Take a look at the world and see the unhappiness around you and in you. Do you know what causes this unhappiness? (I bet it isn’t Gluten Free Vegan Tagalongs). You will probably say loneliness or oppression or war or hatred. And you will be wrong. There is only one cause of unhappiness: the false beliefs you have in your head. Because of these beliefs, you see the world and yourself in a distorted way. What are these false beliefs, you might ask?
RELATED: GF/Vegan Thin Mints
#1: You cannot be happy without the things that you are attached to and that you consider so precious. False. There is not a single moment in your life when you do not have everything that you need to be happy. Think of that for a minute. The reason why you are unhappy is because you are focusing on what you do not have rather than on what you have right now.
#2: Happiness is in the future. Not true. Right here and now you are happy and you do not know it because your distorted perceptions have got you caught up in fears, anxieties, attachments, conflicts, guilt, and a host of other games you are programmed to play.
RELATED: GF/Vegan Samoas
#3: Happiness will come when you manage to change the situation you are in and the people around you. If changing the world is your vocation in life, go right ahead and change it, but do not harbor the illusion that this is going to make you happy. The people in the world and the people around you do not make you happy or unhappy; but the thinking in your head does.
#4: If all your desires are fulfilled you will be happy. Wrong again. Make a list of all your attachments and desires and to each of them say, “Deep down in my heart I know that even after I have got you I will not get happiness.” And ponder on the truth of those words. The fulfillment of desire can, at the most, bring flashes of pleasure and excitement. Don’t mistake that for happiness.
If you wish to attain to lasting happiness, understand your false beliefs and they will drop; not by renouncing them or giving them up because what you give up violently you are forever bound to. But rather seeing your attachments for what they are…then you will know the taste of happiness.
Anthony De Mello, The Way to Love
Gluten-Free Vegan Tagalongs
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: approx 20 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 8 Tbsp. non dairy butter, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp. aquafaba (brine from a can of chickpeas)
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 c. Cara’s All-Purpose GF flour mix
- 1/3 c. sugar
- 1/4 c. powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the peanut butter filling:
- 1/2 c. peanut butter
- 6–8 Tbsp. non-hydrogenated shortening
- 1 c. powder sugar
For the Chocolate coating:
- 2 c. non dairy chocolate chips, melted
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil (or shortening)
Instructions
- Cream the non dairy butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed for no more than 1 minute. Add aquafaba and vanilla and mix until well combined.
- Add the flour and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until a nice dough forms. Dough should not be sticky; if so, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until soft still, not sticky.
- Transfer half of the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. With your hands, roll dough into a log that is approximately 6″x2″. Smooth with hands. Wrap a piece of clear wrap around the dough and chill for 2+ hours. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
- Once dough is chilled long enough, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unroll the dough out of the plastic wrap and slice cookies with a sharp knife at 1/4-1/2″ thick slices.
- Place half of the cookies on the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned along the edges.
- Allow to cool fully on the baking sheet. The cookies will become crunchier the longer they sit.
- With the electric mixer, fluff up the ingredients for the peanut butter filling.
To assemble the cookie:
- Place approx 1 Tbsp. of peanut butter onto a fully cooled cookie. Make a small mountain-like hump.
- Freeze the cookies for 10-15 minutes just so it doesn’t melt into the chocolate. Remove from freezer and allow cookies to sit and breathe for a couple of minutes.
- Dip into the melted chocolate with oil or shortening. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and allow to set in the freezer for another 5 minutes.
Gluten free vegan Tagalongs recipe notes:
- Use the back of a spoon to smooth down the peanut butter filling on top of the cookie.
2. You might want to do the dipping in melted chocolate in 2 batches in cases the chocolate cools before you are done dipping all of the cookies. Just so you can see, this is the difference between chocolate that has cooled off vs. melted chocolate at the right temperature:
Chocolate cooled down too much vs. Just at the right temperature
RELATED: GF/Vegan Trefoils
Or you can always eat one of these gluten free vegan Tagalongs and happiness will been sought and found. It’s a proven fact friends. Even Anthony would agree.
These look amazing. Will coconut oil work in place of the shortening?
Absolutely, Rosario!
Do you add xanthan gum?
I didn’t 🙂
This is sooooo my next cookie to make!!!! Hhhhhhmmmmm
I have a feeling you are going to have to go through all of the Girl Scout cookies 🙂
And dear anonymous, whoever you are, go suck a fat one.
