Calling all Cookie Monsters!

We've been busy little elves making cookies and more cookies! We made 32 dozen cookies in one day, but we're not done yet. Every surface in my kitchen was covered in cookies - what a delicious sight!

One lady ordered 27 dozen cookies to be gift wrapped and shipped to family, then she said with a huge smile, "My Christmas shopping is done!"

We've also had orders for cookie trays for parties. Imagine all of the time you will save by letting us make your fresh, homemade cookies for your holiday parties. You can even claim that you made them yourself; we won't tell!

I also spent a morning at my CSA selling cookies to fellow members. It was a great success, especially for my first time. Once people tasted the cookies, they told me that they "had to buy some."

Once again, the Everything cookie was the favorite. One lady described it as "a different cookie in every bite!"

Order Your Homemade Holiday Cookies Now!

Happy Holidays! Following much success in making 60 dozen cookies last year, I decided to make homemade cookies for other people this year. The cookies are made from scratch, with natural ingredients, and love. Available made with butter and non-dairy margarine; please specify.

A baker's dozen (13 cookies) for $12.

Choose from a variety of cookies:

Chocolate Chip Heath Bar

White Chocolate Chip

Oatmeal Cranberry-Raisin

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

Peanut Butter

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip

Macaroons Dipped in Chocolate

Lavender with Sprinkles

Everything (just what it say, chocolate chips, white chocolate, coconut, oatmeal, raisin, cranberry, Heath, etc.)

Also, I'm making my famous banana bread with chocolate chips (only made with real butter) for $15 a loaf. I'm still working on a dairy-free version that is as moist and yummy as the butter version. 

I'm taking orders for pick-up or delivery via USPS. (Shipping not included.)
To order email me: jrwozniak at gmail.com

Easy Pie Crust Recipe

Here are is an easy pie crust recipes that I use with great success. It's really two recipes that I combined, the first comes from the Classic Crisco Pie Crust recipe and another recipe that I don't remember the source.

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup cold shortening/non-dairy butter
4-6 Tbs ice cold water
2 Tbs vodka or alcohol of your choice (remember the flavor can enhance the taste of your pie)
1-2 Tbs of sugar (optional)

Directions
Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
Using a fork, two knives, or a pastry cutter, "cut" the butter into the flour. (In other words, gently mash the cold butter until it's in small pieces, do not mix the butter and flour.) The flour and butter should start to form large crumbs.
Then add the vodka and continue cutting the mixture. (The vodka prevents the flour from turning to glue and adds tiny air pockets for a lighter, flakier crust.)
Next start adding the ice cold water one tablespoon at a time. The crumbs should start to stick together to look like dough. When most of the crumbs have started sticking together, use your hands to roll the dough into a ball in the bowl, incorporating the last of the flour at the bottom of the bowl.
Divide into two balls, cover and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

Let the dough stand on the counter for a few minutes before rolling out. Spread wax paper over the counter and sprinkle with flour. Place the dough in the middle of the wax paper, top with more flour and another sheet of wax paper. Then roll out using a rolling pin or even a wine bottle.

When the dough is large enough to cover the pie pan, carefully lift the top sheet of wax paper off. Then pick up the bottom layer of wax paper and invert into the pie dish. Press the dough into the pan and then remove the wax paper. Tuck and scallop the edges of the crust to make it look pretty.

You can use the second half of the dough for the top crust or for a second pie. You can brush the edges of the crust (and top crust) with an egg wash (beat one egg white with a teaspoon of water) for a pretty, shiny golden crust.

Then fill and bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, and then lower the heat to 350 degrees for whatever length of time require by the pie recipe.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

I've tried many recipes for pecan pie over the years, including Kentucky Derby pie, chocolate pecan pie, bourbon pecan pie... it was hard work, but somebody has to do it! This is my favorite recipe and inspired my boyfriend to suggest that I start a bakery called, "Minus One Slice" so he could taste test every pie.

Ingredients
1/2 cup of non-dairy butter
3 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup light Karo syrup1 Tbs molasses
1-2 Tbs bourbon or whiskey
1 Tbs flour
1-1/2 cups pecan halves
1 cup non-dairy chocolate chunks, such as Baker's semi-sweet chocolate chunks

1 unbaked pie crust

Directions
Melt butter. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and salt. Continue beating and add sugar, vanilla and then Karo syrup, molasses, bourbon and flour. Mix in the melted butter.

