The Joy of Vegan Baking
Posted by faunablues on Oct 20, 2007 · Member since Aug 2003 · 9655 posts
Anyone try this cookbook? Or planning on buying it?
After VCTOTW and this site, I don't know if I really *need* a new cookbook on desserts... but... well, anyone?
I usually do really well with the recipes in The Joy of Vegan Baking. But tonight I had problems with the dough in the Sugar Cookies recipe.
The dough was more crumbly, not smooth, when I blended it. After it chilled in the refrigerator, I rolled it out on a lightly floured surface. I had to pack the dough together well with my hands, and even then, it rolled out with cracks in it that I had to press out wiith my fingers. It did taste good though.
Did anyone else have problems with this cookie dough?
Yes, this recipe was a disaster for me! It was really dry & crumbly... I'm not sure why this happened, and I don't think I did anything wrong! I followed the recipe exactly, and it was a mess... The dough just kept flaking & crumbling everywhere, and I couldn't get it to roll out no matter how hard I tried. I tried adding more liquid to salvage it, but had to throw it away. Blech!
I usually do really well with the recipes in The Joy of Vegan Baking. But tonight I had problems with the dough in the Sugar Cookies recipe.
The dough was more crumbly, not smooth, when I blended it. After it chilled in the refrigerator, I rolled it out on a lightly floured surface. I had to pack the dough together well with my hands, and even then, it rolled out with cracks in it that I had to press out wiith my fingers. It did taste good though.
Did anyone else have problems with this cookie dough?
Yes, this recipe was a disaster for me! It was really dry & crumbly... I'm not sure why this happened, and I don't think I did anything wrong! I followed the recipe exactly, and it was a mess... The dough just kept flaking & crumbling everywhere, and I couldn't get it to roll out no matter how hard I tried. I tried adding more liquid to salvage it, but had to throw it away. Blech!
OK. So it's not just me. I followed the recipe exactly too, and did my best to keep the dough together when I rolled it out. It was just too damn dry.
Still, I cut out cookies and put then in the oven. They taste good, but not great. Kind of hard when you bite it into them. I prefer a sugar cookie, crispy on the outside, and soft when you bite into it. I hate to give a negative review for a book I love so much, but I won't be making these again.
Now the search is on for a better sugar cookie recipe.
I usually do really well with the recipes in The Joy of Vegan Baking. But tonight I had problems with the dough in the Sugar Cookies recipe.
The dough was more crumbly, not smooth, when I blended it. After it chilled in the refrigerator, I rolled it out on a lightly floured surface. I had to pack the dough together well with my hands, and even then, it rolled out with cracks in it that I had to press out wiith my fingers. It did taste good though.
Did anyone else have problems with this cookie dough?
Yes, this recipe was a disaster for me! It was really dry & crumbly... I'm not sure why this happened, and I don't think I did anything wrong! I followed the recipe exactly, and it was a mess... The dough just kept flaking & crumbling everywhere, and I couldn't get it to roll out no matter how hard I tried. I tried adding more liquid to salvage it, but had to throw it away. Blech!
OK. So it's not just me. I followed the recipe exactly too, and did my best to keep the dough together when I rolled it out. It was just too damn dry.
Still, I cut out cookies and put then in the oven. They taste good, but not great. Kind of hard when you bite it into them. I prefer a sugar cookie, crispy on the outside, and soft when you bite into it. I hate to give a negative review for a book I love so much, but I won't be making these again.
Now the search is on for a better sugar cookie recipe.
I made this recipe this past December for Christmas cookies. They were really delicious! http://www.johnandkristie.com/archives/2005/10/perfect_sugar_c.html There is some Tofutti cream cheese in them, and I think that really adds something special to the sugar cookie flavor!
It calls for 1 c. vegan margarine, but I only used 1/2 c. Earth Balance, and then 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce. Worked great!
I usually do really well with the recipes in The Joy of Vegan Baking. But tonight I had problems with the dough in the Sugar Cookies recipe.
The dough was more crumbly, not smooth, when I blended it. After it chilled in the refrigerator, I rolled it out on a lightly floured surface. I had to pack the dough together well with my hands, and even then, it rolled out with cracks in it that I had to press out wiith my fingers. It did taste good though.
Did anyone else have problems with this cookie dough?
Yes, this recipe was a disaster for me! It was really dry & crumbly... I'm not sure why this happened, and I don't think I did anything wrong! I followed the recipe exactly, and it was a mess... The dough just kept flaking & crumbling everywhere, and I couldn't get it to roll out no matter how hard I tried. I tried adding more liquid to salvage it, but had to throw it away. Blech!
OK. So it's not just me. I followed the recipe exactly too, and did my best to keep the dough together when I rolled it out. It was just too damn dry.
Still, I cut out cookies and put then in the oven. They taste good, but not great. Kind of hard when you bite it into them. I prefer a sugar cookie, crispy on the outside, and soft when you bite into it. I hate to give a negative review for a book I love so much, but I won't be making these again.
Now the search is on for a better sugar cookie recipe.
I made this recipe this past December for Christmas cookies. They were really delicious! http://www.johnandkristie.com/archives/2005/10/perfect_sugar_c.html There is some Tofutti cream cheese in them, and I think that really adds something special to the sugar cookie flavor!
It calls for 1 c. vegan margarine, but I only used 1/2 c. Earth Balance, and then 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce. Worked great!
Thank you, JessaCita. I'm excited about using my new cookie cutters and plan to run with your recommendation using that recipe.
Thank you, JessaCita. I'm excited about using my new cookie cutters and plan to run with your recommendation using that recipe.
I hope you like it! I am not a huge sugar cookie fan myself, but these were really tasty, and easy to roll out & cut.
