Peanut Butter Mousse Pie in a Chocolate Crust

Ah, peanut butter and chocolate. What a perfect combination. But do you know how to make perfect even more wonderful? Make the peanut butter and chocolate into a light and fluffy pie.

I’ve made chocolate and peanut butter pies in the past, but the combination of ingredients can be a little dense. Recipes for fluffy pies caught my eye, but I couldn’t replicate the flavor combination in a vegan version. That is, I couldn’t until I tried Country Crock Plant Cream. It’s easy to work with and makes gorgeous fluff. No one is paying me to say this, I am just glad this product was invented with the vegan baker in mind.

The creators at Cooks Country have my trust, so I chose their pie recipe to transform into a vegan one. To up the ante I made the dessert more allergy-friendly by using gluten-free cookies in the crust. (Sometimes I am an overachiever). Plant Cream took the place of heavy cream and vegan cream cheese and butter were used as well. The result was a beautiful, light, and, yes, fluffy pie.

Peanut Butter Mousse Pie in a Chocolate Crust adapted from Cooks Country

vegan butter, for greasing the pie plate
roughly 6.5 ounces chocolate chocolate chip cookies (I used one box of Enjoy Life Double Chocolate Cookies)
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons vegan butter, slightly cooled
2 tablespoons roasted, unsalted peanuts
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons organic powdered sugar, sifted
3/4 cup peanut butter (creamy is best)
6 ounces vegan cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups Country Crock Plant Cream, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
vegan chocolate candies, for decoration

Preheat oven to 325F with oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.

Break cookies into 1-inch pieces. Place them in a food processor and pulse until they are finely ground. Add cocoa powder and melted butter and pulse until combined, about 8 pulses. Transfer this mixture to the prepared pie plate. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the plate using the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is fragrant and set. Let the cooked crust cool completely on a wire rack, for about 30 minutes. When the crust has cooled, spread the peanuts evenly across the bottom of the crust.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix 3/4 cup powdered sugar, peanut butter, cream cheese, and 3 tablespoons plant cream on low speed until combined, for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl and set aside.

Wipe out the mixer bowl with a paper towel. Add 3/4 cup plant cream to mixer bowl and whip on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes. Gently fold whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture in two additions until no white streaks remain. Spoon the filling into the crust over top of the peanuts. Spread the filling in an even layer.

In the now-empty mixer bowl, whip vanilla, remaining cream, and remaining 2 tablespoons powdered sugar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes. Spread whipped cream evenly over filling. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Decorate with candies.

Until next time, happy baking!

Apple Raisin Mini Muffins

Apr30

I’ve been enjoying the challenge of scaling full-size recipes down by using different pan sizes. It’s helpful if you have a smaller family, or if you’re concerned about not eating too much dessert. (Although that second idea is nonsense because there is no such thing as “too much dessert,” is there?)

My favorite taste tester was looking for a quick afternoon snack, so I thought I’d go for mini muffins. They are great anytime, really; breakfast, mid-day, late night. Just ask my tester because he ended up eating them all day long.

Now it was time to learn how to make smaller treats. Craftsy covers a variety of pastimes on their blog, including baking, and they had a post on how to Make It Mini. Their good advice included ingredient preparation. “Chocolate chips, dried fruit, and nuts are all excellent mix-ins because the(y) can easily be chopped down to a suitable size.” That meant I needed to chop my dried fruit so when I bit into a muffin it wouldn’t just offer a big, fat raisin. It also made me realize that cutting up the fresh apple strands would help distribute the ingredients.

Other recommendations were for greasing the mini muffin pans in lieu of using liners, and adjusting the baking time to avoid overbaking. I followed these suggestions and the result was perfectly moist muffin bites.

The article’s description of yield didn’t match up with what I produced. “Mini muffins are one-third the size of regular muffins, which means that a big muffin recipe that yields 12 large muffins will produce 36 mini muffins.” But, at altitude it’s best not to fill the muffin cups all the way (as mentioned in my post Misguided High Altitude Guidelines). Therefore my tins had batter that didn’t exceed 2/3 full, and I ended up with 47 minis.

