THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE TRAY HAD HIDDEN SURPRISES!

 

 PUMPKIN PINE NUT COOKIES

These delightful pumpkin cookies give the tongue a delightful little tingle and make ideal treats for holiday gifting. If giving the cookies as as gifts is the goal, it would be best to double or triple the recipe. If these are simply an after-dinner treat or mid-day nibble, stick with the recipe measurements as is.

To make the cookies really unique, I’ve added a bold flavor surprise from three ingredients seldom found in a cookie recipe–coriander seeds, black pepper, and cayenne.

The fun part is watching expressions on people’s faces when they take their first bite. The flavor-hit doesn’t happen immediately–it takes a few seconds before it registers–and when it does–puzzled looks begin showing up.

It’s fun to see if people can guess what’s making those cookies so lively. The guesses are all over the place–some are even interesting enough to add to a future batch of  cookies.

I’ve chosen to add pine nuts because they stand out in bright contrast to the pumpkin color, but you can add any nut of your choice.  Because these babies keep so well, they can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature  for up to 5 days.

If you’re a long-range planner, make the cookies well ahead, place them on a parchment-lined metal tray with parchment between the layers, and freeze them until solid. Then transfer them to a plastic-wrap-lined box or heavy-duty plastic bags and freeze them for up to three months.

This is one of the recipes in the Christmas section of my Vegan for the Holidays cookbook–Happy Baking!

PUMPKIN PINE NUT COOKIES

 Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, firmly packed

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons whole coriander seeds, ground in a mortar and pestle, or 1

teaspoon ground coriander seeds

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

 

1/2 cup pine nuts

 

1 1/4 cups cooked fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin

1/2 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons whole flaxseeds or ground flaxseeds

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine the pastry flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, coriander, nutmeg, pepper, baking soda, salt, and cayenne in a large bowl and mix well. Stir in the pine nuts and set aside.
3. Combine the pumpkin, oil, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl and mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well to form a thick dough.
4. Put the water and flaxseeds in a blender. Process on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes to form a thick slurry. Stir the flaxseed slurry into the dough, mixing thoroughly to distribute it evenly.
5. Place heaping tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets, spreading with the back of the spoon to form 1 1/2-inch diameter cookies.
6. Bake for 15 minutes. Switch the oven rack positions of the baking pans and bake 13 minutes longer for soft cookies, or about 17 minutes for crisp cookies. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack or plate and let cool completely.

Note: If you use ground flaxseeds, make Step #1 combining the flaxseeds and water in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside. By the time you’re ready to add the flaxseeds, they will have thickened and can be added to the cookie dough without the need of blending.

HATCH CHILES BRING SPARKLE TO THE HOLIDAY TABLE!

Your roasted sweet potatoes will practically dance with holiday spirit when they’re drizzled with the zesty nature of this mild chile sauce. And I promise the sauce has just enough mojo to put a magic touch on your festive meal. The sauce can be prepared a day or two ahead and served warmed, chilled, or at room temperature. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for at least 4 or 5 days.

To create a creamy, smooth as velvet sauce, it helps to have a high-speed blender, but with patient soaking and longer blending it should work just fine with a regular blender.

I experimented with this dish for Thanksgiving for the first time. It was such a big hit, I felt it could be a terrific side dish any time during the holiday season.

Then, the following year, I decided to bring more colors to the platter with multi-colored sweet potatoes. In addition to the familiar orange yams, my local Korean market had yellow sweet potatoes and a delicious variety of purple ones called Okinawan sweet potatoes. The lighting wasn’t at its best for a great photo, but I think the result is so appealing I wanted to share it.

ROASTED SWEET POTATOES WITH SIZZLING CHILE SAUCE

Yield: 6 servings

Sweet Potatoes

5 or 6 medium yellow or orange sweet potatoes

Sizzling Chile Sauce (recipe below)

Parsley sprigs, for garnish

3 to 4 tablespoons chopped purple cabbage, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. (Gas Mark 6) and have ready a large rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

2. Scrub the sweet potatoes, put them on the prepared baking sheet, and roast for 50 to 60 minutes, or until they are soft when gently pressed. Prepare the Sizzling Chile Sauce while the sweet potatoes are baking.

3. When the sweet potatoes are done, peel them and cut them into 1-inch thick slices. Arrange them on a large platter, overlapping the slices. Garnish with the parsley and cabbage. Alternatively, drizzle some of the sauce over the center of each potato slice.

 

Sizzling Chile Sauce (Makes about 3 cups)

2 ounces (56g) Melissa’s dried Hatch chiles or California chiles (about 8 to 10 dried chiles)

3 cups (720 ml) boiling water

2/3 cup (160 ml) chopped onions

5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup (80 ml) coarsely chopped almonds

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (60 ml) brown sugar

1/4 cup (60 ml) rice vinegar or other mild vinegar

1. Prepare the Sizzling Chile Sauce while the sweet potatoes are baking. Using kitchen scissors, cut the chiles open and discard the seeds, ribs, and stems. Snip the chiles into coarse pieces and put them in a bowl. Pour the boiling water over the chiles to cover. Set aside to soften for about 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, combine the onions, garlic, and olive oil in a 10-inch (25 cm) skillet. Cook and stir over high or medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften. Add 1 or more tablespoons of water if needed to prevent burning the onions and garlic.

