Vegan Bake Off

Saturday, Oct. 3rd was the Second Annual Vegan Bake Off put together by the Canadian Vegetarian Society. I had seen the posters around my neighborhood and was excited to try my luck. It was a busy weekend for me (I start my first post grad school job on Monday, Markus' birthday dinner party at my place on Friday, and then a small get together with friends on Saturday night) but I was determined to make it work! 

As a surprise, Markus had made me little Mini Canteen business cards and he even invented a neat way to wrap each cookie.

I made the dough during the week and kept it in the freezer. I needed to make 50 cookies for sampling and 3 special ones for the celebrity judges. On Saturday morning I woke up early and baked away. I was worried about having enough, but ended up with over 100! Markus helped me fold and prepare each little packet. He even made cute little recipe cards to place beside my display! 

We were the first people to sign in at the event (I guess I was pretty excited!) and after I had set up my samples we had quite a bit of time before the sampling began. There were two rounds, one for cookies, bars, and raw foods and one for cupcakes, cakes, and professional bakers. See some great photos here.

Even though there were only supposed to be fifty samples, I was glad I had prepared extra because there ended up being closer to three hundred samplers lining up for the treats! I didn't get to try everything, but some of the treats were delicious! Especially the Nanaimo bars (which one a few prizes) and the Mini Cinnabons. A few hours later everyone sat on the floor of the gymnasium to hear the judge's picks for the various prizes. After I didn't win best cookie or runner up in my category, I was a bit bummed but was still having a good time cheering for the winners.

And then I won a prize! Out of all the contestants (forty in total) the judges picked my treat as most memorable! 

My prize pack included a subscription to Veg News, some chocolate from Boardwalk Chocolates, a cook book, a beautiful home made ribbon, and bragging rights! Then Markus won some cookies for answering a sports question correctly! 

It was so great to see everyone else's great treats and meet other bakers in my city. I wish I had more pictures of other people's offerings, but there is a facebook page if anyone is interested in seeing some of the other entries!

Almost There Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been struggling with making the perfect chocolate chip cookie and these are pretty darn close. My only quibble is that they are a tad puffy rather than flat and Mrs. Fields like. Hopefully, with a bit more tinkering I can make them match the cookies of my pre-allergy memory. The taste, I have to say is, just about perfect. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know! I've been thinking of trying to use brown sugar and substitute some of the coconut oil with vegan margarine. 

Makes about 24 cookies.

COOKIE INGREDIENTS:

1 cup coconut oil, melted

2 tablespoons vanilla

1 tablespoon molasses

pinch of salt (optional)

3/4 agave nectar

2 cups wheat free flour

1/2 cup ground up gluten free oats

1 1/2 tsp xantham gum

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup vegan chocolate chips

COOKIE DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl, combine the oil, vanilla, molasses, and agave nectar. Then, using a sieve, add the flour, xantham gum, salt, soda, cinnamon and oat flour. Sift this in and stir. Fold the chocolate chips in and mix until the dough is not shiny. Drop on a lined cookie sheet and spread the dough out a bit with an inverted spatula. Bake at 325 degrees for about nine minutes.

Store in an airtight container for upto 3 days. Refrigerate for longer life. 

Gluten Free Tea for Two

When you are in the mood to decorate these little goodies are a great alternative to sugar cookies. There is no doubt, that in a crunch, a drop cookie is the way to go. But there is something that just can't be beat about rolling out a bunch of dough, pressing it into shapes, and later when it has cooled, slathering them in icing. 

These cookies are incredibly soft and chewy and don't need to be iced at all if you prefer a less rich cookie. Both ways, these are great for afternoon tea. 

TEA COOKIES INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup apple sauce

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 egg substitutes

3 cups wheat free flour

1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup cocoa powder

COOKIE DIRECTIONS:

In a mixer, beat the oils, apple sauce, and vanilla together. Add the sugar. Using a sieve, sift in the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Mix together. Add the prepared egg replacer. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow to harden up in the fridge for a bit. 

