Cruelty-Free Baklava

From The Joy Of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Serves: 12

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 3 cups nuts (Pistachios, walnuts, almost, or pecans)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough , thawed (you will only use about half)
• 3/4 cup margarine , melted

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Margarine the bottom and sides of a 9X13 - inch baking dish.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the water and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the vanilla and agave nectar. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool. You want this to be completely cooled before pouring onto the baked baklava.
3. Pulse the nuts in a food processor until they're a coarse meal (not fine crumbs). Add the cinnamon and mix. Set aside.
4. Carefully unroll the phyllo dough from the package. Trim the stack of dough into 9x13 inch sheets, so they fit into the pan (I use Athens Fillo Dough and it fits almost perfectly, so I don't trim it down). Keep the sheets that you're not working with covered with some waxed paper and a damp cloth (the waxed paper goes directly on top of the dough, the wet towel on top. If you have a helper, they can lift the paper/cloth as needed, makes it easier). Place 2 sheets of dough in the pan, and using a pastry brush, coat the top sheet completely with margarine. Spread a thin layer of the nut mixture, add 2 more sheets of phyllo. Repeat with the butter, nut mixture, and 2 phyllo sheets until you have a total of 8 layered sheets. For the top layer, place 2-4 phyllo sheets, but this time brush margarine between each individual sheet.
5. Using a very sharp knife, carefully cut the baklava into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. This is important to do now because you won't be able to cut the baklava once it's baked without crushing the pastry.
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the baklava is golden. Remove from the oven and immediately pour or spoon the (completely cooled) sauce over. Cool uncovered for at least 3 hours or overnight before serving.

5 Ways To Cook With Cocoa

From Delicious Living Magazine, 12/11

"Not to be confused with sweetened hot cocoa mix, antioxidant-rich pure cocoa comes from roasted cacao nibs; after extracting most of the natural cocoa butter, the resulting "liquor" gets ground again into powder."

Cookie Recipe Below!

1. Hot Chocolate: Blend or whisk 1/4 cup cocoa, 3 cups hot non-dairy milk, and your favorite sweetener, plus a dash of vanilla, cayenne, and cinnamon. For an authentic touch, use a molinillo, a traditional Mexican tool spun between your hands to create a frothy drink.

2. Shake: Make a satisfying snack by blending 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon peanut or almond butter, 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk, and a couple of ice cubes. You also can add 1 banana if you choose.

3. Soup: Cocoa's rich flavor and depth enhance soups and stews; stir a tablespoon or two of unsweetened cocoa powder into chili.

4. Baking: Dust greased cake or muffin pans with cocoa powder instead of flour for a gluten-free and tasty no-stick assist.

5. Cookies: Cocoa-Almond No-Bake Cookies*

"These vegan cookies are a breeze to make. For a completely gluten-free treat, use gluten-free oats."

Place 1 cup natural cane sugar, 1/2 cup unsweetened almond or other non-dairy milk, 1/2 cup coconut oil, 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; boil for 90 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup almond butter, 2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats, 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto parchment paper, flattening slightly. Chill 30 minutes to set. Store in refrigerator. Makes 3 1/2 dozen.

*Could substitute peanut butter for almond butter. I left out the coconut oil and shredded coconut, too.

Holiday Breakfast Treat

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

From www.sideofsneakers.com
Dough
1 c almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast {or 1 packet}
2 c whole wheat flour (or other flour)
1/2 c bread flour (plus up to 1/4 c for kneading)
2 t baking powder
1/4 c sugar
1/4 t salt
1 t cinnamon
4T pumpkin puree
Filling
3 Tbsp vegan margarine/butter*
1/4 c brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
Icing
3/4 c powdered sugar
1 Tbsp almond milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
*I highly, highly recommend using Smart Balance {yes, it’s vegan} instead of Earth Balance for this recipe. The butter flavor is part of what makes the filling taste so rich, and Earth Balance here leaves behind a kind of plastic-y, fake taste.
Heat almond milk for about 40 seconds in the microwave- you want it warm, but not scalding hot. Stir in yeast and set aside.

Mix flours, baking powder, sugar, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin. Add in almond milk and yesterday mixture. It’s highly likely the dough won’t completely come together. Don’t worry about- try not to over mix.
Spread clean, flat surface with flour. Adding flour as necessary to prevent sticking, knead dough until it forms a nice, slightly elastic-y ball.

Using a rolling pin, spread dough into a rectangle. I usually end up with dough about 1/2 inch thick.

Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon, and melt margarine or butter.

