Christmas Cookies - Bakes To Love

Cookies make the perfect treat and of course no Christmas is complete with out milk & cookies. Therefore we have compiled a list of easy to bake cookies.. From, gooey American chocolate chip cookies to melty shortbread, we've got a biscuit selection to please everyone.






Ginger nut - Vegan Option


Super crunchy vegan gingersnap cookies. These brown sugar sweetened vegan cookies are packed with ginger and cinnamon flavor and perfectly balanced between sweetness and spice

Ingredients
1/4 cup (56g) Vegan Butter
1 cup (200g) Brown Sugar
1/4 cup (75g) Unsulphured Molasses
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 cups (250g) All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
2 tsp Ground Ginger
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Allspice
1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
2–3 Tbsp Non-Dairy Milk
1/4 cup (50g) White Sugar (for rolling)

To cook:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Cream the vegan butter and brown sugar together and then add the molasses and vanilla extract.

Sift the flour into a bowl and add the baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves and mix together.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir in by hand until crumbly.
Add the 2 Tbsp non-dairy milk and mix. You should get a very thick cookie dough. However, if you still have crumbles and it’s not yet ‘sticking together’ then add another Tbsp non-dairy milk. Only do this if you really need it though.

Break off roughly tablespoon sized pieces and roll into balls and then roll the balls in white sugar. If you tend to make larger cookies, then you’ll need to bake them for a few minutes longer (around 15 minutes) to get them nice and crunchy.
Place the balls onto a parchment lined baking tray and press down with a fork.
You might want to do these in two batches so that your cookies are nicely spaced out on the baking tray.

Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. If you want more soft and chewy then bake for 10 minutes, if you want more snap/crunch then bake for 12 minutes. If your cookies are larger in size then bake for up to 15 minutes.

The cookies will be soft when they come out the oven. Allow to cool completely as that is when they will firm up and become crunchy




https://lovingitvegan.com/vegan-gingersnap-cookies/











Chocolate chip (that taste like Millies)

Ingredients
 
2 baking trays
125g Butter
125g Caster Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract 
225g Self-Raising Flour 
½ tsp Salt
200g Chocolate chips
1 Egg
Airtight container.


To cook:
Preheat the oven to 200°C, (fan 180°C, gas mark 4) and line 2 baking trays with baking parchment.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy then add the egg and vanilla extract and mix together well.

Sift the flour and salt and then add to the egg mixture. Mixing thoroughly until a soft dough forms. Finally stir in the chocolate chips.

Break off walnut sized pieces of the dough, and roll into balls. Place these on the baking sheets leaving space between them as they will spread out during baking.

Place in the oven and bake for 7 minutes for the ultimate Millie's experience, or 10 minutes if you prefer a crunch. Leave to cool on the trays for about 10 minutes then transfer onto a cooling wire to cool completely.
These store for about 4 days in an airtight container.


If you love this recipe, https://www.bakingmad.com/recipe/copycat-millie-s-cookies










Shortbread


The key to making easy shortbread also taste like the best shortbread is to use real butter.

Some recipes do suggest that you can use margarine in place of butter but personally for me, the rich buttery taste of the real thing is what gives this shortbread a more traditional 

Ingredients:
300 g Flour
220 g Butter (Vegan Optional)
55g/2oz Caster Sugar

Flavour tip:
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp. Salt

Only 3 ingredients are needed to turn this into shortbread, in 10 minutes to oven to cook! but you can also add a few extras if you want to add to the taste

It’s important to make sure that the shortbread doesn’t cook for too long and turn brown. If it does, it’s cooked for too long, and will be a little hard to munch on; rather than soft and melt in your mouth loveliness.

Make sure the butter is at room temperature and soft to touch. If it is too hard it will too hard to cream in with the sugar. You can use an electric mixer if you want to, but if the butter is soft enough you’ll have no problem creaming it up with a wooden spoon.

Sift the flour into the creamed butter and sugar. (At this point you can add the vanilla extract and salt to add flavour) Gently mix it all together with your hands.

