Cooking to the Beat of Vegan Pin-wheels!

Many people constantly tell me, "Oh, being a vegan must be so hard, you like, can't eat anything! I don't have that much self control. You must be so strong". Well, actually, there is a lot of junk you can eat as a vegan, and a lot of substitutes for junk. Preferably, I like to eat hole foods, and I avoid doing a lot of gourmet vegan recipes, raw or not raw, simply because they are usually high in fats, sugars, and calories. I do however, on special occasions, bake cookies that are vegan friendly. So today I made some Pin-Wheels, which is an awesome recipe that I think you all should try. I do, like always, want you to remember a cookie is a cookie, and that just because it is vegan does not mean it is healthy and that you can eat the whole batch. Refined sugars, oils, and other processed ingredients like white flour are in these cookies, all of which have NOTHING good for your body! So have a few but don't make them a meal, or something you make everyday.

But just for fun, grab ...

1/2 cup soy milk that has been heated in the microwave or on the stove with one tbsp of cornstarch (until thick). You can use almond milk instead, I do, since too much soy has been proven to increase hormone levels that cause various, unwanted symptoms that I don't want to get into..

Vanilla layer:

1/3 cup Margarine **I recommend using canola oil since the saturated fats in margarine from the           hydrogenated oils are so bad for you don't even get me started.

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup 

1/2 of the soy milk and corn starch mixture

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp soy milk 

2 cups flour (although if you need more to form the dough by all means add more)

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

In one bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, and maple syrup with a beater or by hand. Next, poor in the soy milk and corn starch mixture, vanilla, and the additional soy milk. Stir in the flour and baking powder. You should be able to form a dough that is not dry or too sticky; if you need more flour or soy milk to change the texture feel free to. Wrap the dough up in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer.

Chocolate layer:

1/3 cup Margarine ** canola oil 

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tbsp agave nectar/maple syrup 

1/2 of the soy milk and corn starch mixture

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp soy milk 

2 cups flour (add more if needed)

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

Follow the same steps as the ones for the vanilla layer, adding in the cocoa with the flour.

After they have been in the freezer for at least an hour, take them out and separately roll them both out so that they each make a rectangle (14'' by 5'' or so). Make sure they are relatively equal, and using a knife cut them so they are perfect rectangles. Then, put the chocolate layer onto of the vanilla. If you role them out onto plastic wrap first (the wrap is on the counter), they will not stick to your counter and you can just pick up the wrap and flip the layer onto of the other. Role them so you get a longer tube rather than thicker. Wrap in plastic wrap and put in the freezer for another 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

Take them out, and using a sharp knife, cut the tube of dough so you get individual cookies. Place them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, but watch them making sure they do not burn. 

Enjoy your cookies,

Julia