Sunflower Seed Butter

and cookies

Drawing by Vicki Smith

Hello,

We have a cluster of August birthdays in our family that coincide with the full bloom of sunflowers. Their exuberant appearance screams fun and celebration. I first purchased a bunch from a local New Jersey farm for my son’s cowboy-themed birthday party when he turned five. As we were headed for lower Manhattan last weekend for some low-key festivities I went to a local farm with a field of sunflowers that I can see from the road but was informed that I would have to purchase a vase for twenty-five dollars and pick my own. I was not opposed to picking them myself, but the price seemed a bit steep. They also had artificial ones for $14.95 each. That was not an option. We headed into New York minus any flowers despite being surrounded by farm stands.

Once in the city, walking by a community garden, I spotted some bedraggled sunflowers. When I stopped to take this picture a four-year-old on a scooter called out that I was directly in his path and would have to move. The sidewalk was almost deserted and I detected a parental figure in the distance. I bravely put my foot down and told this menacing child that he would have to wait. Judging items at a farm stand to be overpriced and children to be obstreperous are clearly signs of my advancing age.

Heading home after a very pleasant weekend, we stopped for gas just outside the Holland Tunnel in Jersey City where I discovered these over-the-hill sunflowers. They were a very sorry sight, but I’m sure that during their peak they put a smile on many a driver’s face, especially being in such an unexpected location. The following day I purchased dwarf sunflowers at the supermarket to draw. I made sunflower butter from roasted seeds that I used to bake some delicious sunflower butter cookies. I was able to serve them yesterday when my friend Elizabeth, a vegan, came for a visit. They would be perfect to pack for a school lunch as they are sturdy and not overly sweet plus a good alternative to peanut butter cookies for those with nut allergies. Sunflower butter can be purchased, but it is also simple to make.

Sunflower Butter / Ingredients and Directions

Place 2 cups of roasted sunflower seeds in a food processor. Pulse on low for about a minute. Drizzle into the food processor sunflower seed oil (about 2-3T) very slowly while the food processor is running on high for about 3 minutes. After the addition of each tablespoon of oil, check for creaminess. Yield: about one cup

Sunflower Butter Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup sunflower butter

3/4 cup All-Purpose flour

4 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cream together the sunflower butter with the maple syrup and vanilla. Mix the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Mix the dry ingredients into the sunflower butter and maple syrup mixture. Use your hands to form the dough into balls that are each about one tablespoon. Place the cookies a couple of inches apart on the baking sheet. Flatten the dough with a fork that has been dipped in flour to form a grid pattern on the top of the cookie.

Bake for 11 minutes.

Yield: 20 cookies

Thank you for reading!!

Vicki