Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

https://bakerbynature.com/the-most-wonderful-vegan-chocolate-chip-cookies-ever/

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut oil, solid but scoop-able
1 and 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut milk (I like to use the thicker Thai variety, but any coconut milk will work)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (be sure not to pack your flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips (use vegan chocolate chips if vegan), divided
Flaky sea salt, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the coconut oil, brown sugar, and vanilla, beating until well combined. Add in the coconut milk and applesauce and whisk until well combined; set aside. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; whisk well to combine.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and, using a wooden spoon or very sturdy spatula, stir until ingredients are combined. The batter will be very thick! Fold in 1 and 3/4 cups of the chocolate chips.
Scoop three tablespoon sized mounds of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, leaving a few inches between each cookies for spreading. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers have set. Press remaining chocolate chips on top of warm cookies, and sprinkle with sea salt, if using. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Notes

If the dough appears too sticky, add a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time; if the dough appears too dry, add a tablespoon of coconut milk.

*DO NOT refrigerate dough overnight - just make and bake!

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HALF RECIPE:

1/4 cup coconut oil, solid but scoop-able
2/3 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 cup coconut milk (I like to use the thicker Thai variety, but any coconut milk will work)
1/8 cup unsweetened applesauce
1.1 cups all-purpose flour (be sure not to pack your flour)
.5 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips (use vegan chocolate chips if vegan), divided
Flaky sea salt, optional

(Do not make in advance - bake better when dough is freshly made)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the coconut oil, brown sugar, and vanilla, beating until well combined. Add in the coconut milk and applesauce and whisk until well combined; set aside. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; whisk well to combine.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and, using a wooden spoon or very sturdy spatula, stir until ingredients are combined. The batter will be very thick! Fold in nearly all of the chocolate chips.
Scoop three tablespoon sized mounds of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, leaving a few inches between each cookies for spreading. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers have set. Press remaining chocolate chips on top of warm cookies, and sprinkle with sea salt, if using. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Dill Salad Dressing

1c Sour cream
1/4c Mayo
Dill
Lemon juice
Honey
Salt
Pepper

Tea Sandwiches

Tea Sandwiches:

Egg salad: boil 7 or 8 eggs (start in a pot covered with cold water going an inch above the eggs, bring to full boil, then turn off heat and cover for 12 minutes), cool peel and slice, add some mayonnaise, dijon mustard, chopped chives, salt/pepper

Smoked salmon: softened cream cheese mixed with some lemon juice and chopped dill, add salt

Cucumber: mix softened cream cheese with some mayo, add chopped chives and dill, peel and then thinly slice English cucumber

For the kids: cream cheese and jelly, peanut butter and jelly

Passion Fruit Curd

Makes 1 1/2 cups:

• 3 large eggs, or 1 large egg plus 3 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup strained passion fruit juice*
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1. Set the strainer over a medium bowl.
2. Whisk the eggs (or egg and yolks) in a small nonreactive saucepan to blend. Whisk in the passion fruit juice and sugar. Add the butter. 
3. Whisk over medium heat, reaching into the corners and scraping the sides and bottom of the pan, until the butter is melted and the mixture is thickened and beginning to simmer around the edges, then continue to whisk for about 10 seconds longer.
4. Remove from the heat and scrape into the strainer, pressing gently on the solids. Scrape any curd clinging to the underside of the strainer into the bowl.
5. Refrigerate until chilled before using. Curd keeps in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

*if you're using fresh passion fruit it takes forever to separate out seeds and squeeze pulp through a cheesecloth. There's an easy hack: if you put all of the pulp (seeds and all) in a good blender and blend for a few seconds at a time, the juice will separate from the pulp and seeds remarkably well, and then if you strain it one time through a fine strainer you'll get almost all of the juice!

Madeleines

Dominique Ansel's Madeleines

INGREDIENTS

8 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tsp honey

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted 

1⁄2 tsp baking powder

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1⁄2 lemon grated lemon zest
1⁄2 orange grated orange zest
As needed nonstick cooking spray
As needed confectioners’ sugar (for serving)

EQUIPMENT

Spatula
Microplane (for grating zests) 

Uncut piping bag
Nonstick mini madeleine pan 

Small sieve


DIRECTIONS

1 day in advance: Make batter

In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar, salt, flour, and baking powder and mix well with a whisk.

