Final 2011 Cookie Baking Weekend

I'm done baking Christmas cookies! I made 12 varieties, 405 total. And I'm officially sick of cookies.

I decided to keep the Orange Pecan Squares in the roster because I've had a few and actually really like them. The dense texture is still a turn-off, but the taste is good. And honestly...I can't bear to make any more. I bought ingredients for no-bake Swedish Chocolate Balls but then hit my cookie-baking limit. So the Orange Pecan Squares will have their day on my cookie trays after all.

This past weekend I made Chocolate Chocolate Chip Walnut from Veganomicon. I'd made the Orange Chocolate Chocolate Chip variety this summer, and the walnut version was just as delicious. They're chocolaty, chewy, and full of chocolate chips, with a slightly salty, nutty taste from the toasted walnuts. A winner!

Next I made Hazelnut Fudge Dreamies from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. Oh...these really are dreamy. The puffy shortbread cookies made of hazelnut liquor and toasted hazelnuts are fabulous on their own, as was the dough I couldn't stop eating.

The fudge filling is a rich ganache made of semisweet chocolate chips, soymilk, extract, margarine, and more hazelnut liquor. The finished little sandwich cookies are somewhat difficult to eat but fancy and absolutely amazing. These might be my favorite cookies this year.

I also made Chewy Chocolate Raspberry Cookies from Veganomicon. These have a pretty crackle on top when they're baked and are soft, chewy, and full of chocolaty raspberry goodness. Another winner!

Finally, I made Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. The peanut butter oatmeal cookie is good enough, but the salty peanut topping makes these really great.

My final list is

1. Peppermint Chocolate Chip
2. Citrus Glitters
3. Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles
4. Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows
5. Lazy Samoas
6. Frosted Sugar Cookies
7. Gingerbread Men
8. Hazelnut Fudge Dreamies
9. Chocolate Chocolate Chip Walnut
10. Chocolate Raspberry
11. Peanut Butter Oatmeal
12. Orange Pecan Squares

This week I'll be packaging them up as gifts before putting the rest on cookie trays for family meals on Christmas Eve and Day. I hope by then I'll have my cookie appetite back so I can enjoy some too!

2011 Cookie Baking Weekend 3

Eight kinds of cookies baked after this past weekend...but one batch may not make it onto my cookie trays and gift bags.

First I made Lazy Samoas from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. How can you go wrong with a toasted coconut cookie dipped and dripped in chocolate? You can't! This may be the best cookie dough around. Consequently, the total cookie count was sacrificed due to many tablespoons of dough going right into my tummy. Oops! Here's the delicious cookie pre-chocolate-coated.

And here are the finished Samoas in all their glory. Mmmm!

Next I made Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies. I know--chocolate chip cookies for the holidays seems a bit like cheating because you can make them in your sleep. But it's amazing what one small teaspoon of mint extract does to regular ole' chocolate chip--it elevates them to holiday cookie tray status. I made these last year, and many people told me it was their favorite. I agree, especially when they're warm and gooey right out of the oven. Recipe here.

I felt like a little kid after a day of baking these two cookies because my belly hurt from eating the dough and fresh-from-the-oven cookies!

I gambled on the third cookie of the weekend and made a recipe not from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar or a recipe from other well-known vegan cooks. I tried the Orange Pecan Squares from the December 2011 issue of Vegetarian Times. I love orange and was curious about the orange pecan combo...but I should have been known better when I saw there wasn't any baking powder or soda in the recipe. The ingredients were minimal: flour, processed pecans, margarine, sugar, orange zest, and vanilla. When I mixed the dough, it was dry and crumbly so I added some soymilk to make it form logs. I chilled the logs, cut off slices and baked them, then coated them with a glaze made of powdered sugar and orange juice.

They were...okay. The flavor was good but they were extremely dense with an odd texture. I actually thought to myself that these cookies were what omnivores would expect of vegan cookies: dry, a little weird, and just okay. When my husband tried one, he said pretty much the same thing! So now I have 35 of these in my freezer with a decision to make. Do they deserve a place on my gift trays and gift bags, or should I keep them for myself and feature only the spectacular cookies I know people will love?

This week I'll be reviewing my cookie list and seeing if I can find a good replacement in the event I don't give these out. Next week will be my final baking weekend!

2011 Cookie Baking Weekend 2

Another weekend of Christmas cookie baking excitement!

First up: Citrus Glitters. I made these last Christmas and a few other times this past year. They're soft, buttery cookies with a hint of citrus (thanks to citrus zest) and a sugary shell. They're wonderful.

