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Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

vegan, lemon, poppy, cookies

A stack of these will definitely cure the winter blues.

 

February. I don't know about you but by this time of year I'm ready for sunshine and rainbows again. Nothing cheers me up more than a bag of citrus. Oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, blood oranges and of course lemons are in abundance right now. I truly think they are intended for our long winter months just to brighten our day. What better way to use them than in cookie form?

I also think that by this time in winter, we've consumed a few extra pounds munching on snacks and drinking wine, that summer bod is a long, long way away. So why not snack on another cookie? Am I right? With 3 kids and a husband, cookies disappear pretty fast around here. My oldest daughter has an egg allergy and cookies are one of the toughest desserts for her to have. I am always looking for new ways to create eggless cookies for her to enjoy.

Lemon Poppy Cookies

vegan, lemon, poppy, cookies

You won't be able to keep these for long!

I bring you these Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies, and just by chance they also happen to be vegan so it's a win for everyone (except those of you who are gluten free, sorry). Bright lemon flavor, bits of poppy seeds and the glaze, ohhhhhhh the glaze is what makes these perfect! A soft and chewy cookie with the ever so slight crisp edges. I love a good chocolate chip cookie but really these are wayyyyyy more my style. Oh, and did I mention...one bowl and NO MIXER! Okay, I got you hooked now!!! If you are anywhere in the Pacific Northwest this weekend, I'm pretty sure these will be a necessity. 

As always, I love seeing your creations. Please be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook, I love to share your recreations in my stories. And don't forget to Pin for later!

xoxo,
Cosette

vegan, lemon, poppy, cookies

Soft, chewy and perfect!

 

 

Print Recipe
 Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
Makes 24 cookies
vegan, lemon, poppy, cookies
Course Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Keyword cookies
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour
Servings
Ingredients
Cookie
Lemon Glaze
Course Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Keyword cookies
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour
Servings
Ingredients
Cookie
Lemon Glaze
vegan, lemon, poppy, cookies
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, combine your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, poppy seeds and sugar. Whisk to combine.
  2. Make a well in the center of your flour mixture and add your oil, water, lemon juice, vanilla and zest.
  3. Mix well and stir until a cohesive dough forms. If dough is still a bit crumbly, add a drop or two of water as needed.
  4. Place mixture in the fridge for an hour, or longer The refrigeration helps the cookies not to spread while baking.
  5. Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
  6. Once your dough has chilled and your oven is preheated, using a cookie scoop, scoop your dough and slightly flatten each cookie.
  7. Fill each cookie sheet with 12 cookies, leaving about 1.5" between each cookie as they will spread. Keep your second sheet in the fridge while you bake your first one.
  8. Bake for 10 minutes, remove and let cool before adding glaze. Add your 2nd sheet and repeat.
  9. Prepare glaze by mixing powdered sugar and lemon juice together until a thick glaze forms.
  10. Glaze cookies once completely cool. Store in an airtight container for a week. Enjoy!
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Lebanese Cauliflower Bites ~ Arnabeet

cauliflower, tahini, lebanese, appetizer

Tangy baked cauliflower with tangy lemon and tahini sauce.

 

There are days I can't remember where I put my keys or what I ate for breakfast. Is it the 3 kids that made me lose my memory or just getting older? I'm not sure but I do know that there are some memories that are hard to forget. Like Sunday meals with the family growing up. Sundays were one of the only days my dad didn't open the shop. It was also the day where we had a big meal, often chicken and toum, grape leaves and side dishes of hummus and baba ganoush. Not too long ago, I remembered a dish my mom used to make, fried cauliflower. Fried bites of cauliflower with tangy, delicious tarator sauce. But let's be honest, I don't like frying much. So I thought recreating this well loved recipe by roasting the cauliflower, resulting in a delicious side dish or appetizer perfect for Sunday supper or an appetizer or side dish at your holiday gathering. 

