Attention fellow vegan and/or gluten-free friends (including those who fall in the -ish categories): You *need* this new cookbook, Black Girl Baking: Wholesome Recipes Inspired by a Soulful Upbringing ($22) by Jerrelle Guy, the blogger behind Chocolate for Basil. This beauty may have already captivated you with her screen-shattering, healthy creations, like, for instance, a perfectly crinkled and caramelized GF, vegan chocolate chip cookie, and the cookbook WILL inspire spontaneous baking nights. Cakes, bagels, beignets, and bread — there isn’t a carb she doesn’t cover in the book. But unlike conventional baking cookbooks, this one errs on the side of good-for-you with many recipes shying away from eggs, butter, and refined flours and sugars. Some of the recipes we can’t wait to try ASAP include Chestnut Skillet Cornbread, Kombucha Muffins, this Macadamia Cashew Brown Butter Cookie Dough, and so much more.

MACADAMIA BROWN BUTTER CASHEW COOKIE DOUGH

Reprinted with permission from Black Girl Baking by Jerrelle Guy, Page Street Publishing Co. 2018.

Author notes: For the holidays, I’ve made it an unfailing tradition to bake my big brother a batch of macadamia nut cookies served with an extra side of cookie dough. First, I toast the nuts lightly on a sheet pan to bring out the oils, because there’s nothing like the smell it makes as it browns. That coupled with the nutty scent of the browned butter creates a rich caramel smell that I’ve started to associate with him being back home. You can barely taste the cashews here, but it’s a nice trick to make the no-bake cookie dough creamy and scoopable.

*Egg-free, gluten-free, vegan option*

(Makes 3 cups (750 grams))

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (120 grams) raw macadamia nuts
• ½ cup (112 grams) butter, dairy-free if desired
• 2 cups (300 grams) cashews, soaked or boiled to soften
• ½ cup (110 grams) packed brown sugar or coconut sugar
• 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups (180 grams) oat flour
• ½ cup (87 grams) white chocolate chips (optional)
• gluten-free ice cream cones, for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C or gas mark 4).
2. Spread the macadamia nuts on a half sheet pan. Bake the nuts for 8-10 minutes, or until you begin to smell them and their color turns golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
3. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan often, for 5-6 minutes, or until it starts to turn golden brown. Once it reaches a certain temperature it will darken quickly, so be sure to watch it — you don’t want it to burn. The boiling butter will sound like a water faucet running, and it’ll smell rich like caramel. Remove it from the heat and pour the butter into a separate dish to cool completely, leaving behind any burnt bits at the bottom of the pan.
4. Drain the soaked cashews; add them to a food processor or blender along with the cooled brown butter and pulse until a smooth paste is formed (this may take a few minutes).
5. Add the cashew butter paste to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer along with the brown sugar, vanilla, and salt, and beat until combined. Add the flour and continue to mix until incorporated. Fold in the toasted macadamia nuts and the white chocolate chips, if using. Transfer the mixture to a container and refrigerate until chilled and ready to serve. Scoop into ice cream cones, if you like, and top with any of your other favorite toppings.

Note: This dough can also be frozen, just allow it to sit on the counter for a few minutes to soften before scooping.

Optional Add-Ins: Toasted pecans, toasted walnuts, toasted sliced almonds, chocolate chips, sprinkles, 1 cup (80 grams) of rolled oats, 2 tablespoons (16 grams) of peanut butter powder, ¼ cup (30 grams) of sifted cocoa powder or shredded coconut.