Vegan

The perfect birthday cupcake, these vanilla beauties can be decorated any way you like. Top them with confetti, decorating sugar, sugared violets, edible flowers . . . the possibilities are endless. My husband says they taste like a vegan Twinkie. I take that as a compliment.

Of all the cupcakes in this book, these are my favorite. When I baked up a dozen, I personally consumed nine out of twelve. I even ate the one I had set aside for my husband. Yup, it’s true. They’re that good.

These diminutive tea biscuits are a wonderful little treat. My son Lennon, upon tasting them, told me he’d like to take them with him to heaven. Really, he said that. Just a little word of caution: these puppies are hot, so wait until they’ve cooled a bit to eat them, or the orange marmalade will scorch the roof of your mouth.

This cookie was a happy accident. I was experimenting with SunButter and discovered that when you bake it combined with maple syrup, it turns the center of the cookie green. (It has to cool to work its alchemy.) My husband loves these cookies because they have no refined sugar, and my kids like them for their Dr. Seuss–like hue. They’re perfect for the Christmas season or as a healthy snack all year round. Use organic unsweetened SunButter if you can fi nd it; if not, regular works fine, too. Be sure to measure the SunButter and the maple syrup with a liquid measuring cup. Remember there is a small chance of soy cross-contamination with SunButter (see page 179 for more information), but if that’s a problem you can make your own sunflower seed butter.

This recipe first appeared in Living Without in December 2008. I had to include it here because it’s so good, and also because it reminds me of my grandmother Catherene, who taught me to bake cookies. She was very fond of ginger.

These look like Hostess Sno Balls but are much healthier. They taste sublime, and are so very, very pretty.

Make these for any of the holidays where you want cutout cookies. They’re perfect for Halloween, Christmas and Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day, Easter... you get the idea. They’re also great made into letter cookies or animals. My kids love baking these as an activity. It’s part cooking, part art project, and they’re so proud of their handiwork once it comes out of the oven.

Spritz cookies are the backbone of holiday baking. You can decorate them with any kind of sprinkles, drizzle them with chocolate, dust them with sparkly sugars, add food coloring to make them in a rainbow of colors, press them out into any shape . . . they’re endlessly versatile. I’ve spruced up the classic recipe slightly by adding a hint of orange flavor, giving them just a little special oomph. I’ve written proportions for a large batch so you can give them as gifts or make them for a party. They also store well in the freezer, so you can keep them on hand for treats anytime.

My grandmother Catherene used to make a version of these when I was a child. I still remember waiting in the kitchen for them to set, barely able to contain myself as their tempting aroma wafted through the house.

A hearty, chewy classic! Pack these in your kids’ lunch for a snack, or serve them after school with a big chilled glass of rice milk for dunking!

Pretty and elegant, these cookies will make your mouth water, and they’re fun to make! Kids love sticking their thumb in the middle of the cookies, and filling the mini pool with creamy delicious chocolate. See below for a fruity variation.

I don’t know what to call these, other than perfect. But don’t thank me, thank the advent of gluten-free oats. Hurray for oats! This is my favorite cookie.

When I give these to vegan friends, they think they’ve died and gone to heaven. Nobody can believe they’re vegan and gluten-free. They disappear as fast as I can bake them, so I make them in bulk and keep them in the freezer.

These are my son Lennon’s favorite cookies. They’re like a soft Oreo, but unlike Oreos, where most kids just break them open, eat the cream filling, and discard the hard cookie exterior, Lennon ooohs and ahs and chows down the whole thing. Store them in a tightly sealed container and they’ll last well for days.

These could just as easily be called “Allergen-Free Heaven.” Need I say more?

Maple syrup is a great way to sweeten chocolate treats in place of refined sugar. I prefer to use Grade B maple syrup, which is richer in flavor, higher in nutrients, but lighter on the wallet than Grade A.