Gluten-Free Chocolate Spice Cookies

As a vegan, I find that restaurants are (usually) all too accommodating when it comes to appetizers and main courses but have no clue how to do a vegan dessert. Unless they happen to have fruit and/or sorbet on the menu already, the sweet finish to a vegan meal flies completely under the radar. Which is sad, because a lot of restaurants are losing money that this pastry-loving vegan would be giving them if they took 5 seconds to Google "vegan baking" and learn that it is quite easy and tasty.

Do my gluten-free readers feel the same way? 

Gluten-Free Chocolate Spice Cookies (makes 20 cookies)

1 1/4 cups + 2 Tbls. oats

2 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate

1/2 cup tahini

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbls. sugar

2 Tbls. cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 325 F. In the food processor, grind the oats for 15-30 seconds until they are coarsely chopped and a little dusty. (No food processor? A giant knife and a cutting board work just fine.)

In a large bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave. Then add the tahini, agave nectar, vanilla, and sugar and mix well.

Add the oats and the rest of the dry ingredients, and mix well.

Grease a baking pan or two, or set down a layer of parchment paper. Shape the dough into flattened marbles about the size of a Gatorade bottle cap.

Bake for 15-17 minutes, until set. Cool on the pan for a few minutes, then on a wire rack.

I feel like these cookies might be best enjoyed on a snowy winter evening in front of a roaring fireplace, but given that this crazy Chicago August weather had me wearing pants and a sweatshirt outside yesterday, bring on the warm, holiday-esque spices.