Cookbook Mondays: Chocolate Fudgey Oatmeal Cookies & Blackstrap Gingersnaps

Chocolate Fudgey Oatmeal Cookies

 Admittedly I'm not posting this on Monday, but I can assure you, the Beloved's Treat Tins were full to bursting on Monday! First off are the Chocolate Fudgey Oatmeal Cookies from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar.  I knew these were going to be super choc and super sweet just by reading the ingredients, and hence the Beloved would like them. They taste great, and are very fudgey, and moist. If you are going to make these, don't get too alarmed if the dough is more like batter! I found it was quite runny, but let it stand for 10 minutes for the oats to soak up the moisture, and the dough was fine.
There isn't any mention of this in the recipe, so just a heads up if you're going to make them.

Blackstrap Gingersnaps

Next I made the Blackstrap Gingersnaps. I was looking forward to these because I quite like ginger biscuits, and they aren't overly sweet. They taste really good, there is a bit of a back note of bitterness from the molasses to balance out the sugar, and they are lovely and gingery. To make them more snappy I would personally make the dough a little firmer to roll out and cut out the cookies so they are thinner and more like biscuits (that's Aussie biscuit, not American biscuit for those of you in the northern hemisphere). I did find with these ones that I had to add more flour than the recipe called for to get a dough firm enough to roll into balls, somewhere between 1/2 to 3/4 cup, so keep that in mind if you have a crack at these ones too. 

I'll keep going with Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar for a couple more recipes and then switch it up with another recipe book, just to keep me from getting bored with the one book :)

Cookbook Mondays: Choc Chip Cookies & Carrot Raisin Spice Chewies

I won't be the first to admit it, but I do have a slight cook book addiction. Previously, I would snap up magazines and cook books that I knew in my heart of hearts I would likely rarely (alright I'll be honest NEVER) use or barely scratch the surface of. I was suckered in by all that food porn, the pretty pictures and the delicious descriptions. Occasionally I might get some out, flip through and vow to make something...but would usually end up making something else instead. and that's sad, because there is a lot of work that goes into cook books and I only think it fair to actually genuinely try to make a dent in the recipes of every book I buy. Otherwise, what's the point? And how will you ever learn something new?  So now that I'm a SAHW and part of my job is to keep the Beloved's treat tins filled, I decided to start blogging Cookbook Mondays. I'll be making something from a cookbook I own at least once per week and posting my success or failure. 

To start off with I decided to go with Isa and Terry's  Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar because lets face it, if my hubby was a puppet he'd probably be the Cookie Monster. I have made a few cookies from the book with success before, but there are so many the logical thing to do was start from the beginning.

Choc Chip Cookies 

Hmmm. I was a little disappointed because I have used various recipes of Isa and Terry's and they are nearly always spot on for measurements. I was very surprised when I made the cookie dough and discovered it was more of a thick batter consistency. After double checking my quantities and not having made any errors, I started adding in more flour. I ended up using close to 3 cups instead of the original 1 1/2. Even allowing for humidity etc I can't understand why the batter was so wrong. After baking they turned out OK, not too sweet, although I hadn't increased the sugar to make up the flour, but that was OK by me because I'm not a super sweet tooth. It is a good basic vegan cookie, but lacking in a buttery choc chip cookie flavour if you know what I mean, so I probably wouldn't use this particular recipe again.

Carrot Raisin Spice Chewies

I really liked the flavour of these guys, and again, not overly sweet so I was pretty happy to dunk them in my EGT (earl grey tea). Like they say in the book, they are best eaten the day they are made, as they dry out a little, but I'm a dunker so being drier later on wasn't an issue. The only discrepancy with them was the recipe said to leave two inches between cookies (presumably as they would spread) but mine did not spread at all, so on my second batch I flattened them out so they weren't mounds. I did make the drizzle but did it in orange not lemon as I already used orange in the cookies and didn't want to be wasteful. Really good, I will definitely make them again (when I've worked my way through the rest!)

Vegan MoFo: Date & Pecan Toast with Lavender Syrup

I don't know why people get so scared about making bread. It is so easy, all you need is a little practice. I had a whole bag of pitted dates in the cupboard, and a bag of organic Australian pecans that were begging to be used. This was afternoon tea toast - not too sweet, perfect with a cup of tea. The lavender syrup is reminiscent of the floral tones of honey, but not as sweet. The Beloved gave it the thumbs up, so it must be good!

