For our sweet tooth

Chocolate Expresso Oatmeal Cookies

Makes 48 cookies

Take chocolate chip cookies to the next level with this espresso-spiked dough that's laced with chewy oats.

¾ cup all-purpose flour or oat flour

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

4 oz. (1 stick) vegan margarine, softened

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup cooled espresso or strong coffee

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ cups oats

½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

1. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda in bowl.

2. Cream margarine and sugar together with electric mixer in bowl. Beat in espresso and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time, adding up to 1/2 cup more if necessary to make thick dough. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.

3. Divide dough in half. Transfer each dough, half to large sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper. Use plastic wrap to shape dough into 2 2-inch-diameter logs with plastic wrap or wax paper. Wrap tightly, and chill 2 hours, or overnight.

4. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Slice dough logs into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer slices to greased or parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Bake 8 to 11 minutes, or until cookies look dry on top. Cool cookies 3 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire rack

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Batwich Cookies

Makes 20 cookies

If you don’t have a bat-shaped cookie cutter, use a 3-inch round cutter and cut some of the rounds in half for wings that can be pressed onto either side of a round bat face.

Cookies

¼ cup powdered vanilla soy beverage

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup vegetable shortening

1 cup sugar

1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ tsp. salt

Filling & Decoration

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

½ cup creamy peanut butter

1 Tbs. powdered vanilla soy beverage (dissolved in 1 Tbs. water)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Black tube frosting

1. To make Cookies: Dissolve soy beverage in 2 Tbs. water; stir in vanilla. Beat shortening and sugar in bowl with electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in vanilla mixture. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt in bowl. Stir flour mixture into shortening mixture. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Roll half of dough at a time on floured work surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut Cookies with 3-inch bat-shaped cutter, and place on prepared baking sheets. Prick Cookies with fork. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.

3. To make Filling: Stir together confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, soy beverage, and vanilla in bowl. Spread 1 bat Cookie with 11/2 tsp. filling, and top with another Cookie. Repeat with remaining Cookies. Decorate with black tube icing.

Spicy Gingersnaps

Makes 48 cookies

These gingersnaps get an extra spicy kick from black pepper. (If you prefer a milder flavor, omit the pepper and reduce the ground ginger to 2 teaspoons.) The gingersnaps depend on tub-style shortening–not butter, margarine, or shortening sticks–for their crisp, firm texture and crackled tops.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbs. ground ginger

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

¾ cup tub-style shortening

⅔ cup plus ½ cup sugar, divided

⅓ cup dark brown sugar

3 Tbs. plain rice milk or soymilk

¼ cup molasses

1. Whisk together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Set aside.

2. Cream shortening, 2/3 cup sugar, and brown sugar with electric mixer until fluffy. Add rice milk, and beat until smooth. Beat in molasses. Add flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition, until soft dough forms.

3. Divide dough in half. Transfer each dough half to large sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper. Use plastic wrap to shape dough into 2 2-inch-diameter logs. Wrap tightly, and chill 2 hours, or overnight.

4. To bake cookies: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar in shallow bowl. Slice dough logs into 1/2-inch-thick slices, rolling logs 90 degrees between slices to keep edges round. Dip one side of each slice in sugar, and place sugar-side up on greased or parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies are crackled and dry on top. Cool 2 to 3 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Credit goes to:Vegetarian Times

I have tried these and they are very simple, especially with Little Aiden in the kitchen with me.