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Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Make One Mix- Make Ten Different Cookies!

Ten Vegan Cookies from One Master Mix
I love cookies! And, at Christmas time, I often give homemade cookies as gifts to friends. While I sometimes enjoy health food sorts of cookies throughout the year (Raw, Whole foods, without added oil or sugars), for
Christmas, I like to have traditional, homemade cookies, but still Vegan, and with no Saturated Fats.

These cookies are Vegan, and while not health food by any measure, they're less unhealthy than many traditional cookies, as I've minimized the fats, cut out animal products, use some applesauce in place of eggs, and replaced saturated fats with healthier oils.

These are recipes for the Big Batches of Cookies that I like to make at Christmastime. If you want recipes for a small family, check out my Mixes & Variations tab for smaller batches of many of the same cookies. (There are three new varieties here that I didn't have last year when I did the smaller batches)

My little girl & I love to make these together at Christmastime! And - since there are no raw eggs, there's no danger if she samples some of the dough before it's baked : )

(BTW - these look much better in person - and if someone else makes them! I'm neither a skilled photographer, nor a food-artist.)

This is being shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Mom's Library, Anti-Procrastination Tuesday, We Made That!, Cottage Link Up, Wonderful Wednesday, Encourage One Another, Wise Woman, Real Food, Allergy Free, Penny Pinching Party, Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Think Tank Thursday
Simple Lives Thursday,  Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Thrive at Home, Home Acre Hop, In & Out of the Kitchen, Teach Me Tuesday, Simple Saturdays, What'd You Do This Weekend
Ultimate Cookies & Goodies Party 
Victorian or Afternoon Tea Party 
Cookie Link Up 
Food on Fridays: Holiday Treats 
Traffic Jam Weekend 

Stuffedveggies Cookie & Cake Mix
Shake together in large Canister or Zippered Gallon Bag:
9 Cups All Purpose Flour*
4 Cups Sugar*
2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt

OR

Stuffedveggies SMALL Batch Cookie & Cake Mix
Measure into canister or Zipper Bag, shake & store
 2 1/4 cups Flour
1 cups Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Baking Directions
All of these Cookies are mixed with a spoon, then mixed together by hand (I'm sure if you have a fancy machine - like a KitchenAid - that would work too!). They're all Baked on a Cookie Sheet, with a little space between them (they spread a tiny bit, but not as much as traditional cookies) at 350 Degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes - till tops are lightly browned, and bottoms are golden Brown. I bake mine on a non-stick surface, and I don't oil or grease the pan. This year, I'm actually baking these on my non-stick Perforated Pizza Pans - and it's working great!



Slice & Bake Sugar Cookies
4 Cups Stuffedveggies Cookie Mix
3/4 Cup Oil
1/2 Cup Applesauce
Mix as above, then form in a log (may be wrapped in Plastic wrap to shape & store if desired)
Slice, Sprinkle with Colored Sugar, and Bake as above.
For a Children's Version of this recipe, check out this post! 




Thumbprint Cookies
Make Slice & Bake Sugar Cookie Dough, but instead of forming in a log, shape into Walnut-Sized Balls, place on cookie sheet, and make an indentation with a finger. Fill indentation with a little Jam or Jelly before baking.












Chocolate Chip Cookies
4 Cups Stuffedveggies Cookie Mix
3/4 Cups Oil*
1/2 Cup Applesauce
Stir in
Chocolate Chips to Taste
Form in Balls and Flatten Slightly.
Mix & Bake as described above.
For a Children's Version of this recipe, check out this post!






Peanut Butter Cookies
4 1/2 Cups Stuffedveggies Cookie Mix
3/4 Cup Applesauce
3/4 Cup Oil*
1 1/2 Cups Peanut Butter (One 16oz Jar)
3/4 teaspoons Salt
Mix as above & shape into balls, Roll in Sugar, Flatten with the traditional fork-score & Bake as described Above.







The PB&J
Make Above Peanut Butter Cookie Dough,
Form in Balls & Indent with Thumb
Fill with 1/4 teaspoon of your Favorite Jam
or All-Fruit Spread
Sprinkle with Sugar
Bake as Described Above






Snickerdoodles

Make Slice & Bake Sugar Cookie Dough
Form in Balls & Flatten Slightly
Roll in Cinnamon Sugar
(4 parts Sugar to 1 Part Cinnamon)
Bake as Above
For a Children's Version of this recipe, check out this post! 














Russian Teacakes (Mexican Wedding Cakes)
Mix together:
4 Cups Stuffedveggies Cookie Mix
1/2 Cup Cornstarch
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar (Confectioners' Sugar)
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
Walnuts to taste
Then mix in:
3/4 cup Oil*
1/2 Cup Applesauce
Shape into Balls & do not flatten. Bake as Above. After Baking, Roll in Powdered Sugar while still warm, then Sprinkle with more Powdered Sugar after cooling



Ginger Cookies
4 Cups Stuffedveggies Cookie Mix
1/2 Cup Molasses (not Blackstrap)
3/4 Cup Oil*
1/2 Cup Applesauce
2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves
Mix as Above. Shape in Balls (or boys & girls) & Flatten Slightly. Roll in Sugar. Bake as Above.


