Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn't love a good chocolate chip cookie?

I tried Sarah's oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe for the first time this fall.  I LOVED THEM.  They are so good and so easy to make (I made them gluten-free twice) that they made me forget about my favorite vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe, a recipe I used to keep our pantry stocked with sweets for six months straight.  So now, in an effort to spread more egg-free, dairy-free C.C.C. love, I'm sharing what I use as my go-to cookie.

I first saw the recipe online and later found out it is from Vive Le Vegan, a cookbook by Dreena Burton.  I like how this recipe uses oil and not margarine or shortening.  It's nice to have a variety of chocolate chip cookies in your back pocket in the event that you don't have the right ingredients, and I often don't have vegan margarine on hand.

The recipe also calls for a mix of raw sugar and maple syrup, which is a slightly different taste than refined sugar.  Be warned that the texture of this oil-based dough is different from cookie dough made with shortening, margarine, or butter.  It's not a creamy or fluffy dough but more wet-looking and gritty (especially if you opt for turbinado sugar).  Farther from regular dough and closer to wet sand.  Therefore you will need to hand-roll each one to ensure that they are packed in enough.

I omit the molasses from the original recipe (simply because I never have this in my pantry) and I add cinnamon, which I love in my chocolate chip cookies.  This soft cookie is more on the delicate side -- especially if made gluten-free -- so I find it necessary to use less chocolate chips than I would normally use in a recipe.  I usually double or triple the recipe because these beauties go fast!

Vegan (and GF) chocolate chip cookie.  How I have missed thee!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes about 2 dozen two-inch cookies)
Adapted from Dreena Burton's recipe in her cookbook Vive Le Vegan

1 cup white whole wheat flour or 1 cup gluten-free flour blend* plus 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup raw sugar (This recipe works with organic, turbinado "raw", and granulated "white" but stick to organic or turbinado if you want to keep these cookies vegan.)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (try Enjoy Life chips if you also need these soy-free)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by greasing with oil or lining with aluminum foil.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in mixing bowl.
3. Use a separate bowl or make a well in the middle of the flour mixture.  Add oil, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.  Combine these ingredients.
4. Then mix flour and sugar mixtures together until well combined.  Add in chocolate chips.
5. Form dough into 1 1/2-inch balls being sure to pack in the dough to retain their shape.  Flatten onto baking sheet spacing the cookies two inches apart.
6. Bake for about 11 minutes.  Be careful not to overbake!  For some reason these cookies will not get golden brown like your typical chocolate chip cookie and you might not trust that they are fully cooked.  But take it out by 11 minutes and let cool off on the baking sheet for at least a couple of minutes where they will continue to bake a little more.  Then transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

I made the cookies gluten-free for a preschool bake sale.  Sadly, I dropped my container of cookies right on a corner during transport and half of my cookies broke.  The next time I make these (which will be soon, heh heh), I'm going to try adding an extra 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum to see if it makes for a stronger cookie.  Okay, and next time, I won't try to juggle as many things in my arms...



*How to make Gluten-free Flour Blend 
3 cups brown rice flour
1 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch

1. Thoroughly mix flour and starches together.   Store in an airtight container.
2. You may want to double the recipe so that you have a good-sized stash of GF flour blend for your future baking needs.
3. It is critical to add xanthan gum or guar gum when you use a gluten-free four blend.  Xanthan gum (which contains corn derivatives) and guar gum work as binders for baked goods -- very necessary in the GF baking world as you lose the binding property when you are not using a wheat-based flour.

  Use the following rule of thumb for adding xanthan gum or guar gum:

• 1 tsp per 1 cup of flour mix = sandwich bread/pizza crust
• 1/2 tsp per 1 cup of flour mix = cakes/muffins/quick breads
• 1/4 tsp per 1 cup of flour mix = cookies

Good Ol' Homemade Dough Ornaments

Searching for the perfect blustery or wet winters' day craft that doubles as a lovely handmade holiday gift for the grandparents?  Try making ornaments out of dough, paint, and glitter!

I tried about three times to make the recipe gluten free using our gluten free playdough recipe (since we still have bags of it from our event)--without success.  But I'm sure one of you GF moms knows how...please chime in if you do!

Look how lovely it all started out!

