Tag Archives: dessert

Depression-Era Vegan Chocolate Cake

Recipe, ,

1½ cups flour
¹/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sugar
½ tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup water
1½ tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. cider or white vinegar

  • Mix dry ingredients.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk wet ingredients.
  • Combine and whisk until smooth.
  • Tap mixing bowl or drop from 6 inches to shake out air bubbles.
  • Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool before removing from pan.
  • Dust with powdered sugar or frost as desired.

Source: http://food52.com/blog/8614-margaret-fox-s-amazon-chocolate-cake

Chocolate Ginger Crackle Cookies

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So, somewhat off-topic, but in the public interest (plus I’ve got nothing on the knitting or beer front to report)…

I started making these cookies in 1997, when I was a graduate student. They have been a solid hit with almost everyone: People who like cookies, people who don’t like cookies, people who think they are too old for cookies, children, people who think they don’t like ginger, ginger-fantatics… Plus, these cookies are consistently good enough that the obligatory “taste” cookie is really just pro-forma.

Anyway, so as I baked a batch tonight for game night (yay, game night!), I realized that I should share. The recipe is at the bottom.

First, let me say that these cookies are sweetish and a little spicy, and they go pretty well with wine (which explains why I found the recipe in Wine and Food originally).  I can’t remember what the recipe used to look like – I suspect that I have probably simplified it a lot over the years, and I know that I will adjust the amount of ginger, depending on my audience. Also, be warned – our local grocery store today informed us that candied ginger is a “seasonal” item. Seriously? In this whole “globalized” market place, we still think that anything can’t be sold any time, anywhere?

Anyway… these are refrigerator cookies and the prep always reminds me a little of peanut butter cookies and snickerdoodles. Be prepared to wait at least 2 hours between when you mix up the batter (dough? eh, never can keep those straight) and when it is ready – and then be prepared to get your hands all chocolatified as you form the dough/batter into balls.

Ingredients (makes ~24 cookies)

1c sugar
6 Tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup candied ginger, minced
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar

Instructions

1. Beat sugar with butter, then add eggs, cocoa and vanilla until smooth and creamy

2. Add flour, baking powder and salt (you can just dump it all in together) and mix until blended (about 2 minutes with an electric mixer)

3. Stir in chocolate chips and ginger

4. Cover and refrigerate overnight (yeah, right) or at least two hours

5. Preheat the oven to 350F

6. Lightly grease your cookie sheets if they are prone to things sticking to them

7. Form dough into 1″ balls and then coat generously with the confectioner’s sugar

8. Place on the the cookie sheet with a little room to expand (about 1″ apart should be good)

9. Bake 10-12 minutes, tops should be crinkly.

Note #1: Don’t over bake! These things are just like peanut butter cookies: If they look done in the oven then they are over-done. I’ve even taken these out when they looked a tiny bit wet in the cracks, and they were fine.

Note #2: I let the cookies rest for about 30 seconds or so on the cookie sheet before I move them off to a cooling rack.

Note #3: I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!