The Best Cookies (p.s. they're vegan)

This post needs no narration -- just photos, recipe, and a strong recommendation that you bake these cookies pronto. And a thanks to the co-worker who shared the cookies, then sent the recipe!

These really are the best cookies I've made in a long time, not just the best vegan cookies. If you're not drawn to vegan stuff, just ignore that part and grab a mixing bowl.


Happy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Use vegan versions of these ingredients if you like. If you're not vegan, just use normal stuff. I'm not really sure what vegan flour, vanilla, or sugar are, anyway.

• 2 C unbleached flour
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 1/5 to 2 C Chocolate chips
• 1 C sugar (my co-worker used 1/2 sugar, 1/2 agave)
  
• 1/2 C canola or vegetable oil
  
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 C water (I needed more -- try 1/4 C first, then another T or 2 as needed)

Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Pre-heat your oven to 350. This recipe requires just a whisk and spoon for mixing, two bowls, and the baking sheet -- no heavy mixer necessary.

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients except sugar (I accidentally included the sugar in this step, and everything turned out fine). Add chips. Make a well in the center and set aside. In another bowl, mix sugar and oil well, then add vanilla and water. Mix well. Add to dry ingredients. Mix well, but be careful not to overwork it (this is why I would not use your fancy Kitchenaid mixer for this recipe).

Drop by bablespoons onto cookie sheets. I use Exopat baking sheets, as seen in the photos below -- nothing sticks, ever! They're worth the investment.


Bake for 4 minutes, rotate sheets and bake another 4-6 minutes. As with most chocolate chip cookies, you'll want to remove them when they seem just barely underdone, since they'll harden a bit as they cool. Allow them to cool for a couple moments before transferring to a wire rack; this is another reason silicone baking sheets are helpful -- you can remove the full Exopat sheet from the metal baking pan, letting the first batch of cookies cool faster and starting your next batch on a second Exopat.

Free Pizza!

If you're a fan of paper-thin Neapolitan pizza (and why would you not be), don't forget to stop by Tutta Bella this week to get your free pizza! That's right. You have til' this Sunday to stop by for a free pie. If you're willing to brave the wait, and the screaming children (at the Wallingford location only) I highly recommend you take them up on this generous offer.

Pretend Like it's the Weekend

Happy Saturday, dear readers. Remember me? If you don't, well, I can't say I blame you. Way back when, there were two contributors to this blog -- 2 teaspoons, if you will. I've been slacking. If fact, I haven't been slacking -- I straight up quit for a few months. OK, maybe 5 or 6 months. Raven has brilliantly been carrying the weight of our weekly updates and has posted some pretty fantastic recipes. If you haven't read her post on this beautiful Thai Beef Salad or Quinoa and Chickpea Salad, please do. Both are delicious ideas for a quick summer dinner.

OK, but back to Jack Johnson and banana pancakes. After my 4th trip to Hawaii last June, I'm officially hooked on these tasty buggers. I blame Boots and Kimo's -- pretty much the best breakfast joint in Hawaii. I've been working on perfecting my own mainland version for over a year now. I'm close, but I wouldn't say this recipe is perfection yet. Still, they're more than your average Saturday pancakes.

Banana & Coconut Pancakes
1 cup + a few extra Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 egg
1 cup of milk (whole milk is best)
few drops of vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
2 Tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1/8 cup coconut flakes
1-2 ripe bananas (you want them a little mushy)

Sift dry ingredients together. Add the egg followed by the rest of the wet ingredients and thorough whisk thoroughly until batter is nice and thick, though maybe slightly drippy. Mix in the bananas and coconut flakes. Heat your pan to medium high and start flippin'.

Serve these with some freshly sliced bananas, a dusting of powdered sugar, and coconut syrup. If you've only got maple syrup on hand, that'll do as well. "Can't you see, can't you see; We've got to wake up slow." And then make some scrumptious pancakes -- island style.

When life gives you blueberries ...

Blueberries! I discovered the first surprise blueberry bush in early summer, then found another smothered by our overgrowing mint (the mint is now gone, the blueberries are happier).

But even two small bushes do not produce more than a couple handfuls of berries at a time. What to do with this delightful, but minimal, discovery?

The easiest thing was to eat them plain. And a few went on salad. Most were wonderfully sweet, but some -- so tart! So the rest went into homemade lemonade. :)

Blueberry Lemonade, shown above with our garden's hydrangeas.

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup lemon juice

4 cups cold water

A handful of blueberrries

Stir first three ingredients till sugar melts. Add blueberries. Drink.

* I think if Martha Stewart made this, she'd add a generous splash of vodka.

Tea time! Who wants a cup?

The design is a bit much for an entire set of dishes (for me. you go ahead.), but I definitely look forward to sipping earl grey from these happy tea and coffee cups from Anthropologie. Plus two little bowls, for snacks at the imaginary tea party I'm envisioning. You're all invited.