12 Vegan Christmas Cookies for everybody!

• Directions In a meals processor, first add almonds and cashews and course of till very superb (the almonds are the toughest, and have to be labored till crumbly). Allow them to course of for a minute or two till fairly superb. Then add walnuts, dates and cherries and pulse/course of till combination is sort of crumbly, however not but coming collectively. Then, add cocoa powder, salt, and almond extract, and pulse by. With a pointy tip knife, slice the vanilla bean down the outer facet to open up the bean. Utilizing a blunt (butter) knife, scrape out all of the tiny seeds from the bean on each side, and add them to the processor (or add vanilla extract). Course of once more, together with the almond extract if utilizing. Course of till the combination comes collectively. The combination must be sticky and maintain collectively when pressed together with your fingers. You don’t need to overmix (to stop the nuts from releasing their oils, see observe), however the combination does want to carry and be sticky. If it’s not doing so, add a couple of drops of water, as your dates is perhaps dry. After getting a superb, sticky combination that can maintain collectively, take away it from the processor and press right into a brownie pan (8” x 8”) lined with parchment paper. Use a small piece of the parchment to assist press and flatten the combination evenly into the pan. Press it firmly to make sure the combination holds.

For the frosting, in a mini‐meals processor, first mix the coconut butter and agave nectar till easy. Then add the cocoa powder and salt, and pulse by once more till simply mixed. Don’t overprocess or the frosting will start to separate with the warmth of the churning and grow to be oily. (Should you don’t have a mini‐ processor, you possibly can comply with the identical steps stirring by hand in a bowl). Easy frosting over base, and refrigerate for an hour or extra till set. Minimize into squares and serve! You may as well freeze the squares after slicing, and luxuriate in them out of the freezer!

• Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). In a bowl, sift within the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the sugar and salt, and stir till properly mixed. In a separate bowl, mix the maple syrup with the molasses and vanilla, then stir within the oil till properly mixed. Add the moist combination to the dry, together with the chocolate chips, and stir by till simply properly mixed (don’t overmix). Place giant spoonfuls of the batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten a little bit. Bake for 11 minutes, till simply golden (for those who bake for for much longer, they are going to dry out). Let cool on the sheet for not more than 1 minute (once more, to stop drying), then switch to a cooling rack. Makes 8-10 giant cookies.

First, put together the caramel topping: In a small saucepan, whisk about half of the milk with the arrowroot. Then add the remaining milk, whisking, and the remaining caramel elements. Warmth the combination over medium-high warmth, whisking incessantly, till it simply reaches a boil. Then take away from the warmth and switch to a bowl to let cool barely whereas getting ready the bottom. (Proceed to whisk or stir often to stop a pores and skin from forming on the caramel. If a pores and skin does begin to kind, you possibly can whisk it into the combination, or if pretty thick, merely take away and discard the pores and skin, for those who desire.)

Put together the bottom: In a bowl, mix the oat flour, coconut, and salt, then add the brown rice syrup and coconut oil. Combine together with your fingers to assist work within the syrup and oil. As soon as the combination can maintain collectively considerably when pressed, switch to the ready pan. Press evenly into the underside of the pan. When caramel has cooled barely (can nonetheless be heat, simply not scorching), pour over the bottom. Then layer on every of the toppings, sprinkling over the caramel, adopted by sprinkling on a few pinches of salt. Bake for 20 minutes. Take away from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. Let cool barely after which refrigerate to completely cool earlier than slicing into bars. Makes 16-20 bars.

• In a meals processor, add the cashews, oats, dates, zest, lemon juice, vanilla seeds, and salt and course of. At first it’ll seem as if nothing is occurring, and the combination is simply whirring round crumbly, however quickly it’ll begin to grow to be sticky (endurance my pretties)! Whenever you see it begin to grow to be a little bit sticky, add the coconut and course of once more. Proceed to course of till it types a ball on the blade. Cease, after which take away the dough. Take small scoops of the dough (about 1 – 1 1/2 tbsp in measurement) and roll in your hand. Repeat till you’ve used all the dough. If utilizing coating, combine elements in a small bowl. Toss or roll the balls within the coating if utilizing, and refrigerate. Eat and repeat usually!

• Line a loaf dish or equally sized small pan with parchment paper. Place the cashews, dates, and raisins in a meals processor. Pulse till the nuts and fruits are crumbly, then add the pecans and the remaining elements and course of once more, scraping down the perimeters of the bowl a few instances, till the combination has come collectively and turns into sticky (don’t overprocess, as pecans could make combination too oily if overworked). Switch the combination to the ready loaf dish. Press the combination firmly into the pan (utilizing a small piece of parchment is best). Put together the frosting: Mix all of the elements in a mini meals processor, or combine very properly by stirring in a bowl). Easy the frosting over the bottom. Refrigerate for an hour or extra till set. Minimize into bars or squares and serve!

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a big bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and allspice. Utilizing a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the coconut oil, sugar, molasses, milk, and maple syrup, beating on medium velocity for a number of minutes till creamy, and stopping to scrape the bowl as wanted. Mixing at low velocity, add the dry combination about 1⁄2 cup at a time, over a few minute or so. Proceed mixing till the dough comes collectively in a single or two balls on the paddle, separating cleanly from the within of the blending bowl. Switch to a clear, dry countertop. Roll out the dough to about 1⁄4 inch thick. (If you’re having bother rolling the dough—whether it is sticking—sandwich the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll your pin on high of the parchment, as an alternative of instantly on the dough.) If the dough has grow to be too pliable (this will likely occur in case your room is barely heat), switch to the fridge for 10 to fifteen minutes to agency barely. As soon as rolled pretty evenly to 1⁄4 inch thick, use cookie cutters to chop the dough into shapes. A spatula (offset or common) will assist raise the cookies off your counter and to the ready baking sheet. House the cookies at the least an inch or so aside. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes. Take away from the oven and let cool on the pan for at the least a few minutes. The cookies will agency extra as they cool, and much more after they’re chilled. Refrigerate the cookies in an hermetic container. Embellish as desired, corresponding to with the easy gingerbread icing.

To arrange the icing: In a bowl, combine the sugar with 11⁄2 tablespoons of the milk, till very easy. Add the additional 1⁄2 tablespoon or so of milk, if wanted, to skinny combination to a comfortable sufficient consistency that may be squeezed by a piping or resealable plastic bag (snip one nook if utilizing a plastic bag). After adorning the gingerbread, permit the icing to dry on the cookies earlier than stacking.