Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This is Mom's recipe (and my Dad's favorite) that I have loved since childhood.  When using margarine they don't come quite as lacy as with butter, but the taste is still the same.  The extra special treat for me is that they have raisins, walnuts and chocolate chips.


Ingredients
1 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbs almond milk
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

3 cups quick rolled oats
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups vegan semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl whisk together xanthan gum, flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.

Cream margarine and sugars until fluffy; beat in vanilla and almond milk.   With mixer at low speed, add in flour mixture until combined.  Using a wooden spoon stir oats, raisins, walnuts and chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on parchment line baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake 12-15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through.  The cookies will be set on the edges and soft in the middle - do not over bake!

Allow to cool about 5 minutes before moving with a spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for about a month.

Yields approximately 6 dozen cookies.

Vegan Chocolate Chunk Coconut Bars

This is a recipe that some of my non-vegan friends have requested - they are always a hit!   What's good about this recipe is that you can modify to whatever your taste is or what you have on hand; add some dried fruit with, or in place of, the chocolate chips.  These puff-up nicely when baking yet still have a dense chewy texture.

¾  cup whole wheat flour (spelt flour works well here, too)

1 ½ cups quick oats

½  tsp baking soda

¼  tsp baking powder

¼  tsp salt

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp canola oil

2/3 cup agave nectar

1 tsp vanilla

1-3 tbsp almond milk 

1 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips

½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 375 and line an 8x8 baking dish with aluminum foil, allowing foil to hang over two sides.

In a large bowl combine flour, oats, baking soda and powder and salt.  Add applesauce, oil, agave and vanilla; mix until combined.  

Mixture will be thick and may be dry; if so, add almond milk a little at a time until it holds together well.  

Fold in coconut and chips and pour into baking dish.  Push into dish and smooth top.   

Bake for 21-23 minutes.  

Cut into 16 small squares or 12 larger squares and enjoy.

Cakey-Chewy Vegan Brownies

After four sometimes painful tries, I have found the right combination of ingredients to get cakey-chewy brownies.  The key was adding baking powder to the mix to get a bit of a rise and not end up with a dense oily mess.

Ingredients
10 tbs margarine (1 1/4 sticks)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tbs almond milk
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecan, optional

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil, allowing the foil to hang over two sides.

Combine margarine, sugar, cocoa and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water.  Stir periodically until mixture is melted and well combined.  Remove from heat and allow to cool a few minutes.

Stir in vanilla, almond milk and xanthan gum.  Add flour and baking powder and stir to combine.  Add nuts if using.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.  Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.  When cool, hold the edges of the foil to remove the brownies from the pan.  Peel off the foil and cut into 16 to 24 squares, depending on your preference.