Today is May 7th, can you believe it?? I am so happy it is finally warmish here in Connecticut. I thought I could adapt to the weather here but that is definitely not going to happen. Hopefully soon we can head back to California. Lots of changes for our family in the upcoming year!
I somehow missed our three year blog-iversary, with all this moving and what not, I guess time got away from me. I just want to thank all of you for reading and commenting. Without readers this little site would be nothing. I started the site as a place for Moms to find outfit ideas and makeup ideas… and now Mom. Fashion. Lifestyle. has evolved into how to live a healthy and happy life. For me personally, making myself and my family happy is my number one priority. And over the years I have discovered that living a healthy lifestyle has made everyone happier.
Time sure does fly by… Our daughter Sailor is now 3 & 1/2 years old! She is now in preschool, I cannot believe how much she has grown. One of the many things we enjoy doing together is baking. Since there has been quite a few holidays in the past few months we have been coming up with creative gifts for family and her teachers. The following recipe is one of them. Since the treats would be going into a nut free school I made it dairy free, nut free, and gluten free!!! They turned out amazing. All of my favorite baked goods crammed into one enormous bite!
Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownie Bites
For the Cookie Dough:
1/2 C. Earth Balance Room Temperature
1/2 C. Raw Sugar {I use coconut sugar}
1 1/2 cups Gluten Free Oat Flour {I use oats and then grind them in Vitamix or Food Processor until fine powder}
1/4 t. Salt
1 T. Coconut Milk or any other non-dairy milk you prefer
1 t. Vanilla
3/4 cup Mini Chocolate Chips {Check the labels to see if they’re Vegan I used this brand}
Ingredients for the Brownie Layer:
1/2 C. Earths Balance Room Temperature
2 Flax Eggs
1/2 C. Raw Sugar
1 Cup Raw Cacao
1/2 t. Salt
1 t. Vanilla
1/2 C. Oat Flour {Or any other GF Flour of your liking}
Candy Shell Coating:
1 C. Dark Chocolate or Chips Melted {I used two dark chocolate bars… usually anything over 70% is Vegan but check the labels}
1 T. Coconut Oil
Get Bakin’.
First you need to prep the cookie dough. Combine all of the ingredients for the cookie dough into a food processor {omitting the chocolate chips}. Pulse until well combined. Gently stir in Chocolate Chips. Roll into small balls {I used the small side of a melon ball scooper} and place onto a cookie sheet. Chill in freezer while you make the brownies.
*Note Cookie Dough is not cooked… there is no eggs so no need to worry when snacking on it!!! Also… so good mixed into ice cream!
Now for the Brownie Layer.
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender. I use my Vitamix for everything… {yes I am lazy I do not like to stir}. Pulse until combined. Spread into an 8×8 baking dish. It will be a very thin layer. Bake for 10-12 min. There will be a slight gloss to the brownies, you do not want them crumbly, if the brownies start to show cracks they were cooked too long. Remove from oven and let cool until you can handle them comfortably.
Now to piece these babies together.
Remove a few cookie dough balls at a time from the freezer. Cut away a small piece of brownie, flatten into a square in the palms of your hands. Place the cookie dough ball on top of the flattened brownie square. Begin to wrap the edges of the brownie around the cookie dough. If you need more brownie to cover the ball, grab a tiny piece and patch it onto the ball until no cookie dough shows through. The brownie layer is fairly thin. Place each ball back into freezer as you prep the others. Once you have covered all of the cookie dough balls in brownie prep the Candy Shell Coating.
Break up the chocolate bar into pieces and place in a microwave safe bowl {or double boiler if you no longer use a microwave} add the coconut oil. Microwave for one minute stirring occasionally. Continue in small increments until Chocolate is melted and oil is combined.
Remove a few of the balls out of the freezer at a time. Take a spoon and drop one ball at a time into the chocolate. Gently roll it around until it is covered completely in chocolate. Place back on cookie sheet. Repeat with all of the Cookie Dough Balls. Let set in Refrigerator for about thirty minutes. Then Package up to your liking or save them all for yourself!
Since I made these for gifts, I bought Chinese Take Out Gift Boxes {from Target or Michaels} and put each Cookie Dough Ball in a miniature muffin wrapper and then place in the Gift Boxes and Viola…..! The perfect gift…. or if you want, keep them all for yourself!