 

Baked not Fried

Arnabeet Mekleh (translated to fried cauliflower) is a common Lebanese snack. Cauliflower florets dredged and fried into morsels of goodness, drizzled with the classic tarator sauce (tahini garlic sauce). Don't get me wrong, I LOVE these bites, they are everything you dream of. But I do NOT like frying, especially savory foods. I'll fry a donut any day of the week, but savory foods tend to evoke more of a smell when frying. And let's be honest, anything baked is 10x healthier for you. Do you prefer baked foods versus fried? Truth be told, my kids aren't cauliflower fans, until they tried these delicious bites. Roasted to perfection with a healthy coating of toum to really caramelize and glaze the bites, tangy lemon squeezed on top and garlicky tarator to dip. These simple ingredients truly transform the simple, humble cauliflower to the perfect snack. 

cauliflower, tahini, lebanese, appetizer

A squeeze of lemon on the hot charred cauliflower.

 

cauliflower, tahini, lebanese, appetizer

Classic taratore sauce (tahini, garlic and lemon) take these from ordinary to extraordinary.

 

Health Benefits

Cauliflower has been the CRAZE lately, cauliflower rice, cauliflower pizza (which I beg to disagree on). Truth is, cauliflower is a superfood that we all should be eating more of. It's an excellent source of fiber, high in Vitamin C and an anti-inflammatory. I always appreciate new ways of enjoying vegetables, with this dish being both vegan and gluten free, it's a winner for anyone looking for a delicious, nutritious dish. 

As always, I hope you enjoy this dish and love seeing your creations. Tag me on Instagram @CosettesKitchen or post on my Facebook Page.

xoxo,
Cosette

cauliflower, tahini, lebanese, appetizer

Enjoy as an appetizer or side dish for any meal.

 

cauliflower, tahini, lebanese, appetizer

Lebanese Cauliflower Bites, Pin for later.

 

 

Print Recipe
 Lebanese Cauliflower Bites ~ Arnabeet
cauliflower, tahini, lebanese, appetizer
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine Lebanese
Keyword fall, lebanese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Baked Cauliflower
Tarator (tahini sauce)
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine Lebanese
Keyword fall, lebanese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Baked Cauliflower
Tarator (tahini sauce)
cauliflower, tahini, lebanese, appetizer
Instructions
Baked Cauliflower
  1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
  2. Prepare cauliflower by cutting into florets.
  3. Spread florets on baking sheet and coat with toum and salt, be sure each floret is coated.
  4. Bake for 20-25 minutes tossing halfway to ensure all pieces are browning evenly.
  5. Once browned and caramelized, remove from oven and squeeze liberally with lemon.
  6. Plate and enjoy with taratore sauce.
Tarator Sauce
  1. With mortar and pestle smash garlic, add your tahini, water, lemon and salt. Adjust lemon and salt to your liking. Add additional water or lemon juice to thin if too thick.
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Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma

chicken, lebanese, instant pot, shawarma, wrap

These delicious chicken shawarma wraps are quick, easy, healthy and perfect for any dinner.

One of my fondest memories as a kid was my first trip to Lebanon. So many new people, places and things to see and do. I was about 12 years old and I remember my mom being terrified that after all the years of speaking to us in Arabic, we wouldn't be able to hold a conversation. See, my parents always spoke to us in Arabic but we replied in English, go figure! To her surprise and delight, after a few days our mouth couldn't stop talking. 

One afternoon our whole family, I'm talking My Big Fat Greek Wedding Style, 30+ people all gathered at a park or field or something for an afternoon. I'm sure I have pictures somewhere, but what I distinctly remember is watching my uncles and cousins butcher a lamb! I watched in intrigue and probably some horror as this little lamb was getting ready to be cooked. To the spit the little lamb went and I'm sure it was the best lamb I ever had!! 

Shawarma

Shawarma is a meat preparation, historically done with lamb but today often with chicken, beef or veal. Much like my experience as a little girl watching the lamb cook on a spit, the shawarma technique was created to allow roasting layers and layers of meat but without bones. Meat is layered on a vertical spit and layered with fat to keep the meat tender and juicy. As the meat cooks, it is cut off to serve. The meat is flavorful, tender and delicious. Crazy as it may sound, shawarma was brought to Mexico by immigrants from the Middle East. Later they evolved into tacos al pastor. As Lebanese immigrants made their way to Mexico, they brought their culture and traditions. They began integrating their own heritage with Mexican cuisine.

Modern Day Shawarma

While I'd love to have a spit in my front yard, or a vertical shawarma roasting machine in my kitchen, that probably isn't going to happen! So what's the best way to get all the flavor in a shawarma sandwich? Enter Instant Pot! I've taken some of the oldest techniques and completely modernized them into using the Instant Pot. Spices, tender chicken thighs and all the amazing fixings, this sandwich may send you all the way back to Lebanon! 

