Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyone's Favorite Treats (17 page)

1 pound dried figs, preferably Black
Mission, hard stems removed and
diced into small pieces
⅔ cup water
¼ cup agave nectar or maple syrup
2 teaspoons finely grated citrus zest (try
lemon, orange, lime or a combination)

2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
¼ cup nondairy milk
½ cup canola oil
¾ cup Sucanat or other natural dry
sweetener
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

1. Line an 8 x 8-inch square metal brownie pan with enough aluminum foil so that it folds over the sides of the pan by about an inch. Spray the bottom of the covered pan with a little nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a large saucepan, combine figs, water, agave nectar, and citrus zest. Bring to boil over medium heat, reduce to a simmer, and stir occasionally. When the figs begin to soften in about 8 to 10 minutes, continue to cook but mash the figs with a firm spatula or a fork to create a chunky, moist paste. If mixture starts to look overly dry, add 2 tablespoons of water and stir, dribbling additional water into the mixture if necessary. Remove the filling from the heat and set aside. If the mixture still seems too chunky, puree it in a food processor until a smooth texture is reached.

Whole Wheat Fig Bars

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine flax seeds, nondairy milk, oil, Sucanat, and vanilla until smooth, mixing for about 1½ minutes. Sift in whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to form a soft dough and divide into two equal parts. Shape each section of dough into a square shape; next you’ll be rolling the square out.

4. Place one square of dough between two large sheets of waxed paper. With a rolling pin roll the dough into a larger square about the same size as the 8 x 8-inch pan (slightly larger is fine). Occasionally rotate the dough while rolling to help maintain an even thickness.

5. When finished rolling peel off the top layer of waxed paper and flip the dough directly into the prepared baking pan. Remove the top layer of waxed paper and press the dough firmly into the pan. Spread all the fig filling over the dough, making sure to evenly cover all the way to the edges. Prepare the top crust with the remaining dough using the same method as the bottom crust, flipping it on top of the filling and pressing the dough evenly and all the way to the edges.

6. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until crust is golden and puffed. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool. When completely cool, grabbing the edges of the foil, lift everything out of the pan and flip it over onto a cutting board. Peel off the foil and slice into 12 bars. Store in a tightly covered container.

Morsels

 

Not all dried figs are created equal, and some may require adding more water than mentioned in the recipe. You’ll want to cook them with just enough liquid to create a moist, thick, but not too stiff filling.

1 cup golden raisins
1 cup mixed candied fruit or mixed
chopped glacé fruit, packed
½ cup candied ginger, finely chopped
¼ cup dark or spiced rum
⅓ cup canola oil
¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
⅓ cup nondairy milk
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
⅔ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder (natural or
Dutch)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and
chopped

⅔ cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon rum
2 to 3 teaspoons orange juice

1. In a small bowl, combine the raisins, fruit, ginger, and rum. Let stand for at least 30 minutes or for up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally to allow the fruit to absorb more rum.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, brown sugar, orange juice, nondairy milk, and orange rind until smooth. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Stir until the dry ingredients are moistened, then fold in the rum-marinated fruits and the pecans. Take care not to overmix.

4. Spread the dough into the prepared baking pan and bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool, about an hour.

5. To make the glaze: In a medium-size bowl, use either an electric mixer or a fork to combine powdered sugar with rum. Then stir in the orange juice, one teaspoon at a time, until you have a thin, smooth glaze.

6. Use a fork to drizzle the glaze on the completely cooled cake and allow the glaze to set before slicing, at least 45 minutes. Use a very sharp knife to slice the cake into 24 bars and lift the bars out of the pan with a spatula. Store in a tightly covered container.

7. To freeze: Wrap the unsliced, unglazed cake tightly with plastic wrap, then with foil, and freeze. To serve, thaw the cake for about half an hour, then glaze and slice.

Morsels

 

✦ Regular old “mixed candied fruit,” the kind that appears in groceries during the winter holidays, is ideal in this recipe. But if you want something a little more up-scale and without the fake green and red bits, try using glacé fruits—candied pears, prunes, and apricots are all over the place this time of year. Just be sure to chop them small, under ¼ inch or so.

✦ Try using any brandy instead of rum!

One 14-ounce can (regular or light)
coconut milk (about 1¾ cups)
⅔ cup dark brown sugar
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup melted nonhydrogenated
margarine
2 tablespoons sugar
1½ cups chocolate chips or chocolate
chunks
2 cups flaked, sweetened coconut
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

1. In a large saucepan, whisk together the coconut milk and brown sugar over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture may form a thin skin on the surface; just stir it back into the liquid. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool while preparing the crust.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, margarine, and sugar; mix well to moisten the crumbs completely. Firmly press the mixture into the prepared pan, pressing evenly from the center to the sides of the pan.

Magical Coconut Cookie Bars

3. Pour the warm coconut milk mixture evenly over crumb base. Top with an even layer of chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts, in that order. Firmly pat everything down until the coconut milk mixture soaks upward into the toppings.

4. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes or until coconut is deeply golden and the filling is bubbling. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Transfer the pan to the refrigerator to completely cool and firm up the bars for at least 4 hours, or even better, overnight or until very firm. Run a sharp, heavy knife along the edges of the pan and slide the cake on its parchment paper out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Then, slice it into 24 squares. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. These bars also freeze well, tightly wrapped and allowed to thaw for 20 minutes before serving.