by amvandenhurk | Dessert, Holiday, Plant-Based Eating, Vegan Baking
Can vegan snickerdoodle cookies be good? Yes they can! I’ll be honest I’ve found that a lot of vegan baked goods taste weird. And I love my desserts so that’s been a big challenge as I move towards a more plant-based diet without dairy and eggs.
Growing up in we lived near Amish Country in Lancaster, PA. The Amish are known for the baked goods and a favorite place for cookies was The Bake Shop in Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse where I would get snickerdoodle cookies. They are butter cookies rolled in sugar and cinnamon.
As it is the Christmas holiday season, it has put me in the mood for cookies. Why not make vegan snickerdoodle cookies? Like I said I was skeptical, but decided to try it. And I liked it. The key is the ingredients, but that’s the case with every recipe. Quality is important.
All About The Butter
For the vegan snickerdoodle as in the traditional cookie, the butter is essential. I use Miyoko’s Creamery European Style Cultured Vegan Butter Unsalted which was crafted for baking. I use it in my Potato Corn Chowder along with unsweetened oat milk. This recipe uses unsweetened apple sauce as the egg replacement, but you could use a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax and 3 tablespoons water mixed together and left to sit for 10mins). The recipe can use whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour. I use the whole wheat pastry flour. You can use a spoon or a stand mixer. I used my food processor, but it didn’t cream the butter and sugar as well as I would have liked. So next time, I’m using my stand mixer.
It still is a treat food
Now I have to be a Debbie Downer, but as a reminder that just because it is vegan doesn’t mean it is low calorie or healthy. This recipe as a cup of sugar. Just like any other baked good recipe. Like with the traditional cookie, they should be enjoyed in moderation and as a treat.
Let me know what you think about this recipe. Can you tell that it is not made with animal-based eggs and butter?
While they aren’t all plant-based, check out these desserts. I’ll be adding more vegan baked goods soon.
Vegan Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- Cookies:
- 350g sifted flour (white whole wheat or all-purpose flour) or 2 1/2 cups
- 2 teaspoons cream of tarter
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Big pinch of salt
- 225g vegan butter, at room temperature or 1 cup
- 225g organic pure cane sugar or regular sugar or 1 cup
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla paste
-
- Coating:
- 3 tablespoons organic pure cane sugar or regular sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Preparation
- 1. Preheat oven to 375F.
- 2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease with oil.
- 3. In a bowl, combine the flour, cream of tarter, baking soda and salt.
- 4. In a bowl, cream the sugar and butter, about 2 minutes.
- 5. Add the vanilla and applesauce, mix to combine.
- 6. Add flour mixture until flour is incorporated. Dough should be firm and thick. If the dough is too soft, chill it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes until it stiffens a bit. This will help keep them from spreading out.
- 7. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for rolling. Roll dough into about 1 inch balls. To keep them uniform, use a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon.
- 8. Place cinnamon sugar rolled balls on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between balls.
- 9. Bake in center of the oven for 8 – 9 minutes. For a little crispier cookie, bake for 10 minutes. I found on the convention setting the best time as 9 minutes.
- 10. Let cool for a few minutes on the pan as they will be too soft just from the oven to move to a wire rack.
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https://wellwornapron.com/vegan-snickerdoodle-cookies/ 
by amvandenhurk | Dessert, Holiday
The Cake We Make Together
The Oreo Cheesecake. That’s right. It is deserving of the “The.” My son and I have been making this cheesecake today since he was 4 years old. On Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s, this is out celebration dessert.
I don’t remember where this recipe is from after all of these years and the printout is worn. One of the reasons I created Well-Worn Apron was to curate recipes. It is time to transfer this one over from paper to the blog to keep it safe.
While I’ve thought about how to make this plant-based, I’ve decided not too. It is such a cherished dessert to us and indulging in to once a year is OK in my book.
Oreo Cheesecake is easy to make. A good recipe to make with children. They will enjoy crushing the Oreos with a baking pin for the crust, pouring the ingredients in, and decorating before going into the oven. Decorating the cake is my son’s favorite activity and for this Thanksgiving he make a smiley face. I use my Braun food processor to blend the batter and it makes an amazingly smooth batter. Once in the oven, it fills the house with the most wonderful smell.
