No Bake Key Lime Pie Parfaits

It’s hot all over right now. Definitely too hot to turn on the oven. And it’s hard to concentrate on creating dessert, but a yummy treat does make me feel better. The answer to the dilemma is a no-bake sweet.

When I was a kid I would make a key lime pie whose recipe was on the package of a pre-baked pie shell. It was so simple to make, providing quick gratification without working up a sweat. It seemed perfect, so I dug up the recipe.

After I found vegan versions of the ingredients I had a revelation. The pie could be deconstructed for a fun, somewhat elegant, and still easy dessert. I mixed the base, layered the ingredients in a glass, and the Key Lime Pie Parfait was born.

key lime pie parfait ingredients

Until next time, happy non-baking!

Print Recipe

No Bake Key Lime Pie Parfaits

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Vegan

Keyword: Key Lime, No Bake, Pie, Summer, Sweetened condensed milk, Whipped Topping

Servings: 6

Author: The Decadent Vegan Baker

Ingredients

1 can vegan sweetened condensed milk
5 ounces frozen limeade concentrate from a can thawed slightly (see note)
1 container vegan whipped topping thawed per package directions
cookies for layering such as graham crackers, chocolate or vanilla wafers, or Biscoff

Instructions

Place the sweetened condensed milk and limeade concentrate in a large bowl and mix well. Using a spatula, fold in the whipped topping until combined. Refrigerate for one hour to allow filling to firm up.
Put as many cookies as desired in a plastic bag and gently bash with a large spoon until crumbs of various sizes remain. Place a spoonful of crumbs in the bottom of a parfait glass. Cover the crumbs with two spoonfuls of key lime filling. Repeat the layers, then finish with a sprinkle of topping. Repeat the process in fresh glasses until no filling remains. Serve immediately.

Notes

Note: You will not use an entire container. Make some refreshing limeade with the rest.

Oreo Cookie Pie

Sep28

oreo cookie pie

The weather is cooling down, an indicator that fall had finally arrived. The lower temperatures and color-turning leaves take me back to my childhood and the return to school. Books, studying, and snack-packs of Oreo cookie sandwiches come to mind.

I still have my head in books, and I’m a perpetual student, so bring on the chocolate cookie sandwiches. But this time, make them in a decadent pie form with extra creamy goodness.

The following recipe, that I adapted from Cookies and Cream Pie, only required vegan swaps for the regular dairy ingredients. Fortunately, Oreo cookies are “accidentally” vegan making this dessert fairly simple. The hard part was not devouring half of it in one sitting.

Until next time, happy baking!

Print Recipe

Oreo Cookie Pie

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Vegan

Keyword: Chocolate, Fall, Oreo Cookie, Pie, Recipe

Author: The Decadent Vegan Baker

Equipment

1 8 x 8-inch baking pan
Stand Mixer

Ingredients

for the crust

24 Oreo sandwich cookies or other chocolate creme-filled cookie sandwiches
4.5 tablespoons vegan butter melted

for the filling

1 cup plant cream cold
3/4 cup powdered sugar sifted, divided
8 ounces brick-style vegan cream cheese softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 Oreo sandwich cookies or other chocolate creme-filled cookie sandwiches, chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the bottom of an 8 x 8-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Set aside.
Pulse the 24 cookies in a food processor until you reach a fine crumb. Place the crumbs in a bowl and stir in the melted vegan butter. Pour the crust mixture into the lined baking pan, pressing it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. You can use the bottom of a clean glass for this. Bake for 10 minutes, then set on a wire rack to cool.
While the crust cools, prepare the filling by placing the plant cream and 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip the mixture into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, for about 4 minutes. Scoop the whipped cream into a bowl and set aside.
Wipe out the bowl of the stand mixer and add the paddle attachment. Beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the vanilla and the remaining 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar to the bowl. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, stopping to check once or twice to ensure there are no large lumps remaining.
Using a spatula, gently fold the whipped cream and chopped Oreos into the cream cheese mixture until combined. Keep as much air in the whipped cream as possible. Spread the filling evenly over the cooled crust. Use an offset spatula to flatten the top. Cover the pie tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 6 hours and up to 2 days.
To serve, remove from the refrigerator and cut into slices with a sharp knife. Enjoy immediately, as the pie gets mushy if it gets too warm.

