For the love of Gingerbread

Years ago, when my children were very young, I made sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies.  We spent hours together in the kitchen baking and decorating the cookies.  I must have gone through three or four icing recipes until I was able to get it 'just right'.  As the kids grew older and we all got busier, the tradition died out and was replaced with simple, less time consuming recipes.  Then, I became allergic to dairy and my whole recipe world changed.  It's been years since I've made gingerbread men and, quite frankly, I thought I could never eat them again.  

Until, that is, I discovered Google search and alternatives for butter.

Today, I made my very first batch of vegan gingerbread cookies and they are as delicious as I remember them to be.  I haven't delved into the icing yet.  Leaving that for the kids (now grown up) to do on Christmas Eve.  This recipe takes some time.  Grab your kids, an apron, and have fun!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 cup sugar in the raw (you can put it in the Ninja and grind it smaller if you'd like)
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 c unsweetened almond milk (not vanilla flavored)

4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2-1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a medium sized bowl, add the sugar, oil, molasses and milk.  Mix with a wire whisk.
In a mixing bowl sift together the flour and the rest of the dry ingredients.  Add the wet.  Mix until well incorporated.  Roll dough into a ball and slightly flatten.  Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.

Roll half of the dough onto a silicone baking mat to approximately 1/8 inch.  Not greased.  May add a bit of flour.   Cut out your shapes. Remove the 'negative' dough leaving the shapes in place.  Bake for approximately 5-7 minutes depending on the thickness.  When the edges start to brown, they are done.

Allow to cool for a few minutes.  Less than five is plenty.  Use a metal spatula to transfer to a cooling rack or paper towels.  Repeat until dough is used.  Refrigerate cookies.  

To ice, mix 1/2 c powdered sugar with 1/2 TBS unsweetened almond milk or your favorite icing.

Gather your ingredients

Mix then place on plastic wrap

Wrap and chill

Take out of refrigerator and roll out to 1/8 inch

Cut out your shapes

Remove unwanted dough

Bake and enjoy!

Vegan, dairy-free gingerbread men

It's strawberry picking time!

Up the road from me is a U-Pick-Em Strawberry farm, Oak Haven.  For those of you who don't know - and I didn't until recently - that means you go and pick your own berries straight from the plant. It's fun for the family, or me all by myself, and you know they are delicious because you pick the ripe ones, the big red delicious ones.  Then, if you can restrain yourself, you go and pay for them before eating.

Here are a few pictures and a recipe.

Just picked.

I filled the carton!

Still on the vine, for a second longer.

Time to go and make something yummy.

About to make dairy-free strawberry ice-cream.

2 cups chopped berries.

2 frozen bananas

add 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1/4 cup honey, 1 TBS coconut oil, and 1 TBS vanilla extract.

Pour puree into mold.

Melt 1/2 TBS coconut oil, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips

Melt in microwave on very low heat or use double boiler.

Pour chocolate onto partially frozen mixture.

Add a second layer/second batch. 

Add raw almonds to left over chocolate.

Cool for a garnish.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oak-Haven-Farms-Winery/170470146484213

RECIPE:

1/4 cup regular canned coconut milk
2 cups of fresh strawberries, washed and cut into halves or quarters (measure after cutting up)
2 frozen bananas
1/4 cup raw, local honey
1 TBS coconut oil
1 TBS vanilla extract

ADD CHOCOLATE IF YOU WISH:
1/2 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips
1/2 TBS coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
       - slowly melt in the microwave or with a double boiler.  Let cool, but not so much that it hardens, then drizzle into strawberry puree.

Apple/Banana muffins

I've been baking almost all day today.  I started with my Energy Bites (see previous post) and this one is a variation of my banana bread.  If it's too sweet, cut the honey by a tablespoon.  It came out very moist and yummy!  

Recipe:
2 eggs
3/4 cups unprocessed, local honey
1 apple, chopped fine
2 bananas, mashed (they don't have to be super soft/overripe)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/4 cup Quaker old fashioned oats (put 1/2 to 3/4 in a food processor and coarse grind)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon (or more to taste)
1 cup chopped, raw almonds

Stir in wet ingredients, then oats, then the rest of dry.  I put mine in mini loaf pans, made 12. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes-30 minutes.  Slightly underdone is fine, they are very moist.  

Apple/Banana muffin.

Top with all-natural peanut butter for a perfect breakfast.