Ingredients
- 18 Oreo cookies, crushed
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 24 ounces cream, softened (3 8oz. packages)
- 1 can (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Preparation
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- 2. Mix Oreos and melted butter.
- 3. Press the mixture in a greased 9-inch spring form pan.
- 4. In a large bowl, cream together the remaining ingredients until well blended.
- 5. Pour into the pan.
- 6. Bake for 45-60 minutes.
- 7. Don't over bake it until it cracks.
- 8. Cool to room temperature and chill in the refrigerator before removing from pan.
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https://wellwornapron.com/the-oreo-cheesecake/ 
by amvandenhurk | Holiday, Seafood
Warning: this layered shrimp dip is addictive.
Be prepared to embarrass yourself at parties by hovering over it. Or at least that’s me when my sister would make this wonderful party-friendly layered shrimp dip. Imagine me sitting in front of it on the porch of our old house in North Carolina with scoops in my hand shoveling it into my mouth during summer family gatherings.
Worst part is it is so simple to make with basics being salad shrimp cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cocktail sauce, salsa, and green onions. This dip is very giving in terms of ingredients. You can customize it to suit your tastes. While I am a hardcore fresh salsa maker, I suggest using whatever red salsa out of the jar you fancy from mild to spicy. Same goes from the cocktail sauce, jar works perfectly and you can select the heat level. Canned or defrosted salad shrimp are interchangeable based on what is easier for you to find. Same goes the cheese having just cheddar or a Mexican mix. You can add olives or chopped fresh peppers. We eat ours with just green onions. Whatever takes your taste buds.
Layered Shrimp Dip is perfect for parties or a party for one.
Ingredients
- - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- - 1/2 cup jarred salsa, divided
- - 1/2 to 1cup cocktail sauce
- - Package, salad shrimp, defrosted or 3 cans (6 ounces each) small shrimp, rinsed and drained
- - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- - Sliced green onions
- - Tortilla chips or Scoops
Preparation
- - Combine cream cheese and half of the salsa
- - Spread into a pie plate
- - Combine cocktail sauce and remaining salsa; spread over cream cheese.
- - Arrange shrimp evenly over top.
- - Sprinkle with onions.
- - Chill.
- - Serve with tortilla chips or Scoops
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https://wellwornapron.com/layered-shrimp-dip/ 
by amvandenhurk | Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Holiday
Don’t regift that Panettone or Pandora Breads
Ever since watching the British Bakeoff Master Classes where Paul made the Italian sweet yeast dough, Pandora Bread, I wanted to make it since it looked tasty and lovely. It is a rich bread made with what flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. What has kept me from making with I lacked easy access to the tin star mold. Panettone with the fruit and raisins are common finds, but the plain one was very hard to find.
Right before Christmas, I stopped in RI Job Lots – a store I can not describe – and there was a shelf full of them. I had to buy it. And I couldn’t wait until Christmas to eat it. That night the box was opened and the Pandora was taken out of the bag. We all were looking forward to it. Well there was quite a lot of disappointment. It was dry and had a flavor we couldn’t figure out. Was it alcohol? We didn’t know.
The Pandora, which was quite large, sat on the counter top. I torn clumps of it as I walked by and I wasn’t putting a dent in it. Something had to be done with it, but what?
I made a Mary Berry Christmas Pavlova for a friend on Christmas Eve. It needed six egg whites. I kept the yolks not wanting to waste them. As I put them in the fridge, the thought came to me: bread pudding. I can make bread pudding with them since it takes six egg yolks. While you could toast the bread or batter them for French (or Italian) toast, I like the option for bread pudding better. It is warm and moist with tons of flavor. And it was a hit.
So don’t throw out your Panettone or Pandora or regift it, but instead make bread pudding with it. Tear it apart soaking it in an egg sugar cream mixture and bake. Sprinkle it with powder sugar and, as we say in this house, “Bob’s your uncle.”
Italian Pandora Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- - 6 large egg yolks
- - 2 cups whole milk
- - 1 cup heavy cream
- - 1 cup granulated sugar
- - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- - 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- - Pandora Bread, roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces
- - 1/4 – 1/2 cup chopped white chocolate
Preparation
- - Heat oven to 375° F.