Vegan Chick’n Pot Pie, gluten free option

Jan20

We’ve made it halfway through January, the time when our new year resolve falters. To those who have accepted the Veganuary challenge, you could be looking for more inspiration right about now. Eating vegan may have sounded fun, but now your hungry for more. And by hungry, I mean you want something to eat now that is easy to make and offers some warm comfort in this cold month.

So, I am straying from my usual dessert fare into the realm of main dishes. Pot pies are often considered the ultimate comfort food, and making them vegan is quite simple. With a ready-made crust, the hardest part of this dish is waiting for it to bake in the oven. (I suppose chopping up lots of vegetables is also difficult for some people; maybe you can get a friend to help.)

You can choose a gluten free crust, if desired. If you get the frozen ones by Wholly Gluten Free, as I did, they come in pairs. This leaves you with a second crust which is perfect for making my Apple Blueberry Streusel Pie for dessert.

Vegan Chick’n Pot Pie inspired by Vegan Pot Pie

1 store bought frozen pie shell, gluten free if desired
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 cups vegetable broth, divided
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium potatoes (yellow or red), diced
1.5 cups diced vegetables (see Note), lightly sautéed
1/4 teaspoon mushroom powder
2 teaspoons dried sage, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
2 teaspoons dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 – 8 ounces vegan chick’n strips (not a breaded variety), cut into chunks
1/2 cup bread crumbs, gluten free if desired
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Check defrosting/baking instructions for your pie crust.

Add cashews and 1/2 cup of vegetable broth to a high-speed blender. Blend into a thick cream. (If you do not have a high-powered blender, then soak the cashews in the broth for 30 minutes prior to blending). Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until golden. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the potatoes, vegetables, and 1/4 cup of broth. Cook the veggies, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes just begin to soften.

Add the mushroom powder, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and chick’n to the skillet, stirring to combine. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the chick’n begins to soften.

Add the cashew cream and remaining 1.25 cups of broth to the skillet and stir. Let the mixture come to a boil, then simmer on low for five more minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the liquid has reduced into a somewhat thick gravy.

Unwrap the pie crust and place it on a baking tray. Use a ladle to scoop the filling mixture into the pie crust. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the filling.

Place the baking tray in the oven and bake the pie for 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Remove the tray from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Sprinkle the pie with parsley, then let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Note: Choose 3 or 4 vegetables from broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, green peas, kale, yellow squash, and zucchini. All should be finely chopped (except the peas).

Until next time, happy baking!

Peanut Butter Mousse Pie in a Chocolate Crust

May27

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!

Peanut Butter Tart with Vegan Meringue Topping

Mar13

About two years ago I discovered that I really enjoy making tarts. Not having made one for a year, a tart craving struck me. I was long overdue for baking a new tart.

Peanut butter and chocolate make a delicious combination, so with those tastes in mind for my tart I headed to the kitchen. I made a chocolate cookie crust then filled it with peanut butter mousse and added a dollop of whipped meringue. My favorite taster took one look and said, “Pie!”

While I appreciated his enthusiasm, I had to correct him and tell him it was a tart. He took a bite and said, “Peanut butter pie.” Seeing as tomorrow is Pi Day (3.14 or March 14), I conceded. So, I guess I made a pie (tart) for Pi Day.

Peanut Butter Tart with Vegan Meringue Topping

Chocolate Cookie Crust (adapted from Mini Chocolate Mousse Cakes for Mother’s Day)
20 vanilla cream filled chocolate wafer cookies (such as Oreos)
4 tablespoons vegan butter or margarine, melted
Vanilla Pastry Cream (from Pear-Raspberry Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream)
1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 3-4 hours then drained
3 ounces almond milk
1 ounce agave syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
Vegan Meringue (from Star-Spangled Berry Parfait)
1/2 cup unsalted chickpea liquid, previously reduced and chilled *
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 ounces caster sugar
1 teaspoon non-alcoholic vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Peanut Butter Filling
1.25 cups smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup vegan powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon non-alcoholic vanilla extract
3/4 cup vanilla pastry cream (a portion of the recipe above)
3/4 cup vegan meringue (a portion of the recipe above)
Garnish
shaved chocolate

Chocolate cookie crust: Preheat oven to 350F. Place the cookies in a food processor and process until they are fine crumbs. Drizzle in the melted butter and process until the mixture is like moist sand, up to 1 minute. Press the mixture into a 4” x 14” tart pan. Tamp the mixture down using the bottom of a small glass. Place the pan in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. After it has chilled, bake the crust for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Vanilla pastry cream: Place the cashews, milk, agave, vanilla, and salt in a high speed blender. Process on high until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the jar as needed. Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the peanut butter filling. The leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for a week in an airtight container.

