chickpea chocolate chip blondies + global pulse day round up

 

happy global pulse day!!! i am celebrating over a big bowl of kale & white bean soup that i made live on NOM last night. it has been so cold, rainy & miserable here so i couldn't think of anything better then a comforting pot of soup to enjoy all week long! i am also sharing the recipe for chickpea chocolate chip blondies & rounding up ALL my favourite recipes i have made for the blog that include different types of pulses. yes, you heard that correctly... chickpea blondies! i actually can't even count how many times i have made these (& eaten the entire batch in one sitting, but it is healthy, so that's okay.. i think). they are so good & while they might not taste exactly like a traditional blondie they are good in a whole other way.

since it is safe to assume all our resolutions this month include eating healthier, these recipes will make that super easy. incase you aren't familiar with "pulses" they include various beans, peas & lentils that appear in all sorts of food that you eat! chickpeas, chickpea flour, yellow & green split peas, lentils, beans & so on. why should we eat pulses aside from all the delicious foods we make out of them? (i had to include TWO hummus recipes in this round up because who isn't obsessed with hummus) because they are good for us of course! working with pulse canada over the last year, i have been fortunate enough to learn about all the benefits pulses give us. they are the future of better nutrition & health, good for the planet, versatile & affordable AND my fellow canadian's we are one of the world's largest producers of pulses! this means they are pretty easy to get your hands on, canadian or not.

anyways, i hope you take the pulse pledge with me this year (click here to take the pledge or go to pulsepledge.com) & add pulses to your diet. just think, you can make a different flavoured hummus EVERY week or a cozy pot of chili for the cold winter days. below is a recipe link to some of my favourite pulse recipes as well as the new recipe for chickpea blondies!

xo

pulse recipe round up

1. split pea pesto spaghetti- a summer inspired dish made with split pea pesto & roasted peppers.

2. garlic hummus- a classic hummus flavoured with a touch of garlic. serve with warm pita or sliced veggies!

3. roasted balsamic chickpea salad- a vegetarian salad where roasted balsamic chickpeas become the main source of protien. tossed in a honey balsamic dijon vinaigrette.

4. black bean + turkey chili- my go to winter dish, turkey chili! you can substitute the black beans for any type of bean & the turkey for any ground meat. this dish is loaded with flavour.

5. roasted beet, onion & garlic hummus- my pretty in pink hummus that was a huge hit this month! it features roasted beets, garlic & onion. i serve it with harvest snaps which are a healthy split pea snack!

chickpea chocolate chip blondies

ingredients

  • 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed throughly
  • 1/2 cup natural smooth peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar (can substitute raw, brown or white sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips (milk or dark)

directions

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees & line a 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
  • in a blender add the chickpeas, peanut butter, coconut sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, baking powder & baking soda. pulse until mixture is smooth.
  • fold in chocolate chips & spread mixture evenly into the baking dish.
  • bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges turn a golden brown.

gingerbread + dark chocolate cookies

 

this year i have decided to come up with some not so traditional holiday cookies! don't get me wrong, i have already made batches of sugar cookies & gingerbread men this month but why not mix it up a bit? it is time to experiment with the flavours of gingerbread & pair it with equally delicious ingredients (wait till you see the macadamia cookies i made for crate & barrel next). this recipe makes for the perfect freeze & bake chocolate chip style cookies. while they would of course work well for a cookie exchange party, you are probably not going to want to give these away! instead, whip up a batch to pop in your freezer & bake a few at a time as you cozy up by the fire & watch your favourite holiday movie.

this is something justin & i do year round when we make mixed up versions of chocolate chip cookies. not that we couldn't eat the whole batch at once, more so that we shouldn't. plus, who doesn't want cookies warm from the oven everytime? nothing is better then slightly melted chocolate with a gooey centre. because i make these in small batches, i typically use my toaster oven instead of having to pre-heat the big oven. KitchenAid was kind enough to send me a brand new one to test out (my current KitchenAid one was pushing 10 years old). they baked up so perfectly in it! better then my gas oven to be honest, i am still getting used to going full gas & not convection. the KitchenAid toaster oven also heats up quickly, so you will have your cookies in no time! it is also perfect for the holiday season when your oven is full of a giant turkey. you can bake or heat up your favourite side dishes in the oven too. i think my mom will be borrowing this from me this year.

anyways, this is my mix up on a gingerbread cookie! it is a mash up between my favourite classic gingerbread & my favourite chocolate chip cookie. trust me when i say these are better. the dark chocolate compliments the ginger spicers so perfectly & the pecans add a touch of crunch. if you are not a fan of nuts in your baked goods, feel free to leave it out & add a bit more dark chocolate OR even some candied ginger! so many possibilities with these.

ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup turbinado sugar (i use sugar in the raw)
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
  • 1/2 cup whole pecans, roughly chopped

directions

  • in a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves. set aside.
  • in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter, brown sugar & turbinado sugar until fluffy.
  • add in the molasses, egg & vanilla extract until combined.
  • slowly add in the dry ingredients until incorporated.
  • fold in the dark chocolate chips & pecans.
  • roll into desired size balls, place in freezer bag & bake when ready.
  • to bake, pre-heat oven to 375 degrees & bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges lightly brown.

note: if you are skipping the freezer step, place cookie balls on a baking tray & pop in the freezer for 10 minutes while you preheat the oven. this ensures the cookies will not spread together & the chocolate chips hold their shape.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

 

i hope everyone has made it through the long weekend of chocolate! i mean, easter. i figured i would stick with the chocolate theme from this weekend (because who can honestly get sick of anything chocolate) by making chocolate chip brownies! i have honestly made so many different types of brownie recipes, i can't even keep track. from fudgey to cakey, i would say this recipe produces the best of both worlds. you can mix in just about anything you like! the variations i have made are chocolate chips, peanut butter, walnuts, coconut, cream cheese, oh the possibilities are endless! however, for this particular batch i kept it simple, to embrace brownies in its true glory.

ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 4 oz unsweetened chocolate (4 squares of bakers chocolate)
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon espresso
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate chips

directions:

  1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. in a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and unsweetened chocolate. let cool.
  3. in the bowl of a stand mixer, whip sugar, vanilla, espresso, and eggs until light and fluffy.
  4. add in cooled chocolate and butter mixture.
  5. on low speed, sift in flour and salt until just combined.
  6. stir in semi-sweet chocolate chips.
  7. bake for 20-25 minutes (until tooth pic comes out clean).
  8. let cool completely before serving.