santa cookies

Despite the fact that Santa hasn’t actually eaten any cookies in our house in a few years, it’s still a good excuse for me to try out new recipes. We might as well make an offering, right?

Well, everyone loves sugar cookies during the holidays, but I wanted to play with that idea a little bit, so this is the result. Basically classic sugar cookies, but with a little kick, and a bit more refreshing of a flavor.

Fennel Sugar Cookies with Lemon Glaze (about 1 1/2 dozen)

1 cup + 3 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour

1/8 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp tapioca starch

2 1/2 tsp ground fennel seed

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup evaporated cane sugar

1/2 cup non-hydrogenated margarine

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp soymilk

for the glaze:

3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

(1) Sift together the dry ingredients. (2) In a large bowl, use an electric mixer and beat together sugar and margarine until fluffy. Beat in vanilla and soymilk. (3) Slowly add dry ingredients to the sugar mixture, until well combined. (4) Form the dough into a flat, 1/2 inch thick disc, wrapped in wax paper, and refrigerate a few hours or overnight.

(5) After chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (6) Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut with a cookie cutter until all the dough is used up. Place the shapes on a parchment lined baking sheet. (7) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until just turning golden around the edges. (8) Let cool completely on a wire rack.

(9) When the cookies are completely cool, whisk together the glaze ingredients, and drizzle over the cookies, then let the glaze dry.

branching out in cookie-dom

So I know I tend to make cookies above all else, but this time I at least switched it up a little bit in terms of types of cookies. These biscotti are nice because they have the really dessert-y sweetness of vanilla, but also the tart sweetness from actual cherries, so it isn’t too overwhelming. Plus, they aren’t too almond-y, so even people who say they hate almonds will probably like these.
Another plus: if you accidentally leave these in the oven a few minutes too long while obsessively choosing ribbons to match each kind of giftwrap, it doesn’t really matter, because they are supposed to be crispy!

Cherry Almond Biscotti (makes ~16 biscotti)

1/3 cup almond milk

2 Tbsp ground flaxseed

3/4 cup evaporated cane juice sugar

1/2 cup grapeseed or canola oil

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 tbsp tapioca starch or arrowroot powder

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds

1/2 cup dried cherries

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (2) Whisk together almond milk and flaxseeds for about 30 seconds. Stir in sugar, oil, vanilla and almond extract. (3) Sift in flour, tapioca starch, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Knead in almonds and cherries until dough becomes stiff. (4) On a parchment-lined baking sheet, form dough into a 4 inch x 12 inch log – if you can keep all the edges square you will get the most biscotti, but it’s not the end of the world if that doesnt happen. (5) Bake for ~25-30 minutes (the log should be puffy and golden), then let cool on the baking sheet for another 3o minutes. (6) Preheat the oven again, to 325 degrees F. (7) Transfer the log (carefully!) to a cutting board. Slice off the short ends, if they are uneven. Cut the log into 1/2 inch strips (don’t saw; press down gently until you cut through, or the pieces will just crumble). (8) Place the strips, with the same bottom edge down, on another parchment lined baking sheet. (9) Bake for another 20-22 minutes, then let cool on a wire rack.

veggie cookies

Seriously, though, they’re good. Just think of carrot cake…except for when these don’t taste like carrot cake at all. Sort of ginger-snap-ish, very very soft (almost gooey) and not half bad for you. They might as well be breakfast. Amazing.

Sweet Potato Ginger Mounds (makes ~24)

1/2 cup palm sugar

3 tbsp blackstrap molasses

1 Tbsp flaxmeal

1 1/2 cup mashed garnet yam

1/2 cup canola oil

1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

3/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup rolled oats

1 cup chopped walnuts

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (2) Mash pre-baked yams (no skins) in a large bowl, to make 1 1/2 cup. Stir in sugar, oil, molasses and flaxmeal. (3) In a separate bowl, stir together flour, soda, salt, spices and oats. (4) Add dry ingredients to wet ingredient mixture. Stir in the walnuts. (5) Bake 10-12 minutes. Let them cool on the sheet for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool all the way.

still procrastinating…a lot

More cookie making occured this weekend, since I was in no mood to study. I didn’t really know what I could make cookies out of, but I ended up having a handful of carob chips left in my fridge, and some other random things that sounded good together, so I switched up a plain chocolate cookie recipe and ended up with these little lovelies.