3. Add the almonds and sesame seeds to the pan and cook another minute or two.

4. Transfer the onion mixture to a blender and add the salt, brown sugar, and vinegar.

5. When the chiles have softened, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the blender. Add 1 cup (240 ml) of the chile soak water and process for a full minute or two until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy. Adjust seasonings, if needed, and serve the sauce on the side.

Alternative serving suggestion: Spoon a line of the sauce down the center of the overlapped sweet potato slices and add a pinch of minced parsley over the sauce. Serve the remaining sauce on the side.

 

This recipe is part of a fun blogging chain that includes about 96 innovative bloggers sharing amazing holiday recipes. You can easily move backward or forward through the Potluck chain to explore a banquet of tantalizing recipe posts crossing many continents.

To venture over to the blog that precedes mine in the Potluck, click on the go back button

 

 

 

 

To venture over to the blog that follows mine in the Potluck click on the go forward button

 

 

To start at the beginning of the Potluck, click on the stay calm button

 

 

 

Enjoy the fun holiday recipes and have a holiday blast!!!!!

 

 

 

 

WHAT’S FOR DESSERT ON THANKSGIVING? BET YOU CAN GUESS!!`

 WILLIAMSBURG PUMPKIN PIE

‘Tis the season for pumpkin! There’s no doubt about that. Everywhere I look there are recipes for Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cake, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin soup, pumpkin stew, pumpkin scones, pumpkin breads, pumpkin sauces – you get the idea!

And wouldn’t something as highly anticipated as pumpkin pie be missing from the dessert table on Thanksgiving if it weren’t there? There’ll be no dessert disappointment for my family–pumpkin pie will take center stage at dessert time, along with a creamy and compassionate Satin Whipped Cream to spoon on top.

You can’t miss with this recipe that captures the spicy taste and aroma we’ve come to expect. The Pilgrims would have really appreciated this treat, especially with a dollop of Satin Whipped Cream as a finishing touch.

WILLIAMSBURG PUMPKIN PIE

Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie: 6 to 8 servings

1 Oatmeal Crumb Crust (recipe below)

Filling

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch, (plus 2 tablespoons arrowroot for butternut squash)

1/4 cup unsweetened soymilk

1 (12.3-ounce) box extra-firm silken tofu, drained

2 cups canned pumpkin or cooked, mashed butternut squash

1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons organic sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Pinch of salt

1 recipe Satin Whipped Cream (recipe below)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and prepare the Oatmeal Crumb Crust.
2. To make the filling, combine the arrowroot and soymilk in a blender. Process at high speed for 1 minute until smooth and slightly thickened, stopping occasionally to scrape down the blender jar. Set aside in the blender to thicken further.
3. Put the tofu, pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, ginger, and salt in the food processor. Process until smooth and creamy, leaving no bits of white tofu visible, stopping occasionally to scrape down the work bowl.
4. Process the arrowroot mixture again and add it to the batter in food processor. Process until well incorporated.
5. Spoon the filling into the prepared crust. Use the back of the spoon to spread the filling to the edges and smooth the top.
6. Bake the pie in the middle of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes. The center of the pie will still be slightly soft but will firm when chilled. Let cool completely.
7. Cover the pie with an inverted 9 or 10-inch pie pan or form a tent with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours or overnight. Serve with Satin Whipped Cream on the side, if desired.

Oatmeal Crumb Crust

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

3/4 cup walnuts

4 1/2 tablespoons organic canola oil

3 tablespoons organic sugar

3 tablespoon maple syrup

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

1. Have ready a 9-inch pie pan. Pour the oats into the food processor and pulse 12 to 15 times. Add the walnuts, canola oil, sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice, and salt. Pulse and process until the mixture is a fine, crumbly meal and holds together when pinched.
2. Spoon the crust mixture into the pie pan and press it firmly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan with your fingers. Press on the edges to firm.

Satin Whipped Cream

1/2 cup cashews

1 cup water

1 small banana

6 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Put the cashews in a food processor. Process until ground into a fine meal. Transfer to a blender. Put the water, banana, sugar, xanthan gum, and vanilla extract in the blender with the cashew meal. Process for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture becomes thick, smooth and creamy.
2. Transfer the mixture to a covered container and chill for 8 to 12 hours to firm. Covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator, Satin Whipped Cream will keep for about 4 days. Before serving, fluff the mixture with a gentle stir.

You can find this recipe and a host of other delicious dessert and celebration recipes in my Vegan for the Holidays Cookbook.