What We Ate Wednesday--Cookie Dough Bites

Hello lovelies! Recently, we were invited out to dinner with friends. Our lovely friend and landlord (those two words don't usually go together, but in this case they do) owns a Chinese restaurant in town and regularly invites his friends out for a free meal. We always have an interesting discussion which becomes more raucous as the evening progresses. We talk, laugh, debate, and get silly with people who have interesting and varied views of the world. We are the only vegans in the group, but we are well respected and cared for. Sai Wu makes delicious garlic mushrooms and a variety of vegetable dishes plus firecracker rice (minus the egg) which mean we have plenty of food.

Obviously, since this meal is free I want to bring something along for dessert as a thank you. But also as vegan advocacy. I mean, when you eat delicious food that is vegan it plants the seeds that compassion tastes good.

I often bake brownies because who doesn't like brownies, right? But this time, I was short on time and ingredients so i made these bite size cookie dough bites. They come together quickly, don't need much of any one ingredient and are always a hit.

I adapted the recipe from one of my favourite blogs Oh She Glows. You can read the original recipe {HERE} I mainly just adapted to make it gluten free and used Golden Syrup instead of Maple Syrup to make it cheaper. Plus, Golden Syrup has a real buttery butterscotch flavour, despite there being no butter in it. Feel free to use Maple Syrup if you can afford it.

Cookie Dough Bites

1/2 cup unsalted cashews
1/4 cup (GF) rolled oats
1/4 cup (GF) flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 to 1.5 TB sugar
1/2 tsp custard powder (the recipe called for vanilla essence/extract, but i have none so used custard powder as it is vanilla flavoured)
2 TB liquid sweetener like golden syrup, maple syrup, agave
Possibly a splash of non-dairy milk if it seems too dry
16 chocolate chunks chopped from a 100g bar

1. In a food processor combine the cashews and oats and process until they form a fine crumble.
2. Add the salt, sugar, custard powder and flour and whizz until combined.
3. Add the liquid sweetener and process until sticky and rolled into a ball. If it seems too dry or won't roll into a ball then add a half a teaspoon more liquid sweetener and a splash of non dairy milk and re-blend.
4. Roll into 16 little balls and push a chunk of chocolate into the centre of each cookie dough ball.

That's it. They are quick and delicious. Make sure you store in the fridge as that will help them to firm up.