Vegan Diner (26 page)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat silicone baking mats.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar, oil, soymilk, flaxseed meal, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, stirring just until mixed. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Remove the trays from the oven and place on a rack to cool completely.

Variation:
Chocolate chip cookies are always open to a little customization. Do you love walnuts or pecans in your cookies? Throw a handful of toasted nuts into the batter. Are you crazy for citrus? Add a little freshly grated orange zest into the batter for a real taste sensation. Like raisins with your chocolate? Add a handful of dark raisins along with the chocolate chips. Who knew that cookies could be so much fun?

This oatmeal cookie recipe is one of my favorites.
It's perfect with a big glass of ice-cold almond milk. I baked up a batch as a gift for my mailman, and now every time I see him he asks for more. Now that's the sign of a good cookie!

MAKES ABOUT 16 COOKIES

1
¾
cups whole wheat pastry flour

1
½
teaspoons baking powder

¾
teaspoon baking soda

⅛
teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1 stick (
½
cup) non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, softened

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons soymilk or almond milk

1 tablespoon flaxseed meal, preferably golden

1
½
cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup raisins or dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat silicone mat.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt,

In a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the brown sugar, margarine, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the soymilk and flax, beating until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the margarine mixture, beating just until mixed. Add the oats, mixing until incorporated. Mix in the raisins. Don't overbeat the batter.

Scoop the dough with a cookie scoop or
¼
cup measuring cup onto prepared baking sheets. Press the tops of the cookies lightly with slightly damp fingers, to flatten into a disc. Bake in the preheated oven for 14 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies have puffed up and are golden, but are still soft to the touch. They will probably have a few cracks on the top, too. Let the cookies cool completely on baking sheet before removing.

As a perfectionist
cookie baker, I have a few tips and tricks to keep cookies coming out perfectly every time. The first is to not overbeat your batter, once the flour mixture is added. This will help keep your cookies from flattening out on the cookie sheet. Another pro tip is the cookie scoop, otherwise known as a dasher. Your cookies will bake and be shaped more evenly. You can find them in cooking stores, in restaurant supply stores, and online. Finally, line your cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. No greasing required, and they won't get too brown on the bottoms (unless you overbake them).

I spent many months on this recipe, trying to create
the perfect brownie. It had to be moist and chewy, a little fudgy but not cakey, and most of all it had to scream “Chocolate!” As you can see, I take my brownies very seriously. Now, what are you waiting for? Go bake some brownies!

MAKES ONE 8-INCH SQUARE PAN

Brownies

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

½
cup Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted

1 tablespoon finely ground coffee

1 teaspoon baking powder

⅛
teaspoon fine sea salt

¾
cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

⅓
cup vanilla soymilk

¼
cup plain soy yogurt

⅓
cup canola oil

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

¼
teaspoon pure almond extract

½
cup nondairy semisweet chocolate chips

Glaze

¾
cup nondairy semisweet chocolate chips

¼
cup vanilla soymilk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 × 8-inch square glass pan well with shortening.

For the brownies:
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, ground coffee, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, soymilk, soy yogurt, oil, vanilla, and almond extract. Whisk the sugar until emulsified and smooth. Add the flour mixture, stirring just until mixed. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or just until the brownies look fairly firm around the edges but still soft in the center. They will look slightly under-cooked, but you don't want to over-bake them. Remove the pan from the oven to a rack to cool completely.

For the glaze:
In a small microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl, combine the chocolate chips and soymilk. Heat for 30 seconds. Stir and heat for another 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir as needed until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. If necessary, heat chocolate chips for another 20 seconds or as needed. Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Drizzle the chocolate mixture over the cooled brownies and refrigerate until the chocolate topping is firm. Slice into brownies and serve.

Variation:
For a nutty version, add about
½
cup toasted pecans or walnuts to the brownie batter.

It's always fun to have dessert for breakfast:
who wouldn't want to start the day with banana blondies? If it makes you feel any better, bananas are full of potassium and flaxseed is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. See, you can feel good about dessert for breakfast.

MAKES ONE 13 × 9-INCH PAN

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons flaxseed meal, preferably golden