Vegan Big Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

I was ill-equipped for the countless (health nut) vegan chocolate chip cookie recipes I found online yesterday. Honestly, I had already been to the grocery store and Natural Food Store for ingredients for some Vegan Lemon Bars I had made for my daughter's Birthday party and was NOT about to head to either again.

I chose to use a regular Big Cookie recipe I found and adjusted the recipe to 'veganize' it myself. It turned out perfect, so, I thought I'd share. This is for the time when you are like, "I need to make a huge cookie, ah CRAP! I have no eggs!" I mean that happens all the time right? so, here it is my friends:

Vegan Big Chocolate Chip Cookie

• 1 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 12 oz bag Enjoy Life brand vegan Chocolate Chips
• cooking spray
• icing optional (I use Pillsbury classics they are vegan/allergen free)

• preheat oven 350 degrees. Spray 14" pizza pan with cooking spray
• in large bowl  mix sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and buttery sticks until fluffy. Add apple sauce 1/4 cup at a time beat well.
• in seperate bowl mix flours, salt and baking soda with a fork
• gradually add flour mixture to wet mixture until smooth. stir in chips.
• spread dough into pizza pan evenly. bake 20-25 min. cut away uneven edges. Cool. Decorate as desired.

Update: this should be enough dough for TWO 14" pizza pans...if you squeeze it into one it'll drip out over and make a big mess in your oven. Not sure why this didn't make a mess the time I made this cookie but since it's caused a smoky stinky kitchen so, now we know it's enough for two. (Thanks to my sister for trying that out btw)

Two EASY Curry Dish Recipes

I have shared these two recipes with a number of friends and they all love them. They are both vegan recipes.
The first is an Indian inspired Yellow Curry dish I have adapted from a Pampered Chef cookbook

Curried Tofu with Rice (or Cous Cous)

• two 14 oz packages (like pictured) Extra Firm Tofu, drained and squeezed gently in paper towels til most of liquid out. Slice horizontally half way through block for nice sized pieces. then cut criss cross til you have pieces about 1" by 1/2"

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 4 Medium Carrots, I stopped peeling them, just scrub them and slice them on an angle, so they are oval shaped.
• 1 medium onion-peeled and cut into thin wedges, basically slice in half and then longwise about 1/4" thick
• vegetable oil to cover the bottom of your largest two skillets
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 can light coconut milk. If you live in the Lancaster area, at Giant the ORGANIC coconut milk in the natural food section is cheaper than the non organic?!

• White Rice cooked (3 cups dry) DO NOT USE MINUTE RICE that stuff is SO naaaaasty. Cous Cous can be substituted for rice. follow package directions to cook.

Heat oil in two skillets med high heat. place tofu into skillet in as close as you can get to a single layer. You may want to use a splash guard, this can get kinda messy. Fry tofu until it is lightly browned, flip and once each side is lightly browned remove from pans and set aside.

In your largest skillet add oil if most has been cooked out, heat on med high, add onion and carrot. saute til crisp tender. reduce heat to medium. shake your can of coconut milk WELL, dump it into the carrot/onion mixture. Add tofu, pepper, curry powder and raisins. Warm til hot turn heat down if it begins to boil.

Serve over rice or cous cous.

* most kids like this recipe the sweetness of the raisins is such a bonus for them:)

Thai Red Curry Tofu

• two 14 oz packages (like pictured) Extra Firm Tofu, drained and squeezed gently in paper towels til most of liquid out. Slice horizontally half way through block for nice sized pieces. then cut criss cross til you have pieces about 1" by 1/2"
• vegetable oil to cover the bottom of your largest two skillets
•  1 medium onion-peeled and cut into thin wedges, basically slice in half and then longwise about 1/4" thick
• 1 can light coconut milk. If you live in the Lancaster area, at Giant the ORGANIC coconut milk in the natural food section is cheaper than the non organic?! (see image above)
• 1 tsp red curry paste. This can prove to be a slight pain in the butt to find. Look in the asian section of your grocery store. For Giant Shoppers, some stores sell this in a jar I buy it in a paper packet, then refrigerate the leftover for a couple months.
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 tsp fish sauce (we get at the asian market, but they may sell at the grocery store.) *FOR a vegan alternative use soy sauce.
• 7 oz jar roasted red pepper drained, and chopped.
• about 1/2 a bag of frozen sugar snap peas (12 oz bag)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 
• White Rice cooked (3 cups dry) DO NOT USE MINUTE RICE that stuff is SO naaaaasty.

Heat oil in two skillets med high heat. place tofu into skillet in as close as you can get to a single layer. You may want to use a splash guard, this can get kinda messy. Fry tofu until it is lightly browned, flip and once each side is lightly browned remove from pans and set aside.

