Holiday Cookies Go Cruelty-Free

Easy Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

From www.vegnews.com

Makes 24 Cookies
What You Need:

2-3/4 cups pastry flour (whole-wheat or other)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup vegan margarine, softened
3/4 cup molasses
1-1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons soymilk (or other non-dairy milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a cookie sheet. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together margarine, molasses, and brown sugar together until smooth. Add soymilk and vanilla and whisk thoroughly.

2. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix with spatula to form a dough. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.

3. Roll out dough onto a floured board, 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick, depending on desired texture (thinner cookies will be crispier, thicker cookies will be chewier). Cut into shapes with cookie cutters and place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness. Go crazy with frosting and decorations!

Crazy For These Cookies & "Ask Amy": Handling Social Situations

Big Gigantoid Crunchy Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Cookies

And "Ask Amy"

Recipe from Vegan With A Vengance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Makes about 12 large cookies
Ingredients:2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup canola oil (or 3/4 cup applesauce)
¾ cup peanut butter (chunky or creamy all-natural peanut butter, salted if you prefer a saltier taste)
1 cup granulated sugar (I use about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
1 cup brown sugar (I use 3/4 cup)
½ cup vanilla soy milk (You can also use plain soy milk or almond milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
(Optional: butterscotch or chocolate chips -- these cookies are best with these extras)

Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Lightly grease two cookie sheets

Mix flour, oats, baking powder, and salt in one bowl.

Mix oil, peanut butter, sugars, milk, and vanilla in another bowl.

Mix dry ingredients with wet. Fold in optional chips.

Take 1/3 cup dough, flatten to ½” thickness, space 1” apart

Bake 12-15 minutes

Cool 10 minutes

 

"Ask Amy"

Q: As a vegan, how do you handle social situations?

 

A: When I first became vegan, this was more of a concern for me than it is now. I've found most family and friends to be quite supportive and accomodating, but here are some tips that work for me: 

When I'm attending a party where I know the hosts are not vegan, I may email or call ahead of time and offer to bring a plant-based entree and/or dessert for everyone. It's helpful to ask the host for his/her meal ideas and OK to do this. If I'm attending a party where I may not know the host (like a large work function), I often opt to eat ahead of time and enjoy a drink while I'm there.

When anticipating dinner out, I often offer veg-friendly restaurant suggestions to my friends and family. If the location has already been decided, I usually check out the menu online to see what vegan options exist. In my experience, many restaurants will make vegan versions of their listed dishes. It's helpful to let the server know you are vegan and what this means: you don't consume any animal products, including butter, other dairy, fish, or broths made from animals. That way, there's no misunderstanding.

 

I do find it increasingly difficult to frequent barbecues, hamburger joints, or steakhouses. I simply don't like to smell the cooked flesh of dead animals, so I opt not to attend some social functions like these.

 

I also go to social events prepared to field some of the most common questions vegans get: "Where do you get your protein and calcium?" and "Aren't people built for eating meat and haven't we always done that?"

Don't worry if you don't have all the answers. It's encouraging that people are even asking these questions, as it often shows some curiousity about your way of eating.

 

And if someone does openly criticize your plant-based diet, take heart. You are choosing to live according to your values, to protect and advocate for the animals who have no voice. You can be proud of your decision to live a healthful, cruelty-free life.