Sunday, July 28, 2013

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

After several tries, I think I've found my new go-to chocolate chip cookie. Though I call them oatmeal cookies, they're more like cookies with oats; you could just as well omit them, but I like the texture they add.

Ingredients
2tbsp flax meal plus 1/4c water
1tbsp potato starch (or tapioca starch, or Ener-G egg replacer)

1c vegan butter
3/4c sugar
1/4c pure maple syrup
2tsp vanilla extract
1tbsp molasses

1/2c sorghum flour
1/2c brown rice flour
1c oat flour
3/4tsp xanthum gum
2tsp baking powder
pinch salt

2c gluten free rolled oats
1c chocolate chips (add more or less, depending on your taste)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350. Stir together the flax meal and water in a small bowl and set aside for a few minutes. Melt the butter, then stir in the sugar, maple syrup, vanilla and molasses. Add the flax meal mixture and potato starch. Mix together the flours, xanthum gum, baking powder and salt. Add the flour to the butter mixture and stir. Add the rolled oats and chocolate chips and knead with your hands to combine. Scoop the dough in 1tbsp portions onto sprayed or parchment-lined cookie sheets, flatten them with your hands (wetting them helps the dough not stick). Bake them for 8-10 minutes, or until they are slightly brown around the edges.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Protein-Packed Spinach Sauce

In case you didn't already know, I am vegan, and gluten-free as of last summer. Lately I've also been avoiding soy  for health reasons. It hasn't been that hard, but without eating soy or gluten (think seitan) I've had to work extra hard to make sure I get enough protein. This is an exceedingly simple and delicious recipe that packs a good protein punch. It's great as a sauce for pasta, veggies, or pizza.

Protein-Packed Spinach Sauce

16 c raw spinach leaves (we bought the largest box of spinach at Whole Foods and used the whole thing)
1 1/3 c frozen green peas
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp oregano
1 serving protein powder*

1) Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes, then set aside.
2) In a blender or food processor, blend the spinach leaves and peas. I used a vita-mix, but you could also blend small portions and combine them in a big bowl.
3) Add the onion and garlic with oil and spices and mix or blend to combine with the sauce.
4) If using, add the protein powder and blend or mix.
5) Serve over pasta or veggies, or on pizza.

*Since I've been struggling with protein, I've started to add protein powder to some foods, but you can easily omit it. Currently I'm using Sunwarrior classic raw vegan protein, which I got at whole foods. It's made from sprouted brown rice, and has 17g of protein per serving, but it does add a graininess to foods similar to rice flour.



Sunday, July 14, 2013

Quinoa, White Bean and Kale Stew

This hearty soup is modified from Appetit for Reduction.

Herb blend
1tsp marjoram
1tsp thyme
1/2tsp rosemary
pepper

Ingredients
1 leek, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot - medium dice
1 large parsnip - medium dice
4c low-sodium vegetable broth
4c water
1c dry quinoa
3c potatoes, cubed
1 small bunch of kale - remove stems and tear into small, bite-sized pieces
1 can white beans

Directions
Chop the leek, carrot, parsnip, potato and garlic. Saute the leek and garlic in a bit of water or oil for 3 minutes, then add the carrot, parsnip and herbs and saute for another minute. Add the broth, water, potato and quinoa. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes while you cut the kale. After 15 minutes add the kale and beans, cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently, then cover and let the soup simmer for another 5 minutes.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Caffeinated Brownies

I made these during finals (shocker). A variation of my plain brownie recipe, each serving contains as much caffeine as a cup of black coffee (from the chocolate and the espresso). I was more focused on the caffeine than the taste, but they're actually pretty good. You could always add slightly less espresso and just eat more to get your caffeine kick.

Ingredients
1tbsp flax meal in 3tbsp water

1c chocolate (70% - the higher the cocoa content, the more caffeine!)
6tbsp vegan butter

1c nondairy milk
1/4c plus 1tbsp instant espresso powder

1 1/2c sugar
1tsp vanilla

1 1/4c flour*
1/8tsp baking soda
pinch salt

*I used 1/2c oat flour, 1/2c sorghum, 1/4c millet and 1/8tsp xanthum gum

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325. Stir the flax meal and water together in a small bowl. Microwave the chocolate and butter until the chocolate melts, and mix them together. Microwave the milk for a minute or two, then add the instant espresso powder. Combine the chocolate and espresso, then mix in the sugar and vanilla. Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt, then combine the flour with the chocolate mixture. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Scoop batter into the muffin tins in 1/2c portions, and  bake for 10-15 minutes, until they are slightly crisp on the outer edges and a toothpick comes out clean. If they're too crisp, try lowering the temperature and baking them longer.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Puppy Chow!

