a peek into one blogger's vegan lifestyle, from cooking and baking to parenthood and family life to making vegan choices as a working professional, and everything in between
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
CookEatShare
Hi everyone! I am pleased to announce that I have been invited to join the CookEatShare network! Please check out all of the great bloggers and chefs they have to offer!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year, everyone!
I apologize for being so overdue with a post; oddly enough, I've had quite a bit to write about, but no time to update! I've decided to dedicate this post to summarizing how the past few weeks have gone for me, with the hope of having follow up posts that can link recipes to those events (although, of course, I have a recipe for today!).
Greg and I had a great Christmas; we hosted our very first Christmas party at our house. We had an all-day open house, with brunch in the morning, dinner in the late afternoon, and dessert at night. We're happy with how it turned out - we ended up having 15 wonderful friends and family members come by! We were also very proud because our celebration was completely vegan. We hadn't intended it to be that way, but as we were putting the menu together, we realized that almost everything was vegan, so we just took the final leap - to great success, we think! No, we didn't have a Tofurky; instead, for our main course, we made mushroom phyllo triangles from Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates. Also, a thank you to a friend of mine at work who recommended this recipe for a Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. It was a hit!
New Year's was also great! I've made two little resolutions (wear sunscreen on my face everyday and remember to take my multivitamin) as well as a big resolution: to train for and complete a marathon. I'm all signed up for the Wisconsin Marathon and have been training with CARA since the middle of December - wish me luck! I hope to have some posts on vegan fueling.
Finally, I am totally hooked on a new book, courtesy of a Christmas present from my parents: The Kind Life by Alicia Silverstone. I really enjoyed the book quite a bit and it has wonderful tips, as well as a great interactive website. Basically, Alicia takes basic vegan principles, as well as macrobiotic theories and medical research, with great recipes and recommendations for using food to your benefit. I have really enjoyed it and have found it to be consistent with my doctor's recommendations that I switch to a low glycemic index diet, which I also hope to write about later. I've made a number of the recipes from the book, and they are delicious, vegan, and sugar-free; what more could you want!
As I hope this post shows, I've had quite a bit going on that I'm very excited to talk about, so more posts should be forthcoming! In the mean time, I want to leave you with a recipe I recently adapted and adore.
For those who know me, I have a definite weakness for bread and rolls. I have really been enjoying baking bread, particularly with Greg's dad, who gave me the nudge to really investigate baking bread when he wanted to learn to do it, too; learning more about bread has been fun for both of us!
Although breadmaking is fairly easy, it can also be time consuming. Although there is very little in the way of preparation, the waiting can be a bear. Recently, I was preparing a dinner ahead of time and realized I forgot to make bread; this was a problem, because it was 9:30 at night, this was the only time I had to bake, and I had no interest in staying up until 12:30 just to make a loaf of bread.
Enter Moosewood Restaurant and its homemade biscuit recipe - yum! The recipe was quick, yeast-free, and already egg-free; I just needed to figure out a way to get rid of the buttermilk. As always, my go to person, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, had a tip; she recommended generally stirring a little apple cider vinegar into soy milk and letting it sit for a couple of minutes. Needless to say, I'm happy with the result! Kiss trans fat laden instant biscuits good-bye; these take the same amount of time to prepare and get in the oven as it does to open the can.
Biscuits (adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites)
Yields: 6 biscuits
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/3 c. soy milk + 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar, mixed together (let set for a few minutes after mixing)
An additional portion of soy milk (2-3 Tbsp.) to stream into mix
1) Combine flour, salt, powder, and sugar.
2) Mix together oil and soymilk/apple cider vinegar mixture; slowly stream into dry ingredients. If, after adding, the mixture is not creating a dough, slowly add, by the tablespoon, additional plain soymilk until the mixture just comes together.
3) For this next part - be careful not to overknead! Otherwise, the biscuits will be like rocks! Form the dough into a ball. Then, cut the dough in half, place one half on top of the other, and push down. Repeat 2-3 times.
