dessert

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These vegan snickerdoodles were a huge hit over the holidays with all my non vegan friends and family so I knew I had to share it with you! These light and crunchy, cinnamon sugar cookies are amazing all year round! Enjoy!

VEGAN SNICKERDOODLES

1 cup non hydrogenated margarine (softened)
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons non dairy milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, cream the margarine and sugar together for a couple minutes till its mixed well. Add your non dairy milk and vanilla and beat till that’s combined as well. Now sift in flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt and mix until a soft dough forms. Chill dough for atleast 30 minutes ( so its easier for you to work with). Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and get out your cookie sheets. In a small shallow bowl or tray combine sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. Drop a tablespoon of dough in your cinnamon sugar mix and roll it into a ball. Place the balls on your cookie sheet and lightly sprinkle some cinnamon sugar both before and after it goes in the oven. Cookies should take 10-12 minutes to cook, they’ll get puffy in the oven but will deflate once you let them cool.

Thanks for reading! I love that Go Sweet and Skinny is your go-to website for healthy living tips, vegan and vegetarian recipes (from everything from appetizers to cupcakes!) and diet advice. I”m committed to helping you get skinny and live the sweet life! Please follow @gosweetnskinny on twitter, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep yourself sweet and skinny 24/7. And as always, feel free to email me at gosweetandskinny@gmail.com and let me know what low fat, healthy recipes you want to see on the site, what diet books your trying and ask any diet questions your little heart desires! I’m here to help you!:)

I made these delicious morsels yesterday for my boyfriend’s birthday and they turned out ah-mazing, if I do say so myself. Now, if your New Yorker, you should be ordering them online and having a fresh batch delivered to your home office, but if your an out of towner, I’ll let you in on a few tips so you can play at home!

strawberry secrets

Well first of all, whenever I’m making a fruit infused cupcake I always use fresh organic fruit. Ripe, fresh strawberries chopped up are the heart of this fabulous treat. I puréed about 3/4 of the pint of strawberries in my blender and added it to the vanilla vegan cake batter base. With the remaining 1/4 I chopped into small pieces and folded it into the tofu cream cheese icing. The icing just tastes incredible and it’s so simple! It tastes just like a strawberry fribble from Friendly’s, for those of you who know what that is.

Secondly, I found this amazing strawberry infused apple sauce that I used instead of oil to not only add some moisture and strawberry flavor to the cake but it also makes the cupcake a bit lower in fat and cals by eliminating the oil!

So there you have it! Two easy steps to change your plain vanilla cupcake recipe into an adorable strawberries and cream creation! Play around and enjoy!

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Thanks for reading! I love that Go Sweet and Skinny is your go-to website for healthy living tips, vegan and vegetarian recipes (from everything from appetizers to cupcakes!) and diet advice. I”m committed to helping you get skinny and live the sweet life! Please follow @gosweetnskinny on twitter, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/gosweetandskinny) to keep yourself sweet and skinny 24/7. And as always, feel free to email me at gosweetandskinny@gmail.com and let me know what low fat, healthy recipes you want to see on the site, what diet books your trying and ask any diet questions your little heart desires! I’m here to help you!:)

I found this yummy vegan buttercream icing recipe on CHOW.com and then did a little improvising for my last batch of mint cookies and cream cupcakes! It’s super easy and very easy to manipulate for whatever flavor you desire! For example, I broke up some Newman’s Own Hint ‘o Mint cookies and mixed it into the batter and then topped it off by chopping the cookies into quarters and sticking them on top.

THE RECIPE:

1/2 cup non hydrogenated shortening

1/2 cup non hydrogenated margarine

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1/4 cup of vanilla soy creamer

Now, just beat the shortening and margarine together till well combined, add the sugar and beat for another three minutes or so. Then just add your vanilla and soy creamer, mix for another 5-7 minutes till fluffy and you’re all set!

I like to dollop this kind of icing, taking advantage of its fluffiness  instead of piping it through a bag. (But that’s just my preference!) Also, I add unsweetened cocoa

powder (judging pretty much by taste) to get a chocolate buttercream and then top with vegan mini chocolate chips for my double chocolate cupcakes below.

           How can I not post a delicious Vegan Chocolate Chip cookie recipe in honor of such an important holiday?! In other news, is there a national cupcake day? And if not, can we make it February 24th (my birthday)? Ok, Thanks. On wards to the cookies..

Your Vegan Mama’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found this yummy recipe in a wonderful book called “Vegan Cookies Invade your Cookie Jar” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero but feel free to play around with it because we all know I’m going to! 😉
1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

2/3 cup canola oil

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 tbsp tapioca flour

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chocolate chips

 

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and lightly greasing your two cookie sheets. Next, combine your sugars, oil, milk and tapioca flour in a mixing bowl. Mix very well (it should resemble caramel when it’s done) now add the vanilla. Finally, add in 1 cup of flour, the baking soda and salt – then mix in the rest of the flour. Fold in your chocolate chips, get in there with your hands because the dough will be a little too hard to mix at this point. Then voila! Roll your dough into little 2 inch balls and palm flatten on your cookie sheets. They should bake for around 8 minutes but use your good judgement.