I couldn't get the gluten-free dough to stay flat.  :(

I ended up using a widely distributed online recipe for dough ornaments.  You're going to need time to mix dough, knead (manually or using your mixer), roll out, cut out, bake, cool, paint, and glitter.  It is a lot of steps, and I wouldn't suggest completing the craft in one sitting.  I ended up making the dough and baking it in the morning, and then decorating ornaments in the afternoon when kids were home from school.  They really had a blast, and it was fun to see what they came up with, all so different.

Ornament Dough (contains wheat)
The original recipe states "makes 12", but I got more like 24 pieces out of this recipe.
4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups water
cinnamon & nutmeg*

Other supplies:
Rolling pin
Cookie Cutters
Paint (I liked the metallic acryllic paints)
paintbrush
bowl of water
ribbon or twine
toothpick
varnish
glitter*
tray*

(*optional)

Martha Stewart's glitter collection comes in every color of the rainbow & is proving to be a holiday crafting favorite!

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine all ingredients, mixing well, and knead for 10 to 20 minutes.  We added cinnamon and nutmeg, and it smelled yummy during kneading and baking, but the smell won't last too long.





The kids had fun "kneading" the dough, but I ended up puting it in the mixer with the hook attachment for 20 minutes to finish it off.

 

I replaced the ornament dough with some GF playdough so the kids wouldn't feel empty-handed while the mixer did its job.



3. Roll out to about 1/4 to 3/8" onto a floured surface, and cut into shapes.  Use a toothpick to poke tiny vent holes and a larger hole toward the top for hanging. 

4. Bake on parchment or silpat for 30 minutes or more, depending on how thick your pieces are.  Ornaments will harden a bit as they cool, but extra baking time shouldn't harm them.  Let cool completely on baking racks.
5. Paint (I used acrylic paints), glitter, and let dry.  Spray with varnish for shine and preservation.  (It seemed to help set the glitter, too, since I didn't use glue.)

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

The holiday season is now in full force.  Our family celebrates Christmas and I love this time of year and all...but it always seem like a sprint between the end of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day!  All of the sudden I'm behind on decorating and gifts and booked solid on the weekends.  With all the big gatherings, big meals, and big cleanup, I feel like I'm twice as busy as before.  Are you feeling as tired as I am already?  :)

When I'm pressed for time, I love to prepare a meal in the slow cooker.  I recently put a favorite recipe for chicken tortilla soup to the test.  I had no more than 15 minutes to prepare the meal before rushing off for preschool pickup.  It came out delicious as always!

Taking this photo took 3 minutes of my prep time!

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup
Adapted from Betty's Chicken Tortilla Soup V submission to AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry black beans or 1 cup cooked black beans
2 fresh chicken breasts (optional)
1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup sugar plum tomatoes
1/2 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 jar (16 oz.) chunky salsa
32 ounces of vegetable broth or chicken broth
4 to 6 corn tortillas, torn into smaller pieces

1. Lay black beans then chicken breasts on bottom of your slow cooker.
2. Stir in all other ingredients except the corn tortillas which are best to add in an hour before serving if you have the chance.  If you must add that in the beginning because of time constraints, it's still going to be delicious but just a thick, stew-like soup.  I loved it this way!
3. Turn on slow cooker to low heat if you have time to cook for 6-8 hours.  If you don't have that much cooking time to spare, heat on high for 4 hours.
4. About 30-60 minutes before the end of cooking time, break down tomatoes with a fork or potato masher.  Also, add corn tortilla pieces.
5. After another 30-60 minutes, check black beans for tenderness.  If they are not tender enough, cook an additional hour and recheck.
6. Garnish soup with extra cilantro, strips of corn tortillas, crumbled tortilla chips, shredded cheese (or Daiya Vegan Shreds), or avocado slices.

The soup was simple to make and hits the spot on a cold evening.  It can also be cooked in a saucepan in you don't have a slow cooker.  (Check out the above link to the original recipe for cooking directions.)  This made for a perfect meal in a week so crazy busy that I forgot to take a picture of the final product!

Felt Leaves

My felt kick isn't over yet.  I saw Martha's fall leaf placemats/trivets/whatever else you can think to use them for and loved the simplicity of them.  Throw them on your table, hang them on the windows, sew them onto a throw pillow or tree skirt.  I got red felt from Joanne's and, um, never got to finishing them for our Thanksgiving feast.  But now that I can take a breath, I'm thinking they're the perfect transitional decor piece for our ThanksChristmas season we've got going on here.  I mean, the Christmas music did start over a week ago now, and our Thanksgiving weekend tree trimming has officially become a tradition after three years!

