ice storm! day 2.

Day 2 at home. A window shattered over night, leaving an opening for the cold wind to travel through the building. I slipped for the first time on the ice tonight while trying to get something out of the car. Lucky for me, I am still stuck here for one more day. I don't need to break any bones right now.


Today was my baking day. Here is a recipe for my Chocolate Coffee Cookie Pies.

2 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 - 1 teaspoon cinnamon (to taste)
1 cup vegan chocolate chips (you can add more if you like)
2 - 3 tablespoons ground coffee
1 tablespoon raw cacao nibs   
1 cup sucanat
1/2 cup canola or coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup + 1 - 2 tablespoons water

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon well.  Add in chocolate chips, coffee, and cacao nibs.
3.  In a separate bowl, mix sucanat, oil, and vanilla until well blended. Mix in 1/4 cup water.
4.  Slowly add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. If mixture seems too dry, add 1 tablespoon of water until dough is no longer dry and all ingredients are mixed well.
5.  Place dough into un-greased, single-serving pie pans. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Turn pans 180 degrees, and bake for 3 to 5 more minutes.  Pies will feel soft when done, making a little "whoosh" sound when you press on them.  If you want to be sure, stick a toothpick or knife in the center and if it comes out clean, they're done.
6.  Let pies cool for a couple of minutes - they'll harden up a bit.  Top with ice cream, or my current favorite, Tempt Hemp Frozen Dessert.

sixteenth

I ran across this fantastic looking recipe over at bakingbites.com shortly after realizing I was in need of some way to use up some cream cheese. It was just sitting there in my fridge begging to be used, and there were no bagels in sight!




Cream Cheese-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies


2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips

Cream Cheese Filling

6-oz cream cheese, room temperature
2-oz white chocolate, melted and cooled
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

(Make the cookie dough:)
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar until light. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed or by hand, blend in the flour mixture, stirring only until no streaks of flour remain. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Divide dough into two equal parts. Place each on a sheet of wax or parchment paper and shape into a log. Wrap in paper and chill logs for 1-2 hours, until firm.

(Make the cream cheese filling:)
1. Combine all filling ingredients in a medium bowl and mix at medium-high speed until smooth. Set aside.

(Assemble the cookies:)
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray baking sheet with canola oil.

2. Remove dough logs from the fridge. (I suggest working with one at a time! If it's your first batch, I would even cut the logs in half so as to be able to work at your own speed - the dough is so much easier to shape and seal when cool.) Using a sharp knife, divide each log into eight even slices (total of 16 big slices of cookie dough).

3. Working with one piece of cookie dough at a time, flatten the dough into a 3-4-inch wide oval-ish shape between your palms. Place about 1 tbsp cream cheese filling in the center of the dough, then pinch the sides of the dough together to seal (they'll look like tiny calzones!) Work carefully so all the filling is sealed inside. Place on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

4. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until cookies are golden brown around the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 16 big cookies.


About halfway through the process, I came to realize I didn't have enough cream cheese to make the suggested amount of filling! Peanut butter to the rescue!

Fluffy Peanut Butter Filling

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1-2 tablespoons milk, or as needed
3/4 cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer.

2. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk bit by bit until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is light, fluffy, and a light tan color. (The best frosting is made by just tasting as you go)