Fudgey Vegan Brownies (Shockingly Low-Fat!)

Need someone to fall in love with you or forgive you for something? Present them with these. Problems solved. Also, lest you be worried that they will not get that crackly brownie top, they do...yes they do. (Please use fair trade and organic chocolate from companies who are engaged in humane labor practices. Chocolate, like diamonds, is frequently produced at great human cost.)

Ingredients
1.5 c granulated vegan sugar
1 large overripe banana, mashed
2 T water
2 t flax meal
1/2 c water
2 t vanilla
2/3 c all purpose flour
2/3 c whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t cinnamon
3/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 c vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Use raw coconut oil to grease an 8x8" baking pan.

In a small bowl, mix the flax meal with 1/2 c water, whisk vigorously. Mix the sugar, banana, + 2 T water, vanilla and the flax "egg."

Sift the flours, cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon and baking powder together in a small bowl. Stir in 1/2 the chocolate chips. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just mixed.

Pour into the greased baking dish and top with the rest of the chocolate chips and bake for 45 minutes.

Chewy Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cherries

If I'm baking it means one of two things: 1. I have a crush on someone and I'm trying to woo them with sugar; 2. I'm really stressed out and trying to calm myself with sugar. This weekend's baking is brought to you by the latter...Though if you know any dapper, tall, skinny, silly, bike-riding, book reading, non meat eating gentlemen who like art and good music, I'd be happy to be baking for the former reason...It usually means that I eat fewer of the cookies!

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cherries
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

1/2 c Earth Balance
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c vegan sugar
1 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
1.5 T flax meal blended with 3 T non-dairy milk

1 c quick cook oats
3/4 c vegan chocolate chips
1/2 c chopped dried tart cherries

Line a cookie sheet with unbleached parchment paper and place in the freezer.

Sift the dry ingredients in a small bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the earth balance and sugar for 3 minutes. Add the vanilla, cinammon and flax/milk "egg" and beat for one more minute.

Fold in the dry ingredients until you have a sticky dough. Mix in the oats, chocolate chips and cherries. If the dough is still really wet, add another 1- 2 T flour.

Place the cookie dough in the fridge for 15 minutes while the oven preheats to 350.

Scoop the dough (about 1.5 T/ cookie) onto the cold cookie sheet and bake in the top of the oven for 15 minutes, turning the sheet halfway through. Let the cookies cool on a rack...And try not to eat them all yourself.

Depending on how much cookie dough you eat, this recipe makes about 20 large-ish cookies.