Roots: vegan oatcake cookies

Living in Nova Scotia, there are things that you learn to appreciate. The humble oatcake cookie is one of  those things. Not quite a shortbread, and not an oatmeal cookie yet as much if not more tastier.

I find these in most bakeries and cafes across the province. These cookies have Scottish roots. Thinking there must be butter and egg in these....but nope just good ol'fashion shortening!

2 cups oats
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup hot water

Combine dry ingredients together in a bowl. Using a pastry cutter, blend in the shortening until crumbly. Add hot water and form into a ball. Roll out dough and cut into rounds. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Chocolate chip coconut oat cookies

chocolate chip coconut oat cookies

It's a little harder to find time to blog lately and with vegan MOFO in full swing!! Not wanting to let the vegan team down I thought a simple cookie recipe would do the trick.

I have made these cookies twice this week. The first time I just wanted a classic chocolate chip cookie but realized I didn't have enough flour so I had to add some oats, realizing that I didn't have any rolled oats (we needed groceries badly) I used Leeluu's quick oats that she has for breakfast. Oats in the cookies... at this point I was ready to add other things, so coconut did the job.  They didn't last long, that must mean there good.


1/2 cup earth balance
1 1/4 cup organic brown sugar
1/4 cup sunflower oil
2 tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 6 tbsp boiling water
1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1 tbsp non dairy milk

Preheat oven to 350
Beat up butter and oil with sugar, add flax and vanilla.
Mix in dry ingredients. Beat until dough forms, add the milk.
Roll into balls and squish down on a foil lined pan.
Bake for 11 minutes.

Simone 1 week

Granola bars

 

My daughters both love granola bars and its hard to find vegan granola bars at the store, I decided to try and make them...These turned out pretty good, except that I wish I added a bit more maple syrup and almond butter.

2 cups old fashion oats

1 cup wheat germ

3/4 cup coconut

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup ground flax seeds

1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped almonds

1 1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup coconut oil-melted

1 tbsp vanilla 

Preheat oven to 350

Add wet to dry, stir until well combined.

Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper

press mixture firmly down. 

Bake for 25 minutes.

Cut while still warm. 

Let cool

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Apple crumble caramel tart

Gravenstein apples are in season here in Nova Scotia, I wikied the gavenstein apple and found out that those apples were grown here by a man by the name of Charles Ramage Prescott, a horticulturist that found his way to the Annapolis Valley were he set up shop and grew a wide variety of apples. The Gravenstein apple is one of the favorites among Nova Scoatians. Who knew?

Anyhow I knew we were coming into apple season here, and for some reason I couldn't stop thinking about apples and caramel! This is what I came up with for a dessert for dinner tonight.  We don't usually have dessert, unless its a special occasion or I feel like making something sweet, so this it.

I looked for graham cracker crumbs in the store but they had honey in them. I resorted to the ghetto oatmeal cookies, I am positively sure they are not healthy for you, but if you are eating dessert...do you really care?
I know I don't :P

Crust

2 cups oatmeal cookie crumbs
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp earth balance

In a bowl combine everything until moist. Press into a fluted tart pan.
Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Filling 

4 gravenstien apples- peeled, cored and sliced
2 tbsp organic sugar
1 tbsp flour

combine apples in a bowl with sugar and flour.
Mix up until coated


Crumble

1 cup oats
1/4 cup organic sugar
1/4 cup flour
pinch of nutmeg
6 tbsp earth balance

In a small bowl mix together until resembles course crumbs

Caramel Sauce

1 cup organic sugar
3 tbsp earth balance
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 tsp sea salt

Be very careful cooking sugar. Its HOT!!!
In a small sauce pan heat sugar and butter, until dissolved and creamy.
Stirring consistently. Remove from heat. Add milk.
Stir it up. 

Assembly:

Arrange the apple slices nicely in the pre baked tart crust.
Pour crumble on top. Press down firmly.
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until apples are soft and crumb topping has golden.
Swirl caramel over top!