- - Butter or spray a shallow 2-quart baking dish.
- - Whisk together the egg yolks, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
- - Add the bread and chocolate and mix to combine.
- - Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and bake until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean in 40 minutes.
- - Serve warm or at room temperature.
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https://wellwornapron.com/italian-pandora-bread-pudding/ 
by amvandenhurk | Holiday, Indian, Plant-Based Eating, Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian
Cranberry Chutney – A Multipurpose Condiment
Most American holiday tables from Thanksgiving to Christmas have some sort of cranberry dish. I grew up the jellied kind that came out of a can. Just slice it up and serve it. Sometimes my Mom would make a cranberry mold. All of it was good. It felt like I was eating dessert with my main course.
I never got my Mom’s cranberry mold recipe before she passed and she never wrote her recipes down so I had to make my own way. And maybe why it is important to me to write this blog for my son’s sake. I want to preserve and share family favorite recipes. I want my son to be able to have access to them to make for his friends and family when I am gone hopefully passing them on family traditions.
In our first year in Newport, we hosted a Thanksgiving dinner. And what is a Thanksgiving dinner without a cranberry product? Not Thanksgiving that’s what.
As I wandered through BJ’s, I came across a huge bag of cranberries from New England. On the back of this bag of Cape Cod Select cranberries was a recipe for a cranberry chutney. Why not I thought. Let’s just go for it. The huge bag of cranberry was in my cart.
This is a super easy recipe. A tart apple like a Granny Smith is best, I use Gala or whatever apples I have on hand. I recently made a batch and added overly ripe pear with the apple to the mixture. And very versatile. While you can serve this with turkey, you can serve it with other food. Warm some brie up and top it with this cranberry chutney. You can serve it with roasted pork. Top plain yogurt for an added punch to breakfast
Ingredients
- 4 cups cranberries
- 1 large apple
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Preparation
- 1. Chop up an apple. A tart apple is recommended, but use whatever you have on hand.
- 2. Combine all ingredients in saucepan.
- 3. Bring to a boil stirring along the way.
- 4. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. Apple should be tender and the mixture thickens.
- 5. Serve warm or chilled.
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https://wellwornapron.com/cranberry-chutney/ 
by amvandenhurk | Breakfast, Holiday
The Ultimate Brunch Dish: Eggs Benedict
Stay in your PJs and don’t bother to brush your teeth by bringing the ultimate brunch dish of Eggs Benedict to your table. No need to go out and spend $15 when you can make this at home. For us this is a holiday dish I usually make at Christmas or New Year’s.
The biggest challenge with Eggs Benedict is getting everything done at the same time. I have included my suggested process for preparation. Do whatever works for you. The goal is to get it hot to the table.
Eggs Benedict Recipe
Preparation
Make Hollandaise Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup or 1 stick unsalted butter
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Preparation
- Cut the butter into four pieces and place in a 1-quart glass measure or bowl.
- Microwave, covered with a paper towel, on high, until almost melted (about 45 seconds to 1 minute).
- Remove butter from the microwave and stir until completely melted.
- Separate eggs, placing the yolks in a small bowl and setting the whites aside for another purpose.
- Beat the yolks well with a whisk or fork, then add to the butter and stir well.
- Add cream, lemon juice, and sugar to egg mixture and stir well.
- Microwave mixture, uncovered, on high, until just slightly thick, about 1 to 2 minutes, stopping every 20 seconds to stir with a fork.
- Remove sauce from microwave and stir in the mustard.
For Poaching Eggs
- Heat water, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 2 teaspoons white vinegar and bring to a simmer over medium heat in a skillet with a lid.
- crack each cold large egg into a custard cup or small ramekin.
- Drop each egg into the simmering water.
- Cover with lid and turn heat off.
- Cook for 5 minutes.
Heat Canadian Bacon
Toast English Muffins
Assemble starting with the English muffin, then Canadian Bacon, then Poached Egg topping it off with Hollandaise sauce.
Hello! I'm Ann Marie and I wear the well-worn apron. Join me as explore plant-based eating while I live on an island off the U.S. state of Rhode Island.