For a fundraiser, me and my friends whipped up eleven batches of this stuff. It works well, and tastes great. Note: this is NOT food for dogs; I was surprised by how many people didn't know what "puppy chow" is.

Equipment: One mixing bowl, one large bowl with plate for shaking, one microwaveable containers, measuring cups (1 C, 1/2 C, and one more for measuring servings), two rubber spatulas (or large spoons), bags for portions.

Ingredients
1 box (13oz) rice chex
1/4c vegan butter
1/2c peanut butter
1c chocolate chips
1tsp vanilla
3c powdered sugar

Directions
Microwave the butters and chocolate in the microwave until the chocolate is mostly melted. Add the vanilla and mix. Pour one box of cereal into a bowl, then pour the melted chocolate mixture over it and gently fold until it's well mixed. Dump the cereal into the large bowl, add the powdered sugar, use the plate as a lid and shake well.


Large-scale directions
12 boxes rice chex
5 2# bags of powdered sugar
1 6# jar of peanut butter
2 1# boxes of Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks
2 3# bags of chocolate chips
Ziploc sandwich bags - 120 count

Follow the same directions as above, but in an assembly line - one person measures and microwaves, one mixes in the cereal, one person shakes the powdered sugar, one person measures 1c servings into sandwich bags. We ended up making 120 servings from 11 boxes, and sold each for $1. The original ingredients cost about $70, so we made an extra $50.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Brownies

I've done it! Vegan, gluten-free brownies!This is one of those difficult recipes that just didn't want to work for me.  Based on this post from Oh She Glows, I've tweaked and tested it more times than I can count, and will probably continue to do so. Contrary to my natural instincts, I recommend that you follow the recipe and directions as closely as possible. It is essential to bake these in a thin, metal pan, NOT glass, unless you want a strange, goopy mess.

Ingredients
1 1/2 tbsp flax seed meal in 3tbps water

1c dark chocolate - I use 1.5 bars of 70% Divine chocolate
6tbsp vegan butter
1/2c nondairy milk

1c sugar
1/4c agave (you can use more sugar if you prefer)
1tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4c flour*
1/8tsp baking soda
3/8tsp xanthum gum

Flour mixture
These are the mixes that I've used that worked
1/2c oat flour, 1/2c sorghum, 1/4c millet
1/4c each of sorghum, brown rice and quinoa; 1/2c oat flour

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325

Mix the flax meal and water in a small bowl and set aside for a few minutes. Microwave the chocolate, butter, and milk until the chocolate is melting. Stir the chocolate mixture, then stir in the sugar, agave, and vanilla. Add the flax mixture and mix well. Mix together the flour, baking soda, and xanthum gum, then add the flour to the chocolate. The batter will be thick; I've successfully baked it as is, but I also added some extra milk without problems. Spray a thin metal pan - not glass - or a metal muffin tin. Scoop the batter into the pan and bake for around half an hour (I never actually time things; just bake until the top looks done and a toothpick comes out clean). They tend to be fragile when still warm, but they stick together better when they're cool.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

VGF Lemon Cake

I rarely meet my own expectations when it comes to cooking. Sure, the things I make taste good, but they almost never taste exactly as I had imagined. This cake is one of those exceptions. I can't do it justice in words, so you'll just have to try it yourself to see what I mean. This recipe makes two dozen cupcakes or two 10in rounds.



Vegan Gluten-Free Lemon Cake (adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)

1 can coconut milk (not light)
2t apple cider vinegar
1c vegan butter (you could also use canola oil)
1 1/2c sugar
1t vanilla
zest of 1 lemon
juice from 1 lemon
3T tapioca starch (you could use cornstarch or potato starch)
1 1/2t baking powder
1t baking soda
/2 t salt
1c oat flour
1c sorghum flour
1/2c white rice flour
water (1/2cish)

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350.
2)Pour the milk into a bowl and add the apple cider vinegar. Mix and let sit for a few minutes.
3) Melt the butter and mix it, the sugar and the vanilla into the coconut milk mixture. Add the lemon zest and juice.
4) Add the dry ingredients and mix. I usually add everything but the flour and mix, then add the flours.
5) Mix in water until the batter is decently thin - I find thinner batter rises better.
6) Bake for 20 minutes (I didn't actually time it) - when it looks done and a toothpick comes out clean, leave it in for a few more minutes. It's a very moist cake, so if you want it drier leave it in longer.
7) Let it cool, then top with lemon glaze (recipe below). Wait for the glaze to set before serving.