A soft dough should form. If it is too crumbly add a little more butter, conversely, if it is too sticky, add a little flour.
Press the dough into a greased baking tin and press it down with your hands. I like to gently score the slices of the shortbread, as well as use a fork to make some decorative holes on the surface before putting it in the oven.
Once the shortbread has been in for about 10 minutes, take it out – make sure it doesn’t go brown or it will be too hard. Slice up the shortbread while it is still warm and soft, leaving it in the baking tin until it is completely cool. I also sprinkle a little extra caster sugar over the top.



Or if your not a cookie fan and have hardly ever seen the rolling pin. We have discovered an independent, made to order Brownie Baker - Founded by Lydia Morison 

Check them out on instagram @browniebabes

Sincerely Madia & Matilda

Plant Based Christmas - #Foodie

Vegan/Vegetarian Christmas Foodie

Whether you are a vegan/vegetarian yourself or are hosting the Christmas dinner this year we’ve got 3 dishes to help make your Christmas dinner perfect for everyone.

Below we’ve chosen two savoury dishes – a main and a side dish – as well as a sweet chocolate mousse to impress your guests this Christmas.

Vegetarian Butternut Squash Salad with Roasted Brussels sprouts, Pecans, and Cranberries.

We love this recipe from Julia’s Album – click here to read her original post.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups/300g Brussel Sprouts
• 600-700g Butternut Squash
• 2 cups/250g Pecan Halves
• 1 cup/120g Dried Cranberries
• Olive Oil
• Maple Syrup
• Ground Cinnamon
• Salt

To Roast the Sprouts:

Preheat the oven to 200°C & grease your roasting tray with some olive oil.

Cut all the sprouts in half, trim the ends and peel the outer leaves off.

In a bowl, combine the sprouts with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt.

Spread evenly on the roasting tray (flat/cut side down) and roast for 20 – 25 minutes.

For the final 10 minutes turn the sprouts over so that they brown evenly.

To Roast the Butternut Squash:

Preheat the oven to200°C & grease your roasting tray with some olive oil.

Cut all the squash into small cubes –peeled and seeded.

In a bowl, combine the squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and flavour with maple syrup and ground cinnamon to taste.

Spread evenly on the roasting tray and roast for 20 – 25 minutes, turn them half way through the cooking time to ensure even cooking.

To toast the Pecans:

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a tray with parchment paper.

Place them flat on the tray in the oven for about 5 minutes or until they darken in colour.

To Assemble:

In a large serving bowl, combine the roasted sprouts and roasted butternut squash.

Add in the toasted pecans and dried cranberries and mix together.

For extra sweetness you can add 2 or 4 tablespoons of maple syrup or add any other seasonings you wish.

Giant Vegan Wellington.

We love this vegan recipe from Olive Magazine – To read the original article and recipe click here.

This show stopping main course is sure to impress all of your guests.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 250g kale, tough stalks removed
• 250g cooked beetroot , thinly sliced
• 3 roasted red peppers from a jar, drained and halved

For the stuffing:

• 2 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 150g swede, coarsely grated
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• a few sprigs of thyme , leaves stripped
• nutmeg
• 200g ready-cooked Puy lentils
• 1 apple, coarsely grated
• 30g hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped
• 50g breadcrumbs
• 1 lemon, zested

For this you can either make your own pastry or use a vegan shop-bought pastry – it’s completely up to you!

To make the stuffing:

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the onion and swede for 5-10 minutes or until soft. 

Add the herbs and spices (garlic, thyme and nutmeg), and cook for another minute.

Add in the cooked lentils, apple and hazelnuts, and cook for 1 minute before stirring through the breadcrumbs and lemon zest.

Leave it to one side to cool.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan and cook the chopped garlic for 2 minutes.

Add the kale and a splash of boiling water, and cook until it has wilted and the water has evaporated.

Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble:

On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll out one third of the pastry to a 25cm x 15cm rectangle.

Leaving a 1cm gap around the edges, spoon on half of the stuffing mixture, half of the kale and half of the beetroot slices.

Repeat the layers until you have used all of the mixture.

Roll out the remaining pastry to a 35cm x 30cm rectangle.

Carefully place it on top of the wellington and use your hands to mould the pastry round so it is tight to the filling.

