Below, you'll find some of the best recipes on earth for cookies, chocolate cake, apple pie, pumpkin pie, and apple crisp. If this small sample makes your mouth water, click here to get our scrumptious "Vegetarian Holiday Recipe Collection", and a delicious new recipe every week by email, totally free!

Orange-Ginger Oatmeal Crunch Cookies

Yum! The special flavors and texture of this glorified version of the plain old-fashioned favorite make it a crowd pleaser.

1 1/2 cups oatmeal (360 mil.)
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (180 mil.)
3/4 cup unbleached white flour (180 mil.)
1 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder (5 mil.)
1/2 tsp. sea salt (2 mil.)
3/4 cup currants (180 mil.)
1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (230 mil.)
1/2 cup canola or light walnut oil (120 mil.)
1/2 cup barley malt or brown rice syrup (120 mil.)
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup orange juice (120 mil.)
1 Tbs. peeled and finely grated fresh ginger (15 mil.)
1 tsp. vanilla (5 mil.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C or Moderate Heat). Line two baking sheets with parchment or brush with oil. In a medium-large bowl, mix dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Stir into dry. Makes 3 cups batter.

Transfer heaping tablespoons of dough to baking sheet, leaving at least an inch of space between cookies. If uniformity is important, use 1/4 or 1/3 cup scoop. Flatten cookies with the back of a fork to make 3 or 4 inch round shapes 1/2 inch thick. Dip scoop and/or fork in water to keep it from sticking. Bake cookies until edges and undersides are golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

Thanks to Meredith McCarty for this recipe! This recipe, and the four recipes below, come from Meredith's award-winning (and mouth-watering) book, "Sweet and Natural -- More than 120 Naturally Sweet and Dairy-Free Desserts". To order a signed copy of Meredith' fantastic book (by check), or to find out about her other recipe books, classes, and services, visit www.healingcuisine.com. To order her book over the Web with your credit card, click here.

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Sauce and Raspberry Coulis

This cake is scrumptious, rich, and still exceptionally light! The use of cocoa powder instead of chocolate chips or bars helps keep the fat content down. "Coulis" means "drip" in French. Actually a thick puree of fruit, a coulis is used as a flavorful and decorative undersauce (spooned directly onto the serving plate) for entrees or desserts.

Cake:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (230 mil)
1 cup unbleached white flower (230 mil)
1 cup cocoa powder, sifted (230 mil)
2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder (10 mil)
1 tsp. baking soda (5 mil)
1/2 tsp. salt (2 mil)
1/2 cup light vegetable oil (canola, walnut etc.) (120 mil)
1 cup pure maple syrup (230 mil.)
1 cup soy milk (230 mil)
Zest of an orange
1/2 cup orange juice (120 mil)
1 Tbs. vanilla (15mil)
10-ounce jar fruit sweetened raspberry jam - (filling for layer cakes only)

Raspberry Coulis (makes 3/4 to 1 cup):

1 1/2 cups raspberries (about 6 ounces), or a 10 ounce bag frozen (360 mil)
1/4 to 1/3 cup brown rice syrup (60 - 90 mil), more with frozen berries
1/2 tsp. (2 mil) vanilla

Chocolate Sauce Or Icing (makes about 2 cups)

1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup (360 mil)v 3 Tbs. light vegetable oil (45 mil) optional
2 cups cocoa powder, sifted (460 mil)
1 tsp. vanilla (5 mil)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 C or Moderate Heat). Oil the sides and cut parchment or wax paper to fit the bottom of 2 cake tins or a 9 inch springform pan, or oil a Bundt Pan.

To prepare cake, mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, mix wet ingredients and add to dry. Whisk gently to form a smooth batter. Pour batter into pan(s). Bake until cake tests done, 25 to 30 minutes for layers, 50 to 60 minutes for springform cake, or 40 to 45 minutes for Bundt cake. Transfer pan(s) to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan(s) and allow to cool completely.

