Jinxi is a...

mom, wife, writer, vegan, collector of ink, swimmer, freethinker, hiker, artist, word lover, music addict, baker of sweet treats; and advocate of the idea that sometimes it is good to pause in your pursuit of happiness and just be happy! Read More...

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Entries in baking (8)

Thursday
Oct292009

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe: No Dairy No Egg

Back when I had my site on blogger I posted this recipe, but after making these cookies for my daughter to take to her Day of the Dead celebration party for Spanish class, I thought I would snap some shots of the process and re-post it in case you missed it before. These are super yummy and contain no animal products. I hope you dig them as much as our family does!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

**I always quadruple the recipe; below is the one batch version

  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1⁄4 cup unrefined sugar
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1⁄3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1⁄4 cup canola oil 
  • 1⁄3 cup non-dairy chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 350°F.

2) In a bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the sugar and salt, and stir until well combined.

3) In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup with the molasses and vanilla, then stir in the oil until well combined.

4) Add the wet mixture to the dry, along with the chocolate chips, and stir until well combined (do not over-mix).

5) Place large spoonfuls of the batter on a greased baking sheet.

6) Bake for 11 minutes, until just golden (if you bake for much longer, they will dry out).

7) Let cool on the sheet for no more than 1 minute (again, to prevent drying), then transfer to a cooling rack.

*Note: If, as you are mixing together your batter it appears floury and thick, mix in a few teaspoons more canola oil and maple syrup and incorporate it into the batter. Sometimes humidity, type of flour used, and other factors can affect the density of the batter and so a little more liquid may be necessary.

8) Enjoy!

Friday
Sep182009

Jinxi's Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I was little (and older too), my mom made the BEST pumpkin chocolate chip cookies EVER!!

When I decided to commit to living a vegan lifestyle, I remember thinking, "Bye bye, pumpkin cookies ... I will miss you forever."

Well, after some trial-and-error, tweaking and tasting, I have arrived at a pumpkin cookie recipe that I think my mom would be proud of and that has helped me reconnect with a delightful memory from my childhood. You won't know it's lacking animal products. Really, I swear. Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1st Bowl Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/3 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt

2nd Bowl Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup oil (I use canola, but vegetable works fine too)
  • 2 Tablespoons molasses
  • 1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds
  • 1 cup canned spiced pumpkin (*I use the spiced, if you prefer it plain, that works too)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Last

  • 12 oz. vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips (*I use Ghiradelli's semi-sweet)


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix 1st Bowl Ingredients together: flour, oats, baking soda, spices, salt.

Separately mix 2nd Bowl Ingredients together: sugar, oil, molasses, flax seeds, pumpkin, vanilla.

Add the 1st Bowl with the 2nd Bowl. Fold to combine. Then fold in chocolate chips.

Spoon onto greased cookie sheets (I drop about a Tablespoon size, give or take a bit).

Bake 13-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Watch your first batch to note the time. Mine seem to vary a bit each time I make them.

Enjoy!

  • Makes 4 dozen cookies

Monday
Sep142009

Egg Substitutes For Vegan Cooking and Baking

For the many years that I was a vegetarian before I committed to veganism, one of the reasons I was hesitant to make the move was that I thought I could not live without eggs. I realize now that I just hadn't taken the time to learn about the many alternatives available. Once you make the decision and start learning how to cook, bake and eat with egg alternatives, it's truly not a big deal at all (I promise).
 
When eggs are used in recipes, they usually act as a thickener or binder. Depending on the recipe and what your end goal is, there are several egg substitutes to choose from:

  • Baked goods, cookies, breads, cakes, etc: you can use Ener-G Egg Replacer, applesauce, pureed bananas or dates to act as your binder
  • Casseroles or veggie burgers: cornstarch, oats, flour, breadcrumbs or arrowroot can be utilized
  • Custards, pie fillings or dishes where you need the thickening quality of eggs, use arrowroot, cornstarch, flower, agar-agar, kudza
  • Quiche, egg(less) salad, fritattas: tofu

Here are a few tips I have learned when working with some of these substitutes:  

Ener-G Egg Replacer: I love Ener-G and use it often. It does not work for all types of recipes, so you might have to use the old trial-and-error method on occasion. I find that it's best for baked goodies (cakes, cookies, muffins, etc) because it's essentially flavorless. 

1½ teaspoon Ener-G Egg Replacer whisked with 2 Tablespoons water  

Tofu: when crumbled, the texture of silken tofu is very similar to eggs. Keep in mind that even though tofu doesn't "fluff up" like eggs do, it does have a great texture that makes it excellent for egg-type of dishes. You can add nutritional yeast or tumeric if you are going for the look of eggs (color-wise). Silken tofu can also be used in baking recipes. Be sure to always blend/purée silken tofu to give you a smooth consistency. You can use tofu in certain cake recipes as well as pancakes.  

1/4 cup silken style, firm or extra-firm tofu that is pureed until it is smooth

Applesauce/Bananas: These also work well in baked goods, breads and sweet breads (pumpkin, banana, etc). Bananas and applesauce provide thick moisture and flavor. Beware though because they don't help in the rising element or in adding fluffiness, so be sure your recipes involve baking powder/soda so they rise correctly when substituting eggs with these fruity methods.

Usually, ¼ cup applesauce or pureed bananas + ½ teaspoon baking powder will replace the called-for amount in a recipe

Soy Yogurt: This works in a similar fashion to puréed tofu, keeping items like muffins and cakes moist.

1/4 cup soy yogurt = 1 egg.

 

Some other egg substitute options that I haven't tried, but hear work great, include:

  • 1 egg = 2 Tablespoons potato starch
  • 1 egg = 1 Tablespoon cornstarch or flour whisked with 1 Tablespoon water 
  • 1 egg = 1/4 cup mashed potatoes
  • 1 egg = 1/4 cup canned pumpkin or squash
  • 1 egg = 1/4 cup puréed prunes
  • 1 egg = 2 Tablespoons water + 1 Tablespoon oil + 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 egg = 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed simmered in 3 Tablespoons water
  • 1 egg white = 1 Tablespoon plain agar powder dissolved in 1 Tablespoon water, whipped, chilled, and whipped again
  • 1 egg = 1 Tablespoon chick pea or soya flour and 1 Tablespoon water 
  • 1 egg = 1 Tablespoon arrowroot, 1 Tablespoon soya flour and 2 Tablespoons water

  • Art by Wingedmaquis