Next up: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pillows. Oooooh....yeah! These are probably the best cookies from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar and have made many cynical omnivores cry, "I BELIEVE vegan cookies can be good!" Mixing up two separate doughs (the peanut butter filling and the chocolate cookie exterior) and putting them together is a bit of work, but it's not too bad, especially considering how worth it they are. The first time I tried one, with the peanut butter filling still warm from the oven, I nearly toppled to my knees in bliss. And the best part: you can find the recipe here! (Sidenote: I've said this before, but these cookies only work when you strictly follow the instructions. I know someone who tried to substitute regular milk for the soymilk, and they didn't turn out.)

Finally, I made good ole' Roll-and-Cut Sugar Cookies. This is probably the last time I will make these because they were a total pain in the butt! Armed with a giant canister of holiday cookie cutouts I just bought, I was really excited when I first started making these. The buttery vanilla dough is simply addictive. It has to chill overnight, and I couldn't stop going to the fridge and breaking off little chunks of dough.

Then I started to roll out the dough...and remembered how hard it is to get a uniform depth. I couldn't quite get it right, and some of my cookies were a little uneven. And then, of course, cutting them out and transferring them to the baking sheets was an exercise in patience. This year, I did remember to cook them less before they barely browned so that they'd be a little chewier instead of crispy.

I was sick of them before I'd even started decorating them, so I was not in jolly holiday spirits as I mixed up the decorating icing. I did minimal decorating, but even that was too much for me. I think the trees turned out cute. The stockings are a little blah. They tasted very good, but next year I'll leave them off my baking list.

 

2011 Cookie Baking Weekend 1

Last weekend I started my holiday cookie baking. I'll be making 11 kinds total, most from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar.

I made Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles, which were a big hit and most people's favorite last year. Cayenne pepper adds an unexpected kick to these chocolate cookies with a sugar-cinnamon topping.

I also made Gingerbread Men! Not only was this my first time making them, but I can't even remember the last time I ate gingerbread cookies. Maybe as a kid? I'm not a very patient person, nor am I good at decorating, so cutting these out and decorating them was a bit of a pain for me. But I think they turned out cute, and they're absolutely delicious. Get the recipe here!

This weekend I'm making at least four more kinds...and loving it. Is there anything better than eating cookie dough???

Christmas Cookie Planning

I wish I could skip over Thanksgiving and get right to Christmas. Last year I baked holiday cookies for the first time ever and gave the 300+ delicious, vegan cookies to friends, family, and neighbors. I loved everything about it: spending all weekend in my cozy kitchen eating leftover cookie dough; giving something I was proud to have made myself as presents; and having beautiful vegan cookie trays at family holiday meals.

This year I've made the first draft of my cookie list and plan to start baking this weekend. But first...I need to get through Thanksgiving.

At least at Christmas holiday meals I have my vegan cookies to lift my spirits. But at Thanksgiving, I'm forced to watch my family tear into the carcass of a dead turkey. Yes, I can bring my own dishes and have some good ones planned. But I'm still disgusted and sad to have to be a part of a holiday that supports the cruel practices of factory farming. There's no getting around it, though. For my husband and my family, I will go to Thanksgiving dinner. I'll try to focus on how I'm living a compassionate lifestyle and not supporting factory farming, even if I'm the only one at the table doing so. After I get through the day, my reward will be baking cookies this weekend.

Frankenmint Brownies

I fell in love with these cute monster-inspired brownies from the October 2011 issue of Vegetarian Times. But I didn't quite trust their brownie recipe. Instead, I turned to the queens of vegan baked goods--Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero--and used their Deluxe Cocoa Brownies from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar as the base. I used the Veg Times recipe for the frosting because it was similar to what Isa and Terry usually do. (Recipes for both below.)

On my first try, the frosting was too thick, and the faces weren't smooth.

I added a bit more soymilk to get a smoother frosting.

It was a bit of a pain to draw on the faces, but it's Halloween, which is always worth the effort. And they tasted absolutely awesome. The brownies were moist and just wonderful on their own, but the mint frosting added an "oh my god these are amazing" factor.

Frankenmint Brownies
Adapted from Vegetarian Times
Makes 12

Brownies (from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar)

• 3 ounces firm silken tofu, like Moi-Nu (1/4 of the package)
• 1/4 cup nondairy milk
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting & Decoration

• 2 Tbs. vegan margarine, softened
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbs. soymilk
• 1 1/2 tsp. mint extract
• 1–2 drops green food coloring
• Tube of black gel frosting