I about fell off my chair laughing. That was flawless, sister. Absolutely flawless {and you just further solidified what I meant during my maid-of-honor speech!} xo
Aagh, you’re killin’ me here, lady. Someday I will find the motivation to actually make some of these Girl Scout analogues. But there are always so many steps (ok, maybe that should instead read, “but I’m just so damn lazy”), and I think I’m finally succumbing to my S.A.D., which I have thus far staved off fairly well. Maybe the solution lies in peanut buttery cookie chocolate goodness. Wonder if I can get the husband to make some, while I continue lying on the couch… ;p
Too bad telekinesis doesn’t work the way it does like in movies… Good luck with convincing the husband. Curious to hear how that one turns out 🙂 Oh, and YOU’RE WELCOME!! xo
I enjoyed reading your preamble/quote. This is something I know I need to work on and oh, so true. I may have to make it into a mini poster to read and reread, as required.
And the cookies! Man they look GOOOD! Again, never heard of them but that’s fine and dandy as I suspect these will be waay better than the kind in a cardboard box. 🙂
Looking forward to making a sunflower seed butter version of these.
Thanks again Cara.
I cannot tell you how many times I read that chapter, too 🙂 He is one of my most favorite authors of all-time. Let me know how the sunflower butter goes, Nina! xo
Oh yeah…we could meet up and be grateful. What fun. I am vibrant and you are Cara!, I mean wonderful!
Life sucks! Cookies suck, gluten free makes me very unhappy, Save the animals or else.
Sorry I don’t know how my diabolical twin wound up on your blog.
Cancel Cancel! Deflect. Deflect.
I am sorry. Ever since Gratitude Cafe went under I’m not feeling like my self.
You know twinsy, that wasn’t very nice. I will send you healing thoughts.
Despite what the other GiGi said those are very nice cookies, and I happened to enjoy this post very much.
hehehe GiGi needs her meds today 🙂
This is very true 🙂
You know what that means? You must move your booty down here where Cafe Gratitude is…
Checking in for the day and since there’s nothing new up yet I thought I should tell you that, “OH MY GAWD! THESE LOOK DELICIOUS” again.
haha. I have to pace them out or else I will get into trouble with my belly 🙂 But I couldn’t be more happy to hear that again! xo
Great post! I’ve been struggling lately with my own negative thoughts, and I let them take over my happiness. This was a great reminder of how I should be treating myself kindly, rather than beating myself up like I usually do over things that aren’t that bad. I’ve obviously distorted my view of myself through highly negative thoughts.
I couldn’t agree with you more! I think the best thing we can do for ourselves is to take a non-judgmental approach to ourselves–and I love how you said treating yourself kindly. Yes! Gentleness is the doorway to change, not violently guilting ourselves into something.
Thank you so much for stopping by and enjoying the post!! Much love to you 🙂 xo
I am glad to be of help. Now you can dedicate those cookies to me =p. *Just look at me. Cant believe I am asking you to actually do that*
Hey, there is always the first for everything! This is what sugar will do to people, people 🙂
Dear Amazing Cara. How do you come up with all the things I love? =p
Loving these.. Thumbs up girl
I just saw these cookie cutters that were in the shape of “Thumbs Up” 🙂 hehe. Thank you Silent! I have tapped into your cravings and am projecting it onto my blog 🙂 xo!
i did not know what tagalongs were.. well now i do 🙂 that is a pretty cross section. when i have kids.. remind me to send them to you when i need a break.. i am sure they will book the tickets and check in themselves when they see all these cookies!
your words are so true! we forget about the important things in the race to want more of what we think is going to give us that fleeting feeling of happiness ..
You know, I am very well-known to feed children cookies and serve it up with coffee–I like getting them wired up so by the time I send them back to their parents, they have to deal with the mess that I have created. So as long as you know what you are getting yourself into the moment you ship them off for a visit to Auntie Cara, then I say do it 🙂
Hey Cara. Just got my internet and phone lines back. Phew. I’m addicted to electronics, they’re not as fattening as TagAlongs. Thin Mints, however, don’t have any calories. That’s why I used to eat a sleeve a day until they ran out. 🙂 Here’s my tip for the day for anyone with a high speed blender. 1 C sugar (any kind) plus 1 or 2 Tbsp starch, blend. Powdered sugar. Now taking a well-deserved bow.
THERE SHE IS!!! I was just thinking this morning, “You know, I haven’t heard from Laurel–I bet her computer is down.” And then lo and behold, here you are… bestowing upon us your baking wisdom as always. Great tip!
I almost called you. “Hello, this is your favorite stalker, you don’t mind, do you?”
I couldn’t ask for a better stalker 🙂
Oh my gosh – these look incredible!! Do you think a sugar alternative like coconut sugar could work instead of the regular sugar and powdered sugar? Or is there something about the powdered sugar that gives it a certain consistency? I rarely use it so I just didn’t know. Thanks so much for sharing, these cookies are definitely drool-worthy.
