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!

frushi (fruit sushi)

 What is better than tropical fruit and minty coconut flavors on a hot day? 

That's right, we had frushi for dinner! Typically I think of this as more of an after-dinner sweet, or summer time snack, but I had a very specific craving tonight and thus I offer you my fruit sushi.

Frushi

Gluten-free, soy-free, sugar-free, vegan

Coconut Rice

1 cups sushi rice

1 1/2 cup water

1 cup coconut milk

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1 pinch salt

 Prepare the sushi rice. Rinse the rice 4 or 5 times until the water runs clean. Once clear, drain water and add 1 1/2 cups cold, fresh water to rice. Allow to soak for 30 minutes. Place on stove over high heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 20 minutes.

When water has evaporated and the rice is done, turn heat up to medium and add the remaining ingredients.

Stirring often, mix until the coconut milk is soaked into the rice, about ten minutes. Spread rice onto a plate and allow to cool. 

Once rice is at room temperature, scoop the rice into heaping tablespoons and shape into squares or circles. Place back into refrigerator and let rice set up. Meanwhile thinly slice fruit.

 mango

kiwi

watermelon

pineapple

or any other fruit of your choice

Assemble frushi however your heart desires.

Once frushi is assembled refrigerate and make the coconut dipping sauce.

 Coconut Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup coconut milk (or the remaining of your can)

2 tsp maple syrup

1 tbsp finely minced mint

Mix together. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Enjoy!

 What's your favorite food on a hot (almost) summer day?