Holiday Baking (& Chocolate Chips!)

Traditionally, Mom would start her Christmas baking right after Thanksgiving. Trays of Italian cookies went to all our family and friends. It’s a wonderful childhood memory, and a tradition that continues with a little tweaking of the old recipes. With a few simple substitutes, even the oldest family recipe often can be updated to a cruelty-free fave. And, with all the fabulous vegan cookbooks available now, with a little exploring, you might even find some new holiday baking recipes that are worthy of becoming a tradition!

Here are some tips for the non-dairy baker:

Margarine

• Earth Balance (use the sticks, not the tub!)
• Smart Balance Light

Egg Replacements

• 2 tbl. Arrowrrot Flour + 1 tbl. water
• 1 tbl. Ground Flaxseed + 3 tbl. water
• 1/2 banana
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• Ener-G Egg Replacer
• Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer

Chocolate Chips
Good news! Going vegan does not mean having to give up all chocolate. Most dark chocolate is vegan, and the following brands of semi-sweet chocolate chips are vegan-friendly, too!

• Ghiradelli
• Whole Foods 365 Organic vegan chocolate chips
• Guittard
• Trader Joe’s

Cookbooks

• The Joy of Vegan Baking (Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)
• Vegan Holiday Kitchen (Nava Atlas)
• Vegan Baking Classics: Delicious, Easy-to-Make Traditional Favorites (Kelly Rudnicki)
• Babycakes Covers the Classics: Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes from Donuts to Snickerdoodles (Erin McKenna & Tara Donne)

Bonus Tip!
Trader Joe’s Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies are delicious. If you’re not much of a baker but still want some cookies handy for any holiday visitors that stop by to say hello, I highly recommend having a package of these around. This is also the time of year that Trader Joe’s has its Candy-Cane Joe-Joe’s available: like an Oreo cookie with peppermint filling, it’s a fun seasonal treat.

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