Lemon Glaze

2c powdered sugar
1T non-dairy milk
1T lemon juice
2T corn syrup (next time I'll try agave)

Mix all the ingredients together. These measurements are guesses - taste it and see if it needs more of anything. It shouldn't be too runny, but too thick and it's impossible to spread. Just play around with it until it works.

Rainbow Cake Roll

I got the idea for this cake roll here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBvo7RVSEvk
Unfortunately that roll is extremely not vegan (5 eggs and 3 types of dairy), but I was determined! My biggest worry was that the cake needs to be very sturdy, and vegan, gluten-free things sometimes have difficulty with staying together. Not to worry - chia seeds to the rescue! I actually think I used too many (3tbsp), so this recipe has fewer, but feel free to experiment. Also, be warned, this recipe uses quite a few dishes.


Vegan Gluten-free Rainbow Cake Roll Recipe
2tbsp chia seeds in 1/2c water (I used whole chia seeds, you could also use ground)

3tbsp other egg replacer (I used 1tbsp each of potato starch, arrowroot and tapioca starch) in 6tbsp water

1c vegan butter, room temperature
1 1/2c sugar
1c almond milk plus extra
1tsp vanilla extract
1/4tsp almond extract

1c tapioca flour
1/2c corn flour
1/2c white rice flour
1/2c sorghum flour
2t xanthum gum
salt
1tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda

Rainbow food coloring

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4c vegan cream cheese
1/4c vegan butter, room temperature
1/4tsp vanilla extract
3c powdered sugar (this is a guess, I just add until it's a good consistency

Directions 
Preheat the oven to 375.

Soak the chia seeds in the water. In a food processor, blend the other egg replacer ingredients with water; ideally it should start to look foamy, but it might not. Cream the butter and sugar with a hand mixer. Add the almond milk and extracts and cream some more. Add both the egg replacer mixtures and mix with a spoon. Mix together the flours, xanthum gum, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl, then add them to the batter and mix. You might need to add more almond milk to get a thinner batter; the chia seeds seem to soak up quite a bit of liquid.

Once you have a good consistency, separate the batter into 6 different bowls and color them. Using plastic bags, pipe the colors in order onto a pan lined with parchment paper in rainbow order. You can do straight stripes like in the video, or diagonals like mine. I made a 9x12 cake, and had enough extra batter to make 7 rainbow cupcakes.

Bake at 375 for 15ish minutes, until it looks solid and a toothpick comes out clean. The cake might puff up a lot, but it will shrink a bit while cooling. Flip the cake onto another piece of parchment paper and roll it up while it's still warm, then make the frosting.

Cream together the butter, cream cheese and vanilla with a hand mixer. Add powdered sugar until the frosting is the consistency you want; you can add more cream cheese, butter, or even nondairy milk if necessary.

When the cake is cool, unroll it, then frost the inside, and roll it back up. I cut mine in half so it would more easily fit on a plate. Enjoy!

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Easy Mexican Casserole

As you may have guessed from the title, this recipe is very simple. I almost feel bad posting it as a recipe. Almost. It is very yummy however, so you should try it out.

Ingredients:
1 package corn tortillas
2 cans black beans
2 cans corn
1 large jar salsa (or make your own!)
Tortilla chips
Guacamole and vegan sour cream

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9x13" (or similar sized) glass pan.
2) Make a layer of corn tortillas - feel free to rip them in half or quarters and overlap a bit to get a nice solid bottom layer. Next add a layer of black beans (1/2 a can), then a layer of corn (1/2 can), and finally a layer of salsa. Repeat four times. Top the casserole with crushed chips.
3) Bake the casserole for 30 minutes. Let cool for at least ten minutes. Top with guacamole and vegan sour cream.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Banana-Nut Cookies for Humans and Dogs

This recipe comes from the Vegan Dog Book. I was delighted to find that this recipe, in addition to being both dog and human-safe, is originally gluten-free!

