Constant Comment Cookies
I did make some cookies - but I made up the recipe...
If you're from down South like me then you're familiar with 'Constant Comment' tea. Y'all know that I love my tea! 
(not my photo) This is their description of the tea:
"Created by Ruth Bigelow in her kitchen over 60 years ago "Constant Comment"® is today America's most popular specialty tea. This original blend of the finest mountain-grown tea is deliciously flavored with rind of oranges and sweet spice. There's no other tea in the world quite like it."
Y'all probably also know that I love creating things in the kitchen - so - I was having a tea for some people from the local Concert Association and I needed something to serve with my cucumber and tofutti cream cheese sandwiches - made with homemade dill bread - these were so yummy - I didn't even mention the tofutti cream cheese and I don't think anyone noticed at all...
Soooo, I needed some cookies and I thought 'What would go with my "Constant Comment"® tea???' "Constant Comment Cookies" of course...
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Combine and stir with a whisk.
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Earth Balance - or vegan margarine of your choice
Beat until light and fluffy.
Then add egg replacer equivalent to 1 egg - I used Red Mill.
Add 1 & 1/2 teaspoons of orange extract and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.
Then gradually add your flour mixture beating it in about 1/3 at a time.
Beat just until a soft dough forms - then form it into a log and wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (you could probably do this a day ahead - and maybe even freeze it but I don't know as I didn't try it).
Preheat oven to 350°. Cut log into 4 equal portions - then working with one portion at a time (and keeping the others refrigerated - this is a soft dough) divide dough into 10 equal portions - roll into little balls and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Mix together on a small plate:
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Then dip the bottom of a flat glass first in water and then in the sugar mixture and flatten each little ball. Repeat with the other 3 portions of dough - Yield 40 cookies.
These were so good with tea - not too sweet and delicately flavored.
Oatmeal cookies take 2
Here's my second batch - this time I followed my Betty Crocker cookbook and just subbed egg replacer for eggs. I also added walnuts and chocolate chips and left out the raisins.
I really want a stand mixer, but I'm not really sure why because I know I will always mix my cookies by hand. I love it!
I also love this cookie scooper, best kitchen utensil ever.
Waiting to go in the oven (the real oven! not the toaster oven, we finally got it fixed!)
And cooling:
The verdict? Much better! The dough last time was much tastier than this dough, but the end cookie was better fresh out of the oven, and over time. And Shawn likes them! I did think the walnuts wound up with a slight burnt taste, so I might try pecans next time.
Cookies!
I thought I'd propose cookies for the next item - since I just made some. I used the oatmeal raisin cookie recipe from Veganomicon.
I didn't have everything it called for, so I subbed agave nectar for the brown rice syrup, golden raisins for regular, and dark brown sugar for light (despite the lying picture).
The dough was SUPER delicious!
The cookies were good fresh out of the oven, but I was not in love with them later on.
I think for my next batch I'm just going to use my standard Toll House or Quaker recipe with egg replacer. And add chocolate chips. And nuts. And leave out the raisins. :)
Labels: cookies
Alfredo!
Honestly, I have no idea if this tastes like Alfredo sauce I haven't had it in so long. I have a feeling it would not fool my dad, but I thought it was pretty tasty. B helped me get the ingredients together.
I didn't have powdered onion (swore I did!) so I crushed some onion flakes and since I had the mortar and pestle out anyway I went ahead and crushed some dried garlic from my uncle's farm even though I did have garlic powder.
Ready to be blended: Yum?
On the stove:
I was cooking today for lunches for the week rather than dinner tonight so I don't have as nice a final shot as everyone else, but I had to have a little taste of course:
Then I threw in some peas.
Labels: alfredo
Vegan Alfredo
We did finally get around to making the Vegan Alfredo and we loved it. The Man-Cub said that it looked just the 'restaurant alfredo' - and he was right - more importantly - it tasted just like the restaurant stuff. Next time, I'll use the lower end amounts of salt and garlic, but it was very rich and tasty.
I did leave out the nutritional yeast as the Man hates it - I can't figure out why - next time he's away on a trip I'll make this for the Man-Cub and myself and we'll try it that way too - hehe. And I used homemade soymilk without any sugar (I usually add sugar to my soymilk so I made some special for this recipe).
fettucine alfredo, vegan style!
Doodleyboo posted
this recipe so I gave it a whirl on the weekend. I love the tangy taste of nutritional yeast in a sauce, it was pretty good. Only problem with mine is that I couldn't get the tofu to puree enough, so there were little tiny tofu bumps in it. I probably need a better blender.
I served it with
fake parmasean and nappa salad:
Labels: cheeze, nutritional yeast, pasta, sauces, tofu
Givin' Alfredo alla Scrofa a run for his pasta
Alrighty! Time to get the ball rolling again on Vegan Cook-a-Long. For those of you longing for a really delicious Alfredo sauce that is the closest thing you'll get in flavour and taste to the milk-based pasta sauce, your search is at an end. And even if you weren't looking for such a recipe, try it anyway. Thanks to the culinary bravada of Lachesis of the PPK Forums, she posted
this fantabulous recipe for vegan Alfredo. Below is my version with a few tweaks. I really recommend adding the nutritional yeast, even if you're NY hater (are there really any of you out there?). Once you taste the sauce without it, you'll know NY adds that little somethin' that makes the sauce outstanding. I am uber confident it'll fool almost anyone into thinking it's
not vegan.
Vegan Alfredo Sauce1/2c Earth Balance
2 cups unsweetened soymilk, with 3 tbsp set aside for the arrowroot powder
1 package Mori-Nu extra firm silken tofu
1-2 tsp apple cider vinegar (because I never have wine in the house...)
2 tbsp onion powder
2-3 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp sea salt
1-2 tsp black pepper (to taste)
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 cup Red Star nutritional yeast
2 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch powder, dissolved in the 3 tbsp reserved soy milk
Combine all of the ingredients, except for the dissolved arrowroot powder, in a blender and mix on high until throughly combined. Transfer to a saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium heat. Whisk in arrowroot mixture and reduce heat to medium-low, whisking constantly to ensure no lumps form. Serve warm.
Note: If you have any leftover sauce, you may need to thin it with a little soy milk when reheating it.
(not my photo) This is their description of the tea:
