Wednesday, January 14, 2009

I Make You Eats My Holiday Treats


So, here is some of the baking I did over the holidays, a little late, but I am catching up.  All of what you see was a part of the tins I made up for me loved ones.  I had a really nice sheet printed up and everything, which I was going to post, but since I made it on a different computer it will not let me open it.  Anywho, I have it here and will just retype the info.
Above: Cooties Coconut Cookies (I made these with egg replacer and diabetic sugar for my mom-ster, instead of with a banana and reg sugar), Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (both of these from How It All Vegan), Santa's Favorite Sugar Cookies found at nomeatfor.us, Fig Smushed Anise Almond Cookies (from V-con) and Curly Jim's Chocolate Chip cookies (from Please Don't Feed the Bears).  Curly Jim's are shown below too and would have been so much better if I used chocolate chips rather than carob chips.  Live and learn.
Next up are my peanut butter cups, adapted from a couple of recipes.  

Peanut Butter Cups

1c. Chocolate chips
1 c. Peanut butter
1/2 c. Confectioners sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla

Melt 1/2 of the chocolate chips and spread evenly on 24 mini cupcake cups.  Set aside and let harden.  Now, mix your remaining ingredients and divide evenly among the harden shells.  Take the remaining chocolate chips and cover the peanut butter.  You may need to melt more chocolate chips to fill them right up.  Simple and tasty.
Below are my Chocolate Blueberry Coconut Drops with a Craisin on top, Mint Chocolate Fudge (from La Dolce Vegan) and another Peanut Butter Cup.  The Chocolate Blueberry Coconut Drops were super simple.

Chocolate Blueberry Coconut Drops

1 c. Chocolate chips
3/4 c. Shredded coconut
1/2 c. Dried blueberry
A handful of crasins

Mix all but the crasins together after the chips are melted.  Drop onto wax paper or in cups and top each with a craisin or two.  Let cool and you're done.  See, super simple.
Now, last but not least are Dream Bars (from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch).  I need to work on the butterscotch because they turned out quite greasy, but still tasty.
The only one missing from the batch are my attempt at Korean rice cakes with red bean filling.  It was my first time making them all on my own, with Canadian found ingredients, so it was a challenge.  I must say not bad for my first try, but no where near what the elderly Korean ladies can do.  Those adjumas are miracle workers.  Oh, I also made them diabetic friendly.

All of my test subjects told me they were happy, even if it was just to save my ego, but heck, i'll take it :)

Overall, my holiday was a success.  I had a wonderful new years, rung in, in a tree with lovely friends and then I drug them to a dance floor and danced with wings on.  One cannot complain.  

I hope 2009 brings everyone a lot of love, laughter and magic.

P.S. I am making a whore out of my oven. I am on a bread making kick.  I am also coining the term breader rather than baker.  Why can't a bread maker be called a breader, a hat maker is called a hatter?  Same goes for a shoe maker.  Shoer.
(Please note the restraint I am using to not make a million cheap puns with my neologisms).

Love Love

28 comments:

Amy said...

*Gasp*. YUM! So much wonderful deliciousness! And thank you for the recipes :D

Jen Treehugger said...

All those treats look totally scrummy but I especially love the Peanut Butter Cups.

*runs away so as not to look at all the yummy goodies for too long*

I'm trying to eat more healthier!!

Anonymous said...

Barbara that is too much Nom in one post! You are spoiling us!

And your neologisms are so funny!

Why is the saying not 'mad as Milliner'? I guess it's not quite as discriptive as 'hatter'? Meh. I've gone off on a tangent now......

Anonymous said...

Oh those delicious treats! I made peanut butter cups last year & loved them - why didn't I make them this year? Sillyfish!
I am now really wanting to make something sweet in the kitchen, it all looks so inviting!
And I'm with you on the naming!
Oh, and I'm off to add you to the WIP list for next week!

Anonymous said...

Oh, all of that looks so delicious! Thanks for sharing you recipes.

Sal - AlienOnToast said...

