Fudgy Marshmallow Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are s'mores for adults - a gooey, fudgy, decadent cookie made a little healthier with a base of oatmeal and whole wheat flour. Regular cocoa powder can be used, but I prefer the darker flavor of dutched cocoa. These aren't the prettiest cookies since the marshmallows tend to melt and explode, but they make up for their homeliness in flavor.

There are two brands of vegan marshmallows that I know of -- Dandies and Sweet & Sara. Both are good, but Dandies have more of the air-puffed campfire marshmallow texture. If you use the bigger marshmallows from either brand, cut them into quarters or eighths before folding them into the batter.

Fudgy Marshmallow Oatmeal Cookies

2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup dutched cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp ground flax
1 1/4 cups non-dairy milk (I used soy)
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 cup vegan marshmallows (I used Dandies and cut them into quarters)

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two baking sheets.

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients except for chocolate chips and marshmallows. Add non-dairy milk, coconut oil, and vanilla and mix well to form a dough. Fold in the chocolate chips and marshmallows.

Drop dough on the baking sheets in 2 Tbsp-sized portions, making sure there is a marshmallow in each cookie. For a little more predictability in marshmallow expansion, you may want to fold the dough around the marshmallows instead of mixing them directly into the dough.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a plate or rack to finish cooling.

Plum Crumble for One

The problem with desserts is that it can be difficult to find baked desserts that serve just one or two instead of a dozen. It is almost as difficult to find desserts that are low sugar without resorting to fake sugar. This crumble satisfies both of those needs. It is single serving (but can easily be doubled) and only contains a teaspoon of sugar to cut the tartness of the plums. Also, unlike recipes making larger amounts, it only requires a couple pieces of fruit instead of a whole bag.

If you don't like or don't have plums, any other stone fruit can be substituted. You can also substitute the almond butter with peanut butter, or another nut or seed butter.

I confess I had this for breakfast instead of dessert, but since it is mostly fruit and oatmeal, I don't need to feel guilty about that.

Sorry on the blurriness! I didn't realize the focus was off until I uploaded it. By then, I had already eaten the crumble.

Plum Crumble for One

3 plums, sliced
1 Tbsp water
1/4 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp sugar or maple syrup
1 Tbsp almond butter
1 Tbsp coconut oil

Preheat oven to 375F.

Place sliced plums and water in a small baking dish.

In a small bowl, mix together the oatmeal, flour, sugar, almond butter, and coconut oil. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the plums.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned.

Garbanzo Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm not gluten-free right now, but I still like to experiment with gluten-free baking. I have never used xanthan gum in my gluten-free baking because everything I've made has turned out fine without it so I think it's unnecessary in most recipes. These cookies are made with garbanzo flour, which gives a beany flavor to the dough but the beaniness disappears upon baking. They are also free of tree nuts, peanuts, and soy. If you desire, you can stir in coconut flakes, dried fruit, nuts, or seeds along with or instead of the chocolate chips. The cookies bake up soft and don't fall apart or crumble like many of the gluten-free recipes I've tried.

*Note* This recipe had a typo. It should have been 1/4 cup non-dairy milk instead of 3/4 cup.

Garbanzo Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup non-dairy milk

1 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups garbanzo flour

3/4 cup chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, use a fork to combine brown and white sugars, coconut oil, non-dairy milk, and cornstarch. If your kitchen is cool, it might be easier to mix with an electric beater because coconut oil solidifies below 76F.

Stir in vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Mix in garbanzo flour until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop dough by the tablespoon onto the cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

I can't pass up the mint and chocolate combination. It has always been my favorite flavor for desserts even though I'm not normally a chocolate-lover. I make these cookies with white whole wheat flour, which is a lighter-tasting variety of whole wheat.

Fresh from the oven.

Cookie dough ready for the freezer.
Are you like me and eat way too many cookies when you make a batch? Try baking just what you need and freezing the rest so you can pop a couple in the oven when you have a craving or when the kids think they need cookies. Freeze tablespoon-sized scoops on parchment paper, then transfer to freezer bags or another container so you can just pull out a few scoops, defrost, and bake!

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup non-dairy milk,
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint extract
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

With a hand mixer, cream together sugars and coconut oil in a mixing bowl. Add non-dairy milk, cornstarch, and extracts and mix again. The coconut oil will harden if the milk isn't at room temperature, but don't worry about that. Sift in flour, salt, and baking soda and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by the tablespoon onto the cookie sheet. These cookies hold their shape well, so you may want to flatten them slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Cranberry-Orange Coffee Cake

Do you still have cranberries left over in your freezer from the winter holidays? I always freeze a bag or two for use later in the year. This sweet and tart coffee cake is a tasty way to use some of those leftover cranberries. If you don't have fresh or frozen cranberries, dried will also work, but you'll want to reduce the sugar a bit.

