Pumpkin Spice season has arrived! Admittedly, I do not like pumpkin spice in my beverages, however unpopular my idea may be. Cinnamon yes, but not the blend. However, the mix of spices is delicious in baked goods.
Apple season has also arrived, and apples and pumpkin spice pair together perfectly. Spiced apples are lovely to cook up, but I wanted something more substantial to make. The idea struck to use applesauce cake as a backdrop for spicy warm apples.
In my search for an applesauce cake, I looked at many recipes for cakes, quick breads, and cupcakes. What I came up with is a vegan mashup of all of them. I hope you enjoy my Applesauce Spice Cake with Spiced Apples for dessert, breakfast, or whenever you want a snack. It is best warm because the smells and tastes come alive.
Applesauce Spice Cake with Spiced Apples
for the cake shortening, to grease the baking pan 1.5 cups all purpose flour 1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 cup maple or coconut sugar 1.25 teaspoons baking powder .75 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1.5 cups unsweetened applesauce 3/4 cups apple juice 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 tablespoons canola oil for the spiced apples 4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced 2 tablespoon canola oil 1/3 cup maple sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two 8-inch round baking pans with shortening, then line them with parchment paper and grease the paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, 1/2 cup maple sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spice. In a medium bowl, whisk together the applesauce, apple juice, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, then whisk to combine.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pans. Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Set the pans on a wire rack to cool while you prepare the spiced apples.
Sauté the apples in a nonstick skillet set on medium heat, about 5 minutes. Add the 1 tablespoon oil, 3 tablespoons maple sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to coat the apples. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the apples are tender, about 5 more minutes.
When the cakes have cooled, tip them out onto serving plates and top with warm spiced apples.
It’s that time of year when peaches are peaking. Where I live, fresh juicy peaches are in abundance and demand to be eaten in everything. They complement muffins and pretty layered cakes, but I like them best when added to an easy snack cake. No muss, no fuss.
The cake recipe that crossed my path was already vegan, and gluten-free as well. The first way I changed it was to add peaches instead of apricots, but you could even use plums or cherries here. The next swap was to use aquafaba instead of packaged egg replacer because aquafaba helps maintain the structure that can be lacking in gluten-free baked goods.
For high altitude baking, I reduced the baking powder and baking soda. I also swapped the water for milk, for more flavor, then curdled it with apple cider vinegar for a greater leavening effect that boosts gluten-free flours at altitude.
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup non-dairy milk 1.5 cups gluten-free all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt scant 1/2 teaspoon baking powder scant 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup vegan butter 3/4 cup organic sugar 2 tablespoons aquafaba, cold (the liquid from canned chickpeas) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 cup fresh blueberries 1 small peach, pitted and sliced
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Stir apple cider vinegar into the non-dairy milk and it set aside to curdle. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the vegan butter on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Add the sugar and beat for 2 more minutes. Whisk the aquafaba and add it to the mixer bowl along with the vanilla. Beat until incorporated.
Reduce the mixer’s speed to low and beat in half of the flour mixture then half of the curdled milk. Scrape down the bowl and repeat the sequence with the remainder of the dry and wet mixtures.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Arrange the sliced peaches and blueberries on top.
gluten free peach blueberry cake
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 33 to 38 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking time. Place the pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool completely before slicing.
The cooled cake can be covered in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
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.
Tofu for dessert often ends up in the blender to become vegan mousse or pudding. You can make a pie or tart shell to hold this blended mixture, but I was feeling lazy. However, by layering it with cookies or cake and other sweet bits you create an easy and elegant parfait.
Over the years of making tofu pudding I have discovered a few tips to ensure smooth success. I added these steps to my recipe so you have the perfect parfait for a warm summer evening.
chocolate pudding 1 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup unsweetened nondairy milk, at room temperature 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or substitute coffee extract for a deeper chocolate taste) 12 oz silken tofu, drained (soft or firm, the choice will affect the texture), at room temperature parfait add-ins 6-12 chocolate cookies, depending on size 3-18 vegan marshmallows, depending on size
For the chocolate pudding: To melt the chocolate chips in the double boiler method, place them in a glass or metal bowl. (Note: The bowl should be large enough so that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water in the pot you set it over.) Set this bowl over a pot filled with 1/2 cup of simmering water. Heat the pot over low-medium heat on the stove, stirring the chips occasionally until they are melted.
