HELP

So i tried making these cookie and they turn out flat. I have made them before with a friend and they were chunky and chewy, just right.

http://www.silksoymilk.com/AppetiteAppeal/RecipeDetail_Recipe.aspx?ID=83

Did you use the same kind of butter? Because easy spread type margarines will make your baking flat. The only other thing I can think of is that when you were adding your dry ingredents to the creamed mixture and or folding in the chocolate chips, your dough got over worked. It can't get too warm either before you put it in the oven or it won't turn out right.

HEY!! It calls for :

[1 cup unsalted butter or organic shortening]

Your supposed to use regular butter, just not *spreadable* margarine.
There are margarines and then those specifically made and labled spreadable. Which using them would give you a flater oiler cookie. And I've also had way too many batches going at the same time before so I try to put the batches waiting to be baked in the frig. to chill them just a little. Not very good baking terms here, but it keeps them from getting to warm and mucky which in my experience makes come out flat & oilier. But, some people like them that way.

Yes, a stick of butter is regular butter. Not margarine.

I was probably confusing earlier. I'm sorry. Some people that I've known when you say "butter" they take that to mean margarine. Well they actually include that as butter. I should have asked if you had used real butter as the recipe called for or margarine when you had made them with your friend. Many cookie recipes are made with margarine and come out fantastic unless the *spreadable* type margarines are used.

* Fantastic, but not exactally thought to be very healthy for you because of the hydrogenated oils and so forth.

Why do the worst things for you have to taste so good!

Hey SPF -- yeah, that has happened to me too! (the flat cookie thing.) Cynfullov is right: it has only happened to me when the butter gets too warm, whether before or during mixing. Adding a little flour and putting the dough in the fridge will help -- won't completely solve it, but you'll get a less flat cookie.

And yeah, while I have baked with "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light" and gotten excellent results, I have baked with real butter and gotten perfect results. Sad but true.

That said, my friend swears that these lowfat cookies don't taste lowfat, and her office agreed:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1622526

^^ One tablespoon ground flaxseed meal mixed with 3 tablespoons warm water (let it sit for a minute), the total measurement being 1/4 cup, replaces one egg.

I haven't tried it myself -- but when I have cereal in the morning, I crush flaxseeds and add them to heated soymilk and pour that over it, and the flax does thicken the soymilk in a slightly egg-white-ish way.

You could also use Ener-G Egg Replacer, which is essentially potato starch, but your end result might be a little bit dry; your butter or oil might compensate for that though.

Also, mashed banana can work (it binds like an egg does), but the flavor is usually obvious. Which isn't bad if you're making banana bread or chocolate-banana cupcakes:
http://theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/recipe.php?RecipeID=279

Could anyone recommend a good vegetable cookbook? Not a vegetarian cookbook per se, but a book with basic vegetable recipes. I need to incorporate more veggies into my diet, but apart from steaming my carrots and broccoli, I am cluless about how to prepare them.

Diva: Try looking through a few Italian/Mediterranean cookbooks; there are usually some good vegetable prep ideas in there.

Also, I know you're not looking for vegetarian-specific recipes, but you'll find good ideas here too:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/

And this site is great for searching recipes by ingredient:
http://www.recipezaar.com/

And another good one:
http://www.cookinglight.com/

Yeah, generally search by the specific veggies you have in mind.

Best vegan brownies EVER!

http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/6036/vegan-brownies.aspx

add some raisins or nuts or cherries mmmmmmmmmmmmm

I thought about all you vegans when I seen this recipe .

Oh -- **awesome!** Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos are vegan!

http://www.veganessentials.com/catalog/spicy-sweet-chili-vegan-doritos.htm

Of course it's not health food (if I was after that I wouldn't get Doritos). But nondairy Doritos? Yay -- I can have them without taking a pill first!

^ YAY'S!

WANT but not set for release until Nov. 10.

About two weeks ago I went back fully vegetarian... and quit smoking (again). My skin looks better already!

^^ Ah! Congrats!

Thanks!

Ooh... I was looking for veg Thanksgiving dishes so I googled "sage" and "portobellos" and found this recpie. Looks good! And somewhat adaptable, too. Put it together with a 3-bean salad for protein, and do sides of veggies and mashed potatoes, and this could be really nice. Maybe some sort of shroom gravy on top?

I may have just sussed out my Thanksgiving main dish; now to find one for the Fella.

^My thanksgiving main dish is going to be a tomato, mushroom and goat cheese quiche. I don't have the recipe at hand- it's at the parent's house back in the Austin area. We'll be having a big family meal but there will be 2 vegetarians there.

^^That sounds really good. I'll swap you my tomato basil tart recipe for your quiche recipe, if you like.