flirting with vegan sweets

Don't get me wrong, I love butter and eggs as much as the next girl, but when I saw this vegan recipe for almond jam thumbrints I couldn't help but be curious. I've been looking for a linzer-like cookie recipe for awhile (Jon? Are you listening? Where's that excellent xmas cookie recipe of your mom's you made?!! Still waiting! ;) and this one intrigued me.


Plus? They sound healthy! Bonus, no? No refined white sugar (you use apple juice and maple syrup), oat and barley or whole wheat flour, and chock full o' nuts.


This recipe was also dead easy. A two bowl-er and clean up was no sweat.


I ran out of raspberry so decided to make a full palette of delicious fruit flavors.


Not quite a 'thumbprint' per se but it gets the job done.


Aaaalmost ready. Best part is...the dough can be eaten worry free!

Almond Jam Thumbprint Cookies (originally posted on readymade.com)
- 2 1/2c. raw whole almonds
- 1 1/2c. oat flour
- 1 c. barley or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 t. baking soda
- 1/2 t. fine sea salt
- 1 c. pure maple syrup
- 1/4 c. apple juice
- 1/4 c. canola oil
- 1 t. almond extract *
- fruit preserves of your choice

1. Preheat oven to 325F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whiz almonds in a food processor until fine, leave some chunky bits for texture.
3. Mix dry ingredients in medium large bowl
4. Whisk maple syrup, apple juice, oil and extract in a smaller bowl.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring to combine well.
6. Wet hands (as often as needed!) to roll dough into ping pong sized cookie balls.
7. Use the back of a wooden spoon to create a well for the jam, be careful not to poke thru the bottom.
8. Pipe jam into cookie wells. I used ziplock bags with the corners cut off.
9. Bake 25 minutes, remove cookie sheets to cookie rack, cool and enjoy!

WARNING!!! Do NOT nibble these until the jam has completely cooled or YOU WILL BE SORRY!!!! Don't say I didn't warn you ;)


* original recipe called for 2 tsps of extract but I don't like a heavily fake almond flavoring

12 for me, none for you!

And so it begins. The holiday that's full of eggs, matzo, and more eggs. Yes, folks, it's Passover time again. The first seder was last night and full of fantastic traditional foods - the brisket, the fried matzo, the charoset, etc. I had hoped to try out a new recipe involving berries, chocolate sponge cake and marscapone (yum!) but a few hours before I re-read the recipe and noticed it said make 24 hrs in advance (oops!) So there was matzo crack :D and a passover apricot bar. Today was a chance to try something new...flourless fudgy chocolate walnut cookies, totally Passover friendly. And they are suuuuper delish. This is going to be a year round favorite, I can tell.

This recipe from food&wine.com is perfection as is. I usually feel a need to tamper with a recipe but I really enjoyed this from the get go. I might be uber decadent and throw in some chocolate bits next time. This is a perfect chewy browniesque dessert bite, enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups walnut halves (9 ounces)
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°. Position 2 racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

• Spread the walnut halves on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 9 minutes, until they are golden and fragrant. Let cool slightly, then transfer the walnut halves to a work surface and finely chop them.

• In a large bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar with the cocoa powder and salt. Whisk in the chopped walnuts. Add the egg whites and vanilla extract and beat just until the batter is moistened (be careful not to overbeat or it will stiffen). Spoon the batter onto the baking sheets in 12 evenly spaced mounds.

• Bake the cookies for about 20 minutes, until the tops of the cookies are glossy and lightly cracked and feel firm to the touch; shift the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through.

• Slide the parchment paper (with the cookies) onto 2 wire racks to cool completely before serving.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Cookie Cravings

Every once in awhile I get a craving for Subway's white chocolate chip chocolate cookie. Oh, heck. Who am I kidding? I often get cravings for many different types of cookies. But the Subway one is a killer.....I can't often find them at my local sandwich shop...so I decided to try and make my own.

After copious internet searching (2 minutes on google) I found out that most of Subway's (and many other restaurants) cookies are made by Otis Spunkmeyer. I found a 'copycat' recipe for my beloved cookies. I tried the recipe as is (except only made a half recipe just in case they turned out truly heinous...and added some regular chocolate chips as well. I just can't help tinkering!!!) and will try to tweak it a bit next time. It might also be helpful to have real deal cookie near by for a blind tasting. According to my tastebuds these cookies were a little overly sweet, maybe I'll use salted butter next time, less sugar or a bit more salt. The texture seemed ok. We'll see how they hold up over the next day or so.

Almost Subway's White Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cookie Recipe
yield 1 and 1/2 dozen cookies

1 c. butter, softened
2 c. white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. flour
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. white chocolate chips
2/3 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F (175C)

In a large bowl cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then the vanilla extract.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a different bowl. Stir into the butter/sugar mixture.

Fold in chocolate chips and drop by rounded teaspoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 - 10 minutes (I left them in the full 10 minutes) until set. Allow to cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes then move cookies onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Is this Heaven?

No, it's Target!

Yes, Target is carrying America's new 'IT' dessert. And I have to tell you, I was kinda thrilled to see them there. After being back in the States for almost 3 years I've missed all of my little European treats.

According to NPR's All Things Considered, chow.com, and the Times of London this sweet little French confection will soon be toppling cupcakes from the top of the trendy treats tower. And the Times is not shy to tell you why this is a blow to macaron enthusiasts everywhere.

I've been to Paris. I've had macarons from the Master (Pierre Herme). I can see where the Times is coming from....they state that Starbucks, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's (I didn't see them at Des Moines' newly opened venue) and even McDonald's in Paris (a McAroon if you will) are carrying them. In an effort to fight back mediocrity in the sweet treat department Pierre Herme will be releasing a cook book entailing his 30 years of creativity and techniques. What do you think? Will you go out and try to make them for yourselves? Or go grab some at your local Tar-zhay?