Spread the butter liberally across the top of the dough, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.

Starting from the skinny end of the dough rectangle, roll the dough tightly towards the other end.

Slice the roll into ~1-1 1/2 inch strips, discarding the ends if necessary. By discarding, I mean eating separately.

If you want perfectly round cinnamon rolls, try using dental floss to cut your dough instead of a knife so it doesn’t squish down. I shove them all in a pan anyway, so it doesn’t bother me that they’re not perfect circles.
Grease a 9×9 baking dish and line rolls in pan. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate.

I usually leave them overnight so I can have fresh baked cinnamon rolls in the morning, but you don’t have to wait that long- just give them a little bit of time to rise.

When you’re ready to bake your cinnamon rolls, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spread tops of cinnamon rolls with a little bit of margarine, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Not going to lie, I often forget this step and everything turns out just fine.
Bake cinnamon buns for about 20 minutes. Because they’ve been in the fridge, this should result in the rolls being slightly under baked- they’ll looked cooked on the outside, but they’ll be squishy on the inside. This is pivotal in making gooey, delicious cinnamon rolls.

Let buns cool for a little bit before removing from pan so that the icing won’t melt right off.
To make icing, mix together powdered sugar, almond milk, and vanilla. Powdered sugar leads the life of a two-faced trickster on occasion, so you may need significantly more or less powdered sugar or milk to reach the consistency you’re going for- thick, but still drizzle-able.

Drizzle icing over cinnamon rolls and eat while still warm.

Holiday Cookie Recipe

Nutty Drop Cookies

From Christina Pirello, www.christinacooks.com
Ingredients
1 cup pecan pieces, ground into a coarse meal
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch sea salt
pinch ground cinnamon
1/3 cup light olive or avocado oil
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Vanilla soymilk (or other non-dairy milk)

Chocolate Ganache:
1 cup non-dairy, grain-sweetened chocolate chips
1/3 cup Vanilla soymilk (or other non-dairy milk)
2 teaspoons brown rice syrup
pinch cinnamon


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare the batter by combining the nut meal with flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in oil, rice syrup and vanilla. Slowly add soymilk to create a soft, formable dough. Roll the dough into 1-inch spheres and place them, 1 inch apart, on the lined sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes, just until the cookies puff and are firm at the edges. (The tops should still be a bit soft when you take them out of the oven. They will finish baking as they cool. If you bake until the cookies are thoroughly firm, they will harden as they cool). Transfer immediately to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

These cookies are delightful as they are, but to add a bit of festivity to them, make a
chocolate glaze. Simply place the chocolate chips in a heat-resistant bowl. Combine soymilk, rice syrup and cinnamon in a sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Pour boiled iquid over chocolate and whisk to create a smooth satin-like texture. Dip one half of each cookie in the glaze and set them on a sheet of parchment until the glaze sets.

Makes about 24 cookies.

Note: Other nuts can be substituted for pecans...hazelnuts are very nice.

Holiday Cookies Go Cruelty-Free

Easy Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

From www.vegnews.com

Makes 24 Cookies
What You Need:

2-3/4 cups pastry flour (whole-wheat or other)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup vegan margarine, softened
3/4 cup molasses
1-1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons soymilk (or other non-dairy milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a cookie sheet. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together margarine, molasses, and brown sugar together until smooth. Add soymilk and vanilla and whisk thoroughly.

2. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix with spatula to form a dough. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.

3. Roll out dough onto a floured board, 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick, depending on desired texture (thinner cookies will be crispier, thicker cookies will be chewier). Cut into shapes with cookie cutters and place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness. Go crazy with frosting and decorations!

Decadent Vegan Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse

1 lb. (480g) silken tofu (soft texture, found boxed on the shelf)

3/4 cup (120g) cocoa powder

6 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1/2 cup (120 ml) soy or other non-dairy milk

 

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until creamy.

Pour the mousse into parfait glasses or individual dessert bowls and chill.

 

Makes 6 Servings.

 

Vegan Muffins!

Blue-Ribbon Blueberry Muffins

From VegNews Magazine, Nov/Dec 2008

Number of Servings: 12

Ingredients

2 large bananas, mashed 1/2 cup rice or other non-dairy milk 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup olive oil (or applesauce) 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat flour (or other flours) 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1 cup blueberries (fresh or thawed from frozen)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with unbleached paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, mix bananas, non-dairy milk, maple syrup, and olive oil/applesauce. In a separate bowl, sift all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon until just combined. Fold in blueberries.

3. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is springy.

