Sunday, March 11, 2012

Vegan Banana Bread

Originally posted here on March 11, 2012 as "Vegan Banana Bread"

I made this for the first time on Friday. During Lent, as I'd mentioned before, we are eating a vegan diet (instead of the simple "abstinence from meat" which we tend to practice regularly anyway). Part of that, in my book, is also a "no dessert" rule- even vegan ones! Peter was a bit bummed and in search of a sweet treat, so I popped out a loaf of this modification I made from the Veganomican's recipe (pg. 228). Here's mine! Enjoy (on a Friday of Lent or any other day of the week- like today)!



Vegan Banana Bread

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a loaf pan.

In a mixing bowl, toss together:
3 large bananas, mushed (the kids love this part!)
1/4 cup applesauce (made some today with local Kiku apples-DELICIOUS!)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp molasses

Blend together on medium-low until well combined.

Stop and add:
1 1/4 cup A.P. flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Blend together on low until just combined. Use a spoon/spatula if more is needed, to avoid creating too much gluten, but I find just blending for 30-45 seconds does the trick!

Spoon (or use your hand to get) out into your greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or so until done.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

Originally posted here on March 10, 2012 as "St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes"

These are actually called something else, which gives a negative connontation with car bombs. Due to the offense of that name, abbreviated ICB, I've updated this post to reflect a new title.While I dont personally like either the drink or the name of it, I couldn't resist taking a go at making these, after Sarah forwarded me a link to the recipe. So, I've made some chances and, the verdicts from neighbors, my MIL, Peter, and the kiddos is in... These are a new keeper. A big thanks to our neighbors, C and D, who gave us the Guinness substitute we used! Normally, I'm not an Irish gal who'd substitute her Guinness for anything, but in these delicious cupcakes, the chocolate stoudt is to die for! Dont even bother looking at the calories... I didnt because, really, I dont want to know.

The ganache makes extra (enough to layer a 9" cake) and the icing makes enough extra to ice said cake. On top of the 24 cupcakes.






For the cupcakes:
1 cup Brooklyn Brewing Co. Black Chocolate Stoudt
1 cup salted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 dark unsweetened cocoa
1 1/3 cup A.P. flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup Greek yogurt

For the ganache:
7.5oz 56% Icelandic chocolate (Sirus, bittersweet)
2/3 cup half and half
2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
1tbsp Red Breast 12 year Irish whiskey (Middleton's is my fave but my stepdad would have a FIT if he even thought that I cooked with that! Don't worry, Dad!!!)

For the frosting:
2 cups salted butter, room temp
5 cups powdered sugar
6 tbsp (1/4 plus 1/8 cup) Bailey's Irish cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring the stoudt and butter to a simmer over medium heat. Add the cocoa and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk the flours, sugars, baking soda, and salt together and set aside. Beat the eggs and yogurt on medium to combine; add in the chocolate mixture. Reduce to low and add the dry ingredients a tbsp at a time until incorporated. Divide the batter into the cupcakes. Bake for 17min or until done. Cool completely.

2. Finely chop the chocolate for the ganache and place it in a heatproof bowl. Heat the half and half until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. After 1min, begin to whisk. Add the butter and whiskey. Place in the fridge for an hour, until it becomes thick and cooled. Place on the counter for another hour. You'll be piping this into the cupcakes.

3. Using the whisk attachment, whisk the butter for the frosting until fluffy. A half cup at a time, beat in the sugar. Finally, beat in the Irish cream and continue until fully incorporated.

4. Piping in the ganache: use a cupcake filler and cut out the center of the cupcake, filling it with the ganache and then placing the cake back over the hole.

5. Frost the cupcake. I like to fill a ziplock with the frosting, cut off the tip, and pipe it around the top. Sprinkle some green sugar on top to complete the perfect St. Patrick's Day look!

6. EAT. EAT. EAT. And try to remember to share. :)

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Vegan Chocolate Mousse

Originally posted here on February 26, 2012 as "Another Vegan Treat"

I love mousse... Wait, let me say that I LOVE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE (that's better), so that was going to be a sad good-bye. Or not... This one is all the deliciousness (and none of the post-delicious-eating-throwing-up). Thanks to Whole Foods for the recipe (which I only modified slightly). I'd had the WF mousse made with tofu and wasnt all that impressed, but this one? OUT OF THIS WORLD. I made it tonight. YUM!


Vegan Chocolate Mousse

3/4 cup raw cashews
20 pitted dates
15oz pureed butternut squash
3/4 - 1 cup chocolate coconut milk
1/4c unsweetened dark chocolate powder
1tsp vanilla extract

Soak the cashews and dates in hot water for 2 hours (with my run and needing to go to the market, mine soaked for almost 4 hours and this worked GREAT). Drain well. In a food processor (or high powdered blender), process the cashews, dates, butternut squash, and 3/4 cup of the coconut milk until smooth. Add the cocoa and the vanilla (and up to 1/4 cup of additional chocolate coconut milk if you need it), and process until the mixture becomes the proper chocolate mousse consistency.

8 servings/300 calories each

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Originally posted here on February 25, 2012 as My (Vegan) Happy Place)

I have to admit... the vegan baking? Yeah, I'm hooked. Even on the (no)baking goodies.