So I blew up the template, pinned to a piece of folded red felt (so as to make two at the same time), cut out with fabric shears, and voila!  Instant room makeover--or at least, reason to show off my newly cleared off kitchen table.  Ah, simple pleasures.

Happy ThanksChristmas!

Thanksgiving menu

We are hosting Thanksgiving this weekend.  I'm really fortunate to have brothers-in-law who like to cook, who don't yet have kids of their own and are very fun and hands-on with my boys.  All this definitely helps when you are trying to prepare for a huge meal!

My brothers-in-law and future sister-in-law have recently (like, four days ago!) decided to take steps towards becoming vegan after seeing this documentary.  Being that we are a dairy-free household and I'm a vegetable proponent myself, I can roll with that!  Aside from the roasted turkey which my brother-in-law already purchased pre-enlightenment, below is what's on our menu.  It's dairy-free and nut-free.  Most of it can be made wheat-free by using gluten-free alternatives where bread or flour is called for.  (Sorry, no easy substitutions for Pillsbury Crescent Rolls.)

Cranberry Avocado Salsa
Butternut Squash Soup
Mashed Potatoes 
Roasted Yams (Nothing fancy in my house -- just bake until soft and serve!)
Stacy M. Polcyn's Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing (We're omitting the sausage and subbing vegan margarine in place of butter.  I like to bake this outside the bird as a separate dish.)
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Lentil Kale Stir-Fry
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (Check out Sarah's ideas for add-ins)
Apple Cranberry Crisp
Pumpkin ice cream
Pumpkin Pie
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (I subbed in some gluten-free flour blend and xanthan gum to make these GF)

The cookies and pumpkin pie ice cream have already been made and they keep well.  The salsa can be made the day before and the pumpkin pie should definitely be made a day in advance so that the filling can set in the refrigerator.  Definitely piggyback those oven dishes!  Bake the potatoes while you're roasting your butternut squash.  Leave the potatoes in the oven when you trade out your finished squash for the yams and stuffing.  Bake the crisp while the rest of dinner is served.

The day after our big meal we'll probably do some easy group cooking by making potstickers together, subbing in mashed firm tofu in place of the meat...unless we have a whole lot of leftovers!

I'm thankful for my happy little boys!

Have a safe and warm Thanksgiving with your loved ones!

Cranberry Avocado Salsa

Still searching for more easy, festive appetizers for your Thanksgiving meal?  Do you have extra cranberries that haven't been earmarked for your cranberry sauce or apple cranberry crisp?

I was pleasantly surprised with Martha Stewart's recipe for cranberry avocado salsa.  I know I shouldn't be surprised that a Martha creation is fabulous but I was skeptical when I saw honey as one of the ingredients.  I made a couple of changes -- I added tomatoes to make it chunkier, more red onions, and omitted to jalapeno to make it more kid-friendly.  Because my avocados were super ripe, it was hard for them to hold their shape when I tossed the salsa together.  The result: my cranberry avocado salsa turned out more like cranberry guacamole.  It still was delicious but if you want yours to stay a salsa, I suggest adding the avocado chunks at the end or cutting bigger, more robust pieces (about 1/3-inch chunks).  These changes made a difference when I made the salsa a second time.

This was my first attempt.  The avocado was a bit smushed.

Definitely have more of everything on hand so you can find your perfect balance!

Cranberry Avocado Salsa
Adapted from Martha Stewarts's cranberry avocado salsa recipe

Ingredients

1/3 cup red onion
2 Tbsp honey
1½ Tbsp fresh lime juice
generous 3/4 cup cranberries, cut in halves
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup sugar plum tomatoes, cut into halves or quarters
2 packed Tbsp of fresh chopped cilantro
2 ripe avocados, cut into 1/3-inch chunks
Sea salt to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp)

1. Whisk together onions, honey, and lime juice in a mixing bowl.
2. Add in cranberries, tomatoes, and cilantro.  Toss until well-coated.
3. Add in avocado chunks.  Gently toss to combine.
4. Season with sea salt if desired.

Wishing you a restful, reflective, and reactionless holiday with your loved ones!