4) Spread out dough into an oblong shape, and then cut 6 pieces. Form the dough into 6 round, biscuit looking shapes and place on baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
5) Bake in a 350 degree oven, until puffed and golden brown on the bottom. Start checking at 15 minutes, but it may take up to 25 or 30 minutes until the biscuits are done. The biscuits may or may not be golden on top, but that color is not important; rather, once the bottoms are a light golden brown, they are done.
6) Cool on cooling rack or eat hot!
I apologize for being so overdue with a post; oddly enough, I've had quite a bit to write about, but no time to update! I've decided to dedicate this post to summarizing how the past few weeks have gone for me, with the hope of having follow up posts that can link recipes to those events (although, of course, I have a recipe for today!).
Greg and I had a great Christmas; we hosted our very first Christmas party at our house. We had an all-day open house, with brunch in the morning, dinner in the late afternoon, and dessert at night. We're happy with how it turned out - we ended up having 15 wonderful friends and family members come by! We were also very proud because our celebration was completely vegan. We hadn't intended it to be that way, but as we were putting the menu together, we realized that almost everything was vegan, so we just took the final leap - to great success, we think! No, we didn't have a Tofurky; instead, for our main course, we made mushroom phyllo triangles from Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates. Also, a thank you to a friend of mine at work who recommended this recipe for a Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. It was a hit!
New Year's was also great! I've made two little resolutions (wear sunscreen on my face everyday and remember to take my multivitamin) as well as a big resolution: to train for and complete a marathon. I'm all signed up for the Wisconsin Marathon and have been training with CARA since the middle of December - wish me luck! I hope to have some posts on vegan fueling.
Finally, I am totally hooked on a new book, courtesy of a Christmas present from my parents: The Kind Life by Alicia Silverstone. I really enjoyed the book quite a bit and it has wonderful tips, as well as a great interactive website. Basically, Alicia takes basic vegan principles, as well as macrobiotic theories and medical research, with great recipes and recommendations for using food to your benefit. I have really enjoyed it and have found it to be consistent with my doctor's recommendations that I switch to a low glycemic index diet, which I also hope to write about later. I've made a number of the recipes from the book, and they are delicious, vegan, and sugar-free; what more could you want!
As I hope this post shows, I've had quite a bit going on that I'm very excited to talk about, so more posts should be forthcoming! In the mean time, I want to leave you with a recipe I recently adapted and adore.
For those who know me, I have a definite weakness for bread and rolls. I have really been enjoying baking bread, particularly with Greg's dad, who gave me the nudge to really investigate baking bread when he wanted to learn to do it, too; learning more about bread has been fun for both of us!
Although breadmaking is fairly easy, it can also be time consuming. Although there is very little in the way of preparation, the waiting can be a bear. Recently, I was preparing a dinner ahead of time and realized I forgot to make bread; this was a problem, because it was 9:30 at night, this was the only time I had to bake, and I had no interest in staying up until 12:30 just to make a loaf of bread.
Enter Moosewood Restaurant and its homemade biscuit recipe - yum! The recipe was quick, yeast-free, and already egg-free; I just needed to figure out a way to get rid of the buttermilk. As always, my go to person, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, had a tip; she recommended generally stirring a little apple cider vinegar into soy milk and letting it sit for a couple of minutes. Needless to say, I'm happy with the result! Kiss trans fat laden instant biscuits good-bye; these take the same amount of time to prepare and get in the oven as it does to open the can.
Biscuits (adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites)
Yields: 6 biscuits
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/3 c. soy milk + 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar, mixed together (let set for a few minutes after mixing)
An additional portion of soy milk (2-3 Tbsp.) to stream into mix
1) Combine flour, salt, powder, and sugar.
2) Mix together oil and soymilk/apple cider vinegar mixture; slowly stream into dry ingredients. If, after adding, the mixture is not creating a dough, slowly add, by the tablespoon, additional plain soymilk until the mixture just comes together.
3) For this next part - be careful not to overknead! Otherwise, the biscuits will be like rocks! Form the dough into a ball. Then, cut the dough in half, place one half on top of the other, and push down. Repeat 2-3 times.
