My “far away grandma” (to differentiate her from my “close by grandma”!) was a gifted baker. My seven siblings and I can talk about Grandma’s bags of goodies for hours when we get together. She had a tradition of sending my family and my cousins’ families home with bags and bags of fudge, cookies, cakes, and popcorn balls every Christmas. How we loved those magical bags!

Now that I am vegan, I’ve taken my grandma’s old recipes and made them my own. With just a couple of changes, they taste just like grandma used to make, but they are true to my ethics. Some traditions are so worth continuing while others should be examined and discarded.

I love knowing that vegans can have their cake, fudge, or cookies while bringing greater peace into the world.

Here is my Grandma Stonebrook’s Banana Nut Cookie recipe veganized!

– Linda Nelson

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegan butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup white sugar and 1//2 cup dark brown sugar)
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 teaspoon baking soda
the equivalent of one egg replaced, use extra banana, egg replacement powder, or applesauce.
2 cups flour
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans, macadamia nuts, walnuts, or chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a couple of cookie sheets with silpats or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and the sugar/s until fluffy. Add the egg replacement, and beat until fluffy again.

In a separate bowl, mash the bananas (2 to 3), add the baking soda, and allow the mixture to sit for a couple of minutes.

Add the banana mixture to the butter/sugar mixture, and mix to incorporate.

Whisk the flour with the salt and spices, and add it to the wet ingredients. Mix only until combined. Add the nuts.

Drop tablespoons of dough (it will be of thick batter consistency) onto the baking sheets about 1 inch apart.

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes. You won’t believe the aroma in your kitchen!