The culmination of beet week (finally!)

You have all been very patient with me this week. Putting up with my yammerings-on about beet snacks, beet soup, beet kraut, beet pickles, beet blahblahblah. All while knowing that I was going to be posting a cookie recipe eventually.

Dessert comes last, kids, so I forced myself to wait until now to post this recipe.  

Even though I usually don’t wait until the end of a meal, or the end of the day and most definitely NOT until the end of the week for dessert!

In all honesty, I usually grab a nibble of chocolate, a bite of a cookie, a finger-full of some peanut butter, or a handful of chocolate chips (you get the idea) on my way to the bathroom at 6 am. This even before coffee.

Yes, in Katie-land dessert beats coffee. But barely.

(I’ll usually keep nibbling these dessert-breakfasts while drinking my coffee. I find they enhance the coffee flavor. That’s why I do it really. For the extreme coffee tasting. Yeah, that.)

This picture should not shock you. I mean, it is beet week after all, and if there is one thing that beets are known for, it is their ability to turn everything in their path a vibrant pink color. Thus, pink cookies.

I could, if I were so inclined, call them Pretty in Pink Cookies.

Which, if I were to do so, would obviously be followed by a youtube clip of my favorite scene in the 80s movie of the same name.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnbDA4wKrg0&feature=relmfu

Well, look at that. Turns out I was so inclined.

Did you know that beets can be used like bananas or applesauce in baked goods? They are a great binder to replace the eggs, so these cookies are even vegan (you’re welcome, vegan friends)!

And I know what you are thinking. I PROMISE you can’t taste the beets at all.

Pretty in Pink Cookies (Makes 8-12 cookies)

• 1 cup oat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt (omit if using canned beets)
• 1/4 cup Stevia Baking Blend plus 1 cup erythritol (or 1 cup regular sugar)
• 60 grams pureed beets (about 1/4 cup, canned or fresh)
• 1 T coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 square bakers chocolate, melted OR 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Combine all dry ingredients and stir. Make a well in the center and add beets, vanilla, and oil. Mix to combine. Stir in chocolate chips, if using.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 min at 350.

While cookies are cooling, melt the chocolate in the microwave, being careful to not burn it. Spread on top of cooled cookies.

Generally I prefer chocolate chips in cookies, but I wasn’t thinking straight when I cooked them and wanted them to be all pink. When I took them out of the oven, however, I quickly realized my grave mistake.

I mean, come on; a cookie isn’t a cookie without chocolate (unless its oatmeal raisin…or peanut butter…whatever, you know what I mean), I had to top these with chocolate. I recommend going the chip route though. One less dish to wash.

Although….now that I am thinking about it. Melting the chocolate did give me one more bowl to lick clean. Not that I would do something so crass. Not with the melted chocolate bowl or with the dough bowl or with those beaters with residual dough on them.

Diffferent dough obviously, but you can sleep soundly knowing that those beater were licked clean.

I may be 33 years old, but I don’t waste cookie dough. Sometimes I think I make cookies just so that I can lick the beaters. The cookies themselves are just a nice little perk.

What was your favorite beet recipe? Have I convinced you of their versatility yet?

Anyone else make cookies for the dough alone?

Happy Cookie Friday!!