4) Spread out dough into an oblong shape, and then cut 6 pieces. Form the dough into 6 round, biscuit looking shapes and place on baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
5) Bake in a 350 degree oven, until puffed and golden brown on the bottom. Start checking at 15 minutes, but it may take up to 25 or 30 minutes until the biscuits are done. The biscuits may or may not be golden on top, but that color is not important; rather, once the bottoms are a light golden brown, they are done.
6) Cool on cooling rack or eat hot!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
A Veg Baker, J.D. Honor!
I am very excited to announce that I just learned that Veg Baker, J.D. was just listed as one of the top blogs to check out by Dog Health Problems and it is currently the featured blog! Thank you, I'm honored!
I checked out their website, and they have a lot of great information. I am including them in my links, but their main page is here: I hope you'll check them out! Thank you again; it's truly a privilege!
I checked out their website, and they have a lot of great information. I am including them in my links, but their main page is here: I hope you'll check them out! Thank you again; it's truly a privilege!
Sick Day Solution
I am home from work today, sick with a freak cold. Well, I think it's a cold, but one of my colleagues diagnosed me, probably more accurately, with a case of hubris. Greg often gives me grief for having a "weak constitution," but frankly, I think that is patently false. Sure, my stomach felt like it was going to explode during the bar exam, but heck, that's not sickness, just a sign I care, right? And yes, I can't read in cars or trains because I apparently never outgrew motion sickness.
But consider these facts: I haven't had a cold in over two years. This summer, after continuous contact with a co-worker who ended up having swine flu, I didn't even get a sniffle. Heck, I've never even gotten a flu shot, and whenever I've worked in offices where everyone but me got a flu shot, everyone got sick - except for me.
So, um, after rereading that last paragraph, yes, the karma police definitely decided my number was up, and they are giving it to me good. And they are giving it to me with an extra dose of ugh, because Greg is out of town for business, which means I can't even get any of that awesome husband pampering which he rocks out when I'm sick. I am pleased to report, though, that I have two fluffy RNs who have decided the best way to care for Mommy is with snuggling. I can get behind that.
As I'm laying in bed, I can't help but daydream about a snack that would make me feel better, and then the answer became clear: the healing power of a warm loaf of freshly baked bread. Of course, this loaf of bread is only going to be a daydream until I feel better, but I'm convinced the next time someone is sick that I can cure what ails them with some fresh bread, and maybe some homemade soup for dipping the bread.
I found the base for this recipe at Spoof (http://spoofygirl.blogspot.com), and it definitely supplied me with what I needed to mess around and make me happy. The one big thing you're probably wondering about? Agave nectar. This has popped up in some of my recipes, and I'm happy to shout its praises. In the vegan community, agave nectar is considered a wonderful replacement for honey; it has the same sweetness as honey, but since it is plant-sourced, you can completely avoid the arguments over whether honey is okay for vegans to eat. In addition, though, agave nectar is an excellent sweetener to use for diabetics. For reasons I don't quite understand, agave nectar does not cause blood sugar to spike, which is an obvious concern for diabetics. In addition, since it comes from a natural source, you don't have to worry about any potential chemical issues from sugar replacements that are created in factories and labs. You can keep it in the pantry so it's ready to use, and I go to it again and again. If you give it a shot, leave me a comment and let me know if you like it!
"Honey" Whole Wheat Bread
Yields: one loaf
Ingredients:
2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 c. warm water (should feel warmish hot when you touch it, but you should be able to bear touching it for 10 seconds without scalding yourself)
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. flour
1/4 c. agave nectar
1/4 c. vegetable, corn, or canola oil
1/4 c. soy milk
1/4 c. ground flax seeds
1) Proof the yeast: mix the yeast, sugar, and water together and let sit for 10 minutes.
2) In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Once the yeast is proofed, mix it in until mostly combined (will likely be very tacky).
3) On a floured surface, knead the ingredients 5-7 minutes. The mixture will feel smooth but the dough will resist a bit when you poke it. That's how you know it's done. At any rate, I wouldn't knead the dough for more than 7 minutes.
4) Place the dough in an greased (I spray with cooking spray) bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise for an hour. The dough should roughly double in size.
