Christmas Cookies!

Merry Christmas everyone! ❤

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I love the frosty air, bundling up in layers of sweaters, and of course spending time with my family and friends. Plus, all my favorite Mariah Carey songs come on the radio! woot woot (currently listening to “All I want for Christmas is YOU” haha) Amongst all these good things, it is also the time when I get to eat/share copious amounts of Christmas cookies while cozying up to a hot cup of tea. 🙂

When practicing a plant-based lifestyle, I cannot eat eggs, milk, butter…basically all of the ingredients that go into making any amazing Christmas cookie. NO WORRIES though. It may seem daunting to many who may be wondering, WTH do you bake with then?These ingredients are easy to replace and after making three types of Christmas cookies, I’m incredibly happy with how they turned out! All of the cookies I made are also gluten-free 🙂

DID YOU KNOW?

• You can use Earth Balance Butter or Coconut Oil to substitute for butter!
• You can use apple sauce or flaxseed (pictured on right) as a substitute for eggs!

This year I made:

• Strawberry Thumbprints (My favorite!)
• Ginger Spice Cookies (recipe inspired by Minimalist Baker)
• Classic Sugar Cookie (recipe inspired by Minimalist Baker)

 

 

Click on the links above to try these recipes out! I promise you will be soaring on a sugar high, guilt-free, and happy!

Sprinkle kindness everywhere!

❤ Divina

Strawberry Thumbprints

I  give these cookies 2 thumbs up!! hehe 😉

They are my absolute favorite 🙂 Why? Growing up, my mom would let me help her make these and we would have so much fun! I also love jam and how festive they look around this time of year. They can really light up a plate. I was very happy to revise a simple recipe and make it vegan. Best of all, I can’t taste the difference at all. Yeee!

Ingredients: 

• 2 1/2 cups of Almond Flour
• 1/2 cup of Earth Balance Butter
• 6 T of Maple Syrup
• Strawberry Jam or any you like (local is best)

Directions:
Yields: ~18 cookies

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl (except jam) until combined well. If when combined you notice that the consistency is too wet, add 1/4c more of almond flour
2. Shape the dough into a ball and cover with plastic
3. Let dough chill overnight in refrigerator
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
5. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper
6. Use a Tablespoon to form balls and make a thumbprint in the center of each cookie
7. Place into oven for 5 minutes then take out and add a small spoon of jam into the thumbprint; careful you don’t burn yourself
8. Place into oven or another 5 minutes.
9. Remove from cookie sheet and transfer to cooling rack
10. Prior to serving, you may sprinkle a lil powdered sugar on top…it makes them look nice and pretty 🙂
    
    

    

    

    

    

    

     

Enjoy! ❤

Ginger Spice Cookies

“People of the world, spice up your life, ahhh!” with these awesome ginger-spiced cookies! Aren’t they so freaking cute!? And yes I did just quote spice girls. Recipe below!

Ingredients:

Wet

• 1/2 cup of Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup Almond Butter
• 1 Flaxseed Egg
  • (1 T of flaxseed egg with 3 T of water: let it sit aside in small bowl for 10 minutes to thicken)
• 3 T Molasses
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance Butter, softened

Dry

• 3/4 tsp ground Ginger
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
•  1 1/2 cup of Bob’s Redmill 1:1 GF baking flour

Directions:
Yields:~24-36 cookies

1. Mix wet ingredients until well combined and then add dry ingredients until consistency becomes dough-like
2. Form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap
3. Let the dough chill overnight in refrigerator. If you are in a rush 2 hours minimum 😉
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
5. Roll out dough on a flat surface, on top of parchment paper, using gf flour as needed if too wet/sticky: I also put a piece of parchment paper between the rolling pin and the dough to make it easier; there is less stickiness 😀
6. Use a cute ginger man cookie cutter to cutout your dough OR if you’re not into that, roll into 1 T balls. It is up to you.
7. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes
9. Transfer to cooling rack
10. Once cool, decorate with some yummy vegan frosting!

Vegan Frosting is so simple! Just mix together (on high) 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1/4c of softened earth balance butter, 1 tsp of vanilla, and 1-2 tsp of non-dairy milk. BOOM!

Enjoy!

❤ Divina

The “Classic” SUGAR COOKIE

Good new ya’ll! The classic sugar cookie can still exist in a plant-based world! Sugar cookies are a must this time of the year. I highly recommend you try this recipe I used from Minimalist Baker.

