Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (vegan/gluten-free)

How many months has it been??? A relocation (for those of you unaware, I moved to New York), a new job, and a bunch of other significant changes have occupied my time as of late. However, the main reason behind my lack of posts has been the fact that summer in NYC has been HOT (and not just in Paris Hilton sense of the word). Apparently this is the hottest summer they have on record for New York. As it's generally been in the 90's and air conditioning is a luxury I can only afford in my room, turning on the oven makes my kitchen feel like the 7th circle of hell. Thus, cooking has been somewhat of a rarity in my apartment. However, I recently got back from a trip to the Pacific Northwest and for some reason, New York decided it was suddenly going to be fall. Let the cooking begin.

In Portland and Seattle I was able to sample a bunch of different baked goods from various vegan/gluten-free bakeries. Unfortunately, most were sub-par. As I have recently been craving a good cookie, I decided I would fire up the oven and bake some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Outside of some (delicious) vegan/gluten-free ice cream sandwiches I had been making this summer, I haven't baked many vegan cookies, so I thought I'd play around a bit. I worked with this recipe and I have to say, it turned out amazingly. I tested them on a non-vegan/non-gf friend and got rave reviews. She hadn't eaten all day and was starving...but still. Rave reviews.

{Vegan/Gluten-Free}

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

2 cups gluten-free flour blend (I used this breakdown: 1/2 c. tapioca starch, 1/2 c. oat flour, 1/4 c. sweet sorghum flour, 1/4 c. white rice flour, 1/4 c.potato starch, 1/4 c. bob's red mill baking blend (or just use another 1/4 c of something else))
2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted vegan margarine
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 TBS ground flaxseed whisked with 6-8 TBS water (I added a bit more than 6tbs because the mixture was a bit too thick...)
1 cup rolled oats
2 cups (almost 1 bag) Dark/bittersweet chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli Semi-sweet)

Sea salt for sprinkling

DO THIS:
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silpat.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

On medium speed, cream together the margarine, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes. Add the flaxseed mixture and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until just combined. Using a large spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.

Using two tablespoons, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Lightly sprinkle each cookie with coarse sea salt. Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet or a cooling rack and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes

This past weekend, I was searching for a dessert recipe to take to my cousin for her birthday. The dessert had to travel well, seeing as I would be taking the bus to her house. I also knew I wanted to make something chocolatey, as she is my only other relative that loves chocolate almost as much as I do. I kept thinking of making brownies, but that just didn't seem right for a birthday. I decided I wanted to make cupcakes and for some reason all I could think of was this chocolate-avocado cupcake recipe I gave to my friend Leanne, who received rave reviews from co-workers when she made the cupcakes. I also came up with the idea of a peanut butter frosting because the original cupcakes called for a chocolate glaze and I don't get all that excited about most glazes on cupcakes. Out of my selfishness I also wanted to make the recipe gluten-free so I could try them. The result? The frosting was DELICIOUS. I'm not even much of a frosting person and I could have eaten the whole bowl of frosting. The cupcakes were dense and fudgy, more of a brownie texture than a cupcake, really. The chocolate chips were a great addition as well, adding even more chocolate flavor to the cupcakes.

GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE AVOCADO CUPCAKES WITH PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

1 1/2 c. all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (tapioca starch, potato starch, arrowroot starch, sweet rice flour, sorghum flour)

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1 avocado, pitted and peeled

1 c. agave nectar

3/4 c. non-fat milk or soy milk

1/3 c. canola oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c. gluten-free chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 f.

Prepare muffin tin with muffin papers.

Combine the first five ingredients with a whisk in a large bowl.

Set aside.

In a blender or food processor, puree the avocado, agave nectar, milk, oil and vanilla together until smooth.

Mix the puree with the dry ingredients. Add the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into a muffin tin prepared with muffin papers, bake about 25 minutes until done.

When cooled, frost with peanut butter frosting.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

4 oz (1/2 package) cream cheese, softened

1/2 stick unsalted butter (4tbsp), softened

2/3 c. smooth peanut butter (not natural/refrigerated kind)

2 1/2 c. confectioner's sugar (you may need 3 c.)

2-4 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar, mix slowly to combine, then beat in milk and vanilla on medium high until smooth. Add more powdered sugar if necessary, to your liking.