Sorry for being lame and not keeping up with commenting on anyone's blog...We have been dealing with some family issues this week and I haven't been able to really sit down and read everyone's amazing stuff. Luckily the whole (I mean, the WHOLE) family came in for some quality bonding time this weekend. I was able to bake up a storm for them:
Chunky Monkey Brownies & Rockin' Pumpkin Squares
I had the brownie recipe for a while, and the pumpkin squares are a repeat from the other day.
Brownies:
3/4 c sugar 1/3 c oil 1/2 c water 1 tsp vanilla 2/3 c flour 2/3 c cocoa powder 1 tbsp ground coffee 4 tsp arrowroot 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/3 c bananas (I cut them into small pieces) 1/3 c chocolate chips 1/3 c walnuts 2 tbsp coconut
350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
When I made the original recipe, which calls for only 1/4 c water, it was really, really dry. Did not look like brownie batter at all. So I added about 1/4 c more water and it seemed okay. They weren't super fudgy brownies, but they still tasted pretty good. I also just eyeballed the amount of bananas (I used 2), walnuts, chocolate chips and coconut. They still turned out yummy.
The pumpkin squares were, of course, rockin'. I had a friend help me make them this time and we put things in in the wrong order. Plus we were doubling the recipe and only doubled the wet ingredients, but then corrected ourselves. So it was an interesting baking experience but they still turned out awesome.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
1 c flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp margarine 1/2 c brown sugar 1/2 c white sugar replacement for 1 egg 1/4 c applesauce 1 tsp vanilla 1 1/3 c oats 1/2 c raisins
375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Resist the temptation to bake until golden and pull them out when they are just hard enough.
This is where things got interesting...I ran out of sugar so I attempted an agave/maple syrup blend. I think it still turned out okay.
Coconut Cookie Bars
Randomly sideways?
Dry: 1 c flour 1/3 c cornstarch (I used potato starch) 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Wet: 3/4 c sugar 1/2 c applesauce 2 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 tbsp agave 1/3 c oil 3 tbsp soy milk
Add-ons: 2/3 c coconut 1/2 c chocolate chips
350 degrees for 22-30 minutes. Best after being chilled.
This recipe was originally gluten-free, but I just substituted the coconut flour and rice flour for regular white flour. Also didn't have any xantham gum. This recipe turned out the best out of all of them. Maybe because I used actual sugar??
Double Chocolate Cookie Bars
This is what happens when you run out of sugar and try to experiment with a recipe: Cookies turn into cookie bars. This recipe is from the website for the upcoming Vegan Cookies cookbook. I tried a maple syrup/molasses blend this time. I needed 2 cups of molasses and thought I was going to make it, but the jar I had only measured out to 1 1/3 cups. Shoot.
Then I added the maple syrup, and stirred together all the ingredients. It looked like cake batter, so I added about 3/4-1 cup more flour and it still looked too wet to be cookie dough. So I thought, What the heck, and poured it into a baking dish. Then I sprinkled walnuts and coconut on top. I am sort of afraid the texture will be weird or all you will be able to taste is molasses.
Anyway.
Today's lunch:
Green Goddess Pasta
Spaghetti, homemade kale/spinach/basil pesto, fresh basil, fresh mint, fresh parsley, tomatoes, and steamed broccoli and green beans. Topped with a squeeze of lemon. Delicious!!
Drumroll, please.
Garden Update:
We started putting a fence around the peas, lettuce & broccoli because we don't want the bunnies to get to it before we do.
I planted every herb imaginable to the left of the lettuce, etc. Curly and flat parsley, cilantro, mint, sage, thyme...
Look at my peas!!!! I am so happy they are growing. So far it has been a good mixture of rain and sunshine, so I think they are doing well.
Rockin' Pumpkin Squares
Brownies:
3/4 c sugar
1/3 c oil
1/2 c water
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 c flour
2/3 c cocoa powder
1 tbsp ground coffee
4 tsp arrowroot
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c bananas (I cut them into small pieces)
1/3 c chocolate chips
1/3 c walnuts
2 tbsp coconut
350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
When I made the original recipe, which calls for only 1/4 c water, it was really, really dry. Did not look like brownie batter at all. So I added about 1/4 c more water and it seemed okay. They weren't super fudgy brownies, but they still tasted pretty good. I also just eyeballed the amount of bananas (I used 2), walnuts, chocolate chips and coconut. They still turned out yummy.
The pumpkin squares were, of course, rockin'. I had a friend help me make them this time and we put things in in the wrong order. Plus we were doubling the recipe and only doubled the wet ingredients, but then corrected ourselves. So it was an interesting baking experience but they still turned out awesome.
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp margarine
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
replacement for 1 egg
1/4 c applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 c oats
1/2 c raisins
375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Resist the temptation to bake until golden and pull them out when they are just hard enough.
This is where things got interesting...I ran out of sugar so I attempted an agave/maple syrup blend. I think it still turned out okay.
Dry:
1 c flour
1/3 c cornstarch (I used potato starch)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Wet:
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c applesauce
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp agave
1/3 c oil
3 tbsp soy milk
Add-ons:
2/3 c coconut
1/2 c chocolate chips
350 degrees for 22-30 minutes.
Best after being chilled.
This recipe was originally gluten-free, but I just substituted the coconut flour and rice flour for regular white flour. Also didn't have any xantham gum. This recipe turned out the best out of all of them. Maybe because I used actual sugar??
Then I added the maple syrup, and stirred together all the ingredients. It looked like cake batter, so I added about 3/4-1 cup more flour and it still looked too wet to be cookie dough. So I thought, What the heck, and poured it into a baking dish. Then I sprinkled walnuts and coconut on top. I am sort of afraid the texture will be weird or all you will be able to taste is molasses.
Anyway.
Today's lunch:
Drumroll, please.
Garden Update:
We started putting a fence around the peas, lettuce & broccoli because we don't want the bunnies to get to it before we do.
I planted every herb imaginable to the left of the lettuce, etc. Curly and flat parsley, cilantro, mint, sage, thyme...
Look at my peas!!!! I am so happy they are growing. So far it has been a good mixture of rain and sunshine, so I think they are doing well.
To be planted:
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Basil
Oh my!