Old Fashioned Chocolate Chip Cookies w/ Gluten Free Options!

Ever since I was little, I always loved to bake. My mom would let me help in the kitchen and taught me how to follow recipes but I often saw her adapt them and add her own twist. My Dad loves dessert (and I've got his sweet tooth) and the best part of baking was seeing my Dad enjoy the sweets. When I went vegan more than two decades ago, the first dessert recipe I adapted was good old fashioned chocolate chip cookies, my Dad's favorite. I've been baking this recipe for pot lucks, house warming parties and birthdays for years. It's tried and true and it will satisfy vegans AND omnivores alike!

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour (substitute for Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour)

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

3/4 cup organic fine turbinado sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread

1 tsp vanilla

2 Egg Replacer Eggs  (I use Ener-G Egg Replacer Powder)

1/4 - 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life mini chips)

Preheat oven to 350 & Line a large baking sheet with Parchment paper.

Mix Flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a large bowl or stand mixer mix brown sugar, white sugar and buttery spread until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg replacer eggs and mix until smooth. Gradually add and mix the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Carefully mix in chocolate chips.

Use a scoop or a spoon to drop dough onto the parchment paper. Leave 1-2" in between each scoop and if you like thinner cookies, gently press each dough ball down. Bake 8-10 min. For softer style cookies take them out of the oven when bottoms are slightly brown but tops appear undercooked. For crispy cookies wait until tops appear slightly brown to remove.

Let cool on cookie racks and store in airtight container.

Pancake Muffin Donuts

Yes it’s true, I’ve got a sweet tooth. This recipe emerged out of the want for all three things in it’s title, Pancakes, muffins and donuts. Essentially these yummies have the flavor of pancakes with the texture of muffins and the shape of donuts. I’m also always looking for how to incorporate a little protein and nutrients into my sweet tooth satisfaction which is why I chose to use a Paleo pancake mix. So there you have it, take it for what it’s worth, a strange but delicious concoction that my husband (also my taste tester) was pleased with and did not leave us with a sugar high!

Ingredients

1 cup flour

2 cups Bob’s Redmill Paleo pancake mix (this is a vegan and gluten free mix)

1/2 cup turbinado sugar (could be cut to 1/4 cup for you health freaks)

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp Vietnamese cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 tsp egg replacer powder

1/2 cup almond milk unsweetened

1/2 cup natural applesauce unsweetened

Preheat oven to 350

Grease a donut baking pan. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and scoop into a zip lock bag. Snip corner off bag and squeeze mixture into donut cups.

Bake for 10-12 min or until golden brown

Drizzle with glaze, dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with maple syrup and serve warm