Dear friends! I’m on tour! And what a total blast and a half it’s been so far – my mind is blown by the outpouring of enthusiasm and pure LOVE here in New York City. Thanks to all of you for coming out to the events with your biggest smiles and warmest hearts. Taking my book on the road sure is a change of pace from my quiet, private, and relatively introverted life in Copenhagen. But, seeing as I like humans so much, I welcome the explosive energy, side-splitting laughter, and long hugs that this tour has brought so far. I feel like you, dear readers, are the most beautiful sort there are, and I am so lucky to have friends wherever I go. Thank you. Cannot wait to see what the next few weeks hold! Just a reminder that I am heading to Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Fran and LA – check out my Events page for updated info!
In case, you haven’t heard, this latest cookbook of mine, Naturally Nourished, is all about how to take grocery store staples and turn them into powerfully delicious and nutritious meals for you and your family. The recipes are on the simpler side than my first cookbook, and use only familiar ingredients. It was really fun to create this work, since you know how much I dig on the weird stuff: chaga, mucuna pruriens, schisandra berry, ho shu wu, pearl (yup, pearl). But let’s get real, how many of you are going to go out and find ground up pearl to put in your morning elixir? Right. So, this book was a response to the way “health food” can be sometimes: inaccessible, alienating, and even elitist. I don’t like to see the system moving in that direction because I believe that health is everyone’s right, and since we all have access to the good stuff at the local supermarket, let’s not lose sight of the powerful foods that are right under our noses. Dark leafy greens, brassicas, root veggies, squash, stone fruit, citrus, herbs, garlic, ginger – you get where I’m going with this. Naturally Nourished is a celebration of simple, honest, real food, and it will show you how to prepare it in a way that is easy, and crazy-tasty too.
So these cookies. I am pretty over the moon for them. And they are definitely the most decadent recipe in the cookbook – loaded with serious chunks of dark chocolate, a moist, cake-y crumb and unparalleled richness. The sunflower seed crust around the outside adds fabulous texture and tooth, and the perfect crunchy contrast to the creamy chocolate.
I know that the vegans out there may be a little disappointed with this recipe, but please know how darn hard I tried to make them just as good without the eggs! This cookbook was a challenge to see if I could use only very basic grocery store ingredients for every single recipe in the cookbook, so I couldn’t cheat and employ a fancy vegan egg-replacer here, but I am pretty sure it would work. The eggs are important in the recipe not only to bind the ingredients together, but to dry out the dough in the oven, and create the fluffy consistency. Therefore, do not try this with a flax or chia “egg” – sad, sad results will ensue. Trust.
Just a note for when you do make these: the cookie dough is very wet. You’ll be raising an eyebrow for sure, wondering if you’ve done everything correctly, but stay the course and drop those cookie dough balls into the sunflower seeds – they not only act as a tasty, crunchy coating, they also help you with handling, and prevent the cookies from turning into total puddles in the oven.
If you’re pressed for time, skip making your own sunflower seed butter and just use store-bought. To ensure the cookies turn out just the way they are supposed to, use an unsalted, unflavoured sunbutter or another type of seed or nut butter altogether! I’ve tried them with almond butter and they were bangin’. You can also coat the cookies in another seed or chopped up nuts. Hazelnuts would be delightful. Or cacao nibs!
Double Chocolate Chunk Sunbutter Cookies
Makes 20 cookies
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup / 250ml Sunflower Seed Butter (recipe follows), or use storebought
1⁄2 cup / 125ml pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1⁄2 cup / 45g cocoa powder
3 ½ oz. / 100g dark chocolate (70% or higher), roughly chopped
1 ¼ cups / 170g raw, unsalted, shelled sunflower seeds
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F / 160°C. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla. Add the seed butter and mix thoroughly. Add the maple syrup, baking soda, and salt and fold together. Sift in the cocoa powder and stir to incorporate. Fold in the chopped chocolate.
3. Place the sunflower seeds in a separate bowl. Wet your hands slightly with water. Spoon the dough into about 20 portions and roll each into a rough ball (the dough will be very wet, but this is normal!).
4. Drop the dough balls into the bowl of seeds and roll to coat them in the seeds. Flatten the balls out slightly and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches / 5cm apart (they spread a lot!).
5. Bake the cookies for 10 to 13 minutes. Let them cool slightly before serving. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Sunflower Seed Butter
Makes about 1 ½ cups
Ingredients:
3 cups / 400g raw, unsalted, shelled sunflower seeds
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.
2. Place the sunflower seeds in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until golden and fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let cool.
3. Place the cooled sunflower seeds in a food processor and blend, occasionally scraping down the sides, until smooth and creamy (this process can take 10 minutes or more, so be patient). If the seeds are not releasing their oil, add a little olive oil to help the process. Once the mixture is creamy, transfer to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
I am beyond thrilled to be on tour with this second book. To be meeting so many of you who have been following my kitchen adventures for years and years, is beyond amazing. I feel like I’ve said it a thousand times, but I really mean it: your generosity of spirit and support with all that I put out in the world truly humbles me. I feel so lucky to do what I do, and you are the ones that make it possible.
With joy and deep gratitude,
Sarah B.