Maple Walnut Chocolate Cherry Sweet Rolls

 I was making a couple different types of vegan sweet rolls this weekend, and I wanted one to be filled with the goodness of chocolate, nuts, and dried fruit.  For some reason I have come to the conclusion that breads and rolls this time of year are much tastier when filled with little surprises.  No, I am not talking about that old stale, fruitcake, but things like stollen or julekake...delicious breads which are beautiful as well. This time, I decided to fill my sweet rolls I was making with walnuts, dried cherries and chocolate.  I thought it would make a beautiful combination swirled into the roll. 

Although I could have flavored the dough itself with vanilla, I decided maple would be even more tasty with the filling!  So I gave it a triple whammy of maple with maple extract, maple sugar and maple syrup!  The rolls smelled heavenly as they baked, and the swirl on top was beautiful when they emerged from the oven, especially the red of the cherries.  I topped them off with maple vegan cream cheese frosting, which put them over the top!  They were enjoyed while still warm and the gooey chocolate, toasty nuts and tart sweet cherries were heavenly against the sweet soft maple laced dough! 

Bake up a batch of these this winter, any time of the day, and you will forget all about the cold outside!  Here is the recipe if you would like to expirience them for yourself!

Vegan Maple Walnut Chocolate Cherry Sweet Rolls

Makes 16 Large rolls

Dough:

2 packets rapid rise yeast

1 Tbsp maple sugar

1 cup warm water

1 cup coconut milk or almond milk

3/4 cup maple sugar

2/3 cup coconut oil

2 Tbsp melted Earth Balance vegan butter
1 Tbsp maple extract
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 Tbsp sea salt

3 cups organic bread Flour
3 cups organic whole wheat flour

Filling:
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups dried cherries
1 1/2 cups walnuts
1/2 cup maple sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
pinch of sea salt

Frosting:

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup maple sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch
16 oz vegan cream cheese, such as Tofutti
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp maple extract

In a large bowl, combine yeast, 1 Tbsp maple sugar and water. Let sit 5 minutes, until yeast is foamy, then add coconut milk, maple sugar, coconut oil, earth balance, maple extract, vanilla, and sea salt. Mix well, then add the flour 1 cup at a time until dough is not sticky. Place dough on a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm area to rise for about an hour, or until doubled in bulk. Meanwhile, to make filling, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined, and set aside. When dough has risen, punch it down, and divide into 2 pieces. Roll each piece out to a 14 inch by 12 inch rectangle. Scatter filling onto each, dividing it evenly between the two, and leaving a 1 inch boarder. Roll each up jelly roll style starting on the 14 inch side. Line a 9x13 inch pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Cut each dough log into 8 pieces, and place cut side down into the prepared pan until all pieces have been placed. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise. Let rise until almost doubled in bulk, about 35-45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Bake the rolls for 15 minutes, until golden brown, then cover with foil and continue to bake for 20 more minutes, until done in the center. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Meanwhile, to make frosting, beat cream cheese until fluffy, then beat in all other ingredients until smooth. Spread frosting onto the top of each roll, and enjoy while warm!

Vegan Eggnog Cheesecake Ice Cream

When I was a child I did not like eggnog.  Maybe it was the name, or because my Dad, trying to be funny (but also because he thought it was gross) called it "eggsnag".  Or maybe I didn't like it because the only kind I had sampled was some stuff in a carton that had been around for who knows how long.  Whatever the case, I didn't care for it.  That is until a couple years ago when I decided to buy some soy based Silknog to try.  I have since decided I like eggnog now that I am an adult, especially the soy variety, or the coconut milk based type I make at home.  I like its flavor with the subtle vanilla, nutmeg and spice hints.  I enjoy the type without the booze, but I do like a good splash if bourbon (I don't care for rum in mine) if I am feeling like I need it. 

I wanted some ice cream this weekend to go with an apple crisp I was making, but I didn't want the regular vanilla or plain cinnamon, so I decided on eggnog somehow.  It them morphed into eggnog cheesecake, because I decided to add some vegan cream cheese to it as well!  It had all the flavors of nutmeg, vanilla and spice with a hint of bourbon, and the creaminess of cheesecake.  It melted slowly the your tongue like silk, wonderful on its own, but awesome with the warm apple crisp I had made. 

