Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: cookies

  • Vegan Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread Cookie Sandwiches

    Vegan Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread Cookie Sandwiches

    I was craving some dark chocolate short bread and my Mom had just gifted me with a jar of pistachio butter, so I thought why not combine the two and make Vegan Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread Cookie Sandwiches?! After all chocolate and pistachios are amazing together, look at all the Dubai chocolate items in the last few years everyone is buying! These turned out so delicious I had to share!

    I love shortbread cookies because they are so simple to make with few ingredients. And I usually just press them into a pan, score them and bake them, this time I cut them into hearts since I wanted sandwich cookies. For the flour I used whole wheat pastry flour, but if you preferred all purpose or a gluten free all purpose baking flour, those would work as well.

    I added plenty of cacao to the butter as well as a hint of vanilla to make these extra delicious! They smelled amazing, like brownies while baking! Once they had cooled I filled them with pistachio butter, and I could not wait to try them!

    They turned out so delicious, buttery melt in your mouth sweet dark chocolate shortbread the perfect pairing with the salty rich creamy pistachio butter! If you are a fan of chocolate and pistachios, definitely give these Vegan Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread Cookie Sandwiches a try!

    Vegan Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread Cookie Sandwiches

    Makes 16 pieces

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup or 2 sticks Earth Balance or other vegan butter, softened
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 1/3 cup unsweetened cacao powder
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1 cup pistachio butter

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sea salt, sugar, and lavender until the butter and sugar are well incorporated.
    3. Mix in the cacao powder, vanilla and baking powder until well incorporated.
    4. Mix in the flour until the dough is uniform in color.
    5. Place the dough on a piece of parchment and roll it out to 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into shapes with a medium sized cookie cutter. Carefully move to a parchment lined baking sheet, and re-roll any scraps and cut out more cookies. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
    6. Remove from the oven,  and let cool completely in the pan.
    7. Spread the pistachio butter (about 2 tsp over the bottom of half the cookies, and sandwich them together with the bottom of the remaining cookies (you want the bottoms on the inside because they are less pretty).
    8. Enjoy!

    Shortbread keeps for 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container or 4 months frozen in an airtight container.

  • Vegan Golden Milk Shortbread Cookies 

    Vegan Golden Milk Shortbread Cookies 

    I love golden milk, it’s so warming and comforting and delicious! Definitely one of my favorite before bed treats! And I also love shortbread, because of its delicious buttery texture. So I was thinking, why not combine the two?! So a few weekends back I made some Vegan Golden Milk Shortbread!

    One of the things I love about shortbread is that it is quick and easy to make! Normally I just press a batch into a removable bottom tart pan and score it to make it even easier (if you do this, you’d need to bake it longer, probably 25 minutes instead of 15) but this time I decided to roll it and cut it into shapes. I thought some stars would be cute since golden milk is so yellow.

    It’s a little more work but so worth it! I added the warming golden milk spices, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom plus some vanilla and it was so aromatic! It smelled amazing while baking! After it had cooled down I drizzled it with some vegan white chocolate to make it extra delicious.

    It turned out so yummy! It was buttery, rich and melt in your mouth with warming sweet spices, the mellow white chocolate the perfect topping! It is perfect paired with tea or coffee for a mid morning snack! My husband loved it too and ate most of it in just a few days. If you love golden milk, definitely give this Vegan Golden Milk Shortbread a try!

     

    Vegan Golden Milk Shortbread Cookies 

    Makes 28 cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup or 2 sticks Earth Balance or other vegan butter, softened
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup unbleached granulated sugar
    • 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
    • 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
    • 1 tsp vanilla bean powder
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
    • granulated sugar for topping
    • 1/2 cup vegan white chocolate chips (I used Pascha brand)

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sea salt, sugar, until the butter and sugar are well incorporated.
    3. Mix in the vanilla and spices and baking powder until well incorporated.
    4. Mix in the flour until the flour is incorporated.
    5. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment, and roll out to about 1/4 inch thick.  Place on a sheet pan and put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.  Cut into medium sized cookies, and use a spatula to transfer them to a parchment lined tray (being careful not to stretch them).  Re-roll any scraps and cut also.  Sprinkle cookies with granulated sugar.
    6. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until set.
    7. Remove from the oven, and let cool completely.
    8. Melt the vegan white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals, or in the top of a double boiler.  Drizzle over the cookies, and let set (it will set quicker if you set them in the refrigerator).
    9. Enjoy!

     

    Shortbread keeps for 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container or 4 months frozen in an airtight container.

  • Vegan Iced Oatmeal Cookies

    Vegan Iced Oatmeal Cookies

     

    My husband Eric recently was telling me how much he loved iced oatmeal cookies when he was younger, and so I decided to make some last weekend.  I love oatmeal cookies too, and I remember enjoying the iced ones also when I was younger.  I have never made a veganized version so I thought now would be the perfect time to make some Vegan Iced Oatmeal Cookies!  

    I used my regular oatmeal cookie recipe I had tweaked for my old job where I made lots of vegan baked goods that everyone always loved, and left out the chunky add ins to keep the dough simple.  These use coconut oil as the fat to keep them nice and tender, and brown sugar to make them chewy and caramelly flavored as well and plenty of oats.  I have always loved the texture of oatmeal cookies, they are so chewy and satisfying!

     

    These smelled amazing while baking!  I frosted them with a powdered sugar vanilla glaze, and could not wait to try them! They turned out so delicious!  Soft and chewy, scented with vanilla and cinnamon, sweet and delicious with the glaze!  These are perfect with a cup of coffee for a snack!  My husband Eric loved them as well, and they were gone pretty quickly!  If you are looking for something delicious to bake, definitely give these Vegan Iced Oatmeal Cookies a try! 

    Vegan Iced Oatmeal Cookies

    Makes 16 large cookies Ingredients:

    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp water
    • 3/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp cinnamon 
    • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or oat flour
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

     

    Glaze:

    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • 2-3 Tbsp plant based milk
    • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees with the rack set at the middle position.
    2. Mix together the flax seed and water in a small bowl.
    3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, and sugar until well blended. Add flax mixture, vanilla and cinnamon and mix until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    4. Mix in the flour, soda, and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined.
    5. Roll the dough into 16 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    6. Once cool, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth (if it is too thick add a little more milk, too thin a little powdered sugar, it should be thick enough that it coats the cookie tops nicely but not so thin it doesn’t dry).
    7. Dip each cookie top into the glaze and let the excess run off.  Set on a rack or tray.  When they are all finished let the glaze set.
    8. Enjoy!
  • Vegan Raspberry Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

    Vegan Raspberry Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

    I have been craving shortbread lately, so I recently made some chocolate orange shortbread cookies, but I thought something with vanilla might be good too!  Maybe something for upcoming Valentine’s Day with some raspberry jam!  So I made some heart shaped Vegan Raspberry Shortbread Sandwich Cookies!  I wasn’t sure how they would turn out, because although I have made variations of this shortbread dough many times, I wasn’t sure how it would behave as cut out cookies, since I am usually lazy and just bake it in a pan.  But it turned out perfect! Will definitely be doing this again.

    I used Earth Balance for the vegan butter in these, since shortbread needs a good amount of butter and it works well, but you can use whichever vegan butter you have on hand.  They have granulated sugar, but if you preferred something less processed like maple sugar that would be good as well, they will just be darker cookies.  For the flour I used whole wheat pastry flour because it is what I prefer, but if you don’t have any on hand regular all purpose flour would work as well.  Or even a gluten free all purpose baking flour for a gluten free option (I have use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour and it works well).  I used vanilla bean powder in these, but you can just use vanilla extract if you prefer, a tsp.

    I wanted to cut these into hearts, because I love cutesy Valentine’s Day stuff, it is one of my favorite holidays decoration wise.  I also just love hearts!  This dough rolled out pretty nicely, but if you find it is too soft, you can refrigerate it briefly.  I also recommend using a spatula to move the hearts once you cut them out to prevent stretching.

    These cookies smelled amazing while baking!  I knew they would be delicious!  To make them pretty and even tastier, I drizzled the top cookies with some vegan white chocolate!  I filled them with some really good raspberry jam that Eric’s Dad made and they were amazing!  I love the combination of a sweet tart raspberry filling with vanilla cookies or cake!  If you are in the mood for some delicious cookies, or something festive for Valentine’s Day, definitely give these Vegan Raspberry Shortbread Sandwich Cookies a try!

    Vegan Raspberry Shortbread Sandwich Cookies 

    Makes 14 larger sandwiches

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup or 2 sticks Earth Balance or other vegan butter, softened
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup unbleached granulated sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla bean powder
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
    • granulated sugar for topping
    • 1/2 cup vegan white chocolate chips (I used Pascha brand)

     

    Filling:

    • 1 cup raspberry jam

     

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sea salt, sugar, until the butter and sugar are well incorporated.
    3. Mix in the vanilla and baking powder until well incorporated.
    4. Mix in the flour until the flour is incorporated.
    5. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment, and roll out to about 1/4 inch thick.  Place on a sheet pan and put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.  Cut into medium sized heart cookies, and use a spatula to transfer them to a parchment lined tray (being careful not to stretch them).  Re-roll any scraps and cut also.  Sprinkle cookies with granulated sugar.
    6. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until set.
    7. Remove from the oven, and let cool completely.
    8. Lay out half of the cookies. Melt the vegan white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals, or in the top of a double boiler.  Drizzle over half the cookies, and let set (it will set quicker if you set them in the refrigerator).  Once the white chocolate has set, spread the bottom side of the other half of the cookies with the jam, then top with the white chocolate drizzled cookies.
    9. Enjoy!

     

    Shortbread keeps for 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container or 4 months frozen in an airtight container.

  • Vegan Vanilla Almond Lavender Short Bread

    Vegan Vanilla Almond Lavender Short Bread

    One of the things I have very much enjoyed doing the past couple of years is visiting a lavender farm or two during the summer.  Lavender is one of my all time favorite scents and I love using it in recipes.  So what better way to get your hands on some than to pick it yourself?!  Last weekend, Eric and I visited a lavender farm in Wisconsin called Lavender Bluff Farm to pick some lavender and wild flowers.  It was beautiful!  They have a cute little store also where you can buy lavender scented items along with body care items and other things.  They had a short bread mix in there and Eric wanted to buy some but instead I suggested we stick to the essential oils and stuff and make some lavender short bread when we got home.  So that evening I whipped up a batch of Vegan Vanilla Almond Lavender Short Bread!

    It was so simple to make, the base contains very few ingredients plus the flavorings.  I have made short bread before, it is actually one of my favorite cookies because of the buttery rich texture that makes it perfect for enjoying with a cup of coffee or tea!  For the butter in this one I used Earth Balance because it is what I had on hand, but you could use a different vegan butter if you preferred, I have also used Country Crock in my shortbread.  I used whole wheat pastry flour because it is what I prefer, but you could also use a regular all purpose flour instead or even a gluten free all purpose baking flour (like Bob’s Red Mill all purpose baking flour, which I have tried myself with good results) if you wanted it gluten free.

    I flavored these with vanilla extract, almond extract and some of my dried lavender and the flavor was perfect!  The dough for these tasted wonderful and they smelled amazing while baking.  Yes, I always have to sample the dough when making cookies, that is one of my favorite parts!  I could not wait to try them!

    When they were cooled and it was time to sample, the shortbread was so heavenly!  Rich and buttery, scented with vanilla, almond and lavender with a melt in your mouth texture.  This is amazing dunked into coffee, I tried it with a lavender latte (one of my favorite things) because why not?!  If you are in the mood for some delicious, easy to make cookies, definitely give these a try!

    Vegan Vanilla Almond Lavender Short Bread

    Makes 16 pieces

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup or 2 sticks Earth Balance or other vegan butter, softened
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup unbleached granulated sugar
    • 1 Tbsp dried lavender flowers
    • 1 tsp vanilla bean powder
    • 1 tsp almond extract
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

     

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sea salt, sugar, and lavender until the butter and sugar are well incorporated.
    3. Mix in the lavender, vanilla and almond extracts and baking powder until well incorporated.
    4. Mix in the flour until the flour is incorporated.
    5. Place the dough in a 9 inch square pan lined with parchment and press into the pan until it is spread out completely to the edges in an even layer.
    6. Score the dough into 12 or 16 pieces (depending on how big you want them) using a knife, then poke the pieces with a fork a few times.
    7. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until set.
    8. Remove from the oven, let sit for 10 minutes then re-cut where you scored it with a sharp knife.
    9. Let cool completely in the pan.
    10. Enjoy!

    Shortbread keeps for 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container or 4 months frozen in an airtight container.

     

  • Vegan Dark Chocolate Orange Cookies

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Orange Cookies

    Normally I am all about the vanilla, but lately I have been in the mood to make chocolate desserts, including these Vegan Dark Chocolate Orange Cookies I recently made.  I used to make vegan double chocolate cookies at my last job and they were always delicious, but I thought why not make them with orange added since citrus is in season and so delicious right now?  I always loved those chocolate oranges as a kid, so I love the combo of chocolate and orange.

    I love making cookies sometimes because they are so quick and easy (at least this kind which is mix, roll and bake) and these are no exception.  They have plenty of cacao powder in them to give them a rich chocolate flavor. For the flour I used all purpose, but you could use gluten free all purpose baking flour if you wanted to make them gluten free.  I recommend Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour which I have tried and swapped 1:1 with success.  I used granulated sugar in these, but you could use maple sugar or coconut sugar for less processed options.

    I added plenty of orange in the form of juice and zest as well as orange extract so that it has the right amount of aromatic orange flavor.  I also added vanilla to make these even more heavenly and since I believe it belongs in pretty much most desserts. These use coconut oil as the fat, but if you are not a fan of the flavor of coconut oil (it is not strong, it is very subtle however I know some people don’t like it), you could sub melted vegan butter such as Earth balance instead.

    The dough for these was so heavenly, and honestly the dough is my favorite part of baking cookies!  That and the heavenly aroma they fill my kitchen with!  I could not wait to try them!  Luckily with cookies like these they are best if they are slightly warm so I didn’t have to wait long. There is nothing better then a ooey gooey cookie with melted chocolate chips! These were so delicious!  Rich chocolate flavor, scented with sweet orange and vanilla filled with rich dark chocolate chips!  They are perfect with a cup of coffee!  If you are a fan of chocolate and orange definitely give these Vegan Dark Chocolate Orange Cookies a try!

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Orange Cookies

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup applesauce
    • 1 Tbsp orange juice
    • 2 Tbsp orange zest
    • 1 tsp orange extract
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
    • 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
    • 1 1/2 cups vegan dark chocolate chips

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two sheet pans with foil.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, sugar, apple sauce, orange juice and zest and vanilla extract until well blended.
    3. Mix in the salt, baking soda and baking powder then the flour and cocoa powder until smooth.
    4. Mix in the chocolate chips.
    5. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on the cookie trays about 2 inches apart.
    6. Press the dough balls down slightly.
    7. Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes, then rotate them and bake another 7 or so until the cookies are done and lightly brown at the edges.
    8. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
  • Vegan Lemon Lavender Short Bread

    Vegan Lemon Lavender Short Bread

    It has been really cold this past weekend in Minnesota so it was the perfect weekend to stay inside and do some baking!  I love citrus season so I wanted to make something featuring lemon.  It is such a bright flavor and we could all use a little sunshine right about now.  So I decided to make some Vegan Lemon Lavender Shortbread!  I always love shortbread, since it is so easy to make and it has such a delicious melt in your mouth texture!

    I love shortbread because it is so simple.  It comes together quickly and you can be enjoying it in no time!  Since shortbread needs a fat to make it rich, I used Earth Balance vegan butter in place of regular butter and you can not tell the difference (even if I haven’t had non-vegan butter in about 13 years, I shared it with people who are not vegans and they agreed).  It works perfectly in these!  For the flour I used whole wheat pastry flour but you could use regular all purpose flour if that is what you prefer and what you have on hand.  Or even a gluten free all purpose baking flour such as Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour which I have tried with good results.

    I used plenty of lemon zest in these, plus lemon juice and lemon extract to give them just the right amount of lemon flavor.  Along with lavender flowers I picked last summer, because I love lemon and lavender together, and a little vanilla to sweeten them.  The dough was so delicious even before baking them! They smelled amazing while baking filling my kitchen with the most heavenly aroma!  Once they had cooled down, I drizzled them with some melted vegan white chocolate and they were perfect!

    The shortbread cookies were so delicious!  They were melt in your mouth buttery and rich, scented with lemon and fragrant lavender with a hint of vanilla, the sweet white chocolate perfect to top them off!  So heavenly!  If you are a lemon lover and wanting to bake something delicious, definitely give these Vegan Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies a try!

    Vegan Lemon Lavender Short Bread

    Makes 16 pieces

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup or 2 sticks Earth Balance or other vegan butter, softened
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 Tbsp dried lavender flowers
    • 2 Tbsp lemon zest plus 1 Tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 tsp lemon extract
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1/2 cup vegan white chocolate chips

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sea salt, sugar, lavender, lemon zest and vanilla until the butter and sugar are well incorporated.
    3. Mix in the baking powder until well incorporated.
    4. Mix in the flour until the flour is incorporated.
    5. Place the dough in a 9 inch round removable bottom tart pan and press into the pan until it is spread out completely to the edges in an even layer.
    6. Score the dough into 16 wedges using a knife, then poke the pieces with a fork a few times.
    7. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until set.
    8. Remove from the oven, let sit for 10 minutes then re-cut where you scored it with a sharp knife.
    9. Let cool completely in the pan.
    10. Remove from the pan, and separate.  Place on a cooling rack with space in between each piece.
    11. Melt the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler, and when it is smooth, drizzle it over the shortbread.  Allow to harden.
    12. Enjoy!

    Shortbread keeps for 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container or 4 months frozen in an airtight container.

  • Vegan White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

    Vegan White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

    Christmas cookie baking season has always been one of my favorite times of the year, since I was a little kid making cookies with my Mom.  We would always pick out several different kinds to make that sounded good to us or old favorites, make batches of them and freeze them to enjoy throughout the season or to later share!  I decided I wanted to bake something Christmasy last weekend and I happened to have some candy canes on hand, so I decided to bake some Vegan White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies to kick off the holiday cookie baking this year!

    These are really simple and easy to make and I used my chocolate chip cookie dough base because it always comes out so perfect!  I used coconut oil for the fat in these, but if you do not care for coconut oil, you could use melted vegan butter instead.  These use apple sauce for the vegan egg replacement and it gives them a perfect chewy satisfying texture!  For the flour I used whole wheat pastry flour but you could use all purpose flour instead if you prefer, or even a gluten free all purpose flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour which I have used with good results).

    For the flavoring in these I used both vanilla and mint.  I used vanilla bean powder, but if you don’t have that you could use extract instead.  I feel like I gave these just enough peppermint extract to flavor them but not overpower as the balance was perfect! I used chopped candy canes in these but if you wanted to use those round peppermints chopped up those would work as well, just make sure that they are vegan. For the white chocolate I used Pascha vegan white chocolate chips.

    These cookies smelled amazing while baking and they tasted even better!  I mean the dough tasted amazing too, but the soft warm cookies with the gooey white chocolate chips and crunchy peppermints were simply heavenly!  If you are in the mood for some delicious cookies, definitely give these Vegan White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies a try!

    Vegan White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup applesauce at room temperature
    • 1 tsp vanilla bean powder or pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour (for a lighter colored cookie)
    • 1/2 cup chopped candy canes
    • 1 cup vegan white chocolate chips

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two sheet pans with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, sugar, apple sauce and vanilla and peppermint extracts until well blended.
    3. Mix in the salt, baking soda and baking powder then the flour until smooth.
    4. Stir in the candy canes and white chocolate until they are evenly distributed.
    5. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on the cookie trays about 2 inches apart.
    6. Press the dough balls down slightly.
    7. Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes, then rotate them and bake another 7 or so until the cookies are done and lightly brown at the edges.
    8. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
  • Vegan White Chocolate Macadamia Oatmeal Cookies

    Vegan White Chocolate Macadamia Oatmeal Cookies

    Fall is the perfect time for baking, so I have been in a cookie baking mood as of lately. So when I was gifted some macadamia nuts and vegan white chocolate chips, I thought what would be better to make than Vegan Macadamia White Chocolate Cookies? I love these two ingredients in cookies after all!  Oatmeal cookies are my favorite kind of cookie because they are chewy and soft but have substance. My Mom always said they are better for you because they have oats, and I’m not going to argue that one, I do love oats and eat them in some form every day!

    For these cookies, I used my usual oatmeal cookie recipe. It uses whole wheat pastry flour but if you prefer to use regular AP flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour which I have used before with good results) or even a gluten free all purpose flour for a gluten free option those work as well.  These are made with granulated sugar, but if you prefer brown sugar you could use that as well for a more caramel flavored slightly more chewy cookie.  Or even maple sugar or coconut sugar for a less refined option.  I added in plenty of macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips!  The vegan white chocolate chips I used are Pascha vegan white chocolate chips.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    These cookies smelled so heavenly while baking!  I could not wait to try them!  They were soft and chewy, scented with vanilla and the rich heavenly white chocolate chips and crunchy nutty pecans along with the oats for texture made them so delicious! Everyone I shared these with loved them! If you are in the mood for some cookie baking, definitely give these Vegan White Chocolate Macadamia Oatmeal Cookies a try!

     

    Vegan White Chocolate Macadamia Oatmeal Cookies

    Makes 16 large cookies Ingredients:

    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp water
    • 3/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, or maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or oat flour
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
    • 3/4 cup macadamia nuts
    • 1 cup vegan white chocolate chips or chunks

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees with the rack set at the middle position.
    2. Mix together the flax seed and water in a small bowl.
    3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, and sugar until well blended. Add flax mixture, vanilla and mix until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    4. Mix in the flour, soda, and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    5. Roll the dough into 16 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    6. Enjoy!
  • Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies

    Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies

    Fall is in full swing, the trees are so beautiful with all of their warm colors and dropping their leaves like confetti and I am all about the pumpkin treats right now!  Last weekend I decided I needed to make a pumpkin dessert, and I was craving chocolate chip cookies, so I thought I would make some Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies!  Why not make chocolate chip cookies with the warming flavors of fall!

    For these cookies, I used my usual chocolate chip cookie dough base, but instead of the apple sauce I added pumpkin since the consistency is similar and I have done this before with good results.  I added my own blend of pumpkin pie spices, which is cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom.  It is so warming and delicious in all my desserts!  Instead of white sugar in these cookies, I decided to use brown, since I love it with pumpkin and it has more of a caramelly flavor.

    I used whole wheat pastry flour in these because it is what I have on hand and prefer to use, but you could also use regular all purpose flour or even a gluten free all purpose baking flour (like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking flour, which I have used before and it works well) if you would like to make these gluten free.  The dough for these was so delicious!  Cookie dough is honestly one of my favorite parts to baking cookies, almost as much as the warm ones fresh from the oven.

    These smelled amazing while baking!  I could not wait to try one!  They were super delicious with warming pumpkin spices, a soft chewy texture and the rich dark chocolate chips!  They are so wonderful while still warm from the oven!  If you are in the mood for a pumpkin treat, definitely give these Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies a try!

     

    Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree at room temperature
    • 1 tsp vanilla bean powder or pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp ground ginger
    • 1/2 tsp cardamom
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/4 tsp cloves
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour (for a lighter colored cookie)
    • 1 cup chopped dark chocolate

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two sheet pans with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, sugar, pumpkin and vanilla extract  until well blended.
    3. Mix in the spices, salt, baking soda and baking powder then the flour until smooth.
    4. Stir in the chocolate chunks until they are evenly distributed.
    5. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on the cookie trays about 2 inches apart.
    6. Press the dough balls down slightly.
    7. Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes, then rotate them and bake another 7 or so until the cookies are done and lightly brown at the edges.
    8. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
  • Vegan Macadamia Chocolate Chunk Date Cookies

    Vegan Macadamia Chocolate Chunk Date Cookies

    Now that fall is just around the corner I feel like it’s a good time to start baking lots of cozy goodies! I’ve always loved macadamia nuts in cookies, ever since I first enjoyed them as a kid. It was usually macadamias paired with white chocolate chips. But I love them paired with dark chocolate just as much so that’s why I decided to make these Vegan Macadamia Chocolate Chunk Date Cookies!

    This has to be one of the best cookie add in combinations ever! I used one of my chewy cookie base recipes for these, and it was perfect! It uses whole wheat pastry flour for the flour because it’s what I prefer, but if you wanted to use regular all purpose flour or even gluten free all purpose flour for a gluten free option (like Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Baking Flour, which I have used with good results) you could use one of those instead. I used regular granulated sugar in these because it’s what I had on hand but if you wanted them to have more of a caramelly flavor you could use brown sugar or even maple sugar instead.

    I think it’s a pretty delicious cookie base. I should know, I definitely sampled the dough! Cookie dough is one of my favorite things ever, and my favorite part of baking cookies! I put plenty of crunchy rich macadamia nuts, dark chocolate chunks and chewy sweet dates in this as well! These add ins are amazing together!

    These smelled amazing while baking also I could not wait to try them! My husband Eric was trying to steal some right away! I mean they are pretty darn delicious while still warm from the oven! These are so crave worthy with a chewy sweet vanilla cookie base, crunchy buttery macadamias, gooey dark chocolate and chewy caramelly dates! So wonderful with coffee! These did not last long in my home. If you are in the mood for baking something delicious, definitely give these Vegan Macadamia Chocolate Chunk Date Cookies a try!

    Vegan Macadamia Chocolate Chunk Date Cookies

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup applesauce at room temperature
    • 1 tsp vanilla bean powder or pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour (for a lighter colored cookie)
    • 3/4 cup toasted macadamia nuts
    • 3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate
    • 3/4 cup dates, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two sheet pans with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, sugar, apple sauce and vanilla extract  until well blended.
    3. Mix in the salt, baking soda and baking powder then the flour until smooth.
    4. Stir in the macadamias, chocolate chunks and dates until they are evenly distributed.
    5. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on the cookie trays about 2 inches apart.
    6. Press the dough balls down slightly.
    7. Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes, then rotate them and bake another 7 or so until the cookies are done and lightly brown at the edges.
    8. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
  • Vegan Peaches and Cream Cookies

    Vegan Peaches and Cream Cookies

    One thing I love about this time of year is the awesome produce, especially the stone fruits!  I am really loving the fresh peaches right now!  They smell amazing as you walk past them at the store, and I have been buying a bunch of them and just snacking on them as well as making desserts.  Last weekend I wanted to make some cookies, and thought that peach cookies sounded awesome so I made some Vegan Peaches and Cream Cookies!

    I loved the peaches and cream scones that I used to make at my old job so I thought why not cookies?!  For the base of these cookies, I used my chocolate chip cookie recipe but swapped the brown sugar for granulated. I used whole wheat pastry flour for the flour in these but if you prefer all purpose instead you could use that as well, or even gluten free all purpose baking flour if you wanted to make them gluten free.  I have used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour and had success with it.

    These use coconut oil for the fat, which I always have on hand which is why I prefer to use it.  In place of eggs, they use applesauce and it makes them soft and chewy in the middle, which I love!  I used vanilla powder in these to give them a heavenly aroma but if you prefer extract you could use that as well.  These have plenty of fresh peaches, and they smelled sooo good and so heavenly while baking!  I could not wait to try them!

    When I did they were super delicious!  Soft and chewy, scented with heavenly vanilla and sweet jammy peaches!  It is hard to just eat one of these, especially if you have them cooling on the counter and they are still warm!  If you are a fan of peaches, and looking to bake something delicious, definitely give these Vegan Peaches and Cream Cookies a try this summer!

    Vegan Peaches and Cream Cookies

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup applesauce at room temperature
    • 1 tsp vanilla bean powder or pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour (for a lighter colored cookie)
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh ripe peaches, cut into small pieces
    • sugar for topping

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two sheet pans with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, sugar, apple sauce and vanilla extract  until well blended.
    3. Mix in the salt, baking soda and baking powder then the flour until smooth.
    4. Stir in the peaches until they are evenly distributed.
    5. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on the cookie trays about 2 inches apart.
    6. Press the dough balls down slightly and sprinkle with sugar.
    7. Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes, then rotate them and bake another 7 or so until the cookies are done and lightly brown at the edges.
    8. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
  • Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

    Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

    It definitely feels like summer here lately and with summer comes berries!  It think berries (I can’t pick just one type I love them all) are my favorite fruit.  I am loving all things strawberry right now, while they are in season here in Minnesota.  I love baked goods with berries, like scones, muffins, cakes, cobblers and crisps but I also love a good shortcake.  Since strawberry shortcake is so delicious, I decided to bake some strawberry shortcake inspired cookies! I have also been on a cookie baking kick lately.  I love them because they are an easy dessert.  I made these Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Cookies last weekend and they were so good I had to share the recipe!

    For the base of these cookies I used my chocolate chip cookie recipe. I just made a few swaps like I swapped the brown sugar for granulated sugar and added in strawberries instead of the chocolate chips.  I used whole wheat pastry flour for these because it is what I prefer and use most, but you can use regular all purpose flour if you prefer.  If you wanted to make them gluten free, you could use gluten free AP flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour if I am making GF because I know it works).

    I have made scones before with fresh strawberries, but to be honest I wasn’t quite sure how they would behave in cookies. So I just had to wait and see how they turned out.  The dough was super delicious!  I definitely snacked on some while I was making them.  That is the best part of the cookie baking process after all as far as I am concerned!  They baked up beautifully!  The berries did not release too much moisture. That said, I would probably not use frozen berries for these because I feel like those would have too much moisture and the cookies would over spread.

    These smelled amazing while baking!  I could not wait to try them!  They were so heavenly!  Soft and chewy, with sweet jammy strawberries throughout and the scent of vanilla!  If you are a strawberry fan, and are in the mood for something sweet, definitely give these Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Cookies a try!

    Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup applesauce at room temperature
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour (for a lighter colored cookie)
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, cut into small pieces
    • Turbinado sugar for topping

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two sheet pans with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, sugar, apple sauce and vanilla extract  until well blended.
    3. Mix in the salt, baking soda and baking powder then the flour until smooth.
    4. Stir in the berries until they are evenly distributed.
    5. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on the cookie trays about 2 inches apart.
    6. Press the dough balls down slightly and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
    7. Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes, then rotate them and bake another 7 or so until the cookies are done and lightly brown at the edges.
    8. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
  • Vegan Vanilla Strawberry Lavender Short Bread

    Vegan Vanilla Strawberry Lavender Short Bread

    I love shortbread, the buttery melt in your mouth texture, the fact that it can be flavored with many different things depending on what you are in the mood for and the fact that it goes wonderful with coffee for a mid-morning pick me up!  Last weekend I decided to make some shortbread and I went with some flavors I am loving lately.  Vegan Vanilla Strawberry Lavender Shortbread seemed like the perfect thing to make as we are hanging onto the last bit of spring and heading into summer!

    The other thing I love about shortbread it that it is really simple quick and easy to make with minimal ingredients.  I used vegan butter (Earth Balance because it is what I prefer) for the fat because it always works out well.  For the flour I used a whole wheat pastry because it is what I prefer and had on hand, but you could use all purpose flour if you prefer, or for a gluten free option an all purpose baking flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free baking flour (which I have used and it works well).

    I used granulated sugar but you could also use maple sugar or coconut sugar if you prefer (it just will be darker in color).  I flavored it with crushed freeze dried strawberries, which are nice because they don’t add extra moisture.  As well as vanilla bean powder, and dried lavender flowers.  I just love this flavor combo! This shortbread smelled absolutely amazing while baking!

    I could not wait to taste it!  This shortbread turned out super delicious!  Melt in your mouth buttery texture sweet with strawberries and vanilla plus that floral hint of lavender, it was so heavenly!  This is so perfect with coffee or tea!  My husband loved it as well, I packed some in his lunch the next day and he texted me to tell me it was bomb!  If you are looking for something easy and delicious to bake, definitely give this Vegan Vanilla Strawberry Lavender Shortbread a try!

    Vegan Vanilla Strawberry Lavender Short Bread

    Makes 16 pieces

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup or 2 sticks Earth Balance or other vegan butter, softened
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 Tbsp dried lavender flowers
    • 1 tsp vanilla bean powder
    • 2 Tbsp crushed freeze dried strawberries
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

     

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sea salt, sugar, and lavender until the butter and sugar are well incorporated.
    3. Mix in the lavender, strawberries, vanilla and baking powder until well incorporated.
    4. Mix in the flour until the flour is incorporated.
    5. Place the dough in a 9 inch round removable bottom tart pan and press into the pan until it is spread out completely to the edges in an even layer.
    6. Score the dough into 16 wedges using a knife, then poke the pieces with a fork a few times.
    7. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until set.
    8. Remove from the oven, let sit for 10 minutes then re-cut where you scored it with a sharp knife.
    9. Let cool completely in the pan.
    10. Enjoy!

    Shortbread keeps for 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container or 4 months frozen in an airtight container.

     

  • Vegan Rhubarb Cookies

    Vegan Rhubarb Cookies

    Tis the season for all things rhubarb, so I have been making a lot of desserts with it lately!  I picked a ton of it in my Dad’s backyard because why not enjoy it while I can?!  The season is only in the spring here after all, and soon we will be on to summer treats.  So I pick it while I can and also freeze it for later!  I made rhubarb cake already this year and rhubarb crisp, so I decided this time I would try something different and make cookies!  I had never heard of rhubarb in cookies but I figured why not?!  So I made these Vegan Rhubarb Cookies and they were so delicious I had to share the recipe with you all!

    For these cookies used my chocolate chip cookie recipe base that I already know is delicious so they were more likely to be successful.  I added a touch of cinnamon and cardamom along with the vanilla for flavoring and it gave them that something extra!  These cookies actually use coconut oil as the fat in them which I like because I always have some on hand.  For the flour I used whole wheat pastry, but if you prefer all purpose flour you can use that instead. Or for a gluten free version you can use a gluten free all purpose flour such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour (which I have actually used and it works well).