I hope you enjoy this simple recipe, not only is this version delicious but the spice mix is divine and can used on anything from potatoes to burgers! As always, I love to see your creations be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook if you give this a try. 

Xoxo
Cosette

 

chicken, lebanese, instant pot, shawarma, wrap

A gorgeous blend of spices to create a warm flavor.

chicken, lebanese, instant pot, shawarma, wrap

Chicken being prepared for the Instant Pot.

 

chicken, lebanese, instant pot, shawarma, wrap

Chicken cooked perfectly in 8 minutes!

 

chicken, lebanese, instant pot, shawarma, wrap

Wrapped up, filled with delicious veggies and tatatore sauce.

 

chicken, lebanese, instant pot, shawarma, wrap

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Print Recipe
 Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma
chicken, lebanese, instant pot, shawarma, wrap
Course Main Dish
Keyword chicken, dinner, gyro, lebanese, shawarma
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 5 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Shawarma Spice Mix (makes ¾ cup)
Chicken Shawarma
Tarator (tahini sauce)
Course Main Dish
Keyword chicken, dinner, gyro, lebanese, shawarma
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 5 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Shawarma Spice Mix (makes ¾ cup)
Chicken Shawarma
Tarator (tahini sauce)
chicken, lebanese, instant pot, shawarma, wrap
Instructions
Shawarma Spice Mix
  1. Mix all spices together and store in jar.
Chicken Shawarma
  1. **Note the above Shawarma Spice Mix makes MORE than needed for this recipe. Save remainder for another time. Coat chicken with 3 tablespoon Shawarma Spice Mix and olive oil. Can leave to marinade overnight, but not necessary.
  2. Add ¾ cup stock to the bottom of your Instant Pot and add the rack.
  3. Lay the spiced chicken on the rack. Place lid on pot and close to sealing position.
  4. Set to MANUAL 8 minutes, let cook.
  5. Once completed, release pressure after 5 minutes.
  6. Assemble your shawarma with any/all the toppings you'd like on pita: cucumbers tomatoes radishes onions with sumac green onions pickled veggies
  7. Prepare taratore sauce: With mortar and pestle smash garlic, add your tahini, water, lemon and salt. Adjust lemon and salt to your liking.
Recipe Notes

Check out Episode 2 on Ugly Delicious for a deeper connection tacos al pastor and Lebanese immigration. 
https://www.eater.com/2018/2/23/17029898/ugly-delicious-tacos-recap-season-1-episode-2

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Lebanese BakLAWA

I remember so fondly my parents making all the Lebanese desserts over the holidays. Our holiday cookies looked a little different than our friends' cookies. Ingredients like semolina, farina, phyllo dough were common. The standard chocolate chip cookie wasn't the norm at my house. Our desserts were special morsels of flavor from the Mediterranean.  Flavors that my parents grew up with and began passing on to us! 

Both my parents are amazing in the kitchen as many of you already know and holiday time is no exception. They make everything shine. Perfect trays of desserts, every favorite dish you can think of, mezze (or appetizers) to munch on for days, from savory fatayer (savory pies: meat, spinach), hummus, grape leaves and so much more! I am SO thankful I get to go home to spend the holidays with the family! Wouldn't you??

BatLAWA vs BakLAVA

But dessert, the famous and most delicious desserts: mammoul, numoora, shyreehe and the coveted baklawa. Hands down one of my favorite Lebanese desserts. BakLAWA, similar to the more frequently referred to, bakLAVA is slightly different. Baklawa is also made with thin sheets of phyllo dough + nuts + butter, lots of butter! But some of the differences are in the syrup. The traditional Greek bakLAVA uses a honey based syrup with some additional spices, generally quite sweet. Lebanese baklawa on the otherhand uses a simple syrup mixture scented with orange blossom and rose waters. Batlawa filling is also a little bit lighter than baklava, not as much filling overall and less ingredients. Batlawa is made simply with phyllo dough + butter + walnuts + sugar + orange blossom and rose waters. You can smell a Lebanese dessert miles away, they will generally always contain the lovely orange blossom and rose waters, our signature scents. 

