Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to Everyone!  May your holiday season be bright and merry. 

Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies Review and Recipe

Tags

vegan christmas, vegan cookies, weight loss

This veganized recipe is for my mother-in-law and hubby. I’m continuing my proving carnivores wrong that vegan cookies aren’t just as good as or better than traditional ones. My evil plan is well into action, especially after my husband tossed these tasty treats together last night at about 9PM. Secretly (okay, maybe not so much after I post this), I had been dreading making this recipe because I dislike rolling dough out and using cookie cutters. The process usually just takes so long and has too many steps for my lazy baking body. LOL

Thanks to my hubby though, as I was doing some last minute meal planning for our vegan Christmas meal. He’s so great! He really helped me out and I’m really thankful. I jumped into the kitchen (basically to make sure he had all ten fingers and nothing was burning) during the process. It was really easy to put together and he didn’t grumble more than once. We found that the recipe didn’t have enough moisture so we had to add about 3-6 tbsp to make the dough stick together. Then it combined into a stiff, formable dough.

We made gingerbread men and Hello Kitty faces. You can tell where I came into play in the kitchen, ha-ha. Then we added those traditional candies called Candy Buttons. Remember those? So colorful and people actually want to eat them together with the spiced cookies. Everything turned out so delicious and dare I say better than the traditional ones.

Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies
Makes about 16 cookies (depending on the size of your cutters)
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup plain soymilk
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour (or a mix of both)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Spice Blend:
1/2 teaspoon each ground nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

In a large bowl whisk together oil and sugar for about 3 minutes. Add molasses and soymilk. The molasses and soymilk won’t really blend with the oil but that’s ok.
Sift in all of the other dry ingredients, mixing about half way through. When all of the dry ingredients are added, mix until a stiff dough is formed. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour or up to 3 days in advance. If you chill longer than an hour you may want to let it sit for 10 minutes to warm up a bit before proceeding.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease your cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out to a little less than 1/4 inch thick. Cut out your shapes with your cookie cutters and use a thin spatula to gently place on cookie sheets. If you are using them to decorate a tree or something, remember to punch a hole in their heads (!) before baking. Bake for 8 minutes.
Remove from oven and let them cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet then move to a cooling rack. Wait until they are completely cool before icing. 

Note:  I used melted chocolate for the face because I had some leftover.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows Review and Recipe

Tags

vegan cookies, vegan cookies invade the cookie jar, Vegan Holiday, vegan runner

We’ve made these tasty chocolate cookies filled with a peanut butter cookie on a few different occasions so it was just right to make them at Christmas. Actually I made them last Christmas and people were seriously fighting over the last few on the plate. So for the fun of our holiday and to make very valuable, memorable videos (aka threat videos) for the future, I decided to make them again. Ha-ha Too much fun!

These cookies look hard when reading the recipe but to tell the truth, it’s not hard at all. It does take some time though, so plan ahead to not be in a rush. In essence you are making two different cookie doughs. Then you make balls out of all the dough. Then just wrap the peanut butter ball with the chocolate cookie dough. Then just toss them in the oven and bake. Trust me; they are worth the extra work!

This cookie recipe can be found in the Vegan Cookies Invade the Cookie Jar Cookbook or online at the PPK website. I have reposted the original recipe from PPK online so you can find it easily. I highly suggest you go about checking out the PPK website and then buy the cookbook.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows
makes 2 dozen cookies

Chocolate dough:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons non-dairy milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3c + 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:
3/4 cup natural salted peanut butter, crunchy or creamy style
2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons soy creamer or non-dairy milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl combine oil, sugar, maple syrup, non-dairy milk and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, black cocoa if using, baking soda and salt. Mix to form a moist dough.

Make the filling. In another mixing bowl beat together peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, 2 tablespoons of soy creamer and vanilla extract to form a moist but firm dough. If peanut butter dough is too dry (as different natural peanut butters have different moisture content), stir in remaining tablespoon of non-dairy milk. If dough is too wet knead in a little extra powdered sugar.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Shape the cookies. Create the centers of the cookies by rolling the peanut butter dough into 24 balls. Scoop a generous tablespoon of chocolate dough, flatten into a disc and place a peanut butter ball in the center. Fold the sides of the chocolate dough up and around the peanut butter center and roll the chocolate ball into an smooth ball between your palms. Place on a sheet of waxed paper and repeat with remaining doughs. If desired gently flatten cookies a little, but this is not necessary.

Place dough balls on lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and let cookies for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to complete cooling. Store cookies in tightly covered container. If desired warm cookies in a microwave for 10 to 12 seconds before serving.

