Tag Archives: espresso

Vegan Espresso Date Shake

vegan espresso date shake
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.

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.

Vegan Espresso Date Shake based on Hadley’s Famous Date Shake

1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/4 cup fresh espresso, cooled
1/8 cup date paste
1.5 cups non-dairy vanilla ice cream
toppings, optional: non-dairy whipped cream. fresh strawberries, mini chocolate chips

Add all ingredients, except toppings, to the jug of a blender. Blend until creamy. Garnish with toppings. Makes 2 small drinks or 1 generous drink.

Until next time, happy non-baking!

Coffee Shop Muffins

Coffee Shop Muffins

Coffee Shop Muffins

On some Sundays I just want to sit around and enjoy a cup of tea and a delicious muffin, or two, or three. (But, who’s counting.) For this Sunday, I decided to find a recipe for a muffin that went well with coffee. With a little espresso powder and cinnamon, these muffins would complement a cup of coffee, or even tea or non-dairy milk. And if you eat half a batch, it will just be our secret.

For high altitude, I reduced the baking powder but found I lost some lift. To fix this problem I included some baking soda with the baking powder. I also added a little more milk to counteract dryness. For a little health boost, and so I wouldn’t feel guilty about eating a few extra muffins, I used whole wheat flour along with the all purpose variety.

Coffee Shop Muffins adapted from “Vegan: 100 Everyday Recipes” edited by Love Food

1.25 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1.75 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 TBS espresso powder
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup vegan sugar
1 cup + 1.5 tsp almond milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 TBS vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with liners. In a large bowl, sift together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and cinnamon. Whisk in sugar.

In a small bowl, whisk together milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients. Stir in walnuts. Mix until just combined.

Divide batter among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan.

Until next time, happy baking!