Yummy Treats

The end of the school year brings lots of opportunities for treats - year-end parties, girl scout parties, birthday parties, etc., etc. They taste great but I am compelled to eat the leftovers! The kids sure enjoy them because it is rare for us to have junk food in the house. They get so much on the outside that I don't want to keep anything in the house. This is a help for me, too, as I am definitely a sugar addict.


Anyway, at least what I make from scratch, while not exactly healthy, is not filled with trans fat and chemicals. And, (I'm repeating myself, I know) they sure taste great!


The cookies are the Chewy Chocolate-Raspberry Cookies from Veganomicon.This is the second time I have made them and they are really yummy. They are indeed chewy, especially the next day. I really like them slightly warm - I think I will experiment with making the dough the day before and then baking them right before dessert.


The cupcakes are from The Joy of Vegan Baking (vanilla and chocolate cupcakes). They were good, but I wouldn't say great. The vanilla had a lovely texture - very light and tender. The taste was pretty good, although maybe a vanilla fan would say great. The chocolate were a little dry, and they collapsed a little in the middle when cooling (they were definitely cooked through). The collapsing is not necessarily bad, though, as then they hold more frosting! They had a mild chocolate flavor. The vanilla were actually good enough without frosting, while the chocolate were saved by the frosting.


Here is the delicious frosting recipe, veganized from the recipe on the sugar box. Iv'e noticed in some of the baking books that recipes for frosting contain twice the amount of fat as this one does (with the same amounts of sugar and other ingredients). I haven't made any of those recipes, because this one is so good.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• 1/4 c Earth Balance, softened
• 8 oz. confectioner's sugar
• 1/4 c cocoa powder
• 3-4 T soymilk
• 1/2 t vanilla

Beat all together with a mixer until smooth. Frosts 1 9 inch layer or 12 cupcakes.

For vanilla frosting: omit cocoa powder and use 3 T soymilk. For lemon frosting: omit cocoa powder and use 3 T lemon juice instead of soymilk (adding some lemon zest is also nice).