Just add water ...

... and some cashews, too, and you've got yourself the makings for a high protein, gluten-free, vegan cookie dough. That's what I did last night, while experimenting in my raw kitchen.

Usually, I prefer the natural Sunwarrior protein, which allows me to flavor it however I want. As a result, I've never tried just mixing it with water or nutmilk like some of my fellow bloggers. Although I considered testing out this basic concoction last night, my creativity got the best of me, and I ended up with this instead.

Both the vanilla and chocolate flavors contain stevia for sweetness and xanathan gum (often used in gluten-free baking to help bind the ingredients together) as a stabilizer. That's why it can easily be shaken up in a cup for a quick protein drink on the go. It can also be used as a convenient "unbaking" starter (complete with sugar and egg substitutes), like the cookie mixes in the store. Just add a much smaller amount of water and some cashew "flour," and you're good to go.

WARNING: These aren't the decadent raw cookies I would normally post on this blog, but they are a fun way to get your protein (pregnant women, breastfeeding moms, athletes, etc., may find they benefit from an added protein boost; I know I sure do), kind of like protein pancakes (they never turn out as sweet and fluffy as the originals).

Here's the recipe (for the vanilla version, but you can certainly make chocolate ones, too), if you'd like to give them a try:

Sunny Vanilla
Warri-"O" Cookies

• 1 scoop Vanilla Sunwarrior Protein
• 1/4 cup cashews (soaked for 1-2 hours)
• 1-2 Tbsp. water

In a mini food processor, grind the Sunwarrior and soaked cashews into a damp flour. Slowly add in the water until the flour can be formed into a dough (periodically pinch it together with your fingers to see if it molds together).

Remove the dough from the food processor and knead it on a Silpat or sheet of parchment. Flatten the dough to your desired thickness and use cookie cutters to create the sunshiny "O" shapes.

Either "bake" the cookies in a dehydrator (I put mine in for a couple hours to firm up the outsides), chill them in the fridge or freezer, or enjoy as a protein-packed dough.

*For a sweeter stevia/xanathan gum-free version, replace the vanilla protein powder with the natural flavor and the water with date paste (soaked dates blended into a smooth paste). Feel free to also add vanilla, cinnamon, cocoa powder and/or other flavor enhancers.

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Hayden sampled the cookies, too (she loves raw vegan cookies). Here's her grabbing one for herself:

She had mixed reviews (she was expecting something sweeter, of course).

She put it back and grabbed another.

In the end, she scarfed them up hands-free, as if she was a little puppy dog. "Woof, woof," she said, while eating her biscuits (she is a big fan of the "Biscuit" books). Too cute :-)

*****

BTW, Sunwarrior is currently having a contest to name its new protein. The deadline to enter is tomorrow, so if you have a Twitter account or Facebook page, you might want to follow/like Sunwarrior for more information. I've got my fingers crossed that the name I came up with is selected. Wish me luck :-)

Just so you know, Sunwarrior did not send me the protein for this recipe. I purchased it all by myself.