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!

VeganMoFo #16: Figgy Apple Hand Pies

And just like that, the weekend's over! It was a busy one. Yesterday was spent in Estacada at Out to Pasture Sanctuary's work day. It was my first, but certainly not last, time there. We arrived a little early so we could get a tour and meet the animals, and then we got to work on pulling nails out of some old lumber so it could be burned without the chance of a horse, llama, or donkey stepping on a nail. The pile of wood we were working on was in the goat pen, so Nellie (one of the goats) kept us company and tried to help. I love that place and all the sweet animals. The caretakers there are who I want to be when I grow up.

Today involved taking advantage of the beautiful weather to get some things done outside. For example, cutting a pile of tree limbs into wood stove size pieces.

Busy weekends need calm finales, so tonight I used figs and apples right from our yard to bake figgy apple hand pies. They're so good! The recipe's from Vegan Pie in the Sky (as usual). They're like warm, appley fig newtons. I was skeptical about being able to eat them with your bare hands, but it works. Look, Ma, no fork!

VeganMoFo #15: Harvest Time

We still haven't seen the end of those apples we picked a couple weeks ago. Tonight I'm making crispy baked apple chips (a la Bare fruit snacks). That involves coring the apples, slicing them as thinly as humanly possible, sprinkling on some cinnamon, and baking them at a low temperature for a couple of hours. The house smells divine.

I also went and picked some finally ripened figs from the tree at my neighbors'. I'm drying them out so I can try the Figgy Apple Hand Pie recipe from Vegan Pie in the Sky.

I love this time of year!

VeganMoFo #14: A Day for Leftovers

It's the kind of day where I wasted hours looking for misplaced items. The kind of day where tech support people ran me around in circles. The kind of day where I went too long without eating and got cranky. The kind of day where I accidentally dropped a lot of things on the floor. The kind of day where a simple movie trailer made me cry. It's a leftovers kind of day.

Last night I was in much better spirits and whipped up Hottie Black-Eyed Peas & Greens and Ginger Mashed Sweet Potatoes & Apples. Both from Appetite for Reduction. Once again, I'm so happy on days like today that I make large batches of food so I can take it easy around dinner time without starving or sacrificing food quality.

Let's eat!

VeganMoFo #13: Weekend Happenings

I spent most of Saturday and Sunday amongst runners and photographers in Corvallis. There was photo taking, baking, and racing to be had.

On Saturday evening we made an apple pear cake with pears from a friend's tree.

Trout helped.

And then the skins were baked for a candy-like treat. (That is some apple peeling talent right there!)

In the evening we ate all the things and drank hard cider and then we all got up early Sunday morning to run the Great Pumpkin Run, followed by a big ol' breakfast.

Another weekend well spent.

VeganMoFo #12: Dinner Time

Lest you think I eat dessert all day long, here is photographic evidence of one of this week's dinners. This was the Kidney Bean & Butternut Jamba recipe (I used delicata squash) from Appetite for Reduction, which is my go-to dinner idea book. I like dinners like this that can be made in giant quantities. Leftovers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

VeganMoFo #11: Caramel Apple Pie

It's apple season! Last weekend I spent a perfect, sunny fall morning at a nearby orchard with some friends. I had planned on picking buckets and buckets of apples for baking pies and apple chips and making applesauce. But then when we got there, we were overwhelmed by all the trees full of Honeycrisp apples. So we came home with pounds and pounds of those but no baking apples. Which is not really a bad thing, as we've easily been eating away at them.

However, I still had a hankering for a pie. Lucky for me, there's an apple tree in the yard we share with our neighbors, and its apples are tart enough for baking. I put on my Ms. Autumn Woman red jacket this morning, carried coffee in one hand, picked apples in the yard while leaves crunched under my feet, and I was ready for baking.

I've never been a huge apple pie fan. I'm more into the idea of apple pie. I decided adding caramel would make it more appealing to me. I was right. I used the apple pie recipe from Vegan Pie in the Sky and this recipe for caramel sauce. I drizzled all the caramel sauce into the pie in layers with the apples.

It was divine.

VeganMoFo #10: Melon Coconut Ice Cream

I have a melon problem. I see a cantaloupe or honeydew melon at the farmers market or the store, and I am compelled to buy it. I think I want it. But then it just languishes in the kitchen, eventually banished to the refrigerator. Until I finally make myself eat it before it goes bad.

There's been an orange honeydew melon on the counter for over a week, and with the weather cooling off, it just didn't sound appetizing to slice it up and take a bite. So I went searching for melon dessert recipes. I stumbled upon an easy sorbet recipe. It wasn't quite what I had in mind, but it gave me an idea! I decided to concoct an ice cream-y dessert. And, oh, what a good idea that was!

Ingredients:

• 1 melon (I used orange honeydew)
• 1 can of full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated for several hours
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 tablespoons agave
• juice from 1/2 a lime

Directions:

1. Put a can of full-fat coconut milk in the refrigerator at least 4 hours before you're ready to make dessert.
2. Dice up the melon and put it in the freezer until it's frozen.*
3. Scoop the solidified part of the coconut milk (save the liquid for a smoothie!) out and put it in the food processor along with the frozen melon and the remaining ingredients.
4. Process it all until it's creamy. It ends up having a thin soft serve-like consistency. If you prefer a consistency closer to ice cream, just put the finished product in the freezer for a bit.
5. Eat it!

