Dessert

(Source: http://www.theppk.com/category/recipe/desserts)

Index

1. Cherry Chocolate Chunk Mini Loaves
2. Raspberry Truffle Brownies
3. Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Crunch Topping
4. Marbled Banana Bread
5. Peanut Butter Caramel Apples
6. Chocolate Pumpkin Loaf
7. Old Fashioned Chocolate Pudding Pie
8. Pear Frangipane Tart
9. Maple Pecan Pie
10. Grilled Peaches with Ginger Coconut Caramel
11. Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Pie
12. Rad Whip
13. Raspberry Jam Swirl Crumbcake
14. Berry Creme Tart with Cocoa Olive Oil Crust
15. Matrioshka Eggnog
16. Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache
17. Green Tea Cupcakes with Almond Flowers
18. Peanut Butter Blondies
19. Whole Wheat Fig Bars
20. Peanut Apple Pretzel Drops
21. Chocolate Mousse Cupcakes
22. Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles
23. Pignoli Almond Cookies
24. Press in Almond Crust
25. Raw Strawberry Cheesecake
26. San Francisco and Magical Coconut Bars
27. Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows
28. Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies
29. Latchkey Lime Pie
30. Chocolate Chip Cookies
31. Mocha Chip Muffins
32. Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies
33. Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
34. Wheat Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
35. Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
36. Cinnamon Apple Crisp
37. Just Chocolate Cake
38. Apple Crisp
39. Pumpkin Pie Brownie
40. Vegan Milano Cookies
41. Graham Crackers

1. Cherry Chocolate Chunk Mini Loaves

Note:

If you have smaller sized loaf pans, just be mindful that baking times may vary. Give about 3 to 5 more minutes for each extra loaf in your batch. If you want to use an 8×4 loaf pan then bake for about 50 minutes, up to an hour. If you want to use muffins, then 12 muffins should take about 20 minutes.

If you’re subbing for a nut allergy, try 2 tablespoons oil and one more tablespoon applesauce in place of the nut butter, or try sun or soynut butter.

Recipe:

• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup natural almond butter
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup almond milk (or your preferred vegan milk), at room temp
• 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons boiling water, divided
• 3/4 cup dry sweetener (any type of sugar or evaporated cane juice)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon chocolate extract (optional – you can use another t vanilla)
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 oz chocolate bar, chopped into 1/2 inch or so chunks
• 1 cup chopped sweet cherries (thawed if using frozen)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly spray a mini loaf pan with cooking spray. Also, boil some water in a tea kettle (no need to measure yet.)
2. Put applesauce, almond butter, milk and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl. Measure out 1/3 cup boiling water and pour into the bowl with the chocolate mixture, mixing quickly with a fork to make a thick chocolate sauce. Add sugar and extracts and mix well.
3. Sift about half of the flour, along with the baking soda and salt, into the chocolate mixture, and gently stir just to incorporate, then measure out 1 tablespoon of boiling water and stir again. Now add the rest of the flour mixture and another tablespoon of boiling water and stir just until smooth. Take care not to overmix. Fold in the chocolate chunks and the cherries.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pans, about 3/4 of the way.
5. Bake for 26 to 28 minutes. The tops should be puffy and firm. Stick a steak knife into the center of the loaf to check for doneness. A little bit of wetness is okay since it could be from a chocolate chunk or a cherry, but the knife should come out mostly dry.
6. Let cool for 10 minutes, then invert pan and place loaves on a cooling rack to cool some of the way. It’s yummy when still a bit warm, with the chocolate chunks oozy and melty. Wrap extra loaves in plastic wrap to keep from drying out. If not using within a day, refrigerate wrapped loaves.

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2. Raspberry Truffle Brownies

A few recipe notes:
~This is one of those rare occasions where frozen fruit actually works better than fresh, so don’t worry about raspberries being out of season. The batter is very thick and I’m pretty sure that fresh raspberries would get crushed as you tried to knead them in.
~Use a naturally sweetened fruit spread if you can find one.
~To get brownies as fudgy as possible, be careful not to overbake. These really benefit from chilling in the fridge for a few hours.
~To slice brownies, use a blunt knife (a butter knife or a plastic knife) and dip in water after each slice.

Recipe:

• 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup raspberry fruit spread
• 1/2 cup sugar or other dry sweetener (see note)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup frozen raspberries

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8 inch pan with parchment paper and lightly mist with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Melt the chocolate in either a double boiler or the microwave. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, vigorously mix together the jam, sweetener, and apple sauce. Stir in the extracts and the melted chocolate.
4. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix very well until a stiff dough forms. Fold in the raspberries. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. It will be very thick, you’ll probably need to use your hands to evenly spread the batter.
5. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, they should still be soft and gooey. If a tester toothpick comes out clean, they’re overbaked. Remove from oven and let cool completely. These taste especially good and fudgy after being refrigerated for a few hours.

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3. Pumpkin Cheesecake With Pecan Crunch Topping

A few recipe notes before embarking on your vegan cheesecake adventure!

~For the crust, vegan graham crackers can be hard to find. If you can’t find them, you can either make your own, or use gingersnaps. We baked a few of these with gingersnaps and they were amazing!

~Soak the cashews overnight to make quick work of the recipe. You can cover them with plastic wrap if you’re afraid that your kitty will get to them.

~Although this recipe is for a fancy marbled cheesecake, you can skip that step if you’re pressed for time or would just rather not do it. Just mix everything in the filling together instead of dividing the batter and swirling.

~You can use either water packed silken tofu or the vacuum packed kind (like Mori-Nu.) If using Mori-Nu, extra firm silken works best.

Recipe:

For the crust:

• 1 1/4 cups of finely ground graham crackers or gingersnaps
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons melted non-hydrogenated margarine, melted coconut oil, or canola oil
• 1 tablespoon plain soy or almond milk.

Filling:

• 1/2 cup whole unroasted cashews soaked in water for 2 to 8 hours or until very soft
• 1/4 cup mashed banana (about half of 1 medium-sized banana)
• 1 12 to 14 oz package silken tofu, drained
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 3/4 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon nonhydrogenated margarine *or* coconut oil
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Method:

Make the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and lightly spray a 9 inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the crumbs and sugar. Drizzle in the oil or melted margarine.
3. Use a spoon to blend the mixture thoroughly to moisten the crumbs, then drizzle in the soy milk and stir again to form a crumbly dough.
4. Pour the crumbs into the pan. Press firmly into the bottom. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes until firm. Let the crust cool a bit before filling. Keep oven on 350 to bake the cheesecake.

Make the topping:
In a mixing bowl use a fork to mash together brown sugar, margarine, and salt until crumbly, then fold in the chopped nuts and stir to coat the mixture. Set aside until ready to use.

