These days, we’re spending more time than ever cooking at home, and many of us are skipping a trip to the grocery store in favor of cooking with what we have on hand. But sometimes, that proves a bit challenging. Enter Heather Crosby’s YumUniverse Pantry to Plate Cookbook—an Amazon Best Book of the Month hailed as “delicious advice” (Foreword Reviews) that will transform “noncooks into creative home chefs” (Booklist). Heather is an expert at cooking pantry to plate—she takes stock of what she has on hand, decides what she’s in the mood for, and then improvises!
In YumUniverse Pantry to Plate, you’ll not only find 100 delicious recipes, but 30 ingenious templates to help you freestyle plant-based, gluten-free meals and snacks on the fly. (One of our favorites? The Cheesy Comfort Food template, of course.)
To give you a taste of what you could make, check out this sweet recipe below for “Red Velvet” Peppermint Choco-Chip Cookies!
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“Red Velvet” Peppermint Choco-Chip Cookies
A great one to try on all the “I don’t like beets” people in your life. Not only do they provide beautiful “red velvet” color without chem-y dye, but they add a scrumptious level of sweetness to these cookies.
MAKES 16 TO 18 COOKIES
Ingredients
- 1 medium red beet, peeled and diced
- 3 tablespoons warm water, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons if needed
- ¾ cup Sucanat
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons blanched almond flour
- ½ cup brown rice flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa/cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch/flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil, gently warmed to liquid
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped dark chocolate
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Set aside, then start a double boiler and steam the diced beet until easily pierced with a fork.
- Place the beet in the blender and purée, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons water if needed (just to get the blades going—you want applesauce consistency, not watery). Transfer ¼ cup of the purée to a small bowl and save any leftover for Soup or Muffins.
- In a large bowl, sift together the Sucanat, almond flour, rice flour, cocoa powder, arrowroot, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons warm water with the beet, oil, and peppermint and vanilla extracts until thoroughly combined.
- Fold together the wet ingredients and flour mixture, then incorporate the chocolate until evenly distributed. Use a spoon to place 1½-inch dollops of dough onto the lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until browned and the tops and edges are cooked. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets. The cookies will set more as they cool.
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We hope this recipe satisfied your sweet tooth! For more ideas on how to use the ingredients in your cupboard, be sure to get your copy of YumUniverse Pantry to Plate, available now!
