Red (White and Blue) Velvet Cupcakes

Happy Memorial Day!
This is a super special weekend for my family. Last year on this very day I found out the incredible news that I was pregnant. There was a lot of excitement, trepidation, and pacing back and forth as tried to wrap my mind around this quite figuratively mind-blowing news. A year later I have a beautiful, healthy 4 month old who makes me happier than I've ever been. So happy birthday little girl, just a year ago you were but a zygote! In celebration for this momentous holiday weekend, I made cupcakes.

Red (White and Blue) Velvet Cupcakes
yield: 12 cupcakes

1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
6 Tbsp chickpea flour + 6 Tbsp water
1/2 cup vegan sour cream
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 Tbsp red gel food coloring
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces vegan cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp non-hydrogenated margarine, softened
1 Tbsp vegan sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 pint raspberries
1/2 pint blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper cups.
Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl cream together margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
Combine chickpea flour and water in a blender and mix until thick and eggy in consistency.
With beater on, slowly add chickpea flour mixture into margarine/sugar and mix until well incorporated. Mix together sour cream, non-dairy milk, food coloring, and vanilla extract. Slowly add to sugar mixture, beating until combined. It will look curdled at this point. Don't worry, it will come back together.
Add dry and mix until just combined. Don't over mix.

Scoop the batter into muffin tins evenly (they will be almost to the top) and place in oven. Bake 20-25 minutes, until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Pull from oven and place on cooling rack. Let cool to room temperature. Don't frost until cupcakes are completely cool.

To make the frosting blend together cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla, and margarine with an electric mixer. Once mostly smooth (a few lumps are okay) add powdered sugar in batches of three, totally incorporating before adding each batch.

Pipe frosting on to each cooled cupcake and top with raspberries and blueberries. Say a wish for baby Eden and enjoy!

But hurry up, these cupcakes are going fast! Now you see it...

Now you don't.

Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yesterday I promised to veganize a classic recipe we all know. Well what is more classic than Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies? Most of us know how the should taste, right?

So I went to the store and hid in an aisle while taking a picture of this recipe with my phone. Then I came home and put my veganizing skills to the test.

My discreet efforts to take the picture in a grocery store

My choice of egg replacer was chickpea flour. Unlike bananas, apple sauce, or flax seeds, chickpea flour is virtually tasteless. Additionally it's much lighter so it won't compromise the cookie's ability to rise. (There certainly are recipes where these other choices are preferable, but we can get into that later.) However chickpea flour does not work as a leavener itself and therefore I also added 1/2 teaspoon baking powder for each egg I was replacing (1 teaspoon total).
 
Eggs are about a 1/4 cup liquid  each so I needed 1/2 cup of the chickpea flour/water mixture (1:1 ratio). This measures out to be 3 Tablespoons of chickpea flour and water (each) per egg.

okay, to the recipe....

Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookie - Veganized
 2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp chickpea flour
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp water
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Blend together the chickpea flour and water in a food processor or blender until thick and creamy. Set aside.
Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and powder.
In a separate bowl cream together margarine and sugars until light and fluffy. While blending, slowly add the chickpea mixture until fully incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and blend together. Be careful not to over-mix.
Add chocolate chips and nuts (I used pecans) and fold in by hand.

Drop heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheet. It works best if the sheet is covered by wax paper or a silpat. If you have neither, lightly oil the pan and your cookies will be just fine.
Cook for 9-11 minutes, until golden around the edges.

Pull the out and allow them to cool.
Let's do a visual comparison...

My non-vegan tasters (my husband and my dog) were extremely found of these. I believe I heard my husband call them "the best cookies I have ever had" while my dog just begged her praises.

These cookies were just how I remembered them. A little crisp on the outside with a soft, gooey, buttery inside. I would have to say, success.

*Chickpea flour, in it's raw form, has a fairly strong, fairly bad taste.When baked, you won't notice it at all, I promise. However if you are a cookie dough snacker I would suggest switching out the flour for ground flax seeds or commercial egg replacer.

*If you have any questions regarding specific recipes or any suggestions of foods I should try here on my blog, leave a comment. Together we will veganize!

Chocolate Peppermint Mousse

sugar-free, soy-free, gluten-free

Look good? It is!

Get the recipe here at The Sweetest Vegan who graciously let me be a guest blogger on her fantastic website.

Raw Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake

That's right friends. And it's as good as it looks.

So far the biggest benefit of my soy/gluten freedom month has been the forcing of creativity and innovation. I have to admit, I used to have a sort of prejudice against raw desserts disbelieving in their potential goodness. Oh was I wrong. This is one of my favorite desserts I have ever made. Ever. The chocolate hazelnut cheesecake is so rich and creamy and pure. But wait there's more, it's also healthy!

