Scraps and Snippets ~ Vegan Lemon Bars

Vegan Lemon Bars

This recipe takes minutes to make but several hours to prepare. It needs to set up at least 6 hours once made, and the cashews need to soak several hours prior. It stays delicious for a week or more. So I recommend you soak the cashews overnight, or when you leave for the morning, make the dessert and then let them set up either overnight or all day depending on when you put it together. 

Clearly, this is NOT low fat because of the nuts. But it is so creamy, and so tangy, and so good. Very key limey and you could use limes and make it key lime.  

Crust: (You want to wait until the cashews are soaked so you can use the food processor again right away and only have to wash it once.) (By the way, the crust is delicious on it's own and you can roll it into balls, or make it into your own version of Larabars.)

2 Cups almonds

16 Dates (roughly 1 and 1/2 cups)

zest of 1 lemon

1 TBSP coconut oil

1/4 teaspoon salt.

Place all in a food processor and process until ingredients combine into a sticky crumbly mix. 

Lightly oil a 9 x 13 pan. Press the crust into the bottom of the pan. 

Lemon Filling:

Step one 

3 Cups cashews

2 Cups lemon juice (6-8 lemons)

Zest of 1 lemon

1/3 Cup coconut oil

2 Cups sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

Place lemon juice, lemon zest and cashews in a bowl. Soak at least two hours to overnight. Do NOT rinse or discard the liquid.

Step two:

Place cashew/lemon mix into the food processor, add the coconut oil, sugar and almond extract. Process until smooth. Pour the contents onto the crust. Spread out and refrigerate at least 6 hours.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Salty Pirates Argh or Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Salty Pirates (Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies)

All I could think about when seeing this recipe come alive in my mind, was pirates. Argh. Why? Good question. But I think it's the whole salt thing. Pretzels argh salty. And Salty Dogs argh crusty sea-goers. And well, pirates sail to islands in search of treasargh and, conceivably, coconut oil. So there we go. These crunchy cookies taste a little caramelly (due to the brown sugar),salty with a wee hint of peanut butter and chocolate. Dargh I say almost worth a plank walk to get em? 
 

3/4 Cup peanut butter

1/2 Cup coconut oil
1 and 1/2 Cup packed brown sugar 

3 Flax Eggs (3 TBSP ground flaxseed, 9 TBSP water)
2/3 Cup applesauce

2 Cups finely crushed pretzels (mallet or food processor)
1 and 1/2 Cups coarsely crushed pretzels
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder

1 3/4 Cups flour (I use either whole wheat pastry or a blend of unbleached all purpose and white whole wheat)
2 Cups chocolate chips

Put flax and water together and let gel while crushing pretzels (It takes approximately 3-4 cups pretzels to equal about 1 cup of crushed/powdered depending on size etc of pretzel).

Add the peanut butter, applesauce and sugar to the flax gel and mix thoroughly. Add in coconut oil and vanilla. Add salt, baking powder and stir thoroughly. Add finely crushed pretzels and flour, mix well. Finally, stir in chocolate chips and coarsely crushed pretzels.

Roll or drop spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.  Makes 72-80 cookies.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Chocolate Orange Cup Cookies, and Mint-Fudge Candy

Chocolate Orange Cups 
Makes 24

1 cup coconut oil
Juice/zest of one orange
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt

Combine ingredients well. Place in refrigerator 10-15 minutes. If you chill the dough longer, you will need to let it sit out a bit so it become pliable.

Roll the dough into walnut sized balls. Press them into mini muffin tins and press down with your thumb so dough forms a cup. Bake at 350 for 13 minutes.

While cookies are baking put together the filling ingredients.

The filling makes a double batch. Save the remainder and eat it. Double the cookie shells or do what I did.

Keep reading.

Fudge Filling Fills 48 candies or cookies

1 2/3 cup melted chocolate chips
1 pkge of silken tofu
3 TBSP cocoa powder
2 TBSP agave
2 TBSP non-dairy milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

Blend together until a chocolatey silky deliciousness forms.

When the cookie shells are cool. Place a dollop of chocolate cream in each one. Refrigerate until firm and store them there.

With the remainder of the chocolate filling make delicious mint cups. Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon mint extract and stir well. Error on using too little mint rather than too much. If you want more minty flavor you can add it, but you can't undo overminty.

Melt additional chocolate chips with a bit of coconut oil. Stir.