Cody and Chelsea approve this recipe!

 This is half of the original recipe, and still made probably two hundred small treats (for training), so scale appropriately. Also be careful with ingredients for dogs - the book has a whole section on what you should and should not feed you dogs, and I wouldn't add anything to these without making absolutely sure that your dog can eat it.

Ingredients:
2 small bananas, very ripe
1/4 c natural peanut butter (make sure there is NOTHING but peanuts and peanut oil if you plan on feeding these to dogs - no added sugar or salt or anything)
1/8 c canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 c oat flour
Apple (optional)

Directions:
1)Preheat the oven to 325. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2) Mash the bananas well with a fork. Add the peanut butter, oil and vanilla and mix well.
3) Add the baking powder and oat flour to the banana mixture and combine well.
4) Take small pieces of dough (I used maybe 1/4 to 1/2 tsp for training treats) and put them on a cookie sheet. Alternatively you can roll out the dough and cut them into fun shapes with cookie cutters - I suggest larger cookies for people.
5) Bake the cookies  for 8-10 minutes. I topped the people cookies with chocolate.
6) Store the cookies in the fridge for up to 7 days. You can also store them in the freezer if you know you won't use that many treats in 7 days.


Sunday, April 14, 2013

Cornbread

I have no idea where my mom got this corn bread recipe, but it's been my favorite since I first tried it. It's very simple, but I must commend whoever first thought to use maple syrup as the sweetener. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2/3 c maple syrup (my mom likes less, so 1/2 c)
1/3 c canola oil
1 c nondairy milk
1 c flour (I'd recommend sorghum or oat flour; you could add some rice or quinoa flour too)
1 c fine cornmeal
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9x9" glass pan.
2) Mix the wet ingredients in a bowl. Add the dry ingredients and combine.
3) Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes. When it passes the toothpick test it's probably still a bit moist, so you might leave it in a bit longer if you want it drier.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzels

Last Christmas my family and I drove from Chicago to Florida. We stopped at a grocery store in Georgia and I was shocked to find a whole vegan/gluten free/natural foods section, and it was at this store that I discovered Glutino pretzels. Vegan, gluten-free, and totally delicious! And when I recently found the same pretzels at Whole Foods, I decided to make a vegan version of their chocolate-covered pretzels, but better, because they have peanut butter!


Ingredients: 
2-4 c. chocolate chips (depending on how many you use)
1 bag Glutino pretzels
1/2 c peanut butter
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tbsp coconut oil

Directions:
1) Pick out the whole pretzels out of the bag. You won't use all of them, but it's good to have a bowl of whole ones. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper. You'll want a little assembly line of pretzels to chocolate to cookie sheet.
2) Melt a cup of chocolate chips in a double boiler - get a metal bowl that fits nicely in a saucepan, fill the saucepan partly with water and set the whole contraption on the stove and heat it. Mix the chocolate occasionally as it's melting.

3) Drop the pretzels one at a time into the chocolate. Move them around with a fork to get them coated in the chocolate. I usually lift the coated pretzel up and shake it to get the extra chocolate off, then put the pretzel on the cookie sheet.


 4) Once you have all of your chocolate pretzels, put the peanut butter and coconut oil in a small bowl and melt it in the microwave. Stir, and add in the powdered sugar. Drizzle the mixture over the pretzels while still warm, using either a fork or a ziplock bag with a small hole cut in the corner.


So pretty! Each pretzel is about 40 calories, give or take a few depending on how thick your chocolate coating is. And now that you know how to make chocolate-covered things, you might want to try peanut butter patties or peppermint patties.


Sunday, March 31, 2013

Hummus - the secret!

Every time I tried to make hummus, it never met my expectations. So I plugged into The Google and came up with some very simple advice that really works! It's not the ingredients so much as the process that give you the perfect consistency. So here is my new recipe for amazing hummus!

Hummus
2 cans chickpeas

1/4 c lemon juice*
1/2 c tahini*
1/4 c water
1 1/2t extra virgin olive oil
1t garlic

*These ingredients are tricky, because they make the taste of the hummus. Fresh lemon juice is best, but bottled is fine in a pinch. The tahini is also super important - some tahini is better than others, but the best advice I can give is to try several brands until you find one you like.

