Vegan Cookie Connoisseur Video Blog
There is a huge blog post about last week + VeganMania to come, but in the meantime, I made a video blog to announce a few things!
Post comments, questions, suggestions!
*Buying books from the blog
*Chicago VeganMania 2010
*Vida Vegan Conference 2011
*Boswell Book Company book event
*And more!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xMi4tOOAYc&fs=1&hl=en_US]
To add to the awkward/awesome, this is what happens in the kitchen behind the scenes at VeganMania!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1km_DucSrM&fs=1&hl=en_US]
Chicago VeganMania is TOMORROW!
Hey guys!
Chicago VeganMania 2010 is finally here, tomorrow!
My baking demo is scheduled for 4:45pm! I will be demonstrating baking techniques and food photography, doing a Q&A session, and passing out cookie samples and postcards!
There are going to be so many awesome chefs, performers, speakers, and vendors. If you’re in the Chicago area, you don’t want to miss it. It’s free! Check out the website for the schedule, entertainment, and more info!
I’ll be baking all the cookies today! Keep checking my Twitter, Facebook, and the blog for updates! I may add a little video to this post later of our cookie baking adventures.
Come hang out with us tomorrow!
edit: my demo was moved from noon to 4:45pm! See you guys tomorrow afternoon!
Advance copy of the book, announcement of book sales on the blog, and Chicago VeganMania demo!
Earlier this week, I received in the mail the first advance copy of The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur! I am pleased to say the printed book turned out beautifully and I can’t wait for you guys to see it in person!
Now that the release date is quickly approaching, I’d like to announce that I will be selling signed copies of the book on the blog, starting next month! If you haven’t purchased yours yet, check back soon for more info, and to order directly from me!
If you’re in the Milwaukee/Chicago area, check the facebook page for upcoming events where you can get copies of the book.
And if you’re in Milwaukee, I can get your copy to you in person!
I took a video when I opened the package! Check it.
Speaking of events, I’m psyched to announce that I will be one of the featured chefs at Chicago VeganMania 2010 on October 9th, and doing a baking demo! I’m extremely honored and excited to be working alongside some amazing, accomplished people in the vegan community! If you’re near Chicago, or plan on visiting in October, you don’t want to miss this event! There will be chefs doing demos, dancers, musicians, workshops, vendors, local and national businesses, and a lineup of phenomenal speakers! Not to mention it’s free!
There is also an after party planned.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
10am-6pm
Pulaski Park Fieldhouse
1419 W. Blackhawk
Chicago, IL
Chicago VeganMania 2010 website: http://chicagoveganmania.com/index.htm
Chicago VeganMania Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chicago-IL/Chicago-VeganMania/84619324901
Chicago VeganMania Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=337212799171
Event page for my baking demo: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=148087628562744
(RSVP yes to the event pages if you plan on coming!)
Here is the tentative VeganMania schedule, from the website:
Chefs
11:00a Chicago Diner chef(s)
12:00p Kelly Peloza
12:45p Fran Costigan
1:45p Isa Chandra Moskowitz
2:45p Soul Vegetarian chef(s)
3:45p Linda Szarkowski
Performers
11:00a The Giving Tree Band (modern bluegrass folk)
12:00p The Exponential (worldbeat free jazz)
1:00p Read My Hips (bellydance troupe)
2:00p The Rust Belt Ramblers (countrified punk rock)
3:00p Phenom (rap supergroup)
4:00p Nikki Lynette (hip hop)
Speakers
11:00a Nathan Runkle
12:00p Carol Adams
1:30p Dr. Milton Mills
2:30p Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
3:30p Zarakyah Ben Sar Ahmadiel
4:30p Dr. Michael Greger
This is my bio photo for Chicago VeganMania 2010! Check out the bio page on the website for photos and info on all the featured chefs, performers, and speakers! Look at the vendors page as well! Do I see Herbivore and Chicago SoyDairy?! This event is going to be so exciting!!!!!
Finally, after three years, the cookbook is ready to go and there are exciting events coming up! Thank you so much to everyone who has been following the blog, and supporting this project! You all are so awesome!
<3
Kelly
Milwaukee’s Vegan Cookies: East Side Ovens Molasses Cookie
I’ve reviewed many an East Side Ovens cookie in the past for this blog segment. Now that I’m back in school and the student union has a basketful of vegan cookies, muffins, and dumplings on a daily basis, I have no excuse to not go through each and every type of cookie, for research purposes of course.
I have yet to try the molasses cookie, so today was the day. With giant crystals of turbinado sugar and fluted edges, it’s a real good looking treat. One bite into the soft and chewy cookie is a burst of sweet and spicy ginger flavor. I approve!
Chris’ 23rd Birthday
My friend Chris turns 23 today. Yesterday, our friend Mary and I made this for him for early birthday celebrations. I needed new pastry bags and we had this upcoming task of making Chris a birthday cake, so we decided to hop a couple busses to this cake decorating warehouse called Cook’s Cake and Candy. We came across this sexy man made of wax and decided to dress it up like Chris and stick it atop the cake.
