Lima Bean Chocolate Chip Cookies with Green Tea Glaze

I once made gluten-free, vegan white bean blondies with disastrous results.  They were awfully dry, which may have been a result of user error (highly likely).  After that, I stayed away from dessert recipes that involved mashed beans, even though the thought of protein packed sweets has always intrigued me.  So, I'm back with a vengeance, this time with lima bean cookies.  That's right, lima beans!  You can use any type of white beans here, but I had a bag of lima beans that I've been itching to use.  Who needs a hearty lima bean stew when you can make cookies instead?  :)

Makes 1 dozen cookies

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup cooked white beans, pureed (I used white lima beans)
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon maple extract (optional)
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Blend oil, sugar, maple syrup, beans, and extracts in a blender or food processor.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Using a cookie scoop or your hands, form tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Flatten each ball slightly using your fingers.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.
8. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Green Tea Glaze:

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon matcha green tea powder

1 teaspoon water 

1. Sift the powdered sugar and green tea powder together into a small bowl.
2. Add the water and stir until well combined.
3. Drizzle over cookies and allow a few minutes for the glaze to set.

Naturally, with beans in the mix, these cookies are a bit more dense than most cookies, but not to the point that you think you're eating clay.  They're moist and the texture is actually lighter than you'd expect.  The cookies will still taste great without the green tea glaze, but for some extra color and pizzazz, by all means glaze away!  As I mentioned in a previous post, I adore all things green tea, so that's what inspired me to glaze these cookies.  I'm also going to try this recipe with non-white beans, just out of curiosity.  The suspense is killing me!

Enjoy!  :)