Make the filling:

1. Drain the cashews and place in a blender with the banana, tofu, sugar, brown sugar, coconut oil, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, orange zest, and sea salt. Blend until completely smooth and no bits of cashew remain, a food processor or strong blender should be able to get the job done.
2. Set aside 1/2 cup of batter. To the remaining batter, add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and blend until smooth, then pour it into the crust. Randomly spoon dollops of the reserved batter onto the cheesecake. Poke the end of a chopstick into a batter blob and gently swirl to create a marble pattern; repeat with the remaining dollops.
3. Bake the cheesecake for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove cheesecake halfway through baking and sprinkle on the topping. Return to oven to continue baking. Cheesecake will be done when the top is lightly puffed and the edges of the cake are golden. Remove it from the oven and let cool on a rack for about 20 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to complete cooling, at least 3 hours or even better if overnight. To serve, slice the cake using a thin, sharp knife dipped in cold water.

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4. Marbled Banana Bread

Recipe:

• 1 cup mashed very ripe banana
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/3 cup almond milk (or your preferred non-dairy milk)
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons boiling water, divided

Method:

1. Prepare boiling water, no need to measure yet. Also, preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Mash the banana in a large mixing bowl until relatively smooth. It should take 3 average sized ones, but spoon the mashed ‘nanas into a measuring cup to make sure, then return to the mixing bowl. Beat in the sugar, canola oil, milk and vanilla.
3. Now add the flour, baking soda and salt and gently mix just to incorporate. It’s okay if there is some flour still visible, just be careful not to overmix at this point.
4. Scoop one cup of the batter up and transfer it to a separate mixing bowl. Now, in a small tea cup mix the cocoa powder with 3 tablespoons boiling water and stir vigorously with a fork until the chocolate is dissolved. Add this chocolate mixture to the one cup of banana and mix until the chocolate is thoroughly smooth and incorporated.
5. Now back to the original plain banana batter; add 3 tablespoons of boiling water and mix the batter just until relatively smooth.
6. Here comes the fun part, it’s time to marble! Lightly grease an 8×4 loaf pan. Scoop alternate 1/2 cupfuls of chocolate/banana batter into the loaf pan. Nothing has to be precise here, in fact, the more random, the better. Once all of the batter is in, take a butter knife and swirl it through the batter in circular directions for about 10 seconds.
7. Bake for 55 minutes. Use a butter knife to test for doneness. Let cool and enjoy!

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5. Peanut Butter Caramel Apples

Recipe:

• 6 Granny Smith or Macintosh apples
• 1/2 cup well-stirred smooth natural peanut butter, at room temperatur
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup, at room temperature
• 1 cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped well
• 6 bamboo skewers
• Wax paper

Method:

1. Stick skewers through the bottoms of the apples. Make sure apples are secure. Set aside.
2. Spread a piece of parchment paper over a cutting board. Make room in your fridge for the cutting board, because you’ll be chilling the whole shebang.
3. Stir peanut butter and brown rice syrup together in a small sauce pan. Gently heat over low heat, stirring constantly with a fork, just until smooth and heated through. It should fall from your fork in ribbons. If it seems stiff, turn the heat off immediately and add a little extra brown rice syrup, until it’s fluid again. This happens because different peanut butters have varying amounts of moisture.
4. Use a spoon to spread peanut butter caramel over the entire apple. Sprinkle with peanuts, pressing peanuts into the caramel to make them stick. It’s ok if a few fall off. Place apple upside down on the wax paper and continue with the rest of the apples.
5. Transfer the cutting board with the apples to the fridge. Let set for at least 3 hours. Now apples are ready to eat!

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6. Chocolate Pumpkin Loaf

Recipe:

• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or canola oil)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons boiling water, divided (see note)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly grease an 8 inch loaf pan. Also, boil some water in a tea kettle (no need to measure yet.)
2. Put applesauce, coconut oil and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, spices, baking soda and salt.
3. Measure out 1/3 cup boiling water and pour into the bowl with the chocolate mixture, mixing quickly to make a smooth chocolate sauce. Add pumpkin, sugar and vanilla and mix well.
4. Dump about half of the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture and gently stir just to incorporate, then measure out 1 tablespoon of boiling water and stir again. Now add the rest of the flour mixture and another tablespoon of boiling water and stir just until smooth. Take care not to overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. It will be good and thick. You can smooth the top out with a spatula.
6. Bake for 55 minutes to an hour. Stick a steak knife into the center of the loaf to check for doneness. A little bit of wetness is okay since it could be from a chocolate chip, but the knife should come out mostly dry.
7. Let cool for 10 minutes, then invert pan and place loaf on a cooling rack to cool most of the way. It’s yummy a little bit warm, or thoroughly cooled. Slice and serve!

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7. Old Fashioned Chocolate Pudding Pie

Recipe:

• 1 prepared 9 inch cookie crust, storebought or homemade
• 3 cups almond milk, divided
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• Pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, remove from oven and let cool.
2. In a small (2 quart) sauce pan, combine 1 cup of almond milk and the cornstarch. Use a fork to whisk until the cornstarch is good and dissolved. Whisk in the remaining milk, the sugar, cocoa powder and salt. It’s okay if the cocoa is a bit clumpy at first, it will dissolve eventually.
3. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking occasionally. Keep a close eye because once boiling, you want to lower the heat and bring to a slow rolling boil. Whisk consistently until mixture is thickened, which should be about 7 minutes.
4. Add chocolate chips and mix to melt. Stir in vanilla. Pour the pudding into the prepared pie shell and let cool for about 15 minutes on the counter, just until it stops steaming like mad. To keep a skin from forming, place a circle of parchment paper over the filling. Refrigerate and let set for at least 3 hours.

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8. Pear Frangipane Tart

A few tips:
To melt the jam, gently heat in a small pot for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Or melt in a microwave for a minute or two (depending on the strength of your machine), stirring every 30 seconds. It should be liquid enough to brush on top of the pie.

Pears will brown very rapidly once peeled. Rubbing peeled pears with a little lemon juice will halt the process and allow you to slice and layer them at your own pace.

Recipe:

• One Shortbread Shell or Almond Crust (http://www.theppk.com/2009/09/press-in-almond-crust/) pressed into a 10 inch tart pan and parbaked for 15 minutes at 350 F
• 6 tablespoons cold non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, cut into pieces
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cup blanched sliced almonds, pulsed in a food processor into a fine meal
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• pinch salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup plain almond milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 pears (Bartlet or Bosc), peeled, cored and sliced into thin rounds
• 1/4 cup apricot jam, melted

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a food processor pulse together margarine, sugar, ground almonds, cornstarch, ground cinnamon, and salt until crumbly. Continue to pulse and stream in almond milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract to form a thick batter. Spread frangipane mixture into tart shell.
2. Peel the pears, remove the core and slice in half. Slice each half into 1/4 inch thin slices and lay overlapping slices on top of the frangipane, gently pressing the pears half way into the batter. Bake the tart for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown, then move the tart onto a cooling rack and cool for 20 minutes, then brush top of pears with melted jam. Cool tart for at least another hour before slicing with a thin, sharp knife dipped in cold water.

