Ice-Cream and Giggles

There has been one recipe that I just haven't been able to crack as a vegan: the chocolate chip cookie. I have made countless of recipes that claim to be the "best vegan chocolate chip cookie," but they never seem to cut it. To explain, though, my "ideal" cookie that I am trying to re-create is the subway cookie: a dough that will spread out and result in a chewy cookie. Cakey cookies are a no-go for me.

A few weeks ago, I thought I had found that recipe on Vedged Out. The cookie spread out like perfection, and the dough was delicious. They even were approved by my omnivore co-workers. The problem? It was cakey and crumbly. So crumbly the cookies at the bottom of the container I stored them in were crumbs. Though, to be honest, they were gluten free. So it was back to the drawing board.

At first, I thought the problem was the binder. The recipe used aquafaba for the egg replacer, so I decided to add some egg replacer powder to the aquafaba. I remade it. But, even just a teaspoon of egg replacer seemed to ruin the balance of the dough and resulted in a chunky and really dense cookie.  It didn't spread out at all.

Finally, I did my homework. I read up on the science of the best cookie dough. I melted the vegan margarine, I didn't overmix the dough, and I refrigerated the dough overnight. I let the dough "warm" to room temperature so that it would be less likely to hold its shape and the margarine would melt. I thought I had it.

It, like the others before, were a fail. Somehow it was the worst fail. It was a brick, and didn't melt at all.

Finally, I gave up on making these cookies gluten free (sorry, sister). I used bread flour, as recommended by the article regarding the science behind the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I also removed baking powder (again, rising = cake), melted the margarine again, and used aquafaba from beans, not chickpeas. All my fail attempts used chickpea brine, so I am inclined to think bean brine somehow improved this recipe. Basically, I think this is the most perfect the chocolate chip cookie recipe can be, for now at least. And it just goes to show how important method is.


Recipe based on Vedged Out.

Prep: 10 minutes. Resting Time: 3 hours (optional).


Makes 18-22 cookies.

You will need:

1/2 cup vegan margarine
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 tbsp aquafaba from a can of beans
1 cup plus 2 tbsp bread flour or plain flour
1 cup vegan sugar-free dark chocolate chips

Method:

1. Melt the margarine in a bowl in the microwave. Once melted, add the sugar, soda, salt, vanilla, and aquafaba. Mix together using a hand whisk.
2. Sift in the flour, mix but don't over mix. Add chocolate chips. Let rest at room temperature for a few hours (optional). If you refrigerate the dough it won't melt and ooze as much.
3. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Spoon tablespoon-size chunks of dough on a lined baking tray. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes.

As I am sure you are already aware, May the Fourth (Star Wars Day) is coming up. Although I am already brainstorming ideas (wookie cookies, yoda truffles, BB-8 cupcakes), I thought up that in the lead up to it I might share some of my star wars related recipes.

Now, to the raweos! You can make these like normal oreos of course if you do not have a death star cookie cutter (I got mine off eBay), but they are delicious in any form they may take.

Serves 10.

Total Time: 40 minutes.

You will need:

For the biscuit:

1 cup of raw cashews
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 tbsp flax meal/ground flax seeds
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence

For the filling:

1 cup cashews soaked overnight or in boiling water for an hour
4 tbsp maple syrup
1 vanilla bean, scraped out

Method:

1. Blitz all ingredients for biscuit in a food processor until combined and a dough is formed. Roll out between two sheets of baking paper and cut into circle shapes (should make around 20). Place in the fridge to set for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make your filling! Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender (vitamix is great for this). Once smooth, pipe onto one cookie and top with another. Repeat. Eat immediately or let set in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Makes 21-22 small circle biscuits.

Prep: 40 minutes, baking: 15-20 minutes. Total Time: 1 hour.

You will need:

For the biscuits:

125 g rice flour or all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp natvia baking sugar
45 g vegan margarine
70 ml unsweetened almond milk
1/4 tsp baking powder

For assemblage:

250 g vegan fondant icing (see previous post), plus corn flour
1-2 tbsp maple syrup or rice malt syrup
1/2 cup edible flowers, washed and dried

Method:

1. In a bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
2. Using a fork, cut in the vegan margarine until crumbly. Then using a spoon, mix in the almond milk until a dough is formed. Place in the fridge for at least an hour.
3. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place the dough between two baking sheets, dust with flour as desired, roll out and cut with desired cookie cutter. Place on a lined baking tray and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool.
4. Roll out the fondant icing between two baking sheets dusted with corn flour. Cut, brush each biscuit with maple syrup, then press the cut fondant icing on top. Top with edible flowers.

When my dear friend Angela told me there was Star Wars cookie cutters on eBay for a steal (like $2.50 for 4 cutters and free shipping!), I knew I had to buy them and make some vegan ice-cream sandwiches (I may or may not be going through an ice-cream sandwich phase). Considering it is Darth Vader, of course the cookies had to be dark (chocolate) and the ice-cream darker (well, chocolate anyway). You don't have to make Darth Vader ones, I am sure there is something you can find: Minnie Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, or even flower molds. Use your imagination!

Vegan Chocolate Shortbread cookies, recipe altered from Emily Levenson,

Makes around 24 cookies.

Approximately 40 minutes prep (10 minutes mixing, 30 minutes refrigeration) and 10-15 minutes baking.

You will need:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (do NOT use self-raising!)
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup softened vegan butter/margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
optional: 1-2 tbsp water if mixture is too dry

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream margarine and sugar, then add vanilla.
3. Add in flour mixture. Mix until combined. If is too dry (which really depends on the flour you used) add some water.
4. Form dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350F/180 degrees Celsius.
6. Roll out dough between two pieces of wax or parchment paper. It helps to flour the wax paper before rolling out the dough. Dough should be 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
7. Cut cookies into desired shape and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If the dough sticks to the cookie cutters, clean: removing any dough, then using some cooking oil spray into the cutter before cutting. This should minimize any sticking, and you will probably need to repeat each time you cut the cookie.
   