Okay, enough prep talk. Let’s bake!

Apple Raisin Mini Muffins adapted from Allergy Free Cookbook by Alice Sherwood

2 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
pinch fine sea salt
2.5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or more if you love cinnamon like I do)
3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons vegan butter, melted then cooled slightly
3/4 cup + 2 teaspoons non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 small to medium apples, cored, peeled, and grated into short strands
2 tablespoons chopped raisins
2 teaspoons vegan cane sugar for sprinkling on top
vegan shortening, for greasing the muffin pans

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease 47 cavities of your mini muffin pans, and set aside.

Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and brown sugar into a medium bowl. Add the melted vegan butter, non-dairy milk, and vanilla and stir until almost incorporated. Add the grated apples and chopped raisins and stir to combine. The dough will be thick.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups until the cups are 2/3 full. You may need to press the fruit bits down into the cups with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 13-15 minutes until the cupcakes are pale golden and firm to the touch. Set the muffin tins on a wire rack until the minis are cool. They should tip out easily when ready.

Mini muffins can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for a few days.

Until next time, happy baking!

Misguided High Altitude Guidelines

Mar26

Some of my readers share that they have trouble baking at high altitude, whether they are vegan or not. High altitude baking is a challenge for any eater, and I am glad that I can offer tips and recipes for those looking to overcome the inherent problems at higher altitudes.

Throughout my early research I uncovered a multitude of baking suggestions, and I was overjoyed to get hints on how to make my baked goods successful. I was willing to try anything that was relevant to vegan baking, and in doing so I discovered that not all high altitude “rules” were actually correct. Let me discuss those rules now so you don’t have to waste time with misguided information.

Raise your oven temperature by 25 degrees F. I tried this on many types of baked goods and didn’t see a positive effect. At first I thought it could be that my oven temperature wasn’t accurate, so I got an oven thermometer and had the oven adjusted accordingly. My resulting cakes had dry crusty exteriors, although cookies didn’t fare as badly. My guess is that the longer an item is in the oven, the more likely this method will have bad results.

No changes are needed when baking cookies. Speaking of cookies, here is a suggestion that I’ve learned to adapt. Some cookies turn out perfectly without alteration, but many cookies spread too much. In Pie in the Sky, Susan Purdy explains that “the more they spread, the thinner and crisper (or tougher) they get … (To) reduce spreading, strengthen the batter by reducing the sugar, leavening, and very occasionally, fat; sometimes you can also add a little flour.” I have also found that by placing the cookie dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes can give it the strength it needs to form proper cookies.

Reduce oven temperature when using glass baking dishes. Interestingly enough, this seems to contradict the tip for raising the temperature. One of the first recipes I tried to adapt was brownies, and at that time I was baking them in a Pyrex dish. After reading these two opposing suggestions, I decided to disregard them both because they seemed incorrect. Now I no longer bake in glass dishes, so it may be a moot point.

Bake in larger pans to avoid overflowing batter. My test for this was a disaster. The cake baked horribly uneven and the edges burned. My suggestion is to use the pan size listed in the recipe but make sure that the pans are not overfilled. If a sea-level muffin recipe says to fill the muffin cups to 2/3 full, it’s better to make them closer to 1/2 full. Any more and they are likely to rise quickly and spill out of the cups. The same concept holds true for quick breads and cakes.

The high altitude suggestions I follow on a regular basis are mentioned in my post It’s All in the Math. By reducing leaveners and sugars, while increasing liquid, I have been assured of greater success with my baking at altitudes up to 7,000 feet. Admittedly, I haven’t used an oven over that altitude. I have friends who live up at 10,000 feet, and after listening to their baking trials and setbacks I must say that they have far surpassed my efforts. My hat is off to them.

Until next time, happy baking!

photo credit: morgane perraud on unsplash

Vegan Chocolate Chocolate Cheesecake

Feb11

This recipe nailed it.

I have made vegan cheesecakes in the past. Some were raw versions, which are a bit runny. To solve that texture issue I could add coconut oil, but I don’t like coconut. I scoured baked examples and found other ingredients I wasn’t interested in, such as cornstarch.