    After the dough was made, I just stirred in the rhubarb, and sprinkled them with a little turbinado sugar to make them pretty and they were good to go for baking.  They smelled amazing while baking as well!  Honestly baking delicious things is the best scent to fill your home with, it always makes me happy!  I could not wait to try the finished cookies, but of course they had to cool a little first!

    When I did get to try them, I was happy with how they turned out!  They were super delicious!  Rich and soft with a hint of vanilla and the warming spices, and the tart sweet jammy rhubarb it was the perfect combo of flavors and textures!  If you are a rhubarb fan, definitely give these Vegan Rhubarb Cookies a try this season!

    Vegan Rhubarb Cookies

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup applesauce at room temperature
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp cardamom
    • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour (for a lighter colored cookie)
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
    • Turbinado sugar for topping

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two sheet pans with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, sugar, apple sauce and extracts until well blended.
    3. Mix in the salt, baking soda and baking powder, cinnamon and cardamom then the flour until smooth.
    4. Stir in the rhubarb until it is evenly distributed.
    5. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on the cookie trays about 2 inches apart.
    6. Press the dough balls down slightly and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
    7. Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes, then rotate them and bake another 7 or so until the cookies are done and lightly brown at the edges.
    8. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
  • Vegan Blueberry Muffin Cookies

    Vegan Blueberry Muffin Cookies

    Blueberry muffins remind me of lazy weekend mornings growing up. I remember making them with my Dad often and enjoying them with brunch. Even though they came from a boxed mix I still enjoyed them and looked forward to them. I especially loved scraping the last bit of batter from the bowl to enjoy. I now make my own blueberry muffins and that is still my favorite flavor. So the other day I was thinking, how delicious would it be to make blueberry muffin cookies and enjoy the best of both worlds?! So I made Vegan Blueberry Muffin Cookies!

    I used my chocolate chip cookie dough as a base and it was perfect! The only changes I made to it were only using granulated sugar instead of half granulated half brown, and adding a little cinnamon and nutmeg. This cookie dough uses all things that I normally have on hand. instead of vegan butter I use coconut oil in these and they contain apple sauce to replace the eggs in classic cookies, which gives them a nice chewy texture. I used whole wheat pastry flour but if you prefer all purpose or even a gluten free flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free baking flour which I have used with success) you could use those instead.

    I stirred in plenty of fresh blueberries. The reason I did not use frozen was because I was afraid they would be too watery and add too much moisture to the cookies. If you wanted to use frozen though I think you could thaw them well and really squeeze them out. I sprinkled the cookies with some turbinado sugar before baking like I would with muffins.

    These cookies smelled so heavenly while baking and I could not wait to try them!  They were soft and chewy, scented with vanilla and a hint of cinnamon, packed with jammy blueberries!  Sooo delicious!  My husband loved them as well, and kept sneaking them when I wasn’t looking.  If you are a blueberry muffin fan, definitely give these Vegan Blueberry Muffin Cookies a try!

    Vegan Blueberry Muffin Cookies

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup applesauce at room temperature
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
    • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour (for a lighter colored cookie)
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
    • Turbinado sugar for topping

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two sheet pans with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, sugar, apple sauce and extracts until well blended.
    3. Mix in the salt, baking soda and baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg then the flour until smooth.
    4. Stir in the blueberries until they are evenly distributed.
    5. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on the cookie trays about 2 inches apart.
    6. Press the dough balls down slightly and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
    7. Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes, then rotate them and bake another 7 or so until the cookies are done and lightly brown at the edges.
    8. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
  • Dark Chocolate Lavender Shortbread

    Dark Chocolate Lavender Shortbread

    I love all things lavender.  I enjoy the aroma of lavender in my home, lavender vanilla lattes are one of my favorite things ever, and I love lavender in baked goods!  So last weekend I decided to make some Vegan Dark Chocolate Lavender Shortbread!  I have made chocolate shortbread before and vanilla lavender short bread, but never combined the two and let me tell you the end result was so delicious!  Which is why I am sharing it with you all!

    This is so simple to make and so good!  I used vegan butter for the fat because I feel like it behaves slightly better in short bread than coconut oil (which I have also tried).  It gives it the perfect rich melt in your mouth texture.  I used Earth Balance this time but if you have another brand you prefer go for it with that one.  I used granulated sugar but maple sugar would also work here if you prefer that.  I mixed in dried lavender flowers when creaming the butter and sugar with vanilla to give these their heavenly lavender flavor.  I got my dried lavender flowers off of Amazon in bulk.

    I mixed in a good amount of cacao powder along with the flour and it made these chocolaty, decadent and delicious!  I used whole wheat pastry flour but if you prefer all purpose flour instead, that would work as well.  Or if you wanted to make them gluten free, use a gluten free flour such as Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free baking flour.  I have used that brand before and it works well.  I baked these in a removable bottom 9 inch round tart pan and cut them into wedges but if you didn’t have that type of pan you could use a 9×9 inch square lined with parchment that drapes over the ends (for easy removal), and score them into squares instead of triangles.

    Once they were baked I drizzled them with dark chocolate and sprinkled them with a touch more lavender and I could not wait to try them!  They turned out so heavenly!  They were melt in your mouth rich packed with dark chocolate flavor and a hint of lavender and vanilla the dark chocolate on top just the icing on the cake!  My husband loved them as well and kept asking for more!  If you are a lover of all things dark chocolate and decadent definitely give this Vegan Dark Chocolate Lavender Short Bread a try!

    Dark Chocolate Lavender Short Bread

    Makes 16 pieces

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup or 2 sticks Earth Balance or other vegan butter, softened
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 Tbsp dried lavender flowers
    • 1/3 cup unsweetened cacao powder
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chunks or chips
    • dried lavender flowers
    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sea salt, sugar, and lavender until the butter and sugar are well incorporated.
    3. Mix in the cacao powder, vanilla and baking powder until well incorporated.
    4. Mix in the flour until the dough is uniform in color.
    5. Place the dough in a 9 inch round removable bottom tart pan and press into the pan until it is spread out completely to the edges in an even layer.
    6. Score the dough into 16 wedges using a knife, then poke the pieces with a fork a few times.
    7. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until set.
    8. Remove from the oven, let sit for 10 minutes then re-cut where you scored it with a sharp knife.
    9. Let cool completely in the pan.
    10. When the shortbread is cool remove from pan. Arrange on a cooling rack.
    11. Melt the dark chocolate in the top of a double boiler, and drizzle over the shortbread.  Sprinkle with lavender flowers and allow the chocolate to set (you can place it in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes to set it).
    12. Enjoy!

    Shortbread keeps for 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container or 4 months frozen in an airtight container.

     

  • Vegan Strawberry Lemon Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

    Vegan Strawberry Lemon Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

    I am so ready for spring!  The weather is finally getting warmer, and I think the snow is behind us finally.  Just waiting for the grass to be greener and everything to start blooming but I am just happy to be enjoying time outside with it above 50 degrees.  I am also all about the spring recipes lately!  To me, strawberries, pistachios and lemon all are good things to enjoy in the spring so I decided to make oatmeal cookies with this flavor combo!  These Vegan Strawberry Lemon Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies turned out sooo good!

    I love oatmeal cookies because of their chewy texture and the fact that they have substance.  I am a big oat lover in general and have eaten oatmeal in some form for breakfast every day for about the past 20 years.  These cookies have plenty of oats to give them the perfect texture!  In fact this base oatmeal cookie recipe was one that I made and tested many times to adapt it for a natural foods store I used to work at.  It is just right!  It has the perfect balance of oats and flour.  I use coconut oil for the fat because it behaves similarly to butter and it works out very well.  For the egg substitute I use flax eggs (ground flax seeds mixed with water) because they are easy to whip up. I used granulated sugar this time because I thought it would go better with the add ins I was using but you can also use brown sugar which I have used many times for a more caramelly flavor profile.

    I added in vanilla extract as well as plenty of lemon juice and zest to flavor these.  For the strawberries I used freeze dried because I love the flavor they add to recipes.  Lastly the lovely pistachios which add a nice salty crunch.  The dough was so delicious!  I could not stop sampling it!  Cookie dough is my favorite part of baking cookies.  Maybe slightly more than the freshly baked ones!

    They baked up beautifully and I could not wait to try them!  They were super delicious when I did!  Soft and chewy with a hint of lemon, vanilla and sweet strawberries plus the salty pistachios!  I shared some with my Mom since oatmeal cookies are her favorite as well and she loved them too!  If you are an oatmeal cookie person and are looking for some spring deliciousness, definitely give these Vegan Strawberry Lemon Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies a try!

    Vegan Strawberry Lemon Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

    Makes 16 large cookies Ingredients:

    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp water
    • 3/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, or maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 Tbsp lemon zest
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp lemon extract
    • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or oat flour
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
    • 3/4 cup chopped pistachios
    • 1 cup freeze dried strawberries

     

    Instructions:

    1. Mix together the flax seed and water in a small bowl.
    2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, and sugar until well blended. Add flax mixture, vanilla, lemon zest and juice and mix until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    3. Mix in the flour, soda, and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add pistachios and strawberries and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    4. Lower the oven to 350F degrees with the rack set at the middle position.
    5. Roll the dough into 16 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    6. Enjoy!
  • Vegan Peanut Butter Truffle Blossom Cookies

    Vegan Peanut Butter Truffle Blossom Cookies

    Every Christmas my Grandma would make tons of cookies and treats of different varieties then gift people tins or plates of them.  She would always make spritz cookies, rosettes, krumkake, divinity, and peanut blossoms.  The peanut blossoms were my favorite.  They were also my Dad’s favorite, I think he could have just eaten a whole plate of just those, but I still loved the variety and how pretty the cookies all looked together.  I don’t make most of them anymore, mostly because I don’t have a spritz maker, or a krumkake iron, or a rosette iron.  But I still make the easiest of them all and my favorite, the peanut blossoms.

     

    I have veganized them, and make them a little bit more suited to my grown up tastes however. For the base, I have traded in the Skippy and Jif we used to make them with for my home made peanut butter that just contains peanuts and a little bit of sea salt.  I always have it on hand because I am obsessed with peanut butter, and I love making my own.  Honestly I go through a jar a week.  If you would like to make your own too, just blend up 3-4 cups dry roasted peanuts in a high speed blender, pressing the nuts down into the blade with the tamper until they become butter (or alternatively you can use a food processor, it just won’t get as smooth, will take longer and you will have to stop it a few times to scrape it down).

    I used maple sugar for the sweetener in the cookies, but you could also use coconut sugar or (or a mixture of half granulated half brown sugar if you prefer that).  I just like that the maple sugar gives the cookies a slight maple flavor!  For the flour I used organic whole wheat pastry because that is what I had on hand and prefer, but if you wanted to make these gluten free, you could swap it for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose baking flour 1:1.  I have used it before and know it works well.

    Lastly, once the cookies were all baked and delicious, instead of pressing in a Hershey’s Kiss like the traditional ones (since they are not vegan and I prefer more real chocolate), I pressed a hole into the center and made my own peanut butter chocolate truffle filling!  Trust me it is sooo much more delicious!  They are amazing! If you are a fan of peanut blossoms (or just chocolate and PB in general), definitely give these Vegan Truffle Blossom Cookies a try!

    Vegan Peanut Butter Truffle Blossom Cookies

    Ingredients:

    Cookies:

    • 1 cup brown sugar, maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
    • 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water (allowed to sit 15 minutes before using)
    • 1 1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 3/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder

     

    Filling:

    • 3/4 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate
    • 1/4 cup cup plus 2 Tbsp smooth peanut butter (you want PB that is not too thick, just smooth and spreadable, the kind with just peanuts and salt).

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a sheet 2 pans with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, coconut oil, and flax seed mixture until smooth.
    3. Add the flour, soda and powder and mix until well combined and uniform in color. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, and place on the prepared cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
    4. Place the cookies in the oven and bake for about 13 minutes or until lightly brown and set.
    5. Remove from the oven and press the round handle end of a whisk or wooden spoon (or something similar in size) lightly into the center of each of the cookies right away to make an indentation in each one (where you will put the truffle filling).  Let the cookies cool completely.
    6. To make the truffle filling, in the top of a double boiler melt the chocolate until smooth then add the peanut butter and whisk until well combined.  Place in a pastry bag (or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off), and pipe into the center of each cookie.
    7. Place in the freezer until set, about 20 minutes.
    8. Enjoy!

    Cookies keep for about 1 week in an airtight container on the counter or 3 weeks refrigerated, or 4 months in the freezer.

    *If you would prefer to make these gluten free, swap the organic whole wheat pastry flour 1:1 with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (I have tried this brand and know it works well).

  • Vegan Black Tahini Cookies

    Vegan Black Tahini Cookies

    I love tahini. I love it in hummus, or for just drizzling on my salads, or eating with a spoon. What I really love it in though, is desserts! It may sound odd using it in a dessert, but halva is a dessert and it is delicious! It has a flavor similar to peanut butter when baked into things, so I love it in things like cookies. I had a jar of black tahini I bought on hand and I was excited to use it in something delicious! It is beautiful, a rich black color and has that classic tahini flavor. Their tahini is silky smooth too, unlike some that are kind of gritty. The first thing that came to mind to make with the black tahini was some Vegan Black Tahini Cookies. I have made regular tahini cookies before, and they were amazing and I thought the black tahini would be lovely in them!

    They are really easy to make too, you just mix together all of the ingredients, shape, then bake! No fussy chilling the dough and all that jazz. As much as I like to eat cookies that take a lot of time to make, I don’t always feel like going through all that work to make them. These are just the opposite the dough is not fussy at all! The dough was also delicious. I should know, I snacked on enough of it. I have to say one of my favorite things about the cookie making process is eating the dough.

    The dough almost looked like it had black cocoa in it. It was a lovely shiny black, and it shaped beautifully. I wasn’t sure how the cookies would bake up, or if they would spread at all since it was a pretty humid warm day, but they baked up perfect! They puffed up just the right amount, and kept their shape nicely even when cooling. They smelled amazing as well. I have to admit I didn’t wait until they cooled before trying the first one. I mean cookies cooling on a rack are hard to resist!

    They were super delicious! Sweet, nutty, and soft but rich texture. Almost like peanut butter cookies but no nuts involved! I like to switch it up sometimes, because I eat so much peanut butter normally and tahini is delicious too, plus it is rich in nutrients. These cookies are prefect for those with a nut allergy as well! If you are looking to try something new and easy to make, give these a try! Also, if you like tahini, definitely try some black tahini! It is so pretty! If you are in the mood for some delicious cookies, definitely give these Vegan Black Tahini Cookies a try!

    Vegan Black Tahini Cookies
    Makes 12 cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 cup brown sugar (or maple sugar or coconut sugar)
    • 1 cup black sesame tahini
    • ¼ cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (AP flour will also work here)
    • ¾ baking soda
    • ½ tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seeds and water. Set aside for 15 minutes.
    2. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.
    3. In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon, mix together the sugar, tahini,
      coconut oil, vanilla and the flax seed mixture until smooth.
    4. Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt and stir until completely combined.
    5. Shape the cookie dough into 12 balls, and spread out evenly on the pan. Flatten them slightly
      with a fork, as you would for peanut butter cookies.
    6. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until they are starting to brown slightly and are
      just set.
    7. When they are done baking, remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a rack.
    8. Enjoy!
  • Date Pecan Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

    Date Pecan Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

    Oats are something that I love so much I have eaten them nearly every day for the past 20 years of my life.  I have a bowl of oatmeal in the morning, I never get sick of it and it is one of my favorite things.  It has shifted from cooked to overnight oats, but I love them both.  I also love oatmeal cookies!  Why not have all of the fiber of oats in a delicious cookie!  I hadn’t made any for a while, so I thought I would make some last week!  I used to make oatmeal cookies all the time before I switched jobs last year (I don’t bake at my current job) and I was just thinking about how good the cookies were.  The oatmeal chocolate chunk were one of our top selling cookies in the store that I worked at.  And for good reason, they were amazing!  I wanted to make some this time with the chocolate chunks of course, but I ended up making Vegan Date Pecan Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies!  Because I love add ins in these type of cookies.

    These are pretty simple to make, and you can be enjoying warm cookies in less than 45 minutes!  I used coconut oil in these as the fat, it gives them a nice sweet flavor, and I used flax eggs in place of real eggs because that is what I always have used in my oatmeal cookies.  Coconut sugar was my sugar of choice this time because it is what I had on hand but I have made my cookies with maple sugar and brown sugar before and they come out about the same. All of these sugars give them a somewhat caramelly flavor.

    For the flour I used whole wheat pastry, but you could use oat flour if you prefer that.  I have used that in my oatmeal cookies before with good results.  These are scented with vanilla because I add vanilla to almost all of my desserts. It is one of my favorite things after all!  I used soft, pitted medjool dates that I chopped up in these because I wanted there to be pockets of gooey caramelly dates throughout!  I feel like this is a way to add some natural caramel bits without adding actual caramel.  The toasted pecans and the essential item, the vegan chocolate chunks were so good paired with the dates! I say essential because oatmeal cookies with chocolate chunks or chips are the BEST!

    These smelled so heavenly while baking, I could not wait to try one!  They were so delicious, with their chewy centers on the inside crisp at the edges with the texture of dates throughout and the sweet caramelly dates, decadent chocolate chips and crispy crunchy pecans!  I think you could use these as an excuse to eat cookies for breakfast!  If you are an oatmeal cookie lover like me, definitely give these Vegan Date Pecan Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies a try!

    Date Pecan Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

    Makes 16 large cookies Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups maple sugar or coconut sugar or brown sugar
    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp water
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or oat flour
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
    • 3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
    • 3/4 cup chopped pitted dates
    • 3/4 cup chocolate chunks

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and mix until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    2. Mix in the flour, soda, and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add dates, chocolate chunks and pecans and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    3. Lower the oven to 350F degrees with the rack set at the middle position.
    4. Roll the dough into 16 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    5. Enjoy!

     

  • Vegan Cookie Monster Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Vegan Cookie Monster Chocolate Chip Cookies

    I had bought a purple yam and cooked it, not knowing what I was going to make with it.  It was pretty delicious, and it was tempting just to eat it, but it was so beautiful I thought it needed to be used in something.  I have seen people use them in recipes before to tint things a lovely purple hue, so I thought why not?!  I decided on cookies, not knowing that they would change color as they baked, and what I ended up with was these Vegan Cookie Monster Cookies!  That is what I am calling them, because Cookie Monster loves chocolate chip cookies and he is blue just like these cookies!  Seems very appropriate to me!  I used to love Sesame Street when I was a kid!

    The thought to use the purple yam in these cookies came from the fact that I make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and I thought I could just substitute the sweet potato and make them purple. Purple is my second favorite color after all!  So I just swapped the pumpkin for purple sweet potato.  A note on that though, I needed to add a little water to the sweet potato to make it the consistency of the pumpkin so you will need to do this if you make the recipe.  It needed about 3 Tbsp. If you are mixing the dough and it seems too dry, then you did not add enough water.  Just add a touch more if that happens.

    When I pulled these guys from the oven I expected to see purple but what I got instead was a lovely blue!  I looked up why this might have happened and it has to do with the sweet potatoes reacting with the baking soda.  Similar to how when I have used beets in recipes in the past expecting a lovely red or pink and I got brown.  But at least these turned a pretty color!  I thought it was pretty cool!

    They smelled amazing while baking, the aroma of chocolate chip cookies filling my home.  My husband was excited to try some since he was enjoying their aroma when he arrived home from work!  They just taste like classic chocolate chip cookies, but of course they are a little more special thanks to the color!  They are the perfect consistency, chewy (how I like them) and perfect served warm with the chocolate chips still gooey!  If your favorite color is blue, if you love Cookie Monster, or maybe you just want to make something fun, give these Vegan Cookie Monster Chocolate Chip Cookies a try!

     

    Vegan Cookie Monster Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup purple sweet potato puree* (see note)
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour (for a lighter colored cookie)
    • 1 cup vegan chocolate chunks

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two sheet pans with foil.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, sugar, yam puree and vanilla extract until well blended.
    3. Mix in the salt, baking soda and baking powder then the flour until smooth.
    4. Mix in the chocolate chips.
    5. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on the cookie trays about 2 inches apart.
    6. Press the dough balls down slightly.
    7. Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes, then rotate them and bake another 7 or so until the cookies are done and lightly brown at the edges.
    8. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before enjoying.

    *You want your sweet potato puree to be the  consistency of canned pumpkin or applesauce, and you may need to add a few Tablespoons of water to achieve this, if you sweet potato is on the drier side.  I added about 3 Tbsp water to mine.

  • Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

    Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

    It has been darn near perfect outside here for the past few days, so I have been spending a lot of time out there enjoying the beautiful leaves, sunshine and cooler temps, but when I get back home I am definitely craving some fall treats! So, I decided to bake some cookies last weekend!  Snickerdoodle cookies are delicious, and so is pumpkin spice, so I thought I would combine the two for a delicious seasonal treat and make Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Cookies!  I thought they would be perfect for enjoying with my coffee for a mid morning treat.  On the weekends, I look forward to relaxing and enjoying a cup with something sweet.  It is always nice to not be in a rush and just enjoy your day in the moment. Or of course after a hike is a good time for cookies too which is what inspired them in the first place!

    These are actually pretty easy to make, and not fussy.  I used a snickerdoodle cookie base that I have made in the past, and swapped out the apple sauce (the other ones had apple sauce to make the texture just right) for pumpkin and they turned out perfect!  I already had a can of pumpkin open, I feel like I always do this time of year because a recipe rarely calls for the whole can, so it was the perfect way to use some up!

    These contain coconut oil to make them rich and melt in your mouth and I like to use either maple sugar or brown sugar in them for the caramel like flavor those two sugars give baked goods.  I added a little vanilla like in classic snickerdoodles, but then I also added pumpkin pie spices to give them that fall vibe and the dough was perfect!  I sampled it and it was even delicious before it was baked.  Cookie dough is one of my favorite things ever and one of the reasons I love making cookies!

    I rolled them in cinnamon sugar, and could not wait to try the finished product!  They smelled amazing while baking, I love the aroma of warming fall spices!  These were so good warm from the oven!  They  are soft and pillowy with a nice crunchy sugar crust on the outside and they are scented with pumpkin and vanilla!  If you are in the mood for all things pumpkin like me, definitely give these Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies a try!

    Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar or maple sugar
    • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
    • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour (for a lighter colored cookie)
    • 3/4 cup granulated sugar mixed with 2 tsp cinnamon for coating

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two sheet pans with foil.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, sugar, pumpkin and vanilla extract until well blended.
    3. Mix in the salt, baking soda and baking powder, pumpkin pie spices then the flour until smooth.
    4. Place the cinnamon and sugar mixture in a bowl.
    5. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture, and place on the cookie trays about 2 inches apart.
    6. Press the dough balls down slightly and sprinkle with additional cinnamon sugar.
    7. Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes, then rotate them and bake another 7 or so until the cookies are done and lightly brown at the edges.
    8. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before enjoying.

     

  • Vegan Banana Snickerdoodle Cookies

    Vegan Banana Snickerdoodle Cookies

    I make vegan snickerdoodles at work, and they are one of my best selling cookies.  I have to say, they would be one of my top choices as well, they are pretty darn delicious with their chewy texture, sweet sugar cookie flavor and aromatic cinnamon sugar coating.  Snickerdoodles weren’t something that we made in my family growing up, we usually just made plain sugar cookies (which I also love), so when I first enjoyed a snickerdoodle in high school at a coffee shop I thought it was just heavenly and something that I should try making at home.  So, my friend and I made home made ones when we were having a girls night and they were amazing!  I have since come up with a vegan recipe which is what I make at work, and sometimes at home. Last weekend I decided to make some, but I realized I didn’t have any apple sauce (which is the secret ingredient to give them amazing texture), so I decided to substitute mashed banana instead and make Vegan Banana Snickerdoodle Cookies!

    Why not?! After all I love banana and it goes so well with cinnamon.  I improvise a lot when it comes to baking, because I don’t want to make extra trips to the store and I like to use what I have.  In this way, a lot of times bananas, apple sauce, mashed sweet potato and pumpkin are pretty interchangeable in a recipe like this so you can go with what you have on hand!  The flavor will be a little different of course, but this time the idea of a banana bread flavored snickerdoodle sounded amazing!

    I did swap the granulated sugar in the recipe for brown because I thought it suited the banana better, and I used whole wheat pastry instead of all purpose because that is what I prefer to use at home most of the time.  I honestly don’t notice the difference besides color in a cookie recipe between the two anyhow and I try to make my recipes a little healthier at home. Also this is quite a bit scaled down recipe compared to one I would make at work, since I prefer to make smaller batches at home.  This way I don’t end up with waaayyy too many cookies that I have to gift to people since my husband and I can’t eat more than a normal sized batch and the freezer gets full fast lol.  In case you are wondering, that is where the leftovers from the things I make go so we can enjoy them over time. They stay as fresh as the day I made them that way!

    These cookies baked up beautifully!  My kitchen smelled heavenly like the aroma of banana bread and cinnamon!  I could not wait to try one!  Luckily they only had to cool down for a little bit until they were cool enough to sample.  They were soft sweet and delicious, flavored like banana bread with the texture of a snickerdoodle! If you have some ripe bananas on hand definitely give these Vegan Banana Snickerdoodle Cookies a try!

    Vegan Banana Snickerdoodle Cookies

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar or maple sugar
    • 1/2 cup well mashed banana at room temperature
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour (for a lighter colored cookie)
    • 3/4 cup granulated sugar mixed with 2 tsp cinnamon for coating

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two sheet pans with foil.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, sugar, banana and vanilla extract until well blended.
    3. Mix in the salt, baking soda and baking powder, then the flour until smooth.
    4. Place the cinnamon and sugar mixture in a bowl.
    5. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture, and place on the cookie trays about 2 inches apart.
    6. Press the dough balls down slightly and sprinkle with additional cinnamon sugar.
    7. Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes, then rotate them and bake another 7 or so until the cookies are done and lightly brown at the edges.
    8. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before enjoying.

     

  • Vegan Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies

    Vegan Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies

     

    We are a little ways into spring, but it really doesn’t feel very spring like in Minnesota yet, as it has been gray and snowing/raining for what seems like weeks now.  But that makes it the perfect time to spend time in my kitchen and bake things of the spring variety.  Like carrot cake themed desserts!  I made some carrot cake scones, carrot cupcakes and now cookies!  My Mom’s Birthday was earlier this week, and I know she loves oatmeal cookies and carrot cake, so I decided to combine the two!  After all, they both taste delicious with the spices and have a somewhat healthy element so they are a match made in heaven!  My Mom always said they were the healthiest cookie when I was little.  Even though I am not a cookie person (I tend to prefer cake), if I had to pick a favorite cookie it would be something of the oatmeal variety.  I like the chewy texture and I am a big oats fan.  These Vegan Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies turned out pretty darn delicious!

    I used my vegan oatmeal cookie base that I make at work for my vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, that we well a lot of there, but swapped a few ingredients to make them a bit healthier.  Such as at work I use regular AP flour and brown sugar but at home I prefer to use whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour, and maple sugar instead of the brown.  Of course if you wanted them to be more traditional, you could just go back to the regular AP flour and brown sugar and they are delicious as well.  Also, if you wanted to make these gluten free, just use either gluten free oat flour or Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour and gluten free oats.  They will be just as delicious! I just used what I had on hand.

    I also added in carrot cake spices, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg to give these the flavor of the classic cake.  I kept the vanilla and swapped the dark chocolate chips for pecans and cranberries.  If you wanted to use walnuts and raisins if you have those on hand instead of the fruits and nuts I chose, those would be good too, or pistachios. You can feel free to make these your own with your favorite carrot cake ingredients! 

    They baked up nicely and filled my kitchen with a heavenly aroma!  Just like a carrot cake, only so much faster and easier to make. They were super delicious, chewy, sweet and they tasted just like carrot cake in cookie form.  My Mom loved them too, which was important because I made them with her in mind. If you are a carrot cake fan or are craving carrot cake, definitely give these Vegan Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies a try!

    Vegan Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies

    Makes 16 large cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup coconut oil
    • 1 1/2 cups maple sugar or brown sugar
    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp water
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/2 tsp ginger
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1 1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 3 cups organic rolled oats
    • 1 cup grated organic carrots
    • 1 cup dried cranberries
    • 1 cup chopped pecans

     

      Instructions:

    1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, and sugar until well blended. Mix the flax seeds with the water, then add them to the oil and sugar mixture. Then the spices and vanilla, and mix until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    2. Mix in the salt, soda,baking powder, and flour until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add carrots, cranberries and pecans and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
    4. Roll the dough into 16 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    5. Enjoy!
  • Vegan Hot Cocoa Cookies

    Vegan Hot Cocoa Cookies

    A snow day is the perfect time to do some baking! And, we definitely just got a lot of snow dumped on us here in Minnesota.  It was about time though, nobody wants a brown Christmas! I made some Holiday cookies at work last week, they were double chocolate mint, and we all loved them so much that one of my coworkers suggested I make hot cocoa cookies too.  I can’t make any more varieties of cookies right now at work though, since I already have enough things to make and not enough time, so I decided to give making some a go at home instead.  Why not?  They did sound really good after all.

    For the cookies, I actually used the same cookie base as the one I use at work, just with slightly more whole ingredients, like whole wheat pastry flour instead of regular AP, and maple sugar instead of granulated.  But they come out the same either way if you do need to use the more standard ingredients.  Another note about the flour used, if you wanted to make this gluten free, you could use a gluten free baking flour blend as well.  I like the Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour, I have used it and swapped 1:1 with success.  This cookie base is delicious!  It tastes kind of like brownie batter, only with a cookie dough consistency (which is my favorite).  I added in a touch of vanilla and mint and it tastes like cocoa!

    It needed a few add ins though, even though the dough was delicious by itself I added mini marshmallows and chocolate chunks!  Dandies has some vegan mini marshmallows that are seriously the most delicious marshmallows I have tasted, even better than the ones that were not vegan that I ate as a kid.  These ones have a vanilla flavor and just the right amount of sweetness!  I used to always have marshmallows in my hot chocolate as a kid, so I had to add them to these cookies.  I added in the chocolate chunks because I wanted there to be gooey chocolate in them while I enjoyed them warm (the best way after eating the dough as far as I am concerned).

    They baked up beautifully and smelled amazing! I could not wait to try one!  They were soft and chewy, with a flavor just like peppermint hot cocoa, and the soft marshmallows, and gooey chocolate made them heavenly!  Eric loved them as well, and I brought some to work to share and they got good reviews, so I am not the only one that thought they were yummy.  These would be amazing with a hot cup of coffee or of course hot chocolate if you have a big sweet tooth!

    Vegan Hot Cocoa Cookies

    Makes 2 dozen large cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/2 cups coconut oil, warmed to melted
    • 3 cups maple sugar or granulated sugar
    • 1 cup applesauce
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp peppermint extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 2 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
    • 4 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1 cup chocolate chunks
    • 1 cup vegan marshmallows

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line 3 large sheet pans with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut oil, sugar, applesauce, vanilla and peppermint and mix until completely incorporated (the oil too, it should be completely mixed in).
    3. Mix in the sea salt, soda, and baking powder.
    4. Mix in the cocoa powder, then flour 1 cup at a time until completely mixed in.
    5. Mix in the marshmallows and chocolate chunks.
    6. Scoop the cookies out and roll them into 2 inch balls.  Place them on baking sheets, a couple inches apart, and press down slightly.
    7. Place in the oven and bake the trays of cookies for about 12-15 minutes (turning the pans half way through), until lightly browned and cooked through (but not overbaked).  Remove trays from the oven , and let cool 15 minutes before enjoying.

     

     

  • Vegan Cookies and Cream Doughnuts

    Vegan Cookies and Cream Doughnuts

    I don’t normally buy store bought cookies, but since I was gifted a more “natural” version of some Oreo type cookies, and they tasted good, I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to make something cookies and cream with them!  It was funny, because I had the unopened package sitting in the cupboard and was planning on making something with them, but then I discovered Eric had eaten half of them, so I knew there probably wouldn’t be enough for a recipe with a crust and the cookies mixed in, so I was thinking cupcakes or doughnuts.  I have been wanting doughnuts a little more so that is what I went with.

    I was debating whether or not to make the cake base chocolate or vanilla (or maybe swirl the two together), but I ultimately decided that a vanilla batter would be best because it would showcase the cookie crumbles in the batter.  I made a batter similar to my usual vanilla cake batter, and whisked in crumbled cookies for a cookies and cream flavor.  The batter was super delicious!  Yes, I had to sample it (a few times wink wink).

    They baked up nicely in my doughnut pan, and took less time than most other cupcakes or cake I make so that was a plus.  I didn’t know if I would get much use out of my doughnut pan when I bought it, but it has been nice to be able to make vegan cake doughnuts whenever I want at home so it was worth it!  I have a silicone pan so it makes it a lot easier to get them out than a metal one. They smelled so good while baking!

    I couldn’t wait to try them, but first they needed a glaze.  So I whipped up a white chocolate vanilla glaze, and sprinkled it with more crushed up cookies.  They were sooo good!  I enjoyed one with my coffee and it was the perfect pairing!  If you have chocolate sandwich cookies on hand, definitely give these a try!