In your largest skillet add oil if most has been cooked out, heat on med high, add onion, saute til crisp tender. reduce heat to medium. shake can of coconut milk, dump it into the onions . Add curry paste, pepper, tofu, red pepper, fish sauce (soy sauce) and sugar snaps. Cover and cook on medium heat til peas are warmed through. Turn heat down if it begins to boil.

*in place of tofu shrimp or chicken would be excellent.

Serve over rice. 

My Delicious Carrot Cake

Initially I was like, can I call it my carrot cake? I found the recipe online, totally altered it...so yea, I guess it is mine!

And it's really, really delicious. My husband groans with delight when he eats it. I have had lots of compliments on this dessert. I know it's a little late for this Easter, but next time you have a hankerin' for Carrot cake totally whip this one up. seriously. And if you use a food processor to shred your carrots it's fairly easy to make.



Carrot Cake-makes one 3-layer 9-inch round cake

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil (I use canola)
4 eggs (I have substituted 3/4 cup applesauce and some extra baking soda for eggs (vegan)
2 cups finely grated carrots (I use food processor)
1 8.5 oz can crushed pineapple, drained.

Cream cheese Icing
3/4 cup butter/margarine, softened (I use Earth Balance Buttery sticks-they are vegan/dairy free and not hydrogenated oil)
12 oz Light Cream Cheese, softened (For vegan version I use Tofutti Cream Cheese)
3 Teaspoons Vanilla
24 oz 10X Sugar (1 1/2 boxes (Confectioners Sugar)

preheat oven 350 degrees, 325 for dark non stick coated pans.

Spray 3- 9 inch round cake pans with non stick baking spray, or use margarine and flour your pans.

in medium mixing bowl mix together; flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. (I just use a fork, I don't sift)
in large mixing bowl mix together sugar, oil and eggs.
Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix those

side note: I just use a fork to mix, I save cleaning my electric mixer for the icing only. Lazy? nah. I make enough of a mess anyhow, powdered sugar on floor all over counter, so, I don't need additional cleaning to tend with. don't worry, chances are you won't be this messy I am just historically a messy cook.

Add Carrots and pineapple, mix again. Pour 1/3 of this batter into each cake pan and bake 30-35 minutes. Til toothpick comes out dry.

Icing
with electric mixer cream together cream cheese, butter/margarine and vanilla. Slowly add 10x sugar.

I like to have my icing in the fridge overnight so it stiffens a bit.

Ice your carrot cake layers in between & all around. I am NOT a CAKE DECORATOR. (note; image) but my desserts always taste good.



I keep this cake chilled for best taste/texture. This could be a matter of opinion.

Enjoy! and Happy Easter To Everyone.

Easiest Chocolate Cake Recipe you MUST have.

This Chocolate Cake recipe is super easy, and VERY yummy. It's Vegan, meaning, egg, and dairy free. This Cake is all around fantastic. I was thinking the other day while whipping up a quick batch as cupcakes, that I really should share this ease with the public.

It's lack of difficulty aside, this recipe is also a plus because you are avoiding those mixes, full of preservatives, and who knows what really.... And this recipe will save you money. Quite Honestly box cake mixes require hand mixers and this recipe does NOT. you just stir it. SO easy.

This recipe was given to me by a friend, who also has a child with food allergies (like we do), On her blog, she writes up more yummy recipes...This cake, It's termed Wacky Cake, which I thought and found to be correct after a very tiny amount of research. This was an old recipe from, forever ago.
from Wikipedia:
"It is not known for a fact where Wacky Cake first originated, or who created it. However, it has been said that the recipe was first created by Beatrice Fe O'Hearn, who has passed it down through her family and friends since the late 1930s. The cake is considered a popular delicacy at bake sales in numerous rural regions of the United States."

Well now! Here is this splendid 'delicacy' of a recipe you really will use again and again. I hope it makes your busy life a little easier too.
(Below you'll see it's easy enough for a 5 year old to help with.)
Wacky Cake
makes 12 cupcakes or a round or square 9" pan
Can easily be doubled or tripled in a large mixing bowl.

1 1/2 Cups flour
3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
5 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon Vinegar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 Cup Cold Water

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Place Flour, Cocoa, Baking Soda, Sugar and salt in a bowl and mix. Make three grooves in the dry mix. Pour Oil in one groove, vinegar in another and the vanilla extract in the last groove. Pour cold water over all. Beat with fork til nearly smooth and flour disappears. Pour in greased pan. Bake 30 minutes (20 for cupcakes). Cool Completely before frosting.