Once the chips are melted, take the bowl off of the pot and allow the chocolate to cool slightly. (Note: Do not allow it to cool enough so that it re-solidifies. You want it somewhat cool so it’s closer in temperature to the other ingredients).
Place the nondairy milk, extract, and tofu into a blender. Process until smooth. Scrape down the sides and add the melted and cooled chocolate. Process the mixture until completely smooth.
To assemble the parfaits: Crumble the cookies and cut up the marshmallows if they are large. Add some cookie crumbles to the bottom of a dessert glass. Next, add a few spoonfuls of pudding then a few bits of marshmallow. Continue layering the ingredients until the glass is almost full. End with crumbles and marshmallow bits. Add fresh fruit, chocolate shavings, and nondairy whipped cream if you’re feeling fancy.
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.
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.
Okay, I know that soup isn’t baked, and you may be wondering why I am posting a soup recipe here. Well, my last blog showed how to make homemade plant-milk and I wanted to offer a way to use that milk.
In the post “Chai Spiced Milk and DIY Plant-Milk Tips,” I mention that you can get thicker milk by changing the nuts to water ratio. Denser plant-milks make wonderfully creamy soups, and this soup is a shining example of that.
A local restaurant makes a curry sweet potato soup that I adore so I sought to recreate it. I found a recipe using powdered curry, but I find that the concentrated paste has a more bold flavor. And I like bold flavor.
1 cup raw cashews (no need to soak) 1 cup water 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 shallot, rough chopped * 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped * 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed * 1/2 cup butternut squash or carrots, peeled and cubed * 2-3 tablespoons green curry paste, depending on the strength of the brand used 1/2 cup vegetable broth 1 14-ounce can coconut milk 1/2 tablespoon Thai basil, chopped (optional) 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted, for garnish
Place the cashews and water into a high speed blender and blend until almost smooth. Set aside. (No need to clean the blender yet; you’ll use it again soon).
Warm the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and salt and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the sweet potatoes, squash or carrots, and curry paste. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the broth and coconut milk. Stir in the cashew milk you set aside.
Cover the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the Thai basil, if using. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Carefully transfer the soup to your high speed blender and puree to desired thickness. Put the mixture back in the pot and warm it over a low heat until heated through.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds.
* You don’t need to finely chop any of the ingredients as you will be blending the cooked soup.
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.
When I was a child my family visited Hadley Fruit Orchards in California. I remember ogling seemingly endless displays of dried fruit and fresh nuts. And beyond these tempting shelves was a cafe where they scooped up their (in)famous date shake.
Fortunately Hadley’s website has a post for this date-sweetened concoction so I don’t have to leave the recipe up to my sketchy memory (I did say it was when I was young). The recipe is good, but to make it my own I veganize it with non-dairy versions of milk and ice cream, and I add espresso. I’m glad for this addition because now I know that espresso and dates are a delectable combination.
It’s the time for baskets filled with themed treats, especially goodies that are homemade and vegan. These “eggs” are quick and easy, and also fun to make with the entire family. The only hard part is waiting for them to be cool so they don’t burn the roof of your mouth!
I’ve posted about rice cereal treats before (see Halloween Rice Krispie Monster), but I thought to add a chocolate spin on the usual recipe. Not wanting the result to be overly sweet, I used Blissfully Better’s Coconut Thins that are sweetened with coconut sugar. A few chopped up bits of the chocolate mixed in with the other ingredients made a tasty addition.
Rice Cereal and Chocolate Easter Eggs
2 TBS vegan margarine 2 TBS refined coconut oil 10 oz. bag vegan marshmallows 5 cups brown rice cereal 4-6 pieces Blissfully Better’s Coconut Thins, diced
Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a saucepan, melt the margarine and coconut oil on low heat. Add marshmallows and melt, stirring often to avoid burning. Be patient; low and slow is best with vegan marshmallows.
Once melted, remove from heat and quickly stir in the cereal. Wait a moment for the mixture to cool slightly, then carefully stir in the diced chocolate bits.
Blissfully Better vegan chocolates
Place the mixture in the lined pan and pat down gently. Let cool for 15 minutes. Tip the pan over onto a cutting board. Gently remove the parchment paper from the slab. Cut into individual treats with a large egg-shaped cookie cutter.
Until next time, happy Easter and happy non-baking!