Brownie Snowballs
Mix Together
3 Cups Stuffedveggies Cookie Mix
1 Cup Cocoa (not hot cocoa mix, but the baking kind!)
Then Mix in as above:
3/4 Cup Oil*
1/2 Cup Applesauce
Walnuts or Pecans to Taste
Chocolate Chips to Taste
Shape into Balls & do not flatten. Bake as Above. After Baking, Roll in Powdered Sugar while still warm, then Sprinkle with additional Powdered Sugar after cooling.




Cashew Cardamom Cookies
Make Slice & Bake Sugar Cookie Dough
Mix in By Hand, Desired Quantity of
Roasted Salted Cashews
Form in Balls & Flatten slightly
Roll in Cardamom Sugar
(2 Tablespoons Granluated Sugar
Mixed with 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom)
Bake as Above.





*You can choose these ingredients according to your preferences. I use Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, but I have tried Whole Wheat Pastry Flour in these recipes, and it produces a very nice cookie, but does have a slight whole-wheat-y taste. Beet Sugar is Vegan, but not necessarily any more healthy than Refined Cane Sugar. Cane Sugar is often processed through Animal Bone Char, so is scrupulously avoided by many Vegans. Usually Beet Sugar is the less expensive grocery store variety; you can simply call the manufacturer of your favorite store brand, and ask them if it is Beet Sugar or Cane Sugar. If you prefer, you can use Turbinado Sugar, Florida Crystals, or Evaporated Cane Juice here - but it will produce a slightly different flavor. The nice thing about a mix like this is that you can tailor each ingredient to your own nutritional needs, allergies, or preferences. For Oil, I use Sunflower Seed Oil in cookies, because it has a light flavor, and is a comparatively healthy choice as oils go.

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18 comments:

  1. What a wonderful collection! Cookie-baking is a huge part of Christmas for me, and since I have become Orthodox I've been wanting to try more vegan types. Last week I tried to modify one recipe and it was a complete flop in my opinion, but I sent the cookies home with a friend who can't have dairy products, and she loved them, so it wasn't a complete loss. I will definitely save this post and make use of your experience.

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    1. Thank you so much - I do hope you enjoy them! I like to give these to Orthodox friends, because that way they can enjoy them during Advent or during Christmas - whichever they prefer. And, as a Vegan, I feel like I'm not contributing so much to ill health as I would if I gave butter cookies : )

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  2. Have you tried any of these without using any oil?

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    1. Sorry for the delay in publishing & response! For some reason I didn't get the normal notification on your posts : (

      Thanks so much for visiting!

      I have reduced the oil as far as I feel works to still make a pretty traditional Christmas cookie. If you're looking for something completely Oil Free, my Next post - "Raw (ish) Cookie Assortment" should appeal : )

      Also Helyn's Healthy Kitchen did a great 12 day series of Oil Free cookies http://www.helynskitchen.com/p/recipe-index.html I haven't tried them yet, but they look great! : )

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  3. AWESOME! I'm not a baker but have been wanting to try and I think Christmas Cookies is a FAB place to start! I have been looking at vegan versions and this sounds like the perfect one to try!!!! Thanks for posting this!

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  4. Oh I can't wait to try your Mexican Wedding Cookies recipe - those are my absolute fave, and your recipe looks easy enough that I might be able to do it (I am not a baker by any means)!

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    1. You can do it! Seriously - if it's tricky to make - I generally don't make it. You'll have to let me know how they turn out for you : )

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  5. I love how you've made so many varieties from one base! They all look great :-) It's a nice tradition to have with your daughter too - and as you say, being able to taste raw batter is a wonderful thing!

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    1. Thanks so much for visiting again, Kari - your recent Strawberry Layer Cake post looks good enough that I think I should stop by for a visit ; )

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  6. What an awesome post! A fantastic idea to have a basic mix and use many mix ins :-) They all sound so tasty too!

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    1. Thanks so much for visiting again, Sandy - you always have such amazing baked treats on your blog! : )

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  7. That cashew cookies look great! Thanks for sharing this awesome cookie mix at Mom's Library. It will be so handy to have it in the pantry.

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    1. Thanks so much for your kind comments - and thanks for hosting a great blog hop!

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  8. Great timesaver! Thank you for sharing this with us at the HomeAcre Hop! We'd love to have you back again tomorrow!

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  9. This is a great group of recipes. I love peanut butter cookies. Thank you for linking to the In and Out of the Kitchen Link Party. Hope to see you next week.

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  10. Such an awesome variety! Thanks for sharing and linking up to What'd You Do This Weekend. Just stopping by to let you know I will be featuring this later tonight on this week's linkup! Have a great night! :-)

    --Ashley @ PioneerMomma.com

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  11. We are so glad you share with us at the Ultimate Cookie party. Pinned to the party board on Pinterest. What a great way to work smarter, especially during the busy holiday season.

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