K's Tomato Soup

• 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1/3 cup raw cashews
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tbs nutritional yeast

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend for a couple of minutes, until it is really smooth and creamy. Transfer to a saucepan and heat.

Non-dairy butter

Adapted from a recipe in Homemade Vegan Pantry by Miyoko Schinner

• 1 1/2 cups refined coconut oil (this needs to be refined oil, the odorless kind) 
• 1/2 cup olive oil (I like olive better in this than a more neutral oil)
• 1 tablespoon liquid lecithin (This is not optional. If you use granules, triple the amount.)
• 1/4 teaspoon lactic acid powder (optional, but this adds a note that really sells it as butter)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup plain non dairy milk 

Combine ingredients in a food processor until you have a creamy emulsion. Pour into 4 ounce jelly jars and freeze the unused portion. Keep the active jar refrigerated or it will seperate.

Hot peanut sauce

This sauce is GLORIOUS over steamed fresh veggies (we do broccoli, carrots, red cabbage, sometimes cauliflower), served with seared tofu and brown rice. I sometimes do this with a big handful of raw spinach as the foundation of the bowl. 

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons tamari
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tsps ginger purée
• 1 (or more) tablespoons sriracha

Combine in a blender, and then heat in a saucepan, stirring frequently, until very hot.
We fry the tofu in slabs in a little oil, and then cut it into bite sized chunks. We then pour the sauce over rice, steamed veggies and baby spinach.

Dinner Shaped Dinner

I promised this recipe to a random stranger at Costco over a month ago. I'm finally posting it. We call this dinner-shaped dinner - baked potato, veggies, protein.

Step one in the process is the sour cream. You can use a commercial variety if you prefer,

1 cup raw unsalted cashews
3/4 cup boiling water
1/2 teaspoon lactic acid powder
Pinch salt

Combine these ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate.

Scrub and puncture four 8 ounce russet potatoes. Place them in the oven, and turn it to 400 degrees. Set timer for 20 minutes.

For the roasted brussels sprouts:
2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half (if the size is not uniform, you may leave the smallest ones whole while quartering the largest)
1 large onion, diced
2 apples, diced (granny smith are my favorites for this, but any apple is fine)
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
either 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or a large handful of peeled whole garlic cloves
black pepper
Toss these together and spread onto a baking sheet (silpat or parchment makes for easier clean up)
When the first timer goes off, add these to the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes again.

For the barbecue glazed tempeh:
2 8 ounce packages tempeh
About 1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce - homemade or store bought. We like the Kinder's brand when we are using store bought.

Slice the tempeh package down the center lengthwise, and remove the wrapping. Slice each half across to split it into two thin slabs. Cover a baking sheet with parchment or a sil pat, and brush barbecue sauce over the top of each slab.
When the timer goes off, add this pan to the oven, set a timer for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove the sheet from the oven, flip the tempeh, and coat the other side in sauce. Bake another 15 minutes.

That is enough time for all the components to be fully cooked. Split the potatoes, top with sour cream and butter, and green onions or chives. Dish a generous portion of sprouts, and a couple of slabs of tempeh. Serves 4.

Vegan Fondue

Fondue is a family favorite recipe, and one I have tried, with varying degrees of success, to veganize over the years. Tonight, I found something that I am finally happy with.

• 1 cup raw, unsalted cashew pieces
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup water
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon light Miso
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 1/2 cups sweet white wine (I used moscato)
• juice of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
• dash of nutmeg (about 1/16th tsp)
• white pepper

Start by placing the cashews and about 3 cups of water in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, and boil for 15 minutes. Drain the cashew pieces. Place them into a blender, and add the reserved cup of water, and all of the remaining ingredients. Blend until creamy and smooth, how long is going to depend on your blender - it takes about 3 minutes in my mid-grade Oster. Return to the saucepan and cook on medium low heat, stirring frequently, until it starts to bubble and is thickened.

Serve with chunks of bread to dip, steamed broccoli, chunks of crisp, sweet apple (fujis are good), a salad, and the rest of the bottle of wine! 

Soup soup soup!

