Gluten Free and Vegan Cookie Butter

Have I ever mentioned to you that my body hates me?

No, really. It does. More accurately, my guts hate me.

Kinda the wrong way around, no?

You see, every once in awhile, my body just throws its hands up (likely, in exasperation) and says “Eff this! We are not playing like that anymore!” A whole host of foods normally in my diet just. Won’t. Agree. With me.

Farewell gluten, we’re over you.

Adios, dairy. You’re so last year

Chicken? Turkey? Hated it.

Sugar? Well, it’s always been rocky with you.

This whatever-you-want-to-call-it will last a few weeks and then poof. Gone. Buh bye. Bring back the pizza, with some froyo on top.

Whatever. I’m done trying to figure it out (actually, I can’t remember where I put my food journal), so I just go with it. It’s a good excuse to try out new vegan recipes and eat lots of raw kale salad. Which, incidentally, I just tried the other day and UM HELLO, that shiz is good.

Since Biscoff and cookie butter obsession has been making its way around the internet, I thought I’d try my hand at making a gluten free and vegan version. I even made my own gluten free and vegan Speculoos cookies to go into that gluten free and vegan cookie butter. Because I think I have too much time on my hands and I have something to prove to the dogs.

Huh?

Anyway, this is a cookie butter that’s kinder and gentler to your body and the earth. Thus, you’ll feel 12 times more virtuous eating this version. Which means that you can totally eat half the jar (like I did).

Just try to keep it out of your hair (like I didn’t).

Otherwise your dogs will be getting REALLY friendly with you.

(That’s right – like mine did.)

Gluten-Free and Vegan Cookie Butter

For the Speculoos:
(adapted from a recipe by Matzo and Rice)
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick Earth Balance
1/4 cup evaporated cane juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a medium bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture until it holds together.

Transfer the cookie dough to a large sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper and form into a log. Wrap tightly and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

When you are ready to bake off the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the the cookie dough log from the refridgerator and slice into 1/2 inch rounds. Place the rounds onto a cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool completely before making the cookie butter.

For the Cookie Butter:

1 recipe of Gluten Free and Vegan Speculoos cookies (which yields approximately 3 1/2 cups of crushed cookies)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons cashew butter

Pulse the cookies in a food processor into fine crumbs. Add the coconut oil, brown sugar, and cashew butter and process for approximately 3 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed, until the mixture is fluffy and creamy. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.