Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Coconut Cookies

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The Best Vegan Baking Cookbooks + Birthday Week Kickoff

When I met Maria I was smitten. Never mind that we lived entirely different lives, or that on the surface we didn't have much in common. Maria, a brilliant artist, vegan mom of two beautiful little girls and married to a wonderful husband, was a far cry from my wild single girl, meat eating, slightly crazy self.

Suffice to say it didn't take long for us to realize that while on the surface we seemed polar opposites in reality we were made for each other. A few months into our friendship we finally asked the inevitable question of "When is your birthday."

Lo and behold all was revealed...

We were Aries soul sistas born just 3 days (and a few years) apart. Mine is today, the 15th, and hers is Thursday, the 18th.

Now it all made sense.

Fast forward a year and Maria has impacted my life in more way than one. Most of all her vegan lifestyle inspired me to clean up my diet and look at my lifestyle in a more compassionate way. I credit her with helping me feel more alive, more vibrant, and centered...

...so what on earth to get a woman like that for her birthday?

A vegan baking book, of course! (Let's just hope she doesn't read this.)

Bake and Destroy is one of the mode anticipated baking books of 2013. It's as much of an entertaining read as an excellent set of killer and often irreverent recipes for all kinds of delectable treats.

New for 2013, Whole Grain Baking blends the holy grail of healthy and decadent.

The Joy of Vegan Baking is next on my list of must-have cookbooks.

The latest sensation on the vegan baking scene Chloe's Vegan Desserts is a fantastic addition to your vegan cookbook repertoire.

The icons of vegan cuisine, Issa Chandra and Terry Hope Romeo compiled 75 rock star recipes for iconic desserts in Vegan Pie in the Sky.

Gluten-free baking goddess Jennifer Katzinger was baking gluten-free and vegan way before it was trendy. Her recipes from the Flying Apron are tried and true.

Babycakes Covers the Classics is must have on the list of anyone who wants to delved into vegan baking. The gluten-free bit is just a bonus.

{Kate}

Easy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie

I recently had someone tell me that vegan calories didn't count....hmmmm.....I am not really sure about that, but I suppose that you can feel a little bit better about vegan chocolate chip cookies than the alternative.

Here is the chocolate chip cookie recipe I have been fiddling with for ages:
2 1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp EnerG Egg Replacer +4 Tbs. warm water (whisk together separately and then add). A box of this stuff lasts a long time and it works in place of eggs. Best stuff I know of...no they didn't pay me for that.
1 c vegan margarine
3/4 c brown sugar
3/4 c sugar
2 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract, not imitation (while imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it is no substitute)
1-2 c vegan chocolate chips (you could also mix in oatmeal, pecans, raisins, or whatever sounds good to you just no more than two cups of chips and other stuff total).

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 F.
2. Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
3. Cream the sugars and the vegan margarine. Add the vanilla and egg replacer to the sugar mixture, mix it all together.
4. Combine the wet and dry and mix thoroughly. I like to use a hand mixer.
5.Once all combined add the chocolate chips and anything else you want.
6. Drop by rounded spoonful on an un-greased cookie sheet and bake for 9-12 minutes.

Now add a glass of your favorite vegan milk!

~Maria Rose