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9. Maple Pecan Pie

Variation: For a Salted Maple Pecan Pie, sprinkle 1/2 a teaspoon coarse sea salt over the top of the cooled pie.

Recipe:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine
• 6 oz extra firm silken tofu (1/2 of a tetra pack)
• 1/4 cup cold unsweetened plain non-dairy milk
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups pecan halves
• Prepared Single Pastry Crust, pressed into a tart pan or pie plate (no need to parbake)

Method:

1. First we’re going to make a caramel. In a 2 quart sauce pan, mix together sugars and maple syrup. Heat over medium heat, stirring often with a whisk. Once small bubbles start rapidly forming, stir pretty constantly for about 10 minutes. The mixture should become thick and syrupy. It shouldn’t be boiling too fiercely, if it starts climbing the walls of the pan in big bubbles then lower the heat a bit.
2. Add the margarine, and stir to melt. Turn the heat off, transfer mixture to a mixing bowl. In the meantime, prepare the rest of the filling, working quickly so that the caramel doesn’t completely set.
3. Crumble the tofu into a blender or food processor, along with the milk, cornstarch and salt. Puree until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender to make sure you get everything.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F.
5. With the caramel still warm in teh mixing bowl, add in the tofu mixture and the vanilla, and mix well. Fold in the pecans to incorporate.
6. Transfer to prepared pie crust and bake for 40 minutes. The pie is going to be somewhat jiggly, but it should appear to be set.
7. Let cool for a few hours, slice and serve! No cheating and pulling pecans off the pie.

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10. Grilled Peaches With Ginger Coconut Caramel

Recipe:

For the caramel:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch plus 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated on a microplane
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

For the peaches:

• 6 to 8 ripe peaches
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• And vanilla ice cream to serve

Method:

First make the caramel:

1. In a 2-quart pot, mix together sugar, water and maple syrup. Place over medium heat, and stir with a wisk until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Once dissolved, you don’t have to stir as much, but definitely keep a close eye so that it doesn’t burn, but do stir occasionally. It should be bubbly at the edges and start to turn a few shades darker. If it seems to be bubbling wildly, then lower the heat a bit.
3. Let cook this way for 15 minutes or so. In the meantime, mix the cornstarch with the tablespoon of water and slowly add the coconut milk, mixing with a fork to thoroughly incorporate the cornstarch.
4. Once the caramel turns a deep honey brown, slowly stream in the coconut milk, whisking constantly, then mix in the coconut oil, ginger and salt.
5. Cook for another 7 minutes or so, so that the cornstarch thickens the caramel a bit. Let cool a bit, but serve warm.

Prepare the Peaches:

1. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Remember to lightly grease it first so that the peaches don’t stick.
2. It’s easiest to slice the peaches width-wise (another way to think about it, is around the waist,) not stem to bottom. The pit will come out easier. Once sliced, hold each end of the peach and twist until it releases. Remove the pit, place peaches in a big bowl, and coat in oil and lemon juice. Use your hands to gently rub them and make sure they’re coated.
3. Grill each peach face down for about 7 minutes. Use a thin metal spatula to lift them from the grill. They should be tender and have awesome grill marks. Flip and grill for another 2 minutes or so, just to soften a bit more.
4. Serve immediately, with ice cream and drizzled with caramel.

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11. Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Pie

Recipe:

Unbaked single pastry crust, fit into a 9 inch pie plate, edges crimped

Filling:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 cups rhubarb, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 4 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen (see tips page XX), sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2/3 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Topping:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, melted (or canola oil)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Combine all of the filling ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients for the topping. Drizzle in the margarine and use your fingers to swish around the mixture until crumbs form. Some of the topping is still going to be sandy and that’s fine, just so long as you have mostly nice big crumbs.
4. Add filling to the prepared pie shell and top with the crumb topping. Cover loosely with tin foil and poke a few holes in the foil to let steam escape.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes at 425 F. Lower heat to 350 F, and remove the tin foil. Bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes, filling should be bubbling and the crumb topping should be golden. Place on a cooling rack and let cool for about 30 minutes before serving.

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12. Rad Whip

Recipe:

• 1/2 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least two hours and up to overnight
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup plain unsweetened almond milk, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon agar agar powder
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil plus 2 teaspoons
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:

1. Place a large metal bowl in the freezer to chill, you’ll be using it to blend up the Rad Whip so make sure it’s big enough.
2. Drain cashews and blend in a food processor or strong blender with coconut milk and 1/2 cup almond milk, until completely smooth. Rub it between your fingers to make sure there is no graininess left, this could take up to 5 minutes depending on your machine.
3. In a small sauce pan, heat the other 1/2 cup almond milk, agar, and sugar. Bring to a boil, and let simmer another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the coconut oil and stir to melt. It’s important to make sure this doesn’t set while on the stovetop, so be sure to have the blender mixture ready.
4. Stream the warm mixture into blender or food processor with the machine turned on. Blend for about a minute on high to incorporate lots of bubbles, then add the vanilla and pulse to mix.
5. Transfer to the chilled metal bowl. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes just to get it very very cold, but not frozen. When you remove it, it should be cold all the way through, and feel firm and even a bit rubbery. Don’t worry! You did everything right…watch in amazement as it transforms.
6. Now take a hand mixer and beat like mad. It should start to soften and peaks should start to form, but it might take a minute or so. Once it’s smooth and fluffy, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place back in fridge to set again for at least 3 hours*. Now use a hand blender one last time to get it even more fluffy.
7. *The longer you let it set, the fluffier it will get, so if you let it set at least 8 hours or up to overnight that is optimal.
8. Keep stored in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

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13. Raspberry Jam Swirl Crumbcake

Recipe:

For the cake:

• 3/4 cup soy milk (or any non-dairy milk)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup raspberry jam

For the topping:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease an 8×8 round springform pan or regular square pan. Measure out the soy milk for the cake and add the teaspoon of apple cider vinegar; set aside to curdle. Then begin preparing the topping.