The powdered sugar actually gives it that crumbly, crunchy texture. However, I say test it out! It might be okay and not that big of a deal for you. Let me know if you do. I would love to hear how it works out…
Oh my.. Oh my.. Oh my. I am in love with these tagalong cookies, Okay, me and you Cara are going to become fast blog friends lol. I love chocolate and this is just feeding my habit of wanting to bake anything chocolate any chance I get :). Wonderful post
BLOG FRIENDS!! Woo-hoo! Thank you so much for visiting over here and I couldn’t be any more thrilled that you enjoyed the post. And I am happy to be your chocolate dealer 🙂
I’m sad because of what I don’t have right now… … … namely those cookies!
Just kidding. Seeing your cookies, and looking forward to a future where I make them… that makes me happy, not sad. 😀
haha! That is a perfect way to view happiness, Nikki! 🙂
Such wise words 🙂 oh, and your cookies look DELICIOUS 🙂
Hi Sydney! Thanks for making a stop over here–so sweet of you 🙂 And for your very kind words…so appreciated! xo
inspiring words… so so true. inspiring baking too, as usual, Cara!
You always say the nicest things to me–I cannot tell you how grateful I am! Thank you, Lou 🙂 xo
these are some powerful words you wield, lady. I like to think I have a good grasp on my “happiness” and positive outlook. THEN something happens to make me go DUH.
I read something to the tune of this the other day: the way you feel about a person will translate to how they view you (paraphrasing, I cannot recall the actual). no matter – I instantly thought of That One Person who I have been complaining about… “she is making my life miserable boo HOO” and all that. I am not suddenly saying she didn’t do some horrible things… I am simply dealing with her in a positive manner, choosing to focus on positive, and BEING NICE to her. it is working wonders and honestly, I am astounded. yes, I still need a good vent, and will use it, but … this helps with the day to day. helps my sanity. 🙂
I want these cookies!! they look perfect!
I hate that, only because anytime I start complaining about someone I *always* hear it back in my head: “Hey Cara, you are just like that as well!” BARF. Ugh, awareness sometimes sucks doesn’t it? But it has been really healing too 🙂 And I am right there with you about feeling high and mighty and then being reminded that maybe I don’t know everything after all. But I want to know everything! <–whiny kid-syndrome here.
So happy to hear that you are choosing to deal with That Whose Name We Shall Not Speak Of with grace and kindness. AND it's working?!! Hot {weiner} dog, that is good news! Especially now–there is absolutely no need for tension or negativity. xo
Ummmm…….I love you and I think I want to ask you to marry me. The message in this post is one that I wholeheartedly beleive and am working every day to live in that light! Thank you for the reminder 🙂 I miss you!
As long as you have asked my father for his permission, I will definitely marry you 🙂 ha! Is it the cookies though? I always seem to attract women because of the cookies… So happy that you enjoyed the post and that it resonated with you! I actually just got back from the gym–bummed it was a holiday though because I would have ran into your beautiful self. xo
Thank you for liking my blog. It seems that it was meant for me to run into forkandbeans to cheer me up today. I wasn’t feeling that great but after talking to my mom on the phone 🙂 and after reading your blog entry, it’s all better! I bet I’ll feel even happier when I taste these cookies! They look AMAZING!
Well, this makes my heart smile to hear that the words of Anthony de Mello speak to you as well. It’s always a good reminder to remember that no one has the power to make you happy/unhappy but YOU. But a phone call from mom never can hurt either! It always makes me feel better to hear my mom’s voice 🙂 xo
Psst…your phone is ringing……
HOORAY! What a great ending to a day–hearing my mommy’s voice 🙂
My mom never calls me…guess I know who her favorite is… :~~~(
It’s a shame you had to learn this way. But in my defense {the favorite child} I have been telling you this for several years now. You are just now choosing to listen 🙂 BAHA
Awww.
I love when you post like this; i have to remind myself daily to live and appreciate the moment, the day, the hour and not already be in tomorrow or 1 year from the day- I am such a planner it is hard not to think ahead; I finally realized that I need to be happy in the moments that are happening right now,
I have always been a tagalong girl, not so much a thin mint; believe me when I say I never did pass up any type of girl scout cookie 🙂
Oh Heather, I couldn’t agree with you more about the planning! I am a planner too and all-too-often forget about living in the moment. Yoga has been teaching me this lesson lately…so has Anthony de Mello. I think my favorite line is that we already have everything we need in this moment to be happy. Especially when there is a GS cookie in hand too 🙂
Totally true on all counts; I love the way Yoga teaches you to always be in the moment; I truly feel my best after a class
And Girl Scout Cookies help too 🙂
So much so that I am going back into the kitchen to make more 🙂 HAPPY!