Amazing Holiday Pie

This dessert recipe is a real winner! It's healthy, delicious, and doesn't need to be baked. It does need to chill for at least two hours in the fridge before serving.

From www.drfuhrman.com:

 

Pie Shell Ingredients:

1 cup cashews or other nuts (raw or roasted)

1 cup dates, pitted

 

Pie Filling Ingredients:

10 large organic strawberries

2 bananas

4 pitted medjool dates or 8 deglet noor dates (cut dates into smaller pieces)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 quart (2 cups) organic strawberries, sliced

4-6 organic strawberries, sliced

2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut (optional)

 

Directions:

1. To make the pie shell, place nuts in a food processor and chop well. Add the dates and process until well-mixed. Press firmly on the bottom and up the sides of a pie plate (8" to 10" pie plate)

 

2. For the pie filling, blend together the 10 strawberries, bananas, dates, and lemon juice until smooth.

 

3. Remove to bowl and fold in the quart of sliced strawberries.

 

4. Pour into pie shell and decorate with 4 to 6 sliced strawberries.

 

5. If desired, sprinkle coconut over the top.

 

6. Chill in the refrigerator at least two hours before serving.

 

Carrot Muffins

Serves 6 to 8

 

1 cup whole-wheat or other flour

1 cup oat bran (or substitute oat flour or oats ground in a food processor)

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp all-spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2/3 cup grated carrots

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 cup water

1/4 unsweetened applesauce

 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients (flour through cinnamon) and the grated carrots.

3. Add all of the wet ingredients, maple syrup through applesauce. Mix well.

4. Pour batter into a lightly greased muffin pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Vegan Tricks & Treats

Happy Halloween from The Daily Vegan!

First, for the tricks...

 

I've mentioned replacing eggs in recipes with one tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with three tablespoons of water. Here are some other handy substitutions for eggs from The Complete Guide To Vegan Food Substitutions by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman:

 

1. Use 2 tablespoons water whisked with 2 tablespoons flour. Best used in recipes such as puddings, casseroles, and other egg-heavy dishes.

 

2. Use 1/4 coconut milk per egg. The amount of fat naturally contained in coconut milk replaces the fat found in eggs. Be careful if you're not a fan of the coconut flavor, as it tends to dominate the recipe.

 

3. Use 1/4 cup non-dairy pudding (store-bought or homemade) for each egg needed in a recipe. This works well in baking and you can adjust the flavor of the pudding used to suit the needs of the recipe.

 

4. Use 1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt for each egg. This works well in sweet and savory recipes. You can adjust the flavor of the yogurt used to suit the needs of the recipe.

 

5. Mix 1 teaspoon of nut butter (peanut, almond, sunflower) into 1/4 cup non-dairy milk. Works best in cookie recipes. Be careful if you are not a fan of strong-flavored nut butters, as it will take the lead in the recipe.

 

6. Add 1/4 cup silken tofu (found on the shelf rather than the refrigerated section), blended into the liquid ingredients called for in the recipe to replace one beaten egg. Works best in muffins and cakes, as tofu contributes to a softer texture.

 

7. Pumpkin, carrot, butternut squash, and sweet potato purees work especially well. Add 1/4 cup to replace one egg. Works well in cake or muffin recipes.

 

And now for the treats...

 

Treat One: Cinnamon-Raisin French Toast
From www.pcrm.org (Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine)
Makes 6 slices

Ingredients:
1 cup fortified plain or vanilla soy or rice milk
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 slices cinnamon-raisin bread
vegetable oil spray

Directions:
Combine nondairy milk, flour, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon in a blender.
Blend until smooth, then pour into a flat dish.
Soak bread slices in batter until soft but not soggy. The amount of time this takes will vary depending on the bread used.
Cook in a vegetable oil sprayed skillet until first side is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn carefully with a spatula and cook second side until brown, about 3 minutes.

Nutrition Information:
Per slice:
Calories: 122
Fat: 1.9 g
Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
Calories from Fat: 14.2%
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Protein: 4.2 g
Carbohydrates: 22.6 g
Sugar: 7.7 g
Fiber: 2.3 g
Sodium: 125 mg
Calcium: 74 mg
Iron: 1.5 mg
Vitamin C: 0.2 mg
Beta-Carotene: 1 mcg
Vitamin E: 0.7 mg
Recipe from Healthy Eating For Life for Women by Kristine Kieswer; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

Treat Two: Gooey Hot Fudge Brownies
Serves 1 to 8

Ingredients:
    1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
    3/4 cup sugar
    1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 cup nondairy milk
    1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    3/4 cup brown sugar
    1/4 cup cocoa powder
    3/4 cup hot water

Directions:1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 8x8" pan. Mix whole wheat pastry flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

2. Add nondairy milk, applesauce, and vanilla.  Mix well. Spoon the batter into prepared pan.

3. Mix the remaining cocoa, brown sugar, and hot water in a bowl. Stir it around to mix it.

4. Pour that over the brownie batter.  Bake for 40 minutes.
Serve with nondairy ice cream (there are lots of choices out there -- the Coconut Bliss brand is my personal favorite).