Vegan meringue: Place the chickpea liquid and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the mixture on low speed until the cream of tartar is incorporated and the liquid is semi-opaque. You may need to stop the mixer and stir the contents at the bottom a few times to get it fully mixed. Increase the speed to high and beat for an additional minute, or until opaque.

Reduce the speed to low and begin adding the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. After the first addition, raise the speed to high, beating for 1 minute after each addition. After all of the sugar has been added, continue to beat for 10 minutes on high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula once or twice. The meringue should be stiff, white, and glossy. If not, keep beating until it is.

Reduce the speed to medium and slowly add vanilla and lemon juice. Immediately raise the speed to high and beat for another 3 minutes, or until the meringue is stiff, white, and glossy and resembles marshmallow fluff.

* Heat the chickpea liquid on the stove to reduce it by 1/3, then chill it before making the meringue. It should be thick and resemble egg whites.

Peanut butter filling: Put the peanut butter, milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a bowl and beat with a spoon until smooth. Add the pastry cream and mix until combined. Carefully fold 1/4 cup vegan meringue into the peanut butter mixture. Once blended, add the remaining 1/2 cup vegan meringue and gently fold in until just combined.

To assemble: Spoon the peanut butter filling into the cooled chocolate cookie crust. Garnish with dollops of vegan meringue and sprinkles of shaved chocolate.

Until next time, happy baking!

Apple Blueberry Streusel Pie — vegan and gluten-free

Jan16

If you are working your way through Veganuary and it seems difficult, don’t worry. You’re half the way there (congratulations!). If you are unfamiliar with the term, it refers to a challenge to try vegan throughout the month of January.

Eating vegan can be tough for some, especially when it comes to dessert. Many pastries include eggs and butter and can appear impossibly hard to make at high altitude. But, today I offer you sweet encouragement.

I wanted a recipe that wasn’t too complicated, so I decided to use a pre-made pie shell. Never having baked one, it was an experiment for me. In the vein of experimentation I decided to go with a gluten-free version as well. The results were surprisingly delicious.

The dessert recipe I found was vegan once I used the pre-made crust. No changes were needed for high altitude, but I did have to adjust filling quantities for the smaller ready-made shell.

After ingredient amounts were altered, I added blueberries because you can always use extra antioxidants, right? I then removed the nuts to make it very allergy-friendly. May this decadent treat get you through the rest of the month, and beyond.

Apple Blueberry Streusel Pie adapted from Apple Crumble Pie

for the pie
4 apples, cored, peeled, and sliced into 1/8” slices
1/2 cup fresh blueberries, washed and patted dry
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup gluten free flour
1.75 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup vegan sugar
1 store bought pie shell (I used a gluten free one by Wholly Gluten Free)
for the streusel topping
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup gluten free flour
1/3 cup unsalted vegan butter, melted and cooled slightly

Add the apples, blueberries, lemon juice, vanilla, and 1/4 cup flour to a large bowl. Stir carefully with a spatula to coat the fruit. Place 1.75 teaspoons cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and sugar in small bowl. Stir to combine, then sprinkle over the fruit. Stir carefully with a spatula until the fruit is evenly coated with the spices. Set aside while the oven preheats.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Take the pie shell out of the freezer to defrost per manufacturer’s instructions. Meanwhile, make the streusel topping.

Put the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 3/4 cup flour in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter with a spatula. Break it up into small clumps using the spatula or your fingers. When the pie shell is defrosted, pile the fruit into it. Then sprinkle the topping over the fruit.

Place the filled pie shell onto a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Leaving the pie in the oven, carefully place a pie crust shield over the crust. Close the oven door and reduce the heat to 375F. Bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Place the pie with the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool for 3 hours. Cover leftovers tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.

Until next time, happy baking!

A Look at Vegan Butter

Jul31

When I first started adapting recipes to be vegan, there was only one option for substituting butter — margarine. Not being a margarine fan, I was disappointed because it can make baked goods greasy and oily tasting. These days more and more companies are introducing their versions of vegan butter, and some of them are absolutely amazing. Miyoko’s Creamery stepped into the limelight first with a “butter” so grand it could be eaten plain, on toast, without any complaints about it being vegan. Although I still have a great fondness for Miyoko’s dazzling array of vegan dairy products, I’ve looked into other choices.