In a medium pot, melt the butter, brown sugar, and honey over low heat. Stir gently with a heatproof spatula to ensure nothing burns. Keep the mixture warm over very low heat, or reheat if necessary.

Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs one by one, whisking to incorporate each before adding the next.

Slowly whisk in the warm butter mixture. 

Whisk in the lemon and orange zests. 

Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface
Refrigerate overnight to rest.

Day 2: Pipe, Bake, and Serve

Preheat oven to 350 convection

Spray pan
Pipe batter into mold
Place a rimmed sheet pan upside down on the oven rack then place the mold on top and bake the madeleines for about 2 to 2.5 minutes on the center rack. 

When you see the batter puff up in the center, rotate the mold 180 degrees. 

Bake for 2 to 2.5 minutes more, until the sides of the madeleines are golden blonde and the center has set.

Unmold immediately. Bang the corner or sides of the madeleine pan against your work surface so that the fresh madeleines drop out.

Using a small sieve, sprinkle confectioners’ sugar evenly over the fresh-baked madeleines. Eat immediately (do not wait for more than even a few minutes!).

You can keep the batter in a closed airtight container, with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Passion Fruit Margarita

1/2 lime, juiced
1 ounce cointreau
1 ounce tequila
Fruit juice - passion fruit - to taste

Shake in cocktail shaker with ice
Pour into glass with fresh ice

Pretzels

From: https://smittenkitchen.com/2007/02/knotted-and-stacked-disappearing-acts/

Makes 16 full-sized or 32 miniature - I made a half recipe (see below)

2 cups warm water (100°F to 110°F)
1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 packet active dry yeast
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons canola or other neutral oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1 large egg
Coarse or pretzel salt

Vegetable-oil cooking spray

1. Pour warm water and 1 tablespoon (half recipe: .5 tbsp) sugar into bowl of electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and stir to combine. Sprinkle with yeast, and let sit 10 minutes; yeast should be foamy.

2. Add 1 cup flour (half recipe: .5 cup) to yeast, and mix on low until combined. Add salt and 4 cups (half recipe: 2 cups) more flour, and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. 

3. Beat on medium-low until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 1 1/2 minutes. 

4. Add another 1/2 cup flour (half recipe: 1/4 cup), and knead on low 1 minute more. If dough is still wet and sticky, add a little more flour (this will depend on weather conditions); knead until combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a lightly floured board, and knead about ten times, or until smooth.

5. Pour oil into a large bowl; swirl to coat sides. Transfer dough to bowl, turning dough to completely cover all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel, and leave in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.

6. Heat oven to 450°F. Lightly spray baking sheet(s) with cooking spray (parchment paper, ungreased, also works). Set aside. Punch down dough to remove bubbles. Transfer to a lightly floured board. Knead once or twice, divide into 16 pieces (about 2 1/2 ounces each) or 32 if making miniature pretzels, and wrap in plastic.

5. Roll one piece of dough at a time into an 18-inch-long strip. [I find the pretzels much easier to roll on an unfloured board, oddly enough, but see what works for you.] Twist into pretzel shape; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel. Continue to form pretzels; eight will fit on each sheet (you may need a third sheet if making miniatures). Let pretzels rest until they rise slightly, about 15 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, fill large, shallow pot with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Add baking soda (and step back, it foams up quickly) and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Reduce to a simmer; transfer three to four pretzels to water. Poach 1 minute on each side. Use slotted spoon to transfer pretzels to baking sheet. Continue until all pretzels are poached.

7. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush pretzels with egg glaze. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack, or eat warm. Pretzels are best when eaten the same day, but will keep at room temperature, uncovered, for two days. Do not store in covered container or they will become soggy.

Half Recipe:

1 cup warm water (100°F to 110°F)
.5 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons sugar (for the pot of water)
.5 packet active dry yeast
2.5-3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
.5 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 large egg
Coarse or pretzel salt