Roll the dough into a 1/4 inch thickness onto a floured surface. Cut into shapes and baked on a greased sheet for about 8 minutes. Cool before icing. 

Granola Cookies

These cookies were born out of the cupboards of the cottage. One rainy day, when I was in the mood to bake something, I decided to make cookies, only to realize we had no flour. I did find the ground up bits at the bottom of a bag of granola and substituted those instead. Those cookies were quite crunchy and not quite right, but inspired these little gems when I was back in the city. The recipe below is quite similar to a kitchen sink cookie, but a little crunchier because of the ground oats and granola. I like to eat them for breakfast, but they also make a nice afternoon snack. 

The amount of sugar you add is totally dependent on how sweet your granola is. So, if you aren't an incurable dough nibbler this will be the time to break with restraint and try it out. If you would prefer, try maple syrup instead of the brown sugar to up the granola-taste. 

Makes aprox. 30 cookies

COOKIE INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup prune puree or apple sauce

1/2 cup vegan margarine

3/4 cup gluten free granola, ground in a food processor

1 cup wheat-free flour

1/2 tsp xantham gum

1/2 cup gluten free oats, ground in food processor

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbs molasses

1/2 cup brown sugar (or to taste)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 egg equivalencies

1 cup gluten free rolled oats

1 cup gluten free granola

1 cup  flaked dried coconut

1 cup dried cranberries

COOKIE DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, mix together with a wooden spoon mix together the canola oil, prune puree, and margarine. Add the vanilla and molasses and then the ground up granola. Add the sugar, deciding how much you need. Add the ground oats and combine. Sift in the wheat-free flour, xantham gum, baking soda and powder and a pinch of salt if you'd like. Add the egg replacer as directed on the package, stirring gently. Lastly add the dried cranberries, oats, granola, and coconut. Drop by tablespoon onto a pan lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for about fifteen minute, rotating the pan half way through. 

Allow to cool on the pan for a moment and then cool completely on a cooling rack. 

Store in an airtight container for up to a week. 

Vegan and Wheat Free Chocolate Cookies

These are the chocolate version of a chocolate chip cookie. They are great to make with kids and take very little time or special ingredients. While I'm still working out a regular chocolate chip cookie recipe, these have become my standby. 

Any type of chocolate chip will do; and I tend to up the quality if I'm making these for guests. If you aren't allergic to nuts, they taste great with hazelnuts. Failing that, sandwiching two cookies around a tablespoon of chocolate-hazelnut spread is a decadent treat perfect for a Tuesday afternoon. 

The espresso powder, if you choose to use it, has very little flavor on its own. Coffee is a wonderful accompaniment to chocolate and enhances its flavor. Used sparingly in baking it adds charming zip. 

Makes about 20 cookies

COOKIE INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups wheat free flour

1 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp xantham gum

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tbs instant espresso powder mixed with 1 tbs water or 3 tbs brewed coffee (optional)

1 tbs vanilla 

1 cup brown sugar

1 tbs molasses

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup apple sauce or prune puree

1/2 cup oil

1 egg replacement

chocolate chips 

COOKIE DIRECTIONS:

In your stand mixer, beat the sugars, molasses, oil, and apple sauce together. When this is combined, add coffee (if using) and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, xantham gum, and baking soda. Using a sieve, sift this mixture into the oil mixture and, on low speed, combine. Add the egg replacement and quickly beat in. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by generous tablespoon onto a parchment lined baking sheet, flattening the dough out a bit with a spoon and bake at 325 degrees for about 12 minutes. 

Store in an airtight container for up to a week. 

Wheat Free Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Before I began my "everything free" allergic life, I wasn't really one for nuts. Passed around the table at a party or mixed in with other foods, I  would take a sample, but I've always been more of a sweet than a salty girl. 

Now that I have taken so many other things out of my life, I have reacquainted myself with nuts. They make the base of so many vegan recipes, at first it was more about necessity than choice. Now, while I still won't say I'm a complete convert, I keep several types of nut butters in my fridge. 