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line an 8X8 brownie pan with parchment paper; it should cover the bottom and curve up and cover the sides.
2. Puree the tofu, nondairy milk, and oil in a blender of food processor until smooth and fluffy. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides to make sure you get everything.
3. Transfer the tofu mixture to a mixing bowl. Use a fork to vigorously mix in the sugar. Add vanilla.
4. Sift in the flower, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Use a spatula to fold and mix batter until smooth. Transfer the batter to a the pan and smooth out the top. 
5. Bake for 30 to 32 minutes, remove the pan from the oven, and let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. 
6. Once cool, trim edges and cut into 12 rectangles. Trim corners off 1 short side of each rectangle to create chins.
7. To make frosting: Beat margarine and 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar in bowl. Stir in soymilk, mint extract, and food coloring. Beat in remaining confectioners’ sugar.
8. To make decoration: Mix some of the frosting with black tube frosting. If you can find pre-made black frosting in a thin enough tube, go for it. Mine wasn't thin enough to draw small lines, so I mixed it with the regular frosting, filled a pastry bag, and piped it on using the smallest decorating tip I had.
9. Spread green frosting on cooled brownies. Draw faces with black frosting.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies & Pumpkin Bread

I wanted to use up the can of pumpkin puree I used for the Pumpkin and Shiitake Risotto with Crispy Sage so I made two treats this past weekend, both Happy Herbivore recipes.

The first was Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies (recipe here; I omitted the raisins). I've made these before and love them. They have a great pumpkin spice taste and are moist and, with more than 2.5 grams of protein in a cookie, are also filling. Most of the batch is in my freezer to tide me over this fall until I start my holiday cookie baking.

I also made the Pumpkin Bread (recipe here), which I hadn't made before. It was also super quick to mix, and the bread turned out really moist and delicious. I've been eating it for breakfast spread with peanut butter.

Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

What would a long weekend be without cookies? I've been craving chocolate chip and wanted a lighter cookie. The Happy Herbivore Cookbook's recipe promises that it's the best low-fat chocolate chip cookie you'll ever eat. I think that's right!

Applesauce replaces oil in this low-fat version, but I didn't miss the oil. These baked up big and fluffy and were very good. I made these at the start of the holiday weekend, and they've been a great treat all weekend long.

Saying Thanks with Vegan Cookies

For the past six weeks, contractors have been renovating the third floor of my house. My house is old and crooked, so the work hasn't been easy. It's a workout just to walk up to the third floor, but these guys have carried all their equipment and heavy building materials (including 20 boxes of heavy wood flooring) up there. They have been very nice about everything and never complain.

So now that the project is wrapping up (next week? hopefully?), I've been baking these cookies that I'll package up and give them as a little thank-you gift...

Chocolate Chip Cookies
You can't go wrong with chocolate chip cookies, especially the perfectly wonderful ones from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, with a crunchy exterior and chewy inside. I added some peppermint extract to them for the holidays (pictured below), and they were a big hit. I posted that modified recipe here; just delete the peppermint extract to make regular. Chocolate Peanut Butter Pillows
These were everyone's favorite of all the 300+ holiday cookies I made. They take a little effort, but they are worth it. If you are an omnivore or know an omnivore skeptical of vegan cookies, these are guaranteed to win skeptics over. But note: don't substitute! The recipes from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar were built from the ground up so that all the ingredients work together. Substituting milk for soymilk, for example, won't work (I know because someone on Twitter tried it). Here's the recipe.

First you make the chocolate cookie batter and the peanut butter filling.
Next you roll out the chocolate dough, add a ball of peanut butter filling, and then wrap the chocolate dough around the filling.The first time I tried one, warm from the oven when the peanut butter filling was gooey, I about toppled over in bliss. I've made these many times since; they are a guaranteed hit.Banana Everything Cookies
These cookies have it all: banana, walnuts, oats, and chocolate chips. They're also from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. I made these once before and brought them to my morning Zumba class, and everyone loved them.Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
These weren't for the contractors. These were for me! I had some pumpkin puree left over from a recipe so made these from the Happy Herbivore Cookbook. They're fat-free and filling with a little fiber and protein. And yes, delicious too!

Orange-Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies

This weekend I made Orange-Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies from Veganomicon to take with me to visit my family. The recipe is a variation on the Chocolate-Chocolate Chip-Walnut Cookies, which sound good, but I'm a sucker for anything orange.

