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Vegan Cookies 'Invade Your Cookie Jar'

By Clark Isaacs  

"Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar" is a delicious sequel to "Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World" and "Veganomicon" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. These best-selling authors have compiled recipes which would whet any appetite and still be healthy.

Acceptance of vegan eating habits has become more than just the fancy of "yuppies"; they are finding their way to the palettes of ordinary folks who are concerned about eating heart-healthy.

Cookies are the mainstay of snacking, desert or just a treat at anytime. When you see the beautiful pictures, you can just about taste them.

Holiday time has started with Thanksgiving Day and continues through New Years. What better way to entertain at home than with a favorite beverage and a cookie which is easy to make. When you have friends over or decide to share a snack at work, here is an exceptional recipe:

Caramel Pecan Bars:

FOR THE CRUST:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
A big pinch of salt
3/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine,
slightly softened

FOR THE PECAN TOPPING:
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup nondairy milk
1 ½ -cups dark brown sugar
2⁄3 cup brown rice syrup
2 tablespoons melted non-hydrogenated
margarine
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan with alumi num foil, making sure the foil completely covers the sides of the pan, with about 2 inches folded outside over the edges. Spray the bottom and sides of the pan generously with nonstick cooking spray.

PREPARE THE CRUST:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Use a pastry cutter or two knives held together to cut in the margarine until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into the prepared baking pan and press down evenly and very firmly, making sure to press the mixture all the way to the edges of the pan. Bake the crust for 8 to 10 minutes until firm and very lightly browned. Remove the pan from the oven and set it aside.

PREPARE THE TOPPING:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and nondairy milk until foamy. Stir in the dark brown sugar, brown rice syrup, melted margarine, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Fold in the pecans and pour the mixture onto the crust, using a spatula to spread the topping evenly.

2. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until the filling is rapidly bubbling. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes, then move it to the refrigerator to finish cooling and setting. Chill for at least 2 hours or, even better, overnight.

3. To slice completely cooled bars, grab ahold of the foil and carefully lift the whole thing out of the pan and onto a heavy cutting board. Peel away the foil and cut bars with a heavy, sharp knife.

Variation
Salted Caramel Pecan Bars: Right after the bars are out of the oven and the topping is still hot, sprinkle the surface very sparingly with your favorite coarse-grained gourmet salt. Cool and slice as directed.
From the book Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright © 2009.

Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar
Author: Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
ISBN: 160094048X, Pages 252, Publication Date November 15, 2009, Paperback Original, Cookbook, Published by Lifelong Books, Da Capo Press.

Clark Isaacs is an accomplished book critic who is published in local newspapers and national book review lists. Contact Clark through his website at clarkisaacs.ning.com or through NewsBlaze.