Continue reading »]]> Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Ahhh, cookies. So easy to have one, so easy to have three more, gotta love it.

The first time I went to make chocolate chip cookies, I looked in the pantry, and though my recipe called for shortening, I didn’t have any. When trying to think this through without going to the grocery store for one item, as I often do, I had a thought. It is something of a life philosophy for me: “When having difficulty answering a question, try using “peanut butter” as the answer, and then see if the problem has gone away. Ok, not going to work in SOME situations, but its come in handy a few times, and this is absolutely one of those times.

That was years ago, and while we make a lot of cookies, some form of chocolate chip cookie is always good to come back to. I adapted this to be more of a blend between an oatmeal cookie and a chocolate chip cookie, with, of course, peanut butter. Substitute out any nut butter that you like, or just swap that out for shortening if you would rather go nut free.

After you make up the dough, it works well to put the dough in the freezer for about an hour before putting cookies in the oven. I can rarely wait that long. This is partially because Mrs. Dairyfreedaydream and the two little Dairyfreedaydreams like to snack on cookie dough if I am not watching it. Also because I just can’t wait to eat the cookies, but if you can make it that long, there you have it.

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Earth Balance

1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Cup Unbleached All Purpose Flour

2 Cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
12 oz. Chocolate Chips

Instructions

· Preheat oven to 375 F.
· Beat Earth Balance and peanut butter together with electric mixer for about 30 seconds.
· Add in brown sugar and granulated sugar.
· Add in baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
· Add in eggs and vanilla.
· Add in flour. If using hand-held mixer, you may haven to fold in some of the flour by hand.
· Fold in oats and chocolate chips.
· Place cookie dough in freezer for up to 1 hr (optional).
· Using a tablespoon, scoop rounded balls onto cookie sheet, separating about 2 inches apart.

· Bake for 8-11 minutes.
· Cool on wire rack for several minutes before enjoying.
Enjoy and repeat as needed.

Keep living the daydream!

Continue reading »]]> Vegan Mocha Almond Fudge Melted Ice Cream Cake

Ok, bear with me, I know I am doing dessert two nights in a row, but these are worth it, and this one has coffee in it, so it’s at least partially a breakfast food. This cake was a spin-off from my Vegan Peanut Butter Zig Zag Melted Ice Cream Cake for the So Delicious 2013 Recipe Contest earlier this year. The idea of melting the ice cream and turning it into a cake worked out great a way to enjoy the ice cream in a new form. The almonds add a good texture and some crunch that compliments the coffee-chocolaty goodness from the ice cream.

Ingredients

For the Cake

1/2 pint So Delicious Mocha Almond Fudge Ice Cream
1-1/2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
4-1/2 tablespoons water
1-1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dairy-free buttery spread (such as Earth Balance)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting

5 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 cup dairy-free buttery spread
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon safflower oil (or other neutral-tasting oil)
1/3 cup strong coffee
1/4 cup vanilla dairy-free creamer (such as So Delicious French Vanilla Coconut Milk Creamer)

Ganache

1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
2 tablespoons dairy-free buttery spread
2 tablespoons vanilla dairy-free creamer (such as So Delicious French Vanilla Coconut Milk Creamer)

Instructions

For the Cake

Preheat oven to 375ºF
Get ice cream out of the freezer and set aside in a bowl allowing to melt.
Mix flax and water in small bowl and set aside.
Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the buttery spread, sugar, flax mixture and vanilla. Add in the melted ice cream.
Gradually add in the flour mixture
Pour into a greased 9-inch cake pan.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool completely before adding frosting & ganache.

Frosting

Mix together the flour and cocoa, and set aside.
Mix the buttery spread, sugar and oil with an electric mixer on medium for one minute. Blend in the coffee and creamer, followed by the flour mixture.
Refrigerate for 10-30 min before frosting cake

Ganache

Combine ingredients and heat in small saucepan until melted. Drizzle over cake.

Continue reading »]]>  

I did this cake for the So Delicious 2013 Recipe Contest earlier this year. The idea was placed out there to come up with ideas using one or more of their products. Let’s just say, the research and development department had been well primed for this project. I LOVE their ice creams, and make a point to highlight them whenever someone starts to go down that “man, you can’t eat ice cream” road. Having a mild-to-moderate obsession with chocolate and peanut butter combinations, this zig zag had been something of a staple in the house for several years now. Coming back to the recipe contest, it was a given that I was going to do something with the ice creams, just a function of what it would be. Melting the ice cream and turning it into a cake worked out great a way to enjoy the ice cream in a new form.

Ingredients

For the Cake

1/2 pint So Delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter Dairy-Free Frozen Dessert

1-1/2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
4-1/2 tablespoons water
1-1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dairy-free buttery spread (such as Earth Balance)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting

5 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup dairy-free buttery spread
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon safflower oil (or other neutral-tasting oil)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup vanilla dairy-free creamer (such as So Delicious French Vanilla Coconut Milk Creamer)
Ganache

1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
2 tablespoons dairy-free buttery spread
2 tablespoons vanilla dairy-free creamer (such as So Delicious French Vanilla Coconut Milk Creamer)

Instructions

For the Cake

Preheat oven to 375ºF
Get ice cream out of the freezer and set aside in a bowl allowing to melt.
Mix flax and water in small bowl and set aside.
Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the buttery spread, sugar, flax mixture and vanilla. Add in the melted ice cream.
Gradually add in the flour mixture
Pour into a greased 9-inch cake pan.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool completely before adding frosting and ganache.
Frosting
Mix together the flour and cocoa, and set aside.
Mix the buttery spread, sugar, oil and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium for one minute. Blend in the creamer, followed by the flour mixture.
Refrigerate for 10 to 30 min before frosting cake
Ganache
Combine ingredients and heat in small saucepan until melted. Drizzle over cake.

Enjoy, and keep living the daydream!