bean cookies... seriously

I got to spend this afternoon with Deb and Brynn Ransom... it was awesome. Let me tell you, the best little helper in the kitchen is Brynn... and Deb isn't half bad either ;0)

I decided to re-create these cookies - made many years ago and sort of forgotten... I have to admit, I dipped into the batter... I love this batter - and I know that Deb agrees... Brynn on the other hand, not so excited about pureed white kidney beans and chocolate chips... but I swear - give this recipe a try.

BELIEVE ME (actually, US - Deb and I) - they are worth it! simple to make, and delicious to boot. A great way to get some protein and fiber... but if the health benefits don't tempt you, the taste of these sure will!

I dare you! (and I bet you can't eat just one)...

Kidney Bean Cookies (with other goodies thrown in)
ingredients:
2 c. oats
1/2 c. oat bran
1/2 c. whole wheat flour (as per usual, I use pastry flour)
1 tsp. b. soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 x 14 oz (398 ml) tin of white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. peanut chocolate chips (thank you bulk barn)
1/2 c. raisins
1/3 c. slivered almonds

Heat the oven to 350F

Place the oats in a food processor and pulse the oats into a corse flour. Add the remainder of the dry ingredients: oat bran, flour, b. soda and cinnamon. Combine the whole lot together. Transfer to a large bowl.

In the empty food processor, add the white kidney beans and pulse them to smooth. They'll get thick. So add the vegetable oil, the egg and vanilla and blitz it all together. The mixture should end up looking like a thinned out cake frosting... easy to pour into the dry mixture.

Combine the kidney bean mixture with the dry ingredients and give that a good stir - combine everything. Once you have your dough, add the peanut chocolate chips, raisins and almonds. The easiest way to get these into the dough is to use your hands (Brynn was really good at this part). Get your hands dirty and everything will blend well.

Place large scoopfuls of the dough onto your cookie sheets (I line my sheets with wax paper, and eliminate the need for greasing the trays)... Once you have your cookies on the tray, dampen your hands and flatten each one down a little...

Bake the cookies for about 14 - 16 minutes. You should be able to get at a minimum 2 dozen cookies, we got 44 cookies out of this batch.

***If you can't bake them all at once, cover your dough with cling-film so that it doesn't dry out... otherwise the result will be crumbly cookies...

this would also make a KILLER BAR... next time I bake them I'm going to bake them more like brownies - and then cut them up. Deb and I also think that these would make incredible toppings for ice cream... I'll let you be the judge of that.

Enjoy - and Deb & Brynn - thank you for a wonderful Sunday afternoon...