Tag Archives: cream cheese

Strawberry Tea Bread

Strawberry Tea Bread

Strawberry Tea Bread

Just in time for Sunday brunch – I needed bread that would go great alongside eggs and mimosas. Strawberries are available everywhere so they were my first choice to flavor a bread. A short search of my files revealed a recipe for a vegan quick bread that incorporated these lovely berries.

For altitude I reduced sugar and baking soda. I added milk, although there was none, to help with dryness at altitude.To make it a little healthier, I took out some regular flour and put in whole wheat. The last change was substituting ginger for cinnamon, but that was merely to please my own taste buds. Add vegan cream cheese and fresh strawberries to a slice, and you’re set.

Strawberry Tea Bread adapted from Strawberry Quick Bread
1 1/4 cups sugar
2/3 cups canola oil
1 TBS arrowroot powder
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 TBS unsweetened non-dairy milk
1 1/2 cups mashed strawberries with their juice
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp powdered ginger
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
Preheat oven to 400F. Grease 3 cavities of a mini loaf pan. In a large bowl, mix sugar and oil. In a small bowl, combine arrowroot and applesauce, then add to large bowl and stir. Stir milk and strawberries with juice into sugar mixture. Add baking soda, baking powder, and lemon juice, and whisk to combine evenly, without lumps. Stir in vanilla and ginger. One cup at a time, add flours and stir to incorporate into a smooth batter.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 30-33 minutes until tops turns golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and run a knife around the edges of each loaf. Allow loaves to cool for at least 10 minutes before turning them out to cool completely on a wire rack.

Until next time, happy baking!

Cranberry Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Bites

cranberry cream cheese puff pastry bites

cranberry cream cheese puff pastry bites

On New Year’s Eve, I love to spend the day snacking on appetizers and small bites. Many are savory but, of course, I need to satisfy my sweet tooth, too.

Puff pastry is the perfect vehicle for bite-sized morsels, sweet or savory. For my holiday celebration, I fill the pastry with a combination of sweetened cream cheese and barely-sweetened homemade jam. The tart and sweet flavors play well against each other. They are also pretty tasty when followed with a sip of champagne or bubbly mocktail.

Until next time, Happy New Year and happy baking!

cranberry cream cheese puff pastry bites
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Cranberry Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Bites

On New Year’s Eve, I love to spend the day snacking on appetizers and small bites. Many are savory but, of course, I need to satisfy my sweet tooth, too. Puff pastry is the perfect vehicle for bite-sized morsels, sweet or savory.
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Vegan
Keyword: Baking, cream cheese, New Year's Eve, puff pastry, Recipe
Servings: 18 bites
Author: The Decadent Vegan Baker

Equipment

  • 2 12-cup muffin tins
  • Rolling Pin

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup blueberry-pomegranate juice or other berry juice
  • 1 ½ cup fresh cranberries
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon peel
  • 1 tablespoon agave syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla
  • 6 ounces vegan cream cheese at room temperature
  • ⅓ cup vegan vanilla yogurt
  • 1 pear
  • 2 sheets puff pastry thawed (a 17.3 oz box)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400F. Grease 18 cups of muffin tins very well with cooking spray.
  • Place the juice, cranberries, and lemon peel in a small pot over medium-low heat. When you hear the cranberries popping, remove the pot from the stove. Mash the berries with a potato masher or the back of a spoon. Add the agave and vanilla and stir to combine.
  • Put the cream cheese and yogurt in a medium bowl and stir with a spoon to combine.
  • Slice the pear into thin, bite-sized shapes. (You won’t use an entire pear.)
  • Unfold thawed puff pastry sheets onto a lightly floured board. Gently roll each sheet with a rolling pin to remove the creases. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut each sheet into 9 even squares. (You should have a total of 18 squares cut out).
  • Place one square of pastry into each muffin cup, pushing down slightly to form a cupped shape. Place a heaping teaspoon of cream cheese mixture onto each pastry, then follow with a heaping teaspoon of cranberry mixture and a piece of pear.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, or until the edges of the pastry are golden brown. Let the muffin tins cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then gently remove each pastry bite to a wire rack to cool further.
  • These are best when freshly baked baked, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

You can use store-bought jam if you don’t want to make the cranberry mixture. I used seedless blackberry jam for some of mine.

