butterscotch apple cookies
makes about 2½ dozen
Bits of apple and butterscotch chips make these moist round cookies a favorite in our house. Dusted with confectioners’ sugar, they’re not too sweet and make a terrific accompaniment to a cup of hot tea or coffee. Vegan butterscotch chips are available online and in some supermarkets (the Food Lion store brand is vegan).
½ cup vegan butter
¼ cup applesauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup vegan butterscotch chips
½ cup shredded or finely chopped apple
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a bowl, combine the vegan butter, applesauce, maple syrup, the ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar, the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt and beat until creamy and well blended. Gradually beat in the flour, then stir in the butterscotch chips and apple pieces. Use a tablespoon to scoop the dough and shape into 1-inch balls. Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. While they are still hot, sift a dusting of confectioners’ sugar onto the cookies. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
harvest cookies
makes about 2 dozen
Lots of fruit, nuts, oats, and spices make these wholesome and delicious cookies ideal for fall and winter baking when their fragrance fills the house and makes you feel warm inside.
⅓ cup vegan butter, at room temperature
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups quick-cooking oats
¼ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup golden raisins or chopped dried apples
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the vegan butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a bowl and cream them together until smooth. Add the maple syrup, applesauce, and vanilla, and mix well to combine.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Stir in the oats, walnuts, cranberries, and raisins, and mix well to combine. Drop by the tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet and flatten the tops a little with a spatula. Bake until nicely browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
molasses ginger cookies with blueberries
makes about 2½ dozen
The combination of ginger and blueberries makes these cookies stand out from the crowd. With a soft texture and a flavor reminiscent of gingerbread (but with blueberries!), they taste best after they’ve had a chance to cool.
⅓ cup vegan butter, at room temperature
½ cup molasses
⅓ cup maple syrup
¼ cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1¼ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside.
In a bowl, combine the vegan butter, molasses, maple syrup, applesauce, and vanilla and cream together until well mixed.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well, then add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Add the blueberries and stir to mix well. Pinch off the dough into 1-inch balls and arrange on the prepared cookie sheet. Flatten with a metal spatula and bake until browned, 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before serving.
tip: Because the dough is especially sticky, when pressing the cookies down, spray nonstick spray on the back of the metal spatula to help prevent them from sticking to the spatula.
coconut pistachio cookies
makes about 2 dozen
I love the elegant look of these white cookies with flecks of green pistachio. And their taste is sublime. You can cut them in any shape you want, or simply roll the dough into a rectangle and use a pastry cutter to cut squares—quick, easy, and best of all, no waste.
1 cup sugar
½ cup vegan cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup vegan butter, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅓ cup chopped pistachios
⅓ cup flaked coconut
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a food processor, combine the sugar, cream cheese, and vegan butter, and process until smooth and well blended. Add the flour and baking powder, and process until well combined. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the pistachios and coconut. Mix well, then transfer the cookie dough to a flat work surface between two sheets of plastic wrap. Roll out to ½ inch thick. Use a cookie cutter, pastry cutter, or small drinking glass to cut out the cookies and arrange them on the cookie sheets. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a cooking rack to cool completely before serving.