Please make these delicious treats and stay sweet to yourself and to others this season. xoxo

Ingredients: 

Wet

• 1/2 cup of Earth Balance Butter, softened
• 1/2 cup cane sugar
• 1/4 cup  brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1-2 tsp dairy-free milk
• 1/4 tsp salt

Dry

• 1 3/4 cup (259 g) Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Blend (or sub unbleached all purpose) + more for rolling
• 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder (for thickening/binding)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions:
Yields: 24-36 cookies (depends on the cookie cutter you use)

1. Combine wet ingredients into bowl and mix on medium-high for 2-3 minutes
2. Add dry ingredients until consistency becomes dough-like
3. Form dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap
4. Let dough chill overnight in refrigerator
5. Ready to roll out? Preheat oven to 350 degrees
6. Roll out dough on a flat surface, on top of parchment paper, using gf flour as needed if too wet/sticky: I also put a piece of parchment paper between the rolling pin and the dough to make it easier; there is less stickiness 😀
7. Do yo thang and use your cute cookie cutters to cut out the dough!
8. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper; 1 inch apart
9. Bake for 8-10 minute
10. Remove from cookie sheet and transfer to cooling rack
11. Let cool for 15 minutes
12. BE creative with your frosting and sprinkles!

HOW DO YOU MAKE VEGAN FROSTING THOUGH?
Vegan Frosting is so simple! Just mix together (on high):
+2 cups of powdered sugar
+1/4c of softened earth balance butter
+1 tsp of vanilla
+1-2 tsp of non-dairy milk. BOOM!

 

 

ENJOY!

❤ Divina

 

 

 

That’s My Yam!

This really is my kind of yam! 🙂 I love the combination of yams and marshmallows and the toasted pecans give it a nice crunch in texture! yeee! I am really happy I found vegan marshmallows at Trader Joe’s because I couldn’t fathom missing out on this.

Ingredients:

• 3 Small-Medium Sized Yams
• 2 T of Earth Balanced Butter
• 1 Orange or ~1/4 c of orange juice
• 1 tsp of orange yeast
• 2 tsp of Cinnamon
• 1 T of Vanilla
• 1/4 c – 1/2c of Toasted Pecans, chopped
• 1 c of vegan marshmallows (Trader Joe’s carries them!)

Directions:

• Peel yams and dice them
• Boil yams until soft (~20 minutes) and then strain
• Mash yams until smooth
• Grate orange to collect its zest
• Proceed to peel orange and then put the orange in the blender.
• Pour the juice into a strainer to get the pulp out (OR YOU CAN JUST USE REGULAR ORANGE JUICE~ about 1/4cup)
• Add butter, juice of one orange, and orange zest and mix until cohesive
• Spread yams into a circular pie dish and heat in oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
• Add marshmallows and broil for 3-5 minutes
• Top it off with toasted pecans!

 

But how do those pecans get all warm and toasty?

• Toss an 8oz of pecan halves in about 2 T of honey, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and 1/4 c of melted butter
• Spread out on a cookie sheet
• Bake on 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Boom!

Enjoy!

❤ Divina

Pun-kin Pie with Coconut Whipped Cream

Thanksgiving isn’t complete without pun-kin pie! I was grateful to find this gluten-free crust and with a plant-based filling from Minimalist Baker’s blog. Please check her out!

The crust is nice and crispy! I added some vanilla and a touch of cinnamon to it for some flavor. The crust was a punk-in the butt to make BUT I am really happy with how it turned out. The recipe called for 4-6 T of cold water, however I added about 8 T because my pie crust was just not coming together very well. Because I followed this recipe very closely, click the link here for the recipe.

The Crust Process:

Before & After

 

I also made some coconut whipped cream to top it off. Just 4 ingredients!

Coconut Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 can of Full Fat Coconut Milk Cream (Cream must separate from the liquid)
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1tsp Vanilla
• 1 tsp GF Flour (to thicken)

Directions:

• Separate coconut cream from the liquid by carefully scooping out the cream only
• Chill the cream overnight
• It is also a good idea to chill the bowl for a couple of minutes prior to mixing
• Mix the cream and sugar together until combined.
• Then add vanilla and gf flour on high speed until whipped peaks form

SLICED AND READY ❤

❤ Divina

 

A “Lentil” Gratitude for the Table

I hope all you Bloggers enjoyed your Day of Thanks!

Instead of shopping those Black Friday sales, I’d thought I’d take a moment to rewind, reflect, and share some plant-based recipes I tried out yesterday!

First and foremost, I make it a habit to practice gratitude on the daily by writing down 5 things I am grateful for.

