Category Archives: baking at high altitude

Brown Butter Blondies with Cherries and Chocolate Chips

brown butter blondies with cherries

brown butter blondies with cherries and chocolate chips

Vegan butter has come a long way over the years. In the past the only option was run-of-the-mill margarine, but now some butter versions will actually brown. This may not sound like a big deal, but the act of browning changes not just the color but the flavor as well. As the butter turns amber in color, the flavor deepens. And if you are browning butter together with sugar, then you will be treated to a rich, butterscotch scent and taste.

Butter is often melted before adding to bar cookies, so I thought I’d start there but go one step further (as usual) and use browned butter to achieve a deeper flavor. After finding a vegan blondie recipe that called for melted butter, I then went one more step further by adding fresh and dried cherries to the batter.

All of my extras paid off! I achieved a rich dessert with my flavorful blondie. I also had a kitchen that smelled like a bit of heaven.

Until next time, happy baking!

brown butter blondies with cherries
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Brown Butter Blondies with Cherries and Chocolate Chips

Vegan butter has come a long way over the years. In the past the only option was run-of-the-mill margarine, but now some butter versions will actually brown. This may not sound like a big deal, but the act of browning changes not just the color but the flavor as well. As the butter turns amber in color, the flavor deepens. And if you are browning butter together with sugar, then you will be treated to a rich, butterscotch scent and taste.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Keyword: Bar Cookies, Blondies, Cherry, Chocolate, Recipe
Servings: 12 servings
Author: The Decadent Vegan Baker

Equipment

  • 8 x 8-inch baking pan
  • heavy bottomed saucepan

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup dried cherries chopped
  • 1/2 cup vegan butter a brand than browns
  • 1 cup firmly packed organic light brown sugar
  • 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons nondairy milk
  • 1.5 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 cup fresh cherries pitted and chopped
  • 1/2 cup vegan mini chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Set aside. Place the dried cherries in a small bowl and soak them in water (or complementary-flavored juice). Set aside.
  • Place the vegan butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan set over low to medium heat. Just before the butter is fully melted, add all the brown sugar at once and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is uniformly wet. Increase the heat to medium. Stir occasionally until the mixture looks like molten lava instead of wet sand, 3 to 5 minutes. Make sure to stir the entire bottom of the pot, and watch closely to see when the mixture changes.
  • Take the now molten lava mixture off the heat. Add the vanilla and stir well to incorporate. Add the milk, stir it in thoroughly, and set the mixture aside to cool to room temperature.
  • Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl. Add the cooled browned butter mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Strain the soaked cherries and add them to the bowl along with the fresh cherries and chocolate chips. Fold the cherries and chips gently into the batter.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and shake the pan to smooth the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack and cool the blondies completely before cutting.
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge or on the counter for up to 3 days.

Notes

Based on Chocolate Chunk Blondies by Robin Robertson

 

Sunken Chocolate Cake in an Oat Nut Crust

sunken chocolate cake with an oat nut crust

sunken chocolate cake with an oat nut crust

During Passover it is customary to refrain from eating flour. As Passover is around the corner, it seems a good time to make a flourless cake. A friend of mine, who is gluten-free, also has a birthday coming up, so all the more reason for me to venture into the area of baking without conventional flour.

My cookbook collection is vast, so it’s easy to find recipes for a myriad of baked goods. One book, Vegan Holiday Cooking from Candle Cafe, includes a section for a Passover seder. That is where I found instructions for the chocolate filling. As it bakes the cake becomes sunken on purpose, so the only high altitude adjustment is to use slightly less baking soda.

Another cookbook, Modern Vegan Baking, holds the process for the Oat Nut Crust. Putting the two together produces a substantial dessert that will make my friend smile. It also allows for leftovers to add to the seder table. If you don’t have a birthday or a seder soon, you can enjoy it on Earth Day.

