By The New York Times News Service Syndicate | wordpress@medianewsgroup.com
Leave a preschooler alone in the kitchen with open baking ingredients for even a minute, and nine times out of 10, you'll end up with a sugar-crusted child.
But that wasn't the case for Lee Farrington's 3-year-old daughter, Ashton, who playfully added handfuls of almond flour, chocolate chips and brown sugar to a bowl of half-finished cookie dough -- and, in the process, helped formulate one of the best vegan, gluten-free cookies I've ever tasted.
"When I saw what Ash did, I thought, oh no!" said Farrington, who had gotten distracted in the middle of a baking project.
She baked the dough anyway to see what would happen and was shocked when it worked. "It was a beautiful mistake," she said.
Ashton's cookies, which Farrington had to adjust only slightly, are now bestsellers at LB. Kitchen in Portland, Maine (co-owned by Farrington and her wife, Bryna Gootkind). I sampled one on a visit to Maine earlier this summer, and I couldn't get the snappy texture and butterscotch flavor out of my head. I wrote to ask for the recipe the minute I got back home.
They're absolute bangers: candy-like and crunchy at the edges from caramelized brown sugar; chewy and dense at the center from a mix of almond and oat flours; and speckled all over with mini chocolate chips.
Making them really is simple enough for a preschooler, with batter that can be whisked up in a single bowl without an electric mixer. But do plan ahead: To hold its shape without spreading too much while baking, the sticky, wet mixture needs to be frozen. A couple of hours in the freezer is enough, but the batter can remain there for months, ready for near-instant gratification whenever there's a cookie emergency.
The recipe is easy to play with, too. I've substituted rolled oats for some of the almond flour and raisins for the chocolate chips for a delightfully chewy oatmeal raisin version. Stirring in ground sweet spices, chopped nuts or crushed potato chips could also be fun additions.
All of these versions would be lunchbox friendly, and sturdy enough to pack for any Labor Day picnics or potlucks on the horizon. Then save the recipe for the holiday season, to bake and mail to far-flung friends and family. They may be child's play to make, but these cookies are crowd-pleasing treats you'll turn to all year long.
These vegan, gluten-free stunners, which you can mix in one bowl without an electric mixer, have a candy-like crunch at the edges from caramelized brown sugar; a chewy, dense center from a mix of almond and oat flours; and a bittersweet speckling of mini chocolate chips strewed throughout. Adapted from Lee Farrington, LB Kitchen in Portland, Maine, they bake up sturdy enough for picnics, lunchboxes and mailing to far-flung, cookie-loving family and friends, but note that the sticky batter does need to be frozen before baking so plan ahead. -- Melissa Clark
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, almond flour, oat flour, baking soda and salt.
2. Add the almond milk and vegan butter, and use your hands or a spatula to combine, kneading until it comes together into a sticky, wet, batter-like dough. (You can also make this in an electric mixer if that's more convenient.) Mix in the chocolate chips.
3. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Use a 2-ounce cookie scoop or a 1/4 cup measuring cup to form cookies, placing them close together on the pans. Freeze for at least 1 1/2 hours. (If freezing for longer, transfer the frozen cookie balls to a container or resealable plastic bag before storing in the freezer for up to 3 months.)
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the frozen cookies 2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake for 8 minutes. Rotate trays, and bake until the cookies are golden at the edges and firm in the center, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Remove from the oven, bang tray once on the counter to let cookies crackle a bit, and transfer the pans to racks to cool.
Recipe: Vegan Gluten-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Inspired by the vegan, gluten-free chocolate chip cookies that Lee Farrington makes at LB. Kitchen in Portland, Maine, these one-bowl delights are chewy at their centers, crisp at the edges and full of raisins and sweet spice. The batter is very sticky and needs to be frozen before baking so they don't spread too much, but a couple of hours will do it. Feel free to substitute hazelnut flour for the almond flour for a deep, toasty flavor.
2 cups plus 2 tablespoon /435 grams packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup/113 grams vegan butter, preferably soy free, melted
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oat flour, almond flour, rolled oats, baking soda, cinnamon or cardamom (if using) and salt.
2. Add the almond milk and vegan butter, and use your hands or a spatula to combine, kneading it to help it come together into a sticky, wet, batter-like dough. (You can also make this in an electric mixer if that's more convenient.) Mix in the raisins.
3. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Use a 2-ounce cookie scoop or a 1/4 cup measuring cup to form cookies, placing them close together on the pans. Freeze for at least 1 1/2 hours (if freezing for longer, transfer frozen cookie balls to a container or resealable plastic bag before storing in the freezer for up to 3 months).
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the frozen cookies 2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake for 8 minutes. Rotate trays, and bake until the cookies are golden at the edges and firm in the center, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Remove from the oven, bang tray once on the counter to let cookies crackle a bit, and transfer the pans to racks to cool.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.