Spilt Pea

Mirepoix - You want equal amounts carrot, onion, celery, totaling  6-8 cups, I usually use:

• 1 BIG onion
• 2-3 carrots
• 3-4 ribs of celery 

Saute this in 1 TBS olive oil until onions are soft and translucent. Then add:

• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 4-5 cloves of garlic

Stir constantly for a few minutes, until you can really smell the garlic. Then add:

• 9 cups of water
• 3 cups spilt peas

Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, covered, for about 45 minutes. (It won't hurt this to cook for a couple of hours, just stir it once in a while). Fish out the bay leaves, puree, ideally with an immersion blender and add:

• 2 tsps salt
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• And a generous amount of fresh ground black pepper

"Orange Soup"

• 5 big carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 2 big sweet potatoes cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 yellow onion, diced or sliced doesn't matter, you puree it all in the end
• 1 cup orange juice
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbs grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 1 cup red lentils
• Water or stock to cover simmering veggies
• Olive oil for sauteeing onions
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Saute onion in olive oil until translucent and tender. Add ginger, garlic, red pepper, stir until fragrant. Add veggies, lentils, juice, coconut milk, and enough water to cover it all. cover, simmer about 30 minutes, until the carrots and sweet potatoes are soft. Puree the whole mess with an immersion blender, if you have one (if you don't, get one)! Add salt (probably about 1 1/2 tsps, add it a little at a time to check) and pepper to taste.

Pear Coffee Cake

½ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup oil
4 tbs flax seed
¾ cup hot water
1 tsp vanilla

3 ripe pears, diced

2 cups whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cardamom
⅛ tsp white pepper

Combine each set of ingredients, then mix together. Spread into 8x8 pan, bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes.

Cashew Ranch

• 1/3 cup raw unsalted cashews
• 1/3 -2/3 cups cold water
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine these in a blender and process well, at least 2-3 minutes. The dressing will warm up slightly, and you will probably want to chill it down some before serving. Use less water for a dip. If you like, you can add a teaspoon of parsley to it and pulse a few times to mix it in at the end. Adding it with the other ingredients will just turn your dressing green.

Let's Talk Cashew Cream.

Ah, cashew cream. I don't know how I'd manage a dairy-free existence without you! Raw, unsalted cashews, liquid,  and a good blender make a thick, creamy sauce that substitutes marvelously for heavy cream or milk in many places. We use it in soups, desserts, sauces and salad dressings where dairy would be used.
Over the next couple of weeks, I will post recipes for creamy tomato soup, Alfredo sauce, ranch dressing, cilantro lime cream, lemon-dill sauce, and sweetened cream, but today, here is the basic formula for cashew cream:

• 1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews (According to Tal Ronnen, you should always use whole cashews for this, because the flavor is better. I suppose that if I were a celebrity chef, I might agree, but for those of us on a realistic food budget, take heart, I don't think you can taste the difference between whole cashews and cashew pieces once they are turned into cream. At least I can't).
• 1/2 -2/3 cup cold water

Place ingredients in a blender and process for 2-3 minutes, until the nuts and water have emulisfied into a smooth, creamy liquid. You do NOT need a Vitamix or a Blendtec to do this - I have a basic Oster blender and it works fine. Use in any recipe calling for heavy cream, except for whipped cream - I'll cover how to pull that off in a later post.

Award-winning black bean chili

On February 6th, our awesome local vegan store, Never Felt Better hosted their first cooking competiton, a chili cookoff, and guess what?  WE WON FIRST PRIZE!  Here's the recipe we've developed. It's a bit of work, but worth the effort. I hope you enjoy it too! Makes a GIANT freaking pot o'chili.

•  3 cups dry black beans, cooked in a 2qt crockpot full of water for 8 hours (this will be added, liquid and all, so don't drain them)
•  2 cups cooked short grain brown rice
•  2 tsps olive oil
•  1 diced onion
•  2 diced poblano chili peppers
•  3 tbsp chili powder        
•  3 tbsp cumin powder
•  1 12 oz bottle hard cider (apple or pear)
•  1 6 oz can tomato paste
•  1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
•  1 lb frozen corn
•  1 tbsp cocoa powder
•  1/2 tsp chipotle powder
•  1/4 tsp cinnamon
•  1/4 tsp vanilla extract
•  1/4 cup toasted unsalted pumpkin seeds (if you can't find unsalted ones, start with raw ones and toast them yourself, which is what we do, or add less extra salt) coarsely ground
•  6 (or more) cloves of garlic, crushed
•  1 very large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, diced and roasted at 425 for about 45 minutes, until edges start to caramelize
•  1/2 tsp molasses
•  1 tsp sea salt

  

Saute onion and peppers in olive oil until onion is translucent. Add cumin and chili powder, saute until liquid is absorbed by the spices. Add the cider, chipotle powder, cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon, ground pumpkin seeds, and molasses. Bring to a simmer. Add canned tomatoes (do not drain) and liquid, and tomato paste. Stir in the beans, squash, rice, corn, garlic, and salt. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for 12-48 hours and reheat, which lets the flavors meld and improves them. Really great with lime juice, chipotle Tabasco, Daiya cheese, diced onion, avocado, toasted pumpkin seeds, faux sour cream, or just as is.