Fill foil candy cups, silicone molds, greased mini muffin tins with melted chocolate chips. Spread chocolate in cup until the chocolate becomes a cup. Place in fridge until they cool and harden. Remove and with a bag with a hole in the corner, a spoon, whatever, fill the cup with fudge. Return to fridge.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Lemon Ginger Snappy Bars

 Lemon Ginger Snappy Bars

I love Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Sparkled Ginger Cookies.
But I can't leave a good recipe alone. What is wrong with me? But even though I changed almost every ingredient in the recipe, I've got to give her a shout out. These suckers are not for the weak. The ginger and lemon flavors mingle, marry and pop in a freakishly delicious taste sensation. Ginger fans, sour/sweet/tongue party fans might want to give these a shot.

1 and 2/3 Cup flour
1/3 Cup garbanzo bean flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 Cup coconut oil
1/4 molasses
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup chopped candied/crystallized ginger
1-2 TBSP sugar to sprinkle on batter.

Mix coconut oil, sugar, maple syrup and molasses together. Add vanilla and mix and stir. Add all spices and dry ingredients until throughly incorporated. Add half the chopped crystallized ginger. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it out. Sprinkle sugar over the batter and toss the remaining bits of ginger over that.

9 x 13 cake pan. Greased. Bake at 350 for 22 minutes.

Remove the bars from the oven. Poke holes in top of bars every inch or so.

Lemon Glaze

1 can beans (white) or 1 2/3 cup cooked homemade beans
1 cup water. Drain and rinse beans then simmer them and the 1 cup water til a mushy mess or at least until all the water is absorbed. (see fridge scrapings magical bean mush for the magical properties -- my non-scientific thoughts are that the extra cooking breaks down the bean casings so what you get is smooth, baby, smooth).

1 Cup sugar
1 Cup applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup lemon juice
Zest of 1 to 2 lemons

Process all ingredients in a food processor until fully incorporated. The more zest you use the stronger the bite.

When the bars are cooled, pour lemon glaze over the bars. You won't use all the glaze. Serve it with the bars for lemon lovers. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving. Suggested serving pairings would be non-dairy vanilla ice cream, non-dairy cinnamon ice cream or coconut cream whipped topping.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Vegan Snickerdoodles

One of the most popular treats from our Goodies for the Girls party. 

Snickerdoodles

3 TBSP ground flax

3/4 Cup applesauce

2 TBSP coconut oil

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 Cup sugar

2 tsp almond extract

2/3 Cup garbanzo bean flour

1 1/3 Cup flour

Mix flax and applesauce together and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Add the coconut oil, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon and sugar, mix well. Add almond extract, stir. Finally, stir in garbanzo bean flour until well mixed. Add the rest of the flour. Chill for 10 to 20 minutes. Then in a small bowl mix approx 1 TBSP sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon together. Roll dough into balls into about an inch in diameter and roll through sugar/cinnamon mix. Place on greased cookie tray, press a bit, bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Successfully Pinked Post-1,000 Cooks for the Cure Report

Our 1,000 Cooks for the Cure dessert party went pinkingly well last night. 

I don't have a total number on donations yet, but 12 ladies (and two men and one child) attended. Two other ladies gave donations prior. 

I'll share recipes later, and totals, too. However, I want to share a few pictures and some of the activities and ideas we enjoyed. 

All our desserts were Vegan with minimally processed or organic ingredients. Because we think that is an important part of avoiding cancer. Not a silver bullet, but what we eat affects us systemically. 

Stress and chemicals and ingredients we slather on our body are other areas we can help control. & helped everyone who wanted to make a scrub with sunflower oil, sugar or salt and essential oils. Scrub and relax with safe ingredients. She also found an Erma Bombeck quote for a bookmark. 

"Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the 'Titanic' who waved off the dessert cart."

We played a few games, too. 

Pin the accessories on Accessa-Annie.  And the following song titles "I Will Survive" "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "Beat It." became a word find game. One of the girls found 27 words in two minutes. & didn't allow any proper nouns or any of the words in the songs titles, either. Tough game. 

Finally, we snacked on Peas and Thank You's Black Bean Brownies and frosting, Alicia Silverstone's Cupcakes, my creations Pirate Booty Cookies, Snickerdoodles, Lemon Bars, Orange Cookie Cups filled with Chocolate Ganache, Mint Chocolate Filled Dark Chocolate Shells, Lemon Glazed Ginger Poke Bars, and a fruit salad. 

More details to follow.