Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Happy Holidays. This is the last weekend before Christmas and if you want some cookies for a cookie exchange I recommend these. They are easy to make and a have wonderful chocolate-peppermint flavor.
If you don't like or don't want that peppermint flavor you can leave out the peppermint extract. The original recipe called for some crushed candy canes in the dough but I omitted them and it still tasted fantastic. The next time I make them I may only use powdered sugar to roll them in; the granulated sugar was a nice surprise but I almost wonder if it was too much. If you try it let me know!

1 cup cocoa powder

2 cups sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

¾ cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp peppermint extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Sugar Coating

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup powdered sugar

in separate dishes for rolling

In a small bowl combine flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside. In a medium bowl or stand up mixer stir together cocoa powder, sugar, applesauce, oil, and extracts until well blended. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours.

Getting ready to roll after chilling all night.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the granulated and powdered sugars in two separate bowls.

Remove chilled dough and roll into balls about one tablespoon each. Toss first in the granulated and then second in the powdered sugar, coating fully.

Bake for 12-13 minutes  at 350F allow to cool on the cookie sheets. They will be slightly under cooked. Transfer to a wire rack if needed to prevent over cooking.

Confit Byaldi (Baked Ratatouille)

Not all foods have to be super complicated or be heavily modified to be vegan. Confit Byaldi is also known as a baked ratatouille. For anyone that's curious, a true ratatouille is more similar to sauteed veggies than the arrangement that is made here. The ingredients are very similar though.              In the recipe I reference it says to use oregano, I just used a mix of herbs that I thought would complement the dish well. Some include oregano, parsley, basil or anything I had available.

Also, it's important to slice the vegetables thinly, about 1/8 inch, so that they bake quickly but also that the sizes are consistent. A mandolin makes this really safe, quick, and easy to do.

1/2 onion, finely chopped                               

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 cup tomato puree

Herbs                                                            

 Olive oil                                                            

1 small eggplant, thinly sliced                          

1 zucchini, thinly sliced                                    

1 yellow squash, thinly sliced                           

l red bell pepper, core removed and thinly sliced

1 green bell pepper, core removed and thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

In the bottom of a baking dish mix the tomato puree with the onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Layer vegetables in a pattern of your choosing until the dish is filled, overlapping but still exposing the upper portion of the previous slice. sprinkle with herbs and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes, the vegetables should be cooked but still hold their shape for serving.

Serve and enjoy.  This dish can be enjoyed both hot or after being refrigerated. There are many pairings you can make with this dish. I haven't tried many so let me know your favorite pairings. 

Cut veggies. They were broken into smaller
pieces to better fit in the baking dish.

The final dish.

Double layer Pumpkin Cheesecake: Vegan Baking with Nadine

     The time for thinking about holiday "vegan friendly" alternatives has arrived!  Introducing a delicious alternative to pumpkin pie and cheesecake; it's vegan pumpkin cheesecake! Also good for showing off to friends, this recipe has been to many potlucks, made in bite-size snacks for a party, and now... featured on a blog.
     Being a fan of the pumpkin flavor, I added a splash of Torani's Pumpkin Pie syrup to the recipe (it tastes better than it sounds). This recipe will definitely be on my plate this Thanksgiving!

Serves: 12
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Fridge time: 3 hours
Total time: 4 hours and 10 minutes
 
Ingredients:
Cheesecake layer:
8 ounces Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
12 ounces extra-firm silken tofu
1/2 cup agave nectar (or sugar)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Pumpkin Pie layer:
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons rum (optional)
A splash of Torani's Pumpkin Pie syrup (optional)
3 tablespoons brown sugar or natural sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Crust:

1 pre-made 8-inch graham cracker crust
Alternative: A crust recipe of your choice.

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare your crust (if necessary).
3. Place the "Cheesecake layer" ingredients in a food processor and puree
until completely smooth. It should be silky smooth—not chalky or lumpy.
4. Remove a heaping cup of this mixture from the processor and spread it flat on top of the
the crust.
5. Combine the ingredients in the "Pumpkin layer" to the food processor with the remaining cheesecake ingredients and process until well blended. With remaining cheesecake ingredients, combine "Pumpkin layer" in the food processor until smooth.
6. Smooth it carefully over the cheesecake layer, heaping it slightly in the middle (so the center won't go flat on you).
7. Bake until the center is almost set, about 50-60 minutes. Insert a toothpick, if the cake on the toothpick comes out runny or cold, give it more time, until the center is firm.
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. When at room temperature, place cheesecake in the refrigerator until chilled, about 3 hours.