One selection I have shared in recent recipes is Flora Plant Butter. This butter comes in salted and unsalted versions, like Miyoko’s. It works beautifully in baked goods, making tender cupcakes and delightfully chewy cookies, and it is moderately priced. It’s not as phenomenal on toast, as Miyoko’s is, but I often prefer the results it produces in baked goods.

Milkadamia is a brand of non-dairy milk I enjoy, but I have not sampled their Buttery Spread. An article on vegan butter from Veg News has piqued my curiosity and Milkadamia’s offering may soon be up for experimentation in my kitchen. The post goes through a run-down of 11 butter substitutes, with Miyoko’s and Earth Balance topping the list. Also mentioned are Melt Organic, Country Crock, Forager, I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter, The Cultured Kitchen Better Buttah, Califia Farms, New Barn Organics, and Kite Hill. I hope to explore these new “butters” one day.

While I don’t have the means or opportunity to try all of the vegan butters out there, I have baked with a few. King Arthur Baking also tested a couple of substitutes, and compared them to the same goods baked with butter (a test I won’t be doing). When using Land O Lakes butter as a control in recipes for biscuits, crust, cookies, cake, puff pastry, and frosting, they concluded:

“Miyoko’s European-Style Cultured Vegan Butter and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks are both highly recommended substitutes for dairy butter. In recipes where they’re the only vegan substitute, both vegan butters will produce baked goods with texture similar to that of dairy butter, with flavor being the main difference.”

So, I go in search of new butters in an effort to make extraordinary decadent treats. And, no, I don’t work for any of these food companies. I just wish I did.

Cheesecake with Strawberries and Chocolate Crust

Jun21

raw cheesecake with strawberries and chocolate crust

It’s Father’s Day and I wanted to show my love by making a dessert. My initial inspiration was the gorgeous fresh strawberries in my fridge. Strawberries … chocolate is fantastic with strawberries … hmmm … chocolate cookie crust … what goes in the crust … cheesecake … Yes, I have it! A raw cheesecake from cocoa butter in a chocolate crust with strawberry on top. The chocolatey cocoa butter ties to the chocolate crust, and strawberry jam swirled into the cheesecake echoes the strawberry jam on top.

My cheesecake recipe search found a filling that was already vegan, and raw. The changes I made were to I bump up its tart flavor so it wouldn’t be too sweet when the jam was added in. This filling went with a simple cookie crust recipe I had. I chose a baked crust, but a raw one would work just as well. Strawberry jam and fresh strawberries were added, with a bit of shaved chocolate as a garnish. It was a dessert worthy of any special man.

Cheesecake with Strawberries and Chocolate Crust with a nod to Deliciously Raw Kitchen

cookie crust
8 chocolate cookies (I used Enjoy Life Double Chocolate Crunchy Cookies)
1-2 tsp vegan margarine, melted
cheesecake filling
1 cup raw cashews, soaked for two hours or up to 24 covered in water in the refrigerator
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
5 TBS agave syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 TBS lemon juice
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp liquid lecithin (this is very sticky, so coat measuring spoon with oil first)
2.75 oz melted cocoa butter
5 TBS strawberry jam, divided
garnishes
fresh strawberry slices
chocolate curls

For the crust: Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 6” tart pan with cooking spray; a pan with a removable bottom is easiest for serving. Put the cookies in a food processor with 1 teaspoon melted margarine. Process until the mixture looks like damp sand and just holds together when pinched between your fingers. If needed, add additional margarine and process again. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the tart pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

For the filling: Rinse soaked cashews under cold running water. Place drained cashews in a blender together with the milk, agave syrup, vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest, and lecithin. Blend until smooth, then add melted cacao butter and blend again. Pour mixture into a bowl and stir in 3 tablespoons of jam. Spoon filling into the cooled crust and chill until firm.

raw cheesecake with strawberries

To garnish: Put remaining 2 tablespoons of jam in a bowl and stir vigorously until spreadable. Spoon gently over the chilled cheesecake. Decorate the cheesecake with fresh strawberry slices and chocolate curls.

Until next time, happy baking!

Valentine’s Day Trifle

Feb9

Valentine Day Trifle

You have probably already realized that Valentine’s Day is in a few days. You may want to make a grand dessert for the occasion, but it could require planning ahead. So, today I offer you the idea of making a trifle, with shortcuts for a quicker reward.