These cookies were developed after I tried to make the recipe on the back of the Kraft PB jar. Not having my own copy of the recipe, I relied on a friend who forgot to mention one of the three ingredients - eggs, and my first try was a failure. Fortunately, I only baked one batch and was able to salvage the remaining dough. These cookies are soft and not too crumbly. 

I often make these with chocolate chips as well; just add in a cup or so at the end. 

Makes about 24 cookies

COOKIE INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted and a little bit cool

3/4 cup natural peanut butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 tbs corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg replacement

2 cups wheat free flour blend

1 tsp xantham gum

1 tsp baking soda

4 tbs soy or rice milk

COOKIE DIRECTIONS:

In a mixer, blend coconut oil, peanut butter, sugar, corn syrup and vanilla until smooth. Sift in the flour, xantham gum, baking soda, and a pinch of salt if you would like. Mix this in on a low speed. Add your egg replacement and soy milk to combine. Place the dough in the bowl in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove dough from freezer and shape 1 heaping tbs into a ball. Place on your greased cookie sheet and flatten the ball with a spatula. Then make the characteristic fork marks, so as to avoid confusion. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes and allow to cool on a rack. 

Keep in an airtight container for up to a week. 

Wheat Free Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

My sister and I have been baking this recipe for so long, I am not sure where we got it from anymore. She makes it so often she knows the recipe off my heart (along with my mother's recipe for pie dough and baking soda biscuits). When I stopped cooking with dairy and wheat, this recipe was great for experimenting with. Oats, I found, are forgiving to other types of flour and moisture and the cookie's soft chewiness covers all kinds of baking substitutions.  

Some people with gluten sensitivities have difficulties with oats, making these cookies impossible to enjoy. If you can't find gluten free oats, (try Bob's Red Mill) you could easily substitute something else here: various gluten free granola cereals, coarsely chopped, or simply replacing the oats with flour would probably be fine, though less chewy. 

The reason I am posting this recipe today is because this weekend marks the first time I made them with this new (to me) trick for substituting eggs. I often eschew recipes that call for flax because I find the taste too strong. This weekend I whisked 1 tbs of ground flax seed with 3 tbs of water and before my very eyes, the mixture became the consistency of egg whites, perfect for holding all the ingredients together. Of course, if you'd prefer to use a vegan egg replacer or a real egg, that is fine. If you are nervous about the taste of flax, this is a good recipe to experiment on because the molasses and spice compensate for the little seed's most pronounced taste. 

Makes aprox. 2 dozen cookies. 

COOKIE INGREDIENTS:

1 cup coconut oil, melted

5 tbs prune puree

2 tbs molasses

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg replacement

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups gluten free oats

1 1/2 tsp xantham gum

pinch salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups vegan chocolate chips (or to taste)

COOKIE INSTRUCTIONS

In an electric mixer, beat the coconut oil, molasses, prune puree, and sugar until combine. Add the egg and vanilla. While this is all whirring together, in a separate bowl sift together the wheat free flour, baking soda, salt, xantham gum, and spice. Add this flour mixture to the wet ingredients slowly. When combined, remove bowl from mixer and stir oats and chocolate chips in my hand with a wooden spoon. Drop 1 tbs sized blobs of dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for eight minutes. The cookies will be soft for three to five days and can be frozen. 

Wheat Free Vegan Cherry, Pistachio, and Chocolate Icebox Cookies

These cookies are so tasty, I wish I could think of a better name for them. Even though icebox cookies are supposed to be easy and simple to make, this recipe does take a little time: but it is worth it. The idea for the recipe came from a package of Pistachio Almond Paste that I had bought at Dean & Deluca last weekend on our trip to nyc (along with many other tasty looking ingredients). I wanted to make something fancy enough to use marzipan, but that was super tasty and retained some of the lovely, nutty texture of marzipan. The cookies are soft and moist from the cherries and the almond's oil and the chocolate cookie is an even textured match. The sugar in the marzipan adds an amazing caramel flavor to the cookies. 