Throwing random things in a bowl seems to be a theme with  my cookie-making. But I guess that’s a good thing – it certainly can’t be bad to use what’s available.

Coconut Peanut Carob Chip Cookies

(makes ~2 dozen)

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup agave syrup

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup peanuts, ground in a food processor (not into butter, though)

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup vegan carob chips

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (2) Stir together oil, agave and vanilla. Set aside. (3) In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add to wet ingredients and mix well. (4) Stir in peanuts, coconut and carob chips. (5) Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops begin to turn golden.

using what you have

if what you have is odd speciality foods, that is…

as I’m sure I’ve said before, I have a tendency to buy things that look exciting, only to get back and realize I don’t really know what to do with them. Example: pomegranate molasses. (and no, it’s not regular molasses flavored with pomegranate). I had just been using it to flavor soy yogurt, but it’s a pretty big bottle, so I figured I needed to find a more substantial way to use it. It seemed like it could go well with honey, I like to bake (and was in a bad mood, which made that activity seem especially appealing), so voila – fruity cookies. I am especially fond of these because the flavor kind of goes through stages. It is kind of bizarre, but fun to eat!

Sesame Pomegranate Honey Thins (makes ~2 dozen)

3 Tbsp canola oil

1/2 cup wildflower honey

1/2 cup palm sugar

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses

1 Tbsp flaxmeal + 3 Tbsp water

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup hulled sesame seeds

(1) Mix together oil, honey, sugar, pomegranate molasses and flax mixture in a large bowl. (2) In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the honey mixture and mix well. (3) Stir in sesame seeds until well combined. (4) Cover and refrigerate dough for at least an hour.

After the dough has chilled: (5) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (very necessary, trust me). (6) Get your hands a little bit wet so that they dough doesn’t stick too badly. Roll rounded tablespoonfuls of dough into balls, and flatten just a bit onto the baking sheet (they should still be pretty thick, they’ll spread out a lot). (7) Bake for ~12 minutes, until the cookies are golden. They will still be pretty soft, so let them sit on the baking sheet to cool for a while until they are firm enough to transfer to a wire rack. When they’re cool, make a big huge cup of sweet peppermint tea and have at the cookies.

food for colds

It is definitely that time of year, and comfort food is becoming necessary.

(And I bought noodles.)

Seitan Noodle Soup (Serves 2)

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

8 oz seitan, cut into bite-size pieces

2 carrots, chopped

3 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup broccoli florets

1 cup elbow-shaped pasta

4 cups spinach, chopped

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

3 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp oregano

2 tsp cumin

1 Tbsp tamari

pepper to taste

3-4 cups water or vegetable broth

(1) Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and seitan, and cook until onion is translucent. (2) Add water, mushrooms and noodles to pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a high simmer. (3) About halfway through cooking the noodles, add the carrot, broccoli, nutritional yeast and spices. (4) When noodles are cooked, stir in tomatoes, tamari and spinach, and cook until spinach is wilted. Add pepper to taste, and serve nice and hot.

rummaging in the cupboard…

I had some ingredients (specifically raspberry fruit spread and poppy seeds) that seemed like they had been unused for too long, so I decided, in my search for procrastination activities, to make them into some cookies. I wasn’t entirely sure how it would work, but these have gone over really well, so I thought I’d share. These are nice because they’re not very sweet – if you happen to be in the habit of afternoon tea (something more people should do, in my opinion – even if it does seem silly, not being in England…), these would be perfect to go with a cup:

Raspberry Poppyseed Biscuits (~15 cookies)