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Curried Butternut Squash Filo Squares

I've always wanted to cook with filo dough--but never attempted it--until now.  I've had my Williams-Sonoma Vegetarian for all Seasons cookbook by Pamela Sheldon Johns collecting dust for (gasp!) several years now, but rediscovered it to find some ideas for this year's Thanksgiving side dishes.

I love filo appetizers, but 99% of the time they have nuts or cheese, both delicious compliments to filo, but not for my nut/egg/dairy/shellfish food-allergic children.  So I found this Curried Butternut Squash Filo Pocket recipe, free of most top allergens (except gluten).  Just butternut squash, filo, and a few other ingredients.  Sounded easy enough.

So in my naivete, I started mixing filling and wrapping pockets 30 minutes before dinner, and needless to say, the kids were relegated to the kitchen table for dinner, since my prep stuff was covering half our dining table.  I needed to keep going lest the dough dry out.  AAAAH!  I swore left and right that I would never work with filo again!

But when those crispy pockets came out of the oven and I took my first crunchy yet creamy, smooth, sweet, utterly delectable bite I was immediately sold, wondering why I hadn't bought two boxes of filo instead of one.

The process is a bit tedious, so if you don't have help to look after curious/cranky/bored children, I wouldn't attempt it.  But hopefully you've got some family around next week.

So join me for just this one, Martha-esque week, where we pull out all the stops.  Filo, here we come!

I made a few modifications to the recipe to tone down the flavor a bit for the children, and of course subbed in dairy-free margarine for butter:

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, about 1 lb
2 shallots, minced
3 tablespoons minced cilantro
1/2 tablespoon curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup non-dairy margarine (we use soy-based Earth Balance). Use olive oil or olive oil in a spray can for ease and to address any soy allergies
6 filo sheets, thawed as directed (overnight in fridge or on counter for 5 hours)

Helpful tools: potato masher & pastry brush

Directions:

1.  The night before making the filo squares, pop the box of filo into the fridge and forget about it til the next day.

2.  While prepping breakfast for the kids, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

3.  Use a sharp knife to cut the squash in half through the stem end and scoop out and compost seeds and fibers.  Place the squash in half, cut sides down, on your baking sheet, and bake until softened, about 20-25 minutes (or, if you just grabbed the biggest squash they had for whatever reason, it may take you more like 45 minutes until it softens--just keep an eye on it and poke it with a fork every 10 minutes).  Transfer to a rack and cool.  (If you have extra squash, try making soup).

4.  Scoop out the squash pulp and mash until smooth using a potato masher.  Stir in shallots, cilantro, curry powder, salt, and pepper.  Set aside.

5. If you're using olive oil from a can or otherwise, skip this step.  If you're using margarine, you'll need to clarify it.  Place the butter in a pan and melt it over medium heat.  Skim off the foam from the surface and let it cool a bit.  Pour off the clear yellow liquid into a bowl, discarding any white solids.

6. Reline baking sheet with foil.  Lay the stacked filo sheets on a cutting board and cut lengthwise into quarters (I just put the layers on a piece of wax paper and cut using cooking shears).  Cover it with a damp kitchen towel to keep them from drying out, removing strips as needed.

7. Lay a filo strip on a workspace (another piece of wax paper or silpat works well).  Brush the strip with your clarified margarine/olive oil, or spray with olive oil, then lay a second strip on top of the first.  Put 1-2 tablespoons (I liked it with about 2) of filling near one end and fold the strip over about 4 times to form a square.  Brush another strip with clarified margarine and wrap it around the open sides of the square.  Place the square on the baking sheet.  You may brush the top of the square with more butter, but I skipped this and it turned out just fine.  Repeat with the remaining strips and filling.

8. Bake until golden brown, 15-18 minutes (mine were perfect after 15).  Serve immediately.

Advice for cutting down prep time:

• Use the can spray olive oil--you won't have to clarify the margarine and you won't have to brush anything on AND the kids can help spray (bonus!).
• Set up some kind of assembly line for the filo.  I worked on 4 at a time--brushing with margarine, layering, adding filling, etc.
• Get more filo than you need.  It is inevitable some tissue paper-thin filo sheets will tear beyond repair.
• Double the recipe--you've already got your hands dirty, you might as well make more!
• Cut squares in half into triangles before you serve to further double your servings.

Take a moment to enjoy cooking and preparing with your family this Thanksgiving.  Have a wonderful week!