dessert

Snickerdoodles!!

/ pumpkinhoney / 3 Comments

DSC_0523

Happy New Year, everyone!

I know the new year’s resolutions usually dictate getting fitter, healthier, eating fewer sweets, etc.
Which especially makes sense after the holidays…
but I feel it has been long enough since Christmas to indulge in a little 2013 treat.
And one of my mom’s coworkers demanded 3 dozen snickerdoodles! Lol.
And apparently Snickerdoodles are Stephen’s favorite cookie. Which I guess I should have known since he loves cinnamon 🙂

DSC_0585

Snickerdoodles:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp AP flour
2 tsp angel cream (or cream of tartar)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

combine & roll in:
1 tbsp cinnamon
3 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Use center rack in oven.

Beat butter & shortening on medium until light, creamy & fluffy. Add sugar and beat thoroughly. Add eggs & vanilla and beat until all of the ingredients are incorporated and everything is still light & fluffy. Begin adding the dry ingredients and mix slooowly. Increase the speed until mixture is consistent.

Flour flying out of the bowl is the worst.

Combine extra sugar & cinnamon in a shallow bowl or on a plate. Making tablespoon sized balls of dough, gently roll them in the cinnamon-sugar to coat. Place on baking sheet.

Bake each batch for about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on drying rack.

Indulge.

DSC_0525

These cookies are especially good with a steaming cup of coffee.

DSC_0530

Or all by themselves.

DSC_0537

After dinner. For a nice & simple dessert.

DSC_0541

Even for a lovely, cinnamony breakfast ; )

DSC_0600

They’re light. And crispy. And they melt in your mouth.

DSC_0608

They’re probably delicious dipped in a cold glass of milk (cow OR almond).

DSC_0561

Or 10 at a time.

DSC_0573

Or just one bite.

DSC_0568

Enjoy!!!

DSC_0609

DSC_0628

DSC_0624

Advertisement

Magical Brownies

/ pumpkinhoney / 15 Comments

Wow, it’s been a month. I’d tell you I’ve been busy, but I’d be lying. It has been an eventful month though. Don’t worry, I won’t disappear again. I have some great recipes to share for summer 🙂

What happened this May:

  • My oldest brother got married! Now, I have a wonderful big sister : )
  • Stephen graduated the SAME DAY from Penn State. And I had to miss it : / Bridesmaid duties.
  • But then I helped him move out of his apartment in State College.
  • I scheduled my classes for the first semester of my Global Environmental Policy  program at AU.
  • And bought the books for one of my classes… not including the one yet to be released. I also started to read one of said books… A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold (it’s pretty fantastic).

These are celebratory brownies!

These are amazing brownies!

These are magical brownies! (No, not “special.”)

These are the brownies I never thought I’d ever be able to make from scratch 🙂

Let alone, make vegan.

They can be enjoyed by themselves. With a nice glass of your milk of choice. Or topped with a huge scoop of ice cream & some fudge sauce <—- yes, please. Brownie sundaes ❤

And make them I will, again and again and again for the rest of my life… so long as chocolate is available. I read an article recently that said the demand for chocolate is increasing so rapidly that the production of chocolate won’t be able to meet the population’s “needs.” Apparently, cocoa farmers/producers are straining their farms to produce greater quantities of cocoa than they realistically have the capacity to produce. AKA, the cocoa plants need more TLC than they’re receiving & are becoming weak. I wish I could remember where I read this. I’m sure, in our modern age, you can “GOOGLE” it.

Magical Brownies

1/3 Cup Chocolate Chips + (1/3 Cup Chocolate Chips optional)

1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder

4 Tbsp Coconut Oil

4 Tbsp Neutral Oil (Veg/Canola/Olive)

2 Ener-G Eggs

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup AP Flour

1 Tsp Baking Powder (scant)

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Vanilla

1/4 Cup Almond Milk

Directions:

Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper & preheat oven to 350.

In a double boiler, over low heat, melt chocolate chips with cocoa powder, coconut oil, and vegetable oil.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, prepare Ener-G eggs (or flax eggs). Set aside.

In a medium-sized, mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder & salt.

When the chocolate is completely melted, add to dry ingredients.

Add the ener-g eggs, vanilla & almond milk.

Stir to combine completely. Add additional chocolate chips (for best results… aka chocolatey-ist) and stir.

Pour batter (it should be a bit thick) into lined pan.

Bake until toothpick/knife inserted in center comes out clean. EDIT: About 35 – 45 minutes.

I suggest checking on them every so often. I’ve baked them in a le creuset enamel pan & a glass pan and the time varied a bit.

Now cut them and….. (oh yeah, let cool a bit)…. NOW….

Devour!!!

Okay, I’m running to the grocery store so I can make these again today. These pictures are making my stomach RAWR!!