My vegan cookie experiment

I have an ongoing conflict.  I love cookies, cakes, milk, cream, and eggs.  I also want to weigh less than I do, and get there without counting every calorie that passes my lips.  Most of all, I just want to be healthy, feel good, and I know I need to adopt better eating habits in order for that to happen. 

So, what do I do? I've been making batch after batch of molasses cookies.  LOL  I have a recipe that friends and family love.  Over the last several weeks, I've been changing one ingredient at a time.  First, I found evaporated cane juice sugar.  It's still sugar, but it's unrefined.  Calorie count is the same as refined sugar, but I'm fairly certain the glycemic index is better for us than the refined. 

Then I substituted the butter with 'buttery sticks' which is a soy product.  I didn't think for a minute that I would like it, but I did!  I've even used it on toast and liked it.  The soy product has no cholesterol, and nothing genetically modified, so that part is good.  The calorie count is the same as butter.  My tumor was er/pr+, so I wonder if I'm really gaining any benefit with the soy product, but at least it qualifies as vegan.

Then there was the egg.  I was deterred at the grocery from trying an egg substitute product.  All they had was a large box that cost several dollars.  I didn't want to get stuck with something I might not like.  So I visited a local health food cafe and chatted with the ladies there.  My intent was to panhandle a serving of their egg substitute, but it turns out I already have what they use.  They use flaxseed for an egg substitute.  I boiled 1/4 cup water and added 2 T of ground flaxseed. It turns gelatinous when heated.  So I gave it a whirl, thinking these cookies are going to be doorstops hard enough to break a tooth. 

Once again, I was surprised.  My local bc support group has been enthusiastic guinea pigs and every batch has a thumbs up.   So as far as I know, I think I have some cookies that are tasty and cholesterol-free and no animal products whatsoever.  

I have the same question about the soy pam.  Although I do eat ground flaxseed on a regular basis, and I don't feel so concerned about that (flax also contains phytoestrogens).  For some reason my instincts tell me eating flaxseeds regularly is ok, but soy not so much. 

<>Soy is in so many things, I guess I feel it's on my radar moreso than flax.  But then animal products aren't so great for us either, as I'm learning more and more.  I never used to bat an eye at drinking milk.  Now, I'm putting on the brakes.  My cholesterol is too high and I don't like thinking about the way animals are treated.  

<>The next thing I'll be searching for is coconut butter.  I saw it listed in a vegan cookbook for a recipe.  Don't know if it's in a jar like peanut butter, or refrigerated like the soy butter.   

Thanks Joia.  That's good to know.  I have been eating a lot of cookies lately, but certainly not a whole batch.  Since I started this thread, I made a batch using the Earth Balance shortening, which is also packaged like sticks of butter.  That made a decent batch of cookies also, but I think I like the buttery sticks better. 

I'll remember your suggestion about the applesauce.  I made some vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies yesterday.  The sweetener was maple syrup.  The batter was sort of soupy and the cookies don't hang together very well.  But I didn't follow the recipe exactly either, due to lack of the egg substitute it called for.  Used flaxseed instead.  I also have a macaroon recipe I want to try.