Easy-To-Make Halloween Treat

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

These bars were a big hit in my house. Optional gluten-free ingredients are included below. Perfect anytime!

Makes 20 bars

What You Need:

3 cups gluten-free oat flour (make your own by grinding rolled oats in a blender) or other flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup canola oil or applesauce, plus more for pan
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon gluten-free vanilla or other vanilla extract
2 cups non-dairy chocolate chips

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin with baking powder. Add oil or applesauce, sugar, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients, one half at a time, and stir to combine. Mix in chocolate chips.

3. Pour batter into pan. With damp hands, press batter to evenly fill pan. Bake 18 minutes, and cool completely before cutting into bars.

Heart-Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These chocolate chip cookies are fabulous -- and quite good for you, too!

The Heart-Healthiest Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World
Vegetarian Times, February 2009
(Makes about 30 cookies)

3 Tbs. canola oil or applesauce
2 cups walnuts
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ cups oat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups rolled oats
3 (3.5-oz.) bars bittersweet non-dairy chocolate, chopped, or 1½ cups non-dairy chocolate chips (12 oz.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper.

Blend walnuts in food processor 30 seconds, or until ground into a fine meal. Add canola oil or applesauce, and blend 2 to 3 minutes more, or until mixture has the consistency of natural peanut butter, scraping down sides of food processor occasionally. Transfer to bowl.

Whisk together brown sugar and ½ cup water in small saucepan, and bring mixture to a boil. Pour brown sugar mixture over ground walnut butter, add vanilla extract, and stir until no lumps remain. Whisk together oat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in separate bowl. Stir oat flour mixture into walnut mixture. Cool 10 minutes. Fold in oats, then chocolate chips.

Shape cookie dough into 2-inch balls, and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten cookies with bottom of drinking glass dipped in water. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until cookies begin to brown and tops look dry. Cool 3 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Nutritional Information

Per Cookie: Calories: 173, Protein: 3g, Total fat: 10g, Saturated fat: 3g, Carbs: 21g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 122mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugars: 12g

Awesome Autumn Dessert

From VegNews Magazine's website: www.vegnews.com

Sweet Potato Cake

Makes two 8-inch cake layers

What You Need For The Cake Batter:

• 3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1-1/4 cups unbleached cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 (15-ounce) can sweet potato purée
• 1 cup water 
• 1/4 cup safflower oil or unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

What You Need For The Vanilla Buttercream:

• 2/3 cup margarine (Earth Balance)
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup almond milk 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla 
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted and divided
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted and divided

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two 8-inch cake pans. For the batter, in a large bowl whisk together pastry flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Add sweet potato purée, water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla and whisk well to form a smooth batter.
2. Evenly divide cake batter between prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool for 15 minutes in pans. Transfer to a wire rack, let cool 10 minutes, remove from cake pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.
3. For the frosting, in a large bowl beat margarine with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. With beaters going, slowly add powdered sugar, almond milk, and vanilla, and beat for 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat an additional 30 seconds. For the filling transfer one-third of the frosting to a small bowl, add 1/4 cup each toasted coconut and pecans, and stir well to combine.
4. To assemble cake, place one cake layer on serving platter. Spread the filling evenly on first layer. Place remaining cake layer on top. Frost the sides and top of the layer cake with frosting, as desired, and then sprinkle the remaining toasted coconut and pecans over the top.

Cruelty-Free Chocolate Cake & Frosting Recipes

Vegan Chocolate Cake
Recipe by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau from The Joy of Vegan Baking
*I make this cake for birthdays. It may not rise as much as a non-vegan chocolate cake, but it looks and tastes delicious!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (or whole-wheat pastry flour)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tbsp. white distilled vinegar
1 cup cold water
(I like to fold in some dark chocolate chips, too)


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine until just combined.
Pour into a lightly oiled 9-inch cake pan and cook for 30 minutes, or until sticking a toothpick in the center comes out clean.


