Dessert: Soft & Chewy Chocolate Drops

These cookies are not hard to make. They are easy to mix up, make the drops, make the glaze and glaze them. Just be sure to plan for the hour in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:
Cookies:
4 squares (4 oz) unsweetened baking chocolate
¾ cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
Glaze:
1 tub (8 oz) frozen cool whip whipped topping
6 squares (6 oz) semi-sweet baking chocolate


Directions:
Cookies: 

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Microwave unsweetened chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. 
2. Add sugar; mix well. 
3. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour; mix well. 
4. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.
5. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart, on greased baking sheets.
6. Bake 8 min or just until set. (Do not overbake.) 
7. Let stand on baking sheet 1 min; transfer to wire racks. 
8. Cool completely.

Glaze: 

1. Place frozen whipped topping and semi-sweet chocolate in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1-1/2 minutes or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is shiny and smooth, stirring after 1 min. 
2. Let stand 15 minute to thicken. 
3. Spread over cookies. 
4. Let stand until glaze is set.

Notes:

• Makes 5 dozen or 30 servings, 2 cookies each.
• Prep: 20 min Total: 1 hour 20 min (incl. refrigerating)

Breakfast: Pumpkin Scones with Plain or Spiced Glaze

Turns out, I had 2 pumpkin scone recipes on my "To Make" list. So, the day after last week's Pumpkin Scone recipe, I made this one. The original is at Cate's World Kitchen.  The original wasn't outright vegan. I used all vegan ingredients and these turned out great! They are slightly easier to make than last week's recipe. The result is more true to scone-like. You have 2 choices of glazes on this one. These area slightly better with just a plain glaze (or go easy on the spiced one.)

Ingredients:

scones 
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 Tablespoons cold Nucoa (vegan butter), cut into 1/2″ cubes
1/2 cup + 3 Tbsp canned pumpkin

sugar glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons almond milk

spice glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons almond milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

1. To make the scones, preheat oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
2. Using a fork or wire whisk, stir together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
3. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like tiny pebbles or coarse sand.
4. Gently stir the pumpkin into the dry ingredients until barely combined, being careful not to over-mix. The mixture should still look a little dry and crumbly. Divide the dough in half and gently form each half into a 6″ round circle a little under an inch thick. Working on a floured surface, cut each circle into 6 wedges and place on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake for about 13-15 minutes, or until the scones are beginning to turn golden brown.
6. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely before glazing. When you’re ready to glaze, set the rack over a sheet pan.
7. To make the sugar glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Use a fork or whisk to drizzle over the scones.
8. To make the spice glaze, combine the spices and powdered sugar, then stir in the milk and mix until smooth. Drizzle over the other glaze, and let harden before serving.

Other Details:

• Original Recipe
• Makes 1 dozen scones.

Breakfast: Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze

Today (Friday, Oct 5), I came across a vegan pumpkin scone recipe on Cupcakes and Kale. So, for dessert, I made them. These are a little more moist than scones should be, and I'd like them to be a bit more pumpkin-y, but they are good. The dozen certainly didn't last.

Ingredients:
Scones
1 cup organic all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp cup cold (vegan) margarine (I used nucoa)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree 
2 tbsp non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
5 tbsp brown sugar

Glaze
6 tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp molasses
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
pinch cloves
1 tbsp non-dairy milk 

Directions:
Scones

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  In a large bowl sift together all of the dry ingredients.  Using a pastry cutter (or 2 forks) cut the cold margarine into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.  
2. In another bowl, mix the pumpkin, milk & sugar.  Add this to the flour bowl and mix to combine.  The dough will be fairly.  (If it really doesn't come together you can add some water or more milk a teaspoon at a time.) 
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 3 equal balls.  Flatten each one into a round disk that's about 6 inches across and 1/2 inch thick.  Using a sharp knife, cut each disk into quarters and place them on a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet.  
4. Bake for 15-16 minutes.  
5. Remove from the oven, allow the scones to cool and then drizzle them with spiced glaze.

Glaze

1. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and drizzle onto the scones either with a spoon, or from a plastic bag with the tip cut off. 
2. You can thicken the glaze with more powdered sugar, and thin it using more milk. Add very little (1 tsp) at a time and stir thoroughly.

Other Details:
Makes 1 dozen scones.
Original Recipe