The idea of this recipe comes from Sarah Britton’s My New Roots, which is still one of my favourite books. I’ve modified many recipes from her collection because not all are vegan. This one, though, I modified for allergies, plus a general preference to avoid sugar (maple syrup in this case).
Jam
2 bags of frozen strawberries, 10oz each
1 tsp agar powder
Cookies
3 cups of rolled oats
9 dates
1/3 cup pecans
2 tsp arrowroot powder, tapioca flour or potato starch
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/3 cup vegan butter (I use Myoko’s oat) or coconut oil
1/2 cup non dairy milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Make the jam: Bring the strawberries to a boil over a gentle heat, sprinkle in the agar, mix to ensure that the agar has distributed throughout, and boil for another 2-3 minutes. Take off the heat and allow to cool. The mixture will slowly begin to gel.
Note: if you want a perfectly smooth jelly for the centers, you could stick blender the mixture. I have done it both ways and prefer chunks of strawberries in mine.
Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C. Prepare a lined cookie sheet.
Make the cookies: Grind the oats, dates and pecans in the food processor until the mixture is the consistency of crumbs. DO NOT OVERMIX! You don’t want a paste.
Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until you get a uniform, thick mixture that comes together enough to be rolled out. With damp hands, take about 1 tbsp of the mixture, roll into a ball and place on the lined cookie sheet. Using your thumb, press into the cookie to make a well in the center. Continue with the rest of the batter. You don’t need to give the cookies more than about 1/4″ of space between each other.
Add the jam, about 1 tsp at a time, to the center well. You’ll want it to be towering on the cookie but not spilling over the sides.
Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. They are done when the edges start getting golden brown.