The Gourmellows

I think one of the biggest joy of the day, apart from my little devils, is coming home after 8 hours of brain frying and find a package waiting for me.
I don't know it is like being a little kid all over again!
Today it was Chocolate, yes my beloved, sensual, pretty chocolate. I tried to tide up the kitchen really quick and then proceeded to open the not one but two small medium boxes. One was from Dagoba organic and the other was from Santa Barbara chocolate, organic as well. Usually the first thing I do is open the bag were the chocolate is kept and trying to get in as much of the aroma as I can.
Then I pick a small amount, in this case they both came in buttons form, and smell it again, place it in my mouth and try to block out all of the other stimuli around me.
Dagoba 68% Milagros origins Peru', is smooth with strong sweet notes. I love it, I am definitely keeping this for my production, it would make an outstanding creamy vegan ganache.
Santa Barbara chocolate, 72% dark no vanilla or soy lecithin added, strong aroma but very smooth finish, a smoothness you wouldn't expect from a 72%.
For some reason after I burned some incense couple of days ago, I can't seem able to get that burned incensy smell out of my nose, so I have hard time identifying clearly the many different tones in the chocolate.
Overall I am very pleased with both, organic, fair trade, green companies, great chocolate.

This is my version of vegan chocolate chips, and more, cookies. I have been looking for recipes around, but I haven't found anything that I really liked. So I just modified the recipe I use for regular non vegan cookies, which I have perfected in the past couple of years. They passed, my sweet toothed little boy, test and I was really please with them as well. I handed a couple of oven hot cookies to my husband on his way out of the door, telling him they were vegan and of course he gave me "that" look and said " Vegan!?" I didn't have the chance to ask him this morning how he liked them, because working opposite shifts kinda does that to you :-)
I want to do some more baking trying to modify recipes I already know into vegan version. I know there are a lots of books out there and I might get few and do some comparisons.


Vanny's vegan nut chocolate chips cookies

1 stick of Hearth Balance vegan margarine (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup of pure hazelnut paste
1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of sugar (organic )
2 tsp of natural vanilla or 1 vanilla bean scraped down
2 Tbsp of almond milk
2 1/2 tsp of egg substitute (powdered type, it needs to be mixed with 3 Tbsp of water before use, I am pretty sure you can skip this step and just do without) Actually I think I am going to try and add either veganaise (vegan majonnaise) or soy "sour cream" to add to the moisture, next time.
1 Tbsp of vital wheat gluten (I didn't have bread flour which its used in the original recipe)
1tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (be aware that the Hearth Balance is already salted)
2 cups of unbleached flour
For the chips I used 74% dark chocolate cut into chunks, 1/2 cup
1/4 cup of Pistachios, 1/4 cup of unsweetened dry coconut, 1/4 cup of walnuts.

For the original recipes, which is an adaptation of Alton Brown chewy chocolate chip cookies, I usually melt the butter and then work the other ingredients. Yesterday I just creamed the margarine with the hazelnut paste, add the sugars, vanilla, egg substitute, beat well, added the baking soda, vital gluten and flour and salt if using it. After done mixing it add the chocolate, nuts and coconut and mix by hand.
I use an ice cream scooper, about 1 1/2 inches wide. Scoop the cookies into a non greased baking sheet, bake at 375 for 12-15 minute, but the time might vary considerably since I am at high altitude and I have a gas oven, just make sure the cookies are not overdone, slightly golden brown around the edges and still soft.
These cookies don't flat down they are nice and thick, because that is the way we like them at home.
They freeze very well, just scoop the cookie on a tray or a baking sheet that would fit your freezer, freeze until hard then place them into ziplock bags for later use. They are really yummy to just munch on while still cold, perfect cookie dough, no eggs!
Well I hope everyone will enjoy them. Let me know how they turn out.

I couldn't wait and I have ordered some organic dark chocolate,Dagoba Milagros 68%. I found another organic line that doesn't add any soy lecithin or vanilla. I think a comparison is imperative to decide, which means more chocolate tasting for me!! And for my closest friends. I am excited about creating an organic, vegan line of confections, something that stands out, something I can relate to and be proud of.
Also the boxes have a arrived and waiting for me at home. Darn day job is getting in my way!!

I just finished dipping another test batch of organic raspberry Gourmellows, I can say they are probably 90% organic, the dark chocolate I use is not organic but its a really great Venezuelan chocolate and I would have hard time giving it up. I might do little bit of researching with organic chocolate, I think I already know which one I would rather use, but we will see.
I paired them with a dark chocolate raspberries ganache with a touch of Chambord. I think they are very tasty and creamy, maybe the mellows should be little bit firmer, the puree tends to soften them too much. Overall good test and of course all dairy and corn syrup free. I hope the boxes I ordered arrive today, so I can do some real testing with product packaging and labels.

Here are the first bars I made. Just plain organic vanilla bean mellows with a dark chocolate and hazelnut ganache. They are evilish yummy!

Half Marshmallow, Half Truffle! Vegetarian, dairy free confections and chocolates.

After deciding to go vegetarian I have been working on recipes so I could adapt my old ones with my new life style. Now I want to bring these changes to my products. So my marshmallows are now vegan, mostly organic and I am pairing them with a layer of non dairy dark chocolate ganache.
Made a first batch yesterday and I am going to dip em in dark chocolate today. Along with the Gourmellows I am also working on a dairy free, corn syrup free caramel, I made the first batch yesterday as well and will be dipped today, dark chocolate of course as I am keeping these products dairy free (vegetarian and vegan friendly). I have replaced the corn syrup (I actual always used glucose syrup) with organic agave syrup, in both mellows and caramel.
I am pretty excited about this new project as I needed something that could marry my life style changes with my products. I am sure that most of non vegetarian costumers will find these new products appealing as well as the vegetarian/vegan portion.