Vegan Dessert Recipes, Part 8

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

4.5 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer
6 tablespoons of water
1 cup non dairy butter, (I used two sticks of Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
a whole bag of Ghiradelli chocolate chips (or other brand)

- preheat oven 375 degrees
-whip the egg replacer and water and set aside
-in large bowl cream the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla
-add egg replacer and whip till very smooth and creamy with electric mixer
-in separate bowl mix dry ingredients
-combine dry into wet and mix and then add chips.
- bake 10 minutes, then let cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes, then transfer to wax paper.

Danny Romero’s version from “The Joy of Vegan Baking” by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Vegan Dessert Recipes, Part 7

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/2 cups rolled oats
1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 cup plain soymilk
3/4 cup maple syrup
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup walnuts, crushed (I like mine crushed pretty finely)
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Add soymilk, maple syrup, and oil. Stir just until moistened, then fold in walnuts and chocolate chips.

Spoon mixture into prepared muffin tin. Fill the cups pretty much to the brim - these will rise a little but not a ton. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until they pass the toothpick test.

Submitted by Tamara McFarland. Modified from recipe in VegNews magazine.

Vegan Dessert Recipes, Part 6

Gluten-Free Lemon and Jelly Cookies

2 1/2 cups blanched almonds (dry), ground finely in food processor
2/3 cup corn flour or cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup yellow flaxmeal (light colored)
1/2 cup + 2 tsp agave syrup
2 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice (optional)
fruit sweetened jelly, jam, or fruit preserves of choice

1. Spray a large cookie sheet with a good vegetable oil spray and preheat the oven to 350.

2. In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients(except for the jelly) in the given order. Mix well.

3. Drop dough on cookie sheet with a teaspoon and flatten with a fork.

4. After flattening, go back to each cookie pressing with either your thumb or the bottom of a spoon, creating a little crater in each cookie. Add a small amount of jelly inside the indentation, but not too much or it will overflow and spill out during the baking.

5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. Check often to prevent burning.

5. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet.

Makes about 2 dozen

If stored in a sealed tupperware like container they become more moist over time and the flavor intensifies.

*This recipe can be adapted with many different nuts, combinations and flavors.

Submitted by Valerie McGowan

Vegan Dessert Recipes, Part 5

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE PILLOWS

Chocolate dough:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons non-dairy milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder
2 tablespoons black unsweetened cocoa or more dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:
3/4 cup natural salted peanut butter, crunchy or creamy style
2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons soy creamer or non-dairy milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl combine oil, sugar, maple syrup, non-dairy milk and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, black cocoa if using, baking soda and salt. Mix to form a moist dough.

Make the filling. In another mixing bowl beat together peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, 2 tablespoons of soy creamer and vanilla extract to form a moist but firm dough. If peanut butter dough is too dry stir in remaining tablespoon of non-dairy milk. If dough is too wet knead in a little extra powdered sugar.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Shape the cookies. Create the centers of the cookies by rolling the peanut butter dough into 24 balls. Scoop a generous tablespoon of chocolate dough, flatten into a disc and place a peanut butter ball in the center. Fold the sides of the chocolate dough up and around the peanut butter center and roll the chocolate ball into an smooth ball between your palms. Place on a sheet of waxed paper and repeat with remaining dough.

Place dough balls on lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and let cookies cool for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to complete cooling. Store cookies in tightly covered container. If desired warm cookies in a microwave for 10 to 12 seconds before serving.

Submitted by Tamara McFarland (I think this is an Isa Chandra Moskowitz recipe, possibly from the book, 'Vegan Cupcakes Take Over Your Cookie Jar'.)

Vegan Dessert Recipes, Part 4

MAGIC CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
3/4 cup unrefined sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 cup cold water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a large bowl and stir with a fork until mixed. Make a well in the center and add the vanilla, oil, vinegar, and water. Stir with a fork until well mixed. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool completely, then frost with Chocolate Cream Frosting (below).

CHOCOLATE CREAM FROSTING

2 tablespoons vegan margarine
1 1/3cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2-4 tablespoons water

Cream the vegan margarine in a small bowl, then add the sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and enough water to make a thick but spreadable frosting.

From ’The Peaceful Palate’ by Jennifer Raymond.

Tamara's notes: “I have never mixed this in the baking pan like Jennifer suggests; I always just use a mixing bowl. Also, I often double the recipe to make a 9x13 cake.”