Make the topping:
In a small mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Drizzle in the canola oil by the tablespoonful (you can eyeball it, no reason to whip out a tablespoon.) Use your fingers to swish around the mixture until crumbs form. Alternate swishing and adding canola oil until all oil is used and large crumbs have formed. Some of the topping is still going to be sandy and that’s fine, just so long as you have mostly nice big crumbs. You can add another tablespoon of oil if needed.

Make the cake:
In a large mixing bowl, mix together curdled milk, sugar, canola oil and vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until smooth.

Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Add spoonfuls of jam randomly on top of the batter and use a knife to swirl it in. Evenly sprinkle on the topping and pat it down just a bit. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted through the center comes out clean.

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14. Berry Creme Tart With Cocoa Olive Oil Crust

Recipe:

For the tart shell:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil, partially frozen (see note)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons almond milk
• Cooking spray

For the filling:

• 1 cup cashews, soaked (see recipe notes)
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1  teaspoon powdered agar agar
• 8 oz frozen berries (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Method:

1. To make the dough, sift the flour, cocoa and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Don’t skip this step, you really need to break up the clumps. Rub the salt between your fingers to grind it down a little more, and add to the mixture.
2. Add the olive oil to the flour mixture in spoonfuls. Use about 1/4 cup at first, and cut it into the flour using either your fingers or a pastry cutter (I prefer to use my hands.) Add the rest and keep cutting it in until dough appears moist, clumpy and crumbly. Drizzle in the almond milk (start with 3 tablespoons) and mix until the dough holds together when squeezed between your fingers.
3. Lightly spray 6 four-inch mini-tart pans with cooking spray.
4. Distribute handfuls of dough equally amongst the tart pans, leaving a small amount in the mixing bowl (1/4 cup or so) in case you need to patch spot. Now one by one, firmly press the dough into the sides and bottom of the tart pan.
5. Now poke the shells all over with a fork (like so), and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350 F.
7. Remove tarts from freezer and place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool enough to touch begin the filling.

For the filling:

1. Drain the cashews and place them in a food processor or Vita-Mix type thing. Blend them with the coconut milk until totally smooth, scraping down the sides occasionally. This can take up to 5 minutes.
2. In the meantime, measure out the almond milk and vigorously mix in the cornstarch until dissolved. Stir together the the milk, agar agar, frozen berries and sugar in a small (2 quart) sauce pot.
3. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring pretty consistently. Once boiling, lower the heat so that you’re just getting small bubbles. Mix for about 10 more minutes, it should thicken up and become a loose gel. Let cool for 5 minutes or so (keep stirring, even though it’s cooling.)
4. Pour 1 3/4 cups of the berry mixture into the cashew mixture in the food processor. (Reserve the remaining berry mixture for drizzling.) Puree until smooth. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and puree to blend.

Now assemble:

1. Pour the puree into the baked tart shells, being careful not to overfill. If there’s a little extra filling left over then just place it alone in a cup and save it for a rainy day. Now, take the reserve berry mixture and use a spoon to drizzle it over the filled tarts in a spiral fashion, or however you like. A few splatters of berry only make it cuter.
2. Place tarts in the fridge to set, it should take about an hour.
3. Once set, top with a few thawed berries and serve.

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15. Matrioshka Eggnog

Recipe:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 13 oz can coconut milk
• 3 cups almond milk
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated, if possible)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Tiny pinch cloves (less than 1/8th teaspoon)
• Rum to taste (start with 1/3 cup and see from there)
• Cinnamon sticks for garnish if you have them.

Method:

1. Pour coconut milk into a container. Place coconut milk and avocado in the freezer for about 45 minutes. They shouldn’t be frozen but they should be really, really cold (a little iciness on the coconut milk is ok.)
2. Slice avocado in half, remove the pit, peel it and place in a blender. Add all of the other ingredients as well. Blend until smooth. That’s it! Sprinkle with a little extra nutmeg and garnish with a cinnamon stick if you like.

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16. Vanilla Bean Cupcakes With Chocolate Ganache

Recipe:

For the cupcakes:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped

For the ganache:

• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Method:

Bake the cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
2. Whisk the almond milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside for a few minutes to get good and curdled.
3. Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and mix.
4. Beat together the almond milk mixture, oil, sugar, vanilla extract and vanilla bean in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix until no large lumps remain.
5. Fill cupcake liners two-thirds of the way and bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool.
6. In the meantime, prepare the ganache.
7. In a small sauce pan, bring the milk to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer and add the chocolate and syrup. Mix with a rubber spatula for about 30 seconds. Turn heat off, continue stirring until the chocolate is fully melted and the icing is smooth.

To assemble:

Let ganache cool for about 10 minutes. Dip the top of the cupcake in the ganache and then set them on a cooling rack. Spoon the remainder of the ganache over cupcakes. Let set in a cool room for an hour or so, or place in the fridge to set. Serve to happy people!

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17. Green Tea Cupcakes With Almond Flowers

Recipe:

For the cakes:

• 1/2 cup soy yogurt
• 2/3 cup rice milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 to 4 teaspoons matcha tea powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

For the Green Tea Glaze:

• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon matcha tea powder
• 1 to 2 tablespoons rice milk
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• Drop of vanilla extract

For the almond flowers:

• Confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup marzipan
• Very small drop of red food coloring

Method:

Make the cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line cupcake pan with liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk toether the yogurt, rice milk, vanilla, oil, and almond extract, beating well to blend in yogurt. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, matcha powder, salt, and sugar. If using rice flour it will be a little lumpy. Beat a little longer to break up any large lumps. Fill liners two-thirds full and bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted through the center of one comes out clean. Cool on racks before topping with glaze.

Make the glaze:
Keep a small bowl of confectioners’ sugar handy near your workspace. Knead marzipan with a drop of food coloring; if it gets too sticky, dip fingers into the powdered sugar. When color is incorporated, dust a smooth surface with some confectioners’ sugar. Pat out dough into a thin round and cut out small flower shapes. You can use a flower-shaped cutter, or just get creative with a small knife.

Assemble:
Use a tablespoon to pour green tea glaze into the center of each cupcake. Spread out a bit with the back of the spoon but it’s nice if you can see the green edges of the cupcake.

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18. Peanut Butter Blondies

Recipe:

• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 unsweetened almond milk (or your preferred non-dairy milk)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup peanuts

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Lightly grease a metal 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
2. In a mixing bowl, use a fork to vigorously mix together peanut butter, oil and sugar. Stir in the milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and baking powder. Once you get the flour somewhat mixed in, it‘s easier to just use your hands to knead the dough until soft. It will be very very thick and won‘t spread on its own. Transfer dough to the baking pan and press it into place. Sprinkle on the peanuts and lightly press them into the top.
3. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, the Blondie edges should be just barely darkened. The top will appear soft, and that‘’s okay. Remove from oven and cool completely before slicing into 12 squares.