While our lovely Lebanese batlawa gets lost in the shuffle, I personally think it is more delicate and frankly, more consumable (that is if you want to eat large copious amounts of it). Just like a chocolate chip cookie with many variations, this is just one of many versions of batlawa or baklava. While these aren't a traditional cookie, they are definitely bite-sized and even more delicious than any cookie I have tasted. I hope you find yourself this holiday season making memories with your family, baking your favorite desserts with your mom, dad, aunt, uncle or children. And if you find the time, try a new holiday cookie (or dessert) of batlawa, the Lebanese morsel of goodness. As always, I love seeing your creations, tag me on Instagram @CosettesKitchen or post on my Facebook Page.

Happiest of Holidays to you and your loved ones!

Xoxo
Cosette


Print Recipe
 Lebanese BakLAWA
Course Dessert
Cuisine Lebanese
Prep Time 1 hour (divided)
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings
half sheet
Ingredients
Syrup (Attar)
Baklawa
Course Dessert
Cuisine Lebanese
Prep Time 1 hour (divided)
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings
half sheet
Ingredients
Syrup (Attar)
Baklawa
Instructions
Syrup (Attar)
  1. Combine your water and sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed pot. Heat on medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, stir occasionally.
  2. Bring to a boil, allow the syrup to boil for about 5-7 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat after syrup thickens slightly and add your lemon juice and waters.
  4. Pour into a glass container add a small sliver of lemon to store in the syrup. Once cooled to room temperature, store in refrigerator.
  5. Syrup lasts many months in the fridge and can be used on many desserts.
Clarified Butter
  1. Begin my preparing your butter. You'll need to make sure you clarify your butter before using. Details below from Serious Eats.**
  2. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat.
  3. Continue to cook over medium-high heat; an even layer of white milk proteins will float to the surface.
  4. Bring to a boil; the milk proteins will become foamy.
  5. Lower heat to medium and continue to gently boil; the milk proteins will break apart.
  6. As the butter gently boils, the milk proteins will eventually sink to the bottom of the pot, and the boiling will begin to calm and then cease.
  7. Once boiling has stopped, pour butter through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or through a coffee filter into a heatproof container to remove browned milk solids. Let cool, then transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use. Clarified butter should keep for at least 6 months in the refrigerator.
Baklawa
  1. Thaw your phyllo dough according to the package instructions.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. In the bowl of a food processor, combine your walnuts + sugar and pulse until the nuts and sugar are combine and the nuts are small fine crumbles. Add a splash of rose and orange blossom waters (about ½ teaspoon of each).
  4. Begin assembling your baklawa by coating the bottom of a half sheet pan with your clarified butter. Be sure to also coat the sides.
  5. Take about 10 sheets of your phyllo dough and lay flat on the buttered sheet pan.
  6. Spread your walnut mixture evenly across the phyllo.
  7. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of butter on top of your walnuts.
  8. Place the remaining phyllo dough on top of your walnut mixture.
  9. Begin cutting your dessert. With a sharp knife, begin making diagonal lines across evenly. Make sure to press down to cut through to the bottom.
  10. Next, go across the opposite way to create a diamond. Continue until the tray is completely cut. (choose whatever size works for you)
  11. Next, drizzle your remaining clarified butter over the top ensuring it falls into all the cracks. Tilt your tray back and forth to coat evenly.
  12. Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes in center of your oven.
  13. After 30 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes. Be sure to check so it doesn't brown too much. Ovens vary in temperature.
  14. Once top is golden and flaky, remove from oven. Check bottom to ensure it's golden brown as well.
  15. While batlawa is still HOT, pour your attar syrup on top. You'll use about 1-1.5 cups. Drizzle starting from one end and work down to the other end until the batlawa is coated and absorbs the syrup.
  16. Let cool, remove pieces and enjoy!
Recipe Notes

**Recipe for clarifying butter from: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/08/clarified-butter-recipe.html **You can make the attar syrup and clarified butter ahead and store in fridge until ready to use. Melt butter before using. 

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Apple Handpies

Do you guys remember those apple pies from McDonald's? The ones that came in the little cardboard boxes that were ridiculously addictive? I LOVED them! I remember buying 2-3 at a time (probably not a good idea) but one just didn't do it. They had the perfect exterior and gooey delicious filling. I think they were actually deep fried, I suppose that's why they were so amazing. Lol! So I have concocted what I think is a close comparison (dare I say even better) to those iconic pies. 