1 1/2 cups flour (I actually used a gluten free flour mix and 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup all fruit raspberry fruit spread

1/3 cup palm sugar or sucanat

1 Tbsp flaxseed mixed with 3 Tbsp water

1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds

(1) In a medium bowl, mix together oil, fruit spread, sugar and flax mixture. (2) In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt. (3) Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in poppy seeds. (4) Drop rounded tablespoonfulls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for ~15 minutes, until golden around the edges, at 350 degrees F.

hopefully not stuck in a rut…

I know I use a lot of the same ingredients over and over, but hopefully it’s not too boring. I just really love to find new ways to use my favorite things. And, as one person, it’s hard to go through a lot of different ingredients very quickly. And I am one of those people who actually likes repetition.

Besides, it’s good to be able to do that if you want to shop at farmer’s markets as much as possible. So, please forgive the ingredient repetition, and enjoy a nice healthy breakfast treat (with more vegetables for breakfast! yes!).

Thanksgiving Muffins

(makes 10 muffins)

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup canola oil

2 Tbsp flaxmeal + 3 Tbsp water

2 medium garnet yams (about 1.5 pounds), baked, skins removed, and mashed

2 Tbsp blackstrap molasses

1/4 cup agave syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp soymilk

Much easier than pie: (1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a muffin tin. (2) Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl. (3) Mix together wet ingredients in a separate bowl. (4) Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and stir until just combined. (5) Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 

 

miso, my love

Yesterday I discovered that I could actually find local bok choy…and in November! This is an amazing new find.

And since I had bok choy, a dish with miso was the next logical step, because it is always so good in miso soup.

A lot of people don’t like bok choy or turnips (how is this possible?), I know, but this would really work with broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, onions…I’m sure there’s more. I just happen to like the contrast of the bitter-ish vegetables with the salty/sweet miso taste (most addictive thing that exists, probably). So don’t think that you need to magically get the last remaining head of bok choy to make this.

Simmered tofu, bok choy and turnips with miso sesame glaze

serves 2

1/2 lb firm tofu, drained, pressed and cubed

1 head bok choy, chopped

3 medium turnips, peeled and cubed

3/4 cup water

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp tamari

2 tsp miso, dissolved in 3-4 tbsp water

1 tsp dark toasted sesame oil

(1) Place water, tamari, ginger and tofu in a medium saucepan. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. (2) Add turnips, cover again and simmer another 5ish minutes, until turnips are tender. (3) Add bok choy, cover and cook until wilted. (I would suggest adding the stalks first, and letting that cook for a minute before adding the pieces that are just leaves) (4) Remove from heat. Drain off almost all of the liquid (maybe leave 1 tbsp). Add miso mixture and sesame oil to the pan and toss to coat. Serve with some brown rice, and maybe garnished with some gomaiso or toasted sesame seeds.

Take Two

Or one. Seeing as I love single servings of things (don’t you hate it when people do that picking little bits off the edge of the brownie pan, but never taking a whole one? Because I do. I mean, really, you end up eating an entire brownie in the end, anyway.), this time I made muffins.

As threatened, I re-worked the banana bread to make the honey flavor stronger. And it is lovely, just lovely. This version is a little less dense, and a little stickier, as is appropriate, but the flavor is a little more of a crisp sweetness, if that makes any sense.

Mac Nut Honey Banana Bread (or muffins), 2.0

1 loaf or ~10 muffins

1/3 cup canola oil

2 tbsp flaxmeal mixed with 6 tbsp water

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup plain soy yogurt

1/2 cup macadamia blossom honey

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup macadamia nuts, crushed or pulsed in a food processor

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan or muffin tin. (2) Mix together canola oil through vanilla in a medium bowl. (3) Mix together flour through salt in a separate bowl. (4) Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until combined. (5) Stir in macadamia nuts. (6) Pour into pan of choice. For a loaf, bake for about 55 minutes, for muffins about 25-30 minutes. Either way, it is done with a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.