Baking – Adventures in Polishland

Tag: Baking

Vegan Christmas Cookie Recipes I’ve Tried & Loved

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! This will be my first Christmas on a vegan diet, and I wanted to make sure I could still enjoy my favorite holiday sweets with my family. I spent a lot of time scouring the Internet looking for vegan Christmas cookie recipes, and I’ve found three that I absolutely love. All are based on traditional cookies that my family has made since I was a child. It makes me so happy that I can make the cookies I know and love without animal ingredients! I thought I would share the recipes I’ve found with all of you to make your online search a bit easier.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe: My California Roots [LINK]

I absolutely love peanut butter to the point where I eat some nearly every day. I knew I had to make some peanut butter cookies, and found a recipe from the blog My California Roots that seemed pretty easy. I am always on the lookout for recipes that have simple ingredients already in my pantry, and this one fit the bill. While rolling the cookies definitely takes some time, this recipe is very easy. Plus, the cookies are amazing! They are slightly crispy on the outside, but nice and soft on the inside. If you love peanut butter, you need to try this recipe!

Snickerdoodles

Recipe: The Viet Vegan [LINK]

I really wanted to make Snickerdoodles, as they are one of my dad’s favorite cookies. I scoured the web and found a recipe from The Viet Vegan that I really like. I think I overcooked the cookies just a bit, because they got really crispy once they cooled completely. However, they melt in your mouth and taste beyond delicious. I love enjoying these with a nice cup of coffee! Oh yeah – my non-vegan dad approved as well!

Chocolate Crinkles

Recipe: Everyday Vegan Cooking [LINK]

I wanted to round out my holiday baking with some chocolate cookies. My nephew loves chocolate crinkles, so I wanted to have some on hand for when he is visiting. This vegan version is a lot less intensive than traditional recipes, as there is no need to let the dough chill in the refrigerator. I also had a flashback to my childhood as soon as I bit into one of the cookies! They taste so yummy!

I hope you liked hearing about the three Christmas cookie varieties I made this year. I’m glad I was able to find vegan recipes for some of my favorite traditional cookies. It will be so nice to share these with my family this holiday season!

What is your favorite kind of Christmas cookie? Share with me in the comments!

Homemade Cheez-Its Recipe | Healthy Snack Idea

Posted on December 10, 2015November 29, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! Today I am very excited to share a recipe on Adventures in Polishland for the very first time. With the holiday season in full swing, I’ve been a bit more adventurous in the kitchen. I began my baking with some homemade Cheez-Its after seeing a recipe on Rachel Talbott’s YouTube Channel HERE. My dad absolutely loves to snack on traditional Cheez-Its in front of the TV at night, but I worry about all the chemicals and preservatives he’s consuming while doing so. This recipe is the perfect solution! It allows Cheez-It lovers to still have that delicious snack, all while using a few simple ingredients. Let me share my homemade Cheez-Its with you!

How amazing do these look?! First things first, you have to make the dough. I used my Ninja Master Prep to blend up all of the ingredients. It works perfectly, so don’t worry if you don’t own a food processor as recommended in the recipe.

I’m still impressed that the Cheez-Its only need five simple ingredients! Pictured above is the cheddar cheese, butter, flour, and salt. The last ingredient is water. How much easier could this get?

Here is what the dough looks like after it’s been chilled in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. The next step is rolling out the dough with a rolling pin and cutting it into your desired shape. I found a small cookie cutter we already had and used that. Of course, you can cut the dough into the standard square Cheez-It shape if you’d like!

These are my Cheez-Its on the cookie sheet before popping them in the oven. Because the Cheez-Its don’t spread out while baking, you can put them quite close together on the baking sheet.

This recipe makes about 7-8 dozen Cheez-Its depending on the size cookie cutter you use. I brought these to my family’s Thanksgiving for an appetizer, and they were a big hit! I love that I know each and every ingredient inside these Cheez-Its, and that they are a much healthier option than boxed Cheez-Its at the store. Plus, they are easy and affordable! I highly recommend you try them out this holiday season, or anytime you’re wanting a cheesy treat. You can also use white cheddar if you prefer.