It was so good that the next day I decided to try making a rootbeer float with it.  Now, this may sound wierd with the eggnog ice cream, but it was awesome!  Especially when I added a splash of bourbon as well!  If you are an eggnog fan, you must try making this! 

Vegan Eggnog Cheesecake Ice Cream

Makes 4+ cups ice cream

3 cups organic full fat coconut milk, chilled

8 oz vegan cream cheese, such as Tofutti brand
3/4 cup agave nectar or maple syrup

1 Tbsp bourbon

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

seeds of one vanilla bean

2 tsp nutmeg

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

 

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and process until well blended. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions (mine takes about an hour, and is still a little soupy like the consistency of a malt, but firms up in the freezer later). Pour into freezable container with a lid, and place in the freezer for at least a few hours, or overnight to firm up for best results. Makes about 4 cups of delicious ice cream

Lemon Almond Poppyseed Sweet Rolls

On Christmas day, I decided to make some sweet rolls.  Funny thing was, when I started I didn't know what kind I wanted to make.  Cinnamon rolls are good, with the sweet cream cheese frosting, but I wanted to be a bit more creative this time.  So while I did my morning workout I brainstormed some possible rolls I could make using ingredients I had on hand (since all the stores are closed).  I came up with 2 variations I was going to make, Lemon Almond Poppyseed and another which I will share soon in another blog entry, Maple with Cherry, Walnuts and Chocolate. 

The lemon almond poppyseed came to mind because I had some almond paste just waiting to be used in a creative way, and a big bowl of lemons on my counter.  I hadn't had anything poppyseed in a while, so I thought why not!  So what if the rolls were not in any way Christmassy, I am a little unconventional with my food, especially on holidays.  I wanted these to be vegan as well, and actually the last time I had made sweet rolls they were very un-vegan.  They were full of butter and eggs, so I thought it might be a challenge to make an equally delicious vegan variation.  But actually despite my worries, coconut milk, and oil, as well as a bit of Earth Balance made for light and beautifully textured rolls better than their eggy cousins I made last time. 

I filled this delicious dough with a combination of the almond paste, lemon juice and zest as well as poppyseeds and agave nectar for sweetness.  It was delicious with the bright tartness of the lemon, and the creamy light nuttiness of the almond with the little crunchy seeds.  I topped the warm rolls off with a lemon laced vegan cream cheese frosting.  The finished rolls were heavenly while still warm from the oven.  Comfort food as sweet rolls should be, perfect for a Christmas day sweet to enjoy!  Here is the recipe if you would like to expirience some of the goodness of the rolls for yourself!  They are a perfect pick me up now that we are into the winter season.  One last thing...Fragrant Vanilla Cake is now on Facebook!  So if you like this blog, check it out on Facebook! 

Vegan Lemon Almond Poppyseed Sweet Rolls

Makes 16 Large rolls

Dough:
2 packets rapid rise yeast
1 Tbsp maple sugar
1 cup warm water
1 cup coconut milk or almond milk
3/4 cup maple sugar
2/3 cup coconut oil
2 Tbsp melted Earth Balance vegan butter
1 tsp pure almond extract

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 Tbsp sea salt
3 cups organic bread Flour
3 cups organic whole wheat flour
Filling:

16 oz almond paste

1/2 cup agave nectar
juice of 2 organic lemons
1 Tbsp organic lemon zest

pinch of sea salt

3/4 cup poppyseeds

Frosting:
1/2 cup agave nectar

1/2 cup maple sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

16 oz vegan cream cheese, such as Tofutti

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1 Tbsp lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine yeast, 1 Tbsp maple sugar and water.  Let sit 5 minutes, until yeast is foamy, then add coconut milk, maple sugar, coconut oil, earth balance, almond, vanilla, and sea salt.  Mix well, then add the flour 1 cup at a time until dough is not sticky.  Place dough on a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.  Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm area to rise for about an hour, or until doubled in bulk.  Meanwhile, to make filling, combine all ingredients except poppyseeds in a food processor until smooth.  Stir in poppyseeds until well combined, and set aside.  When dough has risen, punch it down, and divide into 2 pieces.  Roll each piece out to a 14 inch by 12 inch rectangle.  Spread filling onto each, dividing it evenly between the two, and leaving a 1 inch boarder.  Roll each up jelly roll style starting on the 14 inch side.  Line a 9x13 inch pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray.  Cut each dough log into 8 pieces, and place cut side down into the prepared pan until all pieces have been placed.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise.  Let rise until almost doubled in bulk, about 35-45 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees with the rack set at the middle position.  Bake the rolls for 15 minutes, until golden brown, then cover with foil and continue to bake for 20 more minutes, until done in the center.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly.  Meanwhile, to make frosting, beat cream cheese until fluffy, then beat in all other ingredients until smooth.  Spread frosting onto the top of each roll, and enjoy while warm!