Cranberry-Orange Coffee Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat or white whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup sugar (1 cup if using dried cranberries with added sugar)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
4 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 cup orange juice
2 cups fresh/frozen cranberries or 1 cup dried cranberries

Topping
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 Tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, combine flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, coconut oil, and zest with a fork or your fingers until a coarse meal forms (no clumps of flour or coconut oil). Stir in orange juice until well mixed and then fold in cranberries. Pour batter into a 9x9 cake pan and smooth the top.

In a small bowl, stir together topping ingredients until well combined. Sprinkle topping over batter.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Lavender-Lime Shortbread

These light and delicate shortbread cookies are great with tea. The lavender and lime combination may seem odd, but the flavors blend together wonderfully.

Lavender-Lime Shortbread

1/2 Tbsp dried lavender (food-grade)

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp finely grated lime zest

1/2 cup non-dairy butter, salted (I used Earth Balance)

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

fresh lime juice

Grind lavender to a coarse powder with a mortar and pestle or with a spice grinder. Stir lavender, sugar, and lime zest together in a mixing bowl. Add the softened non-dairy butter and cream the mixture together. Add flour and salt. Beat until a soft, crumbly dough forms, adding lime juice if necessary if dough is too powdery.

On a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper, form the dough into a loaf. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for an hour. 

Preheat oven to 350F. Removed dough from fridge. Cut the dough into 1/4 inch thick slices and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Let cookies cool for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely, then ice if desired. 

Makes about 18 cookies.

Icing (optional)

1 cup powdered sugar

1-2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp lime zest

1/2 tsp ground dried lavender

In a small mixing bowl, stir together ingredients. If the icing is too thin, add extra sugar, and if it's too thick, add more lime juice.

Spoon icing onto the cookies and let set for at least half an hour.

Chocolate Mint Pudding

This is similar to the raw young coconut pudding idea I suggested in Feeding the Finicky Toddler. However, I made this one all for me (and little Messy Mouse, who decided it was awesome). I used fresh mint to imitate the flavor of a cheesecake I had once at Cafe Gratitude. My husband didn't like the herbal flavor of fresh mint, but I loved it.

If you've never had a young coconut, pick one up at an Asian market and break it open! Inside, you'll find a surprising amount of coconut water (mine tonight had 1 1/2 cups) and a jelly-like meat. My first exposure to young coconuts was at a cultural festival, where the Thai booth served ice-cold young coconuts with nothing but a straw to drink the water and a spoon to scoop out the meat.

Chocolate Mint Pudding

Jelly from a young coconut (about 3/4 cup. Reserve the coconut water for drinking or for another recipe)
1 oz semisweet chocolate, melted
4 fresh mint leaves
Sweetener of choice, to taste

Put the jelly, chocolate, and mint in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. Stir in sweetener to taste and enjoy!

Serves one mommy and one silly tiny toddler.

Raspberry Walnut Baklava

Just a little bit of awesome.  I don't make desserts like this very often because I end up eating too much, but they are wonderful for vegan potlucks and holidays.

Raspberry Walnut Baklava

I had to snap a picture before it disappeared.  It was quite popular.

Ingredients:
1 package phyllo dough
1 cup non-dairy buttery spread, melted
1 jar of seedless all-fruit raspberry or black raspberry jelly
1/4 cup water
2 cups chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan. Mix nuts and cinnamon in one bowl and jelly and 1/4 cup of water in another.

Place two sheets of phyllo dough in the pan and brush with buttery spread. Repeat three times so there are eight sheets of phyllo and four layers of butter.

Spread half of the jelly on top, and then sprinkle with half of the walnut mixture. Top with two sheets of phyllo dough and butter. Then, spread the rest of the jelly and sprinkle with the rest of the walnuts.

Layer the remaining sheets of phyllo dough two at a time with butter in between. Brush remaining butter on the top.

Use a sharp knife to cut the baklava into 2-inch squares, cutting all the way to the bottom layer. Bake for 40 minutes until golden and crisp.

Meanwhile, make the syrup. Combine the sugar, water, agave, and vanilla in a saucepan. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat.

Remove baklava from the oven and pour the syrup over it.  It may boil and sputter. Allow baklava to cool, then serve.

Coconut-Chia Pudding

Chia seeds are rich in Omega-3s and easier to digest than flax. Other health benefits are explained here. My first experience with them was making this simple pudding. The chia seed creates a gel when it absorbs liquid, which makes it great for making a no-cook pudding.

Coconut-Chia Pudding

Ingredients:
1 15 oz can of coconut milk (1 1/2 cups)
3/8 cup chia seeds
1/4-3/8 cup agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla

Stir together all ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.

Variations: add cocoa powder or fruit purees. For a raw pudding, blend together the water and jelly from a young coconut and use it in place of the canned coconut milk.