When I was pregnant with Bobby and Maya, Peter used to go by the Whole Foods near the hospital and bring me these DELICIOUS vegan chocolate peanut butter bars. Sadly, the WF near our house doesnt make these, but he'll periodically grab one if he's at the one near the hospital (which is about 15 minutes from his work). I searched for the WF recipe, but alas... No go.

So, instead I just searched for vegan chocolate peanut butter bar today... and oh, what I found! Thanks to Yummy Vegetarian Recipes for the recipe which I modified slightly. They are chilling now, but I ran my finger along the left over peanut butter on the mixing bowl and dipped it in some of the dredges of chocolate... OH HAPPY PLACE. How I have missed you PB-Choc Bars!!

This whole dairy free thing... I could get TOO used to it!

Vegan Peanut Butter- Chocolate Bars
(no bake)
serves between 16-25, depending on how you slice them

9oz smooth peanut butter
2oz Earth Balance (or other vegan butter alternative) (for PB) plus 1oz Earth Balance (for choc)
1.25 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1tbsp vanilla
7oz Icelandic chocolate (I use half 56% and half 70% dark)

In a mixing bowl, blend the peanut butter, 2oz of EB, sugars, and vanilla until smooth. Place a large sheet of wax paper in a 9x9 dish. Spread the peanut butter mixture in the 9x9 pan.

Melt the chocolate with 1oz EB. Spread the melted chocolate over the peanut butter mixture.

Chill until the chocolate is cool to the touch. Cut into squares (and try not to gorge yourself on them!)

Servings and (approx) Calories:
16 bars- 250 calories
20 bars- 200 calories
25 bars- 150 calories

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Vegan Black Bean Soup

Originally posted here on February 22, 2012 as "Giving Up Giving Up"

Lenten Vegan Black Bean Soup
(modified from "Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker")

1 medium sweet onion (diced)
1 medium carrot (diced)
1 medium red bell pepper (diced)
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 cans (15.5oz) black beans (dont drain or rinse)
1 large can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes (dont drain or rinse)
4 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp chili powder blend
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
rice and chopped onions for serving (optional)

Toss all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. Puree half of the soup before adding it back in. Serve over rice and add raw chopped onions, if you'd like.

4 servings. calories per serving (without the rice and raw onions/svg suggestion): 400 calories

Friday, February 17, 2012

Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake with Orange Glaze

Originally posted here on February 17, 2012 as "Sweets for Sophia"

While my sweet little one may have wanted cookies, I wanted to do a cake as well... So, I made a cake (chocolate and orange, of course) on Valentine's Day, which I then took to my in-laws on Wednesday to have with dinner as well, and Sophia got her cookies. Everything turned out so well, that I wanted to share the (vegan) recipes so that you could enjoy a bit of Sophia's sweetness in your life! :)

These recipes originated in the Veganomicon. The cookie recipe was initially modified by Polly, and further modified (as was the cake) by yours truly.

Chocolate-Orange Bundt Cake with Orange Glaze (vegan)

Melt 7.5oz (Icelandic) chocolate (45%) with 1.75 cups of freshly brewed coffee.

In a mixing bowl, mix together:
1.5 cups sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4cup cornstarch
1 tbsp orange extract.
1/2 cup orange marmalade (unsweetened)

Once cooled, add in the chocolate and mix together.

In a bowl, mix together:
1.5 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1tsp baking soda
1.5tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until well mixed.

Pour into a greased bundt pan and bake at 325 for 50-55 minutes.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Let completely cool. When the cake is cool to the touch, mix together:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp orange juice

The glaze will be fairly thick. Add more sugar/juice to get the proper "glaze" consistency. Spoon over evenly.

16 slices, 220 calories each

Vegan Chocolate Orange Cookies

Originally posted here on February 17, 2012 as "Sweets for Sophia"

While my sweet little one may have wanted cookies, I wanted to do a cake as well... So, I made a cake (chocolate and orange, of course) on Valentine's Day, which I then took to my in-laws on Wednesday to have with dinner as well, and Sophia got her cookies. Everything turned out so well, that I wanted to share the (vegan) recipes so that you could enjoy a bit of Sophia's sweetness in your life! :)

These recipes originated in the Veganomicon. The cookie recipe was initially modified by Polly, and further modified (as was the cake) by yours truly.


Chocolate Orange Cookies (vegan)
In a mixing bowl, combine:
1/4c canola oil
1/4c applesauce
1/2c orange marmalade (natural and unsweetened is best)
1.5tsp orange extract

While this is mixing, melt:
7.5oz dark chocolate
(I use a mixture of 3.25oz each Icelandic 56% and 70%)

Add in the melted chocolate to the wet ingredients. Turn mixer off while you combine (in another bowl):
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup hazelnut flour
3/4tsp baking soda
1/4tsp salt

Add the dry to the wet, mixing on 3 (low-med) speed, a third at a time. Then add in:
1/2 cup dried crandberries
1/2 cup chocolate chips ( I used 1/4 mini chips and 1/4 reg chips)

The mixture will be wet and sticky. Make 24 balls. Roll them in:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
(there will be a little sugar left over- keep it)

Press the balls into discs. Place on a cookie sheet. These wont spread out much, so you can easily do 10-12 per sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sift some of your leftover powdered sugar over the still-hot cookies. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.

This recipe makes 30 cookies (2.5 dozen), 150 calories each.