roll them into balls.  Continue to pulse on the highest speed so that they are as well-blended as possible.

On a plate, combine the 1 tbsp. cocoa powder and the 1 tbsp. sugar (you can leave the sugar out if you want, although they will taste slightly more bitter).  (If the mixture is too thin, you can put it in the fridge for a little while to harden it up before you roll it into balls.)  Remove the chocolate mixture by tablespoonful and roll into balls with your hands, and then roll in the cocoa and sugar mixture to coat.  Place on a plate.  Refrigerate them for at least two hours before removing them to a container where they are touching each other.  Eat as needed.