So, the search for the perfect cheesecake continued until I got very, very creative. I combined ideas from just about every vegan cheesecake recipe I found. And it worked.

My chocolate chocolate cheesecake is rich, but not too dense. It’s got chocolate filling and a chocolate crust, so the taste is amazing. And it is baked in the oven so the texture has the firmness I remembered from non-vegan cheesecakes. Also, the presentation is gorgeous. (Hubby said I could sell it in restaurants.)

The process it took to get to this treat took a winding path, from varying ingredients to changing baking pans. At least I looked at vegan recipes so I didn’t have to make alterations for that. Luckily, I also didn’t have to adjust for high altitude.

Here is my creation, in all of it’s restaurant-worthy glory. I hope you enjoy it for Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s day, or just when the mood strikes you.

Vegan Chocolate Chocolate Cheesecake

for the crust

vegan shortening or vegan butter to grease the pan

1-1/2 cups vegan oreo-style cookie crumbs

1/4 cup vegan butter, melted

for the filling

2/3 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

7 ounces vegan cream cheese, at room temperature

12.3 ounces extra firm silken tofu

3/4 cup organic granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the decorations

vegan white chocolate chips, melted

vegan oreo-style cookies, whole or crumbs

Preheat oven to 350F. Place a parchment round on the bottom of a 9” round springform pan, then grease it and the sides of the pan.

In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs and melted butter, and mix until the crumbs resemble wet sand. Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared springform pan, pressing it down with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then set it on a wire rack to cool a bit while you prepare the filling. Leave the oven on.

Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips to the top of a double boiler. Allow them to melt almost fully, then stir the chips until they are completely melted.

In a food processor, combine the cream cheese, tofu, sugar, vanilla, and melted chocolate, and process until smooth. Spread the filling evenly onto the crust. Bake until just firm and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 23-27 minutes.

Transfer the springform pan to a wire rack and let the cheesecake cool completely, about 2 hours. Refrigerate the cheesecake in the pan for 3 hours, cover it with plastic wrap, then refrigerate it for 4 hours or more.

Remove the cake from the fridge. If the top of the cheesecake collected moisture, then blot it gently with a paper towel. Carefully release the springform pan and transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate. Decorate the cake with melted vegan white chocolate and additional cookies.

Until next time, happy baking!

Convert to a Different Cake Pan Size and Blueberry Cake recipe

Jan28

Recently I posted on how I made a Moderate Midnight Chocolate Cake in a smaller-sized bundt pan. The conversion for that recipe was easy as all I had to do was cut the ingredients in half from the full-sized bundt pan recipe amounts.

I thought it would be fun to make another small bundt cake, but this time I looked at a recipe that used a loaf or a round cake pan. So, how do you go from one cake pan to a very different one and still make a successful cake? To start you need to know how many cups your pan holds.

The recipe I found originally called for a 9-inch round cake pan or a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Upon searching the internet, I found out that these each hold 8 cups so it made sense that they were interchangeable sizes. I knew from my research on bundt pans that my small pan holds 6 cups. Quick math told me that my pan was 75% smaller (or 6 cups divided by 8 cups). That meant I needed to multiply each measurement in the ingredient list by 75%. So far so good.

Next, I needed to throw in a few small tweaks for altitude, which gave me more flour and plant milk and less baking powder. After that I made an adjustment to the baking time to account for the overall smaller size of the cake. I began with 75% of the time used for the smaller pan in the original recipe, figuring I could add more time if needed. The reduced time was right on the mark, and the cake baked beautifully.

I was inspired to add lemon to complement the blueberry flavor. You could also make this with chocolate chips instead of blueberries to be more decadent. Or you can turn it into 6 cupcakes if that is what you prefer, but be sure to reduce the baking time by at least half because cupcakes are much smaller and bake faster.

