>Blondies for everybody

>

I somehow ran out of margarine in the midst of experimenting with this recipe. I don’t know how that happened, because last time I checked I had enough margarine to last me until the end of the year. Or so I thought.

I set out to walk to King Soopers, but my laziness defeated me when I realized Whole Foods was 5 blocks closer. And I’m happy my laziness factor outweighed the expense factor, because my favorite ‘Director of Traffic’ was out today. He directs traffic in such an eloquent manner that I could sit and watch for hours. Coming from the girl who watches macarons bake, that probably doesn’t mean much, but in all honesty, this man does his job beautifully; his movements flow so well that I’m convinced he’s a ballerina in his spare time. I get goosebumps just thinking about him and his traffic-directing awesomeness. 

I’m not one of those people who goes grocery shopping without knowing exactly what I need (but I am one of those people who goes grocery shopping on an empty stomach, resulting in many impulsive buys). That being said, I made a bee line to the back of the store, grabbed margarine and then headed toward the check out. I had to go down an aisle further because two old women were taking up an entire aisle with their carts, which were each stocked full with fresh vegetables and broth. I asked them to please excuse me, but they were too busy discussing the ingredients in a loaf of bread to hear. What I really should have asked was if I could come for dinner. They probably would have heard me then.

Damn those chatty women and their carts, because my detour took me through the unavoidable candy aisle. The 10 year old boy in me surfaced and I decided that I wanted needed a bar of dark chocolate (although I’m pretty sure no 10 year old would ever need, or want, a bar of dark chocolate – just pretend this is a 10 year old with a sensitive GI tract). It was then that I discovered Justin’s organic dark chocolate peanut butter cups and almost had a heart attack. Albeit, their centers aren’t as creamy as Reese’s, but who likes Reese’s anyways? I feel bad for you if think that is a good peanut butter cup. Did I mention they’re vegan? Justin’s, not Reese’s.

I suppose I owe those women a thank you.

Vegan blondies

1/2 c. Earth Balance margarine, room temperature

1 c. light brown sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 TBS almond milk

1 Ener-G egg yolk

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 c. unbleached flour
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. rolled oats (optional)
1/4 c. walnuts (optional)
1/4 c. semi-sweet chips (optional)

Blondies

1/2 c. butter, room temperature

1 c. light brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 TBS whole milk
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 c. unbleached flour
1/4 c. whole wheat flour

• Cream margarine/butter and brown sugar for 1 minute
• Add vanilla extract and almond milk/milk, cream for 30 seconds
• Mix in Ener-G egg yolk/egg
• Sift in salt, baking powder and flours
• Add any additions (chocolate chips, rolled oats, nuts, etc.)

To bake:

• Line 8X8 metal baking pan with parchment paper (just the bottom)
• Lightly mist pan with oil and pour in the batter
• Rap pan on counter 5-10 times to ensure all air bubbles have surfaced
• Spread batter evenly over pan

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes (if using a glass baking pan, bake 25-30 minutes, rotating pan at 15 minutes)

By the way, Whole Foods, could you do me a grand favor and restock your Tofutti cream cheese? I die a little each day I go to get it and it’s not in it’s special place.

>Pumpkin! Pumpkin!

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Remember those pumpkin cookies I promised so long ago? They’re here. And just for the record, I am technically posting this on 1 October (as promised), because everyone knows the new day doesn’t actually begin until after you fall asleep. Oh, and don’t expect anything else from me for a while at least a few days, because my day went a little something like this:

9:25am: wake-up call
9:26am: voicemail notification – Oh, someone wants a batch of cupcakes. For today.
9:27am: pulled self out of bed, went to kitchen and immediately began baking
9:28am – 12:30pm: baked and iced cupcakes, delivered (somewhere in there I had coffee and toast. And I may or may not have taken a shower.)
12:31pm – 3pm: ran (mostly) baking-related errands
3:01pm – 12:13am: baked: 3 birthday cakes (one currently in oven), crème brûlée, sugar cookies and pumpkin cookies (somewhere in there I had leftover egg-whites scrambled with vegan sausage. And toast. I like toast, a helluva lot more than the average person.)

If there is such a thing as baking too much, I definitely did it today. I don’t ever want to bake that much again. Well, at least not until Ladycakes is the name of my bakery, not my blog. Listen to me, I am such a whiney, little bitch. Poor me, I get to spend the entire day doing my favorite thing in the entire world. But I don’t care because I’m going to whine about it and wallow in self-pity. But really, this is merely a combination of sleep deprivation and hormones. The winey will be gone after a full-night’s rest. The bitch, well.. I can’t make any promises.

Vegan pumpkin spice cookies

1/2 c. non-hydrogenated shortening (Spectrum brand)
1/2 c. cane sugar
1/4 tsp unsulphured molasses
2 TBS agave nectar
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Ener-G egg
1/4 c. + 1 TBS pumpkin puree
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 pinch of ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 – 1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. rolled oats (optional)
1/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped (optional)

For cookies fit for a carnivore, use:

1 stick of butter (room temperature) in place of shortening

1 egg (room temperature) in place of Ener-G egg

1/3 c. cane sugar and 1/2 c. brown sugar, no agave or molasses

Use 1 1/2 c. flour, plus 1 TBS

* Instead of using cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger, you can use 1 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• Combine sugar and molasses – this is your brown sugar
• Cream together brown sugar and shortening
• Add Ener-G egg (follow directions on box) – mix well
• Add vanilla, agave and pumpkin
• Mix in cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger
• Add salt, baking soda and baking powder
• Mix in flour 1/2 c. at a time
• Add oats and chocolate

To bake:

• Line cookie sheet with parchment paper
• Use cookie scoop to form cookies
• Place cookie sheet in refrigerator 5 minutes prior to placing in the oven

Bake at 350 for 10-11 minutes

                                        

I still have to shower, because I neglected all things hygiene-related today. Except for brushing my teeth; I’ve brushed them twice, so far. Did you hear that? I think there’s a claw-foot tub filled with bubbles, and a glass of wine, calling my name. Actually, I wrote that 30 minutes ago. I’m taking a 2 minute shower and hitting the sheets.

PS – how sweet is that little message from my dad? He wrote it a few sheets back on my to-do list pad while he was in town, and I just recently discovered it. My dad pwns.