Homemade Cheez-Its Recipe

Yields about 7-8 dozen Cheez-Its.

Ingredients:

8oz Cheddar Cheese Shredded
4 Tablespoons Butter, cut into cubes
1 Cup Flour
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Cold Water

Directions:

Pulse all ingredients but water in a food processor or blender until it resembles coarse sand.
Pulse in water one tablespoon at a time.
Wrap dough in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350º while dough is chilling.
Roll out dough and cut into desired shape.
Place Cheez-Its on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly greased tin foil.
Bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy.

If you make this recipe, please tag me in your photo on social media! Enjoy!

November Favorites | Beauty & Lifestyle Loves

Posted on December 1, 2015November 24, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! It’s December now, and that means it’s time to share with you all of the things I loved in November. I feel like November flew by extremely quickly! To be honest, I didn’t change up my beauty or skincare routine much at all this month, so I don’t have too many new products to share. This time around I’ll be letting you into my daily life a bit more, so you can learn more about what I love in all aspects of my life. Let me jump right into my November Favorites!

FACE PRODUCT

elf HD Lifting Concealer – $3.00 [BUY]

My skin has been in a bad mood this month! I’m not sure if it’s the change in weather, the food I’m eating, or something else, but I’ve gotten some nasty breakouts and redness. I purchased this elf concealer on a whim back in May (see the haul HERE), and it does a great job at balancing my redness. Of course, it’s not a miracle worker, but for a $3 product it’s a great item to have in your collection when you need it.

LIP PRODUCT

Buxom Full-On Lip Polish Lipgloss in Sophia – $19.00 [BUY]

I got a mini size of this lipgloss in the Sephora Favorites Give Me More Lip Kit I purchased last month (full review HERE), and I’ve been reaching for it more than any other lip product recently. The pink shade is absolutely perfect with my skin tone. It’s just a great everyday color, and the formula feels nice on the lips, too. I do wish it wasn’t minty, because that hurts my throat a bit, but I can deal with it. I love this color so much!

HAIR PRODUCT

Macadamia Healing Oil Spray – $13.95 [BUY]

The winter weather is creeping in, and my hair and skin are slowly drying out. I reached for this oil spray this month to add in a bit more moisture and shine to my otherwise dull hair. I spray just one or two times on my wet hair after showering, and then brush it through to spread the product. I find that this works really well, and it also smells great. Definitely make sure to use only a tiny bit, though, as it can be heavy!

ACTIVITY

Baking – Homemade White Cheez-Its Pictured

I’ve been really into baking lately, and I’m trying to make something new about once per week. I’ve been focusing on healthier options, but with the holidays around the corner I know the snacks will get sweeter and sweeter. My first treat was homemade Cheez-Its, which turned out amazing! I’ll be sharing some of my recipes with all of you soon.

ETSY SHOP

Caitlin and Co. Designs [BUY]

I discovered a new Etsy Sticker Shop completely on a whim, and made a HUGE purchase. I’m so glad I ended up splurging on these. The quality is beyond top-notch, and the colors are so vibrant and beautiful. These stickers have really helped me and my planning routine. I cannot recommend this shop enough, so be sure to check it out. If you buy something, let her know I sent you in the Notes to Seller section!

TELEVISION SHOW

Dancing with the Stars

I go back and forth with loving Dancing with the Stars (“DWTS”), and not watching it at all. I got into this season towards the latter half, and it’s been a lot of fun. I’m writing this blog post on the day of the DWTS finale, so I don’t know who won yet! Right now I’m rooting for Bindi. I think she is a beautiful dancer, and she seems like such a genuinely nice person. I also enjoyed watching Nick Carter on the show despite being a diehard *NSYNC fan.

SONG

Justin Bieber – What Do You Mean? [BUY]

Dancing with the Stars also turned me on to this Justin Bieber song! I’ve never been one to listen to Justin Bieber, but I’m loving this song. It has a great beat, and is just so catchy. I’m loving the reinvented JB!

I hope all of you had a great November! Please share your favorites with me in the comments, too. I love to hear what you are all loving, especially new beauty products. There is just something fun about sharing the things we’re loving most!

This post includes affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.