Want to get Blissfully Better’s chocolates at a discount? Use the code BBSOCIAL2022 in their Shopify store for 20% off. (I make nothing sharing this code with you — I’m just spreading some holiday joy!)
Over the years, hubby and I have come to love granola. We eat it almost everyday with yogurt or, in the summer, with a smattering of fresh berries. A new favorite is chocolate granola, but the store nearby stopped carrying it. So, into the kitchen with me for a little experimentation.
Another reason to make DIY granola is that we prefer different types — he likes simple oats whereas I like nuts and seeds mixed in. The solution is to make a granola base and then portion it out for different add-ins. With little effort, hubby gets a decadent chocolate granola while I get the same with the addition of almonds, pumpkin seeds, and cocoa nibs.
Which would be more popular in your house — the simple chocolate granola or the chocolate granola with added nuts and seeds? Either way it makes a yummy breakfast.
for granola base 1/4 cup vegan butter or margarine, melted and cooled slightly 1/3 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tablespoon loose-packed brown sugar pinch sea salt 2 cups rolled oats (gluten-free, if preferred) 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (and a bit of chili powder, if you like it spicy) for nuts and seeds granola 1/4 cup unsalted almonds, or other nuts 1/4 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds, or other seeds 1 tablespoon cocoa nibs
Preheat oven to 250F. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, maple syrup, cocoa powder, brown sugar, and salt. In a large bowl, stir together oats and cinnamon. Pour the butter mixture over the oats and combine with a spatula.
Pour half of the mixture onto a small sheet pan and spread it out evenly. Add the nuts, seeds, and cocoa nibs to the remaining mixture and stir to combine. Pour this mixture onto a small sheet pan and spread it out evenly. Place both baking pans in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
Remove both pans from the oven and transfer to wire racks to allow the granola to cool completely. Once cooled, transfer to airtight containers and store in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks.
Protein bars have become a ubiquitous part of snack time, handy for whenever blood sugar takes a dip. I like to eat them when my tummy begins to rumble, but they are too big to be considered a snack. Instead of eating a partial bar and tucking the rest away for the future (yes, I do this), I decided to make a smaller version that I call “snack bites.”
To come up with my one-bite nibbles, I thought about the basic formula for a whole food protein bar. They usually contain dried fruit, nuts, nut or seed butter, and spices or other flavorings. There are many choices in each category with substitutions galore, such as using sunflower seed butter in place of almond butter or cardamom instead of cinnamon. The possibilities are endless with an appeal for a variety of tastes.
Working with this template I made four combinations to suit any craving — there’s chocolate, sweet, tart, and spicy alongside a variety of fruit and nuts. So, grab whatever you have in the cupboard to mix and match for this quartet of tasty bites.
Cinnamon Raisin Bagel Snack Bites
2 dates 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/4 cup raisins 2 tablespoons creamy almond butter 1 tablespoon maple sugar for rolling in: 1 tablespoon vegan sugar 1/2 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
Soak the dates in boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain but save the soaking water to add later if the mixture is too dry. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Place the rolled oats in a food processor fitted with the S-blade and pulse to make a coarse flour. Add the drained dates, raisins, almond butter, and maple sugar to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until the mixture just starts to clump together and holds together when squeezed between your fingers. If the mixture is too dry then add a bit of date soaking water. If it is too wet, add more oats.
Combine the vegan sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl and put it next to the lined baking sheet. Scoop a tablespoon of mixture into your hands and roll it into a ball. Place the balls on the lined baking sheet as they are formed. When all the balls are formed, roll 2 or 3 at a time in the shallow bowl until each is coated with cinnamon sugar. Place them back on the lined baking sheet as you work.
Snack bites can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or the freezer for 2 – 3 months. Makes 10 – 12 bite-sized snacks.
Cranberry Raspberry Snack Bites
1/8 cup dates 1/8 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup walnut pieces 1/2 teaspoon orange zest 1 teaspoon tahini 1/4 teaspoon ground flaxseed 1/8 cup almond meal for garnish: 1/8 cup ground freeze dried raspberries
Soak the dates in boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain but save the soaking water to add later if the mixture is too dry. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Place the drained dates, dried cranberries, walnuts, orange zest, tahini, ground flaxseed, and almond meal in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S-blade. Pulse until the mixture just starts to clump together and holds together when squeezed between your fingers. If the mixture is too dry then add a bit of date soaking water. If it is too wet, add more almond meal.