Storage: Keep in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Long Time No Talk

Hello everyone!

A lot has changed for me since I started this blog and I'm happy to say I will be making a few changes to the content of this blog.

My most recent Farmers Market haul. Only $15.

First thing: I'm planning on doing regular blog posts. This isn’t a content change but there will now be more content. I’ve stocked up on posts and am in the final stages before posting them for you. So expect a post every other week.

Second: You may have noticed but I have a collaborator working with me to keep the content coming for you. She provided the ALT sandwich recipe earlier this year. I’ve known her for years am I trust them to provide delicious recipes for all of you.

Third: this will now be a vegan food blog. I recently decided to change my lifestyle and want to be able to share delicious meals. Some will be familiar favorites and others new additions.

Enjoy the new Decorative Delights.

~Rachel

P.S. All of my old recipes will remain on the blog. I still want them to be accessible if anyone wants to reference them or alter them.

Super Simple Granola

I finally did it, rather than let my oats sit in  a container until I had to buy new ones ( I can only make and eat so many cookies) I decided to make granola. I also was determined to use what I had in my kitchen at the time, and that wasn't very much.Other recipes add things like nuts, I didn't have any at the time so I compiled different recipes to make mine.

5 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
1 Tbsp Vanilla
Dash of cinnamon (optional)

In a bowl mix the oats, honey, and vanilla; sprinkle with cinnamon and mix until incorporated. Spread evenly on two aluminum covered cookie sheets and bake at 300 for 15 minutes. Mixing once half way through. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Enjoy


Notes:
I used some extra honey I had, you can use and syrup like sweetener to bind the ingredients together.
Once you remove it from the oven you can mix it again, this should cause the granola to cool into smaller pieces.

A.L.T. Sandwich: Vegan Cooking with Nadine

Avocado, Lettuce, Tomato Sandwich

       What Is better than a quick, simple vegan meal? The answer is nothing... except possibly midnight chocolate snacks, but that's besides the point....
      After spending all day at school (where they don't yet provide true vegan alternatives) I wait to eat dinner at home. But after spending 12 hours on campus, the last thing I want to do is spend a long time making myself food. Typically wanting to cheat on being vegan just to eat a quick meal, I've found the perfect solution! (Be aware, I usually have to have two of these... they're that good!)

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

8 slices of your preferred bread (I like Sourdough best)

1 ripe avocado, cut into thin slices

1-2 ripe tomatoes, cut into thin slices

1/4 head of romaine lettuce, washed and dried

4 tablespoons Vegenaise (I use about a tablespoon per sandwich)

Vegan bacon of your choice (optional)

Cracked pepper (optional)

Instructions:

1. Toast the bread of your choice in either your toaster or in the oven at 350°F for 5 minutes.
2. In the meantime, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
3. Once your bread is toasted, spread desired amount of Vegenaise on both slices of bread.
4. Layer the avocado (bacon if desired) on one slice of bread and the lettuce and tomato on the other slice.
5. Crack the pepper over both slices.
6. Close the sandwich, cut in half (if desired) and enjoy!

Homemade Pizza

Want a fun weekend meal? How about homemade pizza, you can completely customize it and have fun making it too. By freezing the dough it becomes easier to make any night of the week.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups water 100-110°F 

3-4 cups flour

1 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp olive oil

pinch of salt

desired toppings

Activate yeast in water while mixing dry ingredients together. Add olive oil and yeast-water mixture. Mix until well incorporated and not sticky. Add flour as needed to reduce sticky texture of dough. Allow to rise in a warmed oven for an hour and a half. Separate into 3 evenly sized dough balls. Allow to rise, slightly separated, for 15 minutes. Roll each out to  1/4-1/2 inch think on a floured surface. Place on a baking sheet or pizza stone with corn meal. Add desired toppings and bake at 500 for 8-15 minutes until the crust has browned.

Notes:

Extra dough can be frozen but will need to thaw and rise again before baking. It's best to  freeze the dough before the second rising then continue from there.