Tis' the season for all things apple, pumpkin, pear, persimmon, fig...this is the BEST time of year. It's the time of year when it's more convenient for us to stop at the apple orchard to pick apples than go to the grocery store for them. Perfect fresh apples will win my heart every time. Biting into a crisp apple is heaven but along with all those fresh apples comes the baking. Out of all the pies in the world, apple pie has to be my favorite! And in an effort to try and recreate the McDonald's Apple Pie, I had my work cut out for me. 

I didn't want to deep fry them, because well, that's a lot of excess work for a pie. And if I'm not eating a donut I actually prefer a baked good. My good friend Marie from Cocina Marie is a MASTER pie maker. Seriously, check out her Instagram for tips, tricks and some amazing pies she has been whipping up these days. After watching her effortlessly roll and work with her pie dough, I had to give her recipe a try. I love making a scratch pie dough but I have never worked so easily with it like her. So I gave her dough a try and worked very hard not to add too much water and keep a dryer dough (that has been my problem before, adding too much water). And low and behold, the dough came out PERFECT and you know what else? It tastes amazing, all butter and crisps up so beautifully. I am forever changed and this will be my new go-to recipe! 

Then the filling, the filling had to have a little goo but not quite as liquidy as standard apple pie. Also, since these would be cooking much faster I decided to cook up my apple filling before stuffing the handpies. 

Diced up apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, all-spice and ginger make this all star filling. Begin by cutting up your apples into small 1 inch cubes, toss in your flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, all-spice, salt and coat well. Add your butter to a skillet and let it melt, add in your apple mixture and let the apples cook down slightly. I added the zested ginger, water and lemon juice after about 5 minutes. I went ahead a took my potato masher and smooched (yes, that's a real word ) the apples a bit, not all of them, but just some to create a bit of a sauce with the bigger chunks. 

Let the mixture cool and then begin the assembly. Remove your pie dough from the fridge and work into a rectangle about 10" x 12" or so and cut into 6 rectangles. I then slightly rolled each rectangle out if they were a little on the thick side (I think my pie rolling skills need help). You don't want to roll too thin otherwise they will tear, so keep them hefty. Next, place a heaping tablespoon (close to 2 tbsp) in the center of each rectangle and then add a dollop of crème fraîche. Be sure to place the crème fraîche toward the back of the filling so it doesn't inch too close to the front where you'll close. 

Fold over your dough and seal using a fork around the edges. Place on parchment lined sheetpan, brush tops with heavy cream and sprinkle coarse sugar on top. Make 2-3 slits on top and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top and bottom. Let cool slightly and enjoy! I hope this reminds you of those delicious apple pies from your childhood! 


Print Recipe
 Apple Handpies
Course Baked Good, Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Pie Dough
Apple Filling
Course Baked Good, Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Pie Dough
Apple Filling
Instructions
Pie Dough
  1. Prepare pie dough as instructed and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
Hand Pies
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line sheet pan with parchment paper, set aside.
  2. Prepare filling. Mix together apples, flour, sugar, cinnamon, all-spice, salt.
  3. In a large skillet, heat your butter and add in apple mixture. Let cook for about 5 minutes then add in your ginger, lemon juice and water. Allow apples to soften slightly.
  4. Using a potato masher or fork smoosh a portion of the apples to make them a little more saucy. Keep the other half of the apples whole. The mixture should be thick, almost like a paste.
  5. Once combined, remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  6. Remove your pie dough and roll into a large rectangle about 10" x 12. Be sure to roll evenly and not too thin.
  7. Cut your dough into 6 even rectangles.
  8. Roll each rectangle slightly if needed to ensure they are even. Add 1 heaping tablespoon (close to 2) in the center of each hand pie. Place a dollop of crème fraîche, about 1 tsp, toward the back of the filling.
  9. Fold the dough over and seal with a fork. Place on prepared sheet pan, brush heavy cream on the tops and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Make 2-3 small slits on tops.
  10. Bake for 25-30 minutes in the upper ⅓ of your oven. Checking to be sure browning is happening evenly on tops and bottoms.
  11. Remove from oven, let cool slightly and enjoy!
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