    Vegan Cookies and Cream Doughnuts
    Makes 6 Doughnuts

    Ingredients:

    one 6 hole doughnut pan

    Cake:

    • 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 3/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 cup maple sugar
    • 1 cups full fat coconut milk (the thick kind, I prefer Thai Kitchen brand) at room temperature
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
    • 1/2 cup crushed vegan chocolate sandwich cookies

     

    White Chocolate Icing:

    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp melted coconut butter
    • 2 Tbsp melted cacao butter
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 3-4 Tbsp filtered water or as needed

     

    For Garnish:

    • crushed vegan chocolate sandwich cookies

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and position rack in center of oven.
    2. Oil a doughnut pan.
    3. Whisk flour, baking soda, sea salt, and sugar in a large bowl to blend well.
    4. Whisk coconut milk and vanilla extract together in small bowl to blend well, then whisk into the flour mixture until well blended.
    5. Whisk the cider vinegar into the batter.
    6. Transfer the batter to prepared pan.
    7. Place in the oven, and bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached, about 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool completely.
    8. To make the glaze, whisk together all ingredients except the water.  Then whisk in the water until smooth and uniform.  If it is a little too thick add just a few tsp more water until it is a pour-able consistency.
    9. Spoon the glaze over the doughnuts, and sprinkle with cookie crumbles.
    10. Allow glaze to set, then enjoy!

    Doughnuts keep stored in the refrigerator, covered for up to 1 week.

    Notes:

    *If you would rather use coconut sugar or even just granulated sugar for this, either will work in place of the maple sugar.

    *This cake can be made gluten free by swapping out the whole wheat pastry flour for Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour (this is a brand I have used before and have tested it in cakes with great results).

  • Key Lime Sugar Cookies

    Key Lime Sugar Cookies

    I had some limes leftover from making a key lime pie recently so I was trying to come up with something delicious to make with them. Of course limeade is always good, but I wanted something a little more fun, creative and dessert themed.  I finally decided to make cookies with them.  I wanted something simple, so I decided on sugar cookies.  The deli I work in sells some lemon sugar cookies that look amazing (that I can’t have because they aren’t vegan), so I thought why not make some lime ones that I can enjoy!  Also, as a side note I should remedy that not having a vegan version of thee cookies when I am less busy since I do bake some vegan cookies at work and I thought these might be a good test of that since lemon and lime are similar.

    Back to these cookies though, for the base of these I used a snickerdoodle cookie I make modified without the cinnamon and with lime swapped in and it worked out perfect!  Traditionally sugar cookies just have a lot of oil, but I have a secret ingredient to cut the oil and give these a soft and chewy texture that I add…apple sauce!  Every time I tell someone about this when they taste my cookies they are usually shocked because you would never guess its in there it just gives them a nice texture!

    These cookies are actually really easy to make, which I love.  No refrigerating or fancy cutting required.  Just a bit of rolling into balls which I consider fun because it reminds me of play dough!  The dough was also super delicious because I did eat some since it is my favorite part of the baking process.  Plus I had to make sure they tasted good before baking wink wink.

    They smelled heavenly as they baked, like a key lime pie, but sweeter!  I could not wait to try some but they had to cool first.  Luckily that didn’t take long.  If they were chocolate chip cookies I would have dove right in but I feel like the lime flavor tastes better once cooled. They were so heavenly when it was time to try them!  They had a buttery rich texture with a soft middle and crisp outside and a fragrant lime vanilla flavor.  These will be perfect for spring and summer and I have a feeling they would pair really well with a margarita!

    Key Lime Sugar Cookies

    Makes about  1 dozen

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1/2 cup apple sauce
    • 2 Tbsp lime juice
    • 2 Tbsp lime zest
    • 1 1/2 cups maple sugar or granulated sugar
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut oil, apple sauce, lime juice and zest, sugar, vanilla and sea salt and stir until smooth.
    3. Stir in the baking powder and soda, then the flour until it is completely combined.
    4. Shape the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, place them on a baking tray, sprinkle with a little more sugar and flatten them slightly.
    5. Place the tray in the oven and bake about 13 minutes until starting to brown at the edges. Remove from oven and let cool before enjoying.

     

    Cookies keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container at room temperature, 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 4 months frozen.

  • Vegan Strawberries and Cream Sandwich Cookies 

    Vegan Strawberries and Cream Sandwich Cookies 

    I am all about the strawberries lately!  I got some organic ones for a good price at the store so I have been enjoying those, and Eric’s Dad sent us some amazing strawberry jam that he makes, so I have been making things with that!  Like these strawberries and cream sandwich cookies!  There was a limited edition Girl Scout Cookie when I was little that had a strawberry filling and a cream filling that I really liked the year wee bought it and I was thinking I should make something similar!  I don’t know why they didn’t make it for very long it was so good!  Luckily I can make my own veganized version with better ingredients.

    I started with a vanilla sugar cookie base.  This is the base I use for a blank palate for many of my other sugar cookies, but it is really good just as is too so I figured it would be delicious with the fillings!  These were not going to look like those Oreo style cookies like the original ones were, but that was ok with me. I didn’t care so much that they were fancy (the other ones had a cut out in the top too) I cared that they tasted delicious!

    They baked up beautifully and smelled amazing!  I love the aroma of vanilla scented baked goods!  It is seriously one of my favorite smells ever (and that is why I named my blog Fragrant Vanilla Cake)! Once the cookies had cooled I made a cream filling with a cashew butter and coconut butter base to make it rich and creamy!  It was heavenly once I added the vanilla and maple syrup to sweeten it!

    I sandwiched the cookies with the cream and the strawberry jam and I could not wait to taste them!  All of the components of the cookies had been really good on their own but they were heavenly when put together!  The buttery vanilla cookies paired perfectly with the rich cream and sweet gooey strawberry jam! If you are a sandwich cookie fan, definitely give these a try!

    Vegan Strawberries and Cream Sandwich Cookies 
    Makes 14 sandwich cookies

    Ingredients:
    Cookies:
    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups xylitol (coconut sugar may be used but keep in mind the cookies will not be the same pretty pink color)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 3 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

     

    Cream Filling:

    • 1/4 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/4 cup melted coconut butter (not oil)
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 2 Tbsp filtered water or as needed

     

    Jam Filling:

    • 1 cup strawberry jam

     

    Instructions:

    1.  In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    2. In a large bowl, mix coconut oil with sugar and mix until well combined.
    3. Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.
    4. Add the baking soda, salt, then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.
    5. To bake, Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll balls into about 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart.
    6. Place in the oven and bake for about 15-18 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.
    7. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool.  Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool completely.
    8. To make the cream filling, mix together all ingredients until smooth.  You want it a spreadable consistency just a little softer than smooth peanut butter. If it is too thick add a touch more water.
    9. To assemble the cookies, flip them over and spread about 1 Tbsp of the cream mixture over half, and strawerry jam over the other half and put them together.
    10. Enjoy!

     

    Cookies keep refrigerated for about a week, and frozen for up to 4 months in an airtight freezer container with a lid.

  • Cherry Maple Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

    Cherry Maple Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

    You would think that I would be sick of cookies after it being Christmas cookie season, but that isn’t the case.  My Mom gave me some dried cherries and pecans and asked me to whip up a batch of Cherry Maple Pecan Cookies, and I said why not?! They sounded super delicious after all.  Oatmeal cookies are her favorite. She would always tell me that they were healthier than other cookies when I was little, so you could feel better about eating them.  It is kinda true though!  At least they have more fiber.  They are one of my favorite types of cookies as well, because of their texture.  Soft and chewy but with crispy edges and a nice texture. 

    The thing I like about them also, is that they are simple and straight forward to make, which is nice after the more putzy Christmas cookies I have been making lately.  For these, I used oat flour because I figured why not make them all oat.  But you could use whole wheat pastry flour or regular AP flour if you prefer that.  To sweeten them, since I wanted them to have a maple flavor, I used maple sugar.  This is my favorite type of sugar!  It makes everything so good!  I also added in a little maple extract and vanilla extract to make them extra aromatic. 

    These have a good deal of oats mixed into them as well to make them nice and chewy!  I added in plenty of cherries and pecans because my favorite thing about oatmeal cookies besides the texture is the delicious add ins!  Sometimes I just add chocolate chunks.  But I loved this combo as well!  The dough was super delicious.  Yes, I always have to eat some of the dough, it is my favorite part about making cookies! 

    They smelled amazing while baking and I could not wait to try them!  Luckily I didn’t have to wait long, because they don’t have to cool completely and are best when still warm from the oven.  They were sooo good!  Soft and chewy in the center, crispy at the edges with sweet cherries crunchy pecans and the scent of maple!  This is the perfect thing to enjoy mid-morning with an oat milk latte.  Just sayin! 

    Cherry Maple Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

    Makes 16 large cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp water (allowed to sit 15 minutes before using)
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp maple extract
    • 1 1/2 cups oat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
    • 2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
    • 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
    • 1 cup dried cherries

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    2. Mix in the flour, soda, spices and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add cherries, and pecans and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    3. Lower the oven to 350F degrees with the rack set at the middle position.
    4. Roll the dough into 16 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    5. Enjoy!

     

  • Vegan Sugar Cookie Wreaths

    Vegan Sugar Cookie Wreaths

    I can’t believe Christmas is 2 weeks away!  Where has the time gone this year?  Also, it has been warmer here lately in Minnesota and we have no snow on the ground so it doesn’t seem like winter is on the doorstep.  But I am still in a Christmas cookie baking mood! Baking a bunch of different kinds of cookies this time of the year is one of my favorite parts of the season!  When I was little my Mom and I used to make our old favorites plus a few new ones we wanted to then freeze some of them in a big container to enjoy for the holiday season plus share some with others.  My grandma also had a similar tradition, only she mainly made the cookies to pack into tins to give as gifts.  I always loved the variety she made. I enjoyed the cookie making process, plus the heavenly aroma of cookies that filled our home always made me happy!

    Some cookies were easy to make, and some were a bit more tedious, but I think the tedious ones ended up being my favorite usually. The ones like the sugar cookies or gingerbread that I was able to decorate and add a personal touch to.  Last weekend I decided to make some sugar cookies.  I saw some non-vegan sugar cookie wreaths on Pinterest, and decided that I would try to make my own version!

    Sometimes when baking I use coconut oil in my cookies, but this time I decided to use Earth Balance buttery sticks because it was what I had on hand.  I used maple sugar to sweeten them and whole wheat pastry flour for the base, so they are a little darker than traditional sugar cookies.  But if you wanted them lighter you could go with the AP flour and granulated sugar.  The dough was super delicious even before the cookies were baked.  Yes, I was eating the scraps as I rolled them out!

    They smelled heavenly while baking and cooling and they deserved a just as heavenly decoration on top!  Instead of making a traditional powdered sugar glaze, I made a coconut butter maple glaze tinted green with a bit of spinach powder, then topped them off with crunchy pistachios and sweet cranberries. They turned out sooo good!  They were buttery and sweet, that coconut glaze the perfect topping with the salty crunchy pistachios and chewy cranberries! I would be proud to include these on any gifted cookie plate or in a cookie tin.  They are so cute and taste so good!

    j,,

    Vegan Sugar Cookie Wreaths

    Makes about 3 dozen cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup Earth Balance vegan butter, softened (or your favorite plant based butter)
    • 1 cup maple sugar (coconut sugar or granulated sugar will also work)
    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 2 Tbsp thin coconut milk
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 3 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 3/4 tsp baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Icing:

    • ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    • ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water (or as needed)
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 tsp spinach powder or matcha powder
    • chopped pistachios
    • dried cranberries

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two sheet pans with parchment.
    2. In a bowl, mix together the butter and maple sugar until well combined.  Add the flax mixture and 2 Tbsp coconut milk, and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour, baking powder and sea salt and mix until the dough has formed. It should be smooth and pliable, if it seems too stiff add a touch more coconut milk.
    3. Turn the dough onto a sheet pf parchment and roll out 1/4 inch thick.  Use cookie cutters (1 larger round and one smaller round) to cut out wreath shapes and move to parchment lined trays (if the dough seems too soft to manage, pop into the refrigerator for a few minutes).  Re-roll any scraps and repeat.  Set at least 1/2 inch apart on baking trays.
    4. When the cookies are all on the trays, place them in the oven and bake for about 12-13 minutes until set and just starting to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
    5. Mix together the coconut butter, maple syrup, vanilla and spinach powder until smooth adding a touch more filtered water if it is too thick (you want it a thick glaze consistency).
    6. Spread or pipe a thin layer of the icing over the cookies, and sprinkle with the pistachios and cranberries.  Set the glazed cookies in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes until set.

     

    Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.  Cookies keep up to 2 weeks refrigerated, or 4 months frozen

     

  • Vegan Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Glaze

    Vegan Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Glaze

    In the deli I work in, we usually make pumpkin cookies.  They are soft, with a maple glaze and just the right amount of pumpkin spices.  I tried one years ago before I was vegan, and they were delicious!  They are a seasonal item that is made every year, and everyone loves them!  I have never really made a veganized version at home, but I decided it would be fun to this year when I had some leftover canned pumpkin from another recipe. Also I wanted to test a vegan version out in case I would like to make some at work, since I have made vegan baked goods there for about a year now, but that involves making new recipes since we didn’t have any before.

    I based this recipe off of a chocolate chip cookie recipe that I use for work with a few tweaks like adding in the pumpkin and spices!  This dough is really easy to make, and not fussy.  It uses melted coconut oil as the fat in the dough, which gives them a nice texture once baked!  They do need to chill a little bit if the dough is really warm and sticky, but other than that they are just roll, press down and bake!

    I could not stop sampling the dough, it was sooo good!  I am a sucker for cookie dough, and honestly it is my favorite part of the cookie baking process.  You have to make sure it is good after all, or you didn’t miss an ingredient. One time I forgot the sugar in my cookie dough, and it was a really good thing I tasted it so I didn’t mess up the whole batch. Anyways, this time I was testing for the spices to see if they had the proper amount and they were perfect!

    The cookies smelled so good while baking!  Once they had been removed from the oven and cooled down a bit, I gave them a sweet maple glaze like the ones at work. I did not use powdered sugar though, I used a mixture of coconut butter and maple syrup which is my go to glaze.  The cookies were super delicious!  Soft and sweet with aromatic pumpkin spices, and that maple scented glaze was the perfect touch!  These ones are just as good as the ones at work, and honestly less fussy to make (I have watched my coworker make the other ones).  If you are a pumpkin cookie fan, give these a try!

    Vegan Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Glaze 

    Makes 12 large cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups maple sugar coconut sugar
    • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp maple extract (optional)
    • 2 1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
    • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp cloves
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder

     

    Glaze:

    • 2 Tbsp coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
    • pinch sea salt
    • 3 Tbsp filtered water (or as needed)

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line 2 sheet pans with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, coconut sugar, pumpkin puree and vanilla until well combined.
    3. Mix in the flour, spices, sea salt, baking soda and powder, until smooth.
    4. Put the dough in the refrigerator until it is a little more firm, about 30 minutes.
    5. Roll the dough into 12 balls (about 2 inches round), and place on the baking sheets, spread a few inches apart and flatten slightly.
    6. Place in the oven and bake until starting to brown at the edges, about 12 minutes.
    7. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack.
    8. To make the glaze, whisk together all ingredients until smooth adding more water if necessary to create a pourable glaze.  Drizzle over the cookies, and allow to set (you may pop them in the freezer for about 5 minutes to make it set faster).

     

    Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 4 months.

    *If you wish to make these gluten free, you can swap the whole wheat flour 1:1 for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour.  I have tried this flour and know it works well.

     

  • Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Latte Cookies

    Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Latte Cookies

    I have been really into coffee flavored things lately.  I do love my oat milk lattes, but coffee is so amazing in desserts as well!  Even when I was a kid, and I hated actual coffee I loved tiramisu and chocolates that were flavored with a little coffee. So I was excited when Raw Guru sent me some Rawmio Hazelnut Latte Spread.  It is like really good vegan nutella with a hint of coffee.  I love their nut butters!  So I decided it would be delicious in some cookies.  Well, I was hinted at by one of my family members who wanted me to make cookies actually and I loved that idea!

    Nut butter cookies are one of my favorite things, peanut butter cookies, almond butter cookies and hazelnut butter cookies.  These ones are just taken up a notch with the chocolate and a bit of coffee!  I love that they are one of the easiest cookies to make, no fancy mixing or chilling required!  I used the hazelnut latte spread in them, along with some cacao powder and espresso powder to give them even more of a coffee flavor.  If you can’t get the spread no worries, I have included directions on how to make it with plain hazelnut butter or another nut butter. 

    I also mixed toasted hazelnuts and dark chocolate chips into the dough to make it extra good.  And it was so delicious that I had a hard time not eating too much of it before it was made into cookies. That is my favorite part of making cookies though, eating the dough.  It has to be sampled right?!  They smelled amazing while baking!  I could not wait to try them! 

    I did not have to wait long for them to cool. These are the perfect type of cookie to eat while the chocolate chips are still warm and gooey!  They are rich and decadent tasting packed with chocolate flavor, a hint of coffee and crunchy hazelnuts!  They would be amazing with a hot cup of coffee for dunking!  I am totally going to try that tomorrow!

      

    Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Latte Cookies

    Makes 12 cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 cup Raw Guru coconut sugar
    • 3/4 cup Rawmio hazelnut latte spread (or hazelnut butter)*
    • 1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
    • 3 Tbsp cacao powder
    • 1 Tbsp espresso powder
    • ¾ tsp baking soda
    • ½ tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp sea salt
    • ¾ cup vegan dark chocolate chunks or chips
    • 3/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts 

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seeds and water. Set aside for 15 minutes.
    2. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.
    3. In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon, mix together the coconut sugar, hazelnut latte spread (or hazelnut butter), coconut oil, vanilla and the flax seed mixture until smooth.
    4. Mix in the flour, cacao powder, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt and stir until completely combined.
    5. Mix in chocolate chips and hazelnuts
    6. Shape the cookie dough into 12 balls, and spread out evenly on the pan. Flatten them slightly with your hand.
    7. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until they are starting to brown slightly and are just set.
    8. When they are done baking, remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a rack.
    9. Enjoy!

      *If you don’t have the hazelnut spread and are using hazelnut butter, then add 1 tsp espresso powder, and an additional Tbsp cacao powder to the recipe. Also, if you would rather use almond butter or another type of nut butter if you can’t find hazelnut you can use that as well.

  • Vegan PB and J Ice Cream Sandwiches

    Vegan PB and J Ice Cream Sandwiches

    It has been quite steamy outside here in Minnesota lately, so it is the perfect time to enjoy cool treats like ice cream!  I have been wanting to make some, and Eric and I had been watching a video on YouTube about this place that makes all sorts of different ice cream sandwiches, and it made me hungry. So I decided that I needed to make my own at home.  I thought long and hard about what kind I wanted to make, that would fit with the ingredients I had on hand, and I ended up landing on PB and J.  Because I am kind of obsessed with that combo.

    I was thinking PB cookies with raspberry ice cream for the “jelly” flavor.  I make peanut butter cookies at work all the time, but not much at home, so those sounded good as well, if I had extras to snack on.  The thing I like about Peanut butter cookies is they are nice and simple.  These ones always turn out good, and the dough is super delicious too if you are one of those people like me that likes to eat the cookie dough and thinks that is one of the best parts of the process.

    For the raspberry ice cream I used a coconut milk base with a bit of cashew butter to make it nice and creamy.  The base tasted amazing even before freezing, like delicious raspberry cheesecake batter. It turned out nicely in the ice cream maker, but if you didn’t have one I have included instructions for how to make it without one as well.  It was heavenly on its own but I knew it would be even better with the cookies!

    I haven’t had an ice cream sandwich in quite a few years, so I was excited about these!  They turned out super delicious!  The creamy smooth raspberry ice cream was the perfect partner for the rich, slightly salty, chewy peanut butter cookies! I did think about swirling PB and J into this too, and you could if you wanted to, I just didn’t want it to be super messy and oozing out. They were perfect as is in my opinion!  If you are a PB and J fan, definitely give these a try!

    Vegan PB and J Ice Cream Sandwiches 

    Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
    Makes 12 cookies

    Ingredients:

    Cookies:

    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 cup coconut sugar
    • 3/4 cup organic peanut butter
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
    • 3/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and water.  Place the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes, this is your flax egg.
    2. In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon, mix together the sugar, peanut butter, coconut oil, vanilla and flax egg, until smooth.  Then mix in the flour, soda, baking powder, and sea salt in until the mixture is smooth.
    3. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment.
    4. Shape the cookie dough into 2 inch balls, place on your baking sheet a few inches apart and flatten with a fork, like you would with peanut butter cookies.
    5. Place in the oven and bake at 350F for 12 minutes or so, until lightly browned and set.  Allow to cool on a rack, then place in the freezer until ready to add the ice cream.

     

    Vegan Raspberry Ice Cream
    Makes 3 cups

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh organic raspberries
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    3. Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to spread onto the cookies for sandwiches.

     

    Assembly:

    1. Spread some of the ice cream about 3/4 inch thick on half of the cookies, then add the other half to sandwich together.
    2. Place them all on a tray in the freezer until they are firmed up, then enjoy!
    3. Place any leftovers in a container with a lid, and store in the freezer for up to a month (they keep longer but might get freezer burn).
  • Vegan Double Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies

    Vegan Double Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies

    A while back, in the deli I work in, we got almond butter shipped to us instead of tahini.  Since we were unable to return it, and I am the vegan baker there, I suggested we make some almond butter cookies with it!  We didn’t really have any other recipes that we could use it in so it was perfect!  I thought it would be a short term thing, but they sold so well, they ended up being a permanent item that I now make. They are really good, like a more grown up peanut butter cookie.  I have made them at home before, and I felt like making some last weekend.  But with a twist, with chocolate added.  Because I was in a chocolate sort of mood. 

    Also, I had been gifted some almond butter, and Raw Guru recently sent me some of their coconut sugar, so it was perfect!  These cookies are really simple and easy to make, which I love.  Nothing complicated like chilling dough, or rolling them out or anything.  If it is a week day, I am not wanting to make anything that requires a lot of time. I want to be enjoying those cookies fast, you know?! 

    I pretty much used my peanut butter cookie base for these, but added in cacao powder to make them chocolate.  The cookies are rich and delicious from the large amount of almond butter plus a little bit of coconut oil. If you wanted them to be oil free, you could swap the coconut oil for more almond butter instead, and they would still work out, they just wouldn’t brown as much. I also added in chocolate chips to make these double chocolate.  The dough was sooo good!  I could not stop sampling it! 

    They baked up beautifully, and my kitchen smelled amazing. I could not wait to try them! Luckily they didn’t have to cool completely and I could enjoy them while still warm.  They were sooo good!  Soft and chewy, with a nutty chocolate flavor, and the gooey chocolate chips made them even better!  If you are an almond butter fan, definitely give these a try! 

    Vegan Double Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies

    Makes 12 cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 cup Raw Guru coconut sugar
    • 1 cup smooth roasted almond butter
    • ¼ cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
    • 3 Tbsp cacao powder
    • ¾ tsp baking soda
    • ½ tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp sea salt
    • ¾ cup vegan dark chocolate chunks or chips

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seeds and water. Set aside for 15 minutes.
    2. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.
    3. In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon, mix together the coconut sugar, almond butter, coconut oil, vanilla and the flax seed mixture until smooth.
    4. Mix in the flour, cacao powder, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt and stir until completely combined.
    5. Mix in chocolate chips.
    6. Shape the cookie dough into 12 balls, and spread out evenly on the pan. Flatten them slightly with your hand.
    7. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until they are starting to brown slightly and are just set.
    8. When they are done baking, remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a rack.
    9. Enjoy!
  • Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

    Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

    We went through a brief snowy cold week in Minnesota, and I didn’t know whether it was winter or spring for a minute.  So I have been wanting to make some desserts and spend a bit of time in the kitchen in my free time instead of just being outside and I also haven’t been quite sure what to make because of the being in between seasons.  I feel like lemon goes for both winter and spring so that is what I have been drawn to flavor wise.  And I have been in a lemon dessert mood lately.  I made a lemon cream pie for Easter, and I decided to make some lemon poppy seed cookies this week. I was always a big fan of lemon poppy seed muffins growing up, or cakes so why not cookies?  I love that tart sweet lemon flavor combined with the nice crunch of the poppy seeds.

    So I thought it would be perfect in some buttery  cookies! For the dough, I used my sugar cookie recipe and tweaked it a bit to add some fragrant lemon flavor in both zest and juice form.  Adding lemon zest to a lemon recipe makes all the difference, trust me.  So much aroma.  Just be sure to use organic lemons that aren’t sprayed.  The dough for these smelled heavenly and tasted even better.

    Eating cookie dough is one of my favorite parts of making cookies.  I have always been this way ever since I was a little kid “helping” my Grandma bake cookies and sneaking dough when she turned her back.  If she caught me she would tell me that I would get a tummy ache if I ate too much, but I never did.  At least there aren’t raw eggs my cookies now because they are vegan!

    They baked up beautifully!  They smelled amazing and I could not wait to try them!  But first I wanted to add a glaze to make them pretty and even more delicious.  I took some Dastony coconut butter from Raw Guru and mixed it with a little lemon juice and maple syrup and it was the perfect easy glaze. The cookies were sooo good!  Rich and buttery tasting with plenty of lemon flavor, those crunchy poppy seeds and sweet glaze.  It is the perfect time to get some baking in!

    Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

    Makes 24 cookies
    Ingredients:
    Cookies:
    • 2 Tbsp ground golden flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
    • 2 Tbsp lemon zest
    • 1 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups maple sugar* (or coconut sugar, if you want these more yellow and less brown, you could also use granulated sugar)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1/8 tsp turmeric powder (optional for color)
    • 3 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour
    • 1/4 cup poppy seeds

     

    Glaze:

    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    • 3 Tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed, filtered water and lemon juice and zest.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    2. In a large bowl, mix coconut oil with sugar and mix until well combined.
    3. Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.
    4. Add the baking soda, salt, turmeric then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.  Mix in the poppy seeds until evenly distributed.
    5. To bake, Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll balls into about 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart.
    6. Place in the oven, and bake for about 15-18 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.  Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool completely.
    7. To make the glaze, whisk all of the ingredients together (if it seems too thick to drizzle, add a little more lemon juice to it).
    8. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies.
    9. Place the cookies in the freezer until the glaze is set.
    10. Enjoy!

     

     

  • Vegan Pistachio Lemon White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

    Vegan Pistachio Lemon White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

    This whole social distancing thing isn’t so bad for an introvert like me.  I can still do most of the activities I normally do, like going for bike rides, walks and runs outside, doing art like painting at home, and of course baking things.  As long as I can still be close to my family and Eric, I am good.  That said hopefully everything goes back to normal soon for the sake of all of the people without jobs right now, or those that are getting the virus.  In the mean time when we are all staying at home, I figure it is the perfect time to make new recipes.  I do still have to go to work, since I work in a grocery store as my full time job, but in my free time I am making new things like these cookies!

    Spring is now here, and one of the flavors that makes me think of Spring is lemon.  I know citrus is a winter fruit as well, but in early spring it is something that is still delicious before the spring fruits start to become available. I added it to my chocolate chip cookie dough base recipe to make a lemon flavored cookie. I swapped out the chocolate chips with creamy home made white chocolate chunks, and salty nutty pistachios since those flavors go so well with lemon.

    The dough was super delicious.  I have to admit that eating cookie dough while making cookies is one of my favorite parts of making cookies.  That lemon flavor adds a nice bright flavor.  I love that these do not have a fussy dough, and you just mix the ingredients together and bake.  They smelled amazing while baking and I could not wait to try them!

    Since I used my home made chocolate chunks in these, I had to add them after baking since they are more prone to melting. I would recommend you doing the same, unless you want them to run out of your cookies. But they were when added at the end, they are so good in these cookies!  They were heavenly!  Soft and chewy with a bright lemony flavor, creamy white chocolate chunks and crunchy pistachios! If you are a cookie fan, definitely give these a try!

    Vegan Pistachio Lemon White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
    Makes 16 large cookies

    Ingredients:

    •  2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 Tbsp lemon zest
    • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 3 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1 cup pistachios
    • 3/4 cup vegan white chocolate chunks or chips

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.
    2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix coconut oil with sugar and stir until well combined.  Mix in the lemon zest and juice, vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.  Add the baking soda and salt then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.  Mix in the pistachios.
    4. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
    5. To Form the cookies take about a 1 1/2 inch chunk of dough, form into a ball and on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart, and press down just slightly. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.
    6. As soon a you remove them from the oven, press in the white chocolate chunks.
    7. Remove from the oven, and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.
  • Vegan Caramel Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches

    Vegan Caramel Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches

    My Mom asked me last weekend if I could make some date bars in cookie form.  Like the oatmeal mixture on the outside and date caramel in the center.  We decided that making some oatmeal caramel cookie sandwiches were in order.  I have always loved oatmeal sandwich cookies.  Ever since I had those oatmeal cream pies as a kid in my lunches.  Funny they call them oatmeal cream pies when they are cookies.  But anyway, they were the best thing ever to my middle school self.  I have since made a veganized healthier version of them but never with caramel before so I thought this was a great idea!

    For the cookies I used a completely oat base with both oat flour and rolled oats.  I always have a large supply of oats on hand because they have been my go to breakfast for about 18 years. I sweetened them with coconut sugar and a little cinnamon and vanilla. I also added a little almond butter along with the coconut oil to give them a nice soft texture.  The dough was sooo good even before baking.  I think eating cookie dough is one of my favorite parts of the cookie baking process!

    They smelled amazing while baking, just like the oatmeal cookies my Mom and I used to make when I was little. Once they were all cool it was time for the filling!  Although I could have made a more traditional caramel with sugar and all, I made a date caramel.  It is much less work than actual caramel and still delicious as well as being better for you.  Dates are plenty sweet even without adding anything.  I call them nature’s caramel!  So I whipped up a quick and easy delicious date caramel.

    When the cookies were all assembled, I could not wait to try them!  They were soft and chewy with nice texture from the oats, and that hint of cinnamon nutmeg and vanilla was lovely.  The caramel was nice and gooey, plenty sweet and the perfect thing to pair the cookies with!  They reminded me of those oatmeal cream pies I used to eat, only better because they had caramel instead of the vanilla marshmallow fluff that was in the other ones.  Next time you are craving something sweet, give these a try!

    Vegan Caramel Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches
    Makes about 18 sandwich cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1/4 cup almond butter
    • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups oat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

     

    Frosting:

    • 1 1/4 cups soft, pitted medjool dates
    • 1/2 cup almond butter
    • 1/2 cup filtered water
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • pinch sea salt

     

    Directions:

    1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, almond butter, and sugar until well blended. Add flax mixture, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    2. Mix in the flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined.
    3. Heat the oven to 350F degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
    4. Roll the dough into small 1 1/2 inch balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between, and flatten them out slightly. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool completely.
    5. To make the filling, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If it seems a little too thick (since dates vary in moisture levels) just add a tad more water. You want to be able to pipe it, but still have it be thick enough it maintains shape when piped.
    6. Place the caramel in a pastry bag.  Flip half of the cookies over, and pipe the caramel onto them.  Top with the rest of the cookies.
    7. Enjoy!  Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • Vegan Tagalong Cookies

    Vegan Tagalong Cookies

    Tis’ the season for Girl Scout cookies.  I used to love them growing up, especially the Samoas and Tagalongs, but my Dad always bought the Thin Mints as well.  So now as an adult, I like to make my own home made versions.  I know there are vegan Girl Scout cookies but I would rather just donate money to the Girl Scouts directly if I want to donate since I prefer cookies that aren’t made with artificial more processed ingredients. For my own, I use quality ingredients, and they even taste better than the originals I grew up with!  Plus it is fun to recreate your own.  I love making my own treats! So I decided to make some vegan Tagalongs this week.

    The original cookies had a vanilla base, so I created some buttery vanilla cookies for mine as well.  I used whole wheat pastry flour for the dough, but if you wanted to make these gluten free, you could use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour instead (I have tested this brand with my baked goods and know that it works well swapped 1:1).  The dough tasted delicious even before it was baked.  Eric was begging me to eat some of it too, so I probably ended up with a few less cookies, but it’s alright, cookie dough is one of my favorite parts of the process of baking cookies too.

    They smelled amazing while baking. But I knew they would be even better once I added the peanut butter and chocolate!  I mean, peanut butter and chocolate is one of my all time favorite combos!  I used my home made peanut butter for these, and I did not sweeten it at all, because I figure the cookies and chocolate are sweet enough, but you could sweeten it with a little coconut sugar or a dash of maple syrup if you wanted to.

    Lastly I dipped them in dark chocolate, then let them chill and harden.  I could not wait to try the cookies!  They luckily it didn’t take that long since they were cool to begin with.  They were sooo good!  The crunchy sweet vanilla cookies had much more flavor than the originals, and the salty creamy PB and decadent dark chocolate were perfect on them!  These are sooo much better than the ones I grew up eating.  If you were ever a fan of Tagalongs, give these a try!

    Vegan Tagalong Cookies
    Makes 16 cookies

    Ingredients:
    Cookies:
    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 3/4 cups coconut sugar or maple sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 3/4 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour

     

    Filling:

    • 1 cup organic peanut butter

     

    Chocolate:

    • 2 cups chopped vegan dark chocolate or vegan chocolate chips

     

     Directions:
    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    2. In a large bowl, mix coconut oil with maple sugar and mix until well combined.
    3. Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.
    4. Add the baking soda, salt, then the flour, until well combined.
    5. To bake, Preheat your oven to 350F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
    6. Roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls (there should be about 16), and place on prepared cookie sheet a couple inches apart, pressing down so that they are about 1/2 inch thick.
    7. Bake for about 15-18 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  Save the parchment lined tray.
    8. Spread a 1/8 inch thick layer of peanut butter over each cookie, and place in the freezer until completely cold.
    9. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler until smooth.
    10. Dip each cookie into the chocolate (carefully (I set mine on a fork and did it) and set on the parchment lined tray that you baked them on.  When they are all done, place the tray in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden.
    11. Enjoy!  Store any extra cookies in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

     

  • Vegan Chocolate Football Cookies 

    Vegan Chocolate Football Cookies 

    My favorite football team the Minnesota Vikings were eliminated a few weeks ago from the Superbowl running, but I will still be watching because it is tradition, and I do love Superbowl food like nachos and cauliflower wings plus watching all of the interesting commercials!  Also I decided to make some cute football cookies.  Because why not?!  I usually just focus on the savory things at this occasion but cookies sounded good too. I decided on chocolate cut out cookies, because they are already the color of footballs and I am in chocolate sort of mood.