I should probably say let them cool ten minutes before you eat them but I’m way too big of a fan of just baked, ooey gooey, stomach ache chocolate chip cookies so I’m not going to be a hypocrite here – eat ’em however you like! 🙂

 

Happy Chocolate Chip Cookie day!

 

 

I felt like it had been entirely too long since I posted a good old fashioned recipe! With summer just around the corner I figured I would try my hand at ‘skinny-fying’ one of my absolute favorite summertime desserts. Lemonade Pie has been something I’ve eaten in the summer for as long as I can remember. My neighbor/second grandma, Mary, would always come drop off all sorts of pies and crumb cakes for us growing up and this was by far my favorite creation (the chocolate chip crumb cake was a close second but we’ll get to that recipe later). Anyways, another great thing about this recipe is that it’s completely oven free! I don’t know about you, but when it gets hot outside the last thing I want is to be standing next to a hot oven that’s heating up my house, which makes this a great recipe for those unbearably hot days.  So from my house to yours, give this refreshingly tart and creamy pie a whirl at one of your bbqs this summer!

Lemonade Stand Pie

1/3 cup Country Time Lemonade Flavor Drink Mix

1/2 cup water

1 pint of softened vanilla ice cream (get a low fat version or non dairy to tailor this to your diet)

1 tub (8 oz) of fat free Cool Whip, thawed

1 prepared Graham pie Crust (or four/six little mini pies!)

Stir drink mix and water till dissolved. Then, beat lemonade and ice cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until completely blended. Gently stir in whipped topping until smooth. Freeze until mixture mounds, if necessary. Spoon into your crust and freeze for 4 hours or overnight (if you can) till firm. Let it thaw for 15 minutes before you serve and garnish with some cut lemons or lemon zest! Feel free to get an additional Cool Whip tub to add a dollop to top the pie off.  (Make sure you store this in the freezer when your done)

 

In case you haven’t already noticed with some of the other recipes on this site, there is not much I enjoy more than pairing a nice sweet fruity something with my old chocolate favorites and this is a delicious example of that past time! Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies are probably as good as a cookie could get for my tastes. I’ve also added some dried cherries to a plain dark chocolate chip cookie recipe before with fabulous results, so feel free to get creative with it! For this recipe, you can mix in some chopped nuts or substitute the cherries for another dried fruit like cranberries or strawberries. You might want to double this recipe, cookies this scrumptious are bound to go fast!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

basic dough recipe

2 1/2 cups garbanzo bean flour
3/4 cup agave
1 egg or substitute w flaxseed or alternative replacement
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup apple butter
pinch of salt

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
12oz. of carob chips or semisweet vegan chips
1/4 cup dried sour cherries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Prepare the basic dough recipe, adding the cocoa powder to the dry ingredients. Add the chips and cherries last. Using a tablespoon, scoop dough onto sheets and flatten slightly. Bake 12 to 15 mins and let them cool.

Enjoy!

These rosemary and lemon shortbread cookies were just made to be served at tea parties! I can’t think of anything better to pair with a nice cup of Earl Grey, or my personal favorite, champagne oolong. Sophisticated and healthy for you, this is a great little recipe to keep in your back pocket for entertaining all year round.

Lemon and Rosemary Shortbread Cookies


1 cup apple butter
1/2 cup raw sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
4 1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream apple butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat in the lemon peel and vanilla. Next, combine the flour,
rosemary and salt, gradually add to the creamed mix and mix well.
Shape into balls and wrap in freezer wrap. Freeze for 30
mins or until firm. Cut into 1/4 inch slices and place 2 inches apart on
ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 mins. till edges are light brown. Let them cool and then they can be stored in airtight containers.

In case you couldn’t tell from my “Come on Irene Banana Cream”, I have a soft spot for bananas. They are by far my favorite fruit and I try to incorporate them in as many desserts and muffins as possible! So when your in the mood for a nice banana cream pie, and you have enough time to do it right,  try my banana dream pie and enjoy!
Banana Dream Pie

1  vegan pie crust (see Tofu Mud Pie for our quick and easy one)

1/2 cup sweetener of your choice (I’d go with Agave though)
5 tblsp of cornstarch
2 cups of rice or soy milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 ripe bananas ( add 3 more if you love bananas as much as I do and throw them in the food processor with your tofu)
3 tblsp ground almonds

1/2 lb. firm tofu
Prepare  your pie crust and let cool while mixing the filling. First, mix the sweetener and cornstarch in a saucepan on the stove, stir in milk and salt. Cook over medium heat till very thick,continuously stirring . Remove from heat and add your vanilla. Next, drain tofu  and blend it in food processor till smooth with your optional added bananas, then add the vanilla/sugar/milk mix and blend till very smooth. Slice the bananas thinly ,and place over crust. Spread
mixture on top add almonds on top and chill for 4 hours.

