From Post Punk Kitchen – delicious! I’ve never cooked with real vanilla bean before.  I must say, my cupcakes did not turn out as beautiful as the photos on PPK. Maybe if I’d used the paper liners? Anyway, really yummy nonetheless, and surprisingly…eggy?!

Cupcake Ingredients: 1 cup unsweetened almond milk 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 [...]]]>

From Post Punk Kitchen – delicious! I’ve never cooked with real vanilla bean before.  I must say, my cupcakes did not turn out as beautiful as the photos on PPK. Maybe if I’d used the paper liners? Anyway, really yummy nonetheless, and surprisingly…eggy?!

Cupcake Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsps pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped

Cupcake directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray either a muffin tin directly or muffin tin liners with cooking spray. Mix almond milk and vinegar together and allow to sit so it starts curdling (~10 min).  Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder, banking soda, and salt into a bowl. Beat almond milk mixture, oil, sugar, vanilla extract and vanilla bean in a large bowl for 3-5 minutes until sugar is not granular feeling. Stir in dry ingredients and mix until there are no more large lumps. Bake 20-25 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Ganache ingredients:
1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Ganache directions:
Melt ingredients together in double boiler (seriously this needs a double boiler not just low heat). Dip cupcakes in head first, or spoon ganache over the tops holding the cupcakes on their side over the pot so the chocolate doesn’t run all over the place. My ganache turned out a bit thin, but actually made for a nice thin coat of chocolate and no taste sacrificed!

So… file this under “spurge.” Or “what-to-bring-to-a-potluck-to-demonstrate-vegan-doesn’t-just-mean-cardboard-tasting-tofu-and-wheatgrass-smoothies” a.k.a. “vegangelicalism.” These really taste like the real deal! Chef Chloe’s blog, is a must-read, I will be back to sample more recipes, I’m sure! This is simple in nature, but makes SO many cookies it is time consuming (no complaints on that front though!).

Cookie Ingredients: 1 ¼ cup [...]]]>

nom nom...

So… file this under “spurge.” Or “what-to-bring-to-a-potluck-to-demonstrate-vegan-doesn’t-just-mean-cardboard-tasting-tofu-and-wheatgrass-smoothies” a.k.a. “vegangelicalism.” These really taste like the real deal! Chef Chloe’s blog, is a must-read, I will be back to sample more recipes, I’m sure! This is simple in nature, but makes SO many cookies it is time consuming (no complaints on that front though!).

Cookie Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ tsp baking soda
¾ cup vegan margarine, softened
3 Tbsp soy or almond milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp pure peppermint extract

Cookie Directions:
In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt.  Add softened margarine, milk, vanilla and peppermint extract. Pulse a few times until well blended. I had to add about another tablespoon of soy milk. Transfer to a bowl and knead for about a minute. Form into a ball and refrigerate for one hour. Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough into small balls (reallly for the thin mint look they need to be about 1 tsp in size). Space on a cookie sheet about 2″ apart and flatten with fingertips until 1/4″ flat. Bake approximately 11 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Coating Ingredients:
2 cups vegan semi sweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp vegan margarine
1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Coating Directions:
Melt ingredients together in a double boiler. Seriously, a double boiler. I tried just over a low heat and it didn’t work. I may have messed up by adding a little soymilk (didn’t seem like it was going to get liquid enough?). I ended up double boiling and adding almost 1/2 C soymilk. When it’s nice and runny, dip in each cookie and scrape off excess. This was a bit of a challenge because it was sort of finger-burny. Frosting top/bottom/sides also worked well. Place each coated cookie on wax paper and place in fridge to cool. Store frozen cookies between wax paper layers.

A variation on trail mix bars. With a deep chocolate flavor this time.

In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup rice syrup, 1/4 cup almond butter, 1/4 cup chocolate chips and 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder. Stir over medium/low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour 3 1/2 cup puffed cereal [...]]]>

A variation on trail mix bars. With a deep chocolate flavor this time.

In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup rice syrup, 1/4 cup almond butter, 1/4 cup chocolate chips and 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder. Stir over medium/low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour 3 1/2 cup puffed cereal (I found puffed kamut at my Safeway) into a large bowl and mix with syrup/chocolate mixture.  Add more cereal as needed to make a good bar consistency. Spray a 8 inch square pan with cooking spray. Press bar mixture into pan and let cool before cutting into 9 squares.

Yum. I can’t stop making this. Another vegan winner from Vegetarian Times. Total Eclipse Chocolate Cake.  I keep telling myself I just need one more sample to figure out how this combination of ingredients could possibly turn out so rich. So chocolaty. Love. Can you see where I ate the corner off before I took [...]]]>

Yum. I can’t stop making this. Another vegan winner from Vegetarian Times. Total Eclipse Chocolate Cake.  I keep telling myself I just need one more sample to figure out how this combination of ingredients could possibly turn out so rich. So chocolaty. Love. Can you see where I ate the corner off before I took the photo? : ) This is half the recipe which fits into a 8″x8″ pan. Double and you can use two 9″ round pans and make a more traditional birthday like stacked cake.

Cake Ingredients:
3/4 C white flour
1/4 C + 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp flax seeds, ground very fine (a coffee grinder works well)
1/4 C pitted dates (about 5 dates)
3 oz silken tofu
1 1/2 tsp vegetable or corn oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C maple syrup

Cake Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Soak dates in half a cup of hot water for 30 minutes. Spray a 8″x8″ pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle in a little bit of cocoa powder and shake pan to distribute/coat sides. In a large bowl whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda.