Vegan Blueberry Cake with Lemon Glaze adapted from Vegan Blueberry Cake

shortening, to prepare cake pan
2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra to prepare cake pan
3/4 cup organic sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1.25 – 1.5 cups frozen blueberries (depending on their size), still frozen
1 cup non-dairy milk, unsweetened and unflavored
3 ounces canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
lemon glaze
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon non-dairy milk, if needed

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 6-cup bundt pan, making sure to get into every crevice. Set aside.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Remove 1/2 cup of the flour mixture and place it in a medium bowl. Add the blueberries to the medium bowl and lightly toss them to coat in the flour mixture.

Add the non-dairy milk, oil, and vanilla to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the milk mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture. Stir with a spatula until just combined. Add the flour-coated blueberries and fold gently to incorporate them into the batter. Do not overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Hit the pan lightly oil the counter to level the batter.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes away with a few crumbs. Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan set on a wire rack, then gently loosen the center and cake edges from the pan using a small spatula. Invert the pan onto a wire rack and let the cake cool for 20 minutes.

To unmold, pick up the rack with the pan on top and lightly tap both on the counter to loosen the cake. Remove the pan from atop the cake and place the rack on the counter to allow the cake to cool completely.

While the cake is cooling, make the glaze by sifting the powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Stir in the lemon juice. Keep stirring until no dry sugar remains. If some dry sugar remains, then add the 1/2 teaspoon non-dairy milk and stir until incorporated. The glaze should be smooth and glossy but not so thick that it won’t pour.

Once the cake is fully cooled, pour or drizzle the glaze over the cake.

chocolate chip cake with mocha glaze — chocolate chip version

Until next time, happy baking!

Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Sandwiches

Dec22

It’s cookie season! Well, to me cookies are always in season, but cookie baking seems to be at an all time high right now. Especially in my kitchen where I recently baked dozens and dozens of cookies for holiday gifts and cookie exchanges.

When making many cookies I love to try new recipes, but it’s nice to fall back on favored creations from the past that have already had the kinks worked out. And yet, sometimes it’s nice to riff on a favorite. That’s where this cookie sandwich comes in.

My Chocolate Roll-Out Sugar Cookies are vegan and gluten-free, but for this baking frenzy I realized I was out of gluten-free flour. So after swapping in all-purpose flour, and a few other ingredients for ones I was low on, I decided to create a cookie sandwich. With a simple peppermint filling I turned a nice cookie into something magical.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Sandwiches adapted from Chocolate Roll-Out Sugar Cookies

Chocolate cookies
1.75 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup dutch process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon + a pinch fine sea salt
1 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 cup unsalted vegan butter, softened
1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon unsweetened non-dairy milk
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Peppermint frosting
2 cups organic powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vegan butter, softened
3 teaspoons warm water
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

To make the cookies, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cane sugar and 1/2 cup vegan butter until creamy. Beat in the non-dairy milk, vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined.

Split the dough into two discs and wrap each in plastic wrap. Let the dough discs rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a flat surface, lay out a large piece of plastic wrap. Place a rested disc of dough in the center and top with another piece of plastic wrap. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until the dough is just under 1/4-inch thick. Cut the dough using a festive cookie cutter. Place the cookies on a baking sheet. Repeat with the second disc of dough until all dough, including the scraps, has been cut into cookies.

Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies firm up on the edges. Remove baking sheets from the oven and place on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the peppermint frosting by placing the 2 teaspoons vegan butter into a bowl. Smash the butter with a spoon to soften. Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl, then stir together.

Gradually add the water, one teaspoon at a time, and stir until the frosting is smooth. Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract until well combined. The frosting should be spreadable and slightly stiff. If it is too stiff, stir in more water. If it is too runny, stir in more powdered sugar.

To assemble the cookie sandwiches, spoon a dollop of frosting onto the bottom of a cookie. Place another cookie on top, bottom side down, and press lightly until the sandwich holds together. If the frosting starts to dry out during assembly, then stir in a few drops of water. Store the cookies in an airtight container.

Until next time, happy (holiday) baking!

Moderate Midnight Chocolate Cake

Nov27

I do love a good sale, so Black Friday is loads of fun. What does that have to do with baking? For the purchase of baking pans, of course!

