A Tale of Two Cookies

Because what’s better than one cookie? TWO. So this week I’m putting up two of my favorite cookie recipes. One traditional and one vegan. Snickerdoodles and Vegan Oatmeal Cookies.

Currently, I am teaching a weekly baking class at the college I work for. Last week, I taught cookies and had some photos from my class so thought this might make a fun and yummy food article.

My first recipe is for Snickerdoodles. These amazing, light, buttery cookies are some of my favorite and this recipe is definitely the best I’ve used. I’ve gotta hand it to Betty Crocker, this recipe is amazing. Snickerdoodles, with their cracked cinnamon-sugar coated feather-light-selves, are a cookie that please most folks – especially those who are not big chocolate fans. Growing up, these were one of my mom’s go-to (and most requested) cookie recipes and I can attest that these cookies are not only good straight from the oven, but they keep well for several days when stored. This recipe, if followed directly makes the soft chewy snickerdoodles; I think its the butter/shortening combo. Last week, one of my students taste testing the freshly baked snickerdoodles broke hers in half and exclaimed “Ugghhhh! This cookie just make the most amazing wet noise EVER!”  These cookies are moist, to the point you can actually hear the chewiness when you break them in half while still warm. If you prefer your snickerdoodles on the crunchy side, you can easily find alternative recipes that will produce a more firm cookie.  All right, let’s bust out the butter, Paula style, and bake up these classic cookies.

Snickerdoodles

½ cup butter
½ cup shortening
1 ½ cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 ¾ cups flour
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2 Tbsp. sugar
2  tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400°

1. Cream butter and shortening together.  Add 1 ½ cups sugar and eggs, mix thoroughly.

   

2. Mix flour, cream or tartar, soda and salt. Stir into creamed mixture.

   

3. Shape dough in one inch balls.

   

4. Roll in mixture of 2 tbsp. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon
   Place on cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. I usually only bake these 8 minutes.

These cookies puff up at first, and then flatten when they start to cool.

Makes approximately 6 dozen. From: Betty Crocker Cookie Cook Book

 

As much as I love Paula, and butter, I do also love making delicious vegan baked goods so I can share my baking love with all the fabulous vegan folks in my life. This next recipe is based on a vegweb recipe for basic scones that I modified slightly and baked up as cookies. They’re amazing. Really. If I don’t tell, no one would ever guess they’re vegan. As it says in the recipe below, you can really add anything to these cookies and they’re fabulous. Personally, I hate raisins unless they’re covered in chocolate but I am confident that if you made this with 1 cup raisins you’d have your iconic oatmeal raisin cookie. These are light and chewy but also have a nice subtle spice to them from the cinnamon. Nutmeg makes a nice addition if you’re looking to amp up the spice. This recipe is also nice because it only makes about a dozen cookies. Perfect for folks with small households. My students loved them and were excited to share with the vegans in their lives.

Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup nondairy milk (I use vanilla soy)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup oats
1 cup raisins, apples, blueberries, nuts, or chocolate chips, etc. (I used Craisins)

1. Preheat oven 375° F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

2. Make a well in the center and stir in milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix well.

3. Fold in oats. Stir in raisins, apples, etc.

4. Drop dough into large balls and flatten them slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake for 12-15 minutes until slightly golden brown and cookie is set (not gooey).

You can add anything you want to them. Amazing dough! I have made added raisins, apples, blueberries, and chocolate chips. All delicious and people love them!

Makes: 12+ cookies, Recipe from: Vegweb.com