5) After an hour, knead the dough once or twice, then placed in a greased (again, I use cooking spray) loaf pan, spreading the dough into a loaf in the pan. Cover again and let rise for about an hour.
6) Bake for 40-60 minutes in a 350 degree oven. You will know the bread is ready because if you "knock" the middle of it, it will sound hollow (be careful - the bread is HOT).
7) Remove from pan and EAT! Cut with a serrated knife, otherwise the bread will fall apart. Lacking a decent knife? Then let it cool all the way and then cut it.
But consider these facts: I haven't had a cold in over two years. This summer, after continuous contact with a co-worker who ended up having swine flu, I didn't even get a sniffle. Heck, I've never even gotten a flu shot, and whenever I've worked in offices where everyone but me got a flu shot, everyone got sick - except for me.
So, um, after rereading that last paragraph, yes, the karma police definitely decided my number was up, and they are giving it to me good. And they are giving it to me with an extra dose of ugh, because Greg is out of town for business, which means I can't even get any of that awesome husband pampering which he rocks out when I'm sick. I am pleased to report, though, that I have two fluffy RNs who have decided the best way to care for Mommy is with snuggling. I can get behind that.
As I'm laying in bed, I can't help but daydream about a snack that would make me feel better, and then the answer became clear: the healing power of a warm loaf of freshly baked bread. Of course, this loaf of bread is only going to be a daydream until I feel better, but I'm convinced the next time someone is sick that I can cure what ails them with some fresh bread, and maybe some homemade soup for dipping the bread.
I found the base for this recipe at Spoof (http://spoofygirl.blogspot.com), and it definitely supplied me with what I needed to mess around and make me happy. The one big thing you're probably wondering about? Agave nectar. This has popped up in some of my recipes, and I'm happy to shout its praises. In the vegan community, agave nectar is considered a wonderful replacement for honey; it has the same sweetness as honey, but since it is plant-sourced, you can completely avoid the arguments over whether honey is okay for vegans to eat. In addition, though, agave nectar is an excellent sweetener to use for diabetics. For reasons I don't quite understand, agave nectar does not cause blood sugar to spike, which is an obvious concern for diabetics. In addition, since it comes from a natural source, you don't have to worry about any potential chemical issues from sugar replacements that are created in factories and labs. You can keep it in the pantry so it's ready to use, and I go to it again and again. If you give it a shot, leave me a comment and let me know if you like it!
"Honey" Whole Wheat Bread
Yields: one loaf
Ingredients:
2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 c. warm water (should feel warmish hot when you touch it, but you should be able to bear touching it for 10 seconds without scalding yourself)
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. flour
1/4 c. agave nectar
1/4 c. vegetable, corn, or canola oil
1/4 c. soy milk
1/4 c. ground flax seeds
1) Proof the yeast: mix the yeast, sugar, and water together and let sit for 10 minutes.
2) In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Once the yeast is proofed, mix it in until mostly combined (will likely be very tacky).
3) On a floured surface, knead the ingredients 5-7 minutes. The mixture will feel smooth but the dough will resist a bit when you poke it. That's how you know it's done. At any rate, I wouldn't knead the dough for more than 7 minutes.
4) Place the dough in an greased (I spray with cooking spray) bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise for an hour. The dough should roughly double in size.
5) After an hour, knead the dough once or twice, then placed in a greased (again, I use cooking spray) loaf pan, spreading the dough into a loaf in the pan. Cover again and let rise for about an hour.
6) Bake for 40-60 minutes in a 350 degree oven. You will know the bread is ready because if you "knock" the middle of it, it will sound hollow (be careful - the bread is HOT).
7) Remove from pan and EAT! Cut with a serrated knife, otherwise the bread will fall apart. Lacking a decent knife? Then let it cool all the way and then cut it.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Two Posts in One Day for Charity
I've decided to go crazy and post two entries today (this is post number two, so please make sure you read my post on pumpkin bread, which immediately follows!).
I thought two posts was appropriate because this entry does not have a recipe that follows. I decided to buck my rules, though, because this second post is for a good cause: Misericordia.