Ingredients

3 cups bakers flour 

250ml warm water

250ml warm milk  (soy, almond, rice, take your pick!)

2 Tablespoons dry yeast

½ cup caster sugar

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup chopped pitted dates

½ cup chopped pecans

Method

Put water, milk yeast, sugar oil and salt into a large bowl,and whisk. Leave aside in a warm place for about 5-10 minutes to let the yeast activate (you should see it bubbly at the top).

Put into an other bowl the flour, pecans, dates, and cinnamon. Make a well in the centre and add ¾ of your liquid mixture, slowly drawing in from around the sides. Keep going with the liquid, if it feels too dry add more water, if it is too sticky add more flour. It should be a nice soft dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about ten minutes, it should become smooth and elastic. Place into a greased bowl, cover, and set aside. Leave in a warm place for about an hour and a half. ( If it’s really cold and I don’t have the fire on, I turn the oven on for 15 minutes to about 150C, turn off, leave the door open half way, and stick the bowl inside). 

Punch down, and knead for a few minutes. Shape into an oblong, and put into a greased loaf tin. Allow to rise again until doubled in size (this can take anything form 45 minutes to two hours depending on how warm the room is. Put in 1a preheated oven at 180C for approximately 30 minutes, or when loaf is brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and then turn onto a rack.

For the syrup -

Ingredients

1 cup rice syrup

Approximately seven lavender heads, washed and dried* 

*Don't use lavender from the florist, they have probably been sprayed! If you aren't lucky enough to have a lavender bush, or a nanna to steal some from, make sure if you buy some that they are unsprayed!

Method

In a saucepan, gently bring to heat the syrup and lavender. turn off heat as it begins to bubble, and let it steep for several hours, or overnight. Remove flowers, and keep in a sealed jar. 

Serve thick slices toasted with lots of vegan margarine and lashings of syrup.

The Twelve Posts of Christmas: Vegan Macadamia Baklava with Rosella Syrup

On the second day of Christmas my vegie lover made for me...some baklava! And not regular baklava, but Aussie baklava made with macadamias (native to Australia, not Hawaii as some mistakenly believe) and drenched in rosella syrup (I'm talking fruit here folks, not the bird!) Rosella, or roselle, is grown for the gorgeous red calyx of the flower, rather than the seed pod. It is related to the hibiscus, and has been popularly used to make jams and syrups since colonial times. It tastes a bit like plums, but more tart, and provides a very vibrant coloured syrup. I bought the rosella powder to make life easier, but you could also buy the preserved flowers to colour and flavour your syrup, you'll just have to strain. If you can't find rosella, try making a raspberry syrup instead, but be sure to strain well.

Ingredients

1 packet of filo pastry

200g vegan margarine

500gr macadamias

1 tsp ground cinnamon

200gr caster sugar

200ml water

2 tsp rosella powder

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon rice bran syrup

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a lamington tin (baking dish about 20x30cm).

Chop nuts and cinnamon in food processor until like coarse breadcrumbs.

Melt margarine.

Carefully unroll filo pastry, and trim to fit baking tin. Work quickly with this pastry so it doesn't dry out. Place 2-3 sheets in bottom of tin, and brush with melted margarine. Sprinkle a handful of nuts to cover lightly. Put another 2-3 sheets of pastry on top, brush with margarine, and repeat layers finishing with pastry, with melted margarine on top. 

Using a sharp knife, cut into squares, diamonds, or triangles. 

Place in oven, and bake for approximately 30 -40 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

While the pastry is baking, make the syrup.

Place sugar, water, lemon juice, rice bran syrup, and rosella powder into sauce pan and bring to boil. Bring back to a simmer immediately and leave for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

when pastry is baked, pour hot syrup over the top evenly, and allow to cool. Do not cover or it will sog. Best kept in the fridge for up to a week (if it lasts that long!)

Vegan MoFo: Birthday Cookie Bouquet

It's the Beloved's birthday today, so I decided to make him a cookie bouquet. I saw this in a magazine but I can't remember where or when... so I just winged it. I made ginger macadamia cookies, and chocolate ones, using recipes from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. I would have liked to have used a  flower cookie cutter and iced them...but it's been a very busy week, I haven't had much time. And I had to bake them while he was away in Perth so he wouldn't know what I was up to. But hey, they still look cute! and it was a  totally appropriate gift for a boy...I mean.... man. My man, because Murray has a serious sweet tooth. When the cookies were still warm and soft straight out of the oven, I used different lengths of bamboo skewers and inserted them carefully through the middle. Then I laid them on a wire rack to cool and harden, and kept them in a sealed container until this morning...at 4.30 when I had to get up for work and he was still snuggled in bed! I used a deep jar filled with rice so I could arrange the cookies, and tied it with a bow, leaving it on the kitchen bench so he saw it when he got up. Judging by the number of now deflowered bamboo stems, I'd say they were a hit!