Although all the freezing time may look like alot, it really isn't; because there are several steps most of the time the dough is chilling, you can be getting the next level ready or tidying up a bit. 

The white chocolate was added because the first time I made these, they fell apart a little and I really wanted to eat them not as scraps, but as the dainty cookie I had imagined. After some slight recipe adjustments, the cookies hold together on their own, but I liked the addition so much I've included it here. 

Also, I've used a cherry jam because they are in season, but strawberry would also be good and if you were making these at Christmas cranberry would be appropriate. To let people know what they are getting into, shopped pistachios sprinkled on the white chocolate could provide a tasty hint.

Using regular marzipan with ground pistachios processed I imagine will produce a similar result, though a different texture.

COOKIE INGREDIENTS:

1 cup pistachio marzipan

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1 egg substitute

4 tbs. brown sugar

1 1/4 all purpose flour substitute + 1/2 cup 

1/2 tsp xantham gum

6 tbs cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup vegan cherry jam

1/2 tbs corn starch whisked into 1 tbs of water

1/2 cup vegan white chocolate, chopped

COOKIE INSTRUCTIONS:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the marzipan, sugar, coconut oil and egg substitute. Beat until completely combined. Add the baking soda, xantham gum, and flour substitute. Remove 1/3 of the dough and add an additional 1/2 cup of four substitute using a wooden spoon. Pat into a large, thin rectangle between two layers of plastic wrap. Place in the freezer. To the remaining dough, add the cocoa powder and beat to combine. Pat the chocolate dough into a larger, thin rectangle between two pieces of plastic wrap and freeze. 

While the dough is firming up, combine the dried cherries and jam in the food processor until uniformly mixed. Heat this mixture until boiling. Remove from heat and add corn starch and water mixture, stirring to thicken. Allow mixture to cool. 

Take one patty of dough out of the freezer and, with a rolling pin, roll the dough out as large as you can. I find this much easier with the pistachio dough than the chocolate one. Place the first dough back in the freezer and roll the second. 

When the dough is hard again and the cherry jam is cool. Cut a piece of chocolate dough about 7 inches long and 1 1/2 wide. Spread a tablespoon of jam mixture on top and then top with an equal sized piece of pistachio dough. Repeat and finish with chocolate. No worries if your pieces are not quite the same size, you can always trip these before you slice them. You should be able to create two 7 inch long stacks. Wrap the stacks in plastic wrap and return to the freezer. When they are quite firm (about 1/2 hour) slice into 1/4 inch slice and place on a greased cookie sheet. If there are any globs of cherry poking out of your slices, remove them at this point. Bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees. 

When the cookies have cooled, in a microwave or double boiler, melt the white chocolate. Carefully dip each cookie in and allow the chocolate to harden up. Help the chocolate along with a knife, as it tends to be thicker than regular chocolate. 

Wheat Free Vegan Cookie Dough Candy

I love chocolate chips cookies, but it is a well known secret that what I really like is the dough. Usually by the time the cookies are baked, I am so full that I can't enjoy them and shudder every time I pass whatever made it into the oven cooling on the counter. However, in addition to the raw egg, there are several other ingredients in cookie dough that I try to avoid these days - namely, flour and butter. Wheat free and vegan cookies have taken me quite a while to master, and even now I consider it a work in progress; cookie dough, on the other hand, I accomplished quite early.

Now, eating raw cookie dough out of the bowl with a group of friends is completely appropriate and something my college roommates and I did quite often, but for something slightly more dignified I've made these cookie dough candies. These were inspired by an offering at Dylan's Candy Bar in New York City.

The genius of this recipe is that it handily avoids so many of the pitfalls of vegan and wheat free baking. Nothing needs to rise, the dough needs to only barely cling together, and eggs are purposely avoided.

If you are an organized person, or are making a large batch over several days, I have found that chilling the dough makes the flavor of the dough incredible (see NY Times article). You can chill the dough after you've coated the balls in chocolate or before, which will also make them easier to coat. These little candies will last about a week and can be stored at room temperature, though many say they prefer them cold or even frozen especially over ice-cream.