Until next time, happy baking!

sunken chocolate cake with an oat nut crust
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Sunken Chocolate Cake in an Oat Nut Crust

During Passover it is customary to refrain from eating flour. As Passover is around the corner, it seems a good time to make a flourless cake. A friend of mine, who is gluten-free, also has a birthday coming up, so all the more reason to venture into the area of baking without conventional flour.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Keyword: Baking, Cake, Chocolate, Earth Day, Flourless, Gluten Free, Passover
Servings: 10
Author: The Decadent Vegan Baker

Equipment

  • 9" Springform Pan
  • food processor

Ingredients

for the crust

  • vegan shortening for greasing the pan
  • 2 cups (340 grams) nuts (see Note)
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 3 tablespoons vegan butter
  • 2 tablespoons agave syrup

for the filling

  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
  • 1 cup plain, unsweetened soy milk
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup organic sugar

Instructions

to make the crust

  • Prepare a 9” springform pan by greasing the bottom and sides, then laying a parchment circle in the bottom. Set aside.
  • Toast the nuts by preheating the oven to 325F. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until the nuts are fragrant and slightly browned, 5–8 minutes depending on the size and type of the nut you choose. Remove the baking tray from the oven and pour the nuts into a bowl to cool slightly. Turn the oven up to 350F.
  • Place the warmed nuts and oats into a food processor and pulse several times. Add the cinnamon, vegan butter, and agave then process until the mixture sticks together slightly. (You can test it by turning the machine off, removing the lid, and squeezing together a few spoonfuls. It should stay pressed together.)
  • Pour the crust mixture out into the prepared pan. Press it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Flatten the crust by taking a clean water glass and pressing it into the bottom of the crust. Set aside.

to make the filling

  • Sift the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and cinnamon into a large bowl. Mix well and ensure there are no clumps.
  • Place the soy milk, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, oil, and sugar into a blender. Blend on medium-high for two minutes until it gets a pudding-like texture. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well.
  • Pour the filling mixture into the prepared crust and smooth it out. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the cake is no longer jiggly.
  • Place the cooked cake on a wire rack to cool. When the cake is only barely warm, remove the outer ring on the springform pan. Carefully lift the cake out and remove the parchment paper. Let the cake further cool on a wire rack.
  • To serve, decorate the cake with organic powdered sugar or fresh berries and slice into wedges.

Notes

It is best to weigh the nuts instead of using a dry cup. I measured my walnuts both ways and the cup measurement contained far fewer nuts. Walnuts, and many other large nuts, leave gaps and don’t fill the cup.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes filled with Strawberry Pudding

chocolate cupcakes filled with strawberry pudding

chocolate cupcakes filled with strawberry pudding

Ah, Valentine’s Day. The time of love and chocolate, and sometimes strawberries. To honor this holiday, I like to combine chocolate and strawberries (with love) in a decadent dessert.

There are several vegan chocolate cupcake recipes in my repertoire, so I pulled one up and searched for a strawberry aspect. Simply Delish Instant Strawberry Pudding is quick and vegan, so I knew it would make the perfect match for my chocolate cupcakes.

To give the cupcakes extra love, they were decorated with hearts. I used decorative sugar crystals by Color Garden, rainbow softies sprinkles by Supernatural, and some red sparkly stuff without a label that I found with my decorating supplies. Yeah, it got crazy in the kitchen.