If you love to bake, are looking for a different way to give back this holiday season, and you live in the Chicago area, please consider volunteering at Misericordia's Hearts and Flour Bakery.
Misericordia is a great organization that runs an incredible number of programs to help developmentally disabled individuals of all ages and abilities. One way they do so is through the Hearts and Flour Bakery, which produces amazing goodies, baked by both volunteers and Misericordia beneficiaries, sold at Chicago area Farmers' Markets. You may have tasted their goodies and been so preoccupied with the yumminess you were eating, you didn't even know you were supporting a good cause!
Hearts and Flour is very busy during the holidays, and they are currently looking for volunteers who can come (and you don't even have to make a continuous commitment) to come volunteer in a three-hour shift during 9AM-9PM, with flexible days and times. If you are interested, please contact them with more information. I am thinking about doing it, and I hope you will consider it, too!
General information on the bakery is here: http://www.misericordia.com/bakery/
Information on volunteering opportunities (including with the bakery; scroll down to "Holiday Bakery") are here: http://www.misericordia.com/gettinginvolved/volunteer.asp
I thought two posts was appropriate because this entry does not have a recipe that follows. I decided to buck my rules, though, because this second post is for a good cause: Misericordia.
If you love to bake, are looking for a different way to give back this holiday season, and you live in the Chicago area, please consider volunteering at Misericordia's Hearts and Flour Bakery.
Misericordia is a great organization that runs an incredible number of programs to help developmentally disabled individuals of all ages and abilities. One way they do so is through the Hearts and Flour Bakery, which produces amazing goodies, baked by both volunteers and Misericordia beneficiaries, sold at Chicago area Farmers' Markets. You may have tasted their goodies and been so preoccupied with the yumminess you were eating, you didn't even know you were supporting a good cause!
Hearts and Flour is very busy during the holidays, and they are currently looking for volunteers who can come (and you don't even have to make a continuous commitment) to come volunteer in a three-hour shift during 9AM-9PM, with flexible days and times. If you are interested, please contact them with more information. I am thinking about doing it, and I hope you will consider it, too!
General information on the bakery is here: http://www.misericordia.com/bakery/
Information on volunteering opportunities (including with the bakery; scroll down to "Holiday Bakery") are here: http://www.misericordia.com/gettinginvolved/volunteer.asp
Pumpkin Puree = Thoughtful Present
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! And to everyone who braved Black Friday, I hope you've recovered, too!
Now that Thanksgiving and Black Friday have come and gone, many people are making two realizations. One, they have many presents to get without much time to do it. Two, they have random leftover canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree and they have no clue what to do with it.
Why not kill two birds with one stone and make pumpkin bread as a holiday gift? I made pumpkin bread for the first time a few years ago based on a Greg request. I poked around on the internet, found a winner recipe on Allrecipes.com (which I promptly futzed around with), and I've faithfully made it every year since. Pumpkin bread is something that is always appreciated, very tasty and appropriate with the season, and for some reason, it seems to be overlooked as a pastry item that people bake. I love whipping up this stuff; you can make it in big loaves or lots of little loaves, and you can mix in all kinds of things, like chocolate, raisins, coconut, or nuts, to make it your own, or just leave it as is. It also freezes like a dream and is super easy to ship.
One problem with my old recipe, though - although dairy-free because I use applesauce (which makes it very low fat, too!), my recipe had eggs. I had some thoughts for veganizing the recipe, and then I ran across the pumpkin muffin recipe in Vegan with a Vengeance. I borrowed some tips from that recipe, combined them with the old recipe, and bam - a new vegan treat that still is low in fat!
Pumpkin Bread
Yields: 1 regular loaf
Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. raw sugar
1 c. canned or pureed pumpkin
1/2 c. soy milk
1/2 c. applesauce
2 Tbsp. molasses
1 3/4 c. flour (all-purpose or whole wheat or a mixture)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. allspice
1) Combine sugar, pumpkin, soy milk, applesauce, and molasses. Let sit for about a minute so sugar crystals dissolve.