Use your finger and thumb to crimp the edges of the pastry so it’s completely encased, then trim any excess.

Chill for 30 minutes.

To Cook:

Place in the oven at 180-200°C for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crispy.

Vegan Chocolate Mousse.

We found this mouth-watering dessert recipe on mindbodygreen.com – click here to see the original post.

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripe avocado
• 1/4 cup raw cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup coconut milk or almond milk
• 2 teaspoon stevia (or other natural sweetener)
• 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

Purée the avocado until smooth.

Mix together the cocoa powder and milk until combined and add to the avocado.

Stir in the stevia, vanilla extract, and any extra ingredients you want and mix well.

Transfer the mousse to individual glasses and store in the fridge until ready to eat.

Sincerely Madia & Matilda

#Foodie - Mulled Wine

Winter Warmers for the Cold Season

Got cold in your bones that just won't shift? (Bit dramatic for the UK, I know. Play along, please). Maybe you just need a mug of something warm to thaw your fingers? A good glug of something hot and delicious to lift wet-winter blues? We got you, homies. Read on for Christmas drinkies that Father C. would dive head-first down the chimney for. 

Image courtesy of Jamie Oliver's website

Marvellous Mulled Wine

This recipe comes courtesy of the GB food guru himself, Jamie Oliver. He asks you to make your own spicy, orangey mix yourself, but if you're not into that, you can buy mulled wine mixes from pretty much anywhere. This recipe serves about 10.

1. Peel 2 clementines, 1 lime and 1 lemon
2. Put 200g caster sugar into a large pan over a medium heat, then add the peels and the juice of both clementines
3. Add 6 whole cloves, 1 cinnamon stick and 3 fresh bay leaves to the mix. Grate in 10-12 gratings' worth of nutmeg (or use a teaspoons ground nutmeg) and  halve a vanilla pod lengthways and add to the pan
4. Pour in just enough red wine to cover the sugar (Jamie recommends an Italian wine such as Chianti) and stir well. 2 bottles of red wine are required for this recipe
5. Let the mixture simmer until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil. Keep it boiling for 4-5 minutes, or until you have a "beautiful thick syrup". As Jamie says, creating this syrup will help the ingredients to blend well with the wine, while the heat of the syrup will ensure most of the alcohol is persuaded to leave the rest of the wine when it's added
6. When you're syrup is lovely and thick, turn the heat down to low and add 2 star anise and the rest of your wine
7. Gently heat the whole lovely lot until it's "warm and delicious", then serve in heat-proof glasses

Image courtesy of Café Delites blog

Cheeky Hot Chocolate

Our Nutella Hot Chocolate recipe is adapted from a blog called cafedelights, run by a very lovely Australian. 

1. Heat 1 litre of milk in a medium-sized saucepan on a medium-high heat until steaming
2. Add 2 tablespoons of Nutella or a similar chocolate hazelnut spread, 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons of sugar or another sweetener. Whisk the mixture until combined and dissolved
3. Bring to a simmer and then remove from the heat
4. Serve the hot chocolate with your choice of toppings, if using. This could be: a healthy dollop of Nutella, a few mini-marshmallows, chocolate chips or crushed hazelnuts. Up to you!

Image courtesy of Tasty Yummies blog

Egg-cellent Vegan Eggnog

Yes, it's possible. Yes, you may be amazed! But don't take our word for it— make it yourself! Thanks to the Tasty Yummies blog for this recipe.  

1. 470ml cashew milk, or other non-dairy milk of choice
2. 115ml coconut milk
3. 4-6 Medjool dates
4. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5. 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
6. pinch of ground cinnamon
7. pinch of ground cloves
8. pinch of salt

It's just a matter of chucking all the above ingredients in the blender and off you go! Let us know how it turns out! 

Mmm, Mince Pies

Such a classic deserves a place on every Christmas recipe list. Here's Nigel Slater's recipe for "perfect" mince pies. The recipe's a bit long to include here, but follow the link to view it in full.  

Happy making and baking folks! Please get in touch with pics of your delicious drinks and pies, we'd love to see them!

 

Sincerely Madia & Matilda