Dessert

Being vegan doesn’t mean you have to endure bland cookies or miss out on desserts altogether. In fact, these Coffee Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies are the perfect vegan treat! They have just the right amount of sweetness, with deep caramel undertones from coconut sugar, and thanks to Miyoko’s Creamery, these cookies are delectably buttery while remaining vegan. Plus, these cookies will give you a little caffeine boost…what’s not to love?

At its most basic, a cookie is a simple combination of sugar, flour, and some type of fat. When a recipe calls for so few ingredients, quality is everything! As a vegan, the fat source is my main concern. These days, there are so many vegan butter alternatives on the market, with some much better than others. I highly recommend the Cultured Vegan Butter made by Miyoko’s Creamery. It’s a coconut oil-based butter that is actually fermented with live cultures, giving it a creamy tang reminiscent of European butters.

The coconut sugar is another unique feature of this recipe that brings a lot of flavor. Although regular sugar could be used, the coconut sugar in this recipe provides the cookies with a rich caramel undertone and a deep golden hue. The depth of flavor the coconut sugar provides make it so worth it to buy a bag and add it to your pantry arsenal.

Let’s Make Coffee Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

Making the cookie dough in a food processor is a fast and convenient choice. Before you begin, use the food processor to grind the coffee granules and hazelnuts, then set them aside. Next, simply add the vegan butter and sugar into the food processor and begin pulsing. Since the vegan butter is softer than dairy butter, the two come together very quickly into a thick paste. Pause as needed to open the processor and scrape down the sides. Finally, add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse until everything is incorporated into a soft dough. It’s as simple as that!

Once you have the cookie dough prepared, divide them into 20 equal balls and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Making sure that the dough is chilled at this stage will make it easier to work with when it comes time to press the cookies. Of course, you could simply form the cookie dough into a log and cut slices if you want a quicker option. However, I took this as an opportunity to use my new Nordic Ware cookie stamps for the first time to make an especially visually appealing cookie. While Nordic Ware has a plethora of cookie stamp designs available, these are my absolute favorites. Not only are they decorative and festive enough for the holiday season, but since the designs are neutral, you can use them year round.

I consider this to be a perfect adult cookie. They’re not too sweet, and have a delicious mix of complex flavors due to the coconut sugar, hazelnuts, coffee, and vanilla. For a vegan cookie, they are surprisingly buttery in the most perfect way!

Coffee Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

• Author: Alana Haldan
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 20 cookies 1x

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Description

These Coffee Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies are a perfect vegan treat that comes together quickly in a food processor. There are so many vegan butter alternatives on the market these days, but for a truly authentic taste and texture, I highly recommend the butter from Miyoko’s Creamery. The coconut oil-based product gives these cookies the ideal shortbread taste and texture typical of traditional dairy butter.

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Ingredients

• 8 oz vegan butter, cut into cubes
• 4 oz coconut sugar
• 8 oz all-purpose flour
• 4 oz roasted hazelnuts, finely ground
• 1 ½ Tbsp instant coffee, finely ground
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In a food processor, add butter and sugar. Pulse to combine, pausing to scrape down sides as needed, until fully combined and softened, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
3. Add flour, ground hazelnuts, ground coffee, and vanilla extract. Pulse until a dough is formed, about 30 seconds.
4. Divide dough into 20 equal balls and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
5. Using a cookie stamp, press dough balls down to desired thickness, about ¼” to ½”.
6. Place cookies onto two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until deep golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes (see note).
7. Remove from oven and place onto a cooling rack until thoroughly cooled.

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Notes

Due to the coconut sugar, the cookies will have a darker appearance than a typical shortbread cookie.

When the weather is hot and you need a pick-me-up, there’s nothing better than these Cold Brew Coffee Popsicles. With all of the hot weather we’ve been having this summer, I’ve really been on a popsicle kick lately. And with the end of summer now looming in the distance, I want to enjoy as many ice cold desserts as possible while I still can!

After making these Preserved Lemon Coconut Cream Pops at the start of the summer, I was hooked. Once you have the popsicle molds, the process is so simple! I’ve been having lots of fun this season playing around with different flavors.

Since I’ve also developed a love for cold brew coffee lately, I decided to use that as a base for these delicious popsicles. With only six ingredients, they are so easy to put together. Simply blend, pour into your molds, and freeze. The next day you’ll have a wonderful cold treat waiting for you.

Cold brew coffee, almond milk, and vanilla extract serve as the basis for this popsicle. A bit of blended up chia acts as a thickener, while the addition of cacao nibs adds a nice crunch. The thing I love most about these popsicles is the fact that they’re sweetened with dates instead of sugar. This gives you an amazing sweetness while having the added benefit of containing fiber, vitamins, and minerals. In fact, recent studies have found that dates are rich in antioxidants and anti-cancer compounds. I’ll choose that over regular sugar any day!