Vegan Baklava Cheesecake Minis

vegan baklava cheesecake minis

vegan baklava cheesecake minis

With many holiday parties coming up (such as Thanksgiving in the U.S.), it’s good to have a go-to recipe that is simple to make and easily feeds a small crowd. Sure, you can bring cookies, but that’s what everyone else does. For me, I like these bite-sized cheesecakes that will stand out at a buffet or when passed around the dinner table.
On my hunt for a mini-sized dessert I found a full-sized cheesecake in a phyllo crust. Then I realized that it would work just as well in little phyllo shells. And, it would be faster to make. Plus the mini shells are adorable.
I was sold on the recipe but it wasn’t vegan. With a few simple swaps, like vegan versions of all of the dairy items, it was just about ready to go. A quick glance at my cupboard revealed I had a product called Vegan Honey which was perfect. If you don’t have this, then agave syrup is fine, too.
Until next time, happy baking!

vegan baklava cheesecake minis
Print Recipe

Vegan Baklava Cheesecake Minis

With many holiday parties coming up (such as Thanksgiving in the U.S.), it’s good to have a go-to recipe that is simple to make and easily feeds a small crowd. Sure, you can bring cookies, but that’s what everyone else does. For me, I like these bite-sized cheesecakes that will stand out at a buffet or when passed around the dinner table.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Keyword: Baking, cheesecake, Cinnamon, cream cheese, Phyllo, pistachio, Recipe
Servings: 45 phyllo cups
Author: The Decadent Vegan Baker

Equipment

  • large baking pan
  • Stand Mixer

Ingredients

for the phyllo shells

  • 3 boxes mini phyllo shells (45 shells total)
  • ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon organic granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped walnuts toasted

for the filling

  • ⅔ cup plant-based cream
  • 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
  • ⅓ cup vegan honey or agave syrup
  • ⅓ cup vegan greek-style yogurt plain
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
  • 3 tablespoons organic powdered sugar sifted
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

for the topping

  • ⅛ cup shelled pistachios finely chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking pan with parchment paper.
  • To make the phyllo shells, remove the mini shells from their wrappings and defrost if necessary.
  • Stir together the ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon, granulated sugar, and walnuts in a small bowl. Place the empty shells on the prepared baking pan and spoon the cinnamon-sugar mixture inside them. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes, then set the baking pan on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling.
  • Beat the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat until stiff peaks form, then remove to a small bowl. Put the cream cheese in the empty stand mixer bowl and beat it until smooth. Add the honey, yogurt, and vanilla paste and beat until combined. Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and cloves and beat until smooth. Add the whipped cream and gently stir with a rubber spatula until incorporated.
  • Place the filling in a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, then pipe the filling into the cooled shells. Sprinkle the pistachios over each shell.
  • Refrigerate the cheesecakes for 1 to 2 hours to firm up.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe at rodellekitchen.com

Vegan No Bake Mini Blackberry Cheesecakes

no bake mini cheesecakes

no bake mini cheesecakes

The motivation for this post was the August Baking Challenge by Tessa of Handle the Heat. Tessa presented a recipe for bakers to make and share. It wasn’t vegan but that was simple enough to change. And, because there was no baking involved, high altitude adjustments were not necessary.

The vegan substitutions I made were to use vegan margarine in place of unsalted butter, vegan cream cheese for the cream cheese, and soy creamer instead of heavy cream. Another alteration I made was to put the cheesecakes in jars. Vegan dairy substitutes are often runnier than their dairy counterparts and make goopy cheesecake. I created a few in small mason jars where all they would require the eater to have was a spoon. The rest ended up in shot glasses for a fun party treat.

Vegan No Bake Mini Blackberry Cheesecakes adapted from Handle the Heat
For the crust:
1 sleeve (9 crackers) graham crackers (gluten-free, if desired)
4 TBS vegan margarine, melted
For the cheesecake:
12 ounces vegan cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup vegan sugar
3/4 cup soy creamer
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup seedless blackberry preserves
For the topping:
1 cup blackberries
1 TBS vegan sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
Blackberries, for garnish
For the crust: Place graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add in melted margarine and pulse until moistened. Divide mixture among jars or glasses. Firmly press into the bottom of each cavity.
For the cheesecake: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until creamy and well combined. Add in creamer, lemon juice, and preserves and continue beating for 2 to 3 minutes, until well combined and thickened. Pour mixture over crusts and cover with plastic wrap. Chill until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.
For the topping: Combine berries, sugar, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until pureed. Top each cheesecake with a dollop of sauce. Garnish with whole fresh blackberries.

Until next time, happy non-baking!