Until next time, happy baking!

chocolate cupcakes filled with strawberry pudding
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Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes filled with Strawberry Pudding

Ah, Valentine’s Day. The time of love and chocolate, and sometimes strawberries. To honor this holiday, I like to combine chocolate and strawberries (with love) in a decadent dessert.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Keyword: Baking, Chocolate, Cupcake, High Altitude, Valentines Day
Servings: 6
Author: The Decadent Vegan Baker

Equipment

  • 1 Stand Mixer
  • 1 Pastry Bag
  • 1 Muffin Tin

Ingredients

for the cupcakes

  • 1/2 cup soy milk
  • 1.5 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 3/8 cup natural cocoa powder not Dutch process
  • 1/4 cup boiling water
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 3 tablespoons aquafaba
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup vegan granulated sugar

for the filling

  • 1 box instant strawberry pudding (I used Simply Delish)
  • 1.25 cups plant-based creamer

for the frosting

  • 6 tablespoons cold vegan butter
  • 2 tablespoons vegan shortening
  • 3 cups vegan powdered sugar sifted
  • 3 teaspoons non-dairy milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F with a rack in the middle of the oven. Line a standard muffin tin with paper cups and set aside. Place soy milk in a jar and add the apple cider vinegar. Place the lid on the jar and shake gently to combine. Let sit for 15 minutes to curdle.
  • Put cocoa powder in a large heatproof bowl. Add boiling water and whisk until a smooth paste forms. Whisk in curdled milk, oil, aquafaba, and 3/4 tsp vanilla until combined. In a medium bowl, sift flour with baking soda, baking powder, salt, and granulated sugar. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir to combine.
  • Spoon the batter into the muffin cups until they are half full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with just a few crumbs. Let cupcakes cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Meanwhile, make the filling. Empty the packet of pudding into a mixing bowl with the creamer. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat on slow for 3-5 minutes until light and creamy. Spoon the filling into a pastry bag with the tip cut off. (No pastry tip needed). Set aside.
  • Next, make the frosting. Place the vegan butter and shortening in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with the non-dairy milk and 1/2 tsp vanilla, until it is smooth and creamy. Set aside.
  • When the cupcakes have cooled, use a small knife or a cupcake corer to make a small well in the center of each cupcake. (Remove the cupcake bits to snack on). Using the pastry bag with the pudding filling, pipe the filling into the well to be level with the top of each cupcake.
  • Spoon a dollop of frosting on top of each cupcake, thus covering the filling. Smooth the frosting with a regular or offset spatula. Decorate as desired with whatever you have on hand.
  • Store frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Notes

You will have leftover pudding and frosting. This is not a bad thing. They are great sandwiched between two cookies.

5 No-Bake Vegan Recipes to Keep You Going Strong in Veganuary

We are almost at the end of Veganuary. If you made the commitment to be plant-based this month, then Congratulations! I know that jumping right in to being vegan can be a difficult task, so to keep you on track I compiled my favorite easy no-baking-required recipes. And since desserts are kinda my thing, the recipes are all for sweet treats. Oh, and there’s lots of chocolate involved.

  1. Easy Chocolate Pudding Parfait

It is fun to reimagine recipes I’ve made in the past. Often this is spurred on by scrounging around in my cupboard and discovering an ingredient that needs to be used up. In this case it was an aseptic box of tofu that was hovering near to its expiration date.

2. Chocolate Tahini Bars

Bar cookies are often rustic looking and are best to grab for a quick dessert. But these bars are different. They are elegant, delicious, and decadent, making them a perfect party treat. They also have no refined sweeteners so they are a healthier option. But if you don’t tell your guests, I won’t.

3. Vegan Espresso Date Shake

With a scorcher of a weekend imminent, it’s time to turn off the oven (no baking??) and bring out the blender. Thoughts of blended beverages has my imagination conjuring up frosty glasses filled with cool drinks. But then, an old memory surfaces.

4. Chai Spiced Milk and DIY Plant-Milk Tips

I’m still celebrating World Plant-Milk Day (or Week, as the case may be). If you’re new to the event, and wondering what I’m talking about, then catch my post from earlier this week. If you’re ready for some advice on making your own plant milk, then read on.

5. Chocolate Crispy Rice Treat Cake

Argh! It’s still too darned hot to turn on the oven. But I won’t let that stop me from enjoying an indulgent treat. Rice crispy treats are a good one to turn to when the weather is a scorcher.

Until next time, happy non-baking!