Vegan Dessert Recipes, Part 3

KEY LIME CHEESECAKE

1 package silken tofu
8 ounces non-dairy cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons lime zest, divided
Juice of 3 limes
2 teaspoons agar agar flakes
1 prepared pie crust
1-1/2 cups non-dairy whipped cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, combine tofu, cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla, 3 teaspoons lime zest, and lime juice until smooth. Add agar agar and blend for about 1 minute.

2. Add tofu mixture to pie crust and bake about 30 minutes. Turn off the oven, and allow to sit in the oven for another 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool, then top with non-dairy whipped cream. Sprinkle remaining lime zest and serve.

Submitted by Tamara McFarland

Vegan Dessert Recipes, Part 2

STRAWBERRY, PEACH, RASPBERRY CRISP WITH GINGER AND ORANGE ZEST

2 cups peaches, sliced
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 teaspons orange zest
4 tablespoons sucanat

Topping:
1/2 cup - whole grain flour
1/2 cup - rolled oats
1/2 cup - Sucanat
1/2 cup - finely chopped pistachios and walnuts
6 Tablespoons - melted vegan butter and/or coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon -salt

Preheat oven to 350F.

Arrange sliced fruit, ginger, orange zest, and sucanat in an 8 inch square baking dish. Mix all the ingredients for the topping in a bowl and sprinkle on top of strawberries, covering the top fully. Bake the crisp until the juices are bubbly, and the topping is golden brown. This takes about 35-40 minutes.

Let cool slightly and serve warm as such or with ice cream or whipped cream. Store leftover crisp in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 2 days. Slightly warm before serving.

Submitted by Holly Young

Vegan Dessert Recipes, Part 1

The first of several recipes submitted by HVS members for last weekend's vegan desserts class...

REALLY! ONE BOWL BROWNIES

2 cups raw walnuts (unsoaked)
1 cup almonds (unsoaked)
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/8 tsp. salt
16 pitted, lightly chopped dates
1/3 cup cocoa (or raw) powder
1/3 cup carob powder
1 cup dried cherries (or raisins)
1/4 cup raw cacao nibs (optional)
2 tsp vanilla flavoring
2 tsp filtered water

Place the nuts and hemp seeds in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until coarsely chopped. Remove 1/2 cup of the nuts and set aside in a small mixing bowl. Add the salt to the food processor and process until the nut are finely ground. Add the dates and process until the mixture begins to stick together. Add the cocoa and carob powders and process to incorporate. Add the chopped nuts and seeds, dried cherries (or raisins), optional cacao nibs, vanilla, and water and process briefly, until just mixed.

Pour the mixture evenly into an 8-inch glass baking dish and press down with your hand to compact. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour, or until firm to touch, and then cut into squares.

Covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator, these brownies will keep for 5 days or for 2 weeks stored in the freezer.

Submitted by Valerie McGowan. Modified from a recipe in "Raw for Dessert" by Jennifer Cornbleet

Vegan Baking/Desserts

Here is some excellent material compiled by Heather G. for last weekend's vegan dessert class -

Butter Substitutes

• Vegan Margarine – Earth Balance is often used since it has natural ingredients. To avoid trans-fats, look for non-hydrogenated. Keep very, very chilled when using for pie crust and chill before cutting and again before baking. Unless margarine is unsalted, reduce amount of added salt by half.
• Coconut Butter/Oil – Great for pie crusts (adds a little flavor.) Not good for cookies as they may turn out very flat. Don’t refrigerate before using for pie crust as it will be rock hard!
• Vegetable Oil – Use 25% less oil than butter.

Milk Substitutes

• When baking, use a fattier milk for better results, such as soy, hemp, coconut, or nut milks. Less fatty milks, like rice, will give lesser results.

Buttermilk Substitutes

• Use an equal amount of soymilk mixed with a little lemon juice. Allow the mixture to thicken 5 minutes before using. For 1 cup buttermilk, mix 1 cup milk with 2 Tbsp lemon juice.
• Use an equal amount of vegan sour cream substitute diluted half and half with water. For 1 cup buttermilk, mix 1/2 cup vegan sour cream with 1/2 cup water.

Sour Cream Substitutes

• Use a vegan sour cream substitute. One recommended brand is Sour Supreme.
• Use soy yogurt in a 1:1 substitution ratio.1 cup sour cream = 1 cup vegan sour cream.