To make raspberry coulis, puree berries in a food processor or food mill. Strain through a fine strainer to remove seeds. Whisk in sweetener and vanilla and chill.

To make chocolate sauce or icing, in a 2 qt. saucepan, heat together sweetener and oil. (The oil adds a slightly more luscious quality, but may be omitted for a sweeter and less bittersweet taste). Whisk in cocoa powder. Simmer for several minutes, less for sauce, more for icing. Turn heat off and stir in vanilla.

Pour 1 cup of warm sauce over Bundt cake, or refrigerate icing until spreadable for layer or springform cake, up to an hour in a shallow bowl. For layers, spread jam in center, and frost top and sides with chocolate icing. Keep cake cool.

Spoon coulis onto individual plates and place a slice of cake on top to serve.

Classic Apple Pie

Although apple pie has a natural image, commercial apple pie can have twice as much fat and twice as many calories as French fries(!), and a higher dose of both than even chocolate cake, because of the fat in the crust.

Here¹s a recipe for REAL old-fashioned apple pie. Our favorite pie apples, alone or in combination, are Granny Smith, Pippin, Golden Delicious, Rome, and Mcintosh.

Filling:

3 pounds (1 1/2 kilo) of apples, 6 to 8 apples, or about 9 cups when peeled and sliced (each half cut into eighths)
1/4 cup arrowroot powder (60 mil)v 1 tsp. Cinnamon (5 mil.)
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg (2 mil.)
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt (1 mil.)
3/4 cup brown rice malt syrup (180 mil), or part pure maple syrup
1 Tbs. Lemon juice (15 mil.)

Double Crust Pastry:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (360 mil.)
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour (360 mil.)v 1/4 tsp. sea salt (1 mil.)
1/2 cup light vegetable oil (walnut, safflower, canola, etc.)
Up to 1/2 cup (120 mil.) dry or wet sweetener (brown rice syrup, FruitSource syrup, pure maple syrup, barley malt), optional
Up to 1 cup water, apple juice, or cider (230 mil.), less (none to 1/2 cup) with wet sweeteners, and more (1/2 cup to 1 cup) with dry sweeteners.

Glaze:

2 Tbs. brown rice syrup or FruitSource syrup
2 tsp. Water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C or Moderate Heat). Brush a 9- or 10-inch pie pan with oil.

To prepare the pastry, mix the dry ingredients. Stir in oil, then sweetener. Add liquid gradually to form a pliable dough.

Divide the dough in half, and roll out each half separately between sheets of wax paper. Lay the bottom pastry in place, and trim so that the dough barely extends over the rim of the pie pan.

To prepare the filling, in a large bowl, mix apples with dry ingredients, then mix in wet ingredients.

Fill the Pie. Invert the top crust onto filled pie shell. Trim the top pastry so it extends 1/2 inch beyond the rim of the pan. Fold excess top pastry under the bottom pastry to form a rim. Crimp or flute with your fingers or press with a fork to seal. With a fork or knife, poke holes in the top crust to serve as air vents.

To prevent excessive browning, cover the rim with foil. Place a baking sheet or a piece of foil on the shelf under the under the pie pan to catch the dripping juices.

Bake the pie until fruit tests tender when pierced with a small sharp knife, 50 to 90 minutes depending on the apples. Remove the foil. If desired, mix the glaze ingredients and brush it over the surface and rim of the pie. Return the pie to the oven for 5 or 10 minutes more. Or brush crust lightly with water and sprinkle with a tablespoon of organic sugar crystals.

Transfer pie to a rack to cool for at least one hour before serving, for the juices to become saucy. If desired, serve with a scoop of your favorite frozen dessert.

Pumpkin Pie

Makes 8 to 10 servings

We actually prefer freshly-baked sweet winter squash for "pumpkin" pies. The color is richer and the flavor is naturally sweeter than canned (or even fresh) sugar pie pumpkin puree. Squash is the main ingredient in canned pumpkin puree.

