Unless you’ve been living under a vegan rock, you’ve probably heard of Washington D.C.’s Sticky Fingers Bakery. On our last few trips so D.C., we’ve tried to become regulars of the place, even if our trips only last for 4 days. About 10 days ago, I got an email letting me know that the bakery was releasing a cookbook. It was news to me, so maybe I live under a mini rock. Thanks to Sticky Fingers, I got my hands on a couple of copies. One for me, one for you. More about that later.
With so many mouthwatering options, it wasn’t easy to choose the recipes to try so I could properly review this book. But I did it. The book opens with a Basics chapter, then gets into nine recipe chapters. Two of the recipes, I’ve actually had from the bakery: the Chocolate Chip Cookies (from the Cookie Chapter) and the Sticky Buns (from the Trifecta Chapter which are the three cornerstone recipes for the bakery). I wanted to see how close they were to the originals. For the 3rd recipe, I tried the Cheesecake Cupcakes (from Fab and Fruity Pies and Cheesecakes). You won’t see a photo of those here because they didn’t look pretty. But they tasted great, so that’s ok by me. The Sticky Buns taste exactly like they do at the bakery, and so do the Chocolate Chip Cookies.
These recipes are just the tip of the iceberg. There are 97 more that I’m sure are every bit as wonderful as these. The book is nicely arranged with enticing photos. I love the book. What I didn’t love is the opening paragraph of the Introduction. We all know that Doron is a creative and experienced bakery who has made serious inroads into vegan baking. She’s also a very successful competitor. With an astonishing two (count ’em, TWO) wins on Cupcake Wars, I’m not sure why she felt the need to begin by discounting other vegan baking books. Other than that, the recipes in this book are sure to keep you coming back, and keep your friends asking you to bring dessert every chance they can.
With huge thanks to Doron Petersan, her publisher, and publicist, I’ve been given permission to share the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe with you. Really, I think they are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made. Give them a try and let me know what you think.
But before you do, enter for a chance to win your own copy. All you have to do is tell me your latest favorite dessert in a comment to this post. The winner will be drawn by Random next week. If I can’t contact you, please be sure to check back.
Don’t miss Doran on the Today Show on February 7th! And pop back here for Vine and Dine (2/6) and Food Network Friday (2/10).
Good luck and happy baking.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 12 large or 24 small cookies
This basic cookie recipe is our best-selling cookie to date. If you can master this recipe, the others will be easier than pie. But that is a whole other chapter, so let’s focus on cookies first.
3/4 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine (recommended: Earth Balance)
1 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons (7.68 ounces) sugar
1 cup (7.7) ounces lightly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup soymilk
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
3 1/4 cups plus 2 1/2 teaspoons (1 pound, 1.25 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (1.9 ounces) whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the margarine, sugars, and vanilla and cream together with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the bowl and mix again to ensure all the ingredients are combined, about 30 seconds more.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the soymilk and oil. Slowly add the soymilk mixture to the sugar mixture and mix to combine.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the sugar mixture and mix until a dough forms. Add the chocolate chips an stir to combine.
6. Scoop the dough onto the baking sheets with a spring-loaded ice cream scoop. Use a 2-ounce scoop for large cookies and a 1-ounce scoop for small. Leave 2 to 3 inches between each cookie and gently pat them down with your fingertips.
7. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. Using a spatula, remove the cookies from the pan and set on a wire mesh rack to cool.
STICKY FINGERS’ SWEETS: 100 Super-Secret Vegan Recipes by Doron Petersan (Avery; $27.50, February 2012)
Update: I don’t want to clutter up the comments before the contest but yes, the brownies are in there. And so are the cowwin cookies!
