Desserts need butter and eggs. They just do.
Vegans may claim that they can make a cookie, cake, pie, etc. without animal products, but I say "NO!" No matter how many times you eat it, applesauce and oil do not have the creaminess and texture that butter and eggs do. I have made numerous vegan desserts and while they all came out fine, they always tasted as though they were missing something. Something important.
One morning while Arthur was at gymnastics, I flipped through one of the many magazines up on the balcony. An old issue of Delicious Living boasted that it had gluten-free and vegan recipes to die for. Hmph, I thought, we'll see about that. As I sat, carefully looking at the different recipes, one entitled "Vegan Trail Mix Cookies" caught my eye. I ripped it out of the magazine and brought it home.
I now own a vegan cookie recipe that is to die for. Seriously. It is one of the most delicious cookie recipes I have ever made. Granted, it isn't truly vegan unless you use vegan-approved chocolate chips, which I never have in the house, but even without the cookies were perfectly soft, crumbly, and yummy. (I ate about 5 as soon as they came out of the oven.)
I did modify the original recipe to try and make it healthier. I halved the amount of oil and substituted applesauce and pureed pumpkin for the water and oil. Robinson is not a big fan of pecans, so I used toasted almonds instead. I was a little concerned about the dried cherries because I am not a big cherry fan, but they proved their worth in this recipe. I don't think I would use anything else for this recipe. Except maybe dried apricots. I also used bittersweet chocolate in place of the semi-sweet. It's a bit healthier because of the higher cocoa content.
For the most part, the family loved these cookies. Robinson claimed that the first night they were more like granola bars, but the next day they had miraculously become a cookie. Arthur ate one and said he didn't like them, but Balin ate one and immediately wanted more. I absolutely love them and will continue to make them.
On the Menu: Trail Mix Cookies
Makes about 36 cookies
You can find the original recipe here.
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup carrot (finely shredded )
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut (shredded)
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup slivered almonds (lightly toasted)
1 cup dried cherries
1. Preheat oven to 350˚. Mix together flours, carrot, coconut, sugar, oats, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together water, oil, and vanilla. Add wet mixture to dry. Mix to combine. Fold in chocolate chips, pecans, and cherries.
2. Scoop batter by 2 tablespoons each onto a baking sheet, pushing in any stray pieces. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool for 2 minutes, and then remove to a rack to cool completely.
Blessed be.
Vegans may claim that they can make a cookie, cake, pie, etc. without animal products, but I say "NO!" No matter how many times you eat it, applesauce and oil do not have the creaminess and texture that butter and eggs do. I have made numerous vegan desserts and while they all came out fine, they always tasted as though they were missing something. Something important.
One morning while Arthur was at gymnastics, I flipped through one of the many magazines up on the balcony. An old issue of Delicious Living boasted that it had gluten-free and vegan recipes to die for. Hmph, I thought, we'll see about that. As I sat, carefully looking at the different recipes, one entitled "Vegan Trail Mix Cookies" caught my eye. I ripped it out of the magazine and brought it home.
I now own a vegan cookie recipe that is to die for. Seriously. It is one of the most delicious cookie recipes I have ever made. Granted, it isn't truly vegan unless you use vegan-approved chocolate chips, which I never have in the house, but even without the cookies were perfectly soft, crumbly, and yummy. (I ate about 5 as soon as they came out of the oven.)
I did modify the original recipe to try and make it healthier. I halved the amount of oil and substituted applesauce and pureed pumpkin for the water and oil. Robinson is not a big fan of pecans, so I used toasted almonds instead. I was a little concerned about the dried cherries because I am not a big cherry fan, but they proved their worth in this recipe. I don't think I would use anything else for this recipe. Except maybe dried apricots. I also used bittersweet chocolate in place of the semi-sweet. It's a bit healthier because of the higher cocoa content.
For the most part, the family loved these cookies. Robinson claimed that the first night they were more like granola bars, but the next day they had miraculously become a cookie. Arthur ate one and said he didn't like them, but Balin ate one and immediately wanted more. I absolutely love them and will continue to make them.
On the Menu: Trail Mix Cookies
Makes about 36 cookies
You can find the original recipe here.
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup carrot (finely shredded )
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut (shredded)
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup slivered almonds (lightly toasted)
1 cup dried cherries
1. Preheat oven to 350˚. Mix together flours, carrot, coconut, sugar, oats, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together water, oil, and vanilla. Add wet mixture to dry. Mix to combine. Fold in chocolate chips, pecans, and cherries.
2. Scoop batter by 2 tablespoons each onto a baking sheet, pushing in any stray pieces. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool for 2 minutes, and then remove to a rack to cool completely.
Blessed be.
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