Sips, Sweets & Snacks

To be totally honest, things haven’t been feeling so glittery the past couple days. The weather has been fluctuating from warm to cold to colder, and it’s hard to even force myself out of the house when I’m just waiting for Spring to set in. I’ve also been re-examining a lot of issues in my life, and though at this point I’m working hard to mend them, it has still been hard to admit not everything is perfect and make some changes.

In times like these, when the days seem a little less fun than they usually do here in my little pastel castle, I like to think of the things that make me happy: my friends, my pets, my wonderful partner, the promise of a big garden this year, confetti explosions, vegan ice cream and home made vegan chocolate chip cookies.

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I’m not really sure how I ended up with the easiest vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe of all time. Handwritten in a kitchen notebook, I have a feeling this delicious and simple creation was handed down to me by a friend, but I can’t really be sure. Regardless, it has become one of the key recipes I’ve come to rely on when I need a quick and comforting treat. The added decadence of ice cream makes these tasty little sandwiches the perfect cure for the blues, or the perfect treat for an upcoming Spring celebration. I hope they bring some warmth to your home and your heart too!

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Ingredients:

3/4 cup vegan sugar
3/4 cup golden brown sugar
1 cup whipped Earth Balance
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 bag of vegan chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life brand)
1 tub of vegan ice cream (I used Luna and Larry’s Mint Galactica)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 370 degrees Celsius

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2. Beat sugars, vanilla, Earth Balance, and applesauce together

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3. Slowly add in flour, then baking soda and salt

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4. Stir in the chocolate chips (as many as you prefer)

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5. Drop tablespoons of dough onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies have just browned.

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6. Once the cookies have fully cooled, press a tablespoon of ice cream between two cookies until all of the cookies are used up.

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7. Put your newly created ice cream sandwiches in the freezer to solidify. Serve in half an hour, or whenever you please!

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Photography by Brianne Burnell