Apricot Bars

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon almond milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
a pinch of salt
1 cup apricot jam
3/4 cup slivered almonds

Combine flour, almond flour, sugar, coconut oil, almond milk, vanilla, and salt. Press down into a 13x9 or larger pan to a quarter inch thickness. Spread the apricot jam evenly on top and sprinkle with the slivered almonds. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Cool in the refrigerator before cutting into bars.

Amaranth Walnut Cookies

Ingredients:

4 ounces (about 1 cup) walnuts
1/3 cup amaranth
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 egg replacer
1/2 teaspoon imitation brandy flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons amaranth
30 walnuts, cut in half

Process the walnuts and amaranth with half the sugar in a food processor until they are ground. Set aside.

Add remaining sugar to a bowl with the coconut oil, egg replacer, brandy flavoring, and vanilla.

Stir in the flour, salt, and nut mixture until smooth. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

Pinch off 1/2 tablespoon sized pieces of dough and roll into balls. Roll the balls in the amaranth and press a walnut piece into them on a baking sheet to slightly flatten.

Bake 17 minutes at 350.

Cocoa Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sugar
4 ounces cocoa butter
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg replacer
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon almond milk

In a spice grinder or blender, grind the sugar until it is powdered.

Melt the cocoa butter and stir in the sugar, salt, vanilla, egg replacer, baking powder, and flour. Then add the almond milk.

Refrigerate the mixture for about ten minutes before rolling into small 1/2 tablespoon balls and placing on parchment paper.

Bake at 400 for about 8 minutes.

Jammie Dodgers

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup vegan butter or refined coconut oil
3 tablespoons almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
a few drops of almond extract
1/2 cup strawberry jam

Combine flour, almond meal, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and stir in the butter, almond milk, vanilla, and almond extract.

Refrigerate dough for 10 minutes and roll out dough into about 1/4 inch. Cut with round cookie cutter and place on baking sheet.

For half the cookies, use a smaller cookie cutter to punch out a small circle in the center.

Bake the cookies at 350 for about 10 minutes, until golden then set aside to cool.

Spread some jam on the bottom pieces of cookie and sandwich with the other cookies, pressing lightly.

Keep refrigerated.

Spice Cookies

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup coconut oil
 1/4 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 vegan egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
a pinch of clove
4 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup dried currants or cranberries, roughly chopped
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Combine sugar, coconut oil, and almond milk and give a stir. Add the vanilla, orange, and lemon.

Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the chocolate, walnuts, and dried fruit.

Divide into 6 large cookies or 12 smaller ones and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

Whisk powdered sugar with the lemon juice. When cookies are cooled, drizzle the glaze over them.

No Bake Biscoff Cookies

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 cup almond or coconut milk
1-1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup biscoff spread
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-1/2 cups oats (can substitute 1/2 cup of the oats with puffed quinoa)
15 biscoff cookies, broken into chunks (optional)

In a saucepan combine the oil, milk, and brown sugar. When sugar is dissolved stir in the biscoff spread, vanilla, and salt. Remove from heat and gradually fold in the oats followed by the biscoff cookies. Allow to slightly cool before placing dollops of the mixture on waxed paper. Refrigerate until set.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil
6 tablespoons almond milk
1/3 cup almond butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cup chocolate chunks

Combine wet ingredients and add dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate.

Set aside to relax for about 4 hours then roll into balls and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Pistachio Cookies

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cup whole pistachios
2/3 cup almond flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
zest of 1 lemon
1 flax egg (or any sub for an egg white)
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Pulse the pistachios with the sugar in a food processor or blender until coarse crumbs. Transfer to bowl and add almond, sugar, honey, vanilla, lemon, and egg. Stir the mixture until it comes together and roll into tablespoon sized balls. Roll each of the balls in the powdered sugar and flatten with the bottom of a cup onto parchment paper.

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1/3 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup nut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1-2/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Combine all ingredients and divide into balls. Place each ball onto parchment paper or silicon mat. Flatten with a fork crosshatch and sprinkle with coarse turbinado sugar.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

**You may add chocolate chunks, banana chunks, or broken pretzel pieces to the dough before baking.

**For a maple glaze, combine 2 tablespoons coconut oil, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon in a saucepan. Thin to desired consistency with almond milk and dip tops of cookies after they have cooled

Vegan Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup cake flour
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 teaspoons ground flaxseed (optional)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons almond milk
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chunks
sea salt flakes

Combine dry ingredients and stir in all the wet ingredients. Divide dough into 6 pieces and slightly flatten onto parchment paper. Sprinkle with the salt.

Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup almond milk
3/4 cup raw cane sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/4 cup oats
1/2 cup salted pretzels, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup cocoa nibs (optional)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Melt the oil in a saucepan and add the almond milk and sugar. Stir until mixture simmers and add the peanut butter. Remove from heat and stir in the cocoa powder and vanilla. When mixture is uniform, fold in the oats, pretzels, cocoa nibs, and a pinch of salt.

Drop mixture by spoonful onto waxed paper and sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate until set.

Biscoff Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup biscoff spread
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cup oats
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream butter, biscoff spread, and sugars together and add the egg, vanilla, and remaining dry ingredients. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for about an hour then roll into balls and place on parchment paper.

Bake 10 minutes at 350.

Turtle Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
caramel or dulce de leche

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg, cream, and vanilla.

Stir in flower, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

Place dough in the fridge until slightly firm then roll into 24 balls.

Roll the balls in pecans and make a deep indentation in the center of each one.

Bake 10-12 minutes at 350.

Allow cookies to cool before filling indentation with meted caramel or dulce de leche.

Biscotti della Regina

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1-3/4 cup flour
1 cup sesame seeds
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Cream the butter and sugar. Add all remaining ingredients except for sesame seeds. Allow dough to rest in the refrigerator for a few minutes.

Roll walnut sized balls of cookie dough into thin log shapes. Dip each into the cream and then in the sesame seeds.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until golden.

Baraziq

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1 cup flour
a pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped or slivered, toasted
1/3 cup sesame seeds, toasted

Combine sugar and butter. Whisk in egg and vanilla then add the egg, vinegar, flour, salt, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and cardamom. Divide into 16 balls.

Press ball out onto the pistachios, then coat the other size with sesame seeds.

Bake cookies, pistachio side down, at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1-2/3 cup bread flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cup butter
1-1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup plus two tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 pound 60% chocolate (can substitute half with toffee bits)
coarse salt

Combine dry ingredients and set aside.

Cream butter and sugars until well incorporated and beat in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time.

Gradually add the dry ingredients.

Fold in the chocolate.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 24 hours then allow to sit at room temperature for an hour.

Scoop 2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes until edges are golden.

Alfajores

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1-1/2 cups flour
2 cups cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons heavy cream
24 ounces dulce de leche
1/2 cup desiccated coconut

Combine butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Add flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda.

Beat in egg yolks, vanilla, and almond extract just until uniformly combined. Add more cornstarch or some heavy cream if needed. Form into a ball and refrigerate until chilled through.

Roll out dough between two pieces of parchment paper into 14/18 inch thick sheet and cut with 2 inch cookie cutter. Refrigerate until firm.

Bake immediately after taking cookies out of the fridge on parchment paper at 350 for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Spread or pipe dulce de leche along edges of cookies and form into sandwiches. Roll the sides in the coconut.

Matcha Tea Cakes

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons matcha
black sesame seeds (optional)

Dissolve matcha in 2 tablespoons of hot water. Set aside.

Beat oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract in a bowl. Add matcha then add flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop 1 inch balls for each cookie and roll into a ball with slightly dampened hands. Sprinkle cookies with sesame seeds, if desired.

Bake 10 minutes at 350.

Dust cookies in matcha sugar while they are still hot, if desired.

Coconut Cleicha Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
1-1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon powdered cardamom
1-1/2 tablespoon rosewater and orange blossom water combined
1 egg, separated

Sprinkle sugar and yeast over lukewarm milk and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Mix flour and salt and cut butter into it. Then stir in the yeast mixture and mix well until ball forms. Allow dough to sit in warm area for half an hour.

Meanwhile prepare coconut filling by combining coconut, sugar, cardamom, and flower essences with the egg white. Set aside.

Separate dough into two halves. On a floured surface, roll out balls of dough and use rim of a glass to punch out circles. Fill each circle with some of the coconut filling and seal edges firmly. Place each cookie on a sprayed nonstick baking dish. Brush cookies with the egg yolk mixed with a little bit of milk.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until tops of the cookies are golden brown.

*Variations:
- replace flower essences with vanilla extract
- replace coconut with walnuts

Italian Hazelnut Cookies (Brutti ma Buoni)

Ingredients:

2 cups hazelnut meal
1-1/4 cup sugar
4 egg whites
a pinch of cream of tartar (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (optional)

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add cream of tartar. Gently fold the hazelnut meal and sugar. Add the vanilla and cocoa powder.

Drop batter onto parchment paper and bake at 325 for 25 to 30 minutes.


*Variation: Can substitute almond meal for the hazelnut meal.