I have been feeling a touch overwhelmed with the everyday, mundane demands of life as I juggle graduate school, teaching, job hunting for the fall and figuring out what comes next; all well striving to quell a bout of homesickness that has resurfaced after having to say good bye to our two sets of wonderful family who just left NYC.  I now it is all going to turn out, and that given time I will have answers to all the questions I am seeking.  However, nonetheless in times when my nerves feel a little more frayed than usual, and my normal disposition of moderate over thinker is on overdrive I am diligent to carve out time to cook or bake. It is how I combat stress.  So today I bring to you a batch of Vegan cookies that are as simple and they are quick to whip up.  Thus allowing the baker to promptly return to their lengthy list of tasks that need accomplishing or those journal articles sitting on their desk unread.  But before you return to everything that awaits, take some times to unwind by prepping (and eating) these cookies that Jay swears may just be the best he has ever eaten.  Which is good because he’s eaten a lot of them lately as my brain has been desperately in need of multiple study and life breaks.  Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Snickerdoodles

Makes about 18 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar (or sugar substitute like splenda or stevia)
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup of liquid oil of your choice
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar
• 1 Egg or Egg Replacer equivalent of 1 egg (Vegan Option)
• 1/4 cup of sugar (or sugar substitute)
• 1 tsp of cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and baking soda.
3. In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, vanilla, agave nectar and egg.
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and knead dough with your hands until combined.
5. In a small place combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon.
6. Take a table spoon sized amount of dough, roll it into a ball and roll through the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Then place onto the baking sheet.  Repeat until all cookies are formed.
7. Place in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes or until the bottoms of each cookie turn golden brown.