Mexican No Bake Cookies

Have you ever had Mexican Hot Chocolate?  This delicious variation on no bake cookies is a great way to spice up any party!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup *vanilla soy milk
1/4 butter/margarine
1 cup peanut butter
3 cups brown sugar
7 TBS cocoa powder
**1 tsp. ground cloves
**2 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups oats

Directions: Melt butter/margarine and heat milk at same time on medium/low.  Stir in peanut butter and brown sugar until smooth.  Add cocoa powder and spices.  Again, keep on the heat and keep stirring until smooth.   Add the oats and blend until chocolate mixture evenly coats the oats.  Keep on the heat, occasionally stirring for two minutes.  Remove from heat and spoon cookies onto foil, wax paper, or a chilled plate.  Refrigerate until firm.  You should be able to handle the cookies easily without getting your fingers covered in chocolate goo.

*You may use 2/3 cup dairy milk and 2 TBS real vanilla instead of the vanilla soy milk
** If you aren't sure if you will like spice in the chocolate cookie, try putting in only half of the recommended spices.

Egg Substitute

The runner-up for the best egg substitute when baking is...

1/4 dairy milk with 1 tsp baking powder.

And the winner  of the best egg substitute when baking is....

Drum roll please

1/4 cup soy milk with 1 tsp. baking powder!

So... after more than a year, here I am updating this blog.

A lot has happened in that year.  First of all, I learned that eggs will always make me sick regardless of the processing.  True story.  I ate eggs at my sister's house and she raises her own chickens -no antibiotics, bleach, hormones, or processing.  My stomach cramped up and I became absolutely miserable.  My skin broke out.  I now do not cook with eggs.

I was told by a couple men that they found my dietary restrictions odd.  One even had the courtesy to put it this way:  "I don't think that I'll ever have enough love you enough to endure what you go through.  You can't eat out, and you can't go to a water park."  Haha.  One, I can eat out with limited success.  Two, I never even suggested that I would expect someone else to live by the same restrictions that I do.  Pardon me if I don't eat stuff I'm allergic to in your presence.  You're certainly welcome to eat in front of me.  Seriously.  I don't care.  If I wanted it badly enough, then I'd live with the consequences.

In coming posts, I shall share what I have learned about egg substitutes.

Chewy Brownie Cookies

2/3 Cups Margarine

2/3 Cups Shortening

3 Cups Brown Sugar

2 TBS Water

2 Eggs

2 tsps. Vanilla

1 tsp. Salt

2/3 Cup Cocoa Powder

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

Cream margarine, shortening, and brown sugar.  Blend in cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda, water, and vanilla.  Add eggs.  Finally, add the whole wheat flour.  Use a spoon to drop onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 8-12 minutes.

No Bake Cookies

1/2 Cup Butter/Margarine
1/2 Cup Milk (soy or dairy)
2 Cups Brown Sugar
1 TBS Vanilla
3 TBS-1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
1 Cup Peanut Butter
3 Cups Oats

Melt butter and add vanilla.  When boiling, add milk, brown sugar, and cocoa powder.  Add peanut butter and mix until smooth. Begin to stir in oats, remove from heat and continue to stir until all of the chocolate peanut butter mixture and oats are blended.  Drop onto foil or wax paper and allow to cool.  Refridgerate for faster cooling.

Creamy Caramel Sauce

8 oz of Neuchatel (Light Cream Cheese)

1/4 Sweet Cream Butter

Milk (I used Skim)

2 or more cups of Brown Sugar

This recipe was inspired by my friend and former roommate, Caitlin Cameron.  She made the best frosting from cream cheese, using brown sugar so that I could also enjoy. 

On that note, start by heating the cream cheese in a saucepan.  Add the butter and stir until thoroughy blended.  Add milk until it is a runny yet creamy mixture.  Finally, stir in brown sugar until it thickens into a caramel consistency that you would put on a sundae.  Ta-da!  Pour warm over anything!  It comliments cake, cinnamon rolls, and almost anything.  I refrigerated my leftovers in a jar and dipped tart green apples in the caramel.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 Cup *Evaporated Cane Juice Crystals

1 Cup Brown Sugar

2/3 Cup Margarine/ Butter

2/3 Cup Shortening

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Vanilla

2 Eggs

3 Cups Soy Flour
Chocolate Chips (White Chocolate Chips in picture at right)

*Can use white sugar.
In a large bowl, cream the sugars, margarine, and shortening.  Add everything but the flour, stirring well.  Finally, add the flour and then the chocolate chips.  Be sure not to mix too well or the cookies become too cakey.  Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 6-10 minutes until golden brown around the edges.  May be a bit crumbly due to the lack of gluten in the flour.

Additional Information: 1/4 cup of soy flour has almost 15% of your daily need of iron.  Soy flour is a great source of protein and fiber without having very much fat.  I decided to try this recipe in honor of my friends and their children that may have gluten intolerances.  My roommates that don't care for whole wheat variety treats loved these cookies.  Enjoy!