This made about four servings, so there's more in the freezer for tomorrow. It's like vanilla soft serve with a touch of melon-y sweetness. Mmm.

*If there are chickens in your life, be sure to save the melon rind with a little melon still in it for them. They will not be disappointed.

VeganMoFo #9: Cut It Out

This morning I was in a funk. I looked at my to do list and didn't want to do anything on it. I should have gone swimming. I should have walked to the library to print out some documents to drop in the mail. I should have planned this week's meals and gone grocery shopping. I tried to bake adorable woodland cutout cookies to blog about, but the dough wasn't cooperating. And when I got around to baking them, they came out too puffy. And when I picked one up I found that they were crumbly. They ended up looking like bloated forest amputees. I'd have to find a different recipe. Whine.

I stopped moping for a minute to realize that even while living at a slower pace, I still feel pressure to "be productive" and "successful". And why? What's it all for? The fridge is stocked with food. The house is happy and lived-in. No one cares whether or not I "got things done" today. Putting the chores on my list off for another day will not stop the world.

So I axed the to do list and took out my mandolin and a salvaged cookie. And commenced living. At a snail's pace.

I also arranged for a date of swimming laps and eating Ethiopian food for dinner tonight. Until then, I just might take a nap.

VeganMoFo #8: Vegetable Stock

I've needlessly purchased cartons of vegetable broth and jars of Better Than Bouillon thousands of times. Thousands. There have been so many dollars wasted and taste buds deprived. Vegetable scraps composted before they'd been given a chance. And my only reason for buying these products is pure laziness.

Now that I'm attempting to be more conscientious about what I buy and what I make myself, I've been careful to keep a container of flavorful vegetable "waste" bits in the freezer so I can make fresh stock as needed (about once a week in this broth-addicted household).

This week's broth started with potato water (the water the potatoes were boiled in) saved from Sunday night's Thanksgiving-esque dinner. And the freezer container had a range of stray veg pieces from last week's eatings: onion, garlic, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, celery, tomatoes, herb tidbits from the garden, and carrots.

Some people get fancy and complicated with their stock, but I just throw all the vegetables in a pot of water, let it get to boiling, and then simmer it until it's nice and rich. I go by color and taste and patience level.

If I think I won't get through the whole batch within a week, I freeze the broth into ice cubes and keep them in a container in the freezer. When a meal calls for broth, I throw the cubes into the mix. Easy, peasy, and nothing goes to waste!

I love this weekly "chore" because it smells as if I'm cooking an amazing dinner even if I'm really just going to reheat leftovers at the last minute. It's so aromatic and it tastes much better to me than the store-bought varieties.

VeganMoFo #7: Thanksgiving, Canadian-style.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in Canada. I do not live in Canada. I am not Canadian. But it seems a good excuse to break out a Thanksgiving-esque feast. Tonight my guy cooked us up some mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, broccoli, and some of the Tofurky-ish loaf that I made last week. We even fancied it up with wine. Delicious!

I'm feeling pretty grateful that many of my Sundays end something like this.

VeganMoFo #6: Pumpkin Pie Spice Snickerdoodles

Yet another cozy-up-the-home goal of mine is to keep a stash of homemade cookies and pies in the freezer so that there's always something to serve guests or take along to get-togethers. I haven't achieved this goal yet, but I still want to share the vegan baked goods love. This weekend included a trip to an orchard for apple-picking with friends, and I wanted to bring along a treat.

Using this Chai Spice Snickerdoodle recipe, I improvised (i.e. was too lazy to grind spices) and used pumpkin pie spice to give a little fall flavor to these cookies. I also used coconut oil in place of canola oil, because coconut makes nearly all baked goods taste even better.

Next time I make snickerdoodles, I want to figure out how to eliminate the inevitable baking soda-ish aftertaste that comes along with them. And I'll use far less sugar and spices to press the dough into, since I had quite a lot left over this time around.

And maybe I'll even bake a double batch and freeze half of it!

VeganMoFo #5: Tofu Scramble in a Cup

Breakfast is my favorite meal. Sometimes I look forward to the weekend solely for the breakfasts I'll get to eat. Saturdays are for lavish breakfasts at home. Sundays are for bike rides to our favorite brunch spots. But I've recently decided that there's no reason to limit a warm, filling breakfast--the kind of breakfast that produces smiles--to two days a week.

The dilemma: Who wants to get up before the sun to cook this day-making fare? I know I'd rather stay under the covers and listen to NPR until I must get out of bed. Well, unless it's membership drive time. But you get the point.

The solution: Tofu scramble in a cup. Or, more formally, mini tofu frittatas. I bake these up on Sunday or Monday, put them in the fridge, and they last all week.

My favorite thing about making these, aside from their inviting cupcake shape, obviously, is that I can put all of our leftover vegetables from the week in them and create different flavors each time. No getting bored with the same breakfast over and over and over again. This week, mine featured mushrooms, spinach, onions, and Daiya shreds leftover from a recent pizza night.

