Scraps and Snippets ~ Gingerbread Cookie Cups ~ Vegan

Gingerbread Cookie Cups 

makes approx 7 dozen cookies.

⅔ Cup Earth Balance 

⅔ Cup Coconut Oil (or Earth Balance) 

1 ⅓ Cup packed Brown Sugar 

2  TBSP EnerG with 2 TBSP water

⅔ Cup Molasses 

3 Cups Flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 1/2 Cups of Arbonne Vanilla Protein Powder (can use additional flour or another protein powder but make sure it's palatable)
2 tsp Baking Soda 

3 tsp Ground Ginger 

1 ½ tsps Ground Cinnamon 

½ tsp Ground Cardamom 

1 tsp Salt 

2 tsp Vanilla

Cream coconut oil/Earth Balance with brown sugar. Add egg replacement and mix well. Add molasses, vanilla, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, salt and vanilla. Beat until all incorporated. Add protein powder and stir, add two cups of flour, mix well. Add the remainder of the flour and mix. Chill dough for two hours or more.

When ready, preheat oven to 350. Grease a mini muffin pan. Roll dough into small balls approx a tablespoon. Press balls into mini muffin tins and press your thumb or finger into the center. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Let cool in pan, loosen, pop cookies out and continue to cool.

When the cookie cups are cooled, pipe cinnamon cream cheese frosting into center of cookies

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

4 Ounces Vegan Cream Cheese 

1 tsp Cinnamon 3 Cups Powdered Sugar 

Milk (I used almond) as needed for consistency (use a TBSP at a time if needed)

Scraps and Snippets ~ Peanut Butter Brownies (Warning: Jack Kryptonite)

 Peanut Butter Protein Brownies

1 Cup coconut oil

1 Cup peanut butter

1 Cup brown sugar
2 Flax eggs (2 TBSP ground flax, 6 TBSPS water, combined and set aside to gel)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 Cup whole wheat pastry flour (or flour of your choice)

3/4 Cup Arbonne vanilla protein powder (use a protein powder that is palatable on it's own, and vegan, if you don't have Arbonne's...or contact me and I can hook you up.)
2 Cups old fashioned oatmeal
1 Cup chocolate chips
1  Cup of dried fruit, sunflower seeds, nuts, chia seed, etc.

Preheat oven to 350. Very lightly spray a 9 x 13 pan.

Cream the oil, peanut butter, and sugar together. (it's best that you use everything at room temperature)

Add the flax eggs, salt, soda and stir. Add vanilla and mix well. Blend in flour and protein powder and add oatmeal and chocolate chips and mix until incorporated.

Bake for 45 mins. Remove from oven and let rest for 10. Cut into 24 squares. Refrigerate for chewy deliciousness.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Simple Fruit Salad

A few years ago a friend told me how to turn frozen, somewhat bland fruit, into delicious fruit with a perfect glaze. I had tried tried various other attempts at glaze...like orange juice, jam, sugar. None of them did it for me. 

Her recipe was so simple. Vanilla instant pudding. Just enough to cover the fruit and leave a delicious coating. Let's say, 1/2 a small box to a medium bag of fruit. Sprinkle, stir, let sit. Stir. Brilliant. 

However, trying to avoid super processed, super unnatural, dairy, etc made this no longer an option. 

But at an Arbonne spa party my mom had some frozen fruit and a terrific idea. Why not try the Arbonne Vanilla Protein Powder as a glaze. So we loaded a few cups in a bowl and sprinkled a tablespoon or two of protein powder over the fruit and stirred. 

Win!!!! Win! Win! Fabulously delicious. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Cookies Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Cookies

350 oven. Makes approx 4 Dozen cookies

1/2 Cup peanut butter

1/4 Cup Earth Balance

1 Cup brown sugar

2 TBSP ground flax seed

1/3 Cup non-dairy milk of choice

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 Cup Arbonne chocolate protein powder

1 Cup oatmeal (quick or old fashioned, more texture with old fashioned)

1/3 Cup cocoa

1/3 Cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 Cup dark chocolate chips

Mix all together in the order listed and blend/stir well so ingredients are all incorporated. You may have to use your hands, the dough might be crumbly depending on how heavy your peanut butter is, mine was fairly juicy. If you are really concerned add an additional TBSP or two of milk.

Chill dough for 1 hour. 

Scoop dough in walnut sized balls and either place on greased cookie sheet in scoops for rounded bite-sized cookies or flatten and place on cookie sheet for flatter cookies (again, the dough might be crumbly but should press together). Bake for 12 minutes. These are great served at room temperature but are best stored in the refrigerator. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies

Protein and fiber filled cookies...how good can these be? Not tasty at all, right? They have to taste healthy and not even be the bit tempting. 

Wrong. 

These are so tasty I believe I'm not going to make any other version, ever. Why would I? They are satisfyingly chewy and crisp. Just enough sweet and just enough fat to make for a melt-in-your-mouthfeel. I imagine you could use another brand of protein powder with the same or similar results. I happen to sell Arbonne and am a fan of their Vegan certified protein powder. In addition these have omegas from the flaxseed and fiber from the flax, whole wheat pastry flour and oatmeal. 

Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies

350 oven. Makes approx 4 Dozen cookies

1/2 Cup coconut oil

1/4 Cup Earth Balance

1 Cup brown sugar

2 TBSP ground flax seed

1/3 Cup non-dairy milk of choice

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 Cup Arbonne vanilla protein powder

1 Cup oatmeal (quick or old fashioned, more texture with old fashioned)

1 Cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 Cup dark chocolate chips

Mix all together in the order listed and blend/stir well so ingredients are all incorporated. 

Chill dough for 1 hour. 

Scoop dough on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. These are great served at room temperature but are best stored in the refrigerator.