Scrumptious Vegan Cranberry Orange Pecan Muffins

This morning I woke up to rain, sleet, and wind.  Looks like I won't be leaving the house today, oh well, looks like a relaxing day at home.

Since it's a crummy weather day, I guess that means a baking frenzy will happen. I surveyed my kitchen for any cookies that we may still have from the holidays.  A couple oatmeal cookies, and cinnamon swirl cookies.  Really? That's it, after all the baking I've been doing?  

Ok then, what do I bake? I wanted to bake something other than cookies.  I am cookied out.  Muffins came to mind, haven't made those in awhile.  Also, I'll get to finish up my extra cranberries that I still had from Thanksliving, BONUS! It took me awhile to find organic cranberries, so I really didn't want to waste them. So, today I made Cranberry Orange Pecan Muffins, (which are super easy) along with bagels, and chicken soup with dumplings for lunch.  Hmmm, now what do I make for dinner?

Ingredients:

1 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup organic all-purpose flour

1/4 cup organic pure cane sugar 

1 T non-gmo baking powder

1 T organic roasted flax seeds

1 cup organic almond milk

1/4 cup organic coconut oil, melted

4 T organic orange juice

2 cups organic cranberries

1/4 cup organic pecans, coarsley chopped

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.

Lightly butter one over-sized muffin tin, set-aside.

In a large bowl, mix together both flours, sugar, baking powder, and flax seeds.  Mix in the almond milk, coconut oil, orange juice, cranberries, and pecans.

Fill each muffin well half way with batter.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.

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Vegan Gingerbread Fudge Buttons

This recipe was the 2nd Place winner in the 2015 VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest!

When you think of gingerbread, I think most people envision the traditional gingerbread man/women cookie.  While they are cute, and certainly a holiday staple, they don't exactly class up a dessert table.

But, lay a tray full of these Gingerbread Fudge Buttons on your dessert table and watch your guests marvel in the delicious combination of gingerbread and fudge.

Ingredients for dough:

1/2 cup organic coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup organic pure cane sugar
1/4 cup organic dark molasses
1 T organic almond milk
1 1/3 cup organic unbleached all-purpose flour
1 T organic dry roasted flax seed
2 T organic pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 t non-almumnum non-gmo baking powder
1/2 t sea salt

Ingredients for fudge:

1/4 cup organic almond milk
1 T organic agave nectar
4 ounces 85% cacao chips

Method for dough:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 large baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper, set-aside.

Using the whisk attachment on your stand mixer, whisk together the oil, sugar, molasses, and almond milk.

Remove whisk and attach the flat beater.  Add to the wet mixture, the flour, flax seed, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and sea salt.  Continue beating on medium speed until a dough forms.

Scoop out approximately 1 tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball, place onto lined cookie sheet.  Continue until all dough is gone.  Using your thumb, carefully make a thumb print into each ball.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Remove cookies from the oven, and place on a cooling rack.  If the centers have puffed up, carefully press down the centers with your thumb.

While the cookies are cooling, in a small saucepan over low heat, add almond milk and agave nectar. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat and add the chocolate chips.  Stir until the chips are totally melted.  Let the chocolate cool completely.

Spoon cooled fudge into the centers of each cookie.

Store cookies in an air tight container.

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Scrummy Vegan Gingerbread Biscotti

It's the season for baking!  I've been in the kitchen baking sweet, crunchy, and decadent treats.  This recipe for scummy Gingerbread Biscotti will delight your guests when you place them on your sweet's table during the holidays.  So, make a double batch and pile them high, because everyone will want more than one!

Ingredients for dough:

2/3 cup organic pure cane sugar
1/4 cup organic dark molasses
1/2 cup organic coconut oil
2 T organic flax seeds
2 T organic hemp milk
1 3/4 cup organic all-purpose unbleached flour
2 t organic pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 t non-aluminum, non-gmo baking powder
1/2 t sea salt

Ingredients for topping:

1/2 cup organic semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1/4 cup organic cashews, finely chopped

Method for dough:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper, set-aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, add the sugar, molasses, flax seeds, oil, and non-dairy milk.  Whisk until smooth.

Remove whisk and attach the flat beater.  On medium speed, mix in flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and sea salt.  Process until a stiff dough forms.

Remove dough from bowl and place on the lined baking sheet.  Form dough into a log that is approximately 11" long by 4" wide.  Make sure the ends and sides are clean and straight.

Bake for 28-30 minutes; the dough will crack and puff up a little.

Remove from oven and let cool for about 45 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

Carefully slide the log onto a cutting board and cut the log into 1/2-inch thick slices.  Gently return the cut log back to the lined baking sheet, with bottom sides down.  Back for another 25 minutes; be careful not to burn the biscotti.

Allow the biscotti to cool completely.  In the meantime, melt the chocolate, and chop the nuts.  When cool, dip each slice into the chocolate and place on a clean plate; sprinkle each piece with the chopped nuts.

*recipe adapted from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar

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