Chocolate Prune Cookies

 

Sometime ago I made chocolate prune cookies using okara. I love the moistness that okara provides in baking. But its been in the back of my mind ever since that I should un-okara these cookies! And today that is exactly what I did! This version is not quite as moist, but equally as delicious :-)

I really do love the mix of dried fruit & cocoa. 

CHOCOLATE PRUNE COOKIES

You'll need:

1 cup wholemeal flour

1 teaspoon bi-carb soda

3 Tablespoons cocoa

1/2 cup chopped prunes

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup plant milk of choice

Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until well combined.

Place heaped tablespoons of mixture onto a lined baking tray & bake in a preheated 180C oven for 12-15 minutes until cooked through.

Makes 14 (depending on size)

I LOVE these new diced prunes that are available! They're so great for cooking with or adding to a breakfast bowl!

Chopping whole prunes is such a sticky job ;-)

One-Serve Pineapple Prune Cake

Sometimes we don't need to make a whole cake! Even feel like you want just a bite but not have to worry about the rest of the cake?!?
That is why I'm a big fan of these single serve, quick & easy cakes!

The combination of prune & pineapple might sound a big odd, but it really is an amazingly tasty mix. Its like a bit of tang with lots of sweetness!

I'm a BIG fan of this prune spread.
Its available in health food store. 
It is simply ground up prunes, so you could always make some at home.

Bonvit also make a date spread - but don't get me started on that...... mmmmmmmmmmm, I could eat it in spoonfuls. :D

These are great for adding to baked goods or for using as a healthy spread. 

I definitely recommend trying them!




 
Now for the one-serve cake!

You'll need:
2 heaped spoonfuls of pineapple (either fresh or canned)
1/2 cup wholemeal flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 Tablespoon prune spread
1/4 cup plant milk

If using fresh pineapple, chop into tiny pieces, or mash canned pineapple. Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix until well combined. 
(You can adjust the amount of maple syrup to suit your own desired sweetness - I think its even sweet enough without any!)
Spray or line a ramekin and place the mixture in.
Microwave for 2 minutes (I use a 1100W microwave - adjust time as needed).

Gently press cake out of ramekin (it should fall out with a gentle up-side-down shake!!!) and serve :-)

If you're a fan of coconut cream - it truly makes for a perfect match!!!

Chocolate prune cookies

This is my idea of the perfect comfort food!

Cookies..... chocolate..... and mushy fruit!
That is love in bite-form!

These come from yet ~another~ batch of okara leftover from my making my own soymilk! But if you don't intend on making soymilk and therefore will have no leftover okara.... then never fear because it is in my plans to make a chocolate prune cookie that doesn't use okara very soon. You can substitue any leftover plant-milk pulp in these instead too. Or else you can grind some nuts and then add extra soymilk to get the right consistency!

Here's what you'll need:

3/4 cup wet okara

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/2 cup prunes, chopped into little pieces

3/4 cup wholemeal flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

2 Tablespoons soymilk (or other plant milk)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until well mixed.

Put spoonfuls onto a lined baking sheet and bake at 180C for 15 minutes.

Such little effort for something so rewarding! :-)
Enjoy!

A week worth of oats

I love having oats for breakfast.
But sometimes having the same thing can become a bit boring. I usually just microwave my oats with some non-dairy milk for a few minutes & then add frozen berries.
So I was on a quest to find a few ways to have my oats that were a bit different from the regular way.

Here's what I came up with!

A week worth of oats

Monday's Oats - Fig & Passionfruit
Cut up 3 dried figs into little pieces, put in a pot with half a cup of oats & a cup of soymilk.
Bring to a boil & simmer for 3-5 minutes until oats are soft. Serve with passionfruit pulp over the top.

                                                        Stirred all together for complete yumminess!


 
Tuesday's Oats - Strawberry Choc-Nut
Put half a cup of oats in a bowl & pour over enough boiling water to just cover the oats. Put them under a cover for approx 5-10 minutes. The oats will absorb the water & soften.
Pour a heaped tablespoon of my nut-seed milo over the top and stir to combine with the oats. Add chopped strawberries for a lovely bowl of tasty oats :-)

Wednesday's Oats - Spiced Mandarin
Soak overnight a bowl with 1/2 cup oats, a cup of pomegranate juice, and a 1/4 teaspoon of each cinnamon, nutmeg & allspice. The oats will absorb the juice overnight. In the morning add a chopped mandarin, a Tablespoon pepitas & a teaspoon sesame seeds.

This is what you'll find in the morning after having soaked overnight

 
Thursday's Oats - Prune & Hazelnut
Stewed prunes remind me so much of my grandmother. She used to have them on her weetbix every morning. This is my own version of how to have stewed prunes for breakfast!
Put half a cup of oats in a bowl & a heaped tablespoon of prune spread. Add just enough boiling water til the oats are covered. Top with a lid of some form & leave overnight for the oats to absorb the water. In the morning grind up a tablespoon of hazelnuts in a coffee grinder & sprinkle over the oats with a half cup of almond milk. So tasty....

The oats will absorb the water overnight

Grind the hazelnuts in the morning

Friday's Oats - Raspberry Oat Cake

This was so good that I thought it deserved a post of it's own! You can find it here.

Stay tuned for some great creations for weekend breakfast cooking with oats.