In a small blender mix the ground flax seeds with half a cup water for about 30 seconds until frothy. Add dates, their soaking water, oil and vanilla and continue to blend until smooth. Add to dry mixture with the maple syrup.  Stir until just combined. Pour into pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until springs back to touch on top or a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 5-10 minutes then turn out onto a rack to cool further.

Recipe for frosting to follow!

These are extra fun to make because of a surprise ingredient: avocado! From Vegetarian Times: Glazed Chocolate-Avocado Cupcakes. SUPER rich, shared with friends on Valentine’s Day – positive feedback from all.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

1½ cups all-purpose flour ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking powder ¾ teaspoon. baking soda 1/4 teaspoon . salt 1 avocado, pitted and peeled 1 cup pure [...]]]>

These are extra fun to make because of a surprise ingredient: avocado! From Vegetarian Times: Glazed Chocolate-Avocado Cupcakes. SUPER rich, shared with friends on Valentine’s Day – positive feedback from all.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon. baking soda
1/4 teaspoon . salt
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
1 cup pure maple syrup
¾ cup plain soymilk
1/3 cup canola oil (I only had vegetable oil and it worked out just fine)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze

¼ block soft silken tofu, drained and patted dry
3 Tbs. pure maple syrup
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¹⁄8 tsp. salt
4 oz. semisweet vegan chocolate chips, melted

Directions:

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Blend avocado. Stir together syrup soy milk, oil and vanilla (I have a large two cup measuring cup that everything fit into) and pour mixture into blender to puree with avocado. My mixer did not fit all the liquids so I blended about half with the avocado and then transferred to a bowl to stir together. Whisk avocado mixture into dry ingredients. Spoon into a 12-cupcake pan, lined with paper cups or I used cooking spray instead. Cook 25 minutes then cool.

avocado mix and cocoa mix

Glaze

Blend together tofu, syrup, vanilla, salt.  Add melted chocolate and blend again. Pour into a bowl and dip cooled cupcakes in, pulling directly upwards to form peaks.  The frosting tastes kind of sour-creamy to me.  It’s good, but I actually like these better unfrosted, and next time might make them as brownies since they are so rich and cake-like.

Note: if you are going to cook cupcakes in the morning, leave in the afternoon to enjoy some wine in the park on a beautiful California Valentine’s Day, and then come home and frost them, you are going to get a photo with a shadow in it. Oh well.

Another tasty treat from VegNews. I have made these several times and they are crowd pleasers. Great to take along on a car ride or for a hike. Super easy to prepare, and I really like the flavor of the almond butter adds.

Ingredients:

2 cups rice cereal (I found Whole Foods bulk puffed rice cereal to [...]]]>

Another tasty treat from VegNews. I have made these several times and they are crowd pleasers. Great to take along on a car ride or for a hike. Super easy to prepare, and I really like the flavor of the almond butter adds.

Ingredients:

2 cups rice cereal (I found Whole Foods bulk puffed rice cereal to have the fewest extra ingredients)

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup cranberries

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4  cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup almonds – finely chopped or slivered

1/2 cup almond butter

1/2 cup brown rice syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Mix cereal, raisins, cranberries, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and almonds together in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, cook the brown rice syrup and almond butter for 1-2 minutes until warm and bubbling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal mix and stir to combine until evenly distributed. Press into a 9″ pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.

I found this pudding while going through a back copy of VegNews (jan + feb 2008). I’ve made other vegan chocolate pudding before, but this is far quicker and the nut crust makes for a very nice contrast to the pudding. I make a third of the recipe, which fits into a 500 ml ramekin [...]]]>

I found this pudding while going through a back copy of VegNews (jan + feb 2008). I’ve made other vegan chocolate pudding before, but this is far quicker and the nut crust makes for a very nice contrast to the pudding. I make a third of the recipe, which fits into a 500 ml ramekin and is the right size to last me for a few days.  You can double it to fill another ramekin or three times the measurements can be put into a 9 inch pie pan.

Crust ingredients:

1 tablespoon cocoa nibs (optional)

1/3 cup pecans

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup medjool dates, pitted (about 5 dates). If you keep these in the refrigerator, like I do, they can get tough. I microwave them for about 10 seconds before using so they are much softer.

1 tablespoon water, as needed

Crust directions:

In a hand blender, pulse cocoa nibs until finely ground. Add pecans and cinnamon and pulse again until coarsely ground. Add dates and continue to process. Add water as needed and process until mixture looks like a thick paste. Press into bottom of ramekin.

Note: you can skip the nut crust altogether, or substitute other nuts like walnuts or almonds. I have also added dried cherries which was very tasty.

Pudding ingredients:

¼ cup unbleached cane sugar (I sometimes use a little less)

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup unsweetened chocolate soymilk (you can also use regular unsweetened)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pudding directions:

In a small saucepan, stir together sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch until free of lumps. Whisk in soymilk. Whisk constantly over medium heat for 5 minutes or until very thick (which for me is right at the 5 minute mark). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over crust in ramekin. Chill or enjoy while warm!

Let’s start simple.  I love chocolate.  This is a bare-bones “recipe”, but if a chocolate fix is needed, it is sweet and very satisfying.

Ingredients:

1 Asian pear Unsweetened cocoa powder.

Directions:

Core and slice the pear. Arrange on a plate and sprinkle generously with cocoa powder. Serve.