Cocoa Chipotle Almonds

When I was little and I wanted a snack my Mom would tell me to eat a handful of almonds.  "Almonds are the king of nuts."  she would always say.  I would always wonder why they weren't the queen of nuts, and not want to eat them thinking the raw almonds were rather bland.  Now that I am an adult I appriciate almonds for their flavor, as well as their nutritional benefits.  Mom was right, they do make a great snack and keep the hunger monster at bay.  I was feeling like I needed some more good high protein snacking options as of lately, so what better then some sort of jazzed up almond?  The Mexican hot cocoa I often make, gave me the idea to put the same flavors onto an almond.  So I whisked together some cocoa, maple sugar, chipotle powder, cinnamon and sea salt and adhered it to the almonds with some agave nectar.  I then baked the almonds to toast them, coated them in more of the mixture, and as soon as they were just cool enough, I dove in!  Forget just having a snack I had a few...what can I say, toasted nuts right out of the oven are addictive!

Cocoa Chipotle Almonds
Makes 4 cups

4 cups whole raw almonds
2 Tbsp agave nectar
3 Tbsp maple sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp  plus 1/8 ground chipotle powder
1 1/2 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, line a sheet pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray.  In a large bowl, toss almonds with agave nectar until well coated.  In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chipotle powder, and sea salt, then pour 2/3 of the mixture over almonds (reserving last 1/3) and toss well to coat.  Spread out on prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for 7-10 minutes until almonds are fragrant and toasted.  Toss with remaining cocoa mixture, let cool slightly, then dive in!

Tiramisu Sandwich Cookies

As I was grinding my coffee beans a couple days ago I was inhaling the heavenly aroma they were giving off, and thinking about how wonderful it would be to make a coffee flavored dessert that day.  Tiramisu sounded really good, since I hadn't had it in a while, and I love the mixture of the creaminess coffee and cocoa together!  But making a big dessert was out of the question.  So I decided that my best option was to make it on a smaller scale. 

A sandwich cookie with all the flavors of tiramisu was my answer! For the cookies I flvored them with triple coffee, kaluah, good quality ground coffee, and coffee extract to mimic the soaked lady fingers.  The only bad thing was the cookies lacked the boozyness of tiramisu, but otherwise they were scrumpitous!  As was the dough, which was delicious to snack on while I rolled out the cookies to be baked!  I wanted a creamy filling for the cookies, and tofutti seemed like a good option, so I flavored it with cocoa and coffee and it was wonderful! 

Now, I know traditionally tiramisu has white fluffy filling, but hey, who says I can't break a rule or two.  What mattered was the cookies were yummy, they fufilled my tiramisu craving, and they were cute to look at!  If you would like some for yourself, here is the recipe!

Tiramisu Sandwich Cookies

makes about 2 dozen

Cookies:

1 cup maple sugar, or granulated organic sugar

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup Earth Balance vegan buttery spread at room temperature

1/2 cup soft silken tofu pureed

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

2 tsp coffee extract

1 Tbsp kahlua

1/2 cup agave nectar
2 Tbsp ground good quality coffee
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp sea salt

Filling:
1 8 oz pkg vegan cream cheese
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp coffee extract
2 tsp kahlua
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 Tbsp maple sugar

In a large bowl, combine buttery spread and coconut oil with sugar and beat until fluffy and well combined. Beat in the tofu, vanilla extract, coffee extract, bourbon, and agave nectar until well combined. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, coffee, salt, baking powder, then add to the large bowl, and mix until well combined, and place in the fridge to chill until firm (preferably overnight). To bake, Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll balls into about 2 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart (refrigerate unused dough while baking the other trays). Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly (but do not overbake!). Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining cookies. When cookies are completely cool, beat cream cheese in a bowl until soft and fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar (adding more if a stiffer consistency is desired), vanilla, and food coloring until well blended. Place frosting in a pastry bag and pipe onto the flat side of half the cookies.  Top each with another cookie, frosting to the flat side, and enjoy!

Bourbon Cherry Walnut Ice Cream

 Ice cream in the winter may sound a little crazy, especially in Minnesota.  But not when you think about enjoying it over a nice warm piece of pie or crisp, or maybe a warm brownie!  As far as I am concerned though, it has no season, and I always have to have some on hand, especially for accompanying warm dessert.  I was going to make some this weekend, but I grow tired of the same flavors, so I wanted to make something a little different.  Dried fruit is good in the winter, and nuts, so I was thinking somewhere along the lines of rum raisin.  But not quite, since I have no rum.  But I did have dried cherries and bourbon, so I thought, why not soak the cherries in bourbon and pair them with toasted walnuts!  I made a maple base for the ice cream, and it went wonderfully with the tart sweet boozy cherries and almost butter brickle like walnuts.  When I tasted some of this, I decided I needed no warm dessert to serve it with.  It was fabulous on its own and deserved to be the star.  So for all of you who are crazy enough to make ice cream in the winter here you go...and don't wait until summer to make this!

Bourbon Cherry Walnut Ice Cream

Makes 5+ cups ice cream

1 cup organic dried cherries

bourbon

3 cups organic full fat coconut milk, chilled

3/4 cup agave nectar or maple syrup

1 tsp maple extract

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup toasted walnuts, broken into pieces

Cover cherries with just enough bourbon to cover, and let sit overnight.  Drain cherries well and set aside (reserve bourbon for another use).  Combine coconut milk and all ingredients except cherries and walnuts in a food processor, and process until well blended. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions (mine takes about an hour, and is still a little soupy like the consistency of a malt, but firms up in the freezer later). Stir cherries and walnuts into the ice cream, pour into freezable container with a lid, and place in the freezer for at least a few hours, or overnight to firm up for best results. Makes about 4 cups of delicious ice cream!

Toasted Coconut Date Sandwich Cookies

When you think of cookies to make around Christmas, coconut date cookies probably don't come to mind.  But for whatever reason, I really wanted to make something with toasted coconut and dates and decided that I would include such a cookie in my Christmas cookie baking.  If anything, it would remind me of being somewhere warm and without cold and ice...very different from Minnesota right now. 

I came up with a toasted coconut cookie with triple coconut whammy in the form of toasted coconut, coconut oil, and coconut extract.  I made the cookies little, because when making Christmas cookies, you want to be able to eat more than just one! 

The cookie on its own was delicious, but I wanted to include dates as well, and not simply throw in chopped ones, so I made a citrus date filling to sandwich the little cookies together (those that were left after I snacked on some when they came out of the oven).  The cookies were wonderful.  The sweetness in them coming from the natural sweet flavor of the dates and coconut.  The toasted flavor of the cookie played well off the sweet citrusy date filling.  Christmas or not, coconut and date lovers add these to your cookies to make!

Toasted Coconut Date Sandwich Cookies

makes about 2 dozen

Cookies:

1 cup maple sugar, or granulated organic sugar
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup Earth Balance vegan buttery spread at room temperature
1/2 cup pureed silken tofu
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut extract
1/2 cup agave nectar

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup toasted finely shredded unsweetened coconut
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt

Filling:
3/4 cup pitted medjool dates
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
3 Tbsp orange juice
2 tsp orange zest
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
a large pinch of sea salt

In a large bowl, combine buttery spread and coconut oil with sugar and beat until fluffy and well combined. Beat in the tofu, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and agave nectar until well combined. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, coconut, salt, baking powder, then add to the large bowl, and mix until well combined, and place in the fridge to chill until firm (preferably overnight). To bake, Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll balls into about 2 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart (refrigerate unused dough while baking the other trays). Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly (but do not overbake!). Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining cookies.

Christmas Bread...Julekake

My Grandma Lyons always made many wonderful baked goods around Christmas.  Lots of cookies were always available for enjoyment at her house, and she always gave them away by the tin to friends and family members.  But that wasn't the only thing she made around the holidays, she made a Scandanavian Christmas bread, called Julekake as well.  It was studded with jewel like fruits and had subtle hints of cardamom, only slightly sweet, but delicious!  She has been gone for a few years now, and I haven't had a slice of julekake since, so this year I decided to make myself some!  I do not have her recipe, so I created my own. 

It is different than hers in that I did not use the neon bright candied fruit with the red and green food coloring, I opted for the more natural dried fruit.  Also, she used to put a powdered sugar glaze atop hers, and I went for simply sprinkling sugar on top to simplify but still give sweetness.  I am sure in hers she used butter milk, and eggs, but mine contains only coconut milk and oil to give it richness.  It was fun making the bread, and imagining what my Grandma would have said if we had been making it together. 

As different as it ended up being from her bread, it was good, and still remeniscent of hers.  It still had the little pops of flavor from the jewel like fruit, the subtle sweetness and hint of cardamom.  I think Grandma Lyons would have been proud!  Here is my recipe if you would like to make some!

My Julekake

makes 2 loaves

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 cups coconut milk

1/2 cup agave nectar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract
3 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups bread flour
2 pkgs rapid rise yeast
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried apricots, quartered
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup crasins
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried currants
coconut oil
turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Warm coconut oil with coconut milk and agave nectar and extracts. In a large bowl, combine 4 cups of flour with dry ingredients. Add milk mixture and mix until well combined. Stir in fruit, and gradually add remaining flour; knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Shape dough into a ball, and place in a greased bowl. Cover. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch dough down and shape into 2 loaves. Place each in a greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Brush tops of loaves with coconut oil, and sprinkle with sugar. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, 45 to 50 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees F for 40 to 50 minutes or until lightly browned and internal temperature registers 190 degrees.

Festive Dark Chocolate Shortbread

Shortbread is a great gift to give around the holidays.  It is simple to make, yet it is delicious.  Not to mention that it looks pretty in containers and travels well.  So this year it made it onto my list of Christmas cookies.  A few years back I had been reading a magazine and came across an idea to put fleur de sel in chocolate shortbread.  I decided to try it for myself, and the results were amazing!  It intensified the deep chocolate flavor to a new level creating something that gave you pure joy the moment you bit into it.  I have since tweaked the recipe a bit, but it is still heavenly and lends itself to variations.  Such as adding in fruit and nuts around the holidays to make it more festive! 

It usually has simply chocolate chunks or chips, but this time I made it with pistachios and dried cranberries to add little pops of red and green as well as texture and flavor contrasts.  The pistachios give it a nice nutty crunch, and the tart cranberries are like little bursts of tart flavor in the sweet chocolate base.  I usually cut it into sixteen triangles when it is simply chocolate, but due to all of the wonderful add ins it had to be larger pieces this time.  More to enjoy! 

This shortbread is so good and so simple to make, there is no excuse not to.  If you make this, I can guarantee you will not be able to eat just one piece.  It is a bit addictive.  If you make this and give it to your coworkers as a Christmas gift, they will love you! 

Intense Chocolate Shortbread with Pistachios and Dried Cranberries

Makes 12 shortbreads

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Ghirardelli)

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 stick plus 3 Tbsp Earth Balance vegan butter
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup maple sugar
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp grated orange zest
3/4 tsp fleur de sel
6 oz good quality vegan chocolate, chopped, or chips
3/4 cup toasted shelled salted pistchios
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.  In a large bowl, beat together butter, maple sugar, vanilla, orange zest, and fleur de sel until light and fluffy. Mix in dry ingredients until well combined, and then the pistachios, cranberries, and chocolate until well incorporated.  Turn out into a 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom, and press firmly into the bottom to the sides, and flat.  Score the dough into 12 triangles, sprinkle with turbinado sugar (press in) and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until set.  When done baking, score again, and cool on a wire rack completely before unmolding. 

Minty Melting Moments

When discussing which type of cookies I should make this year for Christmas, my Mom suggested melting moments.  She told me I had to make them.  She said they were so good and so melt in your mouth with the cornstarch and powdered sugar along with their subtle sweetness!  Of course she suggested them, I remember when I was about 5 she bought a cookie press to make a cute design in the top of cookies like melting moments, and that press came with a recipe for them.  She made them for years after that, and they became one of her favorite Christmas cookies.  In my mind, they were good, but never really stood out.  But I thought, what the heck, I can make them this year anyhow, and put my own spin on them.  I searched forever for the recipe she used to use but came up empty.  I found another one in a magazine, but wasn't quite happy with it so I tweaked it a little to my liking (since I never leave recipes alone).  When my Mom made melting moments, she did not make sandwich cookies, but I have seen that some people do.  I wanted to do this with mine this time. 

