I've Overdone It

I made many homemade gifts this year, and have a lot of basket wrapping ahead of me:

Scary thing is, all of the more material goods are under the tree, and it's jam-packed already! I live alone, so I think that's just nuts that I could be giving that much stuff! Tonight, I painted a plate with a cat motif as a gift for my aunt. I was pretty impressed with myself, as it certainly beats last year's attempt at creating glass art:

And now onto food. This weekend, my mom, Sam and I made nearly 1000 cookies. It took 12 hours straight, but it was well worth it! Here are a few of them:

Orange-Carrot Cookies (my fave)

¾ cup Earth Balance margarine
1 cup sugar
Egg replacer equivalent to one egg
1 cup cooked, mashed carrots
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
Icing:
Juice and rind from 1 organic orange
1 ¾ cup icing sugar

Cream margarine and sugar in a large bowl. Add egg replacer, carrots and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt, then add to sugar mixture, stirring until combined.

Drop onto greased or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Combine rind with icing sugar. Slowly add the juice of the orange, stirring until correct consistency. You may not use all of the juice. Frost cookies with icing mixture while slightly warm.

Sugar Cookies

½ cup shortening
½ cup sugar
Egg replacer equivalent to one egg
2 tbsp soymilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

Using a mixer, cream together shortening and sugar; beat in egg replacer, soymilk, and vanilla.

Blend in combined dry ingredients using a wooden spoon to form a ball of dough. Chill dough in a flat round shape wrapped in plastic wrap, if necessary.

Roll dough between two large sheets of parchment paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes, and place on a greased or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes until golden.

Cool, and frost with icing in various colours to match shapes.

Makes 3 dozen, depending on size of shapes.

Cranberry Crumble Bars (my second fave)

1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ cups quick cooking oats (not instant)
¼ cup packed brown sugar
½ tsp baking soda
¼ cup melted Earth Balance
¼ cup corn syrup
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon rind

In large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar and baking soda. In small bowl, combine melted butter and corn syrup; stir into dry ingredients. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture; pat remaining mixture into a greased 8-inch square baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until very lightly browned.

In bowl, combine cranberry sauce, lemon juice and rind. Spread over base, and sprinkle evenly with reserved oats mixture; pat down lightly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely on rack. Cut into 25 squares.

Chocolate Topped Crunchies

Crunch Base:
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 tbsp corn syrup
2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp melted Earth Balance
½ tsp vanilla
2 cups bran flakes

Topping:
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate or equiv. choc. chips
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter

Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, 2 tbsp peanut butter, margarine and vanilla; mixing well.

Add cereal, mixing well. Press into greased 8-inch square pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt chocolate and peanut butter, and spread evenly over baked layer. Cool and store in the refrigerator; cut into bars.

Makes 32 1-inch bars.

Ginger Crinkles

(I was too lazy to put them on a plate - so the pic is through the container)

2/3 cup vegetable oil
Egg replacer equivalent to one egg
4 tbsp molasses
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
2 ½ tsp ginger

Mix oil with sugar. Add egg replacer and beat until fluffy. Stir in molasses.

In another bowl, sift together dry ingredients, then add to molasses mixture.

Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, dip in sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.