Directions:

1) Drain and rinse the two cans of chickpeas. Put them in a microwave-safe container (you could also do this on the stove) and cover them with water.
2) Microwave the chickpeas for 3 minutes, until they're nice and hot.
3) Drain the chickpeas again. Put them back in the same container, this time with ice water. Let them sit for a few minutes.
4) While watching TV or listening to music, even better if you have a friend to help, carefully pinch the skins of each chickpea. It's a pain in the but, but totally worth it for smooth, delicious hummus.
5) In a  decent blender or food processor, blend the tahini, lemon juice, and water until they form a tahini cream. This is the key - the difference between hummus and chickpea mash is that you make a tahini cream and add the chickpeas to that, not adding tahini to mashed chickpeas.
6) Add the olive oil to the tahini cream and blend to mix.
7) Add the chickpeas one small handful at a time until you get the right taste, adding water if the hummus is too thick. The hummus should be pale, not yellow (unless you like more chickpeas, in which case go for it!)
8) Blend in the garlic. Keep blending the hummus, adding water if needed, for several minutes in order to get the perfect, smooth consistency.
9) I'd recommend refrigerating the hummus overnight, but knowing how addictive it is, you may end up digging in. You may want to mix in extra flavorings, such as roasted garlic or roasted red pepper, but plain hummus is also amazing.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Pomegranate White Chip Cookies

It's my birthday! So, as a birthday present to everyone, here is one of the first gluten-free cookie recopies I came up with, and also one of my favorites. They're pretty healthy what with quinoa and flaxseed meal, and the coconut flour adds a delicate sweet flavor. These are great for winter when pomegranates are ripest.



Ingredients:
Flour mix (this makes about 4c, and you only need 3; you could always do a quadruple batch to make up the difference!)
1 c brown rice flour
1/2 c almond flour
1/2 c hazelnut flour
1/2 c quinoa flour
1/2 c coconut flour
1/4 c flaxseed meal
1/2 c oat flour
1 tsp xanthum gum
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt

Other ingredients:
1/2 c butter
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tbsp EnerG egg replacer
6 tbsp warm water

Add-ins:
1 pomegranate's worth of arils
1 recipe white chocolate chips

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2) Mix all the flours together in a big bowl - as I said, you'll have too much flour, but I'm too lazy to scale it down.
3) Melt the butter. Mix in the sugar and vanilla. Process the egg replacer and warm water in a food processor until foamy, then add to the butter mixture.
4) Add 3 c of the flour mix to the butter, and combine.
5) Scoop a level tbsp of dough into your hand, and press several pieces of white chocolate and five to six pomegranate arils into the ball and fold to combine. This is labor-intensive, but ensures that each cookie has both the mix-ins, and that the cookies don't turn purple from pomegranate juice. Flatten the ball out to about 2in diameter.
6) Bake each batch for 12 minutes, then let them cool for several minutes before transferring them off the cookie sheet. I got a rhythm going where I'd let them cool for about 6 minutes, then make the next batch, so by the time I had a full cookie sheet the one in the oven was done baking. Again, it's labor intensive, but so worth it.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

White Chocolate Chips

For all you vegans out there that have felt deprived of white chocolate, this post is for you! The ingredients are a bit pricey, but the actual process is really easy - you only need a few bowls and a microwave. You do have to move sort of quickly once the cocoa butter is melted, but it's not that bad. It's a good idea to make a big batch and store them in the fridge. Try them in chocolate cookies, or pomegranate white chip cookies.

Ingredients:
1/4 c and 1 tbsp powdered sugar
1tsp soymilk powder (not protein powder)
pinch salt
1/3 c cocoa butter (try looking for food-grade butter with hand lotions and body cream)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1) Prepare a flat surface for your chocolate chips. I like to line a cookie sheet or plate with parchment paper, but you could easily just pipe them onto a pan or plate, you'll just have to do a bit more cleanup at the end.
2) Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
3) Melt the cocoa butter in a double boiler, or in the microwave. Be careful - it gets very hot.

4) Add the vanilla, and mix the dry ingredients into the melted cocoa butter.
5) Once combined, quickly scoop the chocolate into a ziplock bag or frosting bag. Cut off a small hole in the corner.
6) Quickly and confidently pipe out chocolate-chip sized dollups onto your surface; size depends on your preference, but bigger chips are faster.
7) Pop your chocolate chips in the freezer for about 10 minutes, then take them out and put them in a sealed container. They'll keep for several weeks in the fridge.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Carrot Rosemary Bisque

This soup idea comes from my cafeteria. They make carrot dill, carrot rosemary, carrot thyme, and so on. If you need a healthy dose of beta-carotene, this is the way to go!

