Chocolate Chip Candy Cane Cookies

My partner hates everything about Christmas except for two things, The Christmas Story and these cookies. Last year, he and his housemate made these for their families and neighbors, and I am sure that everyone was pretty excited. These cookies involve one of my favorite wintery combinations, candy canes and chocolate. There aren't many combinations of chocolate and mint that don't please me. While I think my favorite might still be the peppermint brownie, it's really a close call.
This is the second time we have made these cookies this month. The first time they got eaten so quickly I didn't have time to take a picture. Our standby recipe for chocolate chip cookies is the Ghiradelli recipe using Earth Balance and Ener-G powder. Since the grocery store nearby didn't have vegan chocolate chips, we crushed a bar of 52% dark semi-sweet chocolate. We also threw in 4 pulverized candy canes and a few drops of peppermint extract (be careful to add slowly, mint extract is normally very strong!). I think it's a pretty terrific ratio, but you could save some of the candy canes to place on top of the cookies after baking if you want them to look a little prettier.
Just so you are forewarned, the candy might melt during baking and make it a little tough to remove the cookies from the tray.


Do you make any other desserts with candy canes?

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

I knew I had to make something great for my work holiday party. I also knew that it had to be beautiful so that all of the omni's would grab them without thinking. The science crowd can be pretty tough to convince that vegan food can be delicious.
I decided on a batch of chocolate crinkle cookies from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. While I highly recommend that you buy a copy of the cookbook too, I found the recipe online for those of you who haven't bought it yet. The blogpost I am linking to is misleading, because the recipe is definitely from VCIYCJ and not written by this lady (you can even see the open cookbook in the photos).


I used a bar of 54% dark chocolate and dark cocoa powder for this recipe. It really adds to the flavor and appearance of the cookies. Chilling the cookie dough will make the rolling process much easier, but you will still probably want to keep a towel nearby to wipe cookie dough and sugar off your hands. Definitely don't skip the granulated sugar rolling step. The thin layer of granulated sugar keeps the powdered sugar from getting really wet and looking gross and makes the outside of the cookie a lot firmer.


I make cupcakes because they are cute, but I make cookies because they are something I want to eat. This cookbook won't fail you. Some of my other favorite recipes are the Lazy Samoas and the Citrus Glitters. What's your favorite cookie?

Gluten Free Coconut Lime Loaf

Gluten free baking is still something that intimidates me. I have so many flours around that I have gathered, but am never sure what the best way is to combine them. Maybe I should have started with buying a pre-mixed gluten-free flour combination, but what's the fun in that? When I saw this recipe posted by PeaSoupEats, I knew I would need to try it. I have been on a citrus kick lately, and with a friend who is gluten sensitive in town, it was the perfect excuse to try it out.
For the two cups of flour, I used a mixture of almond meal (~3/4 cup), coconut flour (~1/2 cup), white rice flour (~1/2 cup), and tapioca flour (~1/4 cup). I subbed the the 2 measures of cointreau, for 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil.
To help in easing the loaf out, I baked it with parchment paper in the pan for easy removal. My folding wasn't incredibly precise, so the edges are a bit wonky. But the edges perfectly baking didn't seem as important to me as removing the loaf unbroken. I know from experience that coconut flour browns pretty rapidly, and my loaf was definitely a bit darker than hers with the same baking time but I think the flavor is worth it. The flavor of this loaf was something that I really enjoyed. My batch turned out a little too moist, but I think I can remedy that when I bake it again.
Do you have any tips for gluten free baking? What are you favorite flours or flour combinations?

Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Speculoos Frosting

To correspond with the many bloggers from countries that celebrate St. Nicholas day, I decided to make a second Speculoos spread recipe. While the cookies I posted about yesterday were delicious, they didn’t really highlight the taste of the cookie butter as much as I would prefer. I thought the texture of the spread would really lend itself to a making a peanut butter-esque frosting.


I still haven’t decided what type of cupcake would go best with this frosting. I saw a lot of different variations on the internet with most people seeming to settle on chocolate. However, I went with a simple cinnamon & vanilla bean cupcake that I thought would enhance the subtle spiciness of the frosting. I used the vanilla cake recipe from VCTOTW (I know, again) and added a tablespoon of vanilla bean paste and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Speculoos Spread Frosting
Enough for piping lightly on 12 cupcakes


3 tbsps shortening
heaping 1/2 cup Speculoos spread
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Cream shortening and cookie butter in a standing mixer or with electric beater. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. Add remaining ingredients. Beat for a little longer, until fluffy.


