Do I taste a cookzine?...

Just when I have loads of time on my hands to do absolutely anything I want, I do nothing. Normally I am looking for any lengthy amount of free time for the opportunity to bake up a storm. For a while now I've been wanting to wake up at the crack of dawn and bake away to fill up the freezer for those "rainy" days when I don't want to cook. Somehow, I can't get my act together. That's not to say that I haven't been doing anything with food.

Recently I whipped up a bunch of goodies for a housewarming good friends of mine held on International Women's Day. What better way to celebrate women than to offer people delish vegan food that also celebrates animals and says no to their exploitation? Since gluten, wheat and nuts were no-nos, I managed to create some quite impressive offerings using a rice flour mixture that turned out to be way more workable and moist than I ever imagined rice could be. In fact, they turned out so good I am thinking of doing some more tinkering with recipes to create a bunch of wheat- and gluten-free munchies to include in a cookzine. Here's a sampling of a few things that were enjoyed:

Gluten-free Soft Ginger Snaps

These ginger snaps were oh so slightly chewy on the outside and very soft and light on the inside. I was so amazed with them (I've never baked with rice flour before) all I could do was gawk at them, much to the bemusement of my boyfriend. I think that anyone who's ever eaten commercial rice-based baked goods knows some of them can be quite dry and bland. Not these babies! With rising wheat prices and with the success of these cookies, I think a switch to rice-based flour is definitely in order. It'll be easier on the tummy too!

Gluten-free Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Where on earth these squares got their moisture I don't know. Adapted from a VwaV recipe, they were almost too moist. A little on the heavy side (I think there was a little too much dough) but they were definitely rich and tasty. And I never knew rice flour would get such a lovely golden brown colour. The raspberry filling, which really would have been better as a seedless jam, definitely needs to be doubled. Also, parchment paper would have made getting them out of the pan much easier.

I am really interested in creating a vegan cookzine (for a small price) that includes recipes that are not necessarily run of the mill. For instance, hummus is great, but I really don't need yet anther recipe for it. If you are interested in something like this, give me a quick shout by leaving a comment. Simply say "yea"or "nay", or give me some feedback on a recipe you'd like to see veganized, made wheat- or gluten-free, or feel free to make any other suggestions. If I can get it together to get a zine out, I'd very much like to donate 100% of the profits to an animal sanctuary, like the Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary.