Thursday, December 24, 2009

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

I love it when a good cookie plan comes together!!! My mom used to make these cookies around Christmas time when I was a kid, and I have been dreaming of having one again ever since. My mom and I were inspired to try to veganize them them for Christmas Eve dinner, and dove into the process last night. I was pretty nervous about how they would turn out, as the original recipe calls for 4 eggs, but fortunately the results were chocolaty, chewy and tasted just as I remembered them.

Although I associate these cookies with Christmas/Hanukkah time, they would be delicious warm out of the oven on any cold winter night.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

  • 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 4 Egg replacer eggs, preferably Ener-G brand
  • 4-6 tbs. soy milk
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2-2/3 cup powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking powder and sal
t. In a large mixing bowl, combine canola oil, melted chocolate, vanilla and "eggs." Slowly add wet ingredients to dry using a hand held or stand mixer. Add soy milk one tablespoon at a time until the dough is nicely combined and pulls together (it should look slightly sticky). Cover the bowl containing the dough and chill in the fridge for 30 mins. to an hour.

Once dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, lightly grease a cookie sheet, and take dough out of fridge. Put powdered sugar in a shallow bowl, and begin to roll dough into 1 to 1.5 inch balls. Once balls are formed, roll them in powdered sugar to coat completely, then place on the cookie sheet. Bake cookies for 10-12 mins, until they are cracked at the top. Allow to cool for 5 mins. before transfering to a cooling rack.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.


Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Many thanks to Dave of www.EatingInTranslation.com for this beautiful picture of my cookies at The Greenpoint Food Market... I think this picture does them much more justice than mine did!


Sunday, December 20, 2009

Greenpoint Food Market- A Success!

In case you've been sleeping off a mulled wine hangover (not that I have!) or have been in an oblivious haze the past two days, let me catch you up. It snowed on the East Coast. A lot. Or at least most people think it's a lot- being from Colorado I would only call it a medium/small-ish storm. Anyways, this ridiculous storm caused my flight home, which would have been this morning, to be canceled.

Needless to say I am pretty bummed, I want to get home and do Christmas stuff, like a gingerbread house throwdown, asap! But, the hard blow of the reality that I won't be home until Monday night was softened yesterday by the fact I sold out of everything but 7 chocolate rugelach cookies yesterday at the Greenpoint Food Market!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a lot of fun, partly because everyone was in a Christmasy cookie mood, and partly because I once again shared a table with my buddy Aja, aka Sandwich Friend, who is awesome and makes seriously yummy sandwiches.

The set up- not the greatest picture, but you get the idea.


Chocolate chocolate-chip gingerbread cookies- these were a last minute addition but were the most popular- inspired by Martha Stewart, but veganized and spiced up with crystallized ginger on top. These sold out, and I have to admit I was kind of disappointed, I had hoped to at least save one to eat later! The lighting is crappy- you can't see how chocolaty these really are....
The chocolate and raspberry rugelach!!! It sparked many conversations- people told me how their grandmothers used to make it, or how they became addicted to it living in South Williamsburg. The raspberry was the first thing to sell out- much to Phil's disappointment.


Aja's sandwiches- she always has a vegan option that is off the hook. Yesterday it was a "Saucy Tempehtress," tempeh baked in bbq sauce with pickles, pickled red onions, swiss chard and some Vegenasie... I think the quality of my life would drastically improve if she could pack my lunch every day....

So yeah! It was a lot of work, but a lot of of fun, and satisfying to see people eat my cookies, and sometimes even come back for seconds, or a whole bag. This was The Lindzertort Bakery's second official time out, and I am learning so much... Even though I made a ton of cookies to sell, I think this is only the beginning of my holiday baking- stay tuned!


Saturday, December 12, 2009

A Vegan Hanukkah Feast- Serious Latke Overdose


I don't think there has ever been a year I have not been home for at least part of Hanukkah, but this year it falls early and I am still in NYC until next week, when Hanukkah ends. Luckily there will still be Christmas at home (yes, I am one of those lucky people who celebrated both growing up! twice the presents!), but I still wanted to light the menorah and eat some fried potatoes.

My brother had the same dilemma of not being home for Hanukkah, so he came over and we ate. Too much. But it was delicious!

Vegan latkes- with toffuti sour cream and applesauce
...



Broccoli and chickpea casserole from Vegan With
a Vengeance- just to throw some protein and real veggies into the mix...


And chocolate rugelah- because there can never be enough rugelach- even when I make nearly 100 next weekend...

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Extreme Vegan Rugelah Closeup!

Today I spent some time making rugelach dough. If all goes as planned, I will be selling this yummy cookie at the next Greenpoint Food Market in a couple of weeks.

While I was making enough dough f
or 80 cookies to freeze until I bake them the night before the market, I figured a couple of test batches of new flavors couldn't hurt...


The chocolate rugelah surprisingly reminded me of pain au chocolate- flaky and buttery with thick and gooey chocolate!


Phil's vote goes to the raspberry/pecan/raisin rugelah, tart, sweet, buttery, and "too rich to be vegan!"


There may be a second cookie in the works to sell, but it's not final yet... In the mean time, spread the word!