Lentil-nut Stroganoff

Ok, so it's February and I'm just now posting Christmas dinner. Sorry, folks. This is one of the most complicated recipes I make, something we use for a fancy holiday meal.

One of my extended family's favorite special occasion meals is beef stroganoff.  It's a dish of cubed beef, sometimes mushrooms, stewed in a paprika laden sour cream sauce, usually served over egg noodles. Tricky to veganize, right? In order to do so, I started with a base recipe that I was introduced to several years ago when my friend Juli made a bunch of freeze-and-eat dinners for our family to eat while we were dealing with some major medical crap. The original mixture was intended for a shepherd's pie filling, but I've found the combination to be quite adaptable to serve in things like taco filling, sloppy joes, and this dish. To make the basic mock-ground beef  you need:

• 1/2 cup brown lentils
• 1/4 cup short grain brown rice or hulled barley
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (walnuts will certainly work, I'd expect that sunflower seeds would probably substitute well if you needed to adapt the recipe to be nut-free)
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon yeast extract spread, such as Vegemite or Marmite
• 1 cube vegetable bouillon or 1 tsp vegetable broth concentrate (I use Better than Bouillon)

Combine this in a covered saucepan, a smallish one will do, and simmer on medium until the lentils are fully cooked, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables:

• 1 pound cremini (white button will work too) mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tbs olive oil

You are going to want a larger pot for this step,  because this is where the whole deal is going to end up. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the olive oil until the onions are translucent and starting to reduce. Once you reach that point, add

• 4 teaspoons paprika (I prefer smoked paprika in this dish, but either way works)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (fresh ground is going to have better flavor than preground, if you use pre-ground, then you might decide to increase it some) 
• 1/2 cup white wine

Simmer this until the wine evaporates. At this point, add either

• 2 tablespoons of flour OR 1 tablespoon tapioca or cornstarch

Stir this in to the mixture, and continue to stir for about one minute after the flour vanishes into it. Then add 2 cups of water. About this time, your lentil stuff should be ready, the lentils should be whole, but tender. Dump that pot into this one and stir it together. Add

• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 2-3 cloves minced or pressed garlic
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

You're almost done. The final ingredient you add right before serving,

• 3/4 cup sour cream substitute 

I usually use Tofutti's non-hydrogenated Better than Sour Cream.

I usually serve this with a pile of steamed broccoli and a pound of Trader Joe's whole wheat rotelle. For the wheat free version, serve it over rice, quinoa, or gluten free pasta. Makes a whole lot - feeds 5-6 with leftovers as part of a holiday meal.

Eggless Nog

• 1/4 cup raw, unsalted cashews (you could probably use blanched almonds if you are allergic to cashews.
• 4 cups vanilla soymilk (or other milk-like beverage, coconut would probably be awesome)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp rum flavoring
• 1/4-1/2 cup dark brown sugar

 
Put cashews into a blender. Add nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla extract, rum flavoring, dark brown sugar, and salt. Then pour enough vanilla soymilk to allow it to blend (at least a cup) and blend it until the cashews are completely dissolved into the drink. Decant it, pour in the rest of the quart and stir. Chill and serve topped with grated nutmeg. Or use as a coffee creamer. This was a hit with everyone at our family winter holiday gathering last year, from the vegan 5 year old to the omnivorous eggnog connoisseurs. It does mix well with alcohol, I like brandy or amaretto, but rum would work too.

Allergy Friendly Chocolate Cupcakes - gluten, corn, soy free

I thought I got a photo of these, but I don't seem to have. So have a shot of another set of cupcakes instead.

 

Trust me, these turned out tasty enough that the difference is academic. They have chocolate frosting though.

A note on ingredients: most commercial vanilla extracts use a corn alcohol as the solvent. Making your own extract is pretty painless, though, just slit open a couple of vanilla beans and soak them in alcohol (I've got a batch in brandy right now) and let them sit until the desired strength. Many corn-allergic folks aren't so sensitive that distilled alcohol can affect them. When in doubt, ask. Also, most powdered sugars contain corn starch. Wholesome Sweeteners brand does not. Check your labels. All vegan margarines contain either corn or soy derivatives,  so this recipe uses straight palm oil. 

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup 'sticky' white rice flour
• 1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch (not pearls)
• 1 Tbs ground flaxseed
• 1 cup water or cold coffee
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (see note above) or the seeds of one vanilla bean - save the exterior for making extract
• 5 Tbsp neutral flavored liquid vegetable oil (canola, almond, safflower)
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350.