    These are actually pretty easy to make, minus the time it takes to roll them out and cut them, but I always find that part of the process kind of fun, like a kid playing with play dough. Didn’t you ever take play dough, roll it out like cookies and pretend they were cookies (not actually eating them but pretending to)?  Well, I did because even back then I liked to play pretend kitchen and “make” food a lot.

    For the base I used whole wheat pastry flour because it is what I have on hand, plus cacao powder to make them chocolaty and a bit of maple sugar to sweeten.  You could use coconut sugar or just granulated sugar if those are your preferred sweeteners as well.  I used coconut oil combined with avocado oil simply because I feel like coconut oil on its own gets too hard at room temperature (or cooler) with baked goods, so the avocado oil makes them a touch softer like cookies with real butter would be.

    They smelled wonderful while baking!  I could not wait to try them but first, I had to decorate the tops or they wouldn’t be footballs. I decorated half with melted dark chocolate and half with some white icing, but you could do one or the other if you prefer.  They turned out super delicious!  I prefer the ones topped with chocolate myself, because one can never have too much chocolate.  But my Mom, who I shared some with since she loves cookies, enjoyed the white icing the most.  If you are celebrating the Superbowl, why not make some cookies to go along with your spread?!

    Vegan Chocolate Football Cookies 

    Makes about 28

    Ingredients:

    • 1 3/4 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 1/4 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/2 cup maple sugar
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1/4 cup avocado oil (or other neutral oil liquid at cool temperatures)
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

      Icing:

    • 2 Tbsp coconut butter
    • 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 2 tsp maple syrup

     

      Dark Chocolate:

    • 1/2 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line three baking sheets with parchment.
    2. To make the dough, mix all ingredients together in a bowl until combined and smooth (it may be slightly crumbly, and that is ok, just squeeze it back together), then place on a piece of parchment paper and roll out 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into football shapes with a medium sized cookie cutter (or make a stencil and cut with a knife carefully) and place them onto two of the prepared pans. Re-roll any scraps squeezing them back together and rolling them out, and cutting into more shapes until all of the dough is used.
    3. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until set and just barely beginning to brown at the edges.
    4. Remove the pans from the oven and let cool completely on wire racks.
    5. When the cookies have cooled completely, to make the icing, whisk together all ingredients until smooth, then place in a ziplock bag with the corner cut off or a small pastry bag and pipe lacing on the football cookies.
    6. Or, if you want to make the chocolate lacing, melt the vegan dark chocolate in the top of a double boiler, and then place in a ziplock bag with the corner cut off or a small pastry bag and pipe lacing on the football cookies.
    7. Put the cookies in the freezer on their tray until the icing or chocolate has hardened, then enjoy!

    *Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, refrigerated for 2 weeks or frozen for up to 4 months.

  • Vegan Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Vegan Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Salted caramel anything is amazing as far as I am concerned.  There is just something about that balance between the saltiness and the caramel that I love.  Maybe also because those are two things that are often craved. Salted caramel chocolate sounds more wonderful than just chocolate, and salted caramel crème brulee more fantastic than just crème brulee.  Doesn’t it?
    My Mom, who often begs me to make some cookies for her, was telling me about some salted caramel cookies she had tried at work from Great Harvest. She said they were good, but my cookies were better. Which got me to thinking, why not make my own salted caramel cookies?  After all, most of the things I veganize end up being really good, and sometimes even better than the original.
    So, for the cookie dough, I used maple sugar which is very caramelly tasting to me and an extra pinch of sea salt over the usual I use which resulted in a caramel tasting dough.  Of course you could just use coconut sugar if you didn’t have the maple, because it has the same brown sugar affect.  The cookies would have tasted kind of caramelly on their own, but I wanted chunks of “caramel” as well so I added dates too.  Which are basically nature’s gooey caramel!  The combination was pretty darn delicious!
    Since they were chocolate chip cookies, I added some good quality vegan dark chocolate chips as well.  The dough was amazing, so I knew these were going to be good.  I sprinkled some fleur de sel on them before baking, since they were salted caramel.  I could not wait to try them, since they smelled amazing while baking!  I tried one while they were still warm and omg sooo good!  A caramel flavored spft cookie with gooey dates, and melty chocolate chips! My Mom enjoyed them as well and said that you would never be able to guess that they were vegan.  If you are a caramel fan, definitely give these a try!

    Vegan Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Makes 16 large cookies

    Ingredients:

    •  2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 3 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1 cup dates, chopped into smaller pieces
    • 3/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.
    2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix coconut oil with sugar and stir until well combined.  Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.  Add the baking soda and salt then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.  Mix in the dates and chocolate chips
    4. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
    5. To Form the cookies take about a 1 1/2 inch chunk of dough, form into a ball and on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart, and press down just slightly. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.
    6. Remove from the oven, and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.
  • Vegan Maple Pecan Cookies

    Vegan Maple Pecan Cookies

    I have only made one Christmas cookie this year so far, and I only have 3 more weeks, so I am getting on it making some! When I was little my Mom and I would pick out a bunch of cookies to make every year then store them in the freezer to enjoy throughout the holiday season.  We had our favorites from my Grandma’s recipes or church cookbooks, but we also liked to go to the library and get cookbooks to find recipes in. I still like to continue on this tradition of making a variety of cookies to enjoy for a month or two from the freezer and to give as gifts.  At one point we had made some really good pecan sugar type cookies, and I was craving them the other day so I decided to whip up a veganized batch.  I had just bought some maple sugar so it was perfect!

    I based them off of my vegan sugar cookie recipe using the maple sugar instead of regular sugar or coconut sugar to give them a bit of a maple flavor to start.  I love maple sugar because it is more delicate than coconut sugar and dissolves a little better in a recipe like these cookies. Plus I just love the flavor.  It is basically maple syrup turned into granules. I also added a bit of vanilla extract and maple extract to make these smell heavenly!  Lastly some toasted pecans for crunch.

    This cookie dough is actually really easy to make, just mix, roll into balls, and bake!  None of that whipping the dough for a while, or chilling or cutting out or all that jazz.  In the extra time you save since they are so easy to make I highly recommend sampling the dough, it is amazing!  I could not stop tasting it in fact.  But eating cookie dough is my favorite part of the cookie making process.  They baked up beautifully!  I could not wait to try them.

    But I wanted to add something to make them even more delicious first, a maple pecan glaze!  I whisked together a bit of pecan butter, maple syrup and coconut butter and it was perfect on the cookies!  If you don’t have pecan butter you could use another nut butter like cashew or almond.  The cookies were sooo good!  They tasted rich buttery and delicious with the aroma of maple and crunch of toasted pecans!  If you are a big maple fan like me, definitely give these a try!

    Vegan Maple Pecan Cookies

    Makes 28 cookies
    Ingredients:
    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups maple sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp maple extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 3 1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 1 cup chopped toasted pecans

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.
    2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    3. In a large bowl, mix coconut oil with sugar and mix until well combined.
    4. Mix in the vanilla extract, maple extract and flax mixture until well combined.
    5. Add the baking soda, salt, then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.
    6. Mix in the pecans.
    7. Roll dough into about 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart, pressing them down slightly to flatten a bit.
    8. Place in the oven and Bake for about 13 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.
    9. Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool completely before you make the glaze.

    *If you want to make these gluten free, swap the whole wheat pastry flour 1:1 with Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour.  I have tried this brand and know it works well (I can not say the same for all other brands as I have not tried them).

  • Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

    Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

    I used to make gingerbread cookies a lot back in the day.  In fact, when I was a senior in college, I made gingerbread cookie sculptures for my senior art show.  Things like a gingerbread sculpture of my car, my house, and household items like a bed and table with chairs.  I really enjoyed it, it was a lot of fun being able to work with cookies and do art at the same time.  I have gingerbread cookies since then, but I haven’t attempted to make a vegan gingerbread cookie house surprisingly enough.  Maybe sometime when I have a lot of free time which doesn’t seem to happen in recent years around the holidays.  I do like to make gingerbread cookies though.  Now that Thanksgiving is over I thought I would whip up a batch!  Tis the season!  There is snow on the ground, and we are expecting more so it is the perfect time to stay cozy inside and do some baking.

    I admit I usually stay away from cookies that need to be rolled and frosted because I don’t have time to make fussy cookies after work on a weeknight, but since I had the day after Thanksgiving off it gave me plenty of time.  And these were really not all that fussy.  They start with a spiced molasses base with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and it smells amazing.  It is a delicious soft dough.  I should know I tasted enough. I mean eating cookie dough is one of my favorite parts of baking cookies.

    This is almost my original recipe that I made back in the day except for the flax eggs that I swapped in for the real ones. It works just as well, I don’t even notice the difference.  Another change I made is I used Raw Guru coconut sugar instead of the brown sugar I used to use and it tastes just as good.  This dough actually chills a lot faster than the original dough too because I used coconut oil instead of butter like in the original one. It gets hard pretty quick. This is one of the easier doughs to work with so long as you don’t chill it too long (or it will be hard).

    I cut them into cute little gingerbread men, stars and trees because why not?  I haven’t actually made any gingerbread men in a while I opted for stars the last few times.  When they were all cool, I decided to top them off with a cream cheese “icing” I say icing in quotes because it is not made with powdered sugar, it is made with healthier things like cashew butter and coconut butter with a touch of maple syrup.  These cookies turned out sooo good!  If you are in the mood for some classic holiday cookies, definitely give these a try!  In place of the glaze melted dark chocolate piped onto them would also be good if that is more your jam.

    Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

    Makes about 42 cookies

    Ingredients:

    Dough:

    • 3 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1 tsp ground ginger
    • 1/2 tsp cloves
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1/2 cup Raw Guru coconut sugar
    • 2/3 cup molasses
    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water allowed to sit 15 minutes before using

     

    Icing:

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
    2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, spices, and sea salt.
    3. In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, coconut sugar, molasses and flax mixture until smooth.
    4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth.
    5. Divide the dough into 2 balls, place each on a parchment lined tray, and roll out until 1/4 inch thick (if it is too sticky to roll, pop it in the freezer for a few minutes first.  Place in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes until more firm (but not hard, coconut oil hardens pretty fast), then cut into shapes and place on a parchment lined baking tray. Pop back into the freezer until completely firm, about 10 minutes.
    6. Place in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes or until set (but not dried out).
    7. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

    *If you want to make these gluten free, swap the whole wheat pastry flour 1:1 with Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour.  I have tried this brand and know it works well (I can not say the same for all other brands as I have not tried them).

  • Blueberry Pecan Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

    Blueberry Pecan Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

    I feel like fall is always too short.  I know it is still technically fall, but I mean the weather itself, I miss those moderate fall days where you just need a light jacket, and your hands don’t freeze when you go out for a walk.  It has snowed here a couple of days this week, and although I went outside for a walk, I didn’t really want to hang out outside for a long time because it is kind of cold and damp.  And so I figured it was the perfect day to do some baking!  I love warming up my kitchen with the oven, the heavenly aroma of whatever I bake wrapping me in its goodness. My Mom had gave me a bag of dried blueberries from Trader Joe’s a few weeks back and asked me to make her some oatmeal cookies with them, and I finally got around to it.  Oatmeal cookies are one of my favorites so I didn’t mind making them at all!

    I am just a fan of oats in general.  I have eaten oatmeal almost every morning for 18 years after all, and I have a bag of granola in my refrigerator at all times.  But I love oatmeal cookies because they seem like a semi healthy dessert since they have more fiber than most cookies.  My Mom always said they were the healthiest and I happen to agree with her!  Back when I was in cross country in college for all of our meets I would make a giant bag of oatmeal cookies for the team to enjoy after.  They loved it!  And I loved making them.  I still do, in fact I make them at work now because we recently started making vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and they are the most popular type of cookie that I make!

    For these ones I made a super delicious oatmeal cookie base with plenty of oat flavor in both the form of oat flour and oats, plus a bit of cinnamon to sweeten it (an essential ingredient in all of my oatmeal cookies to give them that something special) and the dough was delicious!  It was perfect with the sweet dried blueberries and crunchy toasted pecans I added in.  I figure blueberries and pecans are kind of a match made in heaven.  The dough was sooo good! I could not stop sampling it.  Eating cookie dough is my favorite part of baking cookies after all. 

    They baked up beautifully!  They were soft and chewy in the center and a little crispy at the edges just as oatmeal cookies should be, and the crunchy pecans and sweet blueberries were the perfect add ins.  I won’t judge if you eat some of these for breakfast!  If you are a fan of oatmeal cookies like I am, definitely give these a try! 

    Blueberry Pecan Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

    Makes 16 large cookies

    • 3/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    • 2 flax eggs*
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour
    • 2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
    • 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
    • 1 cup dried blueberries

    Instructions:

    1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    2. Mix in the flour, soda, spices and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add blueberries, and pecans and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    3. Lower the oven to 350F degrees with the rack set at the middle position.
    4. Roll the dough into 16 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    5. Enjoy!

    *For the flax eggs, whisk together 2 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl.  Allow to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes until the mixture has set up (or become kind of thick).

  • Vegan Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies

    Vegan Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies

    I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough of pumpkin goodies this year.  I like apple treats and Halloween candy too, and I have been making those as well this October, but pumpkin seems to be the favorite.  Thank goodness for canned pumpkin though!  Back in the day, I used to like to roast off the pumpkin myself (and sometimes I would just use squash instead for pumpkin puree because it was easier), but now I am a lot more busy and appreciate the organic canned pumpkin. I would however like to still carve a pumpkin this year!  The thing about opening a can of pumpkin is that you have to use it up (or portion it out and freeze it) within a week.  Luckily there are plenty of things you can make on a whim with it.  Pumpkin bread, pumpkin cake, pancakes, waffles, a soup base, or just be weird like me and eat the puree plain (yes, I do that sometimes). Or in the case of last weekend make pumpkin cookies!  

    I actually had already made pumpkin cookies this year, but not pumpkin oatmeal cookies.  Some soft, chewy oatmeal cookies with pumpkin spice and goodies stirred in sounded fabulous!  My Mom always said when I was little that oatmeal cookies are the healthiest because they have plenty of good fiber from the oats and are less processed.  I have to agree, at least in the case of these cookies, which happen to be pretty packed with fiber in various forms.  Don’t worry, they don’t taste like healthy cookies.

    Even if they had healthy ingredients added. I added Dastony almond butter from Raw Guru, pumpkin puree, and flax eggs to keep these cookies moist and chewy, plus pumpkin pie spices and plenty of oats in both oat flour and rolled oat form!  Also, I stirred in some cranberries and walnuts for a few fall flavors plus vegan dark chocolate chips because I couldn’t resist!  The dough was so good I could not stop eating hunks of it.  I am one of those people who loves cookie dough even more than actual baked cookies so this is something that happens often and why I love baking cookies.

    They baked up nicely and filled my kitchen with the heavenly aroma of pumpkin spices!  I could not wait to try one, and of course I waited until they were just cool enough but still warm to try one!  They were soft and chewy, sweet and aromatic with the flavor of the spices, and they gooey chocolate chips, cranberries and crunchy pecans were so good with the pumpkin and oats!  If you are a fan of pumpkin or have some extra canned pumpkin on hand, give these a try!

    Vegan Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies

    Makes 16 large cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
    • 1/2 cup Dastony almond butter
    • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water, allowed to sit 15 min. before using
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour
    • 2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp ginger
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/4 tsp cloves
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
    • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
    • 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
    • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

     

    Directions:

    1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the pumpkin, almond butter and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    2. Mix in the flour, soda, spices and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add chocolate chips, cranberries and walnuts and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
    4. Roll the dough into 16 large balls (the dough will be sticky, it’s ok), and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between, pressing down on them slightly. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    5. Enjoy!

     

  • Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Ever since we rolled into fall earlier this week, I feel like the trees and nature have gotten the memo because the leaves are starting to change and there is a bit of the chill in the air.  I am kind of sad because I have a strained hamstring and can’t run through the crunchy leaves at the moment (one of my all time favorite parts of fall). But I can bike and walk to get out and enjoy nature and the outdoors.  The aroma of dried leaves and bonfires hangs in the air and makes me want to pull out all of my cozy sweaters and fall clothes, drink hot cider and bake spiced desserts. Especially of the pumpkin and apple variety.

    I have been on a pumpkin kick this week.  Because I am craving pumpkin spice desserts, and because I opened up a can of pumpkin and wanted to use it all and most recipes only call for about 1/2 cup.  I could have of course frozen it but that’s no fun.  We make pumpkin cookies at my work, and they were looking really good the other day, but sadly they are not vegan.  So, I decided that I needed to make some vegan ones of my own at home.  I wanted to make them a bit less cakey though, and add in chocolate chips instead of a glaze on top.  Because chocolate is actually amazing with pumpkin spice!

    These cookies are actually pretty simple to make, no complicated instructions or anything fancy.  They have plenty of pumpkin in the dough, and just the right amount of pumpkin spices. I also add in maple sugar and maple extract and it gives them that something special that is really good but you don’t know quite what it is.  The dough for these by the way is downright addictive and super delicious.  I could not stop tasting it while making them.  Eating dough is one of my favorite parts of baking cookies after all, since I like dough even better than actual baked cookies sometimes.

    But don’t worry, these cookies are just as delicious as the dough! They smell amazing while baking, and are heavenly when you eat them while the chocolate chips are still warm and gooey!  If you are in the mood for something pumpkin too, give these a try!  They are amazing with a cup of tea or coffee for a mid-morning treat! Fall is definitely my favorite season!

    Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Makes 12 large cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups maple sugar coconut sugar
    • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp maple extract (optional)
    • 2 1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
    • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp cloves
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1 cup vegan chocolate chips

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line 2 sheet pans with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, coconut sugar, pumpkin puree and vanilla until well combined.
    3. Mix in the flour, spices, sea salt, baking soda and powder, until smooth.
    4. Mix in chocolate chips until well combined.
    5. Put the dough in the refrigerator until it is a little more firm, about 30 minutes.
    6. Roll the dough into 12 balls (about 2 inches round), and place on the baking sheets, spread a few inches apart and flatten slightly.
    7. Place in the oven and bake until starting to brown at the edges, about 12 minutes.
    8. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack.

    Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 4 months.

    *If you wish to make these gluten free, you can swap the whole wheat flour 1:1 for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour.  I have tried this flour and know it works well.

     

  • Vegan Ginger Almond Butter Cookies 

    Vegan Ginger Almond Butter Cookies 

    Fall is nearly here, and even though we have had a warm week so far I am ready for a new season and all of it’s flavors. Yes I am one of those people who loves pumpkin spice (only when used in the right applications of course), and all other warming spices like cinnamon in an apple pie or ginger cookies.  Which is why I decided to make ginger cookies last weekend!  I love how they are slightly spicy and warming, perfect with a cup of tea and especially during fall and winter.  These would be a little bit different though than the ones I usually make, I decided to make almond butter ginger cookies since I had some Dastony almond butter on hand from Raw Guru.  I like nut butter cookies, the way they are soft and chewy and nutty and I thought the ginger would be perfect in them!

    I have been experimenting a lot lately with oil free baking and nut butter cookies are somewhat easy to make oil free due to their high fat content in the nut butter.  Oil free is not to be confused with low fat, it simply means you use a whole food product instead of oil which is more refined, like swapping the coconut oil for all almond butter in this case.  You might think that it makes baked goods less rich, but actually most of the time it turns out quite well, like with these cookies.

    They were really quite simple to make, just mix in a bowl, shape, roll in sugar and bake! I mixed in a few more spices besides the ginger, although the ginger was still the star.  The dough tasted amazing even before baking.  Yes, I always have to test my cookie dough.  You never know when you might forget to add something like the sugar.  Which has happened to me before and I ended up saving the batch because it wasn’t baked yet.  Nobody is perfect after all but it is nice when you can catch your mistakes and fix them.

    These cookies smelled amazing while baking!  The aroma of sweet spices and ginger filled my kitchen!  I did not wait for them to cool completely before trying one, because they were calling my name.  They were super delicious!  Soft and chewy with just the right amount of spicy ginger and warming spices with the rich flavor of almond butter!  These are perfect for fall, so definitely give them a try if you are a spice cookie sort of person like I am!  They would go perfect with a pumpkin spice latte after all, the unofficial drink of fall!

    Vegan Ginger Almond Butter Cookies 
    Makes 24

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup coconut sugar plus more for rolling cookies
    • 1 1/2 cups Dastony almond butter
    • 1/2 cup filtered water
    • 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water allowed to sit 15 minutes)
    • 2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 2 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 2 tsp ginger
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
    2. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
    3. In a bowl, mix together the coconut sugar, almond butter , water and the flax egg until smooth.
    4. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and spices until smooth.
    5. Place some coconut sugar in a small bowl.
    6. Roll the cookie dough into 1 inch balls, then roll in coconut sugar and set on the prepared tray, 2 inches apart.
    7. Place tray in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until set.
    8. Remove from oven, and let cool before enjoying.

     

    *If you would like to make these gluten free, you can swap in Bob’s Red Mill all purpose baking gluten free flour for the whole wheat pastry flour.  I have tested this brand personally and know it works well.

  • Oil Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Oil Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

    I am often asked to create oil free recipes so I have been working on some lately, and one of the first things that I chose to make was chocolate chip cookies. I mean, chocolate chip cookies are pretty standard when it comes to classic recipes. I know they were certainly one of my favorites growing up. I remember being in my Grandma’s kitchen helping her make them as a child many times being super excited about them. She knew the recipe by heart she made it so often. I was always trying to steal the dough and she would pretend like she didn’t see me grabbing some. They were always so amazing while still warm and gooey from the oven too!

    The whole chocolate chip cookie baking process is just a really happy experience for me. Well, baking in general is my happy place so long as the recipe I am making turns out and this time it did so I was thrilled! I wanted a chocolate chip cookie that still tasted rich while being oil free, so what I used for the fat in the recipe was a combination of coconut butter and Dastony sprouted almond butter from Raw Guru. I figured the coconut butter would give it richness and the almond butter the chewiness that I like in my chocolate chip cookies.

    I used organic whole wheat pastry flour for the base, but of course if you are gluten free, you could use Bob’s Red Mill AP gluten free baking flour (I prefer that brand because it always works in 1:1 swaps). I used coconut sugar for the sweetener because I like the caramel like flavor it gives cookies and my Grandma had always used brown sugar in her cookies which kind of has the same affect.

    They turned out super delicious! Soft and chewy just how I like my chocolate chip cookies, with a light caramel like flavor and gooey chocolate chips as I enjoyed one while still warm! Next time you are in the mood for a good chocolate chip cookie, give these a try!

    Oil Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Makes 16 large cookies

    Ingredients:

    •  2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/2 cup filtered water
    • 3/4 cup coconut butter (not oil)*, warmed to liquid
    • 1/2 cup Dastony almond butter
    • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
    • 3/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

    Directions:

    1. Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.
    2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, coconut butter and almond butter with sugar and mix until well combined
      Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.  Add the baking soda and salt then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.  Mix in the chocolate chips.
    4. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
    5. To Form the cookies take about a 1 1/2 inch chunk of dough, form into a ball and on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart, and press down just slightly. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.
    6. Remove from the oven, and press the chocolate chunks into the cookies (I do this instead of mixing them in because they look prettier and don’t melt so much that way), and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.
    7. Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool for at least 15 minutes before enjoying.

    *For those unfamiliar with coconut butter it is the whole ground coconut flesh similar to nut butter, not the same thing as coconut oil. If you can not find any at the store or don’t want to order online you can make your own by buzzing finely shredded unsweetened dried coconut in a high speed blender until smooth, using the tamper to press it down into the blades. It takes just a few minutes. Alternatively you can use a food processor, it just takes a lot longer to blend and you need to scrape it down.

  • Vegan Raspberry Lavender Pie Cookies

    Vegan Raspberry Lavender Pie Cookies

    Raspberries are my all time favorite fruit. Maybe because they are somewhat abundant here in Minnesota and I ate a lot of them as a kid. Or because they have a season limited to a couple of months here so they also seem somewhat special. Yes, you can buy them year round shipped in from other places, but they are definitely best this time of the year when they are local. So, I have been making a lot of things with raspberries lately.

    Last week I thought some raspberry pie sounded good but I didn’t want to make a giant pie so I decided on mini pies instead. When I say mini, I mean really mini as in pie cookies. I have made them before in other flavors so I figured why not raspberry?! Plus they are all cute and shareable and perfectly portioned for a few bites!

    I also decided to make them a little fancier and add a touch of lavender to them. Berries and lavender are so heavenly together! These were easy to make. You just make a simple pie crust dough (the trick is not to completely over-mix it), then roll it out and have fun cutting it into cute little circles that you then fill with jam and another piece of dough. I felt kind of like a kid playing with play dough.

    They baked up beautifully and in much less time than an actual pie would have. Also most importantly they turned out super delicious! The pie crust was buttery and rich and the raspberry filling sweet and gooey! If you love fruit pies, and have raspberries on hand, give this recipe a go!

    Vegan Raspberry Lavender Pie Cookies
    Makes 18

    Crust:

    Filling:

    • 1/2 cup mashed raspberries mixed with 1 Tbsp maple sugar and 1 tsp cornstarch or 1/2 cup vegan raspberry jam
    • 1/2 tsp dried lavender flowers

    Topping:

    • coconut milk or aquafaba for brushing tops
    • maple sugar or coconut sugar for sprinkling

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
    2. To make the crust, in a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, sea salt, and spices.
    3. Cut in coconut oil with a pastry blender or 2 knives until it is in pea sized pieces. Mix in  just enough water to create a smooth dough that holds together but isn’t too sticky. Add more water if needed, and knead slightly until a smooth dough is created.
    4. Roll out into a large rectangle 1/8 inch thick using parchment underneath and floured rolling pin, and cut into 36 circles with a cookie cutter.
    5. Mix the jam with the lavender.
    6. Spoon the raspberries or jam by the tsp onto half of the prepared little crust circles, and cover with the top pieces of dough (I used a small spatula to carefully move them), pressing the edges and crimping with a fork.
    7. Brush very lightly with a little coconut milk, then sprinkle with a little maple sugar.  Place the pan in the oven.
    8. Bake for about 30 minutes until the crusts are starting to brown lightly. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack until warm.
  • Vegan Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

    Vegan Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

    Cookies and cream ice cream was one of my favorites when I was a kid. My Dad usually had it on hand in his refrigerator and it was perfect for layering up with the other flavors for a giant sundae. He used to let me make whatever I wanted, no matter the sugar content or the size of the dessert so I usually went with the cookies and cream, peppermint bon bon, and moose tracks or something else similar plus a topping of fudge and caramel, and whipped cream. Sounds like an odd combination but I thought it was pretty darn good. That is also probably why I was so hyper sometimes.

    I have to admit I haven’t had any cookies and cream ice cream as an adult, since I am not really a big fan of Oreos now. I know that they are technically vegan but I try not to eat processed packaged foods with artificial ingredients. So, I thought I would make my own cookies and cream ice cream, with my own home made cookies, since I haven’t had any of that ice cream in so long!

    I made some chocolate shortbread cookies, which were also drizzled in chocolate (because why not?!), broke those up and stirred those into my ice cream base. They don’t taste exactly like Oreos, but I like them better. They taste like real cookies. For the ice cream base, I used a mixture of coconut milk and cashew butter to make it extra creamy and just added some maple syrup, vanilla and dash of sea salt (because it makes flavors even more intense) and it was perfect!

    This was not the ice cream I ate as a kid, it was better. I went a little overboard on adding cookie chunks (I have adjusted the recipe so you will have just the right amount), but it was ok, it was amazing tasting. The cookies stayed nice and crunchy, with plenty of chocolate flavor and the ice cream was rich and creamy with a nice mellow vanilla flavor. You would never guess that it was vegan! It tasted just as creamy as dairy ice cream! I am so happy ice cream season is now here.

    Vegan Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

    Makes about 3 cups

    Cookies:

    • 3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 3 Tbsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 3 Tbsp coconut sugar
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
    • 2 Tbsp avocado oil (or other neutral oil liquid at cool temperatures)
    • 1 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1/4 cup melted vegan dark chocolate

    Ice Cream:

    • 2 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup maple syrup (or to taste)
    • 1 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 325F degrees, and line three baking sheets with parchment.
    2. To make the dough, mix all ingredients but the chocolate together in a bowl until combined and smooth (it may be slightly crumbly, and that is ok, just squeeze it back together), then place on a piece of parchment paper and roll out 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into circles with a medium sized cookie cutter and place them onto two of the prepared pans. Re-roll any scraps squeezing them back together and rolling them out, and cutting into more shapes until all of the dough is used. 
    3. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until set and just barely beginning to brown at the edges.
    4. Remove the pans from the oven and let cool completely on wire racks.
    5. Drizzle with the dark chocolate then place in the freezer until the chocolate is set.
    6. Break up some of the cookies until you have 1 cup of cookie pieces and set aside. (reserve the rest for eating)
    7. For the ice cream, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
    8. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions.
    9. Once the ice cream is done churning, stir in the cookie pieces and pour into a freezer safe container with a lid. Place the lid on, place in the freezer and freeze for about 4 hours or until firm enough to scoop. Enjoy!

    *Note: If you wanted to make these gluten free, you could use Bob’s Red Mill AP baking flour in the cookies instead of the whole wheat pastry flour subbed 1:1.

    *Note, if you do not have an ice cream maker you may also freeze it this way. Pour into a bowl, and place in the freezer. Whisk once every half hour until it has frozen to the consistency of soft serve. Then continue to pour into your freezer safe container as the above directions state.

    *If your ice cream gets hard after freezing, let sit out about 15-20 minutes before scooping.

  • Banana Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

    Banana Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

    Over-ripe bananas are a good problem to have. I mean, you can cut them up and freeze them for smoothies or nice cream, or make some banana bread or cake, or mash them and make pancakes. I had gotten some over-ripe bananas from work, and I wanted to make something delicious with them besides all of the things I mentioned (because I like a bit of variety sometimes). I thought long and hard about what I wanted to make. It couldn’t be too time consuming, it had to be something easy to make and something that used ingredients I already had on hand. Since I am always trying to use up things I already have instead of spending more money. What I decided on was cookies. They were perfect, because they were easy to make, and I knew they would be super delicious!

    I didn’t want the cookies super cakey though, or just mashed bananas mixed in, because I don’t really like the texture of most banana cookies. So I decided to roast the bananas first to intensify their flavor and make them even sweeter then mix them into the dough keeping it in chunks. You could of course use dried banana chips and skip this step to make the recipe even faster, but trust me it is worth it for the flavor!

    These were oatmeal cookies, my favorite cookie because they are hearty and I love oats plus the chewy on the inside crispy at the edges texture is perfect as far as I am concerned and exactly what I like in a cookie. I added in crunchy hazelnuts and rich vegan dark chocolate chips along with the bananas and the dough was heavenly! Honestly eating cookie dough is my favorite part of making cookies.

    They baked up beautifully as well, and smelled amazing! Kind of like banana bread crossed with cookies containing brown sugar. But I didn’t even use brown sugar in these, I used coconut sugar which is a great brown sugar substitute! The cookies were super delicious! If you are craving cookies and have bananas on hand, now you know what to make!

    Banana Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

    Makes 16 large cookies

    • 4 medium organic bananas, peeled and sliced
    • 3/4 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    • 2 flax eggs*
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour
    • 2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
    • 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
    • 3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

    Instructions:

    1. preheat the oven to 375F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment (or oil it).
    2. Spread out the sliced bananas on it, place in the oven, and roast for about 30-45 minutes until they are browned, and almost starting to caramelize and have lost some of their moisture. Remove from the oven and let cool until you are able to handle them comfortably. Set aside.
    3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    4. Mix in the flour, soda, spices and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add bananas, chocolate chips and hazelnuts and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    5. Lower the oven to 350F degrees with the rack set at the middle position.
    6. Roll the dough into 16 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    8. Enjoy!

    *For the flax eggs, whisk together 2 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl.  Allow to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes until the mixture has set up (or become kind of thick).  

  • Vegan Key Lime Sugar Cookies

    Vegan Key Lime Sugar Cookies

    I have always loved anything key lime. Key lime pie was one of my favorite desserts growing up, because I loved the balance of tart and sweet in the creamy filling, and just the heavenly aroma of the limes. I still feel the same way, and the scent of lime reminds me of summer and warm weather. Although it isn’t Summer, we have just barely gotten into Spring, I decided to make some key lime sugar cookies last weekend. I am so ready for warm weather and it was making me a little sad that we were supposed to get snow later in the week, so I figured I would enjoy Summer in the form of cookies.

    I used my classic sugar cookie base, one that turns out tender, buttery and melt in your mouth delicious. It is based off of my Grandma’s sugar cookie recipe actually, the one I used to make before I went vegan that always impressed everyone and they were going back for seconds. Some sugar cookies are just like “meh this is ok but nothing special” but these are crave worthy. I actually made this batch gluten free, because I had some Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free baking flour on hand.

    I wanted them to have plenty of lime flavor so I added it in both zest and juice form. I sweetened these with xylitol because I don’t buy refined white sugar and it is what I use when I don’t want my baked goods to turn brown or have a flavor like when I use coconut sugar. The dough smelled amazing thanks to the fresh limes, and it tasted even better.

    The cookies baked up beautifully and although I could have enjoyed them just as they were I figured they would be even better and prettier with a tart lime glaze. They were sooo good! Rich and buttery, with the aroma of lime and a just the right amount of tartness to balance out the sweet. If you are a key lime fan like me, give these a try!