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19. Whole Wheat Fig Bars

Recipe:

For the fig filling:

• 1 lb. dried figs, preferably black mission, hard stems removed and diced into small pieces
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup agave nectar or pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons finely grated citrus zest (try lemon, orange, lime or a combination)

For the dough:

• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
• 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 1/2 cup canola
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Line an 8 x 8 square metal brownie pan with enough aluminum foil so that it folds over the sides of the pan by about an inch. Spray bottom of covered pan with a little non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large saucepan combine chopped figs, water, agave nectar/maple syrup and citrus zest. Bring to boil over medium heat, reduce to a simmer and stir occasionally. When figs begin to soften in about 8 to 10 minutes continue to cook but mash figs with a firm spatula or a fork to create a chunky, moist paste. If mixture starts to look overly dry add two tablespoons of water and stir, dribbling in additional water to mixture if necessary. Remove filling from heat and set aside. If mixture still seems too chunky puree in a food processor until desired texture is reached.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine ground flax seed, non-dairy milk, canola oil, Sucanant and vanilla extract until smooth, mixing for about 1 1/2 minutes. Sift in whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir to form a soft dough, gather into a ball with your hands and divide into two sections. Shape each section of dough into a square shape about an inch thick.
4. Place one half of dough between two large sheets of waxed paper. With a rolling pin, roll dough into a larger square about the same size of the 8 x 8 inch pan (slightly larger is fine). Occasionally rotate the dough while rolling to help maintain an even thickness.
5. When finished rolling peel off to top layer of waxed paper and flip dough directly into the prepared baking pan. Remove top layer of waxed paper and press the dough firmly into the pan. Spread entire fig filling over the dough, making sure to evenly spread all the way to the edges. Prepare the top crust with the remaining dough the same method as bottom crust, flipping on top of filling and pressing dough evenly and all the way to the edges.
6. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until crust is golden and puffed. Remove from oven and place pan on wire rack to cool. When completely cool remove bars from pan by grabbing the edges of the foil and lift everything out of pan and flip over onto cutting board. Peel off foil and slice into 12 bars. Store in a tightly covered container.

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20. Peanut Apple Pretzel Drops

Note: With all of the chunky mix-ins, these cookies will look a little crazy. Don’t be scared if they appear a little more free form than you’re used to.

Recipe:

• 2 generous cups mini pretzels, crushed into small pieces
• 1 cup roasted, shelled peanut halves
• 4 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups, lightly packed) dried apple rings
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, tightly packed
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl combine pretzel pieces and peanuts. Using either kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut apple rings into small, bite-sized pieces. Combine with pretzels and peanuts.
3. In a large mixing bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
4. In a separate large bowl whisk together soy milk and flax seeds. Add oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla. Beat with electric beaters for 2 minutes until lumps of brown sugar are dissolved and mixture is very thick. Stir in flour mixture and mix just until dry ingredients are moistened and a thick, soft dough forms (you might want us a rubber spatula for this step). Fold in pretzel mixture and stir to completely coat everything with batter. The resulting dough will be very chunky and sticky. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes until cookies are firm and edges are lightly browned. Move from cookie sheets to wire racks to cool. Store in a loosely covered container.

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21. Chocolate Mousse Cupcakes

Recipe:

For the mousse:

• 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (one package is usually 12 ounces)
• 12 oz extra firm silken tofu (the vacuum packed kind)
• 1/4 cup plain soy milk
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the cupcakes:

• 1 cup soy milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray

Method:

Prepare the Mousse:

1. Crumble the tofu into a blender. Add the soy milk, agave and vanilla extract. Puree until completely smooth. Set aside.
2. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips. Obviously you don’t have a double boiler so take a small sauce pan and fill half way with water. On top of that place a small sauté pan. Fill the sauté pan with chocolate chips and bring the water to a boil. Use a rubber spatula to mix the chocolate as it melts. Once melted, remove from heat and let cool for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the chocolate to the tofu and blend until well combined, use the spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender every so often.
4. Transfer the mousse to an air tight container or a bowl covered in saran wrap and let chill for an hour.

Prepare the cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper liners.
2. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are OK).
3. Lightly spray the liners with cooking spray and pour batter into liners, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

To assemble:

1. Once the mousse is chilled and set and the cupcakes have cooled, remove from the refrigerator and stir with a fork to a spreadable consistency.  Fit a pastry bag with a wide decorating tip. Fill the bag with mousse and pipe it onto the cupcake in a spiral, starting from the outside in or in. Add chocolate chips or chocolate shavings if you are feeling especially fancy pants.
2. Chill the cupcakes or a half hour to let the mousse set again and serve cold.

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22. Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles

Recipe:

For the topping:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cookies:

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons almond milk (Or your preferred non-dairy milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon chocolate extract (or more vanilla extract if you have no chocolate)
• 1 2/3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix the topping ingredients together on a flat plate. Set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to vigorously mix together oil,  sugar, syrup, and milk. Mix in extracts.
4. Sift in remaining ingredients, stirring as you add them. Once all ingredients are added mix until you’ve got a pliable dough.
5. Roll dough into walnut sized balls. Pat into the sugar topping to flatten into roughly 2 inch discs. Transfer to baking sheet, sugar side up, at least 2 inches apart (they do spread). This should be easy as the the bottom of the cookies should just stick to your fingers so you can just flip them over onto the baking sheet.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, they should be a bit spread and crackly on top. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

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23. Pignoli Almond Cookies

Note: These cookies are super-soft right out of the oven, so be sure to allow them a full five minutes to firm up on the cookie sheet before transferring to racks to complete cooling.

Recipe:

• 7 ounces almond paste, sliced into 1 inch cubes (not marzipan)
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance margarine, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2  cup pine nuts
• 2 to 3 tablespoons almond milk for dipping

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a medium sized baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Pulse almond paste, salt, baking powder and 1/3 cup sugar in a food processor until mixture is crumbly, about 1 minute.
3. In a large bowl cream together margarine and remaining 1/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add almond paste mixture and almond extract and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Sift in flour and beat until a slightly crumbly yet soft dough forms. Dough should form a soft mass when pressed together.
4. Pour pine nuts into a shallow bowl and pour 2 Tablespoons of almond milk into a small saucer. For each cookie, roll 1 tablespoon of dough in palms to form into a ball, dip one end in almond milk and press moistened end into pine nuts. If necessary press pine nuts into surface of ball. Place dough balls, pine nut side up, on baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 14 minutes until cookies have puffed and spread a little, and nuts are are just slightly toasted. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up before carefully transferring to cooling rack. Store in a tightly covered container.