OK twice now today I've seen awesome peanut butter cups on blogs. I think it's destiny and I'm going to have to make some for myself this weekend!! they look great.

The Chocolate blueberry coconut drops look magical too.

Lovlie said...

Delicious treats! Chocolate Blueberry Coconut! That sounds divine!

VeganCowGirl said...

Oh my god! I am so making those peanut butter cups. You are awesome.

Vegan_Noodle said...

This has me wanting holiday treats again! I have been meaning to make peanut butter cups for EVER. Thanks for your recipe!

Jes said...

I'm loving those chocolate blueberry coconut drops!

ABSOLUTELY NOT MARTHA said...

hi barbara,
just discovered your blog--nice. i just started blogging a couple of months ago and usually have a weekly round-up (fridays) where i'll include a link to a gluten free recipe. i'd like to link back to your recipes on occasion if that's ok with you. and, of course, i'd love you to add Absolutely Not Martha to your blog list. thanks.

A.M. said...

All of your baked goods look delicious!

And I love 'breader'. :-)

Mike K said...

Your friends/family who received these holiday gifts are very fortunate - good for you for making your own gifts! It all looks amazing, especially those peanut butter cups...homemade peanut butter cups sound pretty fantastic.

For the Love of Guava said...

MMMMMMMMM.... **cancels all weekend plans to make and eat candy**

Picks Over Peas said...

Love the chocolate blueberry coconut drops - lots of antioxidants and they look easy to make. Your photos are lovely!

River (Wing-It Vegan) said...

I am totally jealous of your loved ones! I want it all - especially the peanut butter cups!

You work that oven, girl! :)

...barbara... said...

thanks everyone for your lovely words...they always make me smile...

becks~i think i am going to make it a new profession to be a mad milliner breader...open up a brand new realm in the linguistic world...baha...

jackie~you have been added and i would be honored to be featured on your blog...i was just talking with my aunt who has celiac, and i told her i was going to post more gluten free for her :) so i hope you will be able to use it and i will direct her to your blog...

currently my oven is getting lovin...

enjoy life's treats :)

Chris said...

It's never too late for holiday treats! And yours look like the perfect excuse to make Christmas cookies in the middle of summer :)

Great blog! I'll definitely be visiting often.

Amira said...

holey moley, that's some incredible food girl!
Oh I just borrowed out skinny bitch in the kitch i definitely want to try those dream bars they look sensational!
choc blueberry drops sound oh so good and peanut butter cups- your killing me it all looks sooooo goood!!
have a great day

Liz Ranger (Bubble Tea for Dinner) said...

amazing!! Every piece looks so wonderful, even the carob cookies are intrigueing me with their oh-so black eyes, miam!

T said...

WOAH the peanut butter cups look amazing... You are obviously a fun person to be around during the holidays!

And yeah, there is a certain amount of vegan food to be had in budapest, but its tough in the winter because there are less veggies to be procured. (Although soymilk is everywhere!) We cooked a lot, and I ate a kosher restaurant that had some good stuff... I would bring amenities the next time though. :)

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

WOW, what a lovely spread of treats! Your family is lucky.

jb said...

Yum, all your cookie goodness is making me drool! I especially want those Peanut Butter cups right now though!

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh!! WOW. What incredible SWEETS :) I love it all. Nicely done.

Anonymous said...

I definitely don't think you would need to "make" anyone eat those treats- It all looks incredible! The recipients of any of those holiday goodies were lucky indeed.

zlamushka said...

Hi Barbara,

I admire your blog and visit ery often ....
I have been vegan for 2 years and I know sometimes I would kill for a rich creamy chocolate cake with whipped cream :-) that is probably why my will broke along the way :-( now after two years of crap diet, I am re-living my vegan journey again with my 21-day vegan challenge, as from what I was told, it takes three weeks to change one´s habits....

I ll be back for inspiration :-)

Galen said...

Now craving baked goods. Very much. Thanks for that.

Bethany said...

wow, that's a ton of great looking treats! cookies are one (great) thing, but also making candy! you've got some lucky loved ones.

I like the term breader.