Baking enhances the sweetness of butternut squash, the variety most widely available. When pureeing in a food processor, add water to very dry squash to make it thick, smooth and creamy.

This no-bake recipe uses soymilk for a custardy filling texture. Both agar sea vegetable flakes (for a gelled consistency) and arrowroot starch (for the creamy smooth consistency) are used to create the great mouth-feel.

Since commercial "pumpkin pie" spice may contain sugar, dextrose and extractive of spice, look for a more natural combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Or measure your own as in this recipe.

Filling:

1 1/2 cups (360 mil.) baked winter squash puree, or a 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
2 Tbs. arrowroot powder (30 mil.)
1 1/2 cups organic soy milk, rice milk, or almond milk (360 mil.)
1 tsp. cinnamon (5 mil.)
1/4 tsp. each nutmeg and ginger (2 mil or 1 tsp. (5 mil) freshly grated ginger
A pinch each allspice and cloves
1/2 tsp. sea salt (5 mil.)
1/2 cup (120 mil) pure maple syrup or another wet sweetener (all or part brown rice malt syrup, FruitSource syrup, or barley malt syrup)
3 Tbs. agar flakes

Single Crust Cutout Pastry with Glaze

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (180 mil.)
3/4 cup unbleached white flour (180 mil.)v a pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup light vegetable oil (walnut, canola, sesame, almond, sunflower, safflower, etc.) (60 mil.)
Up to 1/4 cup (60 mil) wet or dry sweetener, e.g. 1 to 4 tablespoons brown rice syrup, FruitSource syrup, pure maple syrup, barley malt, or sorghum syrup; or granular FruitSource, maple syrup granules or evaporated sugar cane juice (optional)
Up to 1/2 cup (120 mil.) water, apple juice or cider, or organic soymilk, less (none to 1/4 cup) with wet sweeteners, more (1/4 to 1/2 cup) with dry sweeteners

Glaze:

This new glaze creates a golden sheen without a milk or egg wash. Glazing the pie before it is baked is not as effective (i.e. the glaze virtually disappears, as doing so towards the end of baking).

1 Tbs. brown rice syrup or FruitSource syrup (15 mil.)
1 to 1-1/2 tsp. water (5-7 mil.)

Tofu "Whipped Cream" (optional; we¹ve included this for our non-dairy friends)
Makes 2-1/3 cups (appx. 600-700 mil.)

1 pound organic tofu, fresh and firm or medium (454 grams)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup or part brown rice syrup (120 mil.)
1 tablespoon vanilla (15 mil.)
Nutmeg for garnish

To prepare the squash, place it either whole or halved and cut side down on a baking sheet. (Halving the squash cuts the cooking time in half, but leaving large hard squashes whole makes for a happy cook.) Bake squash at 450° F (225 C) until quite soft when pierced with a fork or knife, 20 minutes to 1 1/2 hours depending on the size of the squash (and longer at a lower temperature, e.g. 350°).

Discard skin or shell and seeds. Puree squash. You may need to add a tablespoon of water if squash is quite dry (e.g. kabocha squash). Measure yield; a pound of squash yields around 1 cup of puree.

Turn heat down to 350°. To prepare pastry, mix the dry ingredients (flours, salt, and dry sweetener if included). Stir in the oil until lumps or beads of dough form, or until it resembles coarse meal. Add wet sweetener if desired (be sure the syrups are at room temperature for ease in handling ­ then add the liquid (water, juice, or soy milk) gradually. Mix quickly until you have a somewhat soft, pliable ball in the center of the bowl. Add a little more flour if necessary.

Gather the dough together with your hands and lightly form it into a smooth flattened disk. The mixture can be rough, not fully mixed, so that the dough appears marbled when it¹s rolled out, indicating that the crust will be flaky.

Pinch off 1/4 to 1/3 the dough for making pastry cutouts. With cookie cutters, cut out 10 shapes, one for each serving, or enough shapes to partially cover the surface of the filling. A medium-large autumn leaf cutter is delightful used this way. Place cutouts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or brushed with oil.