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24. Press-in Almond Crust

Recipe:

• 2/3 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 or more tablespoons cold almond milk

Method:

1. Pour almonds into a food processor and pulse into a fine meal, then add flour and salt and pulse to combine. Continue to pulse and stream in canola oil, then pulse in 3 tablespoons of almond milk. Mixture should hold together when pressed between your finger tips; if it feels a little mix in one more additional tablespoon of almond milk at a time.
2. Lightly grease pan, and sprinkle in mixture. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides.

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25. Raw Strawberry Cheesecake

Recipe:

• Crust
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 medjool dates, pitted and chopped

Filling

• 3 cups raw cashew pieces, soaked overnight (or at least 3 hours)
• 1/2 cup agave syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (alcohol free is preferred for raw desserts)
• 32 oz strawberries (reserve 9 for decorating), hulled and halved – about 4 cups
• 3/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Raw Fluffy White Frosting Recipe

• 1/2 cup raw cashew pieces, soaked overnight
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (alcohol free is preferred for raw desserts)
• 1/4 cup raw coconut oil, melted

Strawberry Coulis (Coulis is a fancy word for pureed sauce)

• 2 cups chopped strawberries
• 3 tablespoons agave syrup

Method:

1. Lightly grease a 9 inch spring form pan with coconut oil and set aside.
2. To prepare the crust, pulse nuts and salt in a food processor fit with a metal blade. When nuts are fine crumbs, add the dates and pulse until the dough holds together when squeezed between your fingers. Firmly press crust into the bottom of prepared cake pan. Set aside.
3. To prepare the filling, pulse cashews in food processor until crumbly. Add agave, water, lime juice and vanilla and puree until very smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to make sure you get everything. Feed the strawberries through the top of the food processor and puree until incorporated. The filling should turn a pretty pink. With the processor running, add the melted coconut oil in a steady stream.
4. Pour the filling into the cake pan. It will look like a smoothie and you’ll think no way it will set, but it will! Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to set. Make sure it’s level so that your cake doesn’t come out wonky. Let set for at least 4 hours.
5. Prepare the frosting in basically the same way as the cake. Pulse the cashews in the food processor until crumbly. Add the water, agave and vanilla and blend until smooth. With the food processor running, stream the coconut oil in through the top until combined. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill until set, about 2 hours.
6. Prepare the sauce when you’re close to serving. Just mash the strawberries up with the agave until it’s all red and syrupy.

To assemble

1. Release the cake from its springform prison. Use a mini scoop to place 8 mounds of icing around the perimeter of the cake and one in the center. Slice the tops off the reserved strawberries and gently smush them upside down into the frosting mounds. If you don’t have a mini scoop, just use a spoon and make them as pretty as you can, they’re gonna get smushed anyway.
2. To serve, place some Strawberry Coulis on the plate and serve the cake over it. Dig in!

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26. San Francisco And Magical Coconut Bars

Notes:

~You’ll want to use only sweetened, fluffy white flaked coconut for these. Save the natural shredded stuff for a healthy curry.

~Press the graham cracker crumb crust like crazy into the pan; the more you pat it down the firmer the resulting crust will be.

Recipe:

• One 14 oz can (regular or lite) coconut milk (about 1 3/4 cups)
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 cups vegan graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup melted margarine
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
• 2 cups flaked, sweetened coconut
• 1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Method:

1. In a large saucepan whisk together coconut milk and brown sugar over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mixture may form a thin skin on the surface; just stir it back into the liquid. Remove from heat and let cool while preparing the crust.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, melted margarine and sugar; mix well to moisten crumbs completely. Firmly press mixture into prepared pan, pressing evenly from center to sides of pan.
3. Pour warm coconut milk mixture evenly over crumb base. Top with an even layer of chocolate chips, flaked coconut and nuts, in that order. Firmly pat everything down until coconut milk mixture soaks upward into the toppings. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until coconut is deeply golden and filling is bubbling, remove from oven and let entire pan cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Transfer pan to the refrigerator to completely cool and firm up for at least 4 hours, even better overnight or until very firm. Use a sharp, heavy knife to run along the edges of bars, slide bars on parchment paper out of pan onto a cutting board then to slice into 24 squares. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. These also freeze well, tightly wrapped and allowed to thaw for 20 minutes before serving.

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27. Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows

Recipe:

Chocolate dough:

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons black unsweetened cocoa or more dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:

• 3/4 cup natural salted peanut butter, crunchy or creamy style
• 2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons soy creamer or non-dairy milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl combine oil, sugar, maple syrup, non-dairy milk and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, black cocoa if using, baking soda and salt. Mix to form a moist dough.
2. Make the filling. In another mixing bowl beat together peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, 2 tablespoons of soy creamer and vanilla extract to form a moist but firm dough. If peanut butter dough is too dry (as different natural peanut butters have different moisture content), stir in remaining tablespoon of non-dairy milk. If dough is too wet knead in a little extra powdered sugar.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Shape the cookies. Create the centers of the cookies by rolling the peanut butter dough into 24 balls. Scoop a generous tablespoon of chocolate dough, flatten into a disc and place a peanut butter ball in the center. Fold the sides of the chocolate dough up and around the peanut butter center and roll the chocolate ball into an smooth ball between your palms. Place on a sheet of waxed paper and repeat with remaining dough. If desired gently flatten cookies a little, but this is not necessary.
5. Place dough balls on lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and let cookies for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to complete cooling. Store cookies in tightly covered container. If desired warm cookies in a microwave for 10 to 12 seconds before serving.

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28. Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

Recipe:

• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup plain soymilk
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour (or a mix of both)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Spice blend:

• 1/2 teaspoon each ground nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

Method:

1. In a large bowl whisk together oil and sugar for about 3 minutes. Add molasses and soymilk. The molasses and soymilk won’t really blend with the oil but that’s ok.
2. Sift in all of the other dry ingredients, mixing about half way through. When all of the dry ingredients are added, mix until a stiff dough is formed. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour or up to 3 days in advance. If you chill longer than an hour you may want to let it sit for 10 minutes to warm up a bit before proceeding.
3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease your cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
4. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out to a little less than 1/4 inch thick. Cut out your shapes with your cookie cutters and use a thin spatula to gently place on cookie sheets. If you are using them to decorate a tree or something, remember to punch a hole in their heads (!) before baking. Bake for 8 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let them cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet then move to a cooling rack. Wait until they are completely cool before icing.