Minonos Review

Tags

vegan christmas, vegan cookies, vegan cookies invade the cookie jar, Vegan Holiday

Just about all the other recipes I am making for Christmas have been for other people but this recipe I just merely wanted to try out “just because”. I wanted to make something red and green for the holidays and these minonos (otherwise known by the common brand called Milano’s). These cute cookie sandwiches are just so adorable they are hard to resist.

To make these I followed the recipe exactly (I know, you’re just as surprised as me). They were not only easy to put together but the end product looks like you took hours in the kitchen. I haven’t had this type of cookie within the last few years but if I were, I’d imagine they taste pretty similar. My only true complaint though is that the cookies aren’t as soft as the highly chemical processed ones sold in grocery stores. I’d rather have guilt-free cookies instead though. Vegan Cookies Invade the Cookie Jar Minonos have a harder texture but are still just as tasty.

As far as baking the cookies, they aren’t that hard. Basically you mix together all the ingredients in a bowl. Divide the dough into two balls and then add the two different food colorings, red in one bowl and green in the other one. Divide the dough into the correct amount of balls and then flatten them out according to the recipe. Continue with the rest of the recipe as directed. It’s so easy.

I highly suggest you make these delicious cookies. Not only are they easy to put together but as the finished cookies sit on the counter you will feel so accomplished. No one has to know that these cookies took less than an hour in total. Perfect!

Vegan Coconut Macaroons Review and Recipe

Tags

vegan christmas, vegan cookies, vegan cookies invade the cookie jar, Vegan Holiday, vegan recipe, vegan runner, weight loss

Addicted to the Vegan Cookies Invade the Cookie Jar Cookbook right now, I had planned on making the recipe for Chocolate Coconut Macaroons. But, unfortunately it is extremely hard to find Mori-nu tofu in our area. Thankfully I found this new version of this recipe at the Chocolate Covered Katie website.  I’m so thrilled to have found it and couldn’t have been happier with my selection to make this recipe.

Katie, the author of the blog, drew me in with the mention of a “four minute” cookie. Hello, four minutes! Four minutes was hard to pass up and it didn’t take any ingredients that I did not have readily in our kitchen. Thanks Katie, you are a life-saver. Sounds dramatic on my behalf but I’ve got a mission to make everything that someone loves in our family but veganized. I want to make a point that it’s not hard to make a vegan version and make it just as good or even better.

This recipe was just as easy as Katie stated, the girl doesn’t lie. LOL It turned out to be so easy and didn’t put any stress on my already busy holiday schedule. Actually it saved me time and energy, hooray! My husband had his first bite and he asked if I could make a second batch to assure that I had enough for everyone after he was finished with them. To think, I had made this recipe for my mother, since she loves them. The coconut milk really adds a creamy, sweet flavor that fills your mouth with joy and happiness.

Easiest-Ever Coconut Macaroons
Makes About A Dozen; this is what I used

1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 tbsp flour
½ c plus 2 tbsp coconut milk
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 packet brown sugar in the raw
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Sprinkle of salt

½ c dark vegan chocolate
½ tsp vegan butter (I used earth balance)

Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl and microwave 3 minutes. Scoop into balls on a cookie tray (I used two spoons.) Cook at 360 F for 14-16 minutes. Let cool before dipping in chocolate.

Microwave the chocolate in a glass bowl for about 1 minute, until melted and smooth. Dip the coconut macaroons in the chocolate and place on some parchment paper until it cools completely. Sounds hard but it is easy. Added plus is if you are the “chocolate dipper”, you get to lick the chocolate covered bowl. He-he

Thank you Katie for another fantastic recipe! So delicious!

Orange Agave Chocolate Chip Cookies Review and Recipe

Tags

vegan christmas, vegan cookies, vegan cookies invade the cookie jar, vegan runner, weight loss

This recipe really teased my taste buds when I read the ingredients in the cookbook, Vegan Cookies Invade the Cookie Jar. It has all the ingredients that I love such as agave, orange, chocolate chips (for the husband) and whole wheat flour instead of white. For my father and nieces I always make chocolate chip cookies since it is their ultimate favorite. Well, my 7 year old niece just informed me that M&M’s were her new favorite but that’s going to have to wait until I find vegan M&M’s, why did they have to put milk in the dark chocolate ones? Grrrr

Unfortunately when we taste tested these cookies; they didn’t turn up as great as I had hoped. Maybe my expectations were already too high after eating other cookies of the day. But, we found that these chocolate chip cookies were very dry and the orange was too weak to even taste it. If you prefer to have weaker cookies though, these cookies are perfect for you.

I found the recipe online at CC recipe website.  I might suggest going with white flour instead of the whole wheat flour.

