I have worked out that lot of the time, the major reason I want to make cookies is because I have a craving to eat the dough.
I think it's because I have great memories of eating raw packaged cookie dough when I first moved out of home with my best friend (Nat, are you reading?!). It was heavenly. Until we made ourselves sick!
This time, I thought I'd skip the baking step and just eat the dough as a legitimate sweet. It is, right?
These are real cookie dough balls. Not imitation or healthy ones (although I love those too!). A great fast way to get your cookie dough hit. Better than packaged any day!
Peanut Butter Choc Chunk Cookie Dough Balls
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vegan margarine
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup plain flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/2 cup roughly chopped dark vegan chocolate
Mix together the peanut butter, margarine and brown sugar in a bowl. Combine with the flour, vanilla and salt. I found using my hands to mix easiest! Then add the choc chunks and roll into balls.
Picture me perched next my children and the most recently offered snack or meal, eyes wide in anticipation of their verdict (which they give so casually) - yum or yuck? Then quickly remembering to feign nonchalance (a must - they sense the desperation) and springing up like a cat!
OK, I'm not really that sad and my kids aren't really that fussy or spoilt, but it's not far from the truth!
Here are some snacks my kids have loved recently:
These samosas filled with potatoes and peas are from Vegan Lunch Box. They are a bit time consuming to make, but it was worth the effort because Sylvia ate them for two days straight!
These maple syrup cupcakes were so delicious and light. I made a bit of icing with icing sugar, vanilla and rice milk to go on top.
My kids didn't like these peaches so much, but loved the custard (I made it with soy milk). Such a nice dish for cold weather.
I make these chocolate chip pikelets a lot. I love that they contain flaxseed. They are quick to make and great to take places.
Frozen yoghurt shops seemed have popped up all over the place, but none that I've encountered offer vegan frozen yoghurt. I always feel a bit deprived as I walk past them.
Anyway, at least now I can make my own quick version at home!
This is a brilliant snack or dessert that can prepared in about two minutes. This photo (hurriedly taken - it had to be eaten!) doesn't do it justice. It really does have the same texture and taste as soft frozen yoghurt.
And I'm sure other frozen fruit such as blueberries would work as well.
PS: If anyone can point me in the direction of vegan frozen yoghurt in Sydney, please do!
Instant Raspberry Frozen Yoghurt (serves 1-2) (inspired by Vegie Head's Strawberry Mousse, which seems to have been removed from the website)
1/4 cup frozen raspberries (approx)
1/2 an avocado
1/2-1 tsp chia seeds
2 tsp coconut cream
2 tbsp maple syrup to taste (or other liquid sweetener)
Blend all ingredients and eat!
This idea came to me when I was swimming laps. Sometimes I think the only reason I go swimming is to have uninterrupted time to think about food!
I made these mini cupcakes for a birthday party yesterday. I loved this flavour. It is a nice change from the standard chocolate or vanilla. The pieces of chocolate biscuit make these really fun and interesting.
I made these mini cupcakes using the banana split cupcake recipe (without the pineapple preserves) from the brilliant Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World with half a cup of roughly chopped chocolate biscuits (cookies) folded into the batter (about 5 Arnott's Choc Ripple Biscuits - they're vegan!), then piped on some vanilla buttercream icing, threw some chocolate ganache over the top and sprinkled on some crushed biscuit crumbs.
Then, of course, Sylvia added coloured sprinkles.
These were so much fun to make and decorate!
Raw desserts are a bit of a passion of mine at the moment. They are magical. This (almost raw) cheesecake I whipped up yesterday is creamy, fruity and heavenly.
Calling this cheesecake "tropical" is probably a bit of poetic license on my part (especially as I remember myself chucking random fruits into my blender whilst tasting the mixture), but I think the combination of pineapple, banana and coconut really do create a tropical taste!
I made this based on ingredients I had on hand and wanted to use up, but you could easily play around with it to make it raw.
Peter and Lexie loved this cake, but unfortunately Sylvia refused to try it. Must remember to call it an "ice cream cake" next time I make it, and maybe throw some coloured sprinkles in!
Vegan Almost Raw Tropical Cheesecake (adapted from Pineapple Coconut Cheesecake Bites)
Base
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup soft medjool dates, packed
pinch of salt
1-2 tbsp shredded coconut for "flouring"
Filling
2 cups cashews, soaked for a few hours
2/3 cup coconut cream
1/4 cup (scant) rice milk
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp rice malt syrup
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
1 large banana
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Combine ingredients for the base except for the shredded coconut in a food processor until it clumps when squeezed together. Scatter the shredded coconut into a pie dish or round cake pan to "flour" it. Press the mixture into the dish.
Combine all filling ingredients together in a blender until really smooth (this will take a while depending on the speed of your blender). Pour the mixture onto the base and freeze for about 2 hours.
I think this cheesecake tastes best when it's a bit soft, so if it has been in the freezer for longer than two hours or so I would defrost it a bit before eating it.
Are my kids the only ones in the world who tire of freshly baked muffins, slices, cakes and cupcakes?
Maybe there's a little too much desperation in my eyes and my voice is just that bit too high and insecure when I offer them?
Recent exchange between Sylvia and I on the way to the park to meet some friends:
Sylvia: Mum, did you bring some food for us to eat at the park?
Me: Yep, I brought the muffins I made!
Sylvia: Oh. Did you bring any fruit or anything else?
Hmmmmm...
Seriously, my kids seem so picky these days with what they eat. This seems to be confined to the food I make. From a packet? No problem! I could go on strike to make them appreciate my food more and ease off a little on my baking binges, but that would be too much of a deprivation for me!
Anyway, I've had some success with the following items. Granted, two of them contain chocolate chips...
These vegan goldfish crackers are really delicious, and a nice change from sweets! I use this recipe but use a bit less water than recommended, and I also add some onion powder.
These chocolate chip muesli bars were pretty popular. Sylvia added the sprinkles because apparently everything is better with sprinkles! I used this recipe but substituted Nuttelex and rice malt syrup for the butter and honey.
This is the only granola the kids will eat because they don't like bits of nuts and seeds. Lexie likes to eat the granola clumps on their own. We all love this one!
My mum used to make semolina for me when I was little, only instead of chocolate chips she put a mixture of cocoa and sugar on the top. To make this, I heat a cup of non-dairy milk, then add a heaped tablespoon of semolina and sugar and simmer until it thickens a bit but is still pourable (it sets as it cools).
This salad is the best thing I've eaten on bread since vegan scrambled eggs.
There are loads of mock tuna salad recipes on the internet. I've made one with chickpeas, which is delicious, but then I came across this version made with soaked almonds and sunflower seeds. I adapted it to suit my supplies and time constraints and loved the texture and taste of this one!
Of course, it's not in the least bit fishy (I guess it would be if you added kelp) but the combination of mayonnaise, celery and red onion does remind me a bit of the tuna salad I ate before I was vegan.
The mayonnaise I used in this salad is this one from Vegan Dad. It's so easy to make - I never buy mayonnaise any more!
Vegan "Tuna" Salad (makes 2 large servings) (inspired by Save the Tuna Salad by Kris Carr)
2/3 cup almonds, soaked overnight or for a few hours
2/3 cup sunflower seeds, soaked overnight or for a few hours
2 celery ribs, chopped
A quarter of a red onion, chopped
2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
pepper to taste
Process all ingredients in a food processor until desired consistency is reached.
I had mine on toast with avocado, extra mustard and pepper - yum!
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