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29. Latchkey Lime Pie

Recipe:

• 1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
• 2/3 cups fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons agar flakes (or two teaspoons agar powder and skip the soaking step)
• 1 16 oz can coconut milk at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour (or try it with corn starch or arowroot – but I like tapioca best)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 9 inch prepared pie crust

Method:

1. In a small sauce pan, soak the agar in almond milk for about 15 minutes. Bake your pie crust for 8 to 10 minuties, then remove from oven to cool.
2. In the meantime, mix together coconut milk, tapioca, sugar and vanilla. It’s really important that your coconut milk is at room temperature so that it doesn’t affect the agar when you add it to the pot.
3. After soaking agar, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Keep a close eye so that it doesn’t boil over. Immediately reduce heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes, until agar is dissolved. If using powdered it will only take about 5 minutes to dissolve.
4. Once dissolved (you can check by dipping in a tablespoon and seeing if there are any agar flakes left), very slowly whisk in the coconut mixture and then the lime juice and zest. Adding it too fast will make the agar gel up, which you don’t want it to do just yet. Once added, whisk often for about 10 minutes, until mixture has thickened. If it isn’t thickening, turn the heat up just a bit, but you don’t want it to boil.
5. Pour into pie shell and let cool on the counter for about half an hour, just so that it isn’t steaming like mad. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, until fully set. Garnish with lime slices. Serve with some vegan whipped cream, store bought or do the coconut whipped cream thing.

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30. Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe:

• 1/2 brown sugar
• 1/4 white sugar
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cups chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two large light metal baking sheets.
2. Mix together sugars, oil, milk and tapioca flour in a mixing bowl. Use a strong fork and mix really well, for about 2 minutes, until it resembles smooth caramel. There is a chemical reaction when sugar and oil collide, so it’s important that you don’t get lazy about that step. Mix in the vanilla.
3. Add 1 cup of the flour, the baking soda and salt. Mix until well incorporated. Mix in the rest of the flour. Fold in the chocolate chips. The dough will be a little stuff so use your hands to really work them in.
4. For 3 inch cookies, roll the dough into about ping pong ball size balls. Flatten them out in your hands to about 2 1/2 inches. They will spread just a bit. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes – no more than 9 – until they are just a little browned around the edges. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
5. For 2 dozen two inch cookies roll dough into walnut sized balls and flatten to about 1 1/2 inches and bake for only six minutes.

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31. Mocha Chip Muffins

Recipe:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons soy yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients (flour through salt).
3. In a seperate bowl, wisk together wet ingredients (soy milk through yogurt) until emulsified.
4. Pour wet into dry and combine until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill muffin tins almost to the top. Bake 18 – 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

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32. Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe:

• 6 oz firm silken tofu (1/2 a package of the vacuum sealed kind)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup soymilk
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 2 cups sugar or sucanat
• 4 teaspoons molasses
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups quick cooking oats
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Method:

1. Prehat oven to 350.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together whole wheat pastry flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a seperate large bowl, cream together peanut butter and sugar with a spatula until well combined, 3 – 5 minutes.
4. In a blender, crumble the tofu in, add applesauce, soymilk and oil. Whiz on high until completely smooth. Add this mixture to the sugar mixture and cream together until well combined. Beat in the molasses and vanilla. Fold in the oats/flour mixture.
5. Drop by rounded spoonfulls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten the tops by lightly pressing with a fork in a criss cross pattern. Bake for 15 minutes.
6. Optional: Fold 1 1/2 cups raisins or semi sweet chocolate chips (or both) into the batter

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33. Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe:

• Baking Sheet, Blender, 2 large bowls, mixing spatula, cookie sheets
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon whole flax seeds
• 1/2 cup soymilk
• 2 cups all purp flour
• 3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Grind the flax seeds on high in a blender until they become a powder. Add soymilk and blend for another 30 seconds or so. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
4. In a seperate large bowl cream together oil and sugar. Add the flax seed/soy milk mixture and mix well. Add the vanilla.
5. Fold in the dry ingredients in batches. When it starts to get too stiff to mix with a spatula, use your hands until a nice stiff dough forms. Add the chocolate chips and mix with your hands again.
6. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and flatten into a disc that’s about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about an inch apart.
7. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, then set them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Variations

1. For chocolate chocolate chip cherry cookies, replace 1 teaspoon of the vanilla with almond extract, and replace 1/2 the chocolate chips with dried cherries.
2. For chocolate nut cookies, replace 1 teaspoon of the vanilla with a nut extract (almond, walnut, what have you) and replace the chocolate chips with 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (hazelnuts, almonds or walnuts all are good).

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34. Wheat Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Equipment

• 1 small mixing bowl
• 1 medium mixing bowl
• wisk or fork
• baking sheet or two

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups oat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil *or* melted margarine
• 1 Tablespoon flax meal
• 1/4 cup soy milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.
3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flax meal and soymilk. Add sugar and stir, add oil and vanilla and whisk vigorously until all ingredients are emulsified (about a minute).
4. Mix wet ingredients into dry, fold in chocolate chips.
5. Drop batter by the tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheet, leaving and 1 1/2 inches of space inbetween cookies.
6. Bake for 10 -12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a bit (5 minutes). Using a spatula, put them on a cooling rack or plate to cool the rest of the way.

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35. Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Equipment:

• baking sheets
• 2 mixing bowls

Method:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/3 cups rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 cup canned pumpkin, or cooked pureed pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• optional: 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
• 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Have ready 2 greased baking sheets.
2. Mix together flour, oats, baking soda, salt and spices.
3. In a seperate bowl, mix together sugar, oil, molasses, pumpkin and vanilla (and flax seeds if using) until very well combined. Add dry ingredients to wet in 3 batches, folding to combine. Fold in walnuts and raisins.
4. Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets. They don’t spread very much so they can be placed only an inch apart. Flatten the tops of the cookies with a fork or with your fingers, to press into cookie shape. Bake for 16 minutes at 350. If you are using two sheets of cookies on 2 levels of your oven, rotate the sheets halfway through for even baking. You’ll have enough batter for 4 trays.
5. Remove from oven and get cookies onto a wire rack to cool. These taste best when they’ve had some time to cool and set. They taste even better the next day!

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36. Cinnamon Apple Crisp

Equipment:

Two Mixing Bowls, 9 x 13 Baking Dish (glass is best), Aluminum Foil

Recipe:

Filling ingredients

• 4 pounds (about 8 ) apples, peeled, cored, quartered and cut in 1/4 inch slices
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (corn or potato starch would be an ok substitution)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• tiny pinch cloves (about 1/16 teaspoon)
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup

Topping Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/3 cup all purpouse flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoons vanilla

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl squeeze lemon juice over sliced apples. Add the arrow root and spices making sure all apples are coated. Move apple mixture to the baking dish and drizzle the maple syrup over it. Cover with tin foil and bake for 35 minutes.
2. Meanwhile prepare the topping. Sift dry ingredients together, and in a seperate bowl, mix wet ingredients well. Fold wet into dry mixing with a fork as you go along, until well coated and crumbly.
3. When apples are done baking, remove from oven and toss, then flatten them evenly with the back of a spatula or wooden spoon. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apple mixture and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until top feels crispy. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

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37. Just Chocolate Cake

Recipe:

• 1 cup almond milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular (or a mix of both)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350?F.
2. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla and almond extract and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are OK).
4. Lightly grease an 8 inch springform pan. Pour in the batter and bake for 32 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted through the center comes out clean.