Whisk together dry ingredients, add wet ingredients and stir to combine. portion into lined cupcake pan. I got 15 cupcakes out of this. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

• 1/4 cup palm oil shortening
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or equivalent
• 2-3 Tbs cocoa powder
• 1 Tbs lemon juice (adds a cream cheese-y tang, I always add this to icing)
• 1/2 tsp blackstrap molasses (optional - adds a buttery note)
• 2 cups cornstarch-free powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt

Beat ingredients together to form a spreadable icing. Frost completely cooled cupcakes.
 

Six Ingredient Crock Pot White Bean Soup

Ok, 7 if you count the water.

2 cups dry white beans
7 cups water
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage OR 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1 bunch dino (also called lacinato) kale, chopped.

Place beans and water in a crockpot, cook for 6 hours on low. Add remaining ingredients and stir well, let stand about 10 minutes. Serve topped with a little olive oil, and a good bread if you are so inclined.

This is our favorite dinner for a busy day.

Thanksgiving feast

So here is our lovely vegan Thanksgiving meal.

The beverage there is 50/50 sparkling water and cinnamon pear cider from Trader Joe's. It was a delightful treat to use my grandmother's silver for the first time. 

On to the desserts ... apple crisp with no sugar or gluten, pumpkin whoopie pies, apple pie, and coconut whipped cream.

Did you see that pie? Because it was pretty. And the coconut whipped cream was out of this world.

Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole

I added corn to the batch in the photo, which is tasty, but totally unnecessary.

2 cups dry black beans, cooked with 1 teaspoon of salt added to the broth when fully cooked, (drain broth away before adding to the recipe) OR 2 15 ounce cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
4-5 cups diced garnet sweet potatoes, steamed for 15 minutes until tender
12 corn tortillas

Mole Sauce (adapted from the pantry mole rojo in Vegan Brunch)

1 TBS olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
5 tsps chili powder (you want real chili powder, not some chili powder blend with cumin and garlic and oregano diluting the goodness. We'll add those seperately).
2 tsps Mexican Oregano (this is not the same thing as plain oregano. It's a different spice, and is better in this recipe. If you don't have any, substitute regular oregano or marjoram or a combination of the two, and go get some for next time. It's in a plastic baggie in the ethnic foods section).
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp smoked paprika (You don't have any!?! Why not? They have it for cheap at Costco, now. Fine. Use regular paprika this time).
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups of water (Isa Chandra Moskowitz tells you to use broth. She also thought you needed 2 tablespoons of olive oil back there, and sliced almonds in addition to the peanut butter, all of which are fine and good, but this is my recipe, and I say water works fine and that it is rich enough with just the peanut butter).
3 TBS creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup crushed corn tortilla chips (this is a great place to use up stale ones, but fresh work fine, too)
1/4 cup of raisins (I never measure this, I just throw in a handful)
1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips (My favorite is Safeway/Vons O brand. Watch for them on sale in December and stock up)
3 cloves crushed garlic

Saute the onion in the olive oil until translucent. Add spices, stirring to keep them from scorching, adding a little water if needed. Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the garlic and the chocolate and simmer for about 15 minutes. Use a food processor, a blender or (best) an immersion blender to puree this into a smooth sauce. Stir the chocolate chips and the garlic in. Try not to eat the sauce like soup.

Layer about a quarter of the sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. I usually use a 9x9, but a 9x13 will work too. Cover the sauce with 4 tortillas, then half the beans and half the sweet potatoes. Add another quarter of the sauce, another layer of tortillas, then the other half of the beans and sweet potatoes. Top with sauce, another layer of sweet potatoes, and the last 4 tortillas. Top it off with the last of the sauce. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (You can refrigerate this for a while at this step instead. Increase baking time to 45 minutes if you do). I like this with a little bit of Tofutti Better than Sour Cream on top, but it doesn't need it.