Bundt pans are very useful for high-altitude baking, so when they go on sale I scour the internet with glee. There are several 10-cup Bundt pans in my arsenal; it was time to get a more manageable 6-cup model.

With the smaller version in hand, I looked back at favorite Bundt pan recipes. My Midnight Chocolate Cake has always been well-liked, so I chose that for the new pan. Checking the recipes on Nordic Ware led to the tip that you can simply halve a full-sized recipe to use in the more petite pan. Whew! That makes things much easier.

When my hubby saw me making a half-sized version of the cake, he asked why. My response was a query of what would two people do with a large cake. His reply, “Eat it!” With that, I give you my sensibly-sized revision.

Moderate Midnight Chocolate Cake

Shortening, to grease pan
1/2 cup cocoa powder (packed tightly) + extra to dust pan
1 cup + 3 tablespoons boiling water
1.25 teaspoons instant coffee
1.25 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt, depending on how salty your butter is
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegan butter (at room temperature)
1.5 cups organic cane sugar
1/2 cup pureed silken tofu
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla pastry cream and crushed peppermint candies, for decoration

Preheat the oven to 350F. Use shortening to grease a 6-cup bundt pan then dust the inside with cocoa powder. Set aside.

Mix boiling water with 1/2 cup cocoa powder and instant coffee and whisk well. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, sift together the flours, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and tofu. Alternate adding cupfuls of dry ingredients then cocoa liquid to the creamed butter mixture. Scrape down the sides as needed. Add vanilla and beat until fluffy.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out with a few specks clinging to it.

Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan set on a wire rack. Gently loosen the center and cake edges from the pan using a small spatula. Invert the pan onto a wire rack and let the cake sit for 20 minutes.

Until next time, happy baking!

Snicker Bar Sugar Cookies

Oct15

October means only one thing to some people … Halloween candy! I often make candy to celebrate the season, but I found an idea for a new tasty treat. This was the year for cookies reminiscent of the flavors of a candy bar.

My holiday sugar cookies have a simple dough, so they make a great base for additional flavors. Peanuts, dates, and chocolate can mimic the tastes of a Snicker Bar, so adding chopped dates and peanut pieces to the dough then dipping the cookies in chocolate makes a wonderful cookie-meets-candy-bar.

My recipe was already high altitude and vegan, of course, but I made a few tweaks to accommodate a drop cookie. I also made a chocolate dipping sauce and sprinkled crushed peanuts on the dipped cookie. Halloween candy has nothing on this decadent delight!

Snicker Bar Sugar Cookies inspired by Vegan Snickers Cookies

4 tablespoon non-dairy milk, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
2.25 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1.5 sticks vegan butter, at cool room temperature (I used Country Crock)
1/4 cup organic sugar
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 soft medjool dates, pitted and chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted peanuts, chopped and divided
3 ounces vegan dark chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine non-dairy milk and vinegar. Let sit for 15 minutes to curdle.

Place the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in medium bowl. Whisk together, then set aside.

Place the vegan butter and both sugars into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until well-combined and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the vinegar-milk mixture and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the flour-leaveners mixture and mix on low until incorporated. Stir in the dates and 4 tablespoons of peanuts.

Place the bowl of dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to stiffen. After 10 minutes, scoop out balls of dough the size of walnuts then place them on the baking sheets. Flatten the balls with the bottom of a measuring cup.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until cookies are set and beginning to brown on the edges. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cookies cool, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler set on the stove. Dip the cooled cookies, one at a time, into the melted chocolate. Let the chocolate go halfway up each cookie. Place the dipped cookies on a wire rack set over a piece of parchment paper (to catch the drips). Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of peanuts over the melted chocolate on the cookies. Let the cookies sit until the chocolate has fully cooled. Makes 25 cookies.

Until next time, happy baking!

Vegan Honey Mini Cakes for a Sweet New Year

Sep29

This week was a celebration of the Jewish New Year. The tradition is to eat honey cakes at this time to ensure sweetness in the upcoming year. Because honey is not a vegan food, vegan bakers can turn to a honey substitute to have a sweet new year.

