These are the perfect accompaniment to a tea party of any size. Whether it’s high tea at three o’clock for the ladies or a tea party for your budding princesses, these teanies add unparalleled nutritional perks. In addition to vitamin C, chromium, zinc and magnesium, Matcha tea contains unique and powerful antioxidants called catechins, which counteract the effect of free radicals, a cause of DNA damage. I also add hemp seeds to the batter and the frosting to bump up the protein, omega-3, omega-6 and phytonutrient content. Just some added health insurance.

Makes 24 mini-muffin-size teanies

Ingredients

Teanies

24 mini paper baking cups
2½ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour (see page 13)
2 teaspoons Matcha green tea powder
1 teaspoon sodium-free baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon guar gum
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon coriander powder
½ cup grapeseed oil
1/3 cup coconut nectar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/8 teaspoon stevia powder
¾ cup water
¼ cup unsweetened plain rice milk
1/3 cup hemp seeds

Frosting

1 cup hemp seed butter
¼ cup coconut nectar
1/8 teaspoon green Matcha tea powder
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 24-cup mini muffin tin with mini paper baking cups.

To make the teanies, whisk together the flour, Matcha tea powder, baking powder, baking soda, guar gum, salt and coriander in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle.

Add the grapeseed oil, coconut nectar, vanilla and stevia and stir to combine. Next add the water and rice milk, and stir until the liquid is absorbed and the batter is smooth. Stir in the hemp seeds and mix well to distribute evenly.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling the cups to the top.

Bake the teanies for 13 to 14 minutes, or until they are a light golden brown around the edges and bounce back slightly to the touch. Rotate the muffin tin from front to back after 10 minutes of baking.

Transfer the muffin tin from the oven to a wire rack and let sit for about 15 minutes before removing the teanies to cool completely.

To make the frosting, mix together the hemp seed butter, coconut nectar, Matcha tea powder and salt in a small bowl and stir to combine.

Frost the teanies when they are completely cool.

Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information Per Serving (1 teanie):
180 calories, 8 g total fat, 0.0 mg cholesterol,
16 g carbohydrates, 80 mg sodium, 2 g fiber,
3 g protein, 7 g sugars

Related on EcoSalon

Seasonal Vegan Pear Quick Bread Recipe

Easy No-Bake Açaí Berry Truffle Recipe

Raw, Refined Sugar-Free Caramel Apple Recipe

Image via Debbie Adler

The post Unmatchable Matcha Tea Teanies Recipe appeared first on EcoSalon.

Fresh from the farm and the oven, these cookies make for a perfect picnic tea time.

Mmm. It’s a sound that echoes across rows of raspberries, as red-stained pickers, like me, hover over plants plucking by the pint. A few days later, “mmm” resonates around my kitchen while whisking up a batch of raspberry jam and then, Raspberry Butter Cookies. As the smell of buttery (vegan) baked goodness, mixed with fresh raspberries wafts through my New York City apartment, I feel transported to the farm upstate where we gathered these sweet red jewels. And I imagine myself a homesteader—baking not just for the sheer pleasure of it, but for the sake of letting nothing that I grew go to waste.

I’m normally not one to cook farm fresh berries or take them out of their whole berry goodness, for fear of tainting them in some unknown way. But, when our Foodie Underground columnist presented a recipe for sweet and simple jam, all fearful feelings of berry destruction went out the door. And, when I considered the nutritional benefits of raspberries (which seem to stay largely intact through this jam making process—as indicated by its brightly retained red color), I ran out of excuses. Rich in vitamin C and fiber, raspberries, according to a study, possess almost 50% higher antioxidants than strawberries, three times that of kiwis and ten times the activity found in tomatoes.

So, guilt can go out the back door. After all, it’s summer. Eat it up. Raspberries, butter cookies and all.

The Original – Raspberry-Filled Butter Cookies
from Lost Recipes Found

Ingredients

• 3 cups sifted flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2/3 cup raspberry jam

The Vegan & Gluten-Free Version – Raspberry-Filled Butter Cookies
Makes approximately 3 dozen

Ingredients – Raspberry-Filled Butter Cookies

• 3 cups gluten-free flour blend:
• (1 cup sorghum flour)
• (1/2 cup brown rice flour)
• (1/2 cup white rice flour)
• (1/2 cup tapioca flour)
• (1/4 cup almond flour)
• (1/4 cup garbanzo flour)
• (2 teaspoons xanthan gum)
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter (I used Earth Balance Coconut Spread and omitted the ½ teaspoon salt, since most vegan butters come with salt included)
• ¾ cup sugar
• Egg substitute for 1 egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons warm water, whisked together)
• 2 tablespoons cashew nut milk (or another rich, dairy free milk of your choice)
• 1 teaspoons vanilla
• 2/3 cup raspberry jam (see recipe below)

Ingredients – Raspberry Jam

• 2 cups raspberries
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 ½ cups sugar (add to taste)
• 1 vanilla bean pod (or 2 tablespoons vanilla extract)

Directions – Butter Cookies

1. Sift together the gluten free flours with baking powder (and salt, if adding). Set aside
2. Cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the egg substitute, dairy free milk and vanilla.
3. Blend in the dry ingredients.
4. Divide the dough into two balls, and flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill for an hour, or until ready to bake, in the refrigerator.
5. Preheat oven to 400°F
6. Spread one large piece of plastic wrap on the counter, and place one of the dough disks in the center.
7. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap, and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to approximately 1/16 of an inch (not too thick but still manageable.)
8. Remove the top plastic wrap, and using a donut cutter or a linzer cookie cutter, dip the cutter in flour (if the dough sticks to it) and cut out an even number of plain rounds as donut/linzer rounds.
9. Transfer the cookies to cookie sheets.
10. Bake for 5 – 8 minutes (or longer if you prefer crunchier cookies).
11. Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
12. Place a small amount of the raspberry jam (directions for jam, below) in the center of each of the plain rounds (the cookie bottom). Top with the cut-out cookie and carefully press together.
13. Enjoy!

Directions – Raspberry Jam

1. Place the raspberries and water in a saucepan.
2. If adding a vanilla bean, cut the pod in half, scrape out the seed and add both the seeds and pod to the saucepan.
3. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir continuously so it doesn’t burn.
4. Stir in the sugar and let simmer for another 3-5 minutes until the jam thickens.
5. Take out the vanilla pod, and pour the jam into glass jars. Leave to cool.
6. Store in the refrigerator until ready to enjoy!

Author Jennifer Barckley picking summer fresh raspberries in Hudson, New York.  

The post Vegan This: Gluten-Free Raspberry-Filled Butter Cookies appeared first on EcoSalon.