The cookies were super chewy and moist inside and a little crispy outside, so the texture was perfect. The first bite is a wonderful taste sensation of orange and chocolate, with the chocolate chips adding even more chocolate goodness. I thought the orange flavor faded a bit after the first bite, but everyone else who tried one thought the amount of orange flavor was just right. Still, I might add a tiny bit more orange zest next time I make them.
I reviewed Veganomicon for Cook Vegan Lover's Cookbook Club (read all the participants' reviews here) and really loved it. I think it's especially good for omnivores who want to try out vegan cooking because most recipes use basic ingredients, and most of the recipes are fabulous. Read my complete review here. I've never posted a Veganomicon recipe before, but, ethically, I think posting one or two to show how great the recipes are is OK. Personally, I would be much more likely to buy a cookbook if I tried out some recipes first. OK, end of disclaimer. Here's the recipe! If you want to try the Chocolate-Chocolate Chip-Walnut or White Chocolate Chip-Cherry-Chocolate variations, check out the book!
Orange-Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 36-40 cookies (depending on how big you make them)

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground flaxseeds (recipe says you can omit them if you don't have them, but the cookies will be less chewy)
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 3 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
• 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or use cooking spray).
2. Sift all dry ingredients into a large bowl, and mix with a fork to combine.
3. Add the sugar and canola oil into another large bowl, and stir with a fork until combined. Add the soy milk, vanilla and almond extracts, flaxseed, and orange zest. Mix well with a fork.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in three batches, stirring with a fork to combine after each addition. If it gets too dry (mine didn't), use your hands. Once all the ingredients are combined, fold in the chocolate chips.
5. If your dough is wet (mine was), use a tablespoon to drop it onto the baking sheets, leaving one inch between each cookie because they'll spread. The original recipe said the dough would be stiff; if yours is, roll the dough into a one-inch ball, then flatten into a cookie and place on the cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cook completely.

Happy Herbivore Butter Bean Cookies

I tried Black Bean Brownies so wanted to try these chocolate chip cookies made with white beans. For what's in these (no oil, no refined sugar, no fat of any kind), they were great. I was pleasantly surprised at the texture. You could definitely tell there was something different going on with the Black Bean Brownies, but no one would guess there were beans in these cookies. Of course, they taste different from a regular chocolate chip cookie with all the oil and sugar, but these are pretty good for a low-fat cookie. Bonus: they have 1.3 grams of protein a piece! The recipe is on the Happy Herbivore website.

Vegan Rice Crispy Squares

The Big Fat Crispy Rice Squares in Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar have been on my list to try. I made them yesterday, they froze overnight, and I cut them tonight. I made two big mistakes.

First, the recipe called for brown rice cereal. The only thing I could find was Koala Crisps (a kids' cereal) whose main ingredient is organic brown rice flour. When I got it home and opened it, I realized they were sweetened with chocolate flavor. So these ended up turning out really sweet. I still liked them, but they'd have been better with regular puffed rice cereal. The gooey, sweet stuff that holds it all together tastes remarkably like the melted buttery marshmallow goo used in regular rice crispy treats.

Second, I used really cheap, thin aluminum foil to coat the pan. They were so sticky that it was hard to get the foil off the bottom.

They'd have been better if I'd used the right ingredients and used better foil, but these were just yummy enough for me.

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made about 300 cookies for the holidays--the first time I've ever baked for the holidays. After each new batch, I cut a single cookie in half for my husband and me to try, then immediately put the rest in the freezer. Until I made these cookies. They were so incredible, I ate three in a row. They were my and many of my family's favorite holiday cookie.

This recipe is from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. I modified their basic chocolate chip recipe only to add the peppermint extract, a tip I got from Sweet On's blog.

I think this is the best chocolate chip cookie ever--soft and chewy on the inside, a little crispy on the outside, and wonderful. The mint makes it just perfect. I made these tonight to bring to work tomorrow (thought kept quite a few for myself).

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 24 2-inch cookies or 16 3-inch cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk or your favorite nondairy milk (I used regular soy milk)
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour (I used arrowroot powder)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two large baking sheets.
2. Combine sugars, oil, almond milk, and tapioca flour in a mixing bowl. Use a strong fork and mix really well, for about 2 minutes, until the mixture resembles smooth caramel. There is a chemical reaction when sugar and oil collide, so it's important that you don't get lazy about that step. Mix in the vanilla and peppermint.
3. Add 1 cup of the flour, the baking soda, and the salt. Mix until well incorporated. Mix in the rest of the flour. Fold in the chocolate chips. The dough will be a little stiff so use your hands to really work the chips in.
4. For 3-inch cookies, roll the dough into balls about the size of ping-pong balls. Flatten them out in your hands to about 2 1/2 inches. As they cook, they will spread just a bit. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes--no more than 9--until they are just a little browned around the edges. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks.
5. For 2-inch cookies, roll dough into walnut-sized balls and flatten to about 1 1/2 inches and bake for about 6 minutes.

My notes: I've made these three times. Two of those times, the dough was so un-stiff, I couldn't roll it into balls. Instead I just dropped it by the tablespoon onto the cookie sheet. Also, even though each batch of mine were small and made between 24 and 30 cookies, I still had to bake them for 8 to 9 minutes.