I have a honey-like syrup in my files from my “A Sweet New Year Apple Muffins,” so I went in search of a honey cake recipe that I could use it in. What I found was perfect because the spices in the cake would go well with the fruit in the vegan honey. Also, the cake was already vegan, but I amped it up by using my own egg substitute described in “Super Flegg – A Perfect Egg Substitute.”

Next I put the high altitude spin on it by adding flour and liquid (in the form of applesauce), then reduced the leaveners. The batter was divvied into mini cake pans to help with rise issues caused by altitude, but that had an added bonus. I now had several mini cakes so each person could have their own tasty treat to enjoy while ringing in the new year.

Vegan Honey Mini Cakes for a Sweet New Year adapted from Vegan Honey Cake for Rosh Hashanah

for the vegan honey
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
1/8 cup pure maple syrup
1/8 cup agave syrup
1/2 teaspoon vegan sugar
1/2 organic orange, thinly sliced
1/2 organic lemon, thinly sliced
for the cakes
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
3 tablespoons aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas)
1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1.25 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup raisins, optional

To make the vegan honey, combine the syrups and sugar in a medium saucepan with high sides. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add the sliced fruit. Lower the heat and cook at a low boil for 15 minutes, stirring a few times. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a low boil. Once a syrupy consistency is reached, pour the liquid through a mesh strainer into a heat-safe measuring cup, discarding the fruit. If you do not have 1/2 cup of syrup, then add agave syrup to reach that amount. Set aside to cool.

For the cakes, preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour the cups of a mini cakes pan, or a muffin tin.

Prepare the super flegg by putting the ground flaxseeds and the aquafaba in a small bowl and stirring well. Set aside to thicken.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves into a large bowl. Place the applesauce, oil, vanilla, vegan honey, and super flegg into a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Stir in the raisins, if using.

Divide the batter among the cups of the pan you are using. Do not fill the wells completely or your cakes will overflow while baking. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes, depending on the pan used, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out with a few small crumbs. Place the baking pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then tip the cakes onto a wire rack to fully cool.

Until next time, Happy New Year and happy baking!

Chocolate Shell for Ice Cream

Aug28

We are nearing the end of Plant Milk Week. I hope you enjoyed the journey from the origins of World Plant Milk Day, to advice for making milk at home, and through to a soup that obtains its creaminess from plant-based milk.

Plant milk is also an important ingredient in vegan ice cream, as I’ve demonstrated in my posts for Coffee Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches and Cookies and Cream Vegan Ice Cream. I show how to make ice cream with your homemade plant milk, but to complete this excursion I decided to provide a chocolate shell to dress up the ice cream.

If you are unfamiliar with this ice cream topping, you may have heard it called Magic Shell. Why is it magic? Because the liquid chocolate hardens on ice cream as if by magic. The chocolatey, oily dip gets its “instant-hardening ability from oils like coconut and sunflower that are high in saturated fat. As temperature drops, saturated fats harden, and coconut oil in particular turns firm, almost glassy, when cold,” according to Serious Eats.

So, dish up some vegan ice cream (DIY or store-bought), pour this chocolate shell over it, and have fun cracking the coating so that you can reach the luscious frozen dessert underneath.

Chocolate Shell for Ice Cream

8 ounces vegan bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons refined coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the chocolate and oil in a large bowl and set the bowl above water simmering in a pot. (This is the double boiler method for melting chocolate.) Be sure that no water or steam gets into the bowl. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let the contents come to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla. Serve over very cold ice cream. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Until next time, happy non-baking!

Vegan Baking Up High

making tasty vegan treats at high altitude

Peanut Butter Mousse Pie in a Chocolate Crust

Apple Raisin Mini Muffins

Misguided High Altitude Guidelines

Convert to a Different Cake Pan Size and Blueberry Cake recipe

Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Sandwiches

Moderate Midnight Chocolate Cake

Snicker Bar Sugar Cookies

Vegan Honey Mini Cakes for a Sweet New Year

Chocolate Shell for Ice Cream