I had a picnic the other day with a few new friends and since one of them is making the transition to a gluten free/vegan lifestyle I decided to make a little something special for her. I may make them again for a celiac neighbor who just had a baby (and of course there will be a couple left over), heaven knows you need a little pick me up the days following delivery. But then again another one of these would pick me up no matter what kind of day I was having. If you’re neither living the gluten free or vegan lifestyle, please don’t feel like you should pass these up. They will make any, and i literally mean any person you give one to a happy ice cream cookie eating camper. guaranteed.
chocolate buckwheat cookies
barely altered from Karina Allrich, recipe pretty much verbatim from her website
Dry ingredients:
1 cup organic buckwheat flour
1 cup rice or sorghum flour (or a blend of both)
1/2 cup tapioca starch
2 heaping Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
“Wet” mix ingredients:
1 cup butter, or butter substitute
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed or raw sugar
1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla
1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar to keep it vegan
1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer whisked with 1/4 cup warm water or use 2 free-range organic eggs
Add-ins:
2-5 tablespoons vanilla rice or hemp milk, as needed
1 10-oz bag of allergen-free semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup chopped nuts, coconut, or chopped dried fruit, if desired (optional)
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a big mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat the butter/butter sub, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until combined.
Add in the frothy egg replacer (or beaten eggs) and beat to combine.
Add in the dry ingredients a little bit at a time and beat to combine, until a dough forms, adding a tablespoon of vanilla rice milk at a time to achieve a sturdy, smooth dough.
Add in the chocolate chips by hand. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Ready your baking sheet with baking mat or parchment paper.
Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, scoop wads of dough and form them into twenty round balls; place them on the lined cookie sheet, about two inches apart. Press down on the dough balls ever so slightly, but keep a slightly mounded shape- not too flat.
Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are firm to the touch. Remove the cookies with a thin spatula and place them on a cooling rack. They will crisp as they cool.
This recipe makes 20 large cookies. For some reason, the larger size bakes up better than smaller- crispy good on the outside and tender-chewy in the middle.
coconut vanilla bean ice cream
1 can coconut cream (make sure it’s cream, not coconut milk; the fat content is different)
1 can young coconut flesh in syrup, flesh and syrup separated (15.5 oz can)
1 cup almond milk
1 vanilla bean, seeds removed or 2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract
A large pinch of salt
Puree coconut cream and young coconut meat in blender or food processor until smooth. Add some of the syrup, or a homemade syrup made with equal parts sugar and water, until you have 3 cups total. Add the almond milk (or any other type of milk), seeds and pod of vanilla bean, and salt. Whisk to incorporate, then chill in the refrigerator.
Freeze in ice cream maker according to directions or alternately freeze in a 9×13 casserole dish, stirring every fifteen minutes until at the desired consistency.
variations: add cacao nibs, carob chips, almond chunks, crushed cardamom, peppermint oil, fresh fruit, melted nut butter (swirled in). be creative!
to make the ice cream sandwiches:
After the cookies are baked, place on cookie sheet and freeze. Do not place cookies on top of one another or they will freeze to one another. After the ice cream has reached a thick consistency (but not completely frozen), spoon in between two frozen cookies, roll the edges in either coconut, toasted coconut (i didn’t have the patience/time), mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, dip in melted chocolate sauce, whatever you want.
Place back on cookie sheet and freeze until ready to serve. If you are not eating them soon afterward, store in an airtight container.
variations: add a layer of nutella, jam, caramel, etc. on the bottom sides of the cookies, being sure to let them freeze before sandwiching ice cream between them. Try different kinds of ice cream, different kinds of cookies.
and above all else, enjoy every bite.
OMG – these look way to good – I am always looking for ways to make tasty gluten free treats. Love the pic and I want to try these – they look dangerously delicious -