Welcome to Life Beyond Lettuce, where I share ways to change your habits and try new recipes for a healthy and delicious whole-food plant-based life.

These are my recipes featured on Good Morning Washington on December 20, 2016.


Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp molasses (optional for color and stronger flavor, do not use blackstrap)
3/4-1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canned plain pumpkin puree
1/4 cup coconut butter, softened (in bowl of warm water, not microwave to prevent burning)
1. Combine all dry ingredients (flour through cornstarch) in a bowl.
2. Combine all wet ingredients (brown sugar through coconut butter) in a larger bowl.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and keep stirring until fully combined. It may seem dry, but it will absorb.
4. Refrigerate the dough (covered) from 1 hour to 2 days.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Line your rolling surface with parchment paper and roll out the dough to 1/4″ thickness. It may need a minute to warm up.
7. Use desired cookie cutters to transfer shapes to your parchment lined baking tray.
8. Chill again for 5+ minutes before baking.
8. Bake for 10-11 minutes no more; they will firm up more after taken out of the oven.
9. Cool completely before decorating with frosting or powdered sugar.

Apple Cinnamon Frosting:
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup coconut butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor. If desired, add food coloring for any color you wish, then spread on cookies with a knife or pipe designs. Allow icing to dry on cookies before stacking them to prevent blurring the frosting.

Traditional Frosting:
2 cup powdered sugar
1-1.5 tbsp almond milk
Food coloring as desired
Whisk 1 tablespoon of almond milk at a time into the frosting, increasing by 1/2 tsp until it reaches thick pipeable consistency.

Coconut Snowballs:
1 cup coconut butter
1/2 cup cashew butter
1 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup
pinch of salt to taste
2 cups shredded coconut, unsweetened (divided)
In food processor, blend the coconut butter, cashew butter, extracts, maple syrup, and salt. Add in 1 cup of the shredded coconut and pulse until combined. Scoop into small balls and roll them in the remaining shredded coconut. Store in the refrigerator for consumption, or freezer for longer storage.

Fruitcake Fudge Balls:
1 cup coconut butter
1/2 cup cashew butter
1 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup
pinch of salt to taste
1 tsp rum or rum extract (optional)
1/2 cup mix of small chopped dried fruits and nuts such as apricots, cherries, pineapple, golden raisins, walnuts, pistachios, etc)
1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 cup finely chopped pecans or other nut as preferred
In food processor, blend the coconut butter, cashew butter, extracts, maple syrup, and salt. Add in shredded coconut, dried fruit, and nuts and pulse until just combined. Scoop into small balls and roll them in the remaining chopped pecans. Store in the refrigerator for consumption, or freezer for longer storage.