2) Slowly add remaining ingredients until batter just comes together.
3) If desired, stir in mix-ins: chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, dried fruit, flaxseed, or coconut would be great.
4) Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, and then turn down temperature and bake an additional 25 minutes at 375 degrees.
5) Cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove loaf from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
Now that Thanksgiving and Black Friday have come and gone, many people are making two realizations. One, they have many presents to get without much time to do it. Two, they have random leftover canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree and they have no clue what to do with it.
Why not kill two birds with one stone and make pumpkin bread as a holiday gift? I made pumpkin bread for the first time a few years ago based on a Greg request. I poked around on the internet, found a winner recipe on Allrecipes.com (which I promptly futzed around with), and I've faithfully made it every year since. Pumpkin bread is something that is always appreciated, very tasty and appropriate with the season, and for some reason, it seems to be overlooked as a pastry item that people bake. I love whipping up this stuff; you can make it in big loaves or lots of little loaves, and you can mix in all kinds of things, like chocolate, raisins, coconut, or nuts, to make it your own, or just leave it as is. It also freezes like a dream and is super easy to ship.
One problem with my old recipe, though - although dairy-free because I use applesauce (which makes it very low fat, too!), my recipe had eggs. I had some thoughts for veganizing the recipe, and then I ran across the pumpkin muffin recipe in Vegan with a Vengeance. I borrowed some tips from that recipe, combined them with the old recipe, and bam - a new vegan treat that still is low in fat!
Pumpkin Bread
Yields: 1 regular loaf
Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. raw sugar
1 c. canned or pureed pumpkin
1/2 c. soy milk
1/2 c. applesauce
2 Tbsp. molasses
1 3/4 c. flour (all-purpose or whole wheat or a mixture)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. allspice
1) Combine sugar, pumpkin, soy milk, applesauce, and molasses. Let sit for about a minute so sugar crystals dissolve.
2) Slowly add remaining ingredients until batter just comes together.
3) If desired, stir in mix-ins: chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, dried fruit, flaxseed, or coconut would be great.
4) Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, and then turn down temperature and bake an additional 25 minutes at 375 degrees.
5) Cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove loaf from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Ask VBJD: What Are You Eating For Thanksgiving (The Sweet Answer)
Ask Veg Baker, J.D., The Thanksgiving Special, Continues!
As I mentioned in my last post, I am also bringing a tray of cookies. It's no real secret that I love to share desserts, but there is another practical reason for bringing dessert to a holiday or potluck dinner - when you've arrived, you're all done! No need to reheat, take up space in the kitchen, or worry that your dish is getting cold or messed up. You can deliver the final product, confident in its taste and presentation.
This year, I will be bringing three cookies on my tray: the chocolate caramel bars and sparkled ginger cookies, which I've previously written about, and a new cookie from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: carrot cake cookies.
Why carrot cake cookies? A couple of reasons, actually. First, I love bringing cakes and cupcakes to parties, but sometimes, it's just not practical. When you've got a hankering for cake but the inability to deliver, I think these cookies are a good compromise.
These cookies are also great because, when fall rolls around, I feel like there are certain flavors I crave, including squash, pumpkins, apples, and root vegetables. I think carrot cake is perfect at this time of year because it incorporates carrots with all of the favorite Thanksgiving spices. It truly brings together the best of the season. The cookies are convenient because you get all of those flavors in an easy portable version.
Finally, I've also got a selfish motive. Greg's favorite cake is carrot cake, but he rarely eats it because he hates cream cheese frosting, which is the typical topping on his beloved slice. I think his distaste for cream cheese frosting makes him a weirdo, even if he's a cute weirdo. :) That's neither here nor there, though, because cream cheese frosting is decidedly not vegan, and I haven't come up with a vegan frosting yet. What's a girl to do? Bring in the cookies!
The original recipe called for a lemon glaze frosting. I'm sure that's probably delicious and all, but I didn't make it, because I didn't think the cookies needed it. In addition, these cookies have the added bonus of tasting better when they've cooled. That's at least what my official cookie tester Greg told me, and I think there's something to that. When the cookies came straight out of the oven, he said they were good and had one. The next morning, he ate four more and in between mouthfuls said he thought they were irresistible at their "equilibrium" state. That said, if you're looking for a tasty dessert that doesn't need reheating, these cookies have mass appeal.
