The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

While on my drive down to Charlottesville last Wednesday, I received a phone call from Stepmama Smart, informing me that not one, but THREE boxes had arrived for me. Sad not to be there to receive them, I, nonetheless, was super excited to return home on Saturday to open up the boxes and see what awaited me as part of loveandoliveoil‘s The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap!

But, kids,* remember it is always better to give than receive.^

*I really hope some of y’all watch HIMYM and instinctively hear that phrase read by Bob Saget.
^Although I do think this would be a fun topic of conversation over the holidays. [Oh the debate!]

So what cookies did I make to give to my three, unsuspecting, vegan-cookie victims?*

*Hey, when it’s the first time you’ve made vegan cookies (at least with conscious intention), they very well could end up being victims.“What the He$%!” Cookies!*

*That means “What the Hell!?” Cookies, but if there are small children in the room, I am minimizing it so they might not be able to read it at first glance. Although they probably already have heard much worse. [I shake my head in sadness.]

I am calling them that because my thought process while baking was:

Loosely based on my Maple Peanut Butter Cup Seduction Cookies, these are a vegan treat that–had I been thinking more clearly at the time–could have easily rolled into “doughballs,” because that’s what they taste like…little bites of maple cinnamon peanut buttery dough.Instead, I chose this moment as the first time in my life that I ever remember actually “drop[ping] by rounded tablespoon onto a cookie sheet.”I guess I could call them (Vegan) Coconut Maple Cinnamon Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Seduction Doughballs. But that is a mouthful. And with these around, you don’t want a mouthful of words when you could be having a mouthful of cookie.

[Vegan]
“What The He$@?” Cookies*

*Coconut Maple Cinnamon Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Seduction Doughballs…if you want to get specific.

3 Tbsp. earth balance natural spread
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
1/2 cup demerara, sucanat, or brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 tsp. maple extract
1 Tbsp. ground flax + 2 Tbsp. water [flax egg] (optional)

1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. whole wheat flour
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

3 Tbsp. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. shredded coconut

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together earth balance, peanut butter, sugar, applesauce, and vanilla. [If desired, beat in flax egg.]
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until well incorporated and doughy.
4. Mix in chocolate chips and–what the he$%?–coconut.
5. Drop by rounded tablespoons (or roll into doughballs) onto a cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

So with all that giving…what did I receive?From Danni @ Healthy Kitschy* Vegan…
*Considering I once thought of changing my blog name to The Smart Kitsch-en, I was immediately won over.

…I was overjoyed by the cute little molasses gingerbread men (and ladies) based on a secret family recipe that I loved for being slightly softer and more doughy than a traditional gingerbread cookie. [I love a soft cookie. Crisp cookies are for losers.*]
*Except in the case of shortbread and super thin Moravian gingersnaps.
Inside this adorable holiday box (that I kind of want to use all year round…), Heather
@ For the Love of Kale shipped Maple Pumpkin Cookie with Maple Frosting.All I have to say is that there was no restraint when I opened this box and smelled these cookies. Yes, I did lick my fingers and scrape up the frosting bits from the bottom. I am not ashamed.
Kate from A Healthy Passion shipped some Vegan “Nog” Cookies. Highly addictive. As in, so high that people with acrophobia shouldn’t eat them.
In fact, after I set them out at after dinner on Saturday night, I found myself in the kitchen eating the crumblies and bits from the bottom of the bag, trying to hide discreetly behind the slightly ajar kitchen door.

What can I say? Even as a vegan (with benefits) my normally restrained sweet tooth kicks into high gear this time of year.