Cookie & Cream

I just had to share these zucchini cookies and cream sandwiches with you.  I made them for the first time last week.  I had to freeze half of them to stop me from wolfing down the whole lot.  Not that it would matter, they practically sport twinkly halos they are so ridiculously healthy.  I used a Martha Stewart recipe for nub-bread cookie sandwiches as a guide and then changed it up to make them sugar-free, gluten free and lower in fat.  The recipe is easy ( I simplified a few of Martha's steps) and the results are pure heaven.

They took me (including cooking time) about 45mins to make.

Gather

1 cup of gluten free flour or if you are not gf then any all-purpose flour

I used;

1/2 cup coconut flour

                                                                         1/4 cup brown rice protein (you can use brown rice flour or tapioca flour)

1/4 cup garbanzo flour

1 cup finely grated zucchini
1 cup Bobs Red Mill - gluten free oats
1/2 cup chopped and toasted walnuts
1 tbs vegan 'butter'
1/2 cup fruit syrup
1/2 cup orange jam - fruit sweetened
1 flax 'egg' (fresh ground flax + 1 tbs water, mixed)
1 3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tbs salt


For filling
*2 tbs coconut flour (this gives it structure to hold up to the cookies well, but you can use without)
4 tbs vegan cream cheese
1 tbs coconut oil
1 tbs fruit syrup

Method/

For the cookie dough
1.preheat oven to 350
2.sift flours, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt into a bowl.  Cream in the 'butter', 'egg' and vanilla essence
3.grind half of the oats in a grinder and leave rest whole...Add into the mixture with the zucchini, walnuts & the sweeteners.
4.Using a spoon, scoop the dough (it will be a thick consistency) and drop onto parchment lined baking sheets.  Leave a 2 inch gap to separate them.
5. bake for about 17 mins then let cool on a wire rack

make the frosting
1. blend all the ingredients and refrigerate for 10 mins
2. use equally sized cookies and spread frosting inside to create a sandwich.

They can be stored at room temp for about 2 days or they freeze really well.  Great for picnics & parties....and for no reason whatsoever. Unfortunately, mine did not turn out looking quite as pretty as Martha's but they were UNBELIEVABLY GOOD x

'Summery Zucchini Lasagna' Impressive..Easy 10 minute gluten-free recipe

the sun has got his hat on..hip..hip..hip..horay..and I'm craving salad ..so the veg is coming out to play!

In the time it takes you to grill both sides of sliced zucchini you will have all your ingredients assembled to make this all stack up... could be great for an impromptu dinner party.  I adapted it from a Martha Stewart recipe (Much less complicated)  Go with it.  It looks like a lot of doings but it really is very, very simple.

SERVES 2

For the lasagna

4 large zucchini - sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 large 'beef stake' tomatoes sliced 1/4 inch

100g White Cheddar Style Cheezly (or any vegan cheese...this is quite crumbly and 'mature' tasting..nice strong flavour)

basil leaves

oil for brushing

freshly ground black pepper and coarse salt (I grind pink salt)

For the pesto

2 cups fresh basil

1/4 cup oil

(garlic clove - optional...I just wanted to change it up a bit and not use garlic, so the basil shines on a little stage of its own)

Marinade

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lemon

1 garlic clove crushed

s&p

1/4 cup good olive oil

1.slice the zucchini, lightly brush with oil and put under a medium grill until slightly charred, flip over and repeat. when both sides are done remove from heat and place onto a dish and drizzle over marinade. set aside

2. whilst zucchini is cooking mix the marinade ingredients together and set aside

3. blend pesto ingredients and set aside

4.arrange the 'lasagna' onto dinner plates.  Stack.  1 layer of zucchini,crumble over some cheeze, a layer of tomatoes, drizzle of pesto, repeat x 2 or 3 (depending on size of your tomatoes/zucchini).  Prettify with a few basil leaves.

5.serve at room temperature so the flavours fully develop.  You know tomatoes don't perform well in the cold, right?!

Delicioza!