If you are new to the world of a dessert trifle, here is the definition from Merriam Webster, “A dessert typically consisting of plain or sponge cake often soaked with wine or spirits … and topped with layers of preserves, custard, and cream.” This English treat, fit for a King, has many components and can take a few days to make. But, if you are okay with straying away from a traditional format, you can still come up with a winning dessert.

The base of this treat is usually a white cake however, any sturdy cake will do. You can easily use my Strawberry Tea Bread, as you will break it up into chunks before placing it on the bottom of your trifle bowl. Also, this layer is often doused with wine, but I prefer to see this as optional. I think that the tasty bread will offer plenty of flavor without adding alcoholic spirits.

After that you will need something custardy. You can choose any custard, but chocolate mousse is what I pick for my chocoholic family. A good option is the mousse from my Chocolate Mousse Pie with Cookie Crust and Raspberry Coulis; you will not need to make the crust from this recipe.

Next up is a layer of fruit. There are many selections that can be chosen from this category. Try jam, roasted fruit, or fresh berries (fresh strawberries would nicely complement the tea bread.) Here again is the option to add alcohol, if you desire. You can also use the Raspberry Coulis from the post mentioned above.

Traditionally the next item would be a creamy sauce, but I like to simplify this. Ice cream is fun to add, as long as it’s spooned in at the end and the dish is served immediately. The great part about using ice cream is that there are so many flavors to choose from. That, and the fact that you can grab a pint out of your freezer without worrying about making something else for this layered goody.

The final piece of the trifle puzzle is a garnish for the top. It can be anything, but if your last layer was ice cream then an apropos choice is something that could be included in an ice cream sundae. For my dessert I chose a sprinkling of my Lavender Granola. After that I spattered melted chocolate on it, à la artist Jackson Pollock. I think it adds a bit of whimsy. It also adds a taste of chocolate to a dessert that some people (like my husband) would consider lacking in chocolate immersion. But, I suppose, you can make every layer a chocolate version and bowl over your chocolate-loving sweetheart.

Until next time, happy baking!

Walnut and Cinnamon Peach Crisp

Sep15

Walnut and Cinnamon Peach Crisp

Walnuts and cinnamon and peaches … oh, my! Looking at half a flat of local peaches, I was devising ways to use up a good portion of them when a crisp came to mind. The dessert turned out so velvety, luscious, and decadent that I wanted to eat the entire dish in one sitting, for dinner. A few bites were saved for breakfast, but it’s best to reheat it to bring out the full peachy flavor.

The recipe I liked had few ingredients and good preparation techniques but made a large baking dish of crisp, so I scaled it down. Then I added walnuts because I love a crunchy topping. To veganize it I used vegan buttery sticks. Fortunately, nothing needed to be changed for altitude. My final fix was to prefer mixing with my hands instead of using a stick blender. It made for easier kitchen cleanup, and it allowed me to create larger clumps of topping goodness.

Walnut and Cinnamon Peach Crisp adapted from Cinnamon-Oat Peach Crisp

3 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/4” slices
1/2 cup organic granulated sugar
2 TBS + 3/4 cup all purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup packed organic brown sugar
1/2 cup rough chopped walnuts
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) vegan margarine, softened

Toss peaches, granulated sugar, and 2 TBS flour in a bowl to combine. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk oats, brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, salt, and remaining 3/4 cup flour in a large bowl to combine. Add margarine and mix it in with your fingers, removing any lumps.

Place a rack in the center of the oven; preheat oven to 350F. Scrape peaches and any juices into a 2-qt baking dish. Evenly scatter oat topping over peaches and bake until peaches are soft, fruit juices are bubbling, and topping is a deep golden brown, 40–45 minutes. Transfer baking dish to a wire rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Until next time, happy baking!

Vegan Baking Up High

making tasty vegan treats at high altitude

Category Archives: pie

No Bake Key Lime Pie Parfaits

No Bake Key Lime Pie Parfaits

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Oreo Cookie Pie

Oreo Cookie Pie

Equipment

Ingredients

for the crust

for the filling

Instructions

Vegan Chick’n Pot Pie, gluten free option

Peanut Butter Mousse Pie in a Chocolate Crust

Apple Blueberry Streusel Pie — vegan and gluten-free

A Look at Vegan Butter

Cheesecake with Strawberries and Chocolate Crust

Valentine’s Day Trifle

Walnut and Cinnamon Peach Crisp