Vegan Chocolate Frosting*
This is a simple and delicious vegan chocolate frosting. Start with less milk and then work your way up to thin it as needed.
Serves 8-10.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated non-dairy butter
3 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla
3-4 tbsp. water or non-dairy milk
Directions:
Cream the butter until smooth. Add the confectioner's sugar and cream for 2 minutes. Then add the other ingredients, turning the mixer onto high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add more milk, a tablespoon at a time, if the frosting seems dry.
Ice the cake when it is fully cooled, otherwise you are going to be battling massive crumbs.
Makes enough to ice one 1-tier cake.

---

*For an even easier frosting, combine 1 to 2 cups of dark (non-dairy) chocolate chips with 1/2 cup soy or other non-dairy milk in a small saucepan. Stir this mixture over medium-low heat until it's melted and thoroughly combined. Pour over cake and let set in the fridge for a few hours. This makes a wonderful ganache!

It's Pumpkin Season!

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake

Ingredients:

¼ cup, 3 Tablespoons non-dairy milk (this may vary depending on the pumpkin purée)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 

½ cup, 1 Tablespoon sugar
½ cup pumpkin purée
2 Tablespoons margarine (Earth Balance), melted
2 Tablespoons barley malt syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon lemon juice

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon non-aluminum baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1)
Preheat oven to 350F (177C).  In a small bowl, whisk together the non-dairy milk and the apple cider vinegar (this mixture is a substitute for buttermilk).  Set aside.

2)
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, pumpkin purée, margarine, barley malt syrup, cinnamon, vanilla extract, nutmeg, cloves and lemon juice. 

3)
In another large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda. 

4)
Add the bowl containing the wet ingredients to the bowl containing the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. 

5)
Pour mixture into a lightly oiled 8 inch round cake pan and bake for about 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Simple Vegan Baking Substitutions & Easy Banana Bread Recipe

Eggs are often used in baking because they act as the glue that binds ingredients together.

It is possible to eliminate the eggs and get the same effect.

Here’s the best egg substitution I know:
1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with three tablespoons of water = 1 egg

There are also boxed egg-replacer products you can buy at health-food stores, Whole Foods, etc. Personally, I find these expensive and not as healthy as the flaxseed/water mixture.

A note on flaxseed: Flaxseeds are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, high in fiber, and full of antioxidants.
It's important to use ground flaxseeds, as whole ones cannot be digested and you'll miss out on the nutrients. Many stores sell already-ground flaxseeds, but it is best to buy whole ones (available in bags or bulk) and grind them yourself in a blender or coffee grinder. They will retain more of their nutrients this way and are less likely to spoil. Store whole flaxseeds in a cool, dark place and ground flax in your refrigerator or freezer. If you decide to purchase already-ground flaxseeds, look for bags that are opaque and refrigerated in the store. They will be fresher.
Flaxseeds come in golden or brown, but there is no nutritional difference between the two.
Chia seeds are also nutritional powerhouses, but tend to be more expensive and harder to find than flaxseeds. Hemp seeds are a great source of Omega-3s, as well.

Omitting oil in your baking is easy, too! Simply substitute the same amount of applesauce in your recipes. For example, ¼ cup oil can be replaced with ¼ applesauce (I prefer the organic, unsweetened kind).

You need not saute with oil, either. Oils are very calorically-dense and lack nutritional value. I now saute with water or occasionally with vegetable broth. These work great!

Whenever a recipe calls for white sugar, I suggest substituting date sugar (made from ground-up dates and the only sugar with any nutritional value), maple or turbinado sugar, which are less processed than white sugar. Chemicals and sometimes bone char from animals are used to bleach white sugar (organic white sugar is processed differently). 

For liquid sweeteners, I recommend maple syrup, barley malt, or brown rice syrup. Agave syrup is another option, but I find that a little goes a long way when I utilize that -- it is so sweet.

Here's a quick recipe that works for breakfast and doubles as dessert:

MAPLE SYRUP BANANA BREAD
INGREDIENTS
1 cup 100% pure maple syrup
½ cup Earth Balance "butter" spread (you can find this non-dairy spread in health-food markets and some major grocery chains)
Egg substitute for two eggs (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed and 6 tablespoons water, whisked in a separate bowl and then added to the bread mixture)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 ripe bananas, smashed
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (you can substitute whole wheat flour here, but pastry flour has a lighter texture and taste)
1 teaspoon baking soda
Chopped nuts and/or raisins and/or dark chocolate chips (optional)

 DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
2. Mix ingredients in a bowl in the order given.
3. Pour into a greased loaf pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.