Addictive Gingerbread Cookies

My one problem with these cookies is that is quite dangerous to keep them around the house (they will be eaten frequently)! Also, they're equally fun to decorate and they make your house smell like gingerbread, which is never a bad thing.

1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup best life margarine (dairy free)
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour + additional 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon preferably grated (but can use ground) nutmeg

Start by melting your 1/2 cup of margarine. Once it's melted, pour in the sugar and molasses and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is no longer grainy. Then take it off the heat and let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients (except for the additional 1/4 cup of flour) and whisk. Then make a well in the middle and pour in the cooled molasses and butter mixture. Stir until incorporated and then add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour and stir until the batter is thick and completely mixed. Then knead the dough a few times to make it smooth and then wrap in plastic wrap and let chill, preferably for at least several hours to overnight.

When you're ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 and take out the dough and cut off 1/2 to roll out on a floured surface while keeping the rest of the dough covered and refrigerated. Make sure your rolling pin is floured and your surface is floured and then roll out the dough to about 1/4". Then cut out your shapes and place on a baking sheet (**NOTES - You really need to use a rimless baking sheet for these and I used a very large baking sheet so if you're using a smaller one, roll out the 1/3 of the dough instead of 1/2).

Bake for 8-10 minutes until just firm. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes and then remove them to a cooling rack. Repeat these steps and continue making your cookies. This recipe should bake about 2 dozen 3" gingerbread men.

For the icing - you need:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons almond milk
a few drops of your desired flavor (vanilla, almond, or my favorite - PEAR)

Combine the above ingredients until smooth and glaze those cookies. For pear extract, I'm sure someone sells it but it's pretty easy to make for yourself. Just peel a few pears and chop them roughly. Heat them in a heavy bottom sauce pan until they are mushy and swimming in pear liquid. Then strain the pears and put the liquid back in the sauce pan. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook until it reduces to a thick syrup. Let it cool and put it in a bottle and you have a pear extract to put in this glaze.

Raspberry Souffle

Souffles have quickly become a staple for desserts at my house. They are light, smooth, and yet sweet and filling. The trick with this souffle is to remember to completely cool the raspberry mixture before you mix it with your egg whites because if it's still hot, it will deflate your whites which will give you a nice baked raspberry soup. Also, to make the folding of the egg whites easier, thoroughly whisking in 1/3 of the whipped egg whites to the raspberry mixture lightens it making it easier to fold the remaining whipped egg whites.

This recipe serves 6
10 ounces raspberries
1/2 cup sugar + extra for greasing the ramekins
5 egg whites
1 teaspoon corn starch
Best life margarine for greasing the ramekins

First, take the butter and rub it thoroughly throughout the ramekin so that every part of each ramekin is covered. Then pour in a scoop of sugar in the ramekin an turn to coat everything and then pour out the loose sugar into the next ramekin and continue to coat them with sugar. Then refrigerate them so that they can chill while you prepare the rest of the mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350. Put the raspberries in a heavy bottom sauce pan and cook on medium with 1/4 cup of the sugar until the fruit is completely soft and macerated (about 4-6 minutes). Strain the mixture so that you are left with the liquid and discard the seeds/chunky raspberries left in the strainer (or eat them if you're like me). Then, mix the corn starch with a teaspoon of water and pour it in to the raspberry mixture and whisk to combine. Then set aside to cool.

In a clean bowl (if it's not clean, the whites will not whip), whip the egg whites on high until they are soft peaks. Then pour in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and whip until stiff peaks. Take 1/3 of the whites and whisk them thoroughly into the cooled raspberry mixture. Then carefully fold the rest of the egg whites into the raspberry mix.

Pour the mixture into the prepared ramekins, place the ramekins on a baking sheet, and place in the oven for 12-15 minutes until it has puffed up and is lightly golden on top. Remove from the oven and eat immediately because as the folks at Cooks Illustrated say, "Souffles wait for no one!".

Noodle Kugel

I have never met a kugel I don't like. The noodles, cream cheese, raisins, and cinnamon are the hallmarks for the most incredible Jewish comfort food. That being said, not only is it difficult to make dairy free, but it is also a caloric nightmare. In my opinion, this version is just as good as the traditional versions but it is incredibly slimmed down.

1 tablespoon bestlife margarine
12 ounces egg noodles
2 cups silk live yogurt
2 cups tofutti cream cheese
2 eggs
2 additional egg yolks (and if you're making souffle for dessert, those remaining whites come in handy)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup raisins

For the topping:
1/2 cup corn flakes
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 and coat a 9"x13"x2" baking pan with baking spray. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and cook the egg noodles for about 6 minutes because you want them a little al dente. When they're finished, strain them, rinse them, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter. Set aside to cool.

Put the silk live plain yogurt and cream cheese in a mixing bowl with a paddle and mix on medium high until smooth and combined. Then mix in the eggs, sugar, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon zest and mix to combine. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the raisins. Then pour in the noodles to the bowl and stir to combine and pour the entire mixture into the greased pan.

Then, crush up the corn flakes and mix them with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour the mixture evenly on top of the kugel. (**If you wanted to prepare this ahead of time, you should do everything but put the topping on and refrigerate for up to a day). When you're ready to cook, put the kugel in the oven for about 35-40 minutes until the top is golden.

Enjoy!