Raw Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake

gluten-free, soy-free, sugar-free, raw, vegan

Crust

1 cup hazelnut meal

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp raw cocoa powder

3 Tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1 pinch sea salt

The best pan to use for this recipe would be a Flexi-pan or other type of silicone mold. Otherwise a spring form pan works great. If you're very brave and don't have a Flexi-pan but want individual cheesecakes, use a muffin pan, lightly oiled. It will take a little tlc to get the cheesecakes out, but you can do it! This recipe would fill a 9" spring form pan or about 12 individual molds.

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until it starts to come together. Press the crust into the bottom of desired pan, about 1/4 inch thick.

Set aside while you making the filling.

 The Filling

2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight and rinsed

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp hazelnut butter (peanut butter works too)

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

In a food processor or mixer blend together cashews, maple syrup, water, and salt. Mix until totally smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor as necessary. Add cocoa powder, hazelnut butter and coconut oil to cashew mixture and blend all together, scraping down again, until mixture is uniformly combine.

Spoon or pipe filling on top of crusts. Stick cheesecake in the freezer until solid all the way through (at least 2 hours for individual cheesecakes, 4 for large cheesecake).

Once frozen remove cheesecake from pan. If using silicone mold, they will easily pop out. If you have a muffin tin, run a sharp, hot knife around the edges of each cheesecake, flip tin upside down and give it a few good whacks again the counter. They could start to slowly side out at this point. Be patient, gravity is on your side. If a few minutes have past and the cheesecakes are still refusing to drop, use a lighter to heat the bottom of the tin briefly; the heat will help release the cake.

Place cakes in the refrigerator and make the chocolate sauce.

 Chocolate Sauce

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Mix ingredients together with fork. Scoop a little onto cold cheesecake. Place back in fridge and let sauce harden.

Top with hazelnuts. Serve cold

Easter Fruit Tart

As I mentioned earlier, I am totally into cashews right now and have been eager to try cashew pastry cream. I have made other vegan pastry creams in the past and never been very pleased with the result. Going creamy often involves tofu (which I am trying to limit in my diet) and always runs the risk of having that "vegan aftertaste". Well I have decided it is time for that "vegan aftertaste" to become a compliment. It is time for people to expect our creams and custards and mousses to be better than their cow counterpart.

So my dessert challenge this week was to make a delicious pastry cream out of cashews that would be the base of my Easter fruit tart.

The Components:

Cashew Pastry Cream
Shortbread Tart Shell
1 pint Strawberries
1/2 pint Raspberries
1/2 pint Blueberries
2 Kiwi
1 Mango
Apricot Glaze

Cashew Pastry Cream

3 Tbsp non-hydrogenated margarine (Earth Balance is best)
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups soy milk
2 vanilla beans
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup water

Soak the cashews in 1 cup water overnight.

In a food processor blend the cashews with the water until completely smooth. This may take a long time so be patient.

Meanwhile melt margarine in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add cornstarch and quickly whisk until smooth and thick. Mix the milk and sugar in a separate bowl and add slowly into the cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly. With a paring knife slice the vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape the bean clean. Stir vanilla into pastry cream. Switch from whisk to spatula and continue stirring while cream thickens, scraping down the sides. It should coat the spatula, looking something like this:Once thick, remove from heat and allow cream to cool slightly. When it is no longer hot to the touch add it to the cashews which should be very smooth and creamy and blend for a few more minutes until well combined.

Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Set in refrigerator and allow several hours for pastry cream to set up.
This can be made several days in advance; it will store in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Shortbread Tart Shell

This recipe is from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's wonderful cookie cookbook, "Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar."

1 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, slightly softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/3 cup cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-inch tart pan.
In a large bowl beat together the margarine and sugar, scraping the sides often, until very light and creamy.

Sift together flour and cornstarch. Add to margarine mixture in batches, folding in with a spatula first. Beat together until mixture is crumbly yet moist, holding together when pressed. You want it to look something like this:

Empty dough into tart shell and press down with fingers so that it evenly fills the bottom. Press all around the entire rim of the pan to get the dough into the fluted edges as well as at the fold so that you have a good 90 degree angle.
For a clean look run a knife around the top to even out the sides.

With a fork poke holes into the dough.

Place tart shell in oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes until the shortbread is slightly puffed and the edges are staring to golden. Remove from heat and let cool.

Assembly

Pour chilled and set-up pastry cream into completely cooled tart shell, filling about half full. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Place back in fridge to set up for another hour or so.