Roll out bigger portion of dough in a circular shape between sheets of waxed paper; sprinkle flour over the bottom sheet and on top of the dough. Use light, short strokes in the beginning, starting from the center outward in each direction. You may choose to rotate or spin the dough around to do this. Then use longer strokes, applying more pressure to ensure an even crust.

Peel off the top piece of waxes paper and invert rolled dough into lightly oiled pan ­ and oiled 8, 9, 10, or 11 inch pie or tart pan. Peel off other layer of waxed paper. With your fingers or scissors, trim off the excess dough to within a finger_s width of the rim, leaving enough to fold over toward the inside of the pan to form a rim. If the dough tears, patch it with a small disc of dough (the reliable cut-and-paste technique).

Crimp the edges or simply score the edges with a fork. Bake the pastry and cutouts for 8 minutes. If desired, mix the glaze ingredients and brush over the rim of the pastry starting from the inside edge. Take care not to let glaze run between rim and pan where it could stick. Brush tops of leaves too. Return the pie and pastry leaves to the oven until golden, 5 to 10 minutes more.

To make the filling, place the arrowroot powder in a small bowl with enough of the measured liquid (one of the milks) to cover generously. Place the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk to submerge agar. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally, and simmer until agar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Whisk arrowroot mixture into hot liquid and return to a simmer to thicken.

Whisk the hot liquid with the squash puree and transfer filling to pastry. Filling gels refrigerated or at room temperature. Decorate surface with pastry cutouts.

To prepare the optional tofu "whipped cream", blend the ingredients until creamy smooth. This takes about a full minute in a food processor. Spoon a large dollop (a little less than 1/4 cup) on top of each serving of pie, or squeeze the cream through a pastry bag with a small tip for a more decorative effect. (Refrigerate the cream if you need to firm up the texture.) Garnish with nutmeg.

Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp

Filling:

1 pound each Pippin and Granny Smith Apples, or any variety or combination, 2 or 3 of each, or 6 to 8 cups peeled and thinly sliced.
2 Tbs. arrowroot powder (30 mil.)
1 tsp. cinnamon (5 mil.)
1/2 tsp. nutmeg (2 mil)
1/4 tsp. cardamom (1 mil)
1/2 tsp. sea salt (2 mil)
1/2 cup brown rice malt syrup or Fruitsource (120 mil)
Zest of half a lemon
1 Tbs. lemon juice (15 mil)
1 tsp. vanilla (5 mil)

Streusel Topping (makes about 1 1/4 cups)1/2 cup (120 mil) whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup (120 mil) unbleached white pastry flour
Dash of sea salt
3 Tbs. light vegetable oil (walnut, canola, safflower) (45mil.)
3 to 4 Tbs. brown rice syrup or Fruitsource (45 - 60 mil)
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped (120 mil.) ­ optional

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C Moderate-High).

To make filling, mix apples with dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together wet ingredients and stir them into dry ingredients. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart baking dish. Place the baking dish on a larger piece of aluminum foil, or on a rimmed baking sheet to avoid possible spillage. Cover dish with foil and bake until fruit is tender and you can see and hear the juices bubbling, 45-55 minutes.

To make the topping, mix dry ingredients. Work in oil, then sweetener. Rub mixture between your palms until texture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts.

Remove cover from apples and sprinkle topping over fruit to cover. Return to oven until top is golden, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Thanks to Meredith McCarty for this recipe! This recipe, and the four recipes above, come from her award-winning (and mouth-watering) book, "Sweet and Natural -- More than 120 Naturally Sweet and Dairy-Free Desserts". To order a signed copy of Meredith¹ fantastic book (by check), or to find out about her other recipe books, classes, and services, visit www.healingcuisine.com. To order her book over the Web with your credit card, click here.

To get more vegetarian recipes like these, and instantly receive our complete "Vegetarian Holiday Recipe Collection", click here now.