Pumpkin Spice Cookies and more.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Cookie Ingredients:

5 cups flour

1 cup oatmeal

2 tsp. Baking powder

1 tsp. Cinnamon

¼ tsp. Nutmeg

¼ tsp. Cloves

1 tsp. Ginger

1 tsp. Maple extract

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

1 cup ‘butter’ (I use Earth Balance buttery sticks)

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

¾ cup pumpkin purée

The equivalent of one egg (Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer)

Cinnamon sugar:

½ cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients except sugars in a medium bowl.

2.Cream butter and sugars until soft and fluffy.

3. Add pumpkin, egg replacer and the extracts and mix.

4. Add flour slowly until it’s all incorporated and a dough is formed.

5. Chill in fridge for at least an hour.

6. Mix cinnamon and sugar.

7. Preheat oven to 350.

8. Using a spoon, scoop up a cookie.

9. Roll into a ball, then roll in the cinnamon sugar.

10. Place on a cookie sheet, and slightly flatten.

11. Bake for 12-16 minutes or until tops start to crack.

12. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

I have eaten a vegan diet for almost twenty years. In the beginning, it was hard to figure out substitutes for ingredients I used to use, but now it’s easy. I love to cook and bake and share yummy vegan food. I have had many friends ask for recipes, which I’m glad to share. Have they become vegans also? Probably not, but they are eating more animal free foods, and that makes me happy. I have a few things I’m urged to bring to potlucks. Everyone loves my hummus, my herbed stuffing, My garlic and sage smashed potatoes and my pies.

The secret to great hummus is to add a few extra steps. I use canned garbanzos, and I do not skin them. Instead of using raw garlic, I sauté lots of garlic and ground cumin in some good olive oil over a low heat Until the garlic is soft and golden. While that’s happening, I put tahini in my food processor along with the liquid from the canned beans and lemon juice and whir it until it is pale and creamy. I then add the garlic, garbanzos, sea salt and a splash of soy sauce. I whir it all smooth, then, right before finishing, I add about a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil.

The secret to great stuffing is to use 3-4 different kinds of bread, fresh herbs (like the song suggests, I use parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme), butter (or vegan ‘butter’), diced onions, garlic and celery, and good chicken or no-chicken broth. I save the last few slices of bread from different kinds of bread for months before Thanksgiving. I just toss them in a bag in the freezer. I usually have cracked where, rye, sourdough and pumpernickel, although I have even used bagels, English muffins and pretzel rolls. It all depends on what I have around. I usually take them out of the freezer the day before and cube them up. That way they dry out a bit, so they absorb flavor better. Sauté the veggies and herbs in the butter until soft and fragrant, then pour over the bread and stir well. Add just enough broth to moisten then, pouring a little, then stirring, until all the bread is coated lightly. I bake it in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes covered, then another 15 uncovered So the top gets browned and crispy.

For my smashed potatoes, I scrub Yukon gold potatoes well, remove any bad spots, and cook them in salted water until tender. While they’re cooking, I melt vegan butter in a cast iron skillet over a low flame, then add finely minced garlic and minced fresh sage. I let the garlic and sage cook just until the garlic releases its fragrance and softens. When the potatoes are done, I drain them and put them in my mixer. I get them whirring, then add the garlic/butter/sage mixture along with some unsweetened soy milk, and maybe some tofutti sour cream. I taste them, add salt if needed and fresh ground pepper and serve. Yum.

In the fall, my thoughts turn to apples and pumpkins-Autumn foods. My apples I like eaten raw and baked into pies, cobblers and betties. Pumpkin I used to only use in pie, but I love cookies, so I experimented and come up with this recipe. Be warned: these cookies are addictive. I submitted this cookie recipe (and a dozen cookies) to be judged at the Great New York State Fair, not expecting much, as I was going up against Omni bakers and mine was a vegan recipe. They ended up winning second place! They are delicious, soft and sweet, and nicely spiced. They’re also good with chocolate chips or pecan pieces added. If you make them, enjoy!