Today, I am grateful for: 

1. My first plant-based Thanksgiving dinner being a success!
2. My awesome boyfriend who has joined me on this plant-based journey.  It makes practicing a plant-based lifestyle a lot easier when you have someone by your side to share an experience like this with.
3. My family and friends who support and respect the plant-based lifestyle. (Despite my dad’s jokes haha) Special thanks to the Jandusay family for making us a tofu dish and amazing vegan chocolate chip cookies 🙂
4. All of the kind humans out there who are raising awareness and sharing their plant-based recipes.
5. Anyone who was thoughtful in their food choices to help save our planet or improve their health. Thank you ❤

A “lentil” Random Fact: The US consumes 46 million turkeys to celebrate this one day!!! Isn’t that crazy?

So instead of turkey being our centerpiece, I brought a “lentil” gratitude to the table to share with our family and friends. I found a main dish recipe with lentils and vegetables on Pinterest from a blog called It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken and made some minor changes. Initially I was a “lentil” intimidated by the intricacies of the puff pastry, BUT it looked so tasty and pretty, I had to try it out 🙂 Luckily it was a success and everyone, meat eaters included, enjoyed it!

Ingredients:

Lentils:

• 1 cup Green Lentils, uncooked (From Trader Joe’s)
• 2 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth

Vegetable Mix:

• 2 T Olive Oil
• 1/2 Yellow Onion, chopped
• 1/2 Red Onion, chopped
• 2 Medium Carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1- 8 oz. box of Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 handful of Kale
• 2 Small Italian Zucchini, chopped
• 2-3 T of Garlic, chopped or minced

Dry Mix + Flaxseed Egg:

• 3/4 cup Rolled Oats
• 1/4 cup GF Flour
• 1/4 GF bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Walnuts, chopped and toasted
• 1 flaxseed Egg (3 T flaxseed and 3 T of water combined until thick and gelatinous)
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
• 4 Leaves of Fresh Sage, chopped
• Salt and pepper (a pinch or 3) 😉
• 2 Sheets of Puff Pastry, Thawed (Pepperidge Farm is vegan!)
• 2 T of non-dairy milk (to brush onto pastry)

Directions:

• Boil the lentils in the vegetable broth until soft (follow directions on the package).
• Let the lentils cool down and then place in a food processor to blend until smooth.
• In a large frying pan over medium heat, sauté the onions, mushrooms, garlic in olive oil. Then add carrots, zucchini and kale.
• Allow to cool down to about room temperature and prepare flaxseed egg
• Then in a large bowl add the blended lentils to the vegetable mix.
• Add flaxseed egg (3 T of flaxseed and 3 T of water), oats, bread crumbs, walnuts, and all seasonings.
• Mix until combined and chill overnight or at least 2 hours
• This mix yields 2 loafs! woot woot!
  

  Carrots and zucchini chopped

  

  Chopped Onions and Sliced Mushrooms

  

  Veggies Combined

  

  Blended Lentils

  

  Lentils, Veggies, and Dry Ingredients

  

  Mix it up!!

Next Day: PASTRY TIME

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• I recommend using wax paper to roll puff pastry out into a large rectangle.
• Then follow the pictures below to guide your cutting design.
• Once your puff pastry is rolled out and ready, shape your lentils/veggie mix into a loaf and place at the center of the puff pastry dough.
• Fold the puff pastry strips over each other “in weave-like fashion” and feel free to make designs out of the left over pieces; I made leaves 🙂
• Brush the top with some non-dairy milk

• Bake for 50 minutes until puffy and gold!

 

• Sprinkle some sage on top to add some color 🙂

 

And there you have it, a “lentil” gratitude for the table! I can’t wait to make this again!

❤ Divina

Peanut Butter Cookie Time

Life continues to be volatile, crazy, and very busy with my first internship, 50 minute commute, plant-based lifestyle, and other shenanigans. When I get the opportunity to slow down and savor the moment, I am recognizing that it really is the the simple things (like peanut butter) in life that make it worthwhile. For those of you who eat peanut butter by the spoon (which is what I do on the daily to create some happy nutty vibes), these cookies will make your life a whole lot butter, I mean better! 😉 Plant-based and gluten-free…they are the perfect way to indulge in something sweet (guilt-free) especially with this cold weather we’ve been having in the PNW. My love language is baking something sweet for those I care about, so last week I made these for a special friend’s 21st birthday. woot woot!