Orange Agave Chocolate Chip Cookies (Reposted)
2/3 cup agave nectar
2/3 cup canola oil
2 tbsp nondairy milk
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Grated zest of one orange, 1 tbsp
1 ½ c all-purpose flour
1 c whole wheat pastry flour
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 F degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In large bowl, whisk together agave nectar, oil, nondairy milk, flax seed, vanilla and orange zest until smooth, about 2 minutes. Sift in the AP flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt and mix to form soft dough. Fold in chocolate chips.
Drop generously rounded tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets. Bake cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, until edges are golden. Let cookies cool for a few minutes before transferring to wire rack.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles Review and Recipe Christmas Cookie Baking

Tags

vegan cookies, vegan cookies invade the cookie jar, Vegan Holiday, vegan runner, weight loss

Christmas baking still but thankfully I’m catching up with posting photos and recipe for you all to enjoy baking this season too. This year I got the Vegan Cookies Invade the Cookie Jar cookbook by co-authors Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero.

My first selection was Chocolate Crinkle Cookies but then I found this varied version that is not only chocolaty but contains a hint of hot spice. It’s oddly strange but keeps you coming back for another cookie. It is easy to put together and bake. Thankfully it doesn’t spread much on the cookie sheets and crinkles perfectly on top. It has the same sort of texture as the Chocolate Crinkle Cookie minus the powdered sugar. So delicious!

So worth the money to purchase this cookbook but if you don’t have time and want to make these cookies for the holidays, I found this recipe for you online. So, you can make them this year and then purchase the cookbook later. Yum! I found the recipe online at Food.com.

Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles
Makes 24 cookies

For the topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cookies:
1/2 cup oil (canola is specified in the book, but any neutral oil will do)
1 cup sugar (I used unrefined cane sugar)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons non-dairy milk (I used vanilla oat milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon chocolate extract (I used more vanilla as I could not find it)
1 2/3 cups flour (I used spelt flour)
1/2 cup unsweetend cocoa powder (I think carob powder would work well, too)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or try chili powder)

1. Mix the topping ingredients on a large dinner plate. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine oil, sugar, syrup and milk using a fork. You have to stir quite vigorously to get them all combined nicely.
3. Add the extracts.
4. In a second bowl combine the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and spices). Add them to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Mix until you have a pliable dough. If it is too wet add a tad more flour, if its too dry add a tad more milk.
5. Roll the dough into balls the size of a walnut. Roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place them on a paper-lined baking sheet. Use your palm to flatten them into about 2 inch disks. In the book it says to leave at least 2 inches space between the cookies as they will spread, however mine did not spread very much.
6. Bake in the preheated oven at 180°C/350°F for 10-12 minutes. Cookies should crackle on top.
7. Remove from the oven, let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire-rack to cool completely.

Chocolatey Crinkle Cookies Review and Recipe: Christmas Cookie Baking

Tags

vegan christmas, vegan cookies invade the cookie jar, Vegan Holiday, vegan recipe, vegan runner, weight loss

As you all know, chocolate is not one of my most favorite sugary choices but to my husband, life would not be so without it. So I always tend to pick out a few chocolate treats for him during the holidays to make just for his sweet sugary tooth. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies is a simple drop cookie recipe from the cookbook Vegan Cookies Invade the Cookie Jar by the absolutely amazing vegan bakers and co-authors Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero.

I picked this recipe because it was so adorable when I looked at the photos online. Does anyone search online for photos first before making recipes from cookbooks like me? Or is this abnormal? LOL I love the fact that it is not only a chocolate cookie base but it is layer with a sprinkling of powdered sugar which reminds me of snow during the holiday season. (Just go ahead, try not to sing “White Christmas”.) I’d much rather have cookie impostures instead of the real cold, white stuff on the ground. But that’s just me…

Now, I read different reviews online which were very mixed on the outcome of baking. Everyone agreed these little snow-covered goodies were tasty but mixed reviews on how to bake them. Unlike my true form, my husband and I followed the recipe to the extra measurements and ingredients. We found that by following it exactly, we had no problems at all. They were not only easy to bake but did not spread much but did enough so that the crinkle appeared on the top. What’s perfect is the white topping, it not only sticks for the first day but unlike traditional recipes, the powdered sugar doesn’t melt into the cookies.  They stay powdered for days, just like the first day.  These are perfect for the holiday season, slightly crunchy on top with a chocolaty richness inside. Warning though, you are going to want to eat more after the first one.