Yeah, the sugar cookie dough is dry. I remember adding bit by bit of water to it for it to hold. It's a good recipe for cut-outs (it's firm), but I also like the softer variety of sugar cookies that are harder to shape. I usually use the Granny B's recipe from this site, minus the tofu.
I like Pip's "Caitee's crazy cookies" for sugar cookies. I've never rolled them out/cut them out, but I would think they would work?
Thank you, JessaCita. I'm excited about using my new cookie cutters and plan to run with your recommendation using that recipe.
I hope you like it! I am not a huge sugar cookie fan myself, but these were really tasty, and easy to roll out & cut.
Great cookies! I just had one ... too many of them. Thank you for the recipe link, JessaCita, and your substitution tips.
The dough was a little sticky at first, but after gradually adding a little flour, and chilling it for a couple of hours in the fridge, it was perfectly smooth and very easy to roll out. A smooth cookie dough definitely cuts the cookie making and cutting time in half. The cookies puffed up nicely, which is good because puffy hearts are good Valentine's Day shapes. I think they taste better with the icing then unfrosted.
To be fair, I will say that JOVB cookies on Day 2 taste very good, a buttery sweet sugar cookie that doesn't need any icing. I would bake them again if the dough wasn't such a dry, crumbly pain in the butt to work with.
faunablues, Allychristine, thank you for the sugar cookie recipe suggestions. I have seasonal cookie cutters and would like to try these out too.:)
I made the corn muffins tonight. I used flax seeds instead of Ener-G (she suggested you could in the recipe). I never used flax eggs before but since I just bought a batch of flax seeds I figured I would give it a try. I don't know if it was the flax or just the recipe but it was the weirdest muffin "batter" ever. I was like dough. I actually had to rip pieces off and put the chunks in the muffin tins. I baked it for less than the recipe called for because they already seemed so dry. They did come out dry. Thankfully I added blueberries because it really needed that moisture and I think without them the muffins would be pretty tasteless.
I don't own this cookbook, but I have wanted to make the Blueberry Orange Bundt Cake every since I saw the recipe here:
http://www.veganpeace.org/recipe_pages/recipes/BlueberryOrangeBundtCake.htm
Last night the baking stars aligned and I finally had three organic oranges, pureed silken tofu in the fridge and sleeping children all at the same time. I followed the directions closely except I did not have orange extract and used vanilla instead. For the optional orange zest I used the zest from only one orange. I baked it in a bundt pan and the only thing I did wrong was take it out a couple of minutes too soon. The tester came out clean and I was afraid the cake would overbake and dry out on the fluted bottom side, so I took it out after 45 minutes even though the top didn't look quite finished. It needed another couple of minutes and I regretted my decision because the top (now the bottom) was undercooked.
I iced it with a confectioner's sugar, fresh orange juice, orange zest concoction.
My family loved it. That baby is not even 24 hours old and there's only one serving left. The consistency of the cake is more muffin-y like you get with oil based cakes. It was fast and easy to make. And a major plus--the batter is delicious!
For convenience, here is the review compilation:
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=23836.0 (up to date)
I need a new link!
eta: Oh, and jkl, for like 3 seconds, I thought you were saying, "the baby is not even 24 hours old, and there's only one serving left." :o
For convenience, here is the review compilation:
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=23836.0 (up to date)
I need a new link!
eta: Oh, and jkl, for like 3 seconds, I thought you were saying, "the baby is not even 24 hours old, and there's only one serving left." :o
Hahaha. Oh dear. Baby eaters! What would constitute a serving?
For convenience, here is the review compilation:
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=23836.0 (up to date)
I need a new link!
eta: Oh, and jkl, for like 3 seconds, I thought you were saying, "the baby is not even 24 hours old, and there's only one serving left." :o
Hahaha. Oh dear. Baby eaters! What would constitute a serving?
Ahhh! haha, I wasn't even thinking that! I meant, I was thinking the 24 hour old baby ate the cake! ;D
Hahaha. Oh dear. Baby eaters! What would constitute a serving?
Are baby eaters vegan?
Apple Cobbler - delicious! i used sweet red apples instead of tart apples so i reduced the sugar in the apple mixture down to 1/4 but i don't think it even needed that much. I also didnt peel the apples & i sliced them in the food processor which made things go alot faster, they ended up alot thinner than if i would have sliced them by hand but i really liked how it turned out. i followed the dough recipe exactly aside from that i forgot to brush the top of the dough with soymilk or eb before baking, although i did remember to sprinkle the top with sugar. the end result was so good i dont think the extra soymilk or eb is necessary. i was thinking of topping it with the peanut butter caramel sauce from vcon but ran out of time, it definitely didnt need it but im sure it would be great.
I baked the Cinnamon Coffee Cake today for the first time. I loved that the brown sugar crumble top is just like a remember it on those little Hostess coffee cakes that I used to love. Anyone remember those?
I used the melted Earth Balance for the crumble and added a little cardamom to the cake,in addition to the cinnamon and ginger, per the suggestion in the recipe. Very good. Next time I think I will try to make them in cupcake tins so they're like those little Hostess cakes, but better!
Focaccia - very simple & delicious, i added lots of herbs de provence to the dough in addition to the dried rosemary & topped it with halved grape tomatoes. it was great.
Next time I think I will try to make them in cupcake tins so they're like those little Hostess cakes, but better!
That's a great idea!
I made the Lemon Cheesecake for Easter dessert. It came out delicious. It's very easy to make because the biggest part is store bought Tofutti cream cheese. My family loved it. I topped it with blackberries that I cooked with a little sugar to make them syrupy.
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