I decided that I wanted a vanilla mint cookie with a mint fudge filling...Christmassy all the way, but non-traditional.  I am never traditional when it comes to recipes.  I wanted to tint the dough a lovely light green to hint at the presence of the mint...and it was a beautiful hue! 

I thought it would be even more beautiful if I rolled the cookies in this light green finishing sugar I had in my cupboard, but it was nowhere to be found.  I must have used it in another recipe a while back, so I used plain sparkling white sugar instead.  I feel that every cookie tray at Christmas should have some sparkle.  The melting moments sans the filling were delicious.  The light mint and vanilla flavor married well with the light cookie.  But the finished cookies with the fudge were amazing!  The fudge was a simple mixture of agave nectar and cocoa powder enhanced with vanilla and mint.  So simple but so decadent tasting and perfect for the inside of my cookies. 

They were scrumptious, and I ate way too many.  But you are allowed extra cookie tasting around the Holidays. Now I know why they are called melting moments.  It takes only a moment to devour them.  Here is my recipe so you can bake up a batch if you wish!

Minty Melting Moments

Makes 16 sandwich cookies

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup (12 Tbsp) Earth Balance vegan butter

about 6 drops natural green food coloring (plant based)

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp peppermint extract

granulated sugar for dipping

Filling:

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup agave nectar
a good pinch of sea salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Preheat oven to 300, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and sea salt. In a large bowl, beat butter, green food coloring, powdered sugar, vanilla, and peppermint until smooth, then beat in the flour mixture until well combined.  Roll the dough by the rounded Tbsp into balls. Dip top half of balls in granulated sugar, and place on baking sheet, sugared side up.  Press down slightly with the bottom of a glass, and bake for 10 minutes until just set.  Cool completely on a wire rack.  To make filling, whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. 

Red Velvet Cookies

Red velvet cake is not usually considered a Holiday dessert.  However, I think it should be! As a little girl, I wore red velvet dresses this time of the year, and when I hear "red velvet" I am reminded of Christmas time! I felt like making a red velvet cake, but I am in Holiday cookie mode right now, so I decided that I must create some red velvet cookies this year! 

I wanted them to have all the flavor of the famous cake, but be contained in the smaller scale cookie.  This was not difficult to accomplish, they had to have plenty of vanilla a touch of cocoa, and that sweet heavenly frosting to top them off!  My red velvet cake recipe is different from others however, because I use beets to color the cake and not food coloring.  I do not like the idea of pouring an entire red food coloring bottle into a single cake, especially if it is artificial.  So a while back I came up with a cake recipe using beet puree, and it does the trick!  It worked the same in the cookies, and bonus nobody can tell that there are beets in them (so don't tell shhhh)!  They were delicious without the frosting ( I know because I couldn't wait for them to cool to try some), soft fragrant vanilla cookies, but of course it wouldn't be red velvet without the sweet cream cheese icing!  So I whipped up a batch and frosted them once they were cool. 

I couldn't resist adding a little pink to the frosting, even though the classic is white...what can I say, I needed to add my own touch!  They were heavenly...and if you enjoy red velvet cake, you should try making these!  They are so much easier! 

Vegan Red Velvet Cookies

makes about 2 dozen

Cookies:

1 cup maple sugar, or granulated organic sugar

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup Earth Balance vegan buttery spread at room temperature

1/2 cup cooked red organic beet puree
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup agave nectar

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt

Frosting:

1 8 oz pkg vegan cream cheese
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar (or more if needed)
a few drops beet based red food coloring (optional)

In a large bowl, combine buttery spread and coconut oil with sugar and beat until fluffy and well combined. Beat in the beets, vanilla extract, and agave nectar until well combined. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, then add to the large bowl, and mix until well combined, and place in the fridge to chill until firm (preferably overnight). To bake, Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll balls into about 2 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart (refrigerate unused dough while baking the other trays). Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly (but do not overbake!). Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining cookies.  When cookies are completely cool, beat cream cheese in a bowl until soft and fluffy.  Beat in powdered sugar (adding more if a stiffer consistency is desired), vanilla, and food coloring until well blended.  Place frosting in a pastry bag and pipe decoratively atop the cookies.