    Vegan Key Lime Sugar Cookies

    Makes 24 cookies  

    Ingredients:  

    Cookies:

    • 2 Tbsp ground golden flax seed
    • 1/4 cup filtered water
    • 2 Tbsp lime juice
    • 2 Tbsp lime zest
    • 1 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups xylitol* (coconut sugar may be used but keep in mind the cookies will not be the same pretty yellow color)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1/8 tsp spinach powder (optional for color)
    • 3 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour

    Glaze:

    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    • 3 Tbsp lime juice
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed, filtered water and lime juice and zest.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    2. In a large bowl, mix coconut oil with xylitol and mix until well combined.
    3. Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.
    4. Add the baking soda, salt, spinach powder then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.
    5. To bake, Preheat your oven to 350F degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll balls into about 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart.
    6. Place in the oven, and bake for about 15-18 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.  Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool completely.
    7. To make the glaze, whisk all of the ingredients together (if it seems too thick to drizzle, add a little more lemon juice to it).
    8. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies.
    9. Place the cookies in the freezer until the glaze is set.
    10. Enjoy!

    *Do not feed these cookies to dogs, xylitol is toxic to dogs similar to how chocolate is.

  • Vegan Matcha Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Vegan Matcha Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Much of the time I get inspired for recipes by finding random ingredients at the store. Like last weekend I found a bag of pistachios at Aldi for a really good price and I decided that they would be amazing in some chocolate chip cookies. Everyone uses walnuts mostly in theirs if they use nuts at all, and that is in fact what my Grandma used in hers, but I like to switch things up from the norm. I thought little green pistachios would be lovely in chocolate chip cookies especially since I am all about the green theme this week with St. Patrick’s Day being next weekend.

    I even took it a step further and decided to add matcha to the dough to make them an over all lovely green hue. I love matcha in desserts in case you haven’t noticed if you have followed me for any amount of time. I have quite a few of them including it! I was super excited about making these on my day off. Cookies are so easy to throw together unlike some other desserts that take a lot of prep time and chilling time, you can be enjoying cookies in under an hour!

    Plus I like the fact that I get to eat the dough while I am making them. Best part of the whole process next to warm cookies with gooey chocolate chips! The dough for these was heavenly. I probably ate a couple of cookies worth at least! It baked up beautifully too. I thought that the color might fade but it remained a vibrant green! So festive looking for St. Patrick’s Day!

    They tasted amazing once baked as well, soft and chewy with a little bit of crispiness at the edges, gooey rich dark chocolate chips (because I had to enjoy one while still warm of course), and the crunchy salty nutty pistachios …it was the perfect combo! Next time you are in the mood for some really good cookies, whip up a batch of these babies!

    Vegan Matcha Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Makes 16 large cookies

    Ingredients:

    •  2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated organic cane sugar
    • 1 Tbsp matcha powder
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 3 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    • 3/4 cup chopped pistachios
    • 3/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.
    2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, coconut oil and cashew butter with sugar and mix until well combined
      Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.  Add the matcha, baking soda and salt then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.  Mix in the chocolate chips and pistachios.
    4. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
    5. To Form the cookies take about a 1 1/2 inch chunk of dough, form into a ball and on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart, and press down just slightly. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.
    6. Remove from the oven, and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.
    7. Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool for at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
  • Vegan Thin Mint Cookies

    Vegan Thin Mint Cookies

    I was never a Girl Scout, but I did love Girl Scout cookies when I was little. We always bought the classics, like the Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tag Alongs and those three were my favorites. Now as an adult, I like to make my own versions of them at home. I know you can get some of the Girl Scout cookies in vegan versions, but I prefer my own non-processed no preservatives added versions. There is just nothing like home made cookies, the store bought ones are just not the same. I like to use good quality more whole ingredients in mine.

    So last weekend I decided to make some home made thin mints. I had made a raw version in the past, but I wanted to try and make a baked version. It was really cold last Monday on my day off and it was a good day to do a baking project. I have been seeing everyone posting their Girl Scout cookie pictures online too and I suddenly was craving some of my own.

    I used a chocolate mint short bread cookie base for these, because I knew it would bake up thin and crispy and it turned out perfect! They do require some rolling and cutting, which takes a little more time than drop cookies, but it is so worth it in the end! The dough tasted amazing and they smelled even more amazing as they baked. Like really good chocolate mint brownies. Except these weren’t brownies, they were tender crispy cookies!

    Raw Guru recently sent me some Rawmio Mint Chocolate Hearts, so I thought that they would be perfect to melt down as the coating for these cookies. Because they had to have that chocolate coating! Of course the hearts are good for just snacking too if you have a chocolate craving so definitely check them out on their website. They also have orange, plain chocolate and even CBD infused chocolate ones!

    Once these cookies were all set and ready to go I could not wait to try them! They were sooo much better than the pre-made boxed ones! No offense Girl Scouts, but I like home made so much better. They were thin and crispy, with an intense chocolate flavor and cooling mint plus that rich dark chocolate coating! If you are a Thin Mint cookie fan give these a try!

     

    Vegan Thin Mint Cookies

    Makes about 24 medium sized cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 1 3/4 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 1/4 cup Raw Guru cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp Raw Guru coconut sugar
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1/4 cup avocado oil (or other neutral oil liquid at cool temperatures)
    • 1 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp peppermint extract
    • 1 1/2 cups Rawmio mint chocolate hearts or vegan chopped dark chocolate with 1/2 tsp peppermint extract added

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 325F degrees, and line three baking sheets with parchment.
    2. To make the dough, mix all ingredients together in a bowl until combined and smooth (it may be slightly crumbly, and that is ok, just squeeze it back together), then place on a piece of parchment paper and roll out 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into circles with a medium sized cookie cutter and place them onto two of the prepared pans. Re-roll any scraps squeezing them back together and rolling them out, and cutting into more shapes until all of the dough is used. 
    3. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until set and just barely beginning to brown at the edges.
    4. Remove the pans from the oven and let cool completely on wire racks.
    5. When the cookies have cooled completely, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler.
    6. Dip each cookie into the chocolate and set on a parchment lined tray.
    7. When you have finished dipping the cookies, place them in the freezer for about 15 minutes until the chocolate sets.
    8. Enjoy!  Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

    *Note: If you wanted to make these gluten free, you could use Bob’s Red Mill AP baking flour instead of the whole wheat pastry flour subbed 1:1.

  • Vegan Dark Chocolate Raspberry Shortbread Cookies

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Raspberry Shortbread Cookies

    I have been all about making cute Valentine’s Day treats lately. After all, it is next week already. Maybe it is just because I am a true girly girl and I love all things pink and festive and heart shaped, or just that I love things with chocolate, or berry or any of the other sweet flavors associated with Valentine’s Day. The chocolates are my favorite of course, but I have been making cookies this week as well!

    I made some raspberry linzer cookies earlier in the week and more recently some dark chocolate short bread ones that I am sharing with you today! I had always wanted to make this type of cookies, the ones with the jam peeking out through the window in the top cookie of a sandwich. I made the classic ones to begin with because I wanted to see if they would work out, then made the non-traditional ones for my blog and they happened to be my favorite of the two.

    I made them with a dark chocolate shortbread base, so I am not calling them linzer cookies since that base has nuts and is typically vanilla. This base is super delicious though! I modeled it after a dark chocolate shortbread cookie I used to make back in the day before I went vegan that I loved and they turned out very similar!

    These are a little bit time consuming to make, I am not going to lie, after all they require rolling out dough, cutting it and chilling it then the assembly with the jam and being careful with the delicate top cookies. But it is all totally worth it, and I find doing activities like this calming. Maybe it is just the artist in me that likes to spend weeks on one painting or sculpture, but doing little detailed things makes me happy sometimes. These cookies turned out super delicious by the way, the rich, buttery dark chocolate cookies the perfect pairing for the gooey sweet raspberry jam! If you are in the mood for a Valentine’s Day project, give these cookies a try!

     

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Raspberry Shortbread Cookies 
    Makes about 16

    Ingredients:

    • 1 3/4 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 1/4 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp maple sugar
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1/4 cup avocado oil (or other neutral oil liquid at cool temperatures)
    • 1 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • about 1/2 cup raspberry jam 

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 325F degrees, and line three baking sheets with parchment.
    2. To make the dough, mix all ingredients together in a bowl until combined and smooth (it may be slightly crumbly, and that is ok, just squeeze it back together), then place on a piece of parchment paper and roll out 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into heart shapes with a medium sized cookie cutter (I used a heart shape) and place them onto two of the prepared pans. Re-roll any scraps squeezing them back together and rolling them out, and cutting into more shapes until all of the dough is used. 
    3. Place the cookies on the pans into the freezer to chill for 5 minutes (or until the dough is more firm but still slightly pliable), then remove one of the pans and cut smaller hearts out of the centers of the hearts on that pan. Remove the hearts and set them on the third pan. Place all of the pans back into the freezer until the cookies are completely firm, about 10 minutes.
    4. When they are firm enough, place the pans in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until set and just barely beginning to brown at the edges.
    5. Remove the pans from the oven and let cool completely on wire racks.
    6. When the cookies have cooled completely, spread a thin layer of raspberry jam over each of the larger cookies without the holes, then place the cookies with the holes on top of them (being careful as they are fragile, I used a spatula to move them.
    7. Then spread jam over half of the smaller cookies and sandwich them together with the other half of the cookies.
    8. Enjoy!  Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

     

  • Vegan Strawberry Frosted Vanilla Cookies

    Vegan Strawberry Frosted Vanilla Cookies

    Back when I was in high school I didn’t cook a lot, but what I did do once in a while was make cookies.  I especially loved my Grandma’s cookie recipes, frosted sugar cookies being one of my favorites.  I used to make a big batch, and share them with my friends and family.  They were really rich delicious cookies with about a pound of butter in the dough, sugar plus powdered sugar and of course I topped them off with buttercream frosting that had more butter and sugar.  So just one was plenty or you might go into a sugar coma.  Well, several different people I gave a plate to ate the entire plate in one day!  So I guess that means they were pretty darn good.  Well, I don’t make those cookies any more because they were obviously not vegan and I try to make things that are a bit healthier.  But I do still like frosted vanilla cookies.

    So last weekend I decided to make some vanilla frosted cookies.  They are more shortbread buttery type cookies than the softer sugar cookies I used to make, but I like the texture of these even better. The cookie base is pretty simple and easy to make, not fussy at all. I use a mixture of whole wheat pastry flour plus a little tapioca flour to make the texture more tender. And for the fat in the dough I use a mixture of avocado oil and coconut oil because if it were all just coconut oil they would be harder at room temperature but the avocado oil makes the consistency more like actual butter or buttery spread.  I am just not a fan of using store bought buttery spreads and would rather mix my own oils.  The result is a delicious tender buttery cookie! 

    They smell amazing while baking too because of course you can’t go wrong with vanilla.  For the frosting on these cookies I thought about making a buttercream style vegan frosting, but decided to go with more of a glaze one instead.  It is much easier to make and still good. I made a simple coconut butter glaze.  I wanted a pink frosting, so I ground up some freeze dried strawberries into a powder to color it and it was so good!  Like sweet strawberries and cream frosting! Lastly, I sprinkled the frosted cookies with some little candy balls, because why not make them pretty.  These would be perfect for upcoming Valentine’s Day, don’t you think?

    Vegan Strawberry Frosted Vanilla Cookies 
    Makes about 16

    Ingredients:

    • 1 3/4 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 1/4 cup tapioca flour**
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp maple sugar
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp avocado oil (or other neutral oil liquid at cool temperatures)
    • 1 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

    Frosting and Topping:

    • ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    • ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water (or as needed)
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 2 Tbsp strawberry powder***
    • vegan sprinkles (optional)

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 300F degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment.
    2. To make the dough, mix all ingredients together in a bowl until combined and smooth (it may be slightly crumbly, and that is ok, just squeeze it back together), then place on a piece of parchment paper and roll out 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into shapes with a medium sized cookie cutter (I used a heart shape) and place them onto the prepared pan. Re-roll any scraps squeezing them back together and rolling them out, and cutting into more shapes until all of the dough is used.  Place the cut shapes on the pan into the freezer to chill for 10 minutes before baking.
    3. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until set and just barely beginning to brown at the edge.
    4. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool completely on a rack.
    5. Mix together the coconut butter, maple syrup and dried strawberries until smooth adding a touch more filtered water if it is too thick (you want it a thick glaze consistency). 
    6. Spread a thin layer of the frosting over the cookies, and sprinkle with the sprinkles.  Set the glazed cookies in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes until set.
    7. Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

    *If you wanted to make these cookies gluten free, you could use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour instead of the pastry flour.

    **If you do not have tapioca flour you can substitute cornstarch.

    ***To make strawberry powder, grind freeze dried strawberries to a fine flour consistency with a mortar and pestle, or grind in a clean dry spice grinder.

  • Vegan Almond Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches with White Chocolate Cream

    Vegan Almond Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches with White Chocolate Cream

    When I was little, I liked Little Debbie snacks.  In fact, I considered them the best part of my lunch back in the day when my Mom would pack my lunch in middle school.  I liked those vanilla cake rolls with the strawberry cream filling and those little pink frosted heart cakes, but what I really loved were the oatmeal cream pies.  I don’t know why they are called “pies” because they are actually oatmeal cookie sandwiches, but they were so delicious to my younger self.  Since I love to veganize things I loved as a kid, I thought I would make some oatmeal cream pies.  These would be a little more fancy though, and hopefully even more delicious.

    For the oatmeal cookies, I used my normal recipe that uses coconut oil as the fat, but I also included some Dastony almond butter I recently received from Raw Guru as well to make for some chewy cookies with a light almond flavor.  They also had to have a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg because I love those two spices with anything oatmeal including my breakfast every morning.  The cookie dough was super delicious.  I am one of those people that likes to make cookies just to eat the dough so you betcha I tasted it. Or more like ate a couple of cookies worth of dough.  I made the cookies smaller because I wanted cute little cookie sandwiches, and they baked up beautifully!  My kitchen smelled amazing too!  Like caramel (thanks to the Raw Guru coconut sugar), a hint of spice, and a hint of almonds. That is part of why baking makes me so happy, all of the good smells.

    Once they had cooled I had to make a really good cream filling.  I used a coconut milk base with a little bit of the Dastony almond butter to give it a slight almond flavor, plus some melted cacao butter to give it a white chocolate flavor and some coconut butter to thicken the cream.  It was heavenly!  It tasted like white chocolate almond mousse.

    Once the cookies were all filled and sandwiched together I could not wait to try them!  They were sooo good though!  The cookies were sweet and chewy like oatmeal cookies should be, with a hint of almond and spice and that white chocolate almond frosting was the perfect partner for them.  Rich, smooth and creamy!  If you were ever a fan of oatmeal cream pies, or you just love oatmeal cookies, give these a try!  My Mom always said she liked oatmeal cookies the best because they were healthier.  I would have to agree.  After all, they have more fiber than most cookies!  I think that is a pretty good reason to enjoy them, don’t you?

    Vegan Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches with White Chocolate Cream 
    Makes about 18 sandwich cookies

    Ingredients:

    Frosting:

    • 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk at room temperature (you want the kind that is mostly thick, I used Thai kitchen organic)
    • 2 Tbsp Dastony almond butter
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/4  tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 cup coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    • 2 Tbsp Raw Guru cocoa butter, warmed to liquid (or additional coconut butter if you don’t have cacao butter)

    Directions:

    1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, almond butter, and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    2. Mix in the flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined.
    3. Heat the oven to 350F degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
    4. Roll the dough into small 1 1/2 inch balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between, and flatten them out slightly. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool completely.
    5. To make the filling, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl, and set in the freezer, whisking every 5-10 minutes or so until it has thickened to heavy whipped cream consistency.
    6. Once the filling has thickened, place it in a pastry bag.  Flip half of the cookies over, and pipe the frosting onto them.  Top with the rest of the cookies.
    7. Enjoy!  Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
    *Whisk together 2 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl.  Allow to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes until the mixture has set up (or become kind of thick).
  • Vegan Lavender Vanilla Shortbread Cookies 

    Vegan Lavender Vanilla Shortbread Cookies 

    Lavender is one of my favorite scents.  Next to vanilla, it is something that I enjoy using the essential oil of fairly often for scenting my personal products (like lotions, deodorants, and shampoo), as well as putting in the diffuser in my home or car to keep me calm and relaxed.  Besides just enjoying the aroma of lavender though, I like to use the dried flowers in my desserts once and a while. It is heavenly when paired with citrus, chocolate or vanilla.  I used to make shortbread quite a lot before I went vegan, and one of the ones I made was a  lavender vanilla shortbread that was really delicious.  So I decided last weekend that I needed to recreate it. I hadn’t made any sort of shortbread in years as of last weekend and I don’t know why because shortbread is damn delicious.  It may be simple with few ingredients but I love the buttery texture.  So it was about time I got on making it again!

    I had all of the ingredients I wanted to use on hand so it was perfect!  For the dough, I used a combination of organic whole wheat pastry flour and tapoica flour.  Why tapoica flour?  Well it works similarly to cornstarch to lighten up the dough and make it more tender and I happened to have some on hand. But if you don’t have any on hand you could substitute cornstarch.  For the fat in the recipe, I used a combination of coconut oil and avocado oil.  They are both pretty neutral oils, and when combined they have a buttery flavor and give a rich texture to baked goods.  A little maple sugar, a dash of sea salt, some lavender and vanilla and the dough was delicious. Yes, I always have to eat some of my cookie dough before baking it!

    I could have just baked the shortbread in one big square in a pan and scored it, but I decided that it would be cuter and more fun to cut it out into little hearts instead. So I made little hearts, popped them in the oven at a low temperature (sine shortbread is delicate and you don’t want it too brown). They smelled heavenly while baking!

    They were lovely as they were, but since I like to dress up cookies, I dipped them in dark chocolate and sprinkled some with lavender and some with sprinkles. They turned out lovely, but more importantly they turned out delicious.  Melt in your mouth, rich and buttery with a hint of lavender and vanilla, the smooth dark chocolate the perfect partner for it all. These are the perfect thing to bake on a chilly Winter day when you don’t feel like going outside!

    Vegan Lavender Vanilla Shortbread Cookies 
    Makes about 16

    Ingredients:

    • 1 3/4 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 1/4 cup tapioca flour**
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp maple sugar
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp avocado oil (or other neutral oil liquid at cool temperatures)
    • 1 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 Tbsp organic dried lavender flowers

    Decoration:

    • 1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips or vegan dark chocolate chunks
    • vegan sprinkles or dried lavender flowers

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 300F degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment.
    2. To make the dough, mix all ingredients together in a bowl until combined and smooth (it may be slightly crumbly, and that is ok, just squeeze it back together), then place on a piece of parchment paper and roll out 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into shapes with a medium sized cookie cutter (I used a heart shape) and place them onto the prepared pan. Re-roll any scraps squeezing them back together and rolling them out, and cutting into more shapes until all of the dough is used.  Place the cut shapes on the pan into the freezer to chill for 10 minutes before baking.
    3. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until set and just barely beginning to brown at the edge.
    4. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool completely on a rack.
    5. Melt the dark chocolate in the top of a double boiler.
    6. Dip each cookie into the dark chocolate partially then set on a parchment lined tray.
    7. Sprinkle the dipped part of the cookies with dried lavender flowers or sprinkles.
    8. Let the chocolate set (or pop into the freezer for about 10 minutes until it sets).
    9. Enjoy!  Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

     

    *If you wanted to make these gluten free, you could use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour instead of the pastry flour.

    **If you do not have tapioca flour you can substitute cornstarch.

  • Vegan Pfeffernusse Cookies

    Vegan Pfeffernusse Cookies

    One of my Mom’s all time favorite Christmas cookies is Pfeffernusse.  If you haven’t heard of them, the name means “pepper nut” but they don’t have nuts in them, they are just delicious little spice cookies rolled in powdered sugar.  And they are darn delicious!  Also, they are not too difficult to make.  No fancy piping or anything required!  Funny story though, when I was still in high school and college, my Mom and I used to go to the library and check out cook books and make recipes from them back in the days before everyone just googled recipes.  This included Christmas cookie recipes, and one time we chose to make a new recipe for pfeffernusse.  We were all excited for it, but it turned out to be a horrible flop.  The dough was way too dry and hard to roll and they baked up like rocks.  I think it was one of our worst cookie fails.  But that didn’t stop us from still loving the pfeffernusse, we just stuck to our other recipe from then on.

    I had never actually made a vegan version though.  Until last weekend that is.  I am surprised I haven’t, but I guess I was sort of afraid that they wouldn’t turn out the same as the originals.  Well, my Mom asked me if I could recreate them and I couldn’t say no.  I mean, what was the worst that could happen?  They couldn’t possibly be worse than the ones I made back in the day that were a fail.  So I went for it.  I looked at a many different recipes for them, then did my best to create a winning version.  Luckily it worked out the first time!  I love when that happens.

    The cookie base for these is filled with so many good aromatic spices, it smells wonderful when you are making them.  What keeps the dough soft is the molasses that they include in them.  Instead of the butter in the classic recipe, I used a mixture of coconut oil and avocado oil because I wanted them to stay soft at room temperature (coconut oil alone gets too hard sometimes in certain cookies).   It worked out just as I wanted!  The cookies baked up beautifully!

    They had to have the classic powdered sugar as well, but since that is not something I keep on hand since I try to stay away from refined sugars for the most part, I made my own powdered sugar concoction.  I used a mixture of finely shredded, dried coconut, xylitol (to keep it white), and cornstarch blended up really fine.  It worked out perfect and tasted so good on the cookies!  I think I actually like this version of the pfeffernusse better than the original, and my Mom loved them as well because of course I had to share them with her since they are one of her favorites! If you are a fan of any sort of molasses or spice cookies, you will love these!

    Vegan Pfeffernusse Cookies
    Makes about 18

    Ingredients:

    Cookies:

    • 2 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp ginger
    • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
    • 1/4 tsp ground cardamon
    • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
    • 1/2 tsp ground anise
    • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil (warmed to liquid)
    • 1/4 cup avocado oil
    • 3/4 cup xylitol or maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1/4 cup molasses
    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water and allowed to sit for 15 minutes before using
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Coating:

    • 1/2 cup finely shredded, dried unsweetened coconut
    • 1/4 cup xylitol or maple sugar or coconut sugar*
    • 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.
    2. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, anise, pepper, and sea salt.
    3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the two oils, sugar, molasses, flax mixture, and vanilla.
    4. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until well combined, and a uniform dough.
    5. Roll the dough into balls and set on a tray.  Place in the freezer for 20 minutes, until they are more firm.
    6. Remove from the freezer and place on the prepared baking sheet a few inches apart.
    7. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until the cookies are set.
    8. Meanwhile, while they are baking, to make the coating, combine the coconut, sugar, and cornstarch in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.  Put through the holes of a fine meshed strainer if there are any remaining lumps.  Place the coating in a bowl.
    9. When the cookies have finished baking, remove them from the oven, let cool a minute or two, then carefully roll each in the coating then place back on the tray.
    10. Let cool, and dust with a little more sugar if you wish (I just put it in a fine meshed strainer and tapped it to dust them).
    11. Enjoy!
  • Vegan Chocolate Mint Hazelnut Thumb Print Cookies 

    Vegan Chocolate Mint Hazelnut Thumb Print Cookies 

    I love making Christmas cookies.  When I was little, my Mom and I would always pick out many different kinds then spend the day in the kitchen listening to Christmas music making them and afterwards we would put them all in a big container to enjoy for the Holidays and to give away.  We would always make the classics, like pecan tassies, frosted vanilla sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies and pfeffernüsse (German “pepper nut” cookies, or spiced cookies rolled in powdered sugar), but we would also pick some new ones every year to try.  That was the most exciting part for me.  We used to get cook books at the library and page through them looking for new recipes.  I like to keep that tradition going.  Make a few favorites and whip up some new ones.  The only difference is that I usually come up with my own new recipes instead of finding them in cook books.  I still share them with my Mom though, she loves having cookies on hand to enjoy with her coffee mid-morning.

    Raw Guru recently sent me some goodies including some Rawmio Chocolate Mint Hazelnut Spread and I thought it would be just the thing to use in some Christmas cookies. I mean, mint kind of screams holidays.  Plus I love nut butter in cookies, it makes them rich, chewy and delicious!  What I ended up making were some delicious thumb print cookies.  I haven’t made any in a few years and in the past I have filled them with jam, but I thought the chocolate mint spread would be perfect as a filling!

    For the cookie dough, I modified the dough I use for my peanut blossom cookies swapping some hazelnut butter for the usual peanut butter and adding in cacao powder to make them chocolaty rich and delicious!  It was some bomb tasting dough too!  I always taste my cookie dough.  Not just because I love it and it is the best part of baking cookies, but to make sure I am not missing any ingredients.  Funny story, last week I was making some cookies and I was somewhat distracted and I ended up forgetting to add the sugar. It was a good thing I tasted the dough because I prevented having to throw away the batch of cookies!  Luckily I was still able to add it.  I make mistakes too sometimes so don’t feel bad if you ever have an off day in the kitchen!

    Back to the cookies though, they smelled amazing while baking!  As soon as they came out of the oven, I filled them with the Rawmio Chocolate Mint Hazelnut Spread and I could not wait to try them!  They looked so good!  I admit I did try one while they were warm and the filling was all oozy and gooey and it was amazing!  But if you want them to look nice I recommend waiting until they cook and the centers solidify completely.  They are soft, chewy, rich and chocolaty, and minty fresh!  These make perfect Christmas cookies!  If you are a chocolate fan definitely give these a try!

    Vegan Chocolate Mint Hazelnut Thumb Print Cookies 
    Makes about 14 cookies

    • 3/4 cups maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 3/4 cups Dastony hazelnut butter
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed, and 3 Tbsp filtered water mixed together and allowed to sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe
    • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
    • 1 1/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free baking flour*
    • 1/4 cup Raw Guru cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 3/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • Rawmio chocolate mint hazelnut spread (warmed to liquid if solid)*

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, hazelnut butter, and coconut oil until well combined.  Add the flax mixture, peppermint extract, and whisk until smooth.
    2. Stir in all the remaining ingredients with a spoon, except for the hazelnut spread until smooth. The dough will be thick and soft.
    3. Form into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on lined baking sheets a few inches apart.
    4. Place in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes until set.
    5. Remove from the oven and immediately press your thumb or the bottom of a small 1/2 tsp measuring spoon into the center of each to create an indentation (before they cool otherwise it won’t work).
    6. Spoon or pipe a little of the chocolate mint hazelnut spread into the center of each.  Allow to cool completely.

     

    *If you can not get the Rawmio spreads where you live, you can substitute 1/4 cup melted vegan dark chocolate whisked together with 2 Tbsp hazelnut butter, and 1/4 tsp peppermint extract until smooth.

    Notes:

    If you don’t like hazelnuts or can’t get hazelnut butter or make it, then you could use your favorite nut or seed butter, like almond butter for this recipe where the hazelnut is required.

    If you are not gluten free, you may use the same amount of whole wheat pastry flour in place of the GF flour.

     

     

  • Vegan Chocolate Covered Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

    Vegan Chocolate Covered Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

    There is always the age old debate when it comes to classic oatmeal cookies.  You have the chocolate chip side and the raisin side.  I find that most people hate one but love the other.  The deli I work in makes both, and I find that the oatmeal chocolate chip tend to go faster than the raisin. I understand that, chocolate is after all delicious, but there is something nostalgic about raisins in oatmeal cookies that I kind of love.  Funny because I am not the type of person who would eat raisins alone as a snack.  Not until I tried the Rawmio chocolate covered golden raisins from Raw Guru.  These are not the Raisinetes you grew up eating (which I was not a fan of because they were milk chocolate and had some sort of weird coating on them). These are organic golden raisins covered in good quality rich vegan dark chocolate!  I would be happy to eat a bag of them.  But I  decided that they would be perfect in oatmeal cookies.  Why not make everyone happy and include both raisins AND dark chocolate?!

    Any excuse to bake cookies and eat cookie dough, I am in. These are really quick and easy to make too.  I always love making cookies that are not fussy as opposed to ones that take a lot of extra time and TLC.  You can be enjoying these babies in under an hour!  Back when I was in college, I would always bake cookies to share with my cross country team for every meet.  So I developed a pretty good recipe back then that I veganized later and it is always a hit.  Especially with my Mom, because they are her favorite cookie so I always have to share with her.  She always said that they were healthier than other cookies because they have fiber, and I have to agree!  I like to include a little cinnamon and nutmeg in my oatmeal cookies also to give them that something extra.  The dough was super delicious with those chocolate covered raisins stirred in!  I also added some crunchy walnuts, because I love them in oatmeal cookies.

    They baked up beautifully and I couldn’t wait to try them!  They made my kitchen smell amazing.  They were so good warm with the chocolate a little gooey still!  Soft and chewy in the center and crispy at the edges just how oatmeal cookies should be with the sweet chocolate raisins and crunchy walnuts it was perfection!  You can have the best of both worlds with these no need to pick between raisins and chocolate chips in your oatmeal cookies!

    Vegan Chocolate Covered Raisin Oatmeal Cookies
    Makes 1 dozen large cookies

    Ingredients:

     

    Directions:

    1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    2. Mix in the flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add walnuts and chocolate covered raisins and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    3. Heat the oven to 350F degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
    4. Roll the dough into 12 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between, and flatten them out slightly. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    *Whisk together 2 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl.  Allow to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes until the mixture has set up (or become kind of thick).

     

  • Vegan Chocolate Coffee Hazelnut Butter Cookies 

    Vegan Chocolate Coffee Hazelnut Butter Cookies 

    When I was little I loved Nutella.  I mostly just spread it on toast and thought I was having dessert for breakfast.  I mean how else could I get away with just eating chocolate for breakfast?!  When I took a trip to Europe in high school, when we were in France I ate Nutella on croissants or baguettes every day at the hotels we stayed in.  So healthy, I know but I didn’t really care about the nutritional value of the foods I ate back then.  It was funny though, I loved Nutella but didn’t even know what a real hazelnut should taste like.  I gave up eating things with refined sugars so the Nutella went by the wayside, and I forgot about it for a while, thinking I wouldn’t enjoy it again.  But years later I finally made my own home made nutella with plenty of real hazelnuts and it was so different from the stuff I ate as a kid, so much better.  Real hazelnuts as the main ingredient is key to good chocolate hazelnut spread!  Although I like making my own, Rawmio has some that are seriously amazing and 100 times better than the original Nutella too for if you don’t fee like making it yourself.  They are like little jars of heaven and you could honestly just eat them with a spoon.  One of the flavors that reminds me of Nutella is their Hazelnut Coffee chocolate spread. It is epic.  The texture is like a really rich chocolate frosting with a hint of coffee. Raw Guru recently sent me some, and I decided it would be awesome in cookies.

    So I got to work baking some!  I was craving some buttery, rich cookies with plenty of nut butter in them.  For these ones I used a combination of the hazelnut coffee spread and hazelnut butter for extra hazelnut flavor.  The dough was super delicious.  Cookie dough is the best part of making cookies as far as I am concerned (second is the warm ones), so I had to sample plenty of it!  They smelled amazing while baking!  Nutty hazelnut and sweet chocolate heaven!  I could have just left them as they were but I decided to add a little more chocolate in the mix.

    I dipped them in vegan dark chocolate.  I am in a chocolate eating sort of mood lately.  These cookies were sooo good!  They were buttery and rich with the flavors of hazelnuts, a hint of coffee and dark chocolate! These would be the perfect thing to enjoy with your coffee come to think of it!  I hope you are all having a wonderful start to your October!

    Vegan Chocolate Coffee Hazelnut Butter Cookies 
    Makes 18 cookies

    Ingredients:

    Cookies:

     

    For dipping:

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and water.  Place the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes, this is your flax egg.
    2. In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon, mix together the sugar, chocolate hazelnut spread, hazelnut butter, coconut oil, and flax egg, until smooth.  Then mix in the flour, soda, baking powder, and sea salt in until the mixture is smooth.
    3. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment.
    4. Shape the cookie dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, place on your baking sheet a few inches apart press down slightly.
    5. Place in the oven and bake at 350F for 12 minutes or so, until lightly browned and set.  Allow to cool completely on a rack.
    6. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler (or your preferred method), and dip half of each of the cookies into the chocolate allowing the excess to drain off.  Set on a parchment lined tray to set the chocolate (it will set faster if you pop them in the freezer for about 5 minutes). Enjoy!

    *If you can not get the Rawmio spread or want to just use your own hazelnut butter, just mix 3 Tbsp cacao powder, 1 Tbsp coconut sugar and 1 Tbsp finely ground coffee into 3/4 cup hazelnut butter.

  • Vegan Chai Spice Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Vegan Chai Spice Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

    It was a good weekend!  Eric and I hit up Twin Cities Veg Fest on Sunday, and although it was 90F degrees, it was still a lot of fun and a really nice day.  Where else can you get such a variety of all vegan food to choose from?!  They had much more options than the last two years, and it was awesome to see so many people out there enjoying it!  I feel like there are more vegans than ever in the Twin Cities.  One of the first things we bought was some frozen yogurt, because it was just so hot, and we had walked about a mile from the car in the sun.  It was kinda cool, a self serve frozen yogurt station with different flavors to mix and match plus toppings.  We chose coconut and chai frozen yogurt and fresh fruit. It really hit the spot!  Also, it reminded me of how much I love chai spice in things and I decided that I needed to make something chai spice when I got home.  We also enjoyed some food from the Herbivorus Butcher Food Truck, but I didn’t have enough cash on me after that to buy much else because I decided to buy a really cute vegan shirt and some hot sauce there too.

    When I got home I decided to make cookies with chai spice because that ice cream made me hungry for it.  Partly because I was in the mood for some cookie dough, and chai spice cookie dough sounded fabulous.  I also had a bag of hazelnuts on hand that I wanted to include in the cookies, so I made chai spice hazelnut chocolate chip cookies.  My favorite part of making cookies is not even the finished baked cookies, it is eating the dough.  The warm baked cookies are a close second though.  Let me tell you, this dough was super delicious!  I added the chai spices to my classic chocolate chip cookie dough as well as hazelnut butter and I could not stop eating it.  i love Fall spices in cookies.  These aren’t quite as aggressive as say, actual spice or gingerbread cookies, it is more subtle, but amazing with the classic chocolate chip cookie flavor and the nutty hazelnuts.

