If I were true to my punk-rock roots I’d tell you that Halloween was my favorite time of year.
If I were true to my ambivalence about religion I would tell you that baby Jesus wasn’t even born in December and that X-Mas was just created by the church to remind you that even though it’s cold and snowy, sex is for making babies, not for keeping warm.
If I were true to my anti-commercialism/stick-it-to-the-manism I would tell you that Holidays were just created by corporations like Coca Cola and Hallmark who want you to buy crap you don’t need.
The thing is…
I LOVE the Hanukkah/Christmas holiday season so much I could barf rainbows and unicorns about it so don’t mind me if I gush holiday spirit all over you for the next 18 days or so.
For starters, COOKIES! Right? Good, we’re on the same page.
I have a Christmas edition of Martha Stewart Living from 1842 that has the best best best cookie recipes in the whole wide world so I am going to attempt to veganize some of them over the next two weeks for you so loosen your belts and poor yourself a tea or a nice cold almond milk.
In the meantime I’m going to hook you up with a few great vegan cookie cook books and Chef Chloe‘s ooey gooey layers of decadence:
Beach Cookies
Ingredients:
½ cup vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance soy-free non-hydrogenated Buttery Spread)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I buy Health Valley Graham Crackers and pulse them into fine crumbs in the food processor. Feel free to do this with any vegan graham cracker or wafer cookie.)
1 cup canned coconut milk
¼ cup agave or maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons arrowroot
1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)
2 cups non-dairy chocolate chips
Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Melt margarine in microwave or over stove and pour into a 9×13″ baking pan. Swirl around until the bottom of the pan is completely coated.
3. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs evenly into pan until bottom of the pan is completely coated in crumbs. Pat down lightly with your hands.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together coconut milk, agave, vanilla, salt, and arrowroot. Drizzle this mixture evenly over the graham cracker layer.
5. Sprinkle the shredded coconut into the pan, then layer the optional nuts, then the chocolate chips. With the palm of your hand, gently pat the top of the cookie pan so that the chocolate chips get cemented into the rest of the cookie.
6. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until center looks thick and slightly bubbly with very lightly browned edges.
7. Let cool then refrigerate for a couple hours or overnight. Cut into even bars. The textures and flavors of this cookie really work best after refrigeration, but if you’re like my mom and gotta dig in right away- be my guest!
8. If you’re feeling festive, platter the cookies on a tray or dish of organic brown sugar (mock sand) and stick some cocktail umbrellas in the sugar for a “beach scene”.
“The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur” by Kelly Peloza
“Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
“The 100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes: Amazing Cookies, Cakes, Muffins, Pies, Brownies and Breads” by Kris Holechek”
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