Makes aprox. 30 candies.

COOKIE DOUGH CANDY INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 melted coconut oil

1 cup all purpose flour substitute (or a combination of flour and ground oatmeal)

1/4 tsp baking soda (optional)

pinch of salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips, chopped into smaller pieces (optional)

1 cup chopped good quality vegan chocolate for the coating

COOKIE DOUGH CANDY INSTRUCTIONS:

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda if using, salt, and brown sugar. Add the vanilla and both oils. You may need slightly more or slightly less oil. If you love chocolate, add the chopped chocolate chips. The mixture should be crumbly, but a bit oily so the dough stays moist. Shape the dough into little balls and refrigerate.

To coat the chocolate you need to temper it. This will ensure that your chocolate is shiny and doesn't get all over your hands when you're eating it. Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa) tempers her chocolate in the microwave and if you have one, it makes the treat quite easy. Melt half of the chocolate in a microwave bowl at 5 second intervals, stirring in between to make sure the chocolate is melting evenly. When it is all melted, add the remaining chopped chocolate and stir until melted. Alternatively, you can melt the first half of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. When your chocolate is tempered, drop the balls of cookie dough in and carefully remove to dry on a piece of waxed paper or on top of a drying rack. If your tempering doesn't look quite right, and mine often doesn't especially if I've made several dozen, then a drizzle of melted chocolate will promptly restore the candy's appearance and confidence in yourself.

Small Note: I am not sure about the dietary properties of edible wax but if you want a truly professional look to your candies, this is what professional bakeries often use.

Wheat & Dairy Free Vegan Whoopie Pies

The first time I had a whoopie pie was this winter on a trip to New York. We had been walking around trying to find a place to eat for hours because my boyfriend had declared that we needed a slice of New York style pizza. Trying to find a wheat-, yeast-, and dairy-free pizza place in the Lower East Side in the middle of January turned out to be an almost impossible task and, after pleading a bathroom break, I snuck into a small cafe that happened to serve gluten-free snacks. The cafe was changing over to get ready for the dinner crowd, but I managed to grab the last whoopie pie on the counter to tide me over. 

Since that fateful night, I've seen whoopie pies everywhere (see nytimes article ) and have been wanting to recreate one that I could eat without any problems. There is something so jovial about a cookie that is really a cake but calls itself a pie, pressed around a creamy filling called whoopie. I'm fairly certain these are an American invention, given their similarity to Hostess cupcakes and that most of the recipes call for a jarred filling called fluf, a culinary achievement that I have since found a startling number of uses. 

I've added sprinkles because I think they needed a splash of color and these are really a dessert for those who are closest to you and parties that include children. I'm not sure you would want to serve these to a company of distinguished guests; the charm of the moniker 'whoopie' being lost on some. On the other hand, if you prefer a dessert with a sense of irony or come from an aristocratic heritage and have an Aunt visiting who keeps calling North America 'The New World' and leaving her shoes outside her door to be polished by your 'maid,' these treats might be perfect. 

I am truly proud of the texture of these cakes. They are soft, moist, and fluffy and taste especially good the day they are made. Feel free to make the filling your own: a teaspoon of peppermint oil, some melted chocolate, or smooth peanut butter could be added. I've also seen jars of vegan strawberry fluf, which I've yet to try, but could be fabulous!

Makes about 13 whoopie pies. 

PIE INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 cups flour substitute

1/2 tsp xantham gum

3/4 cups cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

2 tbs canola oil

2 tbs prune puree

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg or egg substitute

1 cup soy milk or rice milk

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tbs vanilla

PIE INSTRUCTIONS:

In a small bowl whisk together the flour substitute, cocoa powder, baking soda, xantham gum, and salt. In a stand mixer, beat the shortening, prune puree, and canola oil with the two sugars until fluffy and light. Add the egg or egg substitute (mixed with a tbs. of water) and beat together. In another bowl, combine the milk, vanilla, and vinegar. Sift the flour mixture twice. Working quickly, add the milk mixture alternating with the flour mixture in two batches until combined. Drop large tablespoons of the batter onto a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Without flattening the dough too much, spread the dollops into even circles. Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for about ten minutes, rotating the pans half way through. They should be spongy and spring back when poked. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