I found the recipe online here.  But, I urge you to go ahead and purchase the cookbook too. It is under $20 and has so many fantastic recipes you are going to probably gain weight just looking at the photos inside. Mmmm

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (reposted from Clock Work Lemon Website)
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp corn syrup (this is vital for helping the cookies spread)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup soy milk (you can also use rice milk or regular dairy milk)
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
powdered sugar and granulated sugar for coating the cookies in.
4 ounces (about 1/2 a cup) chocolate chips melted (if you want to avoid using dairy in your cookies buy the semi-sweet chocolate chips rather than milk chocolate)
1 1/4 cups + 2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt (Whitney adds slightly more than this which gives them an addictive salty- sweet flavor)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 and line with parchment paper

2. In a bowl mix together the sugar, oil, corn syrup, vanilla, soy milk, flax seeds, and melted chocolate until smooth

3. Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt and mix until a thick dough forms. Chill the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes

4. Put powdered sugar on one plate and granualted sugar on another. Roll the dough into tbsp sized balls and roll them first in the granulated sugar, and then in the powdered sugar.

5. Place the sugared dough 2 inches apart and bake for 14 minutes. Let the cookies cool for five minutes on the tray before moving them (to give them time to firm up a bit)

Homemade Vegan Doughnuts, Oh Yeah!

Tags

diet, vegan breakfast, vegan diet, vegan donut, Vegan Holiday, vegan recipe, vegan runner, weight loss

The earth has done a full circle because this weekend we finally became equipped with a doughnut pan – hip hip hooray!!! *happy dance* I’m over the moon with excitement here, seriously I was dancing in the store the entire way to the checkout. The next morning I got up early, which happened to a weekend morning just so I could make a lovely batch of vegan doughnuts for breakfast.

We made two different types of doughnuts that I thought would be the perfect spirit-lifting flavors. The first was Cinnamon and Sugar, which I ended up veganizing from the doughnut pan packaging. The second type was Eggnog with Spiked Eggnog Frosting from Love Veggies and Yoga. Yum!

Cinnamon and Sugar Doughnut were just okay but they did workout. The seasoning was just not up to par – and it kept us wanting more. The texture was just like a soft cake.

Cinnamon and Sugar Doughnuts: Recreated & Veganized

2 c flour
¾ c white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
¾ c nondairy milk (I used soy milk)
2 tsp chiaseeds or 2 tbsp flaxseeds, ground
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

Glaze:
1 c confectioner’s sugar
1 tbsp hot water
½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F.

Lightly grease the doughnut pan. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Stir in nondairy milk, chiaseeds, vanilla, and coconut oil. Beat together until well blended. Fill each donut cup approx ¾ full. Bake 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven, until doughnuts spring back when toughed. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan. To make glaze, blend confectioners’ sugar and hot water in a small bowl. Dip donuts in the glaze when serving. Yields 12 doughnuts.

Eggnog and Spiked Eggnog Frosting Recipe (4 Doughnuts)
1 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 c white sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp chiaseeds
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c eggnog (We used Soynog made by Silk)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1 c flour

1. Preheat oven to 325F and cooking-spray the donut pan.
2. Beat the vegan butter, sugars, chiaseeds until smooth.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Don’t over do it though because the gluten will start to react and it will become very stiff.
4. Spoon into the doughnut pan.
5. Bake 9-11 minutes in the preheated oven if making larger donuts or about 5-7 minutes if making mini-donuts. Bake until donuts spring back when touched or until dough is set.
6. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan, about 5 minutes.

Rum Eggnog Glaze Frosting
1 1/2 c (or more) powdered sugar
1 vegan eggnog (soynog)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp rum extract or real Rum (we used real rum and it was delicious!)

1. Mix all the ingredients together and add more powdered sugar if needed to thicken the frosting.
2. Frosting the slightly cooled doughnuts. We also put sprinkles on the doughnuts to assure the frosting stayed on. It worked like a charm!

What’s Your Favorite Donut to Make?

Tired but Happy

Tags

vegan diet, Vegan Holiday, weight loss

Wow! It’s been so busy lately with work, exercise and prep work for Sunday. For Jesus’ birth I do not mind though, I actually love being busy. That might sound strange to many people but once you get into the swing of a more active life you wish for very few moments of down time. I guess that is what happens when you eat healthy, exercise and treat yourself properly.
Today I was so thankful to get to the gym and work off some of those, ahem, um, cookies that I ate this weekend after they came out of the oven. It’s our duty to test them right? Okay, so maybe that is bad but I was proud that I managed to eat just one of each kind – three cookies over two days. Not the healthiest but I’m sure that if I moderate it will be okay throughout the holiday weekend. Have you all been doing okay with the temptations?

My workout included 4 miles in 44 minutes. I’m still working slow but it’s not really a wonder with all the cookies filling my legs. After the treadmill fun run, I bounced on the exercise ball and lifted 15 pound weights and did full situps with a 10 pound weight. Afterwards I engaged in some weight lifting with a cord machine and also 2 miles on the stationary bike in 10 minutes. Not the longest workout but I can really feel it in my legs so I’m thrilled!

How was your workout today? What did you all get into today?