Fall is the perfect time to return to baking, yet it can also be a bit daunting for those of us who are slightly challenged in the kitchen. Baking is a science with its exact measurements and step by step instructions that, if not followed to the letter, could ultimately lead to disaster. This is why I went in search of the easiest vegan cookie recipe that would complement the GO Veggie! Dairy Free, Vegan Cream Cheese frosting recipe that I had been dying to make.
Perhaps much like you, I grew up in a household that fired up our oven as soon as the weather changed – after a summer vacation of its own. Homemade cookies for after-school treats were the most coveted of snacks to me, beating out cake and brownies by a long shot. As the fall transitioned to the holidays, the cream cheese frosting perfectly completed the cookies and “frosting parties” provided some special memories of time together with family in the kitchen. We would pile on that rich buttery frosting in hopes of creating the next artistic masterpiece, yet they never did look like the stunning creations in magazines and local bakeries. Of course, this was not from lack of effort on our part!
In my adult years, I still yearn for great moments turned memories in the kitchen, yet I no longer consume dairy and needed a new cream cheese frosting recipe. This past summer I would staff our GO Veggie! booth at local events and tell folks they could make vegan cream cheese frosting with our Dairy Free, Vegan Cream Cheese in Classic Plain or Strawberry flavors, depending on the recipe. But here’s the thing: I hadn’t actually tried it yet myself!
I found that easy vegan Pumpkin Cookie recipe from a great blog that I had visited before, Two Peas & Their Pod. This recipe was indeed super easy, and I swapped the flour for gluten-free flour and opted out of the chocolate chips, knowing I would properly load some sugar with the frosting. I chose to tackle the cream cheese frosting first.
I emptied an 8-ounce container of GO Veggie! Dairy Free, Vegan Cream Cheese in Classic Plain into a bowl and staged a cup of confectionary sugar to slowly add into the mix. The cream cheese whipped easily and as I added in the sugar, I found that the ratio of one container of cream cheese to one cup of sugar to be perfect. I then added in a teaspoon of real vanilla extract, which turned the frosting to more of an off-white shade, but it tasted amazing.
The consistency was a bit lighter than a dairy cream cheese / butter blend, but I shoved the bowl into the fridge while I made the cookies. By the time the cookies were baked and cooled, the frosting became the perfect consistency to slather on top of each one. I tried one – as every good cook should taste at every step along the way – and I must say it was really delicious without being overly sweet. I shared a half-dozen with a friend that evening who informed me that he had eaten them all in one sitting, “Is that bad?” I laughed and took it as a compliment.
So dairy free and vegan bakers, I can now tell you with certainty that you can make great creations and memories of your own this upcoming season with this very simple recipe:
1 8-ounce container of GO Veggie! Dairy Free, Vegan Cream Cheese in Classic Plain or Strawberry
1 cup of confectionary sugar
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
————————————-
For more, see: http://www.goveggiefoods.com/our-products/dairy-free-cheese-alternative-products/?site=happycowblog&place=MRBLG13B
What items will you bake and frost this season? What memories will you create along with them?
No Comments