Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm always searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe.  So when I found this cookbook called Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson, I decided to make these sweet little cookies for my vegan sister.  

Not only are they amazing vegan cookies, they're just amazing. period.

They turned out perfectly chewy on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside.  Plus, they didn't spread out and get all goopey like a lot of non-vegan chocolate chip cookies I've made :)

These are delicious served very warm with a cold glass of almond or soy milk.  Enjoy!


Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
A dash of fine sea salt
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3 Tbls canola oil
2 Tbls soymilk or other non-dairy milk
1 Tbls flaxseed meal (I left this out because I didn't have any on hand)
1 Tbls vanilla 
3/4 cup nondairy semisweet chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350 F. 
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
In a large bowl, beat together brown sugar, oil, soymilk, flaxseed meal, and vanilla until smooth.  Add the flour mixture to sugar mixture, stirring until just combined.  Fold in chocolate chips.
Use a small cookie scoop to drop batter onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.  Remove trays from oven and place cookies on rack to cool completly.

Chocolate chip Pumpkin Bread

One of my absolute FAVORITE things about fall is pumpkin.  
The smell, the taste, the texture......and what better thing to pair pumpkin with, than chocolate!

All I can say about this bread is that it's amazing, and SUPER easy to make.  Just the smell of it makes your mouth water.

The warm gooey chocolate paired with soft pumpkin and cinnamon.....mmmmh, it's time for fall :)

Enjoy!


Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
1 can pumpkin
1 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cups canola oil
2 tsps vanilla
4 eggs
3 cups flour (you can use white or whole wheat)
2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, mis pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs until thouroughly combined. Add remaining ingredients and pour into 2 greased loaf pans.  Bake 50-60 minutes or untill golden brown.  Serve warm with a glass of cold milk :)

Crisp Sugar Cookies

I found this fun cupcake cookie cutter at Hobby Lobby.  So cute!

This is an old family recipe...the cookies turn out thin and crisp with LOADS of flavor :)


Enjoy! 

Sugar Cookies
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbls milk
1/2 tsp vanilla


In a small bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking powder.  In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugars.  Add egg, milk and vanilla.  Fold in the flour mixture and mix until just combined.  Cover bowl and chill for 30 minutes to an hour.  Preheat oven to 350.  Roll out chilled dough and cut into shapes.  Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Perfect Cinnamon Bread

This bread is entirely perfect for the holidays.  
It fills the house with the delicious smell of cinnamon that reminds me of Christmas. 
This bread can be eaten hot, just out of the oven, or toasted and buttered along side a cold glass of milk :) 

I like to double this recipe because the loaves are usually gone by the second day.  Enjoy!

Perfect Cinnamon Bread

For the dough:
1 cup milk
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup butter
6 1/2-7 1/2 cups all purpose flour
6 T granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsps salt
2 Tbls yeast
3 eggs


For the filling:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsps ground cinnamon
2 Tbls melted butter


Dough:
Heat milk, water, and butter in a medium saucepan until slightly warm. 
At the same time, mix flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl until thoroughly combined.  
Add egg and warm liquids to the flour mixture and kneed for about 3-5 minutes.
Place the dough in a greased and covered bowl and let rise for 35-40 minutes.


Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Divide the dough into three equal pieces.  Roll each piece out into a long rectangle and dust with melted butter.  Sprinkle a generous amount of cinnamon sugar on top of the butter and roll into a loaf. 
Place loaves in greased loaf pans and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until slightly brown. 

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies

  I decided to make these suuuuuper soft frosted sugar cookies in honor of my older sister.

 She has two daughters and is now expecting a 3rd!  (aren't they adorable?!!! I'm such a proud aunt)

 These cookies are just like the ones you buy at the store, soft, chewy, and totally irresistible.

This recipe is originally from Annie's Eats .
Enjoy! 

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies

For the cookies:
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
5 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the frosting:
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
7-8 tablespoon milk (plus more, as needed)
Food coloring (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Blend in the vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients mixing just until incorporated and evenly mixed.  Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, scoop a scant quarter cup of dough and roll into a ball.  Flatten the ball slightly and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies at least 2-3 inches apart.  Bake about 10-12 minutes or just until set  (do not overbake!  The edges should be no more than very lightly browned if at all).  Let cool on the baking sheet for several minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, place the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl.  Add the melted butter, vanilla, and milk to the bowl and whisk until smooth.  Whisk in additional milk as necessary, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.  Tint with food coloring if desired.  Use a spatula or spoon to frost the cooled cookies (If the frosting begins to thicken as you decorate, just continue to whisk in small amounts of milk to keep it workable).  Top with sprinkles if desired.  Store in an airtight container. Makes 2 dozen large cookies.

Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies

I looooove peanut butter. 

 On sandwhiches, on apples, with strawberries, with CHOCOLATE ;), in ice cream, just by the spoonful......well, you get the idea.



 

 It's probably one of the best inventions (thank you George Washington Carver). 

And what better way to use peanut butter, than to put it in a cookie!  :)                          I found this recepie on  Sarah's blog and decided to put it to the test.  They turned nice and chewy with just enough crumble (perfect served warm, over vanilla or chocolate ice cream)

For this recepie I decided to use Smucker's Natural Chunky Peanut Butter....but you can use whatever kind you have on hand (I recommend using chunky because it gives the cookies more texture).

Makes ~3 dozen cookies

For the cookies:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sugar-coating
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Beat together butter and peanut butter until well combined. 

Add both sugars and beat until fluffy. 

Add egg, milk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. 

Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix just until blended. 

Roll dough into balls then place on an ungreased baking sheet. Make a crisscross pattern on each cookie by using a fork dipped in flour. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. 

Do not over bake. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for at least 3 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.  

Enjoy!