Shortbread Candy Cane Cookies

Candy canes are, debatably, the most boring Christmas-time treat. Sure, they're hooked and festive and turn into sharp weapons if you suck on the end just right, but really, they're just J-shaped breath mints. I find more joy in seasonal treats with a candy cane theme. 

My mom used to make candy cane cookies. I don't remember what they tasted like. I do know they were cute and as fragile as a leg lamp. Over the weekend I brought them back to life in my own, vegan sort of way.

I used the recipe for pie plate shortbread from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, but any pliable, easy-to-work-with dough should work. After preparing the dough according to the recipe, minus the non-vanilla extracts, I divided it in half. I added almond extract to one half, and to the other half I added red food coloring and a little splash of peppermint extract (I like mint flavor to be subtle, so I was not at all generous with the extract).

The next step was to roll a little of each color of dough into worms. I tried to get them as skinny as I could without them falling apart.

I then cut them off at 6 or 7 inches and twisted them together.

Next, I rolled the twist a little more so it was smooth, and then shaped it into a cane. My mom's version skipped the smoothing-out part, so they had a pretzel-y look and feel, but I wanted to try something else this time.

The cookies went in the oven for about 14 minutes, and then I let them cool on the cookie tray for another 15 minutes or so before digging in.

 If you need a little Christmas right this very minute, it's best to serve these guys hanging from the rim of a tall mug of hot cocoa. Possibly in front of an open fire.

Vegan Circus Animal Cookies

Some time ago I found a recipe for vegan circus animal cookies during an aimless stroll on Pinterest. They've been on my mind ever since, so when I found myself near Food Fight!, I made sure to pick up a bag of white chocolate chips*.

I modified the shortbread recipe a bit by replacing 1/3 cup of the flour with coconut flour, adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and pouring in a splash of almond milk to get the right consistency. Sadly, I do not have any tiny animal cookie cutters, but I do have a tiny star cookie cutter. Day saved.

After reading the warning about food coloring in the recipe, I decided to forgo trying to make any pink cookies. That was a good idea, because while attempting to simulate a double-boiler to melt the chips, I got a little water into the mix and the chocolate instantly went thick and grainy and unsuitable for coating a cookie. On my second attempt, I ditched the double-boiler idea and joyously dunked all the cookies into the melty coating and sprinkled some dreary-colored sprinkles onto them.

After popping the cookies into the fridge for a bit, my guy and I dug in. And while they probably wouldn't fool anyone in a side-by-side taste test with Mother's brand, they win at being awesome and delicious.

*Not a health food. ;)

VeganMoFo #18: Fig Bars

Figs are falling from the fig tree. Time to make everything fig-related! Tonight I baked whole wheat fig bars from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. They're a nice, not-too-sweet evening treat.

 Lots of recipes, including this one, call for dried figs, but I've been cheating with fresh ones with no ill effects. I cut off the stems of all the figs, cut them in half, and put them face-down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet (with lip to avoid fig juice spillage). Then I pop them in the oven at 150-200 degrees for a couple hours. They get wrinkly and juicy and discolored. I then chop them up and use them however the recipe says to, omitting some or all of the liquid the recipe calls for as I see fit.

Now I need to find more uses for figs! I think I'll make jam with them next.

VeganMoFo #17: Almond Milk

Continuing on the theme of making things at home that I would normally buy, I whipped up a batch of almond milk today. There's not much to it. Soak a cup of almonds overnight, blend it with three cups of water, strain out the ground almonds. Enjoy almond milk that has just two ingredients.

I like the almond-y aroma. And that the leftover almond meal can be saved to use for something else.

I think I'll use some of the fresh almond milk to make hot cocoa on the woodstove tonight!