This frosting was very, very light. And tasted just as delicious as I had imagined. One of my taste-testers said it was like eating a Christmas cookie in cake form. I can't wait to play more with the second jar of cookie butter I bought. Just this morning I saw a recipe for chocolate caramel speculoos bars on Seitan Is My Motor!
What are your favorite holiday recipes? I'm trying to think of something that will wow all my omni co-workers at our holiday party this Friday.

Speculoos Spread Snickerdoodles

I remember the Speculoos craze in 2009. It seemed like every blog I read was either using it or searching for it. The cookies, the spread, whatever they could get a hold of.
I found a jar of Speculoos spread at Trader Joe’s for the first time recently and swooned. While I had eaten my fair share of Biscoff cookies on many Delta flights, I hadn’t ever seen the spread. It was pretty magical. I spread it on my toast and an apple and had the great realization that I must bake something with it.


(photo from fitnessista.com)
For those of you who are unaware of what Speculoos/Biscoff cookies are, they are a caramelized biscuit with a hint of spices. And most of the time the cookies and a spread made from the pulverized cookies are vegan!
Speculoos cookies are also a Belgian and Dutch tradition for celebrating St. Nicholas Day on December 5th or 6th depending on which country you are in. So I thought I would make two recipes using the spread as a modern twist on those traditions.
The first recipes I made was a cookie (if you can’t tell, I have been on a cookie craze lately). While the recipe I followed, looked much different than my results, I was highly pleased. My cookies were very similar to snickerdoodles, with a pleasantly crisp outside and thick chewy center. I ate them with a cup of hot tea and wouldn’t change a thing. I’m not sure if the differences in our results were due to a difference in the spreads or I somehow mucked up the recipe. I haven’t repeated it to see yet, but soon!


Along with the spread, Trader Joe’s also sells a Speculoos/Biscoff type cookie they refer to as Bistro Biscuits if you want to try the cookie. If you don’t live near a Trader Joe’s, you can also buy the cookies and spread from Biscoff in the US (and I think get bonus points if you are a Delta frequent flyer). If you would rather make the cookies or spread yourself there are great recipes here and here.
Have you ever eaten the cookies or the cookie butter? Are you as crazy about it as I am? One of my friends described it as ground up Cinnamon Teddy Grahams, which I find to be pretty accurate.

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

This week I wanted to make snacks for a few of my canine friends. After perusing the internet for some inspiration, I decided it wouldn't be too difficult to make a batch of vegan peanut butter treats.

Vegan Peanut Butter Dog Treats
Around 15 treats

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup soy milk

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix flour and baking powder. Stir in peanut butter and soy milk. Roll out dough on parchment paper to a 1/3" thickness. The treats won't spread, so place closely together on cookie sheets lined with parchment or a silpat mat. Bake for 18-20 minutes.


For additional 'aww' factor I piped some peanut butter decorations on using a Wilton #3 tip.
This peanut butter won't firm, so I don't recommend these for treats you plan on storing.
I suggest using a low sugar peanut butter; it's not good for pups to eat too much sugar. Also, I wouldn't advise using almond milk. I've read a lot of scary things about severe almond allergies in dogs.

So far all of the dogs have been really happy with them! Tail wags galore.
Do you have any fun DIY gifts for your companions? Has anyone tried making vegan cat treats?!

White Chocolate Pomegranate Cookies

Yesterday I saw a pomegranate sitting in a produce aisle and couldn't remember the last time I had eaten one. I gladly bought it, soaked it, and pulled out all the arils. While I was making the macadamia nut cookies I had the brilliant idea to set aside part of the nut-free dough and throw in a few arils. The results were wonderful. The pomegranate added the right amount of tartness and texture to the cookies.
I happily ate the remaining pomegranate while sitting around in my pajamas watching TV. Now my lips and fingers are a charming shade of pink!


Do you ever change a recipe mid-baking? It seems to be a habit of mine.