WHOOPIE INGREDIENTS:

1 cup vegan rice-mellow fluff

1/2 cup vegetable shortening or vegan margarine

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

4 tbs soy milk or rice milk

WHOOPIE INSTRUCTIONS:

In a mixer, blend the fluff and shortening until smooth. Add the vanilla and then the icing sugar a few tablespoons at a time, adding a tablespoon of milk when it becomes too thick until a spreadable consistency has been achieved. Place two tablespoons of the whoopie on one half of a pie and place another pie on top. Repeat with remaining pies and filling.  

Store in an air tight container for two days or in the fridge for five. 

Wheat and Dairy Free Vegan Shortbread

Since my family is Italian, home-made cookies when I was growing up were generally little, hard, crumbly wafers that exist solely for dipping in espresso. I, on the other hand, have made entire dinners out of chocolate chip cookie dough and prefer cookies large, soft, and undercooked. As I bake more the number of exceptions have increased and these little goodies are one of them. While the essential ingredients of shortbread make up a small list, adapting the recipe for wheat and dairy free eaters while keeping the texture of sandy, buttery biscuits was a bit difficult. This recipe is inspired from the back of a box of corn starch and the Fannie Farmer Baking Book. You could easily replace the chocolate with something else; at Christmas, I'll often melt Toblerone bars or Skor bars, or omit this step entirely. One other note: Some dairy free bakers use butter flavoring in their baking. This is also very common in professional baking. If you find the taste of these not as buttery as you would like, you might try it. 

Makes aprox. 24 cookies

SHORTBREAD INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup corn starch

1/2 cup + 2 tbs icing sugar

1/4 cup rice flour

3/4 cup wheat free all purpose flour

1/8 tsp xanthan gum

pinch of salt

3/4 cup shortening

2 tbs warm water

2 tbs. sugar

1/2 cup chocolate chips

SHORTBREAD DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, stir together the corn starch, icing sugar, rice flour, wheat free flour, xanthan gum, and salt. When these ingredients are combined, add the shortening and warm water. Roll the dough on a floured board with a floured rolling pin to 1/4 inch. Cut into shapes and place on an oiled sheet. Sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar. Bake at 325 degrees for fifteen minutes. Its important to cut the shapes cleanly because the crumbs will make your cookies look ragged. 

For the chocolate sides, melt the chips in a double boiled and dip half of the cooled cookies so that the top and sides are covered. Let cool on a silpat so they are easy to remove. 

Caramel Popcorn Peanut Butter Wheat and Dairy Free Cookies

I often find that I have to drag people to eat my baked goods. Tell someone that the cookie they were about to innocently enjoy has no wheat, dairy, or often any eggs and they look at me like I've suggested they snack on their own teeth. This recipe also takes some convincing, even for people used to eating foods made from alternative ingredients. The combination of popcorn, caramel, peanuts, and chocolate is generally enjoyed, but their combination as a cookie is something a bit different. I promise you, these are worth it. They are soft and buttery and none of the caramel sticks to your teeth like regular popcorn. 

One note about popcorn: I happen to have one of those archaic popping machines taking up my very limited counter space. It doesn't work well; I bought it second hand at a garage sale; and it is a nuisance to clean, but I've never gotten rid of it and continue to use it somewhat defiantly.It often burns my corn as well, but you must studiously avoid this for these cookies! Remove any burnt bits before covering them with caramel. If you are not prone to keeping absurd kitchen tools that have only one purpose around, a bag of natural microwave popping corn or the classic stove pop version will work as well. If you would just like to eat some caramel popcorn (maybe with peanuts and chocolate thrown in), this caramel recipe will cover around three or four cups of popped corn and is totally vegan.

Makes aprox. 18 cookies.