Once ready, gently remove the sides of the tart pan by holding the bottom and slightly pushing down at the rim to remove. It's important to do this now before the tart gets too heavy. Take a knife and stick it between the bottom of the pan and tart shell. The bottom should just ease off at this point.

Place on flat round plate and begin assembling. You can do this however you like with any type of fruit. This is what I did:
Cut strawberries in half and place around the edge. Place raspberries just inside the strawberries, doubling them up to create volume.

Skin and slice kiwi into eight slices and place around the raspberries, followed by all the blueberries. Again, I used an entire 1/2 pint, stacking them to create more volume. I finished with three strawberries and slices of mangos in the center.

You're almost finished! Heat up 1 Tbsp apricot jam (or any jam really) and 2 Tbsp water, whisking constantly until boiling. With a pastry brush (silicone works best) brush the glaze on over the fruit. This gives it a nice shine and a couple extra hours of shelf life.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chocolate Strawberry Parfaits

 Strawberry Banana Parfaits

vegan and soy-free

My family gathers several times a year to celebrate clusters of birthday. This weekend we got together for three birthdays and I made the dessert. Ever since my fantastic birthday dinner at Portobello and their amazing tiramisu with cashew marscapone I had been eager to experiment more with cashews. The result: a creamy, fluffy, and very rich mousse I am extremely excited to share as part of my birthday parfait recipe.

The Components

Chocolate Brownie Cake Chocolate Mousse
Strawberries
Bananas
Coconut Whipped Cream

Chocolate Brownie Cake

This is a delicious blend between a cake and a brownie: rich, moist, and super chocolatey. This is probably the easiest cake recipe I've ever seen and takes no more than ten minutes to assemble.

1 1/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly oil a 9'' cake pan or 8x8 square dish. Mix together the first five ingredients until well combined. In a measuring cup combine the wet ingredients and pour into the dry. Mix together until smooth, but do not over-mix. Small chunks are okay; the batter should look something like this:

Place in oven and bake about 20 minutes, until knife comes out clean in the center.
Set aside to cool.

Chocolate Mousse

This recipe follows a classic chocolate mousse that is made up of three components: whipped eggs and sugar, melted chocolate, and whipped cream. After some experimenting and reading I came up with this vegan version of the classic mousse.

2 cup cashews, soaked overnight
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar

12 oz chocolate, melted

2 cans coconut milk, chilled overnight
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract or 2 vanilla beans

Place cashews in a bowl and add 1 cups water.
Let the cashews soak in the water overnight.


Once ready blend the cashews, water, and sugar in a food processor for a looooong time until mixture is smooth and thick.

Meanwhile melt the chocolate on a double boiler, stirring occasionally.

Once chocolate is melted scrape into large bowl. Fold in the completely smooth cashew mixture until well combined. Let cool to room temperature.

While chocolate cashew mixture is cooling, open the two cans of chilled coconut milk and scrape out the fatty solids on the top (about half the can). Place in a bowl with sugar and vanilla extract and blend with a hand mixture until the coconut milk is the texture of whipped cream.

Fold in the whipped cream to the now cooled chocolate mixture. Place in a airtight contain and let set up in the fridge.


Coconut Whipped Cream

1 can coconut milk, chilled overnight
3 TBSP powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend together as done for mousse.

Strawberries and Bananas

Slice 2 bananas and 1/2 pint strawberries.
Place strawberries in bowl and mix with two tablespoons of sugar to bring out the moisture.

To assemble parfaits:
cut one inch chunks from cooled cake and place 3-4 at the bottom of the glass.
Top with several sliced strawberries.
Cover with 3-4 TBSP mousse.
Repeat, this time with bananas.
Pipe or spoon on the whipped cream and top with a strawberry.
Serve chilled.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Vegan and Gluten Free Chocolate Mousse Cake

This is a delicious and decadent chocolate cake recipe that was inspired
by a recipe I found in Hannah Kaminsky's "My Sweet Vegan".
This cake is not only a super easy, no bake dessert.
It is also vegan, gluten-free and without refined sugars.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Crust
1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
3 tbsp canola oil

Combine all ingredients for crust until well combined and dough-like.
Press firmly into a lightly oiled 9 inch spring form pan.

Chill crust while preparing the filing.

Mousse Filling
2 12 ounce packages extra firm silken tofu
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup brown rice syrup
2 tsp almond extract
12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips

Drain tofu and blend well in food processor. Scrape down sides and add cocoa powder, brown rice syrup and almond extract. Blend again.
Meanwhile melt the chocolate chips in a double broiler and
add to tofu mixture. Scrape down and blend for several minutes
until mixture is smooth.

Pour mousse into chilled crust and smooth with offset spatula.

Chill in refrigerator for at least four hours.
Top with raspberries and chocolate shaving.