Garlic-Parmesan Smashed Sweet Potato Rounds

By: Co+op, stronger together

Recipe Information
Total Time: 35 minutes; 15 minutes active
Servings: 4

The holidays are perfect time to show off your chops in the kitchen. This deceptively simple recipe requires a little creative application of your home chef tools, and the result is an effortlessly graceful presentation full of some of the most delicious flavors of the season. Right now, organic sweet potatoes are at a great discount in the Co-op’s Produce aisles - only $1.99 a pound. Welcome your guests to the table and save on ingredients - now that’s thinking cooperatively!

Ingredients

• 4 small sweet potatoes

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided

• 4 cloves garlic, pressed

• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Use about one tablespoon of butter to grease a large sheet pan with a rim. Score the skin of each sweet potato with a paring knife, cutting four evenly spaced lines from tip to tip. This will make it easier to flatten the rounds after baking. Cut into 1 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Place the rounds on the sheet pan, cover tightly with foil or another baking pan, and roast for about 20 minutes, until soft when pierced with a paring knife. Remove the pan from the oven, and set the oven on broil. Use a fork to flatten each slice to about a 3/4-inch-thick round.

2. Melt the remaining butter in a small pan; add garlic and rosemary, and stir for a few seconds. Use a spoon to drizzle a little bit of the butter mixture over the sweet potato rounds. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese, and place under the broiler for 2 minutes or so, until crispy and browned. Serve hot.

Pumpkin Cookies with Vanilla Drizzle

By: Robin Asbell

Recipe Information
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 28 cookies

When Halloween passes and the winter holiday season approaches, the humble orange gourd that was once the star of the show transitions smoothly into a supporting role. Pumpkin purée provides all the moisture and binding power that cookies usually get from eggs and butter, making this recipe 100% plant-based and perfect for any setting.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

• 1/2 cup unbleached flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk

• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup maple syrup

• 3/4 cup pumpkin purée

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

• 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk, approximately

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, reserve. In a cup, stir the non-dairy milk with the flax seeds and let stand to thicken for about five minutes. In a medium bowl, stir the vegetable oil, maple syrup and pumpkin puree to mix well. Stir in the flax mixture. Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture until combined.

2. Use heaping tablespoons of dough to form cookies, and place them two inches apart on the sheet pans. Bake for 9 minutes, then switch the position of the pans between upper and lower oven racks and bake for 9-10 minutes longer, until the cookies are puffed, deep golden brown, and dry looking. Cool on racks for five minutes before transferring the cookies to the racks to finish cooling.

3. When the cookies are completely cool, put the powdered sugar in a 2-cup measure with a pouring spout or a medium bowl. Use a fork to stir in the non-dairy milk until a paste is formed. If necessary stir in a few drops to make it just pourable. Drizzle over the cookies and let dry on the racks. When dry, store in air-tight containers for up to a week.

Tips & Notes

Put the cooled cookies on racks on the baking sheets with the parchment still on them, so that any glaze that drips will fall on the parchment, where you can either re-use, or enjoy in the privacy of the kitchen.