The bottom layer is a chocolate chip cookie cake, then it is spread with a layer of cookie dough, then about an inch of frosting and ice cream (half and half). It’s topped off with another chocolate chip cookie cake, then decorated. The Happy Birthday candles we got were slightly faulty as there was an extra H instead of a B.
Happy Hirthday, Chris!
Cookie Cakes, Postcards, and Pitch Video
My friend Erich and I decided to bake a huge assortment of cookie cakes (6 to be exact) to bring back to Milwaukee one week, all decorated with the best of the best inside jokes. Here are a couple of the winners.
Quintin got a chicken cake.
My friend Skylar loves his job so much that I figured a cookie cake with the logo would be overtly appropriate.
Clearly he loved it.
A few weeks ago, this huge stack of postcards from my publisher arrived on my doorstep! A good portion have made their way all over the US. I sent some to Ditte in Denmark and Amanda in Canada as well!
I was asked to make a two minute pitch video with an author bio and information about the book. Here is the result!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSDU7c0xQjY&hl=en_US&fs=1]
Tomorrow morning I will be baking and mailing out the cookies for the assortment packages. Thank you to everyone who ordered! Your packages should be arriving in a few days from tomorrow.
Gourmet Vegan Cookie Assortment Package: $18, order by July 27th!
Hey everyone! I have some exciting news!
Has the scorching heat this summer left you put off by the idea of turning on the oven to bake up some delicious treats? Never fear!
I’ve decided to start doing a “mail order cookies” type deal here from time to time, directly from the blog for the time being. An array of delectable 100% VEGAN cookies delivered to your doorstep, or that of a loved one, contained in a cute little gift box. I’m offering a package with three different kinds of yummy gourmet cookies. I’m starting out small this time with a group of guaranteed crowd pleasers, but maybe there will be themed packages with pick and choose options or different sized quantities in the future!
All that talk and no mention of what enticing treats will be contained within the pretty packaging. For the first round, I will be making an assortment of cookies that will make even the most hardcore omnivores weak at the knees:
Hypnosis Cookies
Thin Mints
Chai Cinnamon Roll Cookies
If allergies or any other preference is a concern, I’ll be happy to swap out the portion of any of the cookies, as long as its one listed above. Please include instructions at check out. Otherwise, there will be 6 of each cookie in every order.
Your packages should start arriving a the end of July or first thing in August! The cost for a package of 18 cookies (6 of each kind) will be $18.00, shipping included. Order below through PayPal (sorry, I’m currently just taking orders from US addresses). If you would like your cookies delivered to a different address than on file in your PayPal account, please include it at checkout. Also include any other specific instructions and if you’d like me to include a gift tag (and the information that should go on it). I’ll also slip one of the sweet postcards of the book cover that my publisher printed up in each order.
THE LAST DAY TO ORDER IS JULY 27TH, 2010! Don’t hesitate to email with any questions: vegancookies@live.com
-ORDERING IS CLOSED. THANK YOU!-
Here are some pictures of what you’ll be getting!:
Hypnosis Cookies
Thin Mints
Chai Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Pomegranate Frosting
I received a case of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice a few weeks ago and was excited for the opportunities to bake with it!
Pictured above is my fortune and flute cookies with a swirl of leftover pomegranate frosting from pomegranate cupcakes. Yum!
Vegan Bake Sale: Rocky Road Bars and White Cookies
I had the pleasure of testing out a couple of cookie recipes in advance for Carla Kelly’s upcoming cookbook, Quick and Easy Vegan Bake Sale.
After Carla sent me the recipes for her Rocky Road Bars and White Cookies, I got my hands on some Dandies vegan marshmallows and got to work. The rocky road bars are made of a sweet chocolate-y dough with all the add-ins of the favorite ice cream flavor: chocolate, marshmallows, nuts, and cherries. The white cookies are a sweet vanilla-flavored cookie with marshmallows and white chocolate chips. I didn’t have white chocolate, so I upped the amount of marshmallows in the cookies for a sweet and sticky treat.
Both recipes listed a drizzle of ganache as an optional addition. I’m not one to pass up a chocolate-y variation, especially when both recipes I made were calling for it.
Yum! Carla’s book is coming out in January 2011. Check it out on Amazon!:
Milwaukee’s Vegan Cookies: Outpost Natural Foods Chocolate Chip Cookie
Outpost Natural Foods is a food co-op with three locations in the Milwaukee area that is reminiscent of a slightly smaller version of a Whole Foods. The location in Wauwatosa has a little deli section where hot sandwiches can be made to order, as well as a bakery case with some vegan options. I chose a basic chocolate chip cookie.
There are so many different kinds of chocolate chip cookies: soft, chewy, crispy, thin, puffy…and that doesn’t begin to cover the variations in flavor. I definitely wasn’t expecting this cookie to taste how it did, so it caught me off-guard in a good way. I assume the bakery used banana as an egg replacer in this specific cookie because it had rich banana-flavored undertones unlike other cookies I’ve had with banana in them. However, it wasn’t so banana-y to lose its title as a chocolate chip cookie and cross over into the banana cookie realm.
As for texture, the edges were crispy, and the center was soft and chewy.
PS. As always, check out the Facebook page for The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur! It’s going strong with over 500 fans now. Join and invite your friends! Just a little over 4 months until the release of the book!