These are all such good reminders of the ways in which we create our own realities. I try to remember that as well in the movies I watch, the music I listen to, the books I read, the websites I visit, and the people with whom I socialize. By the things I bring into my mind and life, I’m creating the world that I live in. I want that to be a happy and peaceful one. And if that world includes delicious cookies, all the better! 🙂
See, this is why I like you. You are my kind of peeps 🙂 This is definitely something that I do as well. Thank you for appreciating this post and for your thoughtful reflections. xo
Are you trying to be my psychiatrist? I’m perfectly “happy” with all my materialism thanks! These look great, by the way. These would make me happy, nothing else possibly could.
I want to say something sarcastic back but I am laughing too hard. There are some people who have no chance at happiness. I have just resorted to you being one of them…
Awww… So cute! I have never had a tag-along. I don’t really know why. Maybe the siren call of Thin Mints was too strong… But peanut butter is yummy… And cookies make me happy. =)
I am with you on the siren call. I was just telling that to Caitlin that I was too busy eating Thin Mints to bother with anything else. But really, can you believe that mint trumped peanut butter and chocolate? So hard to believe but still so true…
Yeah, I’m kinda a mint person. Though, as I get older mint isn’t a Brooke person… *urp!*
Was that acid reflux I just heard in that *urp!*? 🙂
Si. 🙁 Something about eating an entire box gets me, lately…
I am beginning to think it’s not the mint but the box…
Yeah, the cardboard doesn’t help matters…
Hmmm…not so fiberous as one would have hoped!
This is a perfect post for today. I was at the gym last night and someone said to me, “What’s wrong? You look so happy!” and I replied, “I am happy! Everything is great.” Everything is not great. I pay too much to live in a hovel with a guy who is a disgusting slob and jerk, every day is a struggle to get to a job I loathe, and my body is straight rejecting the food I put into it. But still here I am happy because my life is not hopeless nor is it unchangeable. Every day, every choice is a new path. I have wonderful friends in the world and through the internets. I have two beautiful girls at home who wiggle and wag at the sound of my voice. My life is mine and I am not stuck.
It is also perfect because I wish my dear Matthew could read these words and find comfort in them. The day after we met he had surgery to repair an injury he’d gotten on the job (fireman). It didn’t work. He’s still incredibly unwell and found out last week there is a very real possibility he will lose the job he loves, the thing he does, and, what he feels is, the man he is. He is in a dark and sad place – and feels he has nothing to offer someone (great like me).
But still here I am. Happy for the time we have and the effort he makes in the face of his own tragedy.
These look so good! If I send you $3.50 will you ship me a box??
I love how you said that there things in your life are not unchangeable, Meg. Everything *does* has a choice attached to it. Beautiful. Sending Matt some healing love. Difficult situations are always an invitation to finding own personal happiness, aren’t they?… xoxo, Write your check out to Cara. hehe
Ha. Ha. I loved this. Food for the soul and yummies for our tummies. Ha. Ha. Why do I want to make everything you post? Is it the pictures? The descriptions? The memories? If you provided these to the UN would we have world peace? Just a thought. : )
Food for the soul… I like that! I am sending this to the UN right now 🙂 ha. xo
i love when you write these types of posts. this one is an important reminder of what i try to remember to consistently tell myself, but sometimes..i forget 😉
on another note, i was always a huge fan of these cookies. they always reminded me of the tastykake chocolate peanut butter patties. usually my dad would finish these off before i had more than a couple(they were his favorite). 😉
I’m with you on the forgetting part, Caitlin. I had a big dose of this reality this weekend and when writing this post, I just had no words. Only lessons learned from recent experiences.
You know, I never really ate a Tagalong until much later in life. Strange. I think I was just way too obsessed with the Trefoils and Thin Mints to even care what the others tasted like. P.S. My dad is a huge sucker for peanut butter and chocolate as well…Oh wait, duh, of course. We are twins so your dad is my dad anyway 🙂 hehe
trefoils..omg..they better be on here this week. now THOSE were my favorite. shortbread+caitlin=match made in heaven.
Eeek! She is getting demanding folks… Now you have me sweating–I wasn’t planning on making them but I am not sure if I have a choice? ha
NO CHOICE!
ps- love you <3
😉
*Laughing* Ugh-uh. But I don’t know how to make fun designs on my cookies like that!! Fine. Fine. Okay, okay. I’ll try. Gesh. Good thing you are adorable…
Wow. These look amazing!
Thank you Megan! And they are pretty amazing in taste quality too 🙂 xo