Plain Jane

I haven't baked anything in so long, since it's so hot!! I need a kitchen in the basement some day. I finally caved and baked something in the heat though, and it was a good choice! These are just regular old, sweet and classic chocolate chip cookies. =)

Gingerbread

Not a Usual Summer Treat

Yesterday at work, I was staring at the gingerbread cookies and all I could think about was how great they looked. However, those cookies aren't dairy free, so I only stared, drooling...all day. Today I figured I should make some even though it's the middle of summer.

Ingredients

2/3 cup crisco (or other vegan margarine)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup soy milk
3.5 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
5 tsp ginger
1/3 cup sugar for rolling

Mix together margarine, sugars and soy milk. Add molasses and blend until smooth. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and add to the first mixture. Mix until combined thoroughly. (I mixed with my hands, because the dough was a little crumbly otherwise.) Roll into balls and roll the balls into the sugar. Place on a lightly greased sheet 4 x 3, about an inch apart and flatten slightly. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes. Cool on the pan. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

I love the way these cookies crack at the top and look so cute and classic. Probably my new favourite.

Chocolate Chip Hat

Oatmealy Goodies

The recipe was for oatmeal raisin cookies, but someone in my house is allergic to/hates raisins so I made oatmeal chocolate chip as well. Not too hard; omit the spices and raisins, use chocolate chips. Easy peasy. I wanted to make half a batch of each, but I made a mistake in my measurement (aka read the wrong recipe) so I ended up making two batches. 4 dozen cookies. 2 dozen of each kind. I actually call the chocolate chip oatmeal ones chocolate chip topped oatmeal chocolate chip cookies because I really like long names...and because I stuck chocolate chips to the top of them.

Happy Canada Day

Maple Walnut Cookies

I got this recipe from one of my favourite cookbooks, Vegan with a Vengeance. They are maple walnut cookies with a walnut on top. I tried a couple with a maple candy on top, but they just melted into a square of maple. Then when they came out they cooled again. It was actually kind of cool...but too chewy. Sort of weird. I also made cupcakes - Check out my cake blog! Happy Canada Day!!

More Peanut Butter Chocolate

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Since peanut butter and chocolate is never a bad choice, I decided to make MORE. These ones are a typical peanut butter cookie but are enhanced with the greatness of chocolate chips. They are really great - crumbly and melt in your mouthish kind of cookies. Here's the recipe. :)

Makes 24 cookies.

1/3 cup of oil
3/4 cup of brown or white sugar (Brown makes them a little chewier. I used half and half.)
1 cup peanut butter (I used smooth, but crunchy might be cool.)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup and 1 tbsp unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cream together oil, sugar, peanut butter and vanilla.
Add flour and baking powder.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Place 3 x 4 on a greased cookie sheet
Bake for 12 minutes at 350°F.
These cookies are very very crumbly until they are cooled so be very careful taking them off the pan and wait until they cool to eat (if you can) because they will fall apart if they aren't cool enough!

Pockets of Peanut Butter

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pockets

I got this one from a recipe called peanut butter pillows, though, I like to call them peanut butter chocolate pockets for two reasons. 1) because it's more fun to say really fast and 2) because it's fun to imagine pockets filled with peanut butter. They are fun, because they look like a pretty regular chocolate cookie with a peanut on top, until you break it open and unleash a pocket of peanut butter.

Rum Nut Cookies

Lush

I first made these during the holiday season, since they are soooort of a holiday type cookie. They are a rum flavoured cookie, dipped in chopped nuts before baking. Then a rum frosting is drizzled on top. In between the rum frosting layers is a chopped nut variety and cinnamon. I decided to photograph these cookies in my new cookie jar so you get two great things in one!