One of my favorite after school snacks growing up was chocolate pudding pie with a graham cracker crust, I even would improvise and dunk some crumbled graham crackers into a chocolate pudding cup when they weren’t on the menu. Naturally, it was important to find a low fat, vegan alternative to this yummy treat. The Chocolate Tofu Mud Pie is just as delicious as those pudding pies growing up and even more protein packed thanks to all the Tofu. This recipe makes one large pie but as a kid I always liked the personal sized portions, so it can be easily modified into six smaller portions by putting the graham cracker crust into a cupcake pan and filling each cup accordingly. Of course, feel free to get fancy on me and top it off with a little whipped topping and maybe some raspberries. It’s delicious and easy as pie!

Chocolate Tofu Mud Pie

Crust:
2 oz. about 1/4 cup margarine or Earth Balance/Soy Butter, melted
1 cup graham cracker crumbs

Filling:
1 1/4 lb. tofu,cubed
1 cup rice syrup
2/3 stick margarine or Earth Balance/Soy Butter
1 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla
2/3 cup cocoa powder

Combine margarine(or soy butter) and crumbs in bottom of a pie plate. Bake 8 minutes in
350 degree oven. Mix filling ingredients on food processor till smooth, pour in pie
plate and chill for approx. 4 hours.

Like many other New Yorkers, I was trapped in my apartment this weekend with whatever happened to be in my refrigerator. I wasn’t too convinced that Irene was going to live up to all the hype so I only haphazardly prepared myself. Lots of candles, a flash light and a few liters of seltzer (because water was sold out by the time I got to the store) but on the food front, I just got some berries, almonds, grapes, raw string beans and hummus. Oh and Twizzlers! My hurricane candy treat! Thank god, it wasn’t the storm everyone was expecting or who knows how I would have actually fared.
Anyways fast forward to Saturday night, a bit past midnight and I am not only stir crazy but craving something sweet. The Twizzlers just aren’t doing it for me, I want dessert! So I whipped up this little low-fat pseudo Banana Cream Pie recipe and I want to share it with you because it ended up being delicious!

Come On Irene Banana Cream Pie

2 low fat graham cracker rectangles (big ones)
1 stage 2 banana baby food
1 ripe banana
1 60 cal Vanilla Jello Pudding
optional ..fat free whip cream

Break your graham crackers into crumbles and place them along the bottom of your bowl. Separately, mix your banana baby food with your vanilla pudding and layer it on top of your grahams. Lastly, slice your banana and toss them on top, adding whip cream if you choose. (I personally didn’t use whip cream this weekend but if I had it, I think it might be a nice topper!)

Enjoy 🙂

 

These cupcakes are so adorable they truly make me feel like I’m back at a middle school Valentines Day dance..only that Martha Stewart is the caterer. Here’s a snazzy way to take a potentially bland cake like angel food and make it live up to it’s lofty name.

Oh So Heavenly Heart Cupcakes

1 box of your favorite angel food cake mix
1 tsp of almond extract
1 package or Tofutti vegan cream cheese or regular low fat cream cheese, depending on your preference

Icing..
1 cup of frozen fat free whipped topping
1/2 cup of confectioners sugar
2/3 cup of strawberry jam warmed

And 12 strawberries cut in half

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the angel food cake mix according to package directions, adding your almond extract. Pour batter evenly amongst your two tray of 12 individually lined cupcake molds and bake for 20 mins or until done. Let them cool COMPLETELY.

Now, if you have a cupcake plunger you fill your cupcakes with strawberry jam by plunging into the center ofnthe cupcake, scooping the jam in and then replacing the removed cupcake top. Then, mix on low speed with an electric mixer, combine the Tofutti or cream cheese, your whipped topping and confectioners sugar. Pipe the mixture into a heart shape on top of every cupcake and then fill the center with strawberry jam. Voila!

And now you can really tell them to ‘eat their heart out’ 🙂

Last night on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, my friends and I had quite a feast. Perfectly grilled salmon, steamed spinach, bean salad and couscous, oh my! Naturally, I felt it was only right to contribute by whipping up some kind of low fat vegan dessert! We were all in a chocolate kind of mood and it had been a while since I had made brownies, so off to whole foods I went in the rain to gather up some healthy yet tasty ingredients! Here’s what I came up with and (if I do say so myself) they tasted amazing and you could hardly tell they were good for you!

 

Ooey Gooey Low Fat Vegan Brownies

1  1/3 cup of whole wheat flour

2 tsps of flax seed meal whisked with 6 tsps of water

1 cup of amber agave

1 individual cup of unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1/2 tsp of Baking Soda

1 jar of stage 1 prune baby food

1 cup of vegan chocolate chips

* fresh strawberries, optional

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray your pan with a non-fat cooking spray. Combine baking soda, cocoa powder and applesauce. Add agave, prune baby food and vanilla extract. Prepare flaxseed meal and water separately and only combine to batter after it’s been whisked together. Stir in whole wheat flour and let the mixture thicken as you mix it in. Gently fold in the vegan chocolate chips and spread evenly in your baking pan. I, personally, enjoy putting fresh fruit in anything chocolatey so I thinly sliced strawberries and covered the top of the brownies with them. Bake for 20- 30 minutes, checking periodically depending on the size of your pan.

 

Enjoy! These brownies are delicious and guilt free, just try to not eat them all in one sitting! ;)