Frozen Coconut Chocolate Chip Mousse (Vegan)

Whether it's for medical necessity or personal preference, in this day and age I feel like everyone knows at least one person who has dietary restrictions.

After having some medical issues myself, I had a blood test done in October that seemed to indicate I had mild food allergies to basically every staple of the American diet (namely milk, wheat, corn, eggs, soy, peanuts, and beef).

Let me tell you, this can really mess with your mind.  I challenge anyone to walk into the average grocery store and load up their cart with a variety of foods that do NOT contain any of the above.

Not easy.

Well after getting a skin test done by an allergist a few weeks ago, it turns out I do not have allergies to any foods, except fish.  The doctor suggested that at worst, I may have a sensitivity to gluten and recommended I try a "GF" diet.

But this all came after 6 weeks of avoiding eggs, wheat, and dairy as much as possible.  So although it pains me to give up my breads and flour-based treats, it has been a lot more manageable to avoid one type of food than 3+.

I have only just begun being gluten free after the New Year (and a pasta-filled visit to my grandmother's house yesterday broke my streak!).  But I have to say, whether it was all in my mind or not, I did feel better after limiting those foods.  And in the process, I also realized that while there is really no true substitute for milk (at least in my mind), you can still make some tasty things with alternatives.

Not that I'll be going vegan any time soon.  Right after my allergist appointment, the first thing I did was head to Dunkin' Donuts for an iced coffee with cream - heaven!

Frozen Coconut Chocolate Chip Mousse (Vegan)

• 1 14-oz. can full-fat coconut milk*
• 1/3 C. cocoa powder
• 1/2 C. powdered sugar
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1/3 C. vegan chocolate chips

Refrigerate coconut milk until cold.  In a large bowl, combine coconut milk with cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt.  Mix with an electric mixer on high speed, until fluffy (about 3 minutes).  Add vanilla extract and mix until combined. Stir in vegan chocolate chips.  Transfer to a freezer-safe, coverable container and freeze until firm.

*Note: I have read on more than one occasion that not all coconut milks are created equal.  For one, I don't think this would work with a "lite" coconut milk, or the refrigerated kind in a carton - make sure you use canned, full-fat.  Also, you may need to experiment with different brands of coconut milk.

Recipe Adapted from Kojodesigns

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

The only vegans I actually know are my step-brother & his girlfriend, but nonetheless I have been determined to find a good recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies.

These days you never know when you might need to make some vegan treats.

This recipe is from a really fun blog called Post Punk Kitchen, which professes to be 'the best place in the world for vegan baking & cooking.'  And judging by the long list of glowing comments, I thought this recipe could be just what I was looking for.

Now since I'm not vegan myself, and I haven't eaten a heck of a lot of vegan cookies in my day, I feel that I'm not really qualified to say these are 'The Best.'

But I will say this much ... I find it hard to believe that a cookie without butter and eggs could ever taste any better than one of these.

I made vegan cookies over the summer and they were (to put it mildly) god-awful.

My sister-in-law seemed to enjoy them for some odd reason... but Mr. Vittles and I found them almost inedible.  Sort of like moistened chalkdust studded with chocolate chips.

These, however, do not taste like they're missing butter and eggs.  They do come out a little flat (at least mine did) but they are soft & scrumptious.

And when you take a bite, it's not like "Oh these are good... for being vegan."

You just think "These are good."

They even passed the husband test.  To Mr. Vittles, words like organic and vegan mean 'alien.'  Especially when it comes to chocolate chip cookies, because he is very particular about them.

Yesterday he ran a Tough Mudder (basically, a 12-mile obstacle course), which he has been training for over the past few months.

And this morning he ate these chocolate chip cookies at breakfast.

That says a lot about a) how good these cookies are, and b) how strange my hubby is.

Not that I've never eaten cookies at breakfast myself, but I feel that's not really 'recovery' food.  Guess he's feeling pretty good?

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 C. brown sugar
• 1/4 C. white sugar
• 2/3 C. canola oil
• 1/4 C.  unsweetened coconut milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
• 1 T. tapioca flour
• 2 t. pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 C. all purpose flour
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 3/4 C. vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two large light metal baking sheets.

Mix together sugars, oil, milk and tapioca flour in bowl of a mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on medium for about 4 minutes, until mixture resembles smooth caramel. (It's important that you don’t get lazy about that step - mix for the full time.)  Stir in the vanilla.

Add 1 cup of the flour, the baking soda, and salt, and mix until well incorporated.  Mix in the rest of the flour. Fold in the chocolate chips.  If dough is stiff, use your hands to work them in.

For three-inch cookies, roll the dough into about ping pong ball size balls. Flatten them out in your hands to about 2 1/2 inches. They will spread just a bit. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes – no more than 9 – until they are just a little browned around the edges.  Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

For 24 two-inch cookies, roll dough into walnut sized balls and flatten to about 1 1/2 inches and bake for only six minutes.

You can also use a cookie scoop to place on sheet, then flatten slightly with your fingers.  If the dough starts to separate & get oily, beat in a little more flour until consistency improves.  Also, if the dough is too sticky when you first finish mixing, you can add a little more flour, mixing after each addition, until consistency gets stiffer.

Makes two dozen two inch cookies or about 16 three inch cookies.

Recipe from Post Punk Kitchen
Note: Wording Changed Slightly, Ingredients Unchanged