Pantry Staples

A frequent question on many discussion forums is what pantry staples a vegan cook might want to keep on hand. Here's my list:

• Beans: white, black, pinto, chickpea, lentils, red lentils.
• Grains: Brown rice, corn meal, oatmeal, whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, whole grain pasta, quinoa
• Oils: canola, safflower, coconut, olive, Earth Balance, Vegenaise
• Nuts, seeds and dried fruit: pecans, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, raisins, apricots, cranberries, sesame seeds
• Frozen: Spinach, peas, peas and carrots, cauliflower, broccoli
• Canned: diced tomato, tomato paste, coconut milk, light coconut milk, pumpkin, homemade jam, peanut butter, assorted beans for quick meals
• Herbs and Spices: (partial list - this is just what I use most) pepper, sage, thyme, onion, garlic, cinnamon, ginger (dried and fresh), basil, oregano, curry, garam masala, chipotle powder, paprika, dill, Old Bay, pumpkin pie spice, mustard
• Other Seasonings: nutritional yeast, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, Sriracha, white balsamic, sesame oil, Tabasco, ketchup, mustard 
• Sweets: organic sugar, brown sugar, agave, maple syrup
• Soymilk - plain and vanilla
• Baking needs - flax seed meal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cocoa, chocolate chips, corn starch, arrowroot, vital wheat gluten

Perishables (autumn list):

• Fruits: bananas, apples, pears, kiwi, lemon, lime, pomegranates, mandarins
• Veggies: broccoli, kale, sweet potatoes, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, peppers, squash, onions, potatoes, mushrooms, brussels sprouts
• Proteins: tempeh, tofu
• Bread: whole wheat sliced bread, wheat and corn tortillas

Treats: (I buy these rarely - when they are on sale or when I need them for a specific meal)

• Daiya
• Tofutti cream cheese
• Tofurkey sausages
• Spring rolls, samosas and frozen Rising Moon ravioli.

Thanksgiving Menu

Willow Pond Organic Apple Farm, November 2010

• Sage crock "cheese" with crackers and/or apple slices
• Gluten free stuffed mushrooms with reduced balsamic glaze

• Carrot ginger sweet potato soup
• Arugula salad with beets, candied pecans, satsuma mandarins and citrus vinagrette

• Butternut squash baked ziti with carmelized onions and sage breadcrumb topping (gluten free)
• Chipotle mashed sweet potatoes
• Breadcrumb stuffing
• Mashed potatoes
• Maple baked lentils
• Roasted brussels-sprouts with apples and onions
• Cranberry-pear sauce

• Baked apples with oat-nut filling and coconut whipped cream (no gluten, lightly sweetened with maple syrup only)
• Pumpkin whoopie pies
• Apple pie

Pumpkin Curry

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 teaspoons hot curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 -3 cups diced pumpkin or butternut squash
1 cup dry red lentils
1 14 oz can light coconut milk
1 can full of water
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 pound fresh or frozen chopped spinach
3/4 tsp salt
2-4 cloves crushed garlic


Saute a chopped onion in about a tbs of olive oil until translucent, add curry powder and other spices.

Stir about a minute, you want it to be really fragrant before adding 1 can coconut milk (I use light, because the full fat is too rich for my taste in this) and then refill the empty can with water and add it. Add dry red lentils, raisins and cubed squash.

Simmer 15 minutes. Stir in a half pound of fresh or frozen spinach, chopped, and a cup of frozen peas (optional, but adds a textural interest). Add  a couple cloves of fresh garlic, and about 3/4 tsp of salt.

Serve over couscous, rice or quinoa, topped with chopped almonds.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

I promised at least one person at the veganism 101 class I attended today that I would post this. It is simplified and scaled down from a recipe by Dreena Burton.

1/2 cup flour (White is the most authentic tasting. Spelt will work. Whole wheat pastry flour is what I usually use. Regular whole wheat is too strongly flavored and will give you health-food tasting cookies)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 Tablespoons canola or other mild-tasting liquid vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons real maple syrup (Agave will work too. I've also used vanilla Torani in a pinch. I was unimpressed by the chocolateyness of the time I tried Hershey's, but they tasted fine.)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Handful of chocolate chips. Or white chocolate chips. Or dip the dough balls in spiced sugar for snickerdoodles, if you prefer.

Preheat oven to 350. You can basically dump everything in and mix it with a fork. Form into small balls, about 1- 1 1/2 inches in diameter, place on a lightly greased or parchment covered cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for 8-11 minutes, until lightly browned on the edges. (Or eat the dough raw. I don't care). Let sit about 5 minutes before you try to remove them from the sheet.

Variant: Substitute 1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon flour and 1/2 cup oatmeal for the 1/2 cup flour, and add 1/2 tsp cinnamon and a handful of raisins, dried cranberries, and/or nuts.


Gluten free notes: So I have made these and they have been great using a couple different commercial blends, I think I liked Mama's Almond the best of those. Add an extra tablespoon or so of flour to them. The gluten free mix from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar works even better. For a double batch, use 1/4 cup almond flour, 1/3 cup millet flour, 1/3 cup white rice (sticky or sweet white rice flour is the best), 3 TBS tapioca starch, and 1 TBS flax meal.