The rhubarb is ready and I am ready. There will be rhubarb in everything for weeks. But what to start with? I was debating if I should go classic and make a pie, or maybe savory and make a rhubarb tomato soup (going to make that soup later), or maybe just a big batch of jam to stick on and in everything.. Then I remembered that I had a cookie dream last fall, a dream that I had made almond rhubarb cookie. (that is the extent of my dream memory) And who am I to ignore a cookie dream? So I starting off rhubarb season with cookies.
These cookies are all sorts of good. They have oats, almonds, flax, and a vegetable (because we all know that rhubarb is technically a veggies right?) so right there is a good enough excuse to make them. And to eat whenever, including breakfast, because remember, all the good stuff. But don't let that good stuff fool you. These cookies are just as good, if not better then any other cookie. Soft and chewy. So nutty, sweet but not too, and rhubarb all tart and fantastic cutting in to say hey hey hey. These are springtime, any time, cookie time cookies. Dream cookies that are now reality cookies.
Let the rhubarb begin!
The stuff. Almonds, oats and rhubarb. Brown sugar, vegan butter, a flax egg, cinnamon, baking soda, vanilla and salt.
First we need to turn the oats into flour so blend them in a food processor until that happens
Next up are the almonds. These you want to pulse for about 2-3 minutes they become more of an almond meal the flour. Don't over blend or else you might end up with almond butter.
Next up. Sugar, vegan butter, cinnamon, vanilla, ans flax egg all go into a big bowl.
Mix well until all combined and incorporated.
Now add in the oat flour, almond meal, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.
Stir it up and there you go.. but the rhubarb!
Remove the leave from rhubarb if you haven't already. They will kill you!(or make you violently ill). Chop the rhubarb stalks into small pieces that are roughly the same size as chocolate chip. Some chunks can be a little bit bigger, but you don't want the piece too big or else you will end up with soggy cookies.
Rhubarb goes into cookie batter Mix it all in.
Scoop out dough onto baking sheet and give them all a good pat to flatten them down a good bit. Place them into the oven for 17-22 minutes to bake. until nice deep golden brown.
Golden brown and baked all nice. Look at those rhubarb chunks. So pretty.
Cookies out on a wire rack to cool and firm up a bit.
So now you eat yourself a cookie. Or two.
-C
Almond Oat Rhubarb Cookies
makes 18-22 cookies depending on size
1 1/2 cups raw almonds
1 1/2 cups old fashion oats (gluten free if needed)
1/3 cup vegan butter room temperature
1 flax or chia egg (1 tablespoon ground seed and 3 tablespoon water)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2-3 stalks rhubarb (about 1 1/2 cups chopped)
Preheat oven to 350
Add oats to a food processor and blend until the oats turn into flour, which will take about 2 minutes. Dump the now flour into a bowl. Add almonds to the food processor and pulse for 2-3 minutes until the almonds turn into fine meal. Dump into the bowl with oats.
In a large bowl mix together the vegan butter, brown sugar, flax egg, and vanilla until fully incorporated. Add in the oat and almond flours, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda and mix until la dough forms.
Grab rhubarb and chop into little pieces that are roughly the size of a chocolate chip. Measure out 1 1/2 cups and dump into batter. Mix until incorporated.
Scoop out cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet and flatten each cookie to aboutt 1/2 inch thick. Place into preheated oven. and bake for 17-22 minutes (rotate after 12) or until a nice golden brown on top and bottom. (Depending on your baking sheet and stove, it could take a few minutes longer, just keep your eyes on the cookies!) Once bakes, place on a wire rack to cool. These cookies are very fragile until they cool off so be careful handling them.
Let cool and eat. And yes, these are 100% exceptable to eat as a breakfast cookie.
Left over cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room tempature for 2-3 day, longer in the fridge, and can be frozen .
And eat yourself a cookie. Or two.
Cookie anecdote. I placed a cookie sheet full of cookies back into a cold oven to store while I was cleaning up the kitchen. And left them there and kind of forgot about they, And then I cranked the oven on to make dinner and a few minutes later smelled something burning. OH fuck... the cookies! I pulled them out just in time to see that I had completely burnt the bottoms. SO PISSED ( I might have raged cried a little). But you know what I did? I cut all the bunt bottoms off and placed the crumbles up un-burnt bits onto a bowl. The mr came home and ate the bowl of crumble and was happy as a clam. And lucky had left out half of the cookies l on the counter so not all were lost. But lessons learned. Cookies crumbles are just as good as whole cookies and always check the oven before turning it on. There might be cookies in there!!!
