“Written chattily and supportively for even the most oven-phobic ... reading this is like having a couple of fun, socially conscious post-punk pals over for a slumber party ... Each page of this cookbook contains an irresistible delight.”
—
Bust
“Work your way up from amateur to vegan cupcake master of the universe.”
—
VegNews
VEGANOMICON
“The very same urban chefs who had you inhaling vegan butter-cream frosting during your free time have crafted the next revolution in neo-vegan cuisine.”
—
Philadelphia City Paper
“[Moskowitz and Romero] are as crude and funny when kibbitzing as they are subtle and intuitive when putting together vegan dishes that are full of non-soggy adult tastes.”
—
New York Times Book Review
“Exuberant and unapologetic… recipes don’t skimp on fat or flavor, and the eclectic collection of dishes is a testament to the authors’ sincere love of cooking and culinary exploration.”
—
Saveur
“The
Betty Crocker’s Cookbook
of the vegan world.”
—
Bitch
ALSO BY
ISA CHANDRA MOSKOWITZ & TERRY HOPE ROMERO
Veganomicon
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World
ALSO BY
ISA CHANDRA MOSKOWITZ
Vegan Brunch
Vegan with a Vengeance
To the memory of Bea Arthur, we know you’re eating vegan cookies in heaven.
INTRODUCTION
COOKIES NEED
no introduction.
1
They’re cookies. Unless someone has been working in the chocolate chip factory all day and they just can’t stand the sight of them, when you offer a cookie the answer will almost always be “Yes.” Or maybe an “I really shouldn’t ...” while they reach for one, anyway.
They are the perfect casual treat. After all, who wants to greet their new neighbors with a tray of tiramisu or welcome their child home from school with cherries jubilee? And you certainly can’t send that chocolate mousse pie via mail. Just the very phrase “a plate of cookies” tugs at our heartstrings like a basketful of wide-eyed puppies.
As soon as we were able to preheat the oven, we were baking cookies. They are an excellent introduction to the world of baking. Minimal equipment is needed and the ingredients list is usually succinct and to the point. Get the whole gang together and dropping, rolling, or shaping cookies becomes effortless and fun. Cookie baking time is blessedly short; some can even be out the door with you in half an hour if an emergency bake sale is taking place in the town square. Indeed, baking cookies is a necessary skill for any superhero, no cape required.
In this book we’ve brought together about 100 of our favorite cookie recipes. From classic favorites like OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES (page 75) and our version of the New York bakery staple, NYC BLACK AND WHITE COOKIES (page 161), to new inventions like FROSTED GRAPEFRUIT ICEBOX COOKIES (page 201) and GREEN TEA WALNUT BISCOTTI (page 209), we’ve taken to our test kitchens with wands and crystal balls to create cookie magic. We won’t sleep until we’ve veganized the world! Or maybe we just enjoy wearing the big floppy wizard hats.
Our love of cookies ... all kinds of cookies ... has driven our relentless quest to find a sweet little treat for most every moment or situation in your life. Homemade veganizations of familiar cookies will have those childhood hankerings covered, whether it’s a peanut butter sandwich cookie or a big fat crispy rice square. No gluten? No problem—we have substitution solutions for all. You believe that cookies should be part of a well-balanced diet? So do we! A selection of wholesome cookies that makes use of minimally processed sweeteners and whole grains will keep you feeling pristine. And of course, if there’s a cookie season to celebrate it’s those winter holidays. You’ll find plenty of gorgeous, crazy-festive recipes that will make you the life of the cookie swap. From sparkling sugar cookies for the kids and Irish cream liqueur-reminiscent frosted whiskey cookies for the grown-ups, no unsuspecting cookie nosher would imagine that it’s all vegan, and any vegan will know that this is the way cookies were meant to be. There is no such thing anymore as “real (not vegan) cookies” when great vegan cookies look and taste this delicious.
So perhaps that unhappy person who said “food is not love” has never had a cookie. The simple act of breaking apart a chocolate chip cookie, still warm from the oven, is an iconic tableau of the American childhood experience. Whether you had that experience yourself as a child, or desperately need to compensate in your adult life, we’re here for you. Vegan cookies
are
invading your cookie jar. Don’t run and hide, there’s no escaping it. It’s sweet, sweet surrender!
With love from Portland and Queens,
Isa Chandra Moskowitz
and
Terry Hope Romero
PART ONE
COOKIE SCIENCE
INGREDIENTS
Make ’Em Your Best
YOUR COOKIES
are only going to be as good as your ingredients. Well, eating most any cookie is better than eating a scoop of flour, but you get our meaning—investing in quality flours, pure flavor extracts, and the best chocolate chips, fruits, and nuts you can get your hands on is key for taking your cookies from “Hey, good cookie” to “Will you spend the rest of your life with me?”
Many of the following ingredients may already exist in your pantry. If you plan on serious baking, it’s always a good idea to take stock ... it’s no fun to run out of rolled oats or brown sugar mid-oatmeal cookie mixing! Even if you’re planning on only making one particular recipe, it doesn’t hurt to have plenty of the “extras” on hand, just in case inspiration strikes and you suddenly need to make chocolate-oatmeal-macadamia-sesame-raspberry jam cookies.