Scatter a bit of almond meal on a cutting board and put it next to the lined baking sheet. Place the ground freeze dried raspberries in a shallow bowl and put it near the lined baking sheet. Remove the mixture from the food processor and place it on the cutting board. Scatter a bit more almond meal on top of the mixture and roll it out to 1/4-inch thick. Use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to portion the dough (my cutter made 12 hearts). Dip one side of a cut-out heart into the shallow bowl with the dried raspberry powder and place it on the lined baking sheet as you work to dip all of the hearts.
Snack bites can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or the freezer for 2 – 3 months.
Chocolate Blueberry Chipotle Snack Bites
1/4 cup dates 1/4 cup dried blueberries 1/2 cup raw, unsalted almonds 1/8 cup cocoa powder 1 tablespoon almond butter 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract generous pinch chipotle powder for rolling in: 1/4 cup ground freeze dried blueberries
Soak the dates in boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain but save the soaking water to add later if the mixture is too dry. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Place the drained dates, dried blueberries, almonds, cocoa powder, almond butter, vanilla, and chipotle powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S-blade. Pulse until the mixture just starts to clump together and holds together when squeezed between your fingers. If the mixture is too dry then add a bit of date soaking water. If it is too wet, add more cocoa powder.
Put the ground freeze dried blueberries in a shallow bowl and put it next to the lined baking sheet. Scoop a tablespoon of mixture into your hands and roll it into a ball. Place the balls on the lined baking sheet as they are formed. When all the balls are formed, roll 2 or 3 at a time in the shallow bowl until each is coated with the blueberry powder. Place them back on the lined baking sheet as you work.
Snack bites can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or the freezer for 2 – 3 months. Makes 10 – 12 bite-sized snacks.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Snack Bites
1 graham cracker sheet 1/2 cup raw, unsalted cashews 4 teaspoons date paste or caramel 1 teaspoon chocolate tahini (I used Soom Chocolate Tahini) or chocolate syrup 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Place the graham cracker in a food processor fitted with the S-blade and pulse to make small crumbs. Add the cashews, date paste, and chocolate tahini. Pulse until the mixture just starts to clump together and holds together when squeezed between your fingers. If the mixture is too dry then add a bit of chocolate tahini. If it is too wet, add more graham cracker crumbs.
Put the mixture in a bowl and stir in the mini chocolate chips. Scoop a tablespoon of mixture into your hands and roll it into a ball. Place the balls on the lined baking sheet as they are formed.
Snack bites can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or the freezer for 2 – 3 months. Makes 10 bite-sized snacks.
It’s been one snowstorm after another where I live. With the cold, blustery days I just want to cozy up to a hot cup of tea and a sweet snack. The thing is I’m a little burnt out on cookies (see all of the cookie posts I did last month).
Making a cake seems like too much effort, and a bigger treat that I have in mind. What I need is a two-bite snack. Perhaps a cake bite?
My recipe search uncovered an easy, smaller cake that I could convert into mini cakes without much effort. I have a pan that makes individual brownies, which is a life-saver for high altitude bakers, and I realized it was ideal for my cakelets. So, I had the basics covered.
To adapt the recipe for high altitude, I decreased the baking powder and completely omitted the baking soda. The original recipe was for a cake and smaller versions often need quite a bit less leavening. I also added a smidge more liquid to account for dryness at altitude, and reduced baking time for the smaller pastries.
The final change was to add brown sugar. Seeing as I was no longer making a cake but veering into blondie territory, this ingredient was added for a slightly chewier texture. The result was a moist, delectable, and perfectly-sized nibble to chase away winter’s chill.
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used Take Two Original Barley Milk) 1 tablespoon applesauce 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1/3 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup canola oil 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups all purpose flour 1.25 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 2 tablespoons brown sugar 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease the cups of a brownie pan. Alternatively, use a cupcake pan with paper liners.
Place the non-dairy milk, applesauce, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Place the flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar in a medium bowl and whisk together. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Portion the batter into the sections of the prepared brownie pan (or into muffin liners). Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a cake bite comes out clean. Note: It will take a few more minutes to bake cupcakes.
Move the baking pan to a wire rack and allow the bites to cool completely. Remove cake bites from the pan. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Makes 12 cake bites.