CARAMEL POPCORN INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of popped popcorn with a tiny dab of margarine melted on and a generous smattering of table salt

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

POPCORN DIRECTIONS:

Have the popcorn ready in a bowl by your stove. Melt the margarine and add the corn syrup and brown sugar in a large sauce pan, stirring until it has dissolved. When the mixture has begun to boil stop stirring and let boil over low medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 200 degrees.

If you don't have a thermometer, don't worry. You can just watch the pot carefully and take it off the heat after about five minutes. Do not let the caramel become dark. After removing from the heat, add in the baking soda and stir until combined. 

Working quickly, poor the popcorn into the caramel and stir to coat. Then, poor the mixture and all the extra caramel onto a silpat or piece of tinfoil to cool. Put the pan under hot running water right away to help with the clean up. The popcorn should be very caramel-ly. When it is cool, roughly chop up the popcorn and extra caramel bits into manageable, chocolate chip sized pieces. This is also a good time to remove any kernels that didn't pop so as not to break anyone's teeth. 

COOKIE INGREDIENTS:

1 cup natural, unsweetened peanut butter

1/2 cup brown sugar or agave nectar

1 egg or egg substitute

1 tbs. of canola oil, or your favorite butter substitute

dash of vanilla

1/2 tsp. baking soda. 

1/2 cup aprox. semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks

fleur de sel

COOKIE DIRECTIONS:

Either by hand or with a mixer, blend the peanut butter, canola oil, and sugar. Then add the egg, vanilla, and baking soda. Fold in the chopped caramel popcorn and chocolate. The dough will look very crumbly. To form the cookies, grab a small handful of dough and mold it into a ball, flattening it between your palms. Bake at 350 degrees for about ten to twelve minutes. The cookies will have risen a bit and be golden at the edges. Cool on the pan for five minutes and then move to a cooling rack. Before they are completely cool, sprinkle a pinch of fleur de sel on each cookie. 

Wheat Free & Dairy Free Oreos

Though I no longer live in America, I fondly recall the iconic Oreos. The best part, was that they always seemed to be coming out with new ways to fill those iconic little wafers. Neon Swirl, Double Stuffed, Igloo, Reversed, Batman, and of course Mini Oreos. I abandoned the Oreo when my family moved to Canada and inexplicably took up an unfortunate relationship with Viva Puff Cookies that my parent's shamelessly indulged. 

While I certainly won't call my tastes refined, I can no longer stomach Viva Puffs and have taken up with the Oreo once again. I don't think I ever would have tried to make these from scratch had I not become allergic to wheat and dairy. There is something quite annoying about making a batch of cookies and then ending up with only half, because you really need two cookies to make each sandwich. To be honest, if I bake these for myself, I usually just make a little more filling and ice each one instead of making a proper Oreo. I've made the ones shown here for an event, so I stuck to form, but in the spirit of innovation at the Mr. Christie factories, replaced the dairy and wheat. 

INGREDIENTS:

makes aprox. 24 sandwiches.

For the Cookie:

1 1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

2 1/2 cup of non wheat flour (I used a wheat free all purpose baking flour that was a mix of fava bean, rice, and tapioca, but I've made these with all rice flour and had no problem!)

6 tbs. margarine

4 tbs. vegetable oil or coconut oil

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

For the Filling:

3/4 cup margarine

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

2 tsps. vanilla

3 cups icing sugar

DIRECTIONS:

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda. Using a mixer, blend the margarine, oil, and sugar. When combined add in the eggs and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture. The dough will be stiff. Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch onto cutting boards using some parchment paper to prevent sticking. Let the dough chill for a bit while you tidy up (about 20 minutes) and then cut them out into small circles and bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes, a few minutes longer if you want them to be crunchier. Cool on a rack. 

For the filling, beat the margarine and shortening together with the vanilla and then add the icing sugar until it is spreadable and sweet to your liking. 

Then spread a tablespoon of filling onto a wafer and press another cookie on top. I like my filling to spread to the edge, a point of frustration with the originals, but purists will use less icing and no doubt have cleaner, nicer looking cookies for it. These will last out for a few days, but pop them in the fridge to keep up to a week.