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes. 
9. Let cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes.

When ready to assemble ice-cream sandwiches:

Approx. 5 minutes preparation, + 20 minutes freezing time, makes 10 sandwiches

You will need:

20 cookies
2 frozen bananas
2 tbsp cocoa

1. Combine the bananas and cocoa in a food processor until combined. The mix should be thick enough to serve immediately.
2. Place one tablespoon of ice-cream between 2 cookies.
3. Once all have been assembled, place in freezer for at least 15-20 minutes (this makes sure the ice-cream doesn't slip out when you take a bite into it!). Serve!

In Australia there is an ice-creamery called Cold Rock in which you can choose any ice-cream flavour, such as mango or bubblegum, and add something to it: such as smashed bounty, gummy bears, sour worms, nerds etc. What they pretty much do is scoop out the ice-cream and smash these additions into the ice-cream, then serve. This is the same principle I followed for this recipe, or perhaps I should call it creation, as it really is simply the mixing of two ingredients. Then you are done. Cookies and cream ice-cream is one of the more popular ice-cream flavours, but unfortunately, you will rarely see a vegan version. This is meant to be an easy, delicious and vegan option, that takes less than five minutes to make and no cooking or food processing, and as a result is another "dessert hack". Obviously I used Oreos again for this recipe (I swear I am not sponsored by Oreos or anything, I just really like Oreos, though I am sure my waistline doesn't!), but during the next few recipes I intend on returning to my usual healthy and fruit based ice-creams.

Serves 1-2 people, approx. 5 minutes to make.

You will need:

3 scoops of vegan vanilla ice-cream 
2 smashed Oreos

1. Smash your Oreos (not too finely though)
2. Scoop out your 3 scoops of ice-cream
3. Using two spoons, smash in the crushed biscuits, but not too well.


4. If yours has melted significantly, you can place in the freezer for 10-20 minutes for it to harden up, or serve immediately, so that the cookies are still crunchy.

During one afternoon after high school a few years ago, my friend and I went to McDonalds and ordered a chocolate chip cookie sundae; the idea was a warm chocolate chip cookie with ice-cream and chocolate fudge sauce on top, though of course my cookie came out frozen (thanks, McDonalds!). I decided to recreate this sundae as an easy, but super effective and delicious, dessert. I decided to put it under one of my "dessert hacks", as though you do have to make cookies, they don't take too long to make. A fresh warm cookie really does take this dessert a few notches higher, and I have used this recipe at least 10 times and it has never failed me! I used the same cookie recipe that I used for my peanut butter ice-cream and chocolate chip cookie sandwiches.

For the cookies. I got the recipe from here, but I halved it. It should make 6 cookies.

You will need:

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp almond milk
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash of salt
1/2 cup vegan choc chips

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Cream the coconut oil with brown sugar, add almond milk and vanilla.
3. Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder over mixture, mix in. Add salt, and mix in the chocolate.
4. Divide mixture into 6 cookies onto a tray. I used egg rings to create the perfect circular shape, and pressed the dough into the circles.


5. Bake for 10 minutes (with the egg rings) or until brown.



Serves 6 (i.e. 6 cookies), approx. 5 minutes preparation time:

You will need:

6 vegan chocolate chip cookies
6 scoops of vegan vanilla ice-cream (I used "So Good: Vanilla Bliss")

Toppings:

Vegan chocolate sauce
Vegan chocolate chips

1. Put a scoop of ice-cream on each cookie, cover with chocolate sauce and chocolate chips.
2. Serve!

This is something I have been wanting to do for ages. The ice-cream sandwich, but vegan. But what cookie do you use? And what ice-cream? After much deliberation, I decided on peanut butter ice-cream and choc-chip cookies. Oh, what a combination! It was extremely delicious. As for the choc-chip cookie recipe, I searched high and low for a healthy vegan recipe, but to no avail. Eventually I found one that used coconut oil instead of butter, but unfortunately brown sugar was also a large part of the recipe. I still made it though (which is what I used in this post), though in the future I think I will experiment with making a refined sugar free and gluten free choc-chip cookie, but bear with me here! The cookies used in this post are by far one of the best choc-chip cookies I have ever had (vegan and non-vegan!), so I suggest you try making it.

For the cookies. I got the recipe from here, but I halved it. It should make 6 cookies, enough for three ice-cream sandwiches.

You will need:
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp almond milk
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash of salt
1/2 cup vegan choc chips (I used a block of vegan chocolate which I cut up into chunks).

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Cream the coconut oil with brown sugar, add almond milk and vanilla.
3. Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder over mixture, mix in. Add salt, and mix in the chocolate.
4. Divide mixture into 6 cookies, place on a tray with greased baking paper, press down slightly.
5. Bake for 10 minutes or until brown.

For the ice-cream:
2 frozen bananas
5-6 tbsp of vegan peanut butter (try and get one that is 100% peanuts)
1/4 cup almond milk


1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor.
2. Pour into a metal tray and cover with glad wrap.
3. If you used frozen bananas, the ice-cream should be hard enough to use a with an ice-cream scoop after around 30-45 minutes in freezer. Don't forget to whisk every 30 minutes until ready.

Making the sandwiches:

You will need 2 cookies and one scoop of ice-cream per sandwich. Simply place a cookie upside down on a place, put a scoop of ice-cream on the cookie, and put another cookie on top. Voila! I hope you like it!