Happy cooking and eating everyone, and most importantly, Happy Thanksgiving!
Carrot Cake Cookies (adapted from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar)
Yields: 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1/3 c. soy milk
1 Tbsp. ground flaxseeds
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. orange zest
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. shredded or grated carrots (if you have a food processor or stand mixed attachment, it makes this a cinch! Otherwise, a hand grater will work)
1/2 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
1 - 1 3/4 c. raisins (depends on your raisin preference; go as heavy or light as you like)
1) Combine soymilk, flaxseeds, oil, sugars, zest, and vanilla until well combined.
2) Gradually add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and until just combined.
3) Mix in carrots, coconut and raisins.
4) Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons (two spoons are probably best; the dough is sticky and sometimes the scoop doesn't cooperate), scoop dough into little balls by the tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.
5) Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 14-16 minutes. Remove from oven and rest on baking sheet for 10 minutes before cooling on cooling racks completely.
As I mentioned in my last post, I am also bringing a tray of cookies. It's no real secret that I love to share desserts, but there is another practical reason for bringing dessert to a holiday or potluck dinner - when you've arrived, you're all done! No need to reheat, take up space in the kitchen, or worry that your dish is getting cold or messed up. You can deliver the final product, confident in its taste and presentation.
This year, I will be bringing three cookies on my tray: the chocolate caramel bars and sparkled ginger cookies, which I've previously written about, and a new cookie from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: carrot cake cookies.
Why carrot cake cookies? A couple of reasons, actually. First, I love bringing cakes and cupcakes to parties, but sometimes, it's just not practical. When you've got a hankering for cake but the inability to deliver, I think these cookies are a good compromise.
These cookies are also great because, when fall rolls around, I feel like there are certain flavors I crave, including squash, pumpkins, apples, and root vegetables. I think carrot cake is perfect at this time of year because it incorporates carrots with all of the favorite Thanksgiving spices. It truly brings together the best of the season. The cookies are convenient because you get all of those flavors in an easy portable version.
Finally, I've also got a selfish motive. Greg's favorite cake is carrot cake, but he rarely eats it because he hates cream cheese frosting, which is the typical topping on his beloved slice. I think his distaste for cream cheese frosting makes him a weirdo, even if he's a cute weirdo. :) That's neither here nor there, though, because cream cheese frosting is decidedly not vegan, and I haven't come up with a vegan frosting yet. What's a girl to do? Bring in the cookies!
The original recipe called for a lemon glaze frosting. I'm sure that's probably delicious and all, but I didn't make it, because I didn't think the cookies needed it. In addition, these cookies have the added bonus of tasting better when they've cooled. That's at least what my official cookie tester Greg told me, and I think there's something to that. When the cookies came straight out of the oven, he said they were good and had one. The next morning, he ate four more and in between mouthfuls said he thought they were irresistible at their "equilibrium" state. That said, if you're looking for a tasty dessert that doesn't need reheating, these cookies have mass appeal.
Happy cooking and eating everyone, and most importantly, Happy Thanksgiving!
Carrot Cake Cookies (adapted from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar)
Yields: 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1/3 c. soy milk
1 Tbsp. ground flaxseeds
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. orange zest
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. shredded or grated carrots (if you have a food processor or stand mixed attachment, it makes this a cinch! Otherwise, a hand grater will work)
1/2 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
1 - 1 3/4 c. raisins (depends on your raisin preference; go as heavy or light as you like)
1) Combine soymilk, flaxseeds, oil, sugars, zest, and vanilla until well combined.
2) Gradually add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and until just combined.
3) Mix in carrots, coconut and raisins.
4) Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons (two spoons are probably best; the dough is sticky and sometimes the scoop doesn't cooperate), scoop dough into little balls by the tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.
5) Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 14-16 minutes. Remove from oven and rest on baking sheet for 10 minutes before cooling on cooling racks completely.
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