{"id":6382,"date":"2012-02-26T07:50:26","date_gmt":"2012-02-26T12:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/2012\/02\/20\/"},"modified":"2012-02-26T07:50:26","modified_gmt":"2012-02-26T12:50:26","slug":"cranberry-solstice-cookies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/?p=6382","title":{"rendered":"Cranberry Solstice Cookies"},"content":{"rendered":"

As most of you are aware, I am all <\/em>about “Tastes from the Temple: Kitchen Witchery from the Temple of Witchcraft” by Dawn Hunt and the Temple of Witchcraft Community. I interviewed Dawn Hunt<\/a> and<\/em> I hauled my lazy butt to New Hampshire <\/a>to buy multiple copies of the book and make sure to get a signed copy for me and Jim. That left only one thing to do, finally try a recipe from the book!<\/p>\n

It was tough to decide what to try. Due to some health issues on my end a lot of recipes were eliminated from the start. However, over the holidays I had become intrigued with the idea of cookies with dried cranberries in them. A friend of mine had been emailing me assorted recipes he’d tried or found on the internet, so it’s safe to say I’ve had cranberry cookies on the brain. Also Jim and I are always looking for unusual cookie recipes, ones that call for unexpected ingredients, and Jim always likes what looks like a challenge, so when I asked, “Do you want to make cookies that use tofu?” he was in.<\/p>\n

$\"\"$ <\/a>So we tried Cranberry Solstice Cookies which was a recipe submitted by David Salisbury. The recipe happens to be vegan, but what interested Jim and myself more was the use of silken tofu, which is a type of tofu neither of us had used before, olive oil as the fat, brown sugar and no regular sugar, and of course for me dried cranberries. These cookies take a heavy hit of almond oil, and in our case due to a slip of the bottle, a very heavy hit, but to my surprise they bake up with just the right amount of flavor. They’re not overly sweet, but they still make an excellent dessert. Everyone that has tried them has enjoyed them greatly, and I suspect these guys may end up in our holiday cookie tins this year. (As an aside, Jim used the leftover silken tofu to make chocolate mousse which turned out awesome!)<\/p>\n

What’s super exciting for all of you is that Copper Cauldron Publishing<\/a> has given me permission to not only share the recipe with you, but all the associated content! This is going to give you a real peek at what makes “Tastes From the Temple” different from other cookbooks!<\/p>\n

Cranberry Solstice Cookies<\/strong>
\nSubmitted by David Salisbury, Washington, DC<\/em><\/p>\n

$\"\"$ <\/a>Cranberries are to Fall as watermelon is to Summer. Once the air cools and the smell of autumn leaves is in the air cranberries make their triumphant return. Here in New England we have cranberries by the barrel full; cranberry scones, cakes, sauces, chicken, stuffing. The list goes on and on. David shares with us his vegan recipe for tart and sweet cranberry cookies.<\/p>\n

David says:<\/strong>
\n\u201cThis recipe is one of the very first I\u2019ve ever tried making myself. Since I was young, my grandmother used to let me go to town with mixing up random baking ingredients and cooking them in the oven just for fun. Usually they came out mush but sometimes we\u2019d get something edible out of it. This recipe started as a random conglomeration of festival ingredients that I like to have around the winter holiday months. Because of that, they remind me that wonderful things can be born of our fearless creativity and love.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a Priest of the Firefly House, a nature-based church in Washington DC. I have been practicing the Craft for 11 years and have been vegan for nearly as long. I enjoy mixing up creative vegan baked recipes as well as animal-free herbal products.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/strong>
\n1 1\/2 cups flour
\n3 ounces silken tofu
\n1\/4 cup olive oil
\n2 teaspoons almond oil
\n1\/2 teaspoon baking powder
\n3\/4 cup brown sugar
\n1\/2 teaspoon cinnamon
\n1 teaspoon ginger
\ndried cranberries<\/p>\n

Directions<\/strong>
\nPreheat oven to 350. Combine tofu, oil, sugar, and seasonings into a mixing bowl.<\/p>\n

Add in the rest of ingredients until it forms a dough-like mix.<\/p>\n

Form into small balls and place onto greased pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes.<\/p>\n

Magickal Notes<\/strong>
\nDavid shares his magickal uses for these cookies:
\n\u201cMostly listed in the content itself but in terms of specific correspondences, cranberries are related to the sun and mars. Cinnamon and ginger have both solar and earthen correspondences, which add a great seasonal flare to its meaning.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese bitterly sweet cookies make a perfect snack for your Yule festivities. The cranberries align your energies to the growing strength of the sun and even look like tiny suns nestled in the cookies themselves. Cranberries are famous for being able to grow in areas that would otherwise be considered wasteland. When we eat food with cranberries, we\u2019re bringing in a \u201csurvivor\u201d energy that helps sustain us for the raging winter months to come.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"