Vegan MoFo: Raw Chocolate Tarts

For some reason, my sweet tooth quadruples while eating raw. Things I don't normally crave suddenly become a must have. I made these for dessert last week but haven't gotten around to posting them until now. They are rich and filling, and one is more than enough (well, for me anyway). I made the base with ground hazelnuts, soaked dates, and vanilla and refrigerated them in 5cm loose bottomed tart tins until firm. Then I whizzed some avocados with some agave syrup and raw cacao powder for the filling. They were dreamy, chocolate- mousse- like morsels served with perfect strawberries. And the filling is just as good for a no fail cupcake icing too, or just served on it's own as mousse. Definitely a keeper!

Raw Vegan Lemon and Fig Slice

I’ve been particularly good lately. Lots of raw vegan food to clean out the system, but craving the odd sweet thing (which is weird, cos although I love to bake, I don’t necessarily eat them). Anyhoo, I love lemon, and being the end of winter it's in season.I was trying to think of a way to do fig slice raw. So here it is. No sugar, no flour, no oil, just wholesome ingredients.

For the base

1 cup raw almonds, ground

½ cup dried ground coconut

Zest of 1 lemon, plus juice

4 dried apricots (you can also use apple if you prefer) soaked and drained

For the top

Approximately 8 soaked dried figs (2 soaked)

Method

In a food processor, combine almonds, coconut, and zest.

Puree apricots with lemon juice. Add to almond mixture.

Line a small loaf tin with clingwrap.

Press almond mixture firmly into bottom of pan and put into fridge.

Puree two soaked dried figs.

In a food processor, coarsely chop remaining figs, then add to fig puree.

Spread over top of almond base and return to fridge for a couple of hours or overnight to set. You can put this into the freezer if you are in a hurry!

Sprinkle coconut over the top and cut into slices.

Rugelach - Crescent Cookies

These adorable little morsels of sweet goodness (which mean crescent in Yiddish) are all thanks to Jewish mummas. Traditionally these are not vegan, but I have made them so and was pleased with the result. Perfect for a bite sized sugar fix with a cup of tea, although I believe the Americans would consider this sacrilege if it were not served with coffee. Anyhoo, whatever the beverage I'm sure you'll love making them!

Ingredients

Dough
2 cups plain flour
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
250g vegan margarine (I used nuttelex)
250g vegan cream cheese ( I used tofutti)

Filling
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup hazelnut meal
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Method
In a mixing bowl cream margarine and cream cheese together.
Add lemon juice, sugar, and salt.
Add flour and rub through margarine mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Press together to form the dough. ( Pulsing in a food processor makes this a quick job)
Wrap in plastic and put in fridge for about half an hour.
Preheat oven to 150C
In another bowl combine filling ingredients.
Divide dough into four balls.
On greaseproof paper, press ball down and roll out until approx 3mm thick

Sprinkle filling all over rolled dough and press lightly
Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into wedges as shown ( I found it easiest to cut in strokes straight across)

Gently peel a wedge from the greaseproof.
Starting at the widest edge, roll towards the point to crease a crescent. Place cookie seam side down on a lined baking tray. Repeat with remaining dough until tray is full.

Bake in oven for approximately 20 -25 minutes .

Vegan Spiced Chocolate Brownies

While the Beloved and I were at the Winter Magic Festival in Katoomba yesterday, we treated ourselves to some vegan brownies. They were soooo good, I was inspired to make my own, but spice it up a bit. And voila! Sunday afternoon tea...

2 cups of plain flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup broken hazelnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180C.  Grease and slice tray with baking paper.

In a large bowl sift all the dry ingredients together twice.

Add oil, water and soymilk, and mix thoroughly to a thick batter.

Fold in hazelnuts.

Pour into the greased and lined tray, and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes. If you don't want the brownies to be as gooey, leave them in for another ten minutes. Allow to cool for approximately ten minutes, and then cut into squares.