When I'm feeling especially lazy or pressed for time, I don't even have to warm them up in the morning. They taste just as good straight out of the fridge. And they make a suitable lunch, too.

VeganMoFo #4: Tofurky-ish Loaf

On my list of store-bought items that I'd like to make myself is vegan lunch meat. I'm not much of a meat analogue person myself, but my fella often fancies a hefty Field Roast or Tofurky sandwich for lunch. The king of internet recipes for vegan deli slices seems to be Vegan Dad's Hickory Smoked Veggie Turkey Lunchmeat, so I gave it a go.

I quickly learned that the blended parts of the recipe are beyond my food processor's capacity, but I made it through. Somehow. After steaming and baking the seitanic loaf, it was still a little mushy on top, so I popped it back into the oven for another 10 minutes or so, and it firmed up quite nicely.

The texture of the "meat" is decent enough, perhaps a little chewy for some, but it's not quite as flavorful as I'd like it to be. Next time I make this I'm going to use vegetable stock in place of water, real garlic and onions instead of powders, and I'll probably up the spices and add a generous spoonful or two of freshly ground pepper.

While my main plan was to have sandwich meat on hand, I think this would also make a comfortable dinner with some Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes and gravy. And it makes a large enough quantity to get many sandwiches and meals out of one loaf. I look forward to giving this another try!

VeganMoFo #3: Beer Bread

Most of last weekend was spent walking around the neighborhood, and we made an afternoon pitstop at a cute little bottle shop that recently opened up a few blocks from home. I had my first pumpkin ale of the season, and we came home with a bottle of The Bruery’s Autumn Maple beer for later. I was lured in by the ingredients: yams, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, molasses, and maple syrup. Hello, fall.

I was excited to taste this autumnal elixir (it's gooood!) but even more excited to try it in beer bread. Here goes...

• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 4 ½  teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar (I used a bit less since this particular beer is so sweet)
• 1 ½ cups of delicious, seasonal beer (room temperature)

Mix everything together. Knead it for a bit. Place dough in a greased bread pan. Let rise for 30 minutes or so (apparently this is unnecessary, but I wanted to make sure the bread wasn’t too dense). Bake for an hour at 350 degrees.

The house smelled like a heavenly mixture of baking and brewing while this was in the oven. And it tasted equally heavenly warm from the oven. The bread is sweet enough to eat alone, but still savory enough for sandwiches. I love how quick and easy it was to make. And how it does not help me justify buying bread from the store. A++. Will make again.

VeganMoFo #2: Tea Time

I’ve been told that you can make any place home with the addition of curtains and a teapot. And I think that’s the truth. As I rebuild a life after traditional full-time employment, I find myself spending a lot more time at home. Coziness is all the more important. I’m discovering the lost pleasure of midday relaxation in the form of tea time. And cookies, of course.

There isn’t too much in life better than a pot of chai at a toasty teahouse. In fact, my first date with Dreamy McDreamerson involved sipping chai at Tao of Tea on a chilly Portland evening. My goal this fall and winter is to recreate that warm, fuzzy feeling at home.

Today I boiled a generous helping of Tao of Tea’s 500 Mile Chai with water. After a few minutes of boiling, I added coconut milk and let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes before straining out the loose tea. Behind the scenes, it looked like this:

After eliminating all evidence of my lacking elegance (guess I need to work on my pouring skills), I transferred the tea to an absurdly charming teapot to set the scene. I added more agave than I’m probably supposed to and raised my pinky alongside more than my fair share of chocolate-bottom macaroons. Daily ritual? I think so.

VeganMoFo #1: Sauerkraut

A couple of years ago I read Radical Homemakers. I remember enjoying the book, but I wasn’t at the right place in my life for it to be fully applicable. Now, though, as I read it a second time for a book group, I’m inspired. I’m ready to jump off the hamster wheel and be resourceful. I want to produce more and consume less.

I’m starting small. Each day I choose one thing that will put me on the right path toward my dream homesteady life on a little farm sanctuary somewhere that’s green. And it’s been great so far. I’m learning. I’m making things. I’m reuniting with my long-lost creativity.

One of my latest projects is to keep a tally of items I buy regularly at the grocery store and attempt, one by one, to make them myself. I want to try each thing once. If I determine that the energy put into making it is not worth it, well, then, I’ll let someone else make it and buy convenience with dollars. No pressure. But if I have fun doing it and want to do it again and again and again? Awesome!

First up, and probably easiest on my list, was sauerkraut. I’m a fan of Bubbie’s brand, which goes for $5.49 at Whole Foods. When it’s on sale. For $6.00 I bought two huge, heavy cabbages at the neighborhood farmer’s market, and that made four jars, each double the size of those bought at the store. That’s a lot of fresh ‘kraut.

All I had to do was chop the cabbages up into thin shreds, sprinkle on some salt, mash it all down into a clean container with a potato masher, cover it, and wait a week. Simple!

We have a winter’s supply for making mac & shews and reubens. I don’t think I’ll be buying sauerkraut again. And next time I’ll even grow my own cabbages to up my homesteader points.