Vegan Salted Sesame Cookies

Hello everyone,

What better way to spend this chilly weekend than to stay in make cookies and snuggle up with a binge-worthy Netflix show? A few years ago, a friend sent me a recipe for Salty Sesame and Dark Chocolate Chip cookies from Joy the Baker. It certainly wasn’t the easiest recipe to ‘veganize’ considering if called for quite a bit of butter and an egg, plus an extra egg yolk. However, it was worth the hassle! This recipe for Vegan Salted Sesame Cookies is now one of my all-time favorites.

These are the perfect cookies for anyone who likes things sweet and salty.The sesame seeds add a unique twist on a salty chocolate chip cookie. You can customize the flavor by adding more or less crystalized ginger chips or even chocolate chips! Plus, these cookies come out of the oven warm and chewy. Honestly, they have a consistency rarely found in homemade vegan cookies.

So here it goes, below is my highly modified version of the Salty Sesame and Dark Chocolate Chip cookies from Joy the Baker. Give them a try. Your tastebuds will thank you!

Cheers!

Jocelyn

* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate and referral links. I may earn a commission or bonus if you click through to make a purchase.  All opinions are my own. I only work with companies and brands I personally support.

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Cookbook Review: The Homemade Vegan Pantry

Hello everyone,

And happy long weekend! How are you spending it? Finally getting that household project done? Relaxing? Visiting with friends? I’ve been in cleaning mode, but it inspired me to rearrange my dining room and break out my sewing machine. I’m so excited to finally make something with the most adorable cat fabric I found at a small shop in Denver last fall. Wish me luck. One other thing Cory and I have been up to—making crackers! In the past we’ve made homemade pita bread and a simple crusty bread. Those are both wonderful recipes, but when you’re looking for something to go with your fresh bruschetta or faux cheese, nothing beats a crunchy cracker.

Last summer, I attended the Cleveland Vegan Festival. Not only was it an amazing day filled with food demos, vegan treats and free swag, but I also got to meet Miyoko Schinner! If this name is new to you, you are missing out. She is the queen of vegan cheese and even wrote the book on it!

I absolutely love her vegan butter and rustic “cheese” wheels. They are so good it will fool all of your non-vegan friends and family members! I was so excited to see Miyoko’s cheese demo and to meet her afterwards. Admittedly, I actually went a little speechless.

Once I snapped out of it, I purchased her classic book, The Homemade Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples.” This book is the perfect “how to” guide for anyone seeking to learn how to make classic staples right at home. I know, I know. Why make pantry staples at home? Especially, when you can go to the store and buy them for reasonable prices. But I have to tell you, it just isn’t the same. Homemade food is fresher, healthier, and you know exactly what you’re eating! Plus, Miyoko’s book is proof that homemade, rustic staples don’t have to be a pain. Anyone can make them with a little time and practice.

This  book is chock full of thick, smooth paper with beautiful color photos to accompany many of the recipes which will inspire you to get ready to roll up your sleeves and cook. The Homemade Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples includes everything from homemade vegan butter or mayo to pizza dough or other breads, to granola and breakfast sausage. These recipes pack a punch, but don’t require a chef’s expertise. Most ingredients are common and can be found in your local grocery store, but a handful of recipes require some more unique finds like yuba, aka tofu skin.

Cory and I have made Miyoku’s cracker recipe no less than four times the past month! It’s so simple, with just five required ingredients! Plus, you can customize it according to your own taste preference. The first batch we made was spiced with oregano and thyme. For the next batch we went with a slightly cheesy taste by using nutritional yeast. The best part—this recipe takes under an hour to make from start to finish.

Vegan Pantry

Why not check out The Homemade Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples the next time you’re in the market for a cookbook? You won’t regret it!

In the mean time, what’s your favorite staple to make at home?

Cheers!

Jocelyn

* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate and referral links. I may earn a commission or bonus if you click through to make a purchase.  All opinions are my own. I only work with companies and brands I personally support.

 

Game Day Treats: Vegan Pigs in a Blanket & more

Hello everyone!

Whether or not you like football, you probably like getting together with friends to snack and halfheartedly watch the halftime show. Or maybe you just watch it for the ads. Either way, if you’re hosting a party for the big day, you’re probably already thinking about what to serve your guests. Is it an all vegan crowd? Do you need to please vegans and omnivores alike? Looking for an easy meal or appetizer to satisfy everyone on Superbowl Sunday? Don’t want to make something homemade? Don’t worry—I’ve got you covered. Today I’m bringing you Game Day Treats: Vegan Pigs in a Blanket & more! 

