The whoopie pie pan used here makes for perfectly shaped patties that will be a beautiful golden brown not to mention, crispy outside and tender and moist inside. If you don’t have one, you can shape the mixture with moistened hands into 3-inch (7.5 cm) patties and bake the patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (180 g) dry amaranth
- 1½ cups (355 ml) water
- ½ ounce (14 g) dry mushroom of choice
- ¾ cup (180 ml) vegetable broth, boiling
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- ⅓ cup (53 g) minced red onion
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or pressed
- 1 tablespoon (8 g) nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Scant ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Ground peppercorn
- ¼ cup (30 g) whole wheat pastry flour or (31 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch or arrowroot flour
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) chia seeds, optional
- Nonstick cooking spray or oil spray
- ½ recipe Creamy Cashew Sauce, for dipping
How to Make It
- Combine the water in a rice cooker with the amaranth and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes (Alternatively, cook the amaranth on the stove top, following the directions on the package.) Let cool completely before preparing the patties.
- Soak the mushrooms in the broth for 15 minutes. Gently squeeze out the liquid from the mushrooms once it is cool enough to handle, making sure not to discard the broth for use in other recipes (see page 18). Finely mince the mushrooms and set aside.
- We like to use our stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for what follows, but it’s not necessary. It just makes the preparation a little easier and less messy, as cooked amaranth is pretty sticky. In a large bowl, combine the cooled amaranth, mushrooms, lemon juice, oil, onion, garlic, nutritional yeast, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add the flour, cornstarch or arrowroot, and chia seeds, stirring to thoroughly combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6). Lightly coat a whoopie pie pan with cooking spray.
- Use 3 packed tablespoons (about 55 g) of mixture for each patty, placing them on the pan; you will need to moisten your hands to help make the shaping easier as the mixture will be sticky. Flatten to fit the pan. Repeat with remaining mixture. You should get 12 patties in all.
- Lightly coat the patties with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes, flip, coat with cooking spray again, and bake another 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown and firm. Let stand 10 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature with Creamy Cashew Sauce.