Cold Brew Coffee Popsicles

• Author: Alana Haldan
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
• Yield: 6 popsicles 1x
• Category: Dessert

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Ingredients

• 3/4 cup plain unsweetened almond milk (I used Califia Farms Unsweetened Almondmilk)
• 3/4 cup vanilla cold brew coffee concentrate (I used Chameleon Cold-Brew Vanilla Concentrate)
• 6 medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup cacao nibs

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Instructions

1. Combine cold brew coffee, almond milk, dates, chia seeds, and vanilla extract in a blender. Blend on medium-high about 1 to 2 minutes, until well combined, pausing to scrape down sides as needed.
2. Place mixture in a medium bowl and let sit until thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Add cacao nibs, stirring well to combine.
4. Divide evenly among 6 ice pop molds and place into freezer. Once mixture is slightly frozen, after about 30 to 45 minutes, insert popsicle sticks. Continue freezing until completely solid, at least 6 hours or overnight.
5. To remove cream pops from molds, run molds under warm water for 5 to 10 seconds to help release the cream pops. Eat immediately or return to freezer for storage.

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This past Spring, I was lucky enough to have an overabundance of Meyer lemons growing in my garden, so I decided to try my hand at making preserved lemons.

What Are Preserved Lemons?

Preserved lemons are a traditional ingredient used in Moroccan and Middle Eastern cooking. Essentially, preserved lemons are lemons that have been pickled in salt and their own juices. The simple preserving process involves quartering the lemons, rubbing them with salt, then packing them into jars. I used this recipe from Nourished Kitchen as a general guideline. The most important ingredient is patience, since the lemons need to ferment at room temperature for about a month.

It took some willpower to let them sit uneaten for that long, but I am now the proud owner of one gallon of delicious preserved lemons! If you ask me, lemons are always a standout ingredient, but preserving them really amps up their flavor to another level. The sourness of the lemons becomes more mellow during the fermentation process. You can use the peels in their entirety because they soften during the preservation process. Thus, the citrus oils found in the lemon peels provide an explosion of complex flavors.

Preserved Lemons For Dessert?!

Savory dishes, such as stews and tagines, often feature preserved lemons. However, I felt that a dessert could benefit from the addition of the unique tang of preserved lemons. With the summer heat in full effect, it’s now the perfect time for some cold treats, so I incorporated preserved lemons into these delicious cream pops!

With only five ingredients, these vegan cream pops are super simple to whip up. The creaminess of coconut milk pairs wonderfully with the tart and tangy preserved lemons. If you don’t have a jar of preserved lemons already sitting in your refrigerator, find them at specialty food stores and markets, some grocery stores, or online.

Preserved Lemon Cream Pops

• Author: Alana Haldan
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 6 cream pops 1x
• Category: Dessert

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Description

Preserving lemons amps up their flavor to a whole other level. Here, the citrus oils from the softened lemon peels provide an explosion of complex flavors. Coconut milk provides a wonderfully creamy base for these vegan cream pops. With only 5 ingredients, they’re super simple to whip up and are a perfect cold treat for a hot summer day.

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Ingredients

• 1 (13.5-ounce) can unsweetened full fat coconut milk
• 3/8 cup cassava syrup (see notes)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot
• 3/8 cup rinsed and finely chopped preserved lemon

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Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together coconut milk, cassava syrup, and lemon juice. Heat until melted and well combined, about 2 minutes.
2. Remove about 1/2 cup of the coconut milk mixture and place in a small bowl. Add arrowroot to bowl, whisking well until completely incorporated. Slowly pour arrowroot mixture back into saucepan and stir well to incorporate into the coconut milk.
3. Continue cooking over medium heat, whisking often, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour mixture into a large bowl and set aside until cooled to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
4. Add preserved lemon to coconut milk mixture and stir well to combine.
5. Divide evenly among 6 ice pop molds and place into freezer. Once mixture is slightly frozen, after about 30 to 45 minutes, insert popsicle sticks. Continue freezing until completely solid, at least 6 hours or overnight.
6. To remove cream pops from molds, run molds under warm water for 5 to 10 seconds to help release the cream pops. Eat immediately or return to freezer for storage.

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Notes

Cassava syrup is a fructose-free sweetener that’s made from the root of the cassava plant. It can be found at many health food stores and online. If you can’t find cassava syrup, alternative sweeteners such as coconut syrup  can be used instead, but be aware that darker syrups will change the color of the final product.