Pistachio, Sea Salt & Carob Chip Cookies

Carob? What’s carob? That was my question too when I was browsing through some recipes from This Rawsome Vegan Life (one of my faaaaavorite vegan blogs, btw!) Carob is best known as being a chocolate replacement. It has a similar taste, but does not have caffeine. I love trying new products, so hello… I was game.

After I feverishly opened the bag of chips the minute we got in the car after our Whole Foods shopping extravaganza, I concluded that they taste like a combination of chocolate and caramel. Not as strong as dark chocolate or cacao, but DEFINITELY sweet! You can learn more about carob, here.

Anyways, I had to bake with these babies immediately. Joe was in the mood for cookies, and I had carob chips and a whole lot of raw pistachios on hand. WARNING: It’s impossible to eat just one.

Recipe

Oven: 350 F
Bake Time: 10-12 minutes

You will need:

• 1/2 cup Earth Balance butter, softened
• 1/2 cup cane sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 flax egg
• 1 tbs vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups white flour (or wheat, your preference)
• 1/2 cup chopped raw pistachios
• 1/2 cup carob chips
• Sea salt, to sprinkle

To make:

• Preheat oven to 350 F and prep your cookie sheet with parchment paper – set aside.
• In large bowl, mix butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and flaxseed until well combined. About 4 minutes all together.
• Add salt, baking powder, and baking soda – mix well.
• Add 1/2 cup of flour at a time to bowl, mixing well after each one. Do this three times.
• Fold in pistachios and carob chips.
• Roll dough into 1-inch balls and add to parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt before putting them in oven.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on how crispy you would like them.
• Allow to cool before eating.

I couldn’t stop eating these to save my life – Joe either. I’m now a believer in carob – I will be buying much more often… trust me! Pin this recipe for later when you are in the mood to do some weekend baking. And never be afraid to try new things, gf. xx bianca