Atlanta Macrobiotics

Yes, Virginia, there are vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies and 119 other Sweet and Natural desserts, thanks to Meredith McCarty’s writing her wonderful cookbook! Titled, Sweet and Natural, of course! You’ll enjoy nostalgic holiday tastes this Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy New Year, and you have plenty of time to try the best treats for your own special Valentine too! So, let’s get this one started so you have a delish-ious soft, healthier chocolate chip cookie for your Christmas cookie holiday swap! I’ve taught lots of variations in my macrobiotic cooking classes, always to great delight! Add whatever else you enjoy to yours! I tried it with hazelnuts, coconut, and pecans too! For tonight I used only unbleached white flour and pecans – what do you want to try? Most important, just enjoy and share!! Maybe even try a Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake too!

Chocolate Chip Cookies,

thanks to Meredith McCarty, Sweet and Natural cookbook

Preheat oven – 350 degrees. Remember, organic ingredients enhances tastes!

dry ingredients

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup unbleached white flour

1 cup malt-sweetened Sunspire non-organic chocolate chips*

1/2 cup walnuts, rinsed, then toasted, and chopped

1 teaslpoon aluminum-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon si salt, sea salt, Kushi Institute Store

wet ingredients

1/2 cup light vegetable oil such as walnut, or safflower

1/4 cup brown rice syrup, Suzanne’s, Natural Import Company, NC

1/4 cup pure maple syrup, Grade B is for baking!

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

Now let’s make these cookies dance onto that cookie sheet!

Your oven’s preheated to 350 degrees. Now line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly brush with oil. I prefer the stoneware bake sheets to metal ones.

Mix dry ingredients in large glass bowl,

Whisk wet ingredients in medium glass bowl, and stir into dry ingredients.

Want medium-size cookies? Use a small ice-cream scoop about 1 1/4 inch diameter, leaving 1-2 inches between cookies.

Bake 12-15 minutes for small cookies, or 15-20 minutes for large cookies.

My gas oven takes 20 minutes for smallish cookies. And they are delish.

*Sunspire – in this case, we do not select the organic because the organic is sweetened with organice sugar;

the non-organic is the one sweetened with barley malt. The company got this one backwards!

Dickens hit it right on with taking Scrooge back through past Christmases! Exactly what we all do every holiday reminiscing our loved ones, and longing for the familiar family cuisine, whatever our mothers, grandmothers, aunts and loved ones cooked! I can still savor the delicious chocolate cakes from my beloved Grandmother Esther, and Mother’s Chocolate Lady Finger Cake, which became my neighborhood’s favorite too, til I became vegan and macrobiotic cooking our new lifestyle!

Still, holiday and party food can be a wonderful way to enjoy these past memories, and thanks to some wonderful cooks and their cookbooks, we have healthier ways to accomplish some traditional foods! Just this week I was on a Coconut Lemon Pie search - my mother’s absolute favorite and I found this wonderful recipe in Love, Eric by Eric Lechasseur. Please hurry to order this book, as they are stopping print as we speak!

It cut beautifully, and firmed quickly. I changed the crust to 3/4 cup Pastry flour and 1 cup unbleached flour being without Spelt flour, and not being able to wait one more minute! And, please, use organic ingredients for best flavors. We always use organic both at home and in our Macrobiotic cooking classes in Atlanta, and the results as they say are in the pudding! Enjoy.

Pie crust

1 cup spelt flour

3/4 cup unbleached flour

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup maple sugar

1/3 cup safflower oil

1/4 cup water

Let’s make the pie crust!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.

Add oil and water; knead quickly, forming dough.

Allow dough to sit 15 minutes! Yep, i time it!

Rolling pin and 2 pieces of wax paper, roll dough in circle to fit your 9-11 inch pie pan, or flan pop-up pan is what i prefer! William Sonoma

I like a really thin crust, no more than 1/4 inch, and even less!

Gently line pie pan with your crust and bake 20 minutes, maybe 25.

Remove from oven and let it cool.

***

Filling ingredients

1 cup plain Amasake, Rhapsody, from Vermont

1 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup brown rice syrup, Suzanne’s

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

zest of 1 lemon

2 1/2 Tablespoon agar flakes

4 Tablespoon arrowroot

1/4 cup organic apple juice, not Gravenstein

extra lemon zest for garnish

and of course, coconut flakes for the yumminess of it all!

***

Now, it’s make a wonderful lemon filling time! So, turn on your favorite dance music!

Let’s whisk away to the music!

Combine all ingredients, except arrowroot and apple juice in saucepan.

Bring to simmer, whisking constantly, and cook 8 minutes! Whisk to the music!!

In small bowl, combine arrowroot and apple juice, then whisk into the lemon filling.

Continue cooking, whisking and dancing a few more minutes.

Remove from flame and let slightly cool.

Pour filling into your beautifully baked pie shell. Garnish with zest & coconut flakes

Refrigerate ’til firm.

Enjoy. i just had one more little slice to make sure it’s really delish! It is…..