Gooey Ganache

Recipe:

• 2/3 cup almond milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
• 8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Method:

1. In a small saucepan bring the milk to a boil then lower heat to a simmer. Add the chocoate chips and maple syrup and mix with a fork. Turn heat off and mix until thoroughly melted. Let cool for about 15 minutes before using.
2. To assemble: Just pour the ganache over the cooled cake and kind of tilt the cake at all angles to get the ganache to drip down the sides. Refrigerate to cool and set the ganache.

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38. Apple Crisp

Recipe:

For the filling

• 4 lbs apples (I use Roma)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup apple juice or water
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (cornstarch will work too)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 cup raisin (optional)

For the topping

• 1 cup quick cooking oats (not instant)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3 tablespoon soy milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Peel, core and thinly slice apples. Dissolve the arrowroot in the apple juice or water. Set aside.
3. Place apples and raisins in the baking dish, add sugars and spices and combine everything well (you may need to use your hands to do this). Pour arrowroot mixture over everything.
4. To prepare the topping, in a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add oil, soymilk, and vanilla, mix well. Crumble topping over the apples. Bake for 45 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

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39. Pumpkin Pie Brownie

Recipe:

For the brownie layer

• 4 ounce bittersweet chocolate, melted
• 1 cup canned or pureed pumpkin
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour (or arrowroot or corn starch)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the pumpkin pie layer

• 1 cup canned or pureed pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour (or use arrowroot or cornstarch)
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used soy)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch ground nutmeg
• pinch ground allspice

To decorate:

A handful of chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 inch springform pan, or use a 9 inch square pan, preferably lined with parchment paper.

To make the brownie layer:

1. Melt the chocolate (I still don’t need to tell you how to melt chocolate, right?).
2. In a large mixing bowl mix together pumpkin, sugar, oil and vanilla. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, tapioca, baking soda and salt and stir to combine, then mix in the melted chocolate.

To make the pumpkin layer:

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly combined.

To assemble:

1. Use a spatula to spread the brownie layer into the prepared baking pan, taking care to bring the batter to the edges of the pan. Pour the pumpkin layer over it, leaving a little room at the edges if you can. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pumpkin layer looks fairly firm (a little jiggling is okay) and has cracked at the edges a bit.
2. Let cool for 20 minutes and then transfer to the fridge to set for at least an hour and a half. Once set, decorate with chocolate chips and serve.

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40. Vegan Milano Cookies

Recipe:

• 1/3 cup rice milk (or soy, whatever you got)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Scant 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (or use chocolate chips)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 2 large cookie sheets.
2. In a large mixing bowl, use a strong fork to mix together milk, sugar, oil, vanilla and zest.
3. Add half of the flour, along with the cornstarch, baking powder and salt; mix well. Add the remaining flour and mix until you have a soft, pliable dough.
4. Make sure your hands are very clean and dry, and dust them with flour. Stuffs about to get messy. Sort of.
5. Grab about 1 tablespoon’s worth of dough and roll it into a ball, and then roll into a log that’s about 1 1/2 inches long. Flatten with the palms of your hand to create an oval that is 2 inches long and 1 inch across, then straighten the edges out with your fingers. Basically, if you know what a milano looks like, that’s the shape your going for. But this is homemade, so don’t try to be perfect. You aren’t a machine (or are you?)
6. Continue with the rest of the dough, flouring your hands before you form each cookie, until you have 16 cookies placed about 1 inch apart (they don’t spread much.) I had to do this in 2 batches because of my small oven, so while these baked I started my next batch of 16. If you’ve got a big oven then do both trays of 16 at once.
7. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until tops are firm and edges are ever so slightly browned. Remove from oven and let rest for 2 minutes. Use a thin, flexible spatula to transfer to a cooling rack. Meanwhile, bake your next batch and melt your chocolate*.
8. Once cookies are cool enough to handle (only about 10 minutes), take a cookie and dip the bottom into the chocolate. Then take another cookie and dip it, and place the dipped sides together to form a sandwich. Don’t press them hard lest the chocolate smush out. Place them on a tray or several plates that will fit in your fridge. Continue with the remaining cookies until you have 16 sandwiches. Have a wet rag at the ready to wipe your fingers between putting the cookies together, to avoid chocolate fingerprints on the cookies. Or just lick the chocolate off. Or just decide that who cares about chocolate fingerprints.
9. Place cookies in the fridge to set for at least an hour. Bring back to room temperature before serving (about 1/2 an hour.) Call it a day.

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41. Graham Crackers

Recipe:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup rice milk (plus maybe an extra tablespoon or so), soy milk or water will work, too

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a light colored baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the middle and pour in oil, molasses and vanilla. Give the liquid ingredients a quick wisk with a fork and then continue mixing until everything is well combined and crumbly.
3. Drizzle in the milk and combine. Use your hands to knead the dough a few times until it holds together, add an extra tablespoon of rice milk if needed. You should be able to form a pliable ball of dough.
4. Line a work surface with parchment. Place the dough on the parchment and work into a rectangle. Flatten a bit with the palms of your hand and sprinkle with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle that is roughly 10 x 14 inches. The dough should be about 1/8 inch thick. If the edges look crumbly, that’s okay.
5. Cut the edges off so that you have a relatively even 12 x 8 rectangle. Cut the dough into 8 crackers, to do this evenly use a sharp paring knife to slice the dough in half lengthwise and widthwise. Then cut widthwise again on either side of the center widthwise cut. That probably made it sound confusing, read it slowly.
6. Use a very thin flexible spatula to transfer the crackers to a baking sheet. It helps if you spray the spatula with cooking spray so that it slips on and off easily.
7. Gather up the scraps of dough and form them into a ball, then roll it out into a 4 by 8 rectangle, or whatever size you can manage. I was able to get 4 more crackers out of the deal, but your mileage may vary. Cut the edges evenly and slice into 4 crackers then transfer to the baking sheet.
8. Score each cookie with a fork 4 times in 2 columns. You don’t need to poke all the way through. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. 14 will give you nice crispy crackers, 12 minutes will be better for making ice cream sammiches.
9. Let cool completely on the baking sheet.

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