Ingredients:

Wet

• 1 c of creamy organic peanut butter
• 1/4 c of non-dairy milk (I use macadamia nut milk: found it at SAFEWAY!)
• 1/2 c of vegan butter (I use earth balance, also found at SAFEWAY)
• 1/2 c of powdered sugar (blends better than granulated white sugar)
• 1/2 c of brown sugar
• 1 tsp of vanilla

Dry

• 1.5 c of GF flour
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c of Enjoy Life chocolate chip morsels

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix peanut butter and butter together first. Then add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix until creamy. Follow with adding dry ingredients until mixture becomes dough-like. Mix in chocolate chips and chill dough for 10 minutes. I use a mini ice-cream scooper to form equal size cookies (approx 1-1.5 Tablespoons), then I roll them into balls and place evenly spaced a cookie sheet (I do 3×4 for 12 cookies per sheet). Then take a fork to press them flat in a criss cross design. Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes.

Feel free to cozy these cookies up to some coffee, hot chocolate, or tea!
(My go to is earl grey!)

I am nuts about these cookies and I hope you will be too!

❤ D

P.S: Stay tuned for my upcoming Plant-Based Thanksgiving Dishes that I can’t wait to try! yeee!

Lemon-aid Bars

When LIFE gives you LEMONS…make these! ❤

This weekend I needed something sweet to remedy my “sour” stress and exhaustion levels from a tough week of interning. I’ve been doing my best to keep a positive mindset but sometimes you need a lil somethin’ somethin’ to refresh your spirits. Luckily, I had a few lemons in my fridge that aided in my rescue! 🙂 The first thing I thought of was LEMON-AID bars…and of course I was determined to bring this punny baked good to life. I found a vegan recipe on Pinterest and altered it slightly to make it gluten-free! woot woot! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1/2 cup +2 T of gf flour (I use Premium Gold Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour)
• 1/2 cup of almond flour
• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup of coconut oil
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp of ground ginger

Filling:

• 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice (I used 2 lemons)
• 2 tsp of lemon zest
• 1 ripe mashed banana
• 3/4 cup of organic white sugar
• 2 T of cornstarch
• 2 T gf flour

+++Some powdered sugar (sprinkle on top)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

For the crust, mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased 9×9 pan. (8×8 will work too).

Bake for 10 minutes.

For the filling, mix all of the filling ingredients together until smooth. I recommend using a whisk. Once the crust is finished baking, pour filling over the top and bake for another 30 minutes.

Let them cool off and then give them a generous sprinkle of powdered sugar! woot woot!

I was so surprised by how delicious these came out! They’re my new main squeeze and bf approved 😉 haha very refreshing and just what I needed to devote myself to another crazy week of work.

When life gives you lemons…please make these 🙂

❤ Divina

 

 

 

oh “AVO” “BEAN” missing brownies a “latte”

Time is flying! I am already in my last 6 months of my occupational therapy program. I started my first fieldwork II site about 2 weeks ago at a skilled nursing facility. It’s bean a humbling learning experience so far but it is very tough; especially with documentation/productivity expectations. Yikes! I must say though that the patients make it all worthwhile! And my work schedule allows me to have Fridays off! woot woot!

Today is my day to recharge and do things that I love, like figuring out how to bake plant-based desserts and then blog about it. I’ve been craving chocolate a latte! So today I made some avo bean missing you a latte brownies to bring some happiness to my soul. I cannot espresso how much I love these! 🙂 k I am punned out.

Ingredients:

• 1 15oz can of black beans
• 1/2 medium avocado
• 2/3 cup of cocoa powder
• 1 small packet of instant coffee (I use pike place starbucks coffee because I love it a latte!)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of coconut sugar
• 1 T of white sugar
• 1/4 cup of apple sauce
• 1 flaxseed egg (1 T of flaxseed mixed with 3 T of water)
• 1 T of peanut butter
• 1 T of vanilla
• 1/4 tsp of baking soda
• 1/4 tsp of baking powder
• +dairy-free Chocolate Chunk Chips to place on top or mix in. I mixed about 1/4 c in the batter and placed some on top.

Directions:

• Preheat Oven: 350 degrees
• In a food processor, blend the black beans, cocoa powder, instant coffee, and avocado together. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips if desired.
• Pour evenly into 8×8 or 9×9 pan
• Sprinkle desired chocolate chips on top
• Bake for 20-22 minutes

FYI:
THESE ARE FUDGE-Y BROWNIES because of the avocado and absence of flour. I like them this way! BUT I will be making cake-like brownies in the near future for you classic brownie lovers. 😉

Avo yummy brownie & enjoy! 🙂

❤ Divina