If you read my Vegan Cinnamon Rolls post, you know that I’ve been coming up with some unique uses for the Pillsbury® Recipe Creations Seamless Dough Sheet. I found the perfect game day, two-ingredient recipe—Vegan Pigs in a Blanket. Anyone could make this recipe. It’s simply foolproof, but it doesn’t taste like it! It’s the perfect party food, clocking in at just 15 minutes of cook time, and easily customizable from the size of the serving to the taste. If you want something delicious that will satisfy your craving plus make you reminisce about childhood, check out my complete recipe below!

Okay, maybe you’re looking also for some “just buy it and you’re done” items? I’ve got you covered on those, too. How about getting a few packs of Louisville Vegan Jerky to display in a serving dish? This jerky packs a punch with flavors ranging from Smoked Black Pepper to Smokey Carolina BBQ or my favorited Smoke Chipotle.

Your friends like cheese doodles or cheetos? Well, why not get some Hippeas for them to enjoy? These cheesy puffs are derived from chick peas, but they sure don’t taste like it!

Want to throw in some healthy snacks? You can’t go wrong with a crudité platter with cauliflower, baby carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, red pepper slices, hummus, and some Just Ranch, too!

Or check out other party-ready recipes from one of my all-time favorite vegan cookbooks, “Thug Kitchen: Eat Like You Give a F*ck.”

Check out my Vegan Pigs in a Blanket recipe below! Let me know what you’re making for game day in the comments.

Happy eating!

Jocelyn

* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate and referral links. I may earn a commission or bonus if you click through to make a purchase.  All opinions are my own. I only work with companies and brands I personally support.

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The Impossible Burger: My 5-Minute Review

Hello everyone,

Staying warm? Enjoying the snow? I don’t know about you, but when it’s cold outside I crave comfort food. One of my favorite comfort foods is a hearty vegan “burger.” That’s right—a faux meat patty topped with gooey, melty vegan cheese, Heinz ketchup, banana pepper rings, and a dollop of Just Mayo. It always hits the spot! Well, I’ve been hearing buzz about the Impossible Burger for months and months, so I finally decided to find one nearby to give a try. Today I am here to finally provide The Impossible Burger: My 5-Minute Review.  

After years of research and $180 million in funding, the Impossible Burger debuted in the summer of 2016 in NYC at Momofuku Nishi. Now, this restaurant is not a burger joint. It’s an asian fusion restaurant. Possibly an odd place to launch a veggie burger, but it worked! People were lining up hours before the restaurant opened to get a bite of the Impossible Burger.

So why was everyone in a tizzy? Well, the Impossible Burger is a plant-based burger that looks and cooks like ground beef. These qualities are supposed to make it satisfy vegans/ vegetarians and omnivores alike. How does it achieve this? It includes heme—a molecule extracted from fermented yeast that mimics the same molecule that’s found in animal blood. This enables this meatless burger to “bleed” and sear, just like animal-based burgers.

Impossible Burger

Now, these qualities are off-putting for many vegans/ vegetarians, but considering I didn’t cook the burger, I didn’t mind it. The Impossible Burger looks like a medium cooked  regular burger, but so do many other veggie burgers. In fact, I found it to be similar to Beyond Meat’s Beyond Burger in both flavor and texture. The Impossible Burger tasted juicy and a bit greasy, with a slightly crispy exterior and soft center. I ate mine topped with pickles, vegan cheese, lettuce and ketchup, and boy, did it hit the spot! Continue reading “The Impossible Burger: My 5-Minute Review”

Recipe: Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Hello friends,

Happy New Year! What better way to ring in 2018 than with a super simple recipe for Vegan Cinnamon Rolls. I just love taking a somewhat complicated dessert and making it under an hour. For years, I’ve wanted to make vegan cinnamon rolls, but honestly, the dessert intimidated me. This holiday season I purchased several Pillsbury seamless dough sheets to play with. It’s the perfect way to take this dessert from a bit of a hassle to one of the quickest and easiest dishes to make!

These vegan cinnamon rolls will make your home smell like a Cinnabon location. They are light, airy, have just the right level of sweetness. The secret is using pumpkin puree to help get the right level of gooey sweet goodness. So why not take it easy today. Go get a cup of coffee and enjoy making these quick and easy vegan cinnamon rolls with your loved ones!

Happy eating!

Jocelyn

PS – Like this recipe? Check out my recipe for Vegan Pumpkin Roll.

* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate and referral links. I may earn a commission or bonus if you click through to make a purchase.  All opinions are my own. I only work with companies and brands I personally support.

Continue reading “Recipe: Vegan Cinnamon Rolls”