Cream Cheese Substitutes

• Use a vegan cream cheese substitute. Recommended brands are Tofutte (non-hydrogenated version) and Follow Your Heart.
• Use coconut cream with lemon juice; mix a dash of lemon juice with heavy coconut cream.

Egg Substitutes

Eggs are used for either binding the other ingredients and thickening or they are used for leavening – helping the dessert to rise and be light and fluffy. It is best to identify the egg’s purpose in a recipe in order to best replace it. You may need to experiment with this! And while you won’t be able to create some very light items, most baking with one to four eggs can be replicated.

- In cookies and muffins, no binding agent is generally needed.

- In quick breads and cakes both leavening and binding is needed.

- In custard pies, like pumpkin pie, eggs are mainly for thickening.

For Leavening (cakes, cookies, muffins, quick breads, etc.)

• Use soymilk with lemon; mix 1/4 cup soymilk with 1 Tbsp. Lemon juice for one egg equivalent.
• Use sour cream substitute with baking soda; mix 1/4 cup Sour Supreme + 1/4 tsp. baking soda for one egg equivalent.

Optional: In cakes and quick breads, add 2 Tbsp. of cornstarch/arrowroot powder to the dry ingredients for each egg being replaced. This will bind the ingredients and give a nice soft texture.

For Thickening and Binding:

• Use finely ground flaxseeds whipped with water; mix 1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds with 3 Tbsp water for one egg equivalent. Note: flaxseeds are strictly a binder, so where leavening is also needed, one solution is to mix in a little bit of Ener G Egg Replacer.
• Use cornstarch with pureed soft tofu; mix 3 Tbsp. pureed tofu with 2 tsp. Cornstarch. (Good for quiches and custard pies.)
• Commercial Egg Replacers – Ener G Egg Replacer is a popular brand. Note: some people notice a bitter aftertaste.
• Use soy flour mixed with water; mix 1 heaping Tbsp. soy flour with 1 Tbsp. water. Note: Add more water if it seems too dry.

Fat Free Egg Replacers

• Pureed fruit (applesauce, pureed banana, squash or pumpkin) works as a binder. They are low in fat but some flavor may transfer over to the finished product. 1/4 cup puree substitutes as one egg equivalent.

Gelatin Substitutions

• Agar agar flakes, powders, or bars. This will thicken as it heats. Note: agar agar sets more firmly than gelatin.
• Commercial substitution – There are some commercial products for Jello available. (Natural Desserts Gluten-Free Vegan Jel Desserts is available at Eureka Natural Foods.)

Honey Substitutions

• Alternative liquid sweeteners. Agave, maple syrup, liquid FruitSource can be substituted in equal measure. Varying in sweetness are frozen fruit-juice concentrates, malt syrup, brown rice syrup, sorghum syrup; with these experimentation may be necessary.

Sugar Substitutions

• Alternative dry sweeteners. Beet sugar, fructose, evaporated cane juice crystals, unbleached cane sugar, turbinado sugar, palm sugar, date sugar, maple crystals, and granulated FruitSource are alternatives. Note: some dissolve better than others, so experimentation may be necessary.

Note: Many vegans do not eat sugar since some sugar is refined using bone char from animals.

Tea Party Pics

All I can say is... yum!!!

June Event

On Saturday, June 19th at 2:00 p.m., the Humboldt Vegetarian Society will host a vegan dessert tasting and cooking discussion at the Humboldt Area Foundation Community Center, 373 Indianola Road in Bayside.

This event is open to the public and is free of charge. A tea party themed potluck and dessert tasting will be followed by a roundtable discussion on preparing vegan desserts, including information on easy substitutions as well as lots of free recipes. Attendees should bring a vegan dish to share (finger foods, desserts, and/or teas are encouraged), as well as their own plates, cups, and utensils. (Vegan means no animal products, including meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey, gelatin, etc.)

Any Fabulous Dessert Recipes Out There?

Hello all - we have an upcoming event June 19th - A Vegan Tea Party and Dessert Tasting! We're putting together a little handout for that event, which will include recipes. We'd appreciate any favorite vegan dessert recipes that you'd care to share. Whether decadent or homey, if they are delicious, we want them!

Please send your recipes to h.gladding@gmail.com.

Thank you! Heather G.