Happy New Year AND 2000 Views! Have a Cookie

Hello all, I hope you had a wonderful New Year, and are still feeling as terrible as I am! Today also calls for another reason to celebrate... The Global Hot Potato has just reached over 2000 views!!! What better way to celebrate than with an absolutely, mouth-wateringly indulgent vegan, dark chocolate cookie recipe?!?!

OK... So it's not perfect in terms of environment sustainability... Chocolate isn't locally sourced, neither is coconut oil... BUT... It's a hell of a lot more environmentally friendly than buying chocolate bars or pre-packaged sweets... It's also cheaper in the long run, and more rewarding! I encourage you to select fair trade ingredients only! And no dairy products included, which gives us extra brownie points...


Vegan, Dark Chocolate Cookie Recipe

Ingredients
(makes ~20)

110 g (or 1/2 cup) coconuit oil
100 g (or 1 cup) soft (light) brown sugar
50 ml (or 1/4 cup) almond/soy milk (water if neither)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
250 g (or 2 cup) plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
120 - 150 g (1 cup) dark chocolate (chopped) - check to see if it contains milk products!!

Additional:
Baking parchment

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C (fan oven) or 350F/320F (fan oven)
2. Mix the coconut oil and brown sugar together in a large bowl until creamed.
3. Now add the almond milk and vanilla extract, until mixed well. The mixture should be quite wet.
4. In a separate bowl, combine flour with the baking soda and baking powder.
5. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet one, until well combined. After this, add in the roughly chopped chocolate chips, and any other additions of your choice (e.g. hazelnuts, cinnamon, fruit, etc.) and mix together.
6. Use a tablespoon to scoop out balls from the mixture, roll them in your hands gently to form a sphere, and then place them on baking parchment (on a tray). Then, flatten the balls with your hands, and ensure there is a lot of distance between each one. (I do about 3 batches with 2 separate baking trays - each with 5 cookies on).
7. Bake for about 10 mins - check after 7 to see how they're doing. Ensure that they're not too squishy before taking out. Sometimes my cookies needed 15 mins - use your judgement! (REMEMBER: cookies will harden when removed from the oven, so don't over-bake!!!)
8. ENJOY! :)

Homemade Gnocchi

A tastier and seasonal alternative to pasta, which you can proudly call your own! It's super quick and easy, and incredibly tasty and filling. Ditch the processed foods, and start making your own! Make sure you try to select ingredients from the UK or, at furthest, from countries in Europe, as there is so much growing here in abundance (even at this time of year) - especially potatoes!

Ingredients

Gnocchi (makes 8)

450 g white potatoes
250 g flour
1 egg

Tomato Bake (makes 4)
(optional)

1 leek (chopped)
1 courgette (chopped)
1 aubergine (chopped)
150 g broccoli
75g spinach (chopped)
500 g passata
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp black pepper
Fresh basil (finely chopped)


Recipe

1. To make the gnocchi, boil a large pan's worth of water, peel potatoes and chop them into medium-sized pieces. Add to the saucepan and cook for about 10-15 mins, until they have softened but are still quite firm. Drain the water, and leave to cool for about 15 mins.
2. In the meantime, prepare any sauce you'd like with your gnocchi! I've opted for a classic tomato-based one! Fry leeks, and courgettes for approx 5 mins. Add paprika, aubergine and garlic, and cook for a further few mins. Add in the passata, broccoli, black pepper and basil, and leave to thicken with the lid on.
3. Once the potatoes have cooled sufficiently, mash together with a potato masher or fork. Now add flour and mix well. Well-flour a flat surface and empty out the mixture onto it. Crack an egg in the centre of the doughy mixture, and carefully fold the outsides into the centre, repeatedly, and knead well for approx 5 mins.
4. Cut the dough into 8 equal sized pieces, and roll each one out separately into a sausage shape (as pictured above) using the palms of your hands. Once rolled, cut into bitesize gnocchi pieces (and decorate with fork if you'd like, although it's incredibly time-consuming).
5. Pre-heat oven to 200C/180C fan (if making the bake) and boil water to cook the gnocchi. Place half of the gnocchi into a freeze-proof bag, or in the fridge if using again in the next few days. Put the gnocchi in a pan with the boiling water, and cook for 3-5 mins on high heat, or until gnocchi has risen to the top!
6. Combine the cooked gnocchi with the sauce, and place in the oven for 15-20 mins. Or eat without baking (as it's better for the environment!!)...