Oatmeal Cookies with Blueberries and Dark Chocolate Chunks

May 13, 2010 | Kelly Peloza

This is the basic soft and delicious oatmeal cookie recipe from the book, with the addition of dried blueberries and dark chocolate, chopped up. This cookie is the canvas for many different possibilities for additions, and sweet delicate blueberries are the perfect complement. If you’ve never had the pleasure of trying dried blueberries, I recommend it. They’re a little on the pricier side, but they’re a wonderful treat and probably my favorite dried fruit.

Milwaukee’s Vegan Cookies: East Side Ovens

February 22, 2010 | Kelly Peloza

I had this idea where I would spend a weekend finding all the vegan cookies in Milwaukee, taste test them all, and make a blog post about the experience. I decided against it for several reasons:

1. That’s a lot of cookies.
2. That’s a lot of cookies.
3. I’d probably eat them all.
4. That’s a lot of places to hit up in search of vegan cookies, especially relying on the bus system in the winter.
5. That’s a lot of money to spend in one go, all on vegan cookies.
6. There’d be new cookies coming out that I didn’t include, not all varieties offered in one day, etc.

So, I decided to make it an ongoing project that I’ll document in a new segment on my blog, entitled Milwaukee’s Vegan Cookies. If a cookie is a)vegan, b)made in Milwaukee, and c)found at a bakery, health food store, Whole Foods, etc, in Milwaukee, I’m going to find it and put in on my blog. And not just one kind from a Milwaukee establishment or bakery, but every flavor! As a result, I’ll create a collection of delicious Milwaukee vegan cookie photos, the bakery/baker will get a shout out, and I’ll make some cookie recommendations! So if I’m anywhere where there’s baked goods and I see a vegan cookie I haven’t tried yet, I’m buying it.

First up is East Side Ovens, a vegan bakery in the Bayview neighborhood that delivers their goodies all over the city to vegan-friendly places, including my student union, where all the baked goods are vegan and from here. The actual bakery is only open to the public on Saturdays and I have yet to make a visit, so that’s on my to-do list. These are just a couple of their cookie flavors. They definitely have more I have yet to try.

Cranberry Orange Cookies
I got this cookie from Whole Foods way back in August when I first moved here. I was excited by all the vegan options at my fingertips after moving here from a suburb. Thinking back, this cookie had a nice citrus flavor complemented excellently by the tart fresh cranberries baked in. It was just a little bit crumbly.

Oatmeal Raisin
I just got this one today at the student union. I thought it was chocolate chip when I bought it, but took a closer look later and realized it was oatmeal raisin. While not what I expected, the cookie was no letdown.

Okay, this brownie isn’t a cookie, but this is from East Side Ovens, so I thought I’d include it while I’m writing about them.

Oatmeal Cream Pies

February 16, 2009 | Kelly Peloza

Take that, Little Debbie.

Catch-up!

January 1, 2008 | Kelly Peloza

I’ve been really busy/sick lately, but managed to come up with a few recipes in the past week or so. Here’s to catching up with the blog!

Peanut Kiss Cookies

Classic! I use a kiss mold I found at a thrift store in a hershey kiss making kit. The rest of the equipment was useless, but the mold is wonderful!

Chewy Candy Cane Chocolate Chip Cookies

A chewy cookie with bits of smashed candy cane and chocolate chips scattered throughout.

Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars

I might need to come up with a new name for these. They are very similar to those chocolate chip granola bars, except more flavorful and a bit softer. So good!