    Enough of them made it into the oven after me sampling dough to still get a good sized batch to share. My kitchen smelled amazing while they were baking!  I couldn’t wait to try one of the warm ones.  It was fabulous!  The gooey rich chocolate chips were perfect with the aromatic spiced cookie and crunchy hazelnuts!  If you are in the mood for chocolate chip cookies, but also want something Fall-ish, give these a try!  I have a feeling you will love them too!

    Vegan Chai Spice Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Makes 16 large cookies

    Ingredients:

    •  2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1/2 cup hazelnut butter
    • 1 1/2 cups organic coconut sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp cardamom
    • 1/2 tsp ginger
    • 1/8 tsp cloves
    • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
    • 3 cups Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour
    • 3/4 cup chopped Hazelnuts
    • 1 cup vegan chocolate chips

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.
    2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, coconut oil and hazelnut butter with sugar and mix until well combined
      Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.  Add the baking soda, salt and spices then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.  Mix in the hazelnuts and chocolate chips.
    4. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
    5. To Form the cookies take about a 1 1/2 inch chunk of dough, form into a ball, and place on on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart, and press down just slightly. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.
    6. Remove from the oven, and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.
    7. Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool for at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
  • Vegan Pine Nut Cookies

    Vegan Pine Nut Cookies

    I consider pine nuts to be special.  Mostly because they are pretty expensive in my neck of the woods at most places where you buy them.  So, I don’t usually buy them unless it is for a special occasion.  But my Mom bought a bag of toasted ones at Trader Joe’s (for a very good price I might add), and asked me if I could make her some pine nut cookies.  I can’t say no to that.  I haven’t enjoyed pine nuts in ages!  She wanted a sugar cookie style cookie with the buttery pine nuts mixed in, and that sounded good to me!

    I used my usual sugar cookie recipe, which is actually a veganized version of my Grandma’s recipe that I loved growing up.  I swapped flax eggs for the eggs, and coconut oil for the butter, and maple sugar for the granulated.  The first time I made them I was a bit skeptical, but I like this version so I make it every time I want sugar cookies.   This time though, I added a hint of lemon zest and juice with the vanilla to give it that extra something special.  Pine nuts are amazing with lemon.  My Mom made a salad when I was younger that had shaved fennel bulb, lemon, and pine nuts and it was amazing so I knew she would love the lemon in these cookies too.

    They smelled amazing while baking!  Like traditional sweet sugar cookies but with a slight nuttiness thanks to the pine nuts.  Once they were all cooled, I thought that they would be even more amazing with a little chocolate drizzle, so I melted some vegan dark chocolate and made them prettier with it.  They were so good!  Rich and buttery with a light scent of lemon and toasty pine nuts!  Most importantly my Mom loved them too!  If you get your hands on some pine nuts, or maybe have them leftover from another recipe, give these delicious cookies a try!

    Vegan Pine Nut Cookies
    Makes 28 cookies

    Ingredients:

    Cookies:

    • 2 Tbsp ground golden flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 Tbsp lemon zest
    • 1 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 3 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour
    • 3/4 cup toasted pine nuts

     

    Dark chocolate drizzle:

    • 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate chopped

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed, filtered water and lemon juice and zest.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    2. In a large bowl, mix coconut oil with sugar and mix until well combined.
    3. Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.
    4. Add the baking soda, salt, and the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined. Mix in the pine nuts.
    5. To bake, Preheat your oven to 350F degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll balls into about 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets at least two inches apart.
    6. Place in the oven, and bake for about 15-18 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.  Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool completely.
    7. Melt the dark chocolate in the top of a double boiler, and drizzle the chocolate over the cookies.
    8. Place the cookies in the freezer until the chocolate is set.
    9. Enjoy!

     

  • Vegan Caramel Cashew Chocolate Chunk Cookies

    Vegan Caramel Cashew Chocolate Chunk Cookies

    I had a day off all to myself, and it was kind of nice.  I slept in, went for a 30 mile bike ride, then decided to make cookies.  Why not?  The truth is I had been thinking about those cookies my entire bike ride.  I come up with some of my best recipes while I am running and biking because I have few distractions, and it is a good time to just think and daydream.  I had some lovely cashews and chocolate from Raw Guru and I wanted to make something with them that wasn’t raw cheesecake (which used to always be my go-to raw cashew dessert).  What came into my head was Caramel Cashew Chocolate Chunk Cookies. I hadn’t baked chocolate chip (or chunk) cookies in a while and they sounded fabulous!  Why not include some rich crunchy cashews?  My Grandma always used to include walnuts, so I like nuts in my chocolate chip cookies (I know cashews are not technically a nut, but you know what I mean).  They also sent me some Rawmio Essentials dark chocolate, so it was perfect!  I got the idea for the whole caramel cashew thing from a Rawmio Caramel Cashew Bark that they also sent me that was amazing.  So amazing I had to repeat the flavor combination.

    For the cookie base, I used my classic chocolate chip cookie dough, but swapped my usual almond butter for cashew butter since they are cashew cookies. You might be thinking why nut butter in cookies, well, I used to make my cookies with all coconut oil, but I find that a blend of nut butter and coconut oil instead of just all oil is a better texture and less greasy.  So that is what I use now.  Plus it makes a lovely soft in the middle crisp at the edges cookie which is my favorite.  Although these are called caramel cashew, they don’t actually have any real caramel in them, just my favorite healthy caramel swap, dates!  Yes, dates nature’s caramel, the perfect thing to chop up and throw in a recipe like this if you want little chunks of “caramel” throughout!  The dough for these cookies was so good!  Crunchy cashews and chewy dates in the smooth dough…I could not stop sampling it!  But as you probably know if you have read my past posts, I like to make cookies just so I can eat the dough so it is nothing unusual for me!

    They smelled so good while they were baking!  I could not wait to try one!  Immediately after they came out of the oven, I added the Rawmio Essentials dark chocolate and I was getting excited.    I did not wait until they were cooled completely to try one, because the second best thing besides cookie dough is warm cookies!  OMG, they were crave worthy!  The sweet gooey dates, crunchy pecans and rich dark chocolate were perfect together in the sweet cookies!  If you are in a baking mood, or maybe just need a mood boost, make yourself a batch of these babies!  They are sooo good!

    Vegan Caramel Cashew Chocolate Chunk Cookies
    Makes 16 large cookies

    Ingredients:

    •  2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1 1/2 cups Raw Guru organic coconut sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 3 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    • 3/4 cup chopped Raw Guru raw cashews
    • 1/2 cup dates, chopped into smaller pieces
    • 3/4 cup Rawmio essentials dark chocolate, cut into chunks or vegan dark chocolate chips

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.
    2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, coconut oil and cashew butter with sugar and mix until well combined
      Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.  Add the baking soda and salt then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.  Mix in the cashews and dates.
    4. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
    5. To Form the cookies take about a 1 1/2 inch chunk of dough, form into a ball and on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart, and press down just slightly. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.
    6. Remove from the oven, and press the chocolate chunks into the cookies (I do this instead of mixing them in because they look prettier and don’t melt so much that way), and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.
    7. Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool for at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
  • Vegan Blueberry Pie Cookies

    Vegan Blueberry Pie Cookies

    I made some apple pie cookies a while back and they were really good, so when I had some leftover blueberry jam, I thought it would be fabulous in some mini pie cookies!  It is Summer after all, the season of blueberries!  I love any type of fruit pie, but I don’t always want to make a giant one for just myself.  Plus these little guys are portion controlled.  You have a couple and you are good.  I am calling them cookies though instead of hand pies because they are the size of cookies.  Hand pies to me are more like pop tart sized.  I like to make a batch of cookies like these, then freeze the extra to enjoy later.  I always have a box of different types of cookies on hand in the freezer to enjoy when I feel like it.  Anyways, back to the blueberry pie cookies.  They were pretty simple to make.  Not fast to make because you have roll out the dough and assemble them, but at least the filling is already made if you have blueberry jam on hand.

    I like to use a fruit sweetened blueberry jam.  But you can use whichever one you want.  Just make sure the jam you use is vegan of course. For the dough I decided to use an organic whole wheat pastry flour, because I like the way it tastes in a pie crust. It is a basic vegan pie crust recipe, and I have been using it for over 10 years.  I used to use vegan margarine in pie crusts, but I don’t really like the ingredients in the commercial ones, so I now use coconut oil instead.  It gives the crust a slight sweetness and buttery flavor that I love!  It was kind of fun cutting out the little pie crusts.  Like when I was little and used to play with Playdough and roll it out and cut it into shapes.  I used to pretend I was making cookies and whatnot.  So I guess it is no wonder I love making desserts now!

    Once I had spooned the blueberries into the crusts, topped them, crimped them shut and they were all ready to go, I could not wait to try them!  But of course they had to bake first and they were completely aromatic while baking.  My whole house smelled like delicious blueberry pie. Once they had cooled enough to try them I was super excited.  Of course they had to still be warm.  They were so good!  Gooey sweet blueberry filling and a nice rich buttery crust!  If you have some jam on hand, you know what to make!  If you want to make these gluten free, you can substitute Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour for the whole wheat 1:1.  They will just be lighter in color.

    Vegan Blueberry Pie Cookies
    Makes 18

    Crust:

     

    Filling:

    • 1/2 cup blueberry jam

     

    Topping:

    • coconut milk or aquafaba for brushing tops
    • maple sugar or coconut sugar for sprinkling

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
    2. To make the crust, in a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, sea salt, and spices.
    3. Cut in coconut oil with a pastry blender or 2 knives until it is in pea sized pieces. Mix in  just enough water to create a smooth dough that holds together but isn’t too sticky. Add more water if needed, and knead slightly until a smooth dough is created.
    4. Roll out into a large rectangle 1/8 inch thick using parchment underneath and floured rolling pin, and cut into 36 circles with a cookie cutter.
    5. Spoon the jam by the tsp onto half of the prepared little crust circles, and cover with the top pieces of dough (I used a small spatula to carefully move them), pressing the edges and crimping with a fork.
    6. Brush very lightly with a little coconut milk, then sprinkle with a little maple sugar.  Place the pan in the oven.
    7. Bake for about 30 minutes until the crusts are starting to brown lightly. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack until warm.
  • Vegan Mocha Brazil Nut Butter Cookies 

    Vegan Mocha Brazil Nut Butter Cookies 

    You know what my favorite guilty pleasure is?  Nut butters.  Yes, I eat a little bowl of nut butter with fruit to dip in it and call it dessert sometimes. It is not because I am too lazy to make a dessert, it is because I am craving delicious nut butter.  And, I wish I could eat the whole jar, but I know that anything in excess is not healthy.  I have my favorites, like peanut butter and pecan butter, but love them all, and when Raw Guru recently sent me some Brazil nut butter I was excited about it.  I make my own nut butters all the time, but none of them are as smooth and rich as the Raw Guru nut butters, so if you like really good nut butter too, check them out on their website.  Brazil nut butter is something that seems unusual and special to me too, so instead of just eating the jar like I normally would, I decided that it deserved to be used in something really good.  So I made some Vegan Mocha Brazil nut butter cookies.

    Nut butter cookies are always amazing, but add some cacao and coffee into the mix and they are even better!  For these, I made my usual peanut butter cookie base, but with the Brazil nut butter, cacao powder and espresso and it was sooo good!  As you know if you read this blog frequently, I am a cookie dough girl.  I like it better than actual baked cookies most of the time, so of course I had to keep sampling this dough.  Of course, second best is fresh baked cookies, so I got both out of it which was a win all around.  I added in some Raw Guru cacao nibs too for a nice crunch. I like cacao nibs because they are chocolaty without being sweet, and I am someone who likes really dark chocolate.  They have almost a coffee flavor note to them too, which fits right in with these cookies.

    They smelled amazing while baking, the aroma of dark chocolate and a hint of coffee filling my kitchen and home. That is part of why I love baking, the amazing smells.  It is hard to be unhappy while baking, the aromas alone are mood boosters.  They turned out soft and chewy, just how I wanted them.  I decided to drizzle them with Rawmio dark chocolate Raw Guru sent me as well, because why not?! Make them extra decadent and delicious!  These cookies are sooo good!  Rich, fudgy, dark chocolate flavor with a slight nuttiness, and touch of coffee.  The cacao nibs add a nice little crunch that I love as well!

     

    Vegan Mocha Brazil Nut Butter Cookies 
    Makes 12 cookies

    Ingredients:

    Cookies:

     

    Chocolate Drizzle:

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and water.  Place the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes, this is your flax egg.
    2. In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon, mix together the sugar, brazil nut butter, coconut oil, vanilla and flax egg, until smooth.  Then mix in the flour, cacao powder, espresso powder, soda, baking powder, and sea salt in until the mixture is smooth. Then mix in the cacao nibs.
    3. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment.
    4. Shape the cookie dough into 2 inch balls, place on your baking sheet a few inches apart and flatten slightly with your hand or the bottom of a glass.
    5. Place in the oven and bake at 375 for 12 minutes or so, until lightly browned and set.  Allow to cool completely on a rack.
    6. Melt the dark chocolate in the top of a double boiler.
    7. Drizzle the dark chocolate over the cookies, then set in the freezer until it has hardened.
    8. Enjoy!

    *If you can’t get Brazil nut butter, or you prefer another nut or seed butter, go ahead and use that.  Just make sure it is a more runny nut butter or mix in a little melted coconut oil to make it runny, because the consistency of the Brazil nut butter is runny and in order for the recipe to work, it should be one with the same consistency.

  • Vegan Chocolate Drizzled Tahini Cookies 

    Vegan Chocolate Drizzled Tahini Cookies 

    You may think of tahini as something that you add to hummus, or make dressing out of.  But did you know it is really good in desserts too?  I am not just talking about halva (a tahini candy popular in the Middle East). I mean adding it to actual desserts for richness in place of nut butters.  Like in delicious cookies.  My Mom gave me a jar of tahini from Trader Joes, and asked me to make some cookies with it. Heck yes!  I was excited about making them, because I like working with ingredients I don’t normally use all the time.  You know me, I tend to get obsessed with peanut butter and almond butter and don’t venture outside of those boxes, but tahini is a great ingredient too!  Especially if you happen to be allergic to nuts or peanuts, it is a life saver if you are craving rich nut butter cookies.  Which is exactly what I ended up making.  I modified my peanut butter cookie recipe, and added in creamy tahini instead of the peanut butter.

    The dough came together perfect! Honestly it tasted like peanut butter cookie dough, with the same texture just not as strong.  Sometimes tahini can be a tad bitter, but the stuff from Trader Joes is not, and it tasted good in this recipe.   Not only that, it has a nice smooth runny texture not too stiff.  Be sure that the tahini you are using for this recipe is the runny type that has been mixed well. I could not stop sampling the dough, but what else is new?!  I love cookie dough.  Most importantly though, these baked up beautifully!  I wasn’t sure if they would come out as nice as the peanut butter cookies, but they came out perfect!  They smelled amazing, like peanut butter cookies, with that hint of caramel from the coconut sugar.  I decided to drizzle them with dark chocolate, because I like to adorn cookies with something if they don’t have a lot of add ins.

    They tasted wonderful!  Rich peanut butter like flavor and a buttery texture.  Soft in the center, crispy at the edges, the dark chocolate the perfect touch!  If you are allergic to peanut butter or nuts,  but are wanting some delicious peanut butter cookies definitely give these a try!   Or, even if you aren’t allergic, still give them a try because I am sure you will love them!

    Vegan Chocolate Drizzled Tahini Cookies 
    Makes 12 cookies

    Ingredients:

    Cookies:

    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 cup coconut sugar
    • 1 1/4 cups organic tahini*
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/4 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    • 3/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt

    Chocolate Drizzle:

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and water.  Place the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes, this is your flax egg.
    2. In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon, mix together the sugar, tahini, coconut oil, vanilla and flax egg, until smooth.  Then mix in the flour, soda, baking powder, and sea salt in until the mixture is smooth.
    3. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment.
    4. Shape the cookie dough into 2 inch balls, place on your baking sheet a few inches apart and flatten with a fork, like you would with peanut butter cookies.
    5. Place in the oven and bake at 375F for 12 minutes or so, until lightly browned and set.  Allow to cool completely on a rack.
    6. Melt the dark chocolate in the top of a double boiler.
    7. Drizzle the dark chocolate over the cookies, then set in the freezer until it has hardened.
    8. Enjoy!
  • Vegan Lemon Sugar Cookies

    Vegan Lemon Sugar Cookies

    I have always loved all things lemon.  Most likely it is inherited, because my Grandma loved lemon desserts, and my Mom does too.  None of that weak artificially lemon stuff either, it had to be real tart lemon, and plenty of it.  The fake stuff just isn’t the same.  I still feel that way.  I like my lemon meringue pie and lemon bars to have loads of flavor.  Lemon also makes me think of Spring.  I know citrus is in season mid Winter here, but I feel like that extends into Spring, and right now we have 8 inches of snow on the ground and it was in the single digits (Fahrenheit) this morning.  I am so ready for the snow to leave and green grass.  But in the mean time, I decided to stay inside and bake some lemon cookies. I had a bag of lemons on hand, so it was perfect!  I have been wanting to make some lemon sugar cookies for a while now, because the deli I work in makes some and they always smell amazing but they are not vegan, so I always tell myself I need to make my own.

    They are actually pretty simple to make, I just used my classic vegan sugar cookie dough.  I use xylitol, because it gives the cookies the same pale color that regular sugar would.  I like them to look like my Grandma’s sugar cookies.  But if you don’t care for xylitol, and would rather use coconut sugar or maple sugar go right ahead. Just keep in mind the cookies will turn brown.  The dough for these tastes amazing by the way, which is important to me, because I love cookie dough!  This dough is fragrant with lemon thanks to the large amount of zest I include in them.  My kitchen smelled amazing while they were baking and I could not wait to try them.

    But first, they had to cool, and I wanted to give them a glaze to make them pretty, and give them even more lemon flavor. So, I made a simple glaze of coconut butter, lemon juice, and maple syrup and it was perfect!  They turned out even better than I imagined.  A nice buttery rich texture, plenty of lemon aroma and flavor and a hint of sweet vanilla. Maybe it is snowing where you live and you need a little sunshine too.  If so, give these a try! They taste like sunshine!

    Vegan Lemon Sugar Cookies

    Makes 24 cookies
    Ingredients:
    Cookies:
    • 2 Tbsp ground golden flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
    • 2 Tbsp lemon zest
    • 1 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups xylitol* (coconut sugar may be used but keep in mind the cookies will not be the same pretty yellow color)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1/8 tsp turmeric powder (optional for color)
    • 3 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour

     

    Glaze:

    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    • 3 Tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed, filtered water and lemon juice and zest.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    2. In a large bowl, mix coconut oil with xylitol and mix until well combined.
    3. Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.
    4. Add the baking soda, salt, turmeric then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.
    5. To bake, Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll balls into about 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart.
    6. Place in the oven, and bake for about 15-18 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.  Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool completely.
    7. To make the glaze, whisk all of the ingredients together (if it seems too thick to drizzle, add a little more lemon juice to it).
    8. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies.
    9. Place the cookies in the freezer until the glaze is set.
    10. Enjoy!

     

    *Do not feed these cookies to dogs, xylitol is toxic to dogs similar to how chocolate is.

  • Vegan Berry Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Vegan Berry Chocolate Chip Cookies

    They make giant batches of chocolate chip cookie dough at the deli I work in.  Much larger batches than the rest of the cookies, because they are the most popular and they fly out of the store. I always see that big bowl of cookie dough, then want my own, and occasionally I will go home and make some cookies.  I mean, who doesn’t like chocolate chip cookies?  I loved them since I was little, although I am very particular about when I eat them. What I mean by when is the part of the cookie making process.  You see, I love the dough the most.  It is soft and comforting and delicious.  I could eat a whole bowl of dough.  But I suppose that defeats the purpose of cookies.  My second most favorite time to eat them is while they are still warm from the oven.  I love the gooey chocolate chips, and the softer consistency of the cookie before it has completely cooled.  I will eat cookies that have cooled but it is not the optimal time if you know what I mean.  So I am sure to enjoy them throughout the process.  That is why I love being the one making the cookies, instead of just eating them later, so I can do so!

    Anyways, I got the idea to make chocolate chip cookies a few days back, because there was that giant bowl of dough at work, and one of my other coworkers said she was going to make some at home too.  I was suddenly thinking that I needed some in my life!  The ones at work aren’t vegan, so I was making my own. Plus, I wanted to put a twist on it.  Add delicious berries!  I am craving berries again, we have been deprived of the more fresh ones here in Minnesota since last fall, so I miss them.  I didn’t have any fresh ones, so I used freeze dried in this recipe.  One good reason to use the freeze dried is so that they don’t add excess moisture to the dough.  The berries are still packed with as much flavor as fresh though, don’t worry!  The dough for these tasted amazing.  I had to keep sampling it, because it was one of those addictive things like potato chips or popcorn where I kept going back for more.  Plenty still made it onto the pan though, because I planned on sharing some of these cookies with others so I didn’t want to eat too much dough.

    They baked up beautifully and quickly!  From start to finish, it only took me less than half an hour to make them.  Granted I wasn’t able to dive in for a few minutes when they came out of the oven, but this is an easy to make cookie.  They are delicious!  Studded with sweet little berries along with the rich chocolate chips!  I recommend enjoying while still warm while the chips are gooey.  If you are looking for a new chocolate chip cookie recipe to try, give this one a go!  They happen to be gluten free and refined sugar free so it is a win all around!

    Vegan Berry Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Makes 16 large cookies

    Ingredients:

    •  2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1/2 cup raw almond butter
    • 1 1/2 cups maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 3 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    • 1 cup mini vegan chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
    • 1 cup freeze dried strawberries and raspberries

     

    Directions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, coconut oil and almond butter with sugar and mix until well combined
      Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.  Add the baking soda and salt then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.  Mix in the chocolate chips and berries. Place in the freezer for about 10  minutes until it is firm enough to scoop (if it is too soft at all, it may not be, in that case proceed with scooping. It just depends on how warm the coconut oil was).
    3. To bake, Preheat your oven to 350F degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. To Form the cookies take about a 2 inch chunk of dough, form into a ball and on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart, and press down just slightly. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.  Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool before enjoying.
  • Vegan Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

    Vegan Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

    My Mom bought me a bag of cranberries and asked if I would make her some cranberry oatmeal cookies.  Of course I wasn’t going to say no.  Any excuse to bake cookies, I am in!  Oatmeal cookies are her favorite, and I think if she could eat them for breakfast every day she would.  She always told me when I was little that oatmeal cookies were healthier and the better choice than just plain chocolate chip cookies, and I agree!  You get the fiber of oats along with your cookie.  She was always trying to make recipes healthier when I would help her bake things growing up, like by adding apple sauce or mashed bananas instead of refined oil, and using whole wheat flour instead of white.  So, I think she kind of inspired me to try and make things healthier too.  I am always trying to improve upon recipes, and use the best ingredients that I can.  So back to the cranberry cookies.  I decided to make them just a tad more jazzed up than just just cranberries, and added in some home made white chocolate chunks, which my Mom loves as well.  The deli I work in makes a cranberry white chocolate chip cookie and it always smells amazing while baking, and I always say to myself, I need to make a vegan version.  I finally got around to it!

    These cookies were easy to make, and ready in about 45 minutes if you count cooling time.  For assembling and baking, it is about 30.  Which really isn’t a lot of time, and perfect for when you are craving cookies and want them now.  The dough from these was amazing by the way. I am a cookie dough girl all the way, and I actually prefer it to baked cookies most of the time.  So, I had to of course indulge in this dough.  That is the best part of baking cookies!  Second is of course eating the warm ones. These smelled amazing while baking and when they emerged from the oven.  Instant mood booster, the aroma of freshly baked cookies!  I always say I have the best work station in the world in the deli I work in because my work table is right next to the cookie cooling rack.

    So how did these beauties taste?  They were fabulous!  Soft in the middle, and chewy on the outside just how oatmeal cookies should be!  A hint of caramel flavor from the coconut sugar, vanilla and a touch of cinnamon for sweetness all the perfect pairing with the chewy tart cranberries and sweet white chocolate!  My Mom loved them too, which was the most important thing.  Skip going to a bakery to buy cookies, and give these guys a try!

    Vegan Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
    Makes 1 dozen large cookies

    Ingredients:

     

    Directions:

    1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    2. Mix in the flour, soda, cinnamon and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add cranberries and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
    4. Roll the dough into 12 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between, and flatten them out slightly. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Remove them from the oven and immediately press in the chocolate chunks before they cool.  Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    *For the flax eggs, whisk together 2 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl.  Allow to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes until the mixture has set up (or become kind of thick).
    *Get my white chocolate recipe at the bottom of THIS POST.

     

  • Vegan Fig Almond Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

    Vegan Fig Almond Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

    I was gifted a few bags of dried figs, and I decided that I wanted to make something delicious with them.  I could have just snacked on them of course, and I did with some, but they deserved to be used in something exciting.  I thought about it all day at work.  Maybe some fig bars?  Nah, that was too much work with all of the blending for the filling and what not.  A fig cake?  Also too much work than I was willing to put in after work.  I wanted something that was more immediately satisfying. Like cookies!  Yes, chewy oatmeal cookies seemed like just the thing to include the figs in.  Bonus, was looking forward to eat some cookie dough while I was making them.  My favorite part of the whole process.  I wanted them to have some more mix ins too, something crunchy, and maybe something chocolate.  I first thought hazelnuts would be amazing but I didn’t have any in my pantry at the time.  I don’t know about you, but I am all about using what I have most of the time and not going out and buying new things when I have things to use already. So, I went with the toasted almonds I had on hand instead and they were perfect in the cookies!  Now, the question was white chocolate or dark chocolate?  Well, I have been making a lot of white chocolate stuff lately, and it would be more work because I would have to make more white chocolate so I went with dark chocolate  chips.  Which was a really good decision, because the figs had almost a dark chocolate flavor note in them so it paired very well together.

    The dough for these cookies mixes up really fast, and in fact, they were all mixed, shaped, baked and done in an hour.  Nothing beats that, especially on a work night.  These are the perfect cookie if you love oats, because they contain both oat flour and rolled oats. I myself have eaten oatmeal almost every day for about the past 15 years, so I always have it on hand and ready to whip up a batch of delicious cookies. I think I get it from my Mom, because she always has eaten oatmeal too, and oatmeal cookies are her favorite.  She would always say that they were healthier than just plain old cookies because they have more fiber.  I think that is true, and if you use a healthier less processed sweetener, even better.

    These cookies baked up beautifully!  I make mine pretty big, because if I am going to have a cookie, I am going to have a cookie…you know what I am saying?  I big hearty oatmeal cookie packed full of goodness.  They are chewy and soft in the middle and crisp at the edges, just as oatmeal cookies should be.  Especially good when they are warm and the chocolate chips are gooey.  The figs provide little sweet bursts of flavor, and the almonds some crunch and nuttiness.  If you are looking for an easy cookie recipe, give these a go, they are super delicious!

    Vegan Fig Almond Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
    Makes 1 dozen large cookies

    Ingredients:

     

    Directions:

    1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    2. Mix in the flour, soda, cinnamon, cardamom and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add figs, almonds and chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
    4. Roll the dough into 12 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between, and flatten them out slightly. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    *Whisk together 2 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl.  Allow to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes until the mixture has set up (or become kind of thick).

     

  • Vegan Dark Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Brownie Cookies

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Brownie Cookies

    Making Christmas cookies with my Mom when I was little was one of my favorite parts of the Holidays.  We would have the old family favorites like the pfeffernusse cookies, or my Grandma’s sugar cookie recipe (which was the most delicious I had ever tasted), or the pecan tassies, which were my Mom’s favorite.  But often times we would try new ones as well.  We would check out cookbooks at the library filled with cookie recipes, or browse through old ones we had at home and find something exciting and new.  Some of the new cookie recipes were not so good or didn’t turn out sometimes, so we never made them again. But other times they turned out awesome and we decided to add them to our list of things to make for the next year.  A couple of Martha Stewart’s cookie recipes stuck, like her gingerbread and cranberry noels (which were little butter cookies with cranberries and pecans).  I still love trying new cookie recipes around the holidays, and there are just a few I make every year, like peanut blossoms, and molasses spice cookies, because those two are my favorites.  But now, instead of browsing cookbooks for new cookie ideas I come up with ideas in my head and then try to make them.  They usually turn out, and those are the ones I share with you.  I too have flops sometimes though that end up in the garbage and it makes me sad because I hate wasting ingredients, but I don’t want to eat something that isn’t good.

    Well, luckily that hasn’t happened to me for a while, and the cookies I made a few days back were a big success!  I always like to make something chocolaty too, so I decided to make some Vegan Dark Chocolate Pistachio Brownie Cookies!  They are like chocolate chocolate chip cookies basically, so soft and delicious, but a little crispy at the edges and definitely decadent.  I call them brownie cookies, because they taste like brownies, and if you don’t over-bake them they have sort of a brownie like texture.  This dough contains plenty of cacao powder so it is intense and rich.  I sweetened it with coconut sugar and it gave it almost a caramel flavor too.  I stirred in dark chocolate chips too because I can not resist warm cookies with gooey chocolate chips.  But let me tell you the dough was delicious even before I baked them, and eating cookie dough is the best part of baking cookies as far as I am concerned.  Eating the warm cookies is second best.

    My kitchen smelled amazing while these baked, like the aroma of brownies or chocolate cake. It is such a happy smell!  These cookies are really easy to make, and in fact it took me only about 30 minutes to make them from start to finish not including cooling time.  Not that I let them cool long, because they are so good warm. These would make a great edible gift for anyone that loves chocolate, or as part of a Holiday cookie tray.  I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season, and getting to enjoy baking some delicious things.  And, of course I hope you try out these cookies!

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Brownie Cookies
    Makes 2 dozen cookies

    Ingredients:
    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup cacao powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 2 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour
    • 1/2 cup pistachios
    • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
    • 1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

    Instructions:

    In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.
    Meanwhile, in a large bowl, coconut oil with sugar and mix until well combined.
    Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.
    Add the cacao powder, baking soda and salt then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.
    Mix in the pistachios, cranberries, chocolate chunks.
    To bake, Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll balls into about 1 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.  Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool completely.
  • Vegan 5 Spice Peanut Butter Cookies

    Vegan 5 Spice Peanut Butter Cookies

    When I was younger I used to like to go to a local spice shop and walk around and open all of the sample jars and smell them.  Even if I had already smelled them before, it was all part of the experience of shopping there.  Some things smelled better than others of course, and I especially had a thing for the baking spices.  Cinnamon was one of my favorites, as was Chinese 5 spice powder.  It is a sweet heavenly aroma.  If you have never heard if it, it is a mixture of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper and fennel.  It smells sweet and a little like licorice and of course cinnamon.  Just the thing to use in Christmas cookies, even though it does have lots of savory applications as well.  I had made 5 spice peanut butter cookies back when I was in college because I had thought it sounded good and it totally was.  But sadly they were not vegan so I haven’t made it in a long time.  But I decided that it was about time I veganize it.  I have been waiting several weeks to do so actually until I had time after Thanksgiving.  Because the last few weeks have been super busy I feel like with food prep and getting together with people and stuff going on.  So, finally Monday I had time to relax and bake.

    Peanut butter cookies are already pretty simple to make, so it is not a hard recipe to veganize.  I just substitute ground flax seed mixed with water for the eggs and coconut oil for butter and it works just as well.  Everything else is pretty much the same, except I have swapped out coconut sugar for the brown sugar. I added in a generous tablespoon of the 5 spice powder and the dough was delicious!  I have to say, I like cookie dough even more than actual cookies, and I do “sample” a lot of it when I make them. It is kind of tradition, and what makes baking the cookies so enjoyable!  That, and the warm ones when they come out of the oven.

    These smelled amazing while baking!  The sweet aroma of 5 spice, coconut oil and peanut butter filling my kitchen.  I did not wait until they cooled completely to try them, they had to be warm and still very soft.  I love that.  They were sweet, yummy, and just as good as the non-vegan version I made back in the day.  If you are a peanut butter cookie fan and want to try a jazzed up version give these a try!

    Vegan 5 Spice Peanut Butter Cookies 
    Makes 12 cookies

    Ingredients:

    Cookies:

    • 1 Tbsp ground flax sseed
    • 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 cup coconut sugar
    • 1 Tbsp 5 Chinese 5 spice powder
    • 3/4 cup organic peanut butter
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/4 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    • 3/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and water.  Place the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes, this is your flax egg.
    2. In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon, mix together the sugar, 5 spice powder, peanut butter, coconut oil, vanilla and flax egg, until smooth.  Then mix in the flour, soda, baking powder, and sea salt in until the mixture is smooth.
    3. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment.
    4. Shape the cookie dough into 2 inch balls, place on your baking sheet a few inches apart and flatten with a fork, like you would with peanut butter cookies.
    5. Place in the oven and bake at 375 for 12 minutes or so, until lightly browned and set.  Allow to cool on a rack.
    6. Enjoy!
  • Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

    Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

    I think cookies are the perfect way to end a long weekend.  Don’t you think?  I had a 3 day weekend because I took Saturday off (my normal day to work) for Twin Cities Veg Fest.  Which I visited with Eric, because last year I enjoyed it so much and he had never been.  There were way more people there than I expected!  It is so awesome to see so many vegans, or people interested in veganism.  We sadly didn’t get to buy any food though because the lines were pretty long but it smelled and looked amazing.  Maybe next year.  It was still fun to see the other products that they had there though and spend time with fellow vegans.  Sunday, after my long run and baking an apple pie,  I visited my Grandpa and helped him pick tomatoes in the garden.  That is where my never ending supply comes from in the Summer and I am so grateful that he enjoys growing them and sharing with me.  Afterwards my Mom and I went to dinner at the French Meadow, one of my favorite local restaurants (because it has lots of vegan options).  So Monday, after a weekend of being busy with fun things, I decided to make some cookies while I watched the Vikings game!  Baking is one of my favorite relaxing activities.  And, I admit I was craving some cookie dough.

    I am one of those people who eats more dough than actual baked cookies.  And a close second is the warm cookies with gooey chocolate chips.  Mmmm.  I learned this when I used to bake cookies with my Grandma as a small child.  I was always stealing dough when she wasn’t looking.  When there was no more dough, I moved on to the warm cookies.  Still like that as an adult!  I wanted to try making a new cookie, so I decided to make some soft chocolate peanut butter banana cookies because I had all of the ingredients on hand.  That is important to me, being able to make something and not have to buy extra stuff for it.  Peanut butter, chocolate and bananas are things I always have on hand, not to mention a crave worthy combo!

    The thing I love about cookies is they are pretty straight forward and easy to make.  If you make them, I have to warn you the dough is hard to stop eating.  So delicious!  They baked up beautifully, soft and sweet, studded with gooey chocolate chips and crunchy peanuts with the light flavor of banana.  They are sort of like brownie cookies, if you are a fan of the texture of brownies.  If you are sick of banana bread by the way, this is a good use for a couple ripe bananas.  The weather is cooling down now, and it is the perfect time to do some baking!  So give these sweet delicious cookies a try!

    Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cookies
    Makes 1 dozen

    Ingredients:

    Cookies:

    • 1 cup coconut sugar
    • 1/3 cup peanut butter
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 2 medium well mashed very ripe organic bananas
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup maple syrup
    • 2 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free flour
    • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 Tbsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
    • 1 cup toasted peanuts

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the cookies, in a large bowl, combine the oil and peanut butter with sugar, bananas, vanilla extract, and maple syrup until well combined.
    2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, then add to the large bowl, and mix until well combined.
    3. Mix in the chocolate, and peanuts and place in the fridge to chill until somewhat firm, about 30-45 minutes.
    4. To bake, Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
    5. Roll dough into balls about 2 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart.
    6. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.
    7. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool slightly before enjoying!
  • Vegan Oatmeal Caramel Cookie Bars

    Vegan Oatmeal Caramel Cookie Bars

    My Mom is always asking me to veganize recipes she finds on pinterest or sees somewhere at a restaurant or bakery. And, I am happy to do so.  I love to create new vegan recipes, especially for non-vegans because often then they see that you do not need animal products to create delicious things.  My Mom loves most of my food though, and she has actually cut way down on the animal products that she eats and enjoys mostly plant based foods.  So, I am happy to cook and bake for her!  She buys these salted caramel oatmeal cookies from her work a lot, so I thought I would make something like that.  But then she also showed me a Pinterest recipe for some caramel stuffed cookies that she thought looked good so I sort of combined the two.  I made Vegan Oatmeal Caramel Cookie Bars.  Cookie on the top and bottom and caramel in the middle.  My Mom has always been a huge fan of oatmeal cookies, and that was one of the things she used to make often when I was little.  “They are healthier than regular cookies because they have good fiber.” She used to say.  I agree, and they are so delicious and I love that chewy texture.  Also, she made bar cookies often because they were faster than rolled. So I knew she would appreciate the bars.

    For the caramel I kept it simple, and made it with dates. Because dates are like nature’s caramel.  I can’t believe I used to be afraid to try them when I was little.  I was really missing out.  Seriously, it doesn’t get more natural than popping a date into your mouth instead of actual sugary caramel and it is better in my opinion because sometimes real caramel is too sweet for me. This caramel had only 4 ingredients and it was eat with a spoon delicious! I used my classic oatmeal cookie dough for these and I knew it would be amazing once combined with the caramel.  They smelled absolutely heavenly while baking!  The only bad thing about these is you have to wait for them to completely cool before cutting them.

    But trust me, it is well worth the wait!  They are chewy, gooey in the middle, and even more delicious than I imagined!  The oatmeal cookie dough has a caramel like flavor already thanks to the coconut sugar, but with the caramel in the center of the bars it is like double caramel deliciousness!  I can not wait to share them with my Mom, I know she will love them too.  If you are an oatmeal cookie fan, you need to try these!

    Vegan Oatmeal Caramel Cookie Bars
    Makes 16 bars

    Ingredients:

    Caramel:

    • 1 1/4 cups soft medjool dates, pitted (if they are not soft, soak them in water 30 minutes, and drain before using)
    • 1/4 cup raw pecan butter or almond butter
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup filtered water

     

    Cookie:

    • 3/4 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    • 2 flax eggs*
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats

     

    Directions:

    1. To make the caramel, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.  Set aside in a bowl.
    2. For the cookie part, in a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    3. Mix in the flour, soda, and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, and evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    4. Heat the oven to 350F degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Oil an 7×11 inch rectangular pan with coconut oil, and line the bottom with parchment.
    5. Press half of the dough into the prepared pan. Spread the caramel over that, then drop the remaining dough by the Tbsp over that.
    6. Place in the oven and Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and set, but not over baked. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.
    *Whisk together 2 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl.  Allow to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes until the mixture has set up (or become kind of thick).
  • Vegan Maple Sandies

    Vegan Maple Sandies

    Before I discovered coconut sugar, there was a time I bought loads and loads of maple sugar for all of my desserts.  It is a wonderful substitute for regular sugar because it has a similar texture.  But of course it has that maple aroma, which I never minded since I love it!  But then I discovered coconut sugar and since it was more wallet friendly than the maple, it became my primary granulated baking sugar.  Now and then I still buy the maple, if I have something special in mind for it, or want to add more maple flavor without extra moisture.  If you want just a smaller amount, it can usually be found in the bulk section at your local health food store (that is where I find it).  This past weekend I had something in mind to use it in.  I have been wanting to make buttery rich little maple cookies for a while now and I was finally going to get around to it!

    The recipe I came up with to make these buttery and rich like I had imagined was based off of a shortbread cookie I used to make often.  These behave differently though, because I use coconut oil as the fat source.  The dough tastes wonderful I should note, like maple sugar cookies.  They made my kitchen smell wonderful while baking as well!  Whenever I am in a bad mood I like to bake.  That aroma alone makes me feel better.  Not that I was in a bad mood when I made these, actually I was in a good mood and feeling very motivated to get a lot done.

    They baked up nicely and I decided to drizzle them with sort of a quick maple caramel glaze.  Just to make them even more tasty and a bit prettier.  OMG were they ever delicious!  Melt in your mouth buttery little morsels , scented with beautiful maple, and the caramel glaze was the perfect topper!  I called them sandies because of the texture. The aroma of maple reminds me of lazy weekends, and pancake breakfasts when I was little, or going to the bakery with my Mom and getting maple glazed long john doughnuts.  All good stuff.  If you are a maple lover too, give these a try!

    Vegan Maple Sandies 
    Makes about 28 cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 cup plus 3 Tbsp coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp maple flavor (optional)
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Maple Glaze:

    • 1 Tbsp raw pecan butter
    • 1 Tbsp coconut oil, softened
    • 2 tsp maple syrup
    • pinch sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
    2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda.
    3. In a large bowl, mix together coconut oil, maple sugar, vanilla, maple, and salts until blended completely.
    4. Mix in dry ingredients until well combined.
    5. Roll the dough into little one and a half inch balls, and place on a parchment lined sheet pan.  Press them down slightly.
    6. Place in the oven, and bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes or until set and starting to brown just at the edges.
    7. Allow to cool completely.
    8. Meanwhile, mix together glaze ingredients until smooth in a small bowl, then place in the refrigerator until it thickens up slightly, about 15 minutes.
    9. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies, then place them in the freezer for about 10 minutes to set.  Enjoy!
  • Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Oatmeal Cookies

    Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Oatmeal Cookies

    Wednesday started off lovely here in Minnesota.  I went for a run in the morning, and it was cool and refreshing outside, not a hint of moisture.  I was looking forward to going for a walk after work outside to enjoy some more fresh air, but by the time I got off work it was pouring.  I didn’t really feel like getting wet, so I decided to stay inside and bake cookies instead.  My Mom has been asking me to make oatmeal cookies for a couple of weeks now, and it was the perfect time to do it.  I didn’t want to make something I had made before though.  I tend to like to bake new things all the time, especially when I am in need of some excitement.  So, I decided to make chocolate oatmeal cookies.  Sure, vanilla is classic, but I had never had a chocolate one so I was going to make some.  I talked to my Mom and she loved the idea.  Not just plain chocolate though, chocolate with dark chocolate chips and crunchy hazelnuts too.  What a heavenly combination.

    I made my classic oatmeal cookie dough with coconut sugar to give it a hint of caramel, and added in some cocoa powder to make it rich and chocolaty.  It was super delicious!  I think that good dough is just as important as good cookies.  I am a huge cookie dough eater…that is why I love making cookies!  They baked up beautifully as well, filling my kitchen with a heavenly aroma!  Warm cookies are my second favorite next to cookie dough, and these were wonderful with the chocolate chips still gooey and warm.

    I think baking anything in a warm kitchen makes a rainy day better.  Gloomy days aren’t so bad when you are inside looking out at them and just listening to the rain drops.  A few weekends back, Eric and I visited a local brewery after a walk, and they had the large garage type door open and it had just started raining as we got there so we just sat and enjoyed listening to the calm of the rain as we enjoyed our beer.  It was one of the highlights of my weekend.  Cookies work too though, and these turned out even better than I imagined.  I saved some for my Mom of course and she loved them as well.  If you are an oatmeal cookie fan, put these on your to make list!

    Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Oatmeal Cookies
    Makes 1 dozen large cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    • 2 flax eggs*
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/4 cups gluten free oat flour
    • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
    • 1 cup toasted hazelnuts
    • 1 cup vegan chocolate chips

    Directions:

    1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    2. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder, soda, and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add hazelnuts and chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
    4. Roll the dough into 12 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    *Whisk together 2 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl.  Allow to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes until the mixture has set up (or become kind of thick).
  • Vegan Strawberry Sugar Cookies with Dark Chocolate and Lavender

    Vegan Strawberry Sugar Cookies with Dark Chocolate and Lavender

    The first day of Spring here in Minnesota was glorious!  The sun was shining, the birds were starting to arrive from their Winter vacations and were chirping, and it was warm.  Just the perfect weather for being outside and running actually, 50 degrees is my favorite temperature for that.  You can wear shorts and a t-shirt and not get super sweaty or get cold.  I can’t wait for the tulips and daffodils to burst out of the ground and start blooming.  I think we are a couple weeks away from that, but I did many see pussy willows and buds on the trees.  Spring just makes me happy.  So, I am in a Spring baking sort of mood.  I made a Strawberries and Cream Layer Cake over the weekend (which I will be sharing tomorrow on the blog), and I decided to make some Strawberry Sugar Cookies yesterday.  Strawberries make me think of Spring.  Even if they aren’t technically ready to eat here in Minnesota until May.  Although, this year it might be earlier since it has been warmer.

    For the sugar cookies, I wanted them to have some pink color, so I ground up some freeze dried strawberries and both mixed them into the batter, and dusted the tops of the cookies with them.  They add some serious concentrated berry flavor to things, which is why I love to use them in baking and desserts.  I sweetened these cookies with granulated sugar to keep them from turning so brown, but if you are more of a fan of coconut sugar, or another type of sugar by all means use it.  Just keep in mind you will have darker cookies.  The dough tasted wonderful with the strawberry flavor and touch of vanilla I had added.  Cookie dough must taste really good in order to have really good cookies in my opinion, which is why I always have to taste it.  It is my favorite part of the cookie baking process actually!  These cookies baked up beautifully, and my kitchen smelled amazing.

    I could have just left them as they were with the vibrant strawberry dusting being the only adornment, but I decided that they needed some dark chocolate drizzle as well.  I love it on sugar cookies, and it has been my go to topper for them over frosting lately.  I also sprinkled them with a few dried lavender flowers because I love lavender with strawberries and chocolate.  The light aroma you get with the flowers only adds to the sweet experience of biting into one.  They are super delicious, and if you are in the mood for sugar cookies, you need to put these on your to-do list. I hope you are all having a lovely Spring!

    Vegan Strawberry Sugar Cookies with Dark Chocolate and Lavender
    Makes 28 cookies

    Ingredients:
    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (coconut sugar may be used but keep in mind the cookies will not be the same pretty pink color)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1/4 cup freeze dried strawberry powder*
    • 3 1/2 cups organic all purpose flour
    • Freeze dried strawberry powder for decorating
    • 3/4 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate
    • dried lavender flowers

     

    Instructions:

    1.  In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    2. In a large bowl, mix coconut oil with sugar and mix until well combined.
    3. Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.
    4. Add the baking soda, salt, berry powder, then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.
    5. To bake, Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll balls into about 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart.
    6. Place in the oven and bake for about 15-18 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.
    7. Remove from the oven, dust with some strawberry powder (I put it in a fine meshed strainer and tapped it over them) and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.  Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool completely.
    8. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler (or your preferred method), and drizzle it over the tops of the  cookies.  Set on a parchment lined tray, and sprinkle the chocolate with some lavender flowers.  Place in the freezer to set the chocolate, about 5 minutes.  Enjoy!

    *To make the strawberry powder, place about 1 cup of dried berries into a blender and blend until they are fine powder.

  • Vegan Macadamia Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

    Vegan Macadamia Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

    Macadamia white chocolate cookies seemed exotic to me as a kid.  I remember getting them at bakeries or stores whenever I was allowed to pick out a cookie, and they were so good!  At that point in my life I was a white chocolate kind of a girl (I still choose vanilla over chocolate, not that I don’t love dark chocolate too).  Chocolate chip cookies were made at home often, but white chocolate macadamia were only something you could buy when out shopping so they were more special.  I had no idea that macadamia nuts cost an arm and a leg, but I knew they were good.  So buttery and rich.  Now that I make my own desserts, I know how valuable and truly special they are, and so when I buy some, I use them sparingly and in special desserts.  I made a Dark Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Cake for my blogaversary last week, and I used them in that, but I had some left over, and I thought to myself, I have never tried to create those cookies from my childhood, so why not?!

    White Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Cookies 3

    Not only that, a while back my Mom had asked if I could make some macadamia white chocolate coconut oatmeal cookies, so I could make her happy too.  I think of all of the desserts I make, she likes the cookies the best.  She eats them with her morning coffee.  She always used to tell me that oatmeal cookies were healthy because of the fiber rich oats.  I agree!  I love oatmeal anything, and have eaten a bowl of oatmeal (or overnight oats) almost every morning since I was in high school.  They do fill you up and provide energy and fiber, so why not have cookies that include them instead of ones that are nutritionally void.  The ones I make now though are all refined sugar free.

    White Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Cookies 1

    The dough for these cookies tasted amazing.  Just sayin’.  Because as far as I am concerned the dough for cookies is just as important as the baked cookies when it comes to how it tastes.  This is because I like dough slightly better than actual baked cookies.  Warm cookies are a close second though.  These smelled wonderful while baking!  Like sweet vanilla and coconut heaven!  Whenever my coworker at the deli bakes her coconut oatmeal cookies it makes me happy.  I think they are some of the best smelling.  These were even better than those!  Because the nuts were included too.  The finished cookies (which had to be taste tested warm of course) were simply heavenly!  Crunchy rich macadamias, aromatic coconut and smooth sweet white chocolate studded soft, yet crispy on the outside cookies!  Just right and as an oatmeal cookie should be.  I think this is why oatmeal cookies are one of my top picks besides being healthy.  They are not simply crispy, or simply soft.  They are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside which is pure cookie perfection in my mind!

    White Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Cookies 4

    Vegan Macadamia Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
    Makes 1 dozen large cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    • 2 flax eggs*
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
    • 1 cups toasted large flake unsweetened dried coconut
    • 1 cup toasted macadamia nuts
    • 1 cup white chocolate chunks**

     

    Directions:

    1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    2. Mix in the flour, soda, and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add coconut, macadamias and white chocolate and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
    4. Roll the dough into 12 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    *Whisk together 2 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl.  Allow to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes until the mixture has set up (or become kind of thick).
    **If your white chocolate is home made or melts easily, I recommend not stirring it into the dough, but instead pressing the chunks into the tops of the baked cookies so that it holds its shape better.

     

  • Vegan Cinnamon Roll Cookies

    Vegan Cinnamon Roll Cookies

    cinnamon-roll-cookies

    I can’t believe it is 2017!  Last year flew by so fast, I feel like it just turned 2016.  The Holidays were fun, but I am ready to get back into everything being on a regular schedule.  Since I had extra days off last weekend, due to New Years, I thought I would do some baking.  I made a really good White Chocolate Grapefruit Cake to celebrate New Years, and also some delicious cookies, which I will be sharing with you in this post.  Now I know people are on their diets, and new years resolutions to give up sweets and what not…but I am not.  I am of the mindset that I eat healthy most of the time, and indulge every once in a while (like 80% healthy, 20% naughty).  That way the majority of what I am eating is good for me.  I have to say though, when it comes to naughty food it is pretty much all home made, and refined sugar and flour free so I don’t get that icky feeling that comes from eating processed stuff.  I feel good and that is what counts!  Anyways, back to these cookies I mentioned earlier, I had seen some cinnamon roll cookies on Pinterest and said to myself, “I need to veganize those!”  So that was my Monday project.

    cinnamon-roll-cookies-5

    I used my classic go to sugar cookie recipe for the base and it worked out perfect!  These are actually pretty easy to make.  Yes, they involve rolling out and rolling up but they are essentially a slice and bake cookie. I used the most fragrant cinnamon in these, Vietnamese cinnamon.  In case you have never noticed, there are several types of cinnamon.  Vietnamese I find to be the most sweet, aromatic lovely smelling flavorful cinnamon.  Don’t believe me?  Go into Penzey’s Spices (or even the bulk spice section of your health food store where they often have several different types), and open up the different cinnamon jars and smell them.  These cookies smelled amazing while baking.  With that aromatic cinnamon and fragrant vanilla.  This is a smell that makes me happy.  It reminds me of being in my Grandma’s kitchen while she baked.

    cinnamon-roll-cookies-4

    cinnamon-roll-cookies-3

    Once the cookies were all cooled (well, mostly cooled, because I like warm cookies), I glazed them with a sweet coconut vanilla frosting.  Because proper cinnamon rolls need a frosting right?!  Well I think so.  They were super delicious!  A cinnamon roll cookie hybrid, with all of the best qualities of both.  If you are not on a New Years diet, you need to give these a try next time you have a cookie craving.  So delicious!

    cinnamon-roll-cookies-1

    Vegan Cinnamon Roll Cookies
    Makes 28 cookies

    Ingredients:
    Cookies:
    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups xylitol (coconut sugar may be used but keep in mind the cookies will not be light in color)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 3 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
    • 2 Tbsp cinnamon

     

    Glaze:

    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut butter
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla exract
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/3 cup filtered water or as needed

     

     Directions:
    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    2. In a large bowl, mix coconut oil with xylitol and mix until well combined.
    3. Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.
    4. Add the baking soda, salt, then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.  Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes until the dough is a little less soft and more manageable.
    5. To bake, Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
    6. On a piece of parchment dusted with a little flour, roll out the dough int0 2 10×13 inch rectangles.  Sprinkle each with cinnamon, and roll up from the top down.  Cut into 28 rounds, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart, pressing down just ever so slightly. Bake for about 15-18 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.
    7. To make the glaze, whisk together all ingredients until smooth, adding water a little at a time until it is pourable (but not too thin).  Drizzle over the cookies, then place them in the freezer until the glaze is set, about 15 minutes.

     

  • Vegan Matcha Mint Sugar Cookies

    Vegan Matcha Mint Sugar Cookies

    matcha-mint-sugar-cookies-1

    My Grandma had this amazing sugar cookie recipe, and I used to like to make it for every Holiday, and just switch up the sugar color on top or frost them with colored buttercream frosting. They were the most melt in your mouth delicious things, not surprising since they had loads of butter, eggs and powdered sugar.  I used to make these for people a lot, and on a few occasions people told me they ate the whole plate in one day.  It was usually the frosted ones, they were pretty addictive and irresistible.  I still like to make sugar cookies, but I have since revamped the recipe so that it fits in with my being vegan.

    matcha-mint-sugar-cookies-3

    I had to make some for Christmas, it being the cookie baking time of the year, but instead of just plain ones, I decided to make some matcha mint ones!  Mint is an essential flavor of the Holidays, and I love matcha!  I have always been a big green tea fan, but matcha is even more vibrant!  Matcha lattes are amazing!  So anyways, back to the cookies. I used granulated xylitol in these instead of regular sugar because I don’t use plain old regular sugar ever (unless I am making kombucha or sugar scrub), and I wanted the cookies to be a pretty green color and not brown.  Which they would have been had I used coconut sugar, which is usually my granulated sugar of choice.  The dough tasted wonderful!  I am a big cookie dough sampler…I like it more than baked cookies sometimes.  Once baked they filled my kitchen with the aroma of cheerful peppermint and sweet vanilla.

    matcha-mint-sugar-cookies-4

    They would have been good just as is, but I couldn’t resist drizzling them with dark chocolate.  White chocolate would have been good too, but I am in a dark chocolate sort of mood lately.  They turned out festive and delicious!  Melt in your mouth buttery (thanks to the coconut oil), and sweet!  Just what I look for in a Christmas cookie!  Definitely add them to your Holiday baking to make list!

    matcha-mint-sugar-cookies-2

    Vegan Matcha Mint Sugar Cookies

    Makes 28 cookies
    2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    1 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    1 1/2 cups xylitol (coconut sugar may be used but keep in mind the cookies will not be the same pretty green color)
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1 tsp peppermint extract
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    3 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour
    In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    In a large bowl, mix coconut oil with xylitol and mix until well combined.
    Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.
    Add the baking soda, salt, matcha, then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.
    To bake, Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll balls into about 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart. Bake for about 15-18 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.  Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool completely.
    Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler (or your preferred method), and drizzle it over the tops of the  cookies.  Set on a parchment lined tray to set the chocolate (it will set faster if you pop them in the freezer for about 5 minutes).
  • Vegan Chocolate Dipped Salted Almond Butter Cookies 

    Vegan Chocolate Dipped Salted Almond Butter Cookies 

    salted-almond-butter-cookies

    When I was little, my Mom and I would bake many different types of Christmas cookies, then keep them all in a big container in the freezer to either share with others or enjoy later.  There were the favorite cookies, like the pfeffernusse, classic sugar cookies, and pecan tassies.  But we would always try a few new recipes as well.  We would get cookbooks from the library, because this was before we had the internet at home to look up recipes (although I prefer to page though books still) and we would pick a few to make that caught our eye.  I still enjoy making cookies around this time of the year, warming up the kitchen and filling the house with a heavenly aroma.

    salted-almond-butter-cookies-1

    salted-almond-butter-cookies-2

    My Mom was showing me some cookie recipes that she thought I could maybe veganize, because now she just asks me to make the cookies that sound good to her since I love baking. One of them was a salted cashew shortbread.  We both thought a salted nut butter cookie sounded good, but I like my nut butter cookies soft like peanut butter cookies, so I decided to make a salted nut butter cookie in peanut butter cookie fashion (soft and chewy).  I did not use cashew butter or peanut butter though, I used almond, because it is Mom’s favorite and it sounded good to me too.  We both have a thing for roasted almond butter.  I make my own at home, and I go through about a jar a week.

    salted-almond-butter-cookies-4

    The dough for these cookies tasted fabulous, and I am sure I would end up with a couple more cookies if I did not eat so much (don’t worry, the yield amount for the recipe is correct, since I based this off my PB cookie recipe).  But enough of them made it into the oven to share!  Once they were baked and cooled, I dipped them in dark chocolate and sprinkled them with some fleur de sel.  OMG were they ever good!  My Mom much approved as well, as they had some of her favorite ingredients in them.  Add these babies to your Holiday baking to make list!

    salted-almond-butter-cookies-5

    Vegan Chocolate Dipped Salted Almond Butter Cookies 
    Makes 12 cookies

    Ingredients:

    Cookies:

    • 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
    • 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 cup coconut sugar
    • 3/4 cup organic almond butter
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/4 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    • 3/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt

     

    For dipping:

    • 1/2 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate
    • fleur de sel for sprinkling

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and water.  Place the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes, this is your flax egg.
    2. In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon, mix together the sugar, almond butter, coconut oil, vanilla and flax egg, until smooth.  Then mix in the flour, soda, baking powder, and sea salt in until the mixture is smooth.
    3. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment.
    4. Shape the cookie dough into 2 inch balls, place on your baking sheet a few inches apart and flatten with a fork, like you would with peanut butter cookies.
    5. Place in the oven and bake at 375 for 12 minutes or so, until lightly browned and set.  Allow to cool completely on a rack.
    6. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler (or your preferred method), and dip half of each of the cookies into the chocolate allowing the excess to drain off, then sprinkle with the fleur de sel.  Set on a parchment lined tray to set the chocolate (it will set faster if you pop them in the freezer for about 5 minutes). Enjoy!
  • Vegan Molasses Spice Cookies

    Vegan Molasses Spice Cookies

    molassess-spice-cookies-2

    When I was younger, my Mom and I would go to the library, pick out cook books and make a few recipes that we had chosen. I had a few favorite books, most of them were dessert books, including a cookie book with over 100 recipes, and the most beautiful photos! I tried many of the recipes from that book, especially around the Holidays when we did more baking. One recipe in particular my Mom loved, and that was the Joe Froggers. Funny name for a cookie, but they were the most delicious soft molasses cookies we had ever tasted! They were soft, a little chewy, just sweet enough, rich with butter, and aromatic thanks to the spices used in them. Not to mention super easy to make, which is good when you are hungry for cookies. They make your home smell amazing!

    molassess-spice-cookies-4

    So, I decided last week that I needed to veganize them, since I have actually never done so! Surprising I know, and it was about time! In place of the brown sugar I used lower glycemic coconut sugar which did the trick! They tasted plenty sweet with that and the molasses together. In place of the butter I used a combination of coconut oil and pecan butter which worked out perfect! If you don’t have pecan butter though, you may use almond butter. These have a nice amount of spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves and they smell simply heavenly as you mix and bake them. The dough is quite addictive as well, as I had to have several (several cookies worth that is) tastes. I have always been a cookie dough kind of girl, since I was in my Grandmas kitchen, knee high and stealing dough when she turned her back. She would always warn me I might get a tummy ache…but I never did.

    molassess-spice-cookies-1

    These cookies smelled wonderful while baking! If you are having guests over, bake these, the aroma is super comforting. Especially around the holidays! So did they stack up to the old recipe I made when I was young? Yes! They were super delicious and didn’t leave me in a sugar coma like the old ones did. I had to share some with my Mom of course, since they were one of her favorites, and she approved! I love spending time in the kitchen baking when the weather turns cooler and being able to share with friends and family!

    molassess-spice-cookies

    Vegan Molasses Spice Cookies
    Makes 24

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup coconut sugar plus more for rolling cookies.
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1/2 cup pecan butter (or almond butter)
    • 1/4 cup molasses
    • 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water)
    • 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free flour
    • 2 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp ginger
    • 1/2 tsp cloves
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
    2. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
    3. In a bowl, mix together the coconut sugar, coconut oil, pecan butter and molasses until smooth.
    4. Add the flax egg and mix until combined.
    5. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and spices until smooth.
    6. Place some coconut sugar in a small bowl.  Roll the cookie dough into 1 inch balls, then roll in coconut sugar and set on the prepared tray, 2 inches apart.
    7. Place tray in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until set. Remove from oven, and let cool before enjoying.
  • Vegan Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Vegan Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Vegan Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies 2

    I caved.  I jumped on the pumpkin spice bandwagon.  What can I say?  Fall is in the air and I am in the mood for pumpkin and apples.  My first baked good, pumpkin cookies.  We make pumpkin cookies at my work, and they are always very popular this time of the year.  They smell amazing as they bake, the aromas of sweet cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger filling the air, and they always make me hungry.  After experiencing being in a kitchen with those cookies I always want to go home and bake some.  When I was in college in the fall, I made soft pumpkin cookies for my cross country team and they were wonderful!  Not vegan though, so I was hoping to recreate them this week when I made my pumpkin cookies.  They were soft, aromatic, and kind of like a pumpkin cake married a cookie.

    Vegan Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies 3

    They had a lot of butter, sugar, and eggs in them, so I veganized them swapping out a lot of stuff.  I have to say, they turned out pretty awesome!  I love it when the vegan version of something tastes better than the original version I used to make.  These actually ended up being oil free, since I used pecan butter as the fat.  It gave it touch of nutty flavor that was a nice touch as well.  I used my usual pumpkin pie spices in this and the dough tasted amazing even before I baked the cookies.  I mixed in chocolate chips, which were not in the other cookies I used to make, but they were swapped in for something extra instead of the glaze I used to put on the other cookies.  I love chocolate with pumpkin spice, it is heavenly.

    Vegan Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies 1

    These smelled wonderful as I pulled them from the oven.  Once they were cool enough to enjoy, and I could taste one, I was very pleased.  Like classic soft pumpkin cookies, but better.  The rich little chocolate chips, the perfect touch.  This is only the first of the pumpkin recipes that will be coming from me this year, expect many more because I love it, and pumpkin comes only a certain time of the year!

    Vegan Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Vegan Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies
    makes 1 1/2 dozen

    Cookies:

    • 1 cup coconut sugar
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp raw pecan butter (or almond butter)
    • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup maple syrup
    • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
    • 2 tsp ginger
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/4 tsp cloves
    • 2 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour
    • 1 Tbsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 12 oz vegan chocolate chips

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
    2. In a large bowl, combine pecan butter with sugar and mix until well combined. mix in the pumpkin, vanilla extract, and maple syrup until well combined.
    3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together spices, flour, salt, baking powder, then add to the large bowl, and mix until well combined. Mix in the chocolate and set aside.
    4. To bake, Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop the dough in about 2 Tbsp amounts on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart.  Bake for about 15-18 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining cookies.



  • Vegan Apple Spice Oatmeal Cookies

    Vegan Apple Spice Oatmeal Cookies

    Apple Oatmeal Cookies 2

    Local apple season is now here!  I am excited about visiting the apple orchards, walking the rows of trees, and getting some of my favorite varieties.  I haven’t gotten a chance to do that yet, but I was able to pick up some Honey Crisp apples, my favorite kind at the store I work in.  They are amazing, the perfect balance of tart and sweet, and they were developed at the University of Minnesota so they are a local apple.  There is nothing like biting into one of those, or making a delicious apple pie with them.  I dried some of them to make apple chips last week, and I decided that some of them needed to be used in a recipe.  Of course you can buy apple chips at the store, but home made are so much better especially when made with flavorful apples like the Honey Crisp.  If you want to make them, all you need to do is slice the apples thinly and dehydrate them at 115F for about 20 hours until completely dry.  They make a wonderful snack!

    Apple Oatmeal Cookies 1

    So back to this recipe I made with them.  I decided it was a good day to bake oatmeal cookies.  They remind me of fall and cross country races since that is what I always made for my team gatherings to share.  They were always a hit!  My Mom always said oatmeal cookies are healthier because they come with fiber so that always justified enjoying them after races.  For the ones I made this week, I added the dried apples, crunchy walnuts, and a hint of spice.  The dough tasted amazing (yes, that counts, it is the best part besides the warm ones right out of the oven) and I could not stop sampling it.  They smelled amazing while baking, the aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg and something sweet baking filling my kitchen and home.

    Apple Oatmeal Cookies

    Once cool enough to sample, I dove in, and they were wonderful!  They were crispy on the outside, soft in the middle just as they should be with chewy apples and crunchy walnuts throughout and of course that aromatic spice mix.  They taste just like fall, reminding me of lazy Fall Saturdays when I was younger.  I know it is technically not Fall yet, but as far as I am concerned it is fall.  The weather is starting to cool down, it is September, and I am ready for cute fall sweaters and crisp mornings.  These are the perfect thing to kick off the season with!

    Apple Oatmeal Cookies 3

    Vegan Apple Spice Oatmeal Cookies
    Makes about 4 dozen

    Ingredients:

    • 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1/2 cup raw pecan butter (or almond butter)
    • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    • 2 flax eggs*
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour
    • 2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/2 tsp ginger
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
    • 2 cups chopped walnuts
    • 2 cups dried apples, cut into pieces

     

    Directions:

    1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, pecan butter and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    2. Mix in the flour, spices, soda, and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add pecans and apples and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
    4. Roll the dough into 12 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden, but not overbaked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    *Whisk together 2 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl.  Allow to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes until the mixture has set up (or become kind of thick).



  • Vegan Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

    Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies 5

    I am sure a lot of you might think I am crazy when I say this, but growing up, Oreos were never my favorite cookies.  Even as a kid, I could tell that they were not like my Grandma’s delicious home made cookies.  Something tasted off about them.  I now know it is because there is artificial stuff and preservatives in them. If there was a buffet at a get together with cookies on plates, I always would seek out the home made items instead of the packaged ones.  Sorry Chips Ahoy, you didn’t meet my standards either.  Anyways, that doesn’t mean however I don’t like sandwich cookies, I love them in fact, they just have to be home made!  I see all of these interesting new flavors of Oreos on the shelves at the store like birthday cake, mint, and peanut butter among others.  But the peanut butter particularly caught my eye.  Peanut butter Oreos could totally be home made!  So I decided that they were going to be my Monday project.

    Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies 2

    But, I didn’t make cookies that were exactly like Oreos.  I made a veganized version of a dark chocolate cookie that used to be a favorite recipe of mine, and added peanut butter along with the coconut oil because why not?  Extra peanut butter never hurt anything.  I love peanut butter and could eat a whole jar if I could.  It is honestly one of my top 5 favorite foods. I added chocolate chips to the cookies as well to make them extra delicious.  The cookies baked up lovely, and there was even an extra one to try before slathering the peanut butter over them.  They had the texture of my Grandma’s chocolate chip cookies but of course a chocolate base instead of vanilla.

    Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies 3

    Once I sandwiched them together with the peanut butter they were simply heavenly!  Sooo much better than any Oreo could ever hope to be. I would even go as far as to say they were crave worthy. Then again, I am biased because chocolate and peanut butter is one of my top go to dessert combinations.  I could have hogged them all for myself, but I was nice and shared them with Eric because he is even more of a chocolate lover than I am.  If you are looking for a new recipe to make and are in the mood for something decadent, go for these.  They may be more work than going to the store and buying a pack of Oreos (yes, I know they are vegan), but they taste so much better and you will be so much  more satisfied and pleased with yourself if you make these.  I promise.

    Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
    Makes 12 sandwiches

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/4 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 cup coconut oil, softened but not liquid
    • 3 Tbsp peanut butter
    • 2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips
    • 3/4 cup organic peanut butter

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.
    2. In a large bowl, beat together coconut oil, peanut butter, maple sugar, vanilla, and salt. Mix in dry ingredients until well combined, and then the chocolate until well incorporated.  Chill the dough slightly until it is not so sticky, about 15 minutes.
    3. Scoop the dough into 1 Tbsp balls, and drop them onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place in the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes until firm but not overbaked. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
    4. Flip half of the cookies over and spread about 1 Tbsp peanut butter over them (not spreading completely to the edges).  Top with the other cookies bottom side down to the peanut butter to form sandwiches.  Enjoy!

     



  • Vegan Maple Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Vegan Maple Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Maple Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies 4

    One of my favorite places to be as a child was in my Grandma’s kitchen.  She was always making something delicious no matter what time of the day, and she often baked things.  Like chocolate chip cookies.  She must have baked hundreds of batches of them.  She always had them on hand to give away to people in cookie tins.  I would sit there and watch her make the dough, roll the cookies and place them in the oven.  She had the recipe in her head, she made it so often she never needed recipe cards for reference or a timer on the oven.  She just knew when they were done.  And they always seemed to turn out perfect. When she wasn’t looking I would always steal dough, and she would warn me not to eat too much because would get a tummy ache but I never did.  I loved the dough the best, and the warm baked cookies.  Once they cooled I wasn’t compelled to eat so many even though they were really good.  I am just a cookie dough girl, and when they are still warm from the oven the chocolate chips are still gooey and they are crave worthy.  Good memories.  I miss my Grandma, and her delicious cookies.

    Maple Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies 3

    I wasn’t so into baking at that time, just eating but now I am a baker myself.  I think my Grandma would be proud!  I made some chocolate chip cookies last week and they made me think of her.  Some maple pecan chocolate chip cookies.  She always added nuts to her chocolate chip cookies, I think pecans, but it was so long ago I can’t  remember.  I just wanted some good old fashioned chocolate chip cookies!  I added maple sugar to the dough, because maple and pecans are a match made in heaven.  The dough was so incredibly good!  I ate too much just sayin.  But hey, that is my favorite type of cookie.  Unbaked.  But they did smell amazing while baking, and tasted wonderful too once they were done.

    Maple Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies 1

    I like to eat them while the chocolate chips are still gooey.  These have a hint of maple flavor, and they are rich and delicious thanks to the coconut oil and pecan butter both of which I used in them.  They are not diet cookies.  They are indulge in them because they are rich but still better for you than regular cookies cookies and I am proud of them!  They got a thumbs up from my taste testers too, which is a big complement because they can be picky.  If you are looking for a sweet indulgence to make this weekend, give these babies a try!

    Maple Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies 2

    Vegan Maple Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Makes 16 large cookies

    Ingredients:

    •  2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1/2 cup raw pecan butter
    • 1 1/2 cups maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp maple extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 3 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    • 1 cup mini vegan chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
    • 1/2 cup chopped pecans

     

    Directions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, coconut oil and pecan butter with sugar and mix until well combined
      Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.  Add the baking soda and salt then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.  Mix in the chocolate chips and pecans. Place in the freezer for about 10  minutes until it is firm enough to scoop (if it is too soft at all, it may not be, in that case proceed with scooping. It just depends on how warm the coconut oil was).
    3. To bake, Preheat your oven to 350F degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. To Form the cookies take about a 1 1/2 inch chunk of dough, form into a ball and on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart, and press down just slightly. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.  Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool before enjoying.



  • Vegan Hazelnut Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Vegan Hazelnut Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Hazelnut Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies 4

    I first fell in love with hazelnuts when my Mom and I were in Europe when I was in high school, and we bought some really delicious hazelnut chocolates in Belgium.  They were the best chocolate I had ever tasted.  I hadn’t had much exposure to hazelnuts before that, save buying Nutella (the commercial brand really doesn’t taste much like hazelnuts in my opinion), and that was not a good way to get the flavor of real hazelnuts.  Now I consider them kind of special, because they are a little more spendy and less common than almonds.

    Hazelnut Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

    So, I recently made some hazelnut butter and I am enjoying using it in recipes.  I decided last Friday that I wanted some chocolate chip cookies, and it made its way in there too along with some chopped hazelnuts.  I also decided that a touch of coffee would be a delicious addition.  The dough tasted wonderful.  Good dough is the true measure of a good cookie to this dough lover.  And I ate plenty of it.

    Hazelnut Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies 2

    The cookies smelled amazing while baking.  And of course I had to try one warm out of the oven.  Because that is the second best time to enjoy cookies (second after dough eating). The soft hazelnut coffee scented cookie with the gooey chocolate chips was heavenly.  Baking is definitely my favorite Friday night activity.  So relaxing, and who doesn’t like a little cookie aromatherapy?!

    Hazelnut Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies 1

    Vegan Hazelnut Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Makes 28 cookies

    Cookies:
    2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    1 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    1/2 cup hazelnut butter
    1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    3/4 teaspoon sea salt
    1 Tbsp espresso powder
    3 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    1 cup mini vegan chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
    1 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

    In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water. Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    Meanwhile, in a large bowl, coconut oil with sugar and hazelnut butter and mix until well combined.
    Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.
    Add the baking soda and salt and espresso powder, then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.
    Mix in the chocolate chips and hazelnuts. Place in the freezer for about 10 minutes until it is firm enough to scoop (if it is too soft at all, it may not be, in that case proceed with scooping. It just depends on how warm the coconut oil was).
    To bake, Preheat your oven to 350F degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. To Form the cookies take about a 1 inch chunk of dough, and form into a ball.  Place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart, and press down just slightly. Bake for about 12 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool before enjoying.



  • Vegan Salted Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Vegan Salted Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Vegan Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies 3

    My fondest memory of chocolate chip cookies, is being in my Grandma’s kitchen while she made them.  She had the recipe all up in her head, not written down on paper, and they always turned out just right. She sat there with a big bowl of dough. Rolling the little balls out and placing them on the pans wearing her housecoat and curlers, and when she wasn’t looking I would steal some dough.  Of course she always knew I did and she told me not to eat too much or I would get a tummy ache.  I never did though.  They were delicious just out of the oven as well, and as soon as they were cool enough to handle, I would dive into them. It was then that discovered my love for chocolate chip cookies.  Store-bought would never do, not after these.

    Vegan Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies 1

    I recently saw a recipe on Pinterest once for caramel stuffed chocolate chip cookies, and it has been in my head ever since. I have been meaning to make them since then, but hadn’t gotten around to it because it seemed like a day off sort of activity not a work night one. Well, on my day off last weekend, I finally got around to making them.  I was excited about this one, since I love caramel, and chocolate chip cookies freshly baked are ALWAYS good. Especially the vegan ones, so you can snack on the dough which is the best part of baking them!

    Vegan Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies 8

    Vegan Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies 6

    Vegan Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies 5

    I made my vegan date caramel for the salted caramel filling, because it is the best vegan caramel as far as I am concerned and it is easy to make.  For the dough, just my classic vegan chocolate chip cookie dough, because it is simple, and always turns out just right. They were actually not as difficult as you may think to make, just that extra step of the caramel.  They smelled amazing while they baked, and I could not wait to try them. They tasted amazing too, soft and chewy with the gooey caramel centers.  Just as I had imagined.  I think my Grandma would be proud if she were still alive today!

    Vegan Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

     

    Vegan Salted Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Makes 16 large cookies

    Caramel:
    1 cup soft medjool dates, pitted
    2 Tbsp raw pecan butter or almond butter
    1 Tbsp coconut butter
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    1 tsp pure vanilla extract

    Cookies:
    2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    1 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    3/4 teaspoon sea salt
    3 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    1 cup mini vegan chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

    To make the caramel, combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth, and set aside.
    In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    Meanwhile, in a large bowl, coconut oil with sugar and mix until well combined.
    Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.
    Add the baking soda and salt then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.
    Mix in the chocolate chips. Place in the freezer for about 10  minutes until it is firm enough to scoop (if it is too soft at all, it may not be, in that case proceed with scooping. It just depends on how warm the coconut oil was).
    To bake, Preheat your oven to 350F degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. To Form the cookies take about a 1 1/2 inch chunk of dough, form into a ball, and press a hole into the center with your thumb, forming sort of a cup. Spoon some of the caramel inside, then cover the top with another piece of dough and form it into a ball (carefully so you don’t squeeze out the caramel).  You can see the process in the photos above.  Place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart, and press down just slightly. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.  Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool before enjoying.

    Vegan Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies 2



  • Vegan Chocolate Lover’s Brownie Cookies

    Vegan Chocolate Lover’s Brownie Cookies

    chocolate lovers brownie cookies 3

    Last Friday I was in a really good mood.  It was a good day.  I got a good run in in the morning, which always combats any stress that might happen later, work went well, I felt like I kicked butt getting things done, and it was a beautiful day. 70F degrees and sunny, which is a pretty awesome feeling, since it means that winter is finally gone (it has been Spring for a while, but the weather hasn’t always felt like it).  As I was on my afternoon walk, I decided that I needed to end the day baking cookies.  It is something I usually reserve for my days off, but it was Friday and cookies sounded wonderful.

    chocolate lovers brownie cookies

    I had some aquafaba butter also that I wanted to try using in a cookie recipe so it was perfect!  I was in a chocolate craving mood as well, so these had to be chocolate cookies.  I almost made just regular chocolate chip cookies, but I opted instead for vegan chocolate lover’s brownie cookies instead.  Why not go all out and make something decadent?!

    chocolate lovers brownie cookies 2

    We make a double chocolate cookie in the deli where I work, and they always smell amazing like brownies baking when they come out of the oven, so that was sort of my inspiration.  They are not vegan, so I have never had one, so I was excited about making my own.  I made a rich dough with the aquafaba butter that was so good I could not stop snacking on it. The cookies smelled even better than the ones at work while they were baking and when they were out of the oven and still warm and gooey…oh they were sooo good!  If you love chocolate as much as I do, definitely get on baking these!

    chocolate lovers brownie cookies

    Vegan Chocolate Lover’s Brownie Cookies

    Makes 2 dozen cookies
    1 cup aquafaba butter, warmed until liquid*
    1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp aquafaba**
    1 cup cacao powder
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    2 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour

    2 cups cup vegan dark chocolate chips or chunks***

    Meanwhile, in a large bowl, aquafaba butter with sugar and mix until well combined.
    Mix in the vanilla extract, and aquafaba until well combined.
    Add the cacao powder, baking soda and salt then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.
    Mix in the chocolate chunks. Place in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes until firm enough to scoop.
    To bake, Preheat your oven to 350F degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll balls into about 1 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly (but do not overbake or they will not be chewy).  Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.  Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool completely.
    *If you do not want to make aquafaba butter, coconut oil may be used in this recipe instead, just keep in mind the texture of the finished cookies will be slightly different, a little less chewy.
    **Aquafaba is the liquid of canned or cooked chickpeas. You want it to be thick like egg whites, so if yours is not thick, reduce it in a saucepan until it is.  Make sure it is cooled before using in the recipe if you have reduced it. Flax eggs can be used in place of the aquafaba also if you prefer, just use 2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 6 Tbsp water, and let it sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe.
    ***If you are using home made chocolate as I often do, hold off on mixing it into the dough, and press it into the cookies just as they come out of the oven.  This prevents it from melting all over.



  • Vegan High Protein Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies

    Vegan High Protein Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies

    Almond Oatmeal Cookies 1

    When I was younger, my Mom always justified eating oatmeal cookies by the fact that they have oatmeal in them. “They are healthy, and they have fiber.” She said.  Well, she is right, I mean compared to other cookies which are made with simply refined flours they are a little kinder on the system.  They have always been her favorite and mine as well.  I am just a chewy on the inside crunchy on the outside kind of a girl when it comes to cookies.  My Mom’s oatmeal cookies always came out that way.

    Almond Oatmeal Cookies 4

    Often times now, she will ask me to make her some.  Because she knows I love to bake cookies and I can not resist. So, a few days back, I made some almond butter oatmeal cookies. I love the combination of nut butter and oatmeal cookies together, and I kept these pretty simple with flavors.  I did however want to add a little more protein since I know my Mom eats these for snacks with her coffee so I added some Sprout Living Original Epic Protein Powder.  You could not taste it in there, but it made these have more staying power for snacks.

    Almond Oatmeal Cookies 2

    They were fast to make, just mix together, drop on the pans, and bake, nothing fussy or time consuming like chilling dough or rolling out.  They smelled amazing while baking as well.  My mouth was watering and I was getting super hungry.  They baked up lovely, just how oatmeal cookies should be.  They tasted wonderful, and both me and my Mom thought so!  If you are looking for a healthier cookie, give these a shot. You can always make them a little smaller if you like (just reduce the baking time) since I make jumbo cookies.

    Almond Oatmeal Cookies 3

    Vegan High Protein Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies

    Makes about 4 dozen

    1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    1/2 cup raw almond butter
    1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    3/4 cup aquafaba*
    1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour
    1/2 cup Sprout Living Original Epic Protein powder
    1 tsp baking soda
    2 tsp cinnamon
    3/4 tsp sea salt
    3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats

    In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, almond butter and sugar until well blended. Add aquafaba, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick). Mix in the flour, soda, cinnamon, and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined. Heat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll drop the dough into 14 large balls on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between and press down just slightly. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden, but not overbaked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.

    *Aquafaba is the liquid of canned or cooked chickpeas. You want it to be the consistency of egg whites. If it is too thin, put it in a pan on the stove and reduce it until it thickens.



  • Vegan Tag-Along Ice Cream

    Vegan Tag-Along Ice Cream

    Next to samoa Girl Scout cookies, tag alongs were always a favorite.  I have never been able to resist peanut butter and chocolate.  I have made raw tag along cookies, but this year I decided to bake some, and they turned out delicious. I made some buttery tasting drop cookies that reminded me of shortbread for the base, and they were perfect with the peanut butter and chocolate, tasting better than real tag along cookies.

    Tag Along Ice Cream 1

    I wanted to make something with them.  Some ice cream.  I was craving ice cream, probably because the weather is warming up here.  So, tag along ice cream it was.  There was a time for a while a few years back when I would make ice cream every week, but I fell out of that habit, and I hadn’t made any for probably half a year. I was kind of missing it.

    Tag Along Ice Cream 3

    So, this was the perfect way to break that ice cream fast.  Eric loves tag alongs too, so I had the perfect person to share it with. I made a peanut butter coconut milk ice cream base, and it tasted heavenly.  Once the cookies were stirred in and it was frozen, even better.  This is waaaayyyy better than anything you can buy at the store.  So good.

    Tag Along Ice Cream 5

    Vegan Tag-Along Ice Cream

    Makes about 4 cups

    Ice cream:
    1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    2/3 cup organic peanut butter
    1/2 cup coconut sugar (or to taste)
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    2 cups vegan tag along cookies (recipe follows), cut into pieces
    To make the ice cream, place all ingredients but the cookies into a high speed blender or food processor and process until smooth.  Pour into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to package directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour into a bowl, and place in the freezer, whisk every half hour until frozen. Once the ice cream has frozen (but not hardened, you want to be able to stir in the chunks) using either method, stir in the chunks and pour into a freezer safe container with a lid.  Allow to set in the freezer for a few hours at least until it is firm enough to scoop.  If it gets too hard ever, just let it sit on the counter for 15-20 minutes before serving.

    Tag Along Ice Cream 2

    Vegan Tag Along Cookies

    Makes 8 larger tag alongs

    1 cup gluten free all purpose flour

    1/4 tsp baking soda

    6 Tbsp coconut oil, softened

    1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
    1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    1/8 tsp sea salt

    8 scant Tbsp organic peanut butter
    1 1/2 cups chopped vegan dark chocolate
    Preheat oven to 350F degrees.  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, and baking soda.  In a large bowl, beat together coconut oil, sugar, vanilla, and sea salt. Mix in dry ingredients until well combined. Chill about 15 minutes until the dough is not as soft and wet, and roll into little 1 inch balls.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, and chill in the fridge until a little more firm, about 10 minutes.  Transfer parchment and cookies to another (unchilled) sheet, and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until set.  Cool on the pan for about 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool.
    Once cool, spoon about 1 scant Tbsp over each cookie, and spread out so it lays flat.  Place the cookies in the freezer and chill until hard, about 20 minutes.
    Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, and once it is melted, dip each cookie into it (letting the excess drain off, I like to set mine on a fork) and set on a piece of parchment paper. Once they are all dipped, place in the freezer for about 15 minutes to harden.
    Tag Along Ice Cream



  • Vegan Pistachio Butter Cookies with Dark Chocolate

    Vegan Pistachio Butter Cookies with Dark Chocolate

    Lots of things go through my head while I am running.  Brrr it is cold, and why am I up this early usually for the first five minutes, then the more interesting thoughts start to happen.  Like oh look…green grass is starting to appear beneath the melting snow…I hope spring comes soon, that would be wonderful. Spring green is nice, oh I should make something green today since Spring is almost here.  Just random thoughts, but so useful for thinking up recipes.  So that green theme, it happened.  I made Vegan Pistachio Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

    Pistachio Cookies 1

    Pistachio butter is amazing, and I recently made some with the raw pistachios Vivapura sent me. I thought it deserved to be used in something good where it could shine and be the star ingredient.  I made some Raw White Chocolate Pistachio Butter Cups, but I had some left over so I made these cookies too! Think peanut butter cookies, but better.  The dough was quite addictive, and I knew it would be wonderful once baked. They smelled amazing while baking too, nutty and scented like vanilla.

    Pistachio Cookies 2

    I decided to drizzle them with dark chocolate to dress them up, and since pistachios and chocolate go so well together.  I shared these with my Mother, and she adored them.  I have to agree, they are delightful!  So pretty too with the light green from the pistachios to color them.  Naturally colored foods are the best!

    Pistachio Cookies 3

    Vegan Pistachio Butter Cookies with Dark Chocolate

    Makes 12 cookies

    1 Tbsp ground flax seed
    3 Tbsp filtered water
    1 cup coconut sugar or xylitol*
    3/4 cup raw pistachio butter
    1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    1 tsp L.C. Finns vanilla extract
    1 1/4 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    3/4 tsp baking soda
    1/2 tsp baking powder
    1/2 tsp sea salt

    1/2 cup vegan chocolate chunks or chips

    In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and water.  Place the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes, this is your flax egg.
    In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon, mix together the sugar, pistachio butter, coconut oil, vanilla and flax egg, until smooth.  Then mix in the flour, soda, baking powder, and sea salt in until the mixture is smooth.
    Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment.
    Shape the cookie dough into 1 inch balls, place on your baking sheet a few inches apart and flatten slightly with your hand.
    Place in the oven and bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes or so, until lightly browned and set.  Allow to cool completely on a rack.

    Once the cookies have cooled, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, and drizzle the chocolate over each cookie (I put mine in a ziplock bag with a hole cut in the corner to make it easier).  Allow the chocolate to set before serving (it will set faster if you put them in the freezer for about 10 min).

    *xylitol will yield a greener cookie.



  • Vegan Almond Lemon Raspberry Cookies

    Vegan Almond Lemon Raspberry Cookies

    Sometimes I get my recipe ideas from a craving I have or an idea I come up with as I daydream, but other times, I am asked if I could make something.  That was the case last weekend when my Mom asked if I could make her some lemon raspberry cookies with nut butter included in the dough.

    IMG_2032

    Of course I wanted to make them!  I am not one to turn down delicious sounding recipe ideas, and this one sounded especially good.  I love nut butter in all forms, and lemon and raspberry is one of my favorite combinations!  What wasn’t to love about this idea?! They were actually quite easy and simple to make, which was awesome.

    IMG_2039

    These are not one of those fussy cookies that you have to put a lot of ingredients into with lots of steps and chilling time etc. But instead simple mix, place on the pan, and bake, and half an hour later you have delicious cookies. They smelled absolutely amazing when baking, the lemon and raspberry filling my kitchen with the most heavenly aroma!

    IMG_2036

    They tasted wonderful as well!  My Mom approved, I think they were just what she was looking for. She likes to have some sort of cookies on hand as a snack to go with her tea or coffee.  I think these would be good with a hibiscus raspberry tea or something of the sort.

    IMG_2040

    Vegan Almond Lemon Raspberry Cookies
    makes about 10 cookies

    1/2 cup almond butter
    1/4 cup coconut oil, softened, but not liquid
    1/2 cup coconut sugar
    2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    1 Tbsp organic lemon zest
    1/4 cup lemon juice
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    1 cup gluten free all purpose flour
    1/2 cup dried raspberries

    Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
    In a large bowl, mix together the almond butter, coconut oil, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and juice until well blended.  Add the sea salt and flour and mix until well combined. Stir in the raspberries.
    Shape the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place a few inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Press down on them just slightly. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until they are starting to brown at the edges.
    Remove from oven and let cool.



  • Vegan Mint Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies

    Vegan Mint Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies

     IMG_1860

    Some people like to lie around in their PJs on their day off, or go see a movie or something, but on my day off I like to go for a run then bake and relax the rest of the day.  This time of year with Christmas music in the background and baking a batch of cookies.  I can wear my pjs too, I just don’t lie around.  Last Monday I decided to make some chocolate Christmas cookies.  Because that sounded good.  Now, traditional Christmas cookies are all fine and dandy, but I like to make a few new ones every year.

    IMG_1861

    This time I decided I wanted cookies that reminded me of brownies, with chocolate chunks and mint.  I wanted something that everyone would like, since I was planning to share and gift some.  I came up with a batter that was just crave worthy.  It tasted like brownies and was intense with chocolate which was just what I was going for.  The hint of mint made them taste like thin mints, but their texture was soft like brownies.

    IMG_1863

    My house smelled amazing like chocolate cake while they baked, and I had to have one while they were still warm.  It was decadent and delicious.  Although I am calling these Christmas cookies, don’t limit them to Christmas or the Holidays.  They will be awesome to whomever you serve them to year round I can assure you!

    IMG_1867

    Vegan Mint Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies
    Makes 2 dozen cookies

    2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    1 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1 tsp peppermint extract
    1 cup cacao powder
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    2 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour
    2 cups cup vegan dark chocolate chunks*

    In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    Meanwhile, in a large bowl, coconut oil with sugar and mix until well combined.
    Mix in the vanilla extract, mint extract and flax mixture until well combined.
    Add the cacao powder, baking soda and salt then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.
    Mix in the chocolate chunks.
    To bake, Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll balls into about 1 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart and press down slightly. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.  Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool completely.

    *If you are using home made chocolate as I often do, hold off on mixing it into the dough, and press it into the cookies just as they come out of the oven.  This prevents it from melting all over.
    IMG_1865



  • Vegan Hazelnut Butter Cardamom Chocolate Chunk Cookies

    I bought a big old bag of hazelnuts recently, just to switch things up a bit. I am usually always buying almonds or walnuts, but the hazelnuts just sounded really good.  I toasted a big pan to use in recipes, then ended up making most of it into hazelnut butter…which was really good.  I snacked on some of it, but I decided that it also needed to be used in a delicious dessert as well.

    IMG_1606

    I had cookies in mind.  you know, like peanut butter cookies but with hazelnut butter?  I am more of a soft cookie person so it sounded fabulous to me.  They weren’t just going to be plain though.  I wanted to include chocolate chunks as well.  I could have made them really chocolaty and made the dough chocolate too, which would have made Eric even happier, but I am the type of person who likes balance.  So the chocolate chunks in the non-chocolate dough sounded better at the time.

    IMG_1603

    But that would have even been too plain for me.  Just the chocolate chunks weren’t enough, I decided that cardamom would be lovely in these cookies as well.  It is a warming spice, so perfect for this time of the year.  L. C. Finn’s a local company that makes wonderful extracts recently sent me some to try, and cardamom was one of them, so I put it to use.  Stay tuned, I will be talking more about L.C. Finn’s tomorrow and there will be a giveaway of their extracts!  Anyways, their cardamom extract was awesome I the cookies.  Light, but aromatic.  They smelled amazing and tasted even better.

    IMG_1602

    Vegan Hazelnut Butter Cardamom Chocolate Chunk Cookies

    Makes 12 cookies

    1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
    3 Tbsp filtered water
    1 cup coconut sugar
    3/4 cup Dastony hazelnut butter
    1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    1 tsp L.C. Finns vanilla extract
    1 tsp L.C. Finns cardamom extract (or 1 tsp dried cardamom)
    1 1/4 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    3/4 tsp baking soda
    1/2 tsp baking powder
    1/2 tsp sea salt
    1 cup vegan chocolate chunks or chips

    In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and water.  Place the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes, this is your flax egg.
    In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon, mix together the sugar, hazelnut butter, coconut oil, vanilla and flax egg, until smooth.  Then mix in the flour, soda, baking powder, and sea salt in until the mixture is smooth.  Stir in the chocolate chunks or chips.
    Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment.
    Shape the cookie dough into 2 inch balls, place on your baking sheet a few inches apart and flatten slightly with your hand.
    Place in the oven and bake at 375 for 12 minutes or so, until lightly browned and set.  Allow to cool completely on a rack.

     

     

     



  • Vegan Maple Pecan Pumpkin Cookies

    Vegan Maple Pecan Pumpkin Cookies

    Vegan Pumpkin Maple Pecan Cookies

    Happy first official day of Autumn!  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Summer but crisp fall mornings are one of my favorite things.  I have been enjoying wearing sweatshirts and feeling a bit of a chill in the air.  This weather makes for great runs and comfortable walks, all the while crunching the leaves on the ground as you go and admiring the beautiful painted trees.  A few days back, I decided that it was close enough to Fall to bake pumpkin cookies.  Most of my days off involve some form of baking or another and this one was no exception.  My perfect day off is a long run, baking, enjoying the outdoors with my man, and relaxing with a home cooked meal.

     

    Vegan Pumpkin Maple Pecan Cookies 1

    The last time I had made pumpkin cookies they were raw, but I decided to bake some this time, and jazz them up a bit.  I have always felt like pumpkin cookies are a little tougher than regular old drop cookies to make, because the batter seems to always be so wet and runny, but these turned out awesome and a little chilling quickly before baking did the trick.

    Vegan Pumpkin Maple Pecan Cookies 3

    The dough tasted amazing.  The sort of thing that I can not get myself to stop sampling.  But no regrets it was sooo good.  I stirred in pecans and cranberries and scented the dough with vanilla, maple and the classic pumpkin spices.  They baked up beautifully.  Pillowy yet crunchy on the outside as the perfect pumpkin cookie (in my opinion) should be.  I then drizzled them with a maple glaze and they were just as I had envisioned them to be in my head before I made them. Which is always a good thing because sometimes things totally don’t turn out as I had wished.  They smell of Autumn, and I can imagine no better thing to enjoy on a chilly afternoon with a mug of hot apple cider…which I am really craving now so I am going to have to get some soon!

    Vegan Pumpkin Maple Pecan Cookies 4

    Vegan Maple Pecan Pumpkin Cookies

    Makes 16 large cookies

    2 Tbsp ground flaxseed

    1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water

    1 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid

    2 cups coconut sugar

    2 tsp pure vanilla extract

    1 tsp maple extract

    1 cup pumpkin puree

    4 cups gluten free all purpose flour

    2 tsp baking soda

    1/2 tsp sea salt

    1 Tbsp cinnamon

    2 tsp ground ginger

    1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

    1/2 tsp cloves

    2 cups chopped pecans

    1 cup dried cranberries

    Glaze:

    2 Tbsp coconut butter, warmed to liquid

    1 Tbsp maple syrup

    pinch sea salt

    3 Tbsp filtered water (or as needed)

    Pre heat the oven to 350F degrees. Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper.

    Whisk together the flax seed and water and set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

    In a large bowl, whisk together coconut oil and sugar until blended.  Then add the vanilla and maple extracts, flax mixture and pumpkin and whisk until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, spices, and sea salt and mix until smooth.  Stir in the pecans and cranberries.

    Chill the dough for about 10-15 minutes until it becomes thicker (like the texture of regular chocolate chip cookie dough), then drop the cookie dough by the scant 1/4 cup on the prepared baking sheets, leaving a lot of space between cookies (I got about 8 per pan).  Bake for 15-18 minutes until cooked through and lightly browned.  Remove from oven and let cool.

    To make the glaze, whisk together all ingredients until smooth adding more water if necessary to create a pourable glaze.  Drizzle over the cookies, and allow to set (you may pop them in the freezer for about 5 minutes to make it set faster).  Store cookies in an airtight container for 1 week.

    Vegan Pumpkin Maple Pecan Cookies 5



  • Amy’s Vegan Monster Cookies

    Amy’s Vegan Monster Cookies

     Monster Cookies 2

    Monster cookies used to be a weekly thing I made back in college, since I would bring them to cross country meet for the team to enjoy after the race.  We all loved them, but there was someone else who loved them even more.  My Dad.  To this day, he asks me often, “When are you going to make me some monster cookies?” In fact, he asked me a few weeks back.  Truth is I hardly ever make them anymore.  I have made one raw version since my college days last year but not a baked veganized version.  So, I decided my Dad was right about needing to make some and I did.  But these were slightly different than the ones I used to make.

    Monster Cookies 1

    I was never a fan of the M&Ms I put on my old ones, I would have much preferred just chocolate.  But some versions of monster cookies put chocolate chips and peanut butter chips and no M&Ms so I made mine like that.  I made my own delicious peanut butter chips too because I do not like the ingredients in the store bought ones I found.  These cookies turned out awesome!  I already had several people begging me to try them when I told them what I was making. Big thumbs up from me, hope my Dad approves too once I share them with him since there are no M&Ms.  These are by no means light *ahem* calorie free cookies…they are called Monster for a reason, they are big and rich.  But at least these meal in and of themselves cookies do not send me into sweet overload but rather leave me feeling good after enjoying one.

    Monster Cookies 3

    Amy’s Vegan Monster Cookies

    Makes a dozen
    1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    3/4 cup peanut butter
    1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    2 flax eggs*
    1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour
    1 tsp baking soda
    3/4 tsp sea salt
    3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
    2 cups vegan chocolate chunks
    2 cups vegan peanut butter chips or chunks**
    In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, peanut butter and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick). Mix in the flour, soda, and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add chocolate*** and peanut butter chips*** and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough. Heat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 12 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden, but not overbaked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    *For flax eggs, whisk together 2 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl.  Allow to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes until the mixture has set up (or become kind of thick).
    **Peanut Butter Chips:
    1 cup creamy natural peanut butter
    1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    3-5 tablespoons fine coconut sugar (I put mine in the blender and buzz it until fine)
    Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl until smooth, then pour into a mold, or onto a sheet of foil, and set in the freezer until hard. Break into pieces once hard.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
    ***If your chips melt fast, and my home made ones certainly do, you may press them into the cookies just as they are removed from the oven instead of mixing them in so they hold their shape.



  • Vegan Chocolate Dipped Basil Mint Sugar Cookies (gluten free)

    Vegan Chocolate Dipped Basil Mint Sugar Cookies (gluten free)

    Basil Mint Sugar Cookies 1

    I had lots of beautiful basil and mint from my CSA box, and I wanted to make something delicious with it. Sure, some of it made its way into salads, but I wanted something sweet as well. I couldn’t get my mind off of sugar cookies.  Eric and I had spent most of the day at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum walking and it was really hot and humid, so you would think the last thing I would want to do was heat up an oven…but it sounded relaxing.

    Basil Mint Sugar Cookies 2

    I decided to just go for it with the sugar cookies, and include the basil and mint.  I have seen mint cookies before which were a beautiful green, but unfortunately it was artificial.  So, I wanted to create a version of my own with real mint and add in some basil as well as my own twist.  I used xylitol in these in place of my usual coconut sugar in order to insure that they stayed green.  I did not know if they would or not, since I have baked things with natural color ingredients and they faded…so I had my fingers crossed on this one.  The dough was sooo good!  And luckily, they baked up beautiful!  The color stayed in tact!

    Basil Mint Sugar Cookies 3

    I decided to dip them in chocolate to make them even more delicious than they already were.  These were pretty fragrant cookies, and even better tasting with the refreshing mint and aromatic basil.  If you are apprehensive about the use of basil in cookies, trust me on this one, it is amazing.  Maybe you have an over abundance of these herbs in your garden and are looking for uses.  In that case, I envy you and you need to try these out!

    Basil Mint Sugar Cookies 4

    Vegan Chocolate Dipped Basil Mint Sugar Cookies (gluten free)

    Makes 16 large cookies
    2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    1 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    1 cup fresh mint leaves
    1 cup fresh basil leaves
    1 1/2 cups xylitol (coconut sugar may be used but keep in mind the cookies will not be the same pretty green color)
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    3 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour
    In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    Meanwhile, Combine the xylitol, mint and basil in a food processor and process until uniform in color and the herbs have blended into the xylitol. In a large bowl, coconut oil with xylitol and mix until well combined.
    Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.
    Add the baking soda and salt then the flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.
    To bake, Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll balls into about 2 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.  Repeat with remaining cookies and let cool completely.
    Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler (or your preferred method), and dip half of each of the cookies into the chocolate allowing the excess to drain off.  Set on a parchment lined tray to set the chocolate (it will set faster if you pop them in the freezer for about 5 minutes).