Place chocolate chunks on the bottom of the unbaked pie crust. Then arrange the pecan halves on top of the chocolate chunks. Then slowly pour the egg mixture over the pecans.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the center is no longer jiggly. Let the pie cool completely before serving.

Pumpkin Flan

My partner's favorite dessert is flan, or a caramel egg custard. I stumbled upon a recipe for pumpkin flan just in time for Thanksgiving.

I found the original loaded-with-dairy recipe in a Latina magazine. It was easy enough to modify it to make it dairy-free, and my guests preferred the dairy-free version!

Ingredients
1-2/3 cup sugar, divided
1 can coconut milk
1 can pureed pumpkin
5 large eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ginger & nutmeg
1/4 tsp clove & allspice
1 tsp Mexican vanilla
boiling water for the water bath for baking


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small pan, melt 1/3 cup white granulated sugar on medium heat. The sugar will become a caramel-colored syrup. Remove from the heat and immediately pour into baking dish about the size of a 9" pie pan. I have a slightly taller pan with a lip (from a double boiler) that has become my "flan pan."

Blend or mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the (hardened) syrup in the baking dish.

Place the pan with the flan inside a larger baking dish with tall sides. Then set both pans on the shelf in the oven, and then fill the larger pan with HOT water. The level of hot water should be as high as the flan mixture in the smaller pan, so the entire flan is immersed the hot water bath. Carefully close the oven and bake for approximately 40-50 minutes.

OR if you have ramekins, you can bake individual-size flans. You will need extra melted sugar to pour into each ramekin. Then fill with flan mixture and place in the hot water bath. Baking times will vary.

Check to see if the flan is done by inserting a knife in the middle. If the knife comes out clean, then it's done, but it will still be jiggly in the middle. Do not over bake. Very carefully remove the pans from the oven and lift the flan pan out of the HOT water. Let the flan cool completely. (If you can't wait that long, which often we can't, it's not the end of the world to serve it warm.)

When ready to serve, place the bottom of the flan pan in hot water to ensure that the caramel syrup is melted. Then run a knife around the edges of the pan. Remove from the hot water and invert onto a serving dish with a lip. The caramel syrup will run over the top and down the sides.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Key Lime Pie

Every time a friend has a birthday, I always ask what dessert they want to celebrate. Year after year, one friend's husband is easy to predict: key lime pie. I have a delicious, easy recipe, but it includes a can of sweetened condensed milk. No wonder it tastes so good! Then one day I had an idea...

"You put the lime in the coconut..."

WOW! It's delicious! And so simple too.

Ingredients

4 eggs

1 can Coco Lopez cream of coconut (found with the drink mixers)

3/4 cup fresh squeezed key lime juice (plus more to taste), strained

graham cracker crust (non-dairy)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Mix all of the ingredients together. 

Pour into the crust and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. The pie will set up as it cools. 

Let the pie cool completely before serving. 

Notes 

Key limes are less bitter than regular limes, so choose wisely. Be sure to strain the lime juice to remove any seeds, stems, or pulp. I used 1 cup of lime juice, because I wanted to feel the pucker to counter the sweetness. 

To make a graham cracker crust from scratch, crush approximately 2 cups of non-dairy graham crackers. Add a couple tablespoons non-dairy margarine.  Press into a pie pan and bake for 5 minutes before filling. 

I think Harry Nilsson would approve! 

Baked Apples

I had a craving for baked apples the other day, so I raided my cabinets and created this recipe. I hope you like it as much as we do!

Ingredients
apples - your choice of apple, but often the signs at the stores tell you which ones are best for baking
brown sugar
dates
raisins
ground cinnamon
Mexican vanilla extract
Soy butter

Directions
Cut the apples in half, core and peel them. (Peeling is optional if the apples are organic.)
Place the apples cored side up in a baking dish.
Add about 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar (or more to taste) to each apple half.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and 2-3 drops of vanilla per half apple.
Take the dates and slice them open length wise. Stuff a few raisins inside the date. Place the dates in the cored apples.
Top each apple half with a tablespoon of soy butter.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until soft. Serve warm.