Carrot Rosemary Bisque:

1/4 small onion
2/3 small red pepper
2T olive oil
3c vegetable broth
2lbs carrots
3 sprigs rosemary
2 bay leaves

Directions:
1) Chop all the veggies. I'd chop the rosemary, too; you can try and cook the springs and remove them later, but all the little leaves will fall off and end up in your soup anyways, so I think it's best to chop them now.
2) Sauté the onion and red pepper in your pot for 5-10 minutes until the onions are translucent. 
3) Add the carrots and the vegetable broth - the broth should just cover all the vegetables. Add the rosemary and bay leaves. 
4) Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 40 minutes, stirring and checking to see if the carrots are done every so often.
5) Let the soup cool considerable, then blend. If you have a fancy immersion blender use that, otherwise blend it in parts in a blender (but make sure it's not too hot, and hold the top - steam can cause it to pop off).

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

S'mores Cake

My friend swears that this is spice cake, but I don't question the identities of my baked goods. Perfect example: this started out as an attempt at brownies, but from the beginning, my cake knew that it was cake, not brownies. Lesson: don't let others define you, no matter how much chocolate and egg replacer they pump into you. Also I know this looks complicated, but it works; I'll try figuring out what pieces are essential and which aren't later.



VGF S'mores Cake (Made 48 little cakes like above)
1 1/2 c vegan butter
1 1/2 c sugar
1 container coconut yogurt (maybe 3/4c - you could use soy)
3/4 c nondairy milk (I used soy)
2 tbsp molasses
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp potato starch
2 tsp tapioca starch (aka flour)
8 tbsp warm water
1 1/2 tsp xanthum gum
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1 c sorghum flour
1 c oat flour
1/4 c coconut flour
1/2 c brown rice flour

Coconut "Marshmallow" Frosting (this makes too much frosting for all the cake)
1/2 c vegetable shortening
1 can coconut milk that has been sitting in the fridge for at least a few hours (you want 1/2 c of the solid that separates out on top)
Vanilla
LOTS of powdered sugar.

Also, 1/2 bar or 1/2 c chocolate for decorating.

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350.
2) Melt the butter in a big microwave-safe bowl.
3) Mix in the sugar, yogurt, milk, molasses, and cinnamon.
4) In a small bowl (or a dirty cup measure, because washing dishes is lame) mix the potato and tapioca starch, then add the water and mix vigorously with a fork until everything is well combined. This is your egg replacer; add it to the butter mixture.
5) Add the xanthum gum, baking soda and salt to the butter mixture and combine well.
6) Add flours one at a time (or you could be fancy and mix them in a separate bowl, but again, more dishes) and mix well.
7) Generously spray whatever pan(s) you are using (I used a standard cookie sheet with sides, so it was very thin). Bake at 350 until it passes the toothpick test - maybe 20 to 30 minutes, but I didn't time it. This cake is very moist, so if you want it drier bake it a little longer.
8) While the cake is baking, make the frosting - melt the shortening and beat it with the solid coconut stuff and vanilla. Then add powdered sugar and whip until it's nice and thick.
9) Once the cake was cool, I cut it into about 1 1/2 inch squares and piped the frosting onto each one. Then I melted the chocolate in the microwave and used a whisk to drizzle the cakes with melted chocolate.

Enjoy!

Friday, January 11, 2013

Vegan Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie

Modified from Oh She Glows, for a 10 inch pie.

For the crust:
2c pecans
1c oat flour (or other GF flour)
2T sugar
1/2c GF rolled oats (omit if you don't do oats)
1t cinnamon
1t salt
1T canola
1/4c agave

Preheat the oven to 350. Process the pecans for 30s to a minute until they are completely chopped and start to release oils. Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl, then press into a greased pie pan. Prebake the crust for 8 minutes, then set aside to cool. (This crust is so good I've used it to make oatmeal cookies!)

For the filling:
2 15oz cans pumpkin (not pie filling)
1/2c sugar
1/3c nondairy milk
1T canola
1/4c pure maple syrup
3T cornstarch
2 and 1/2t vanilla
1T cinnamon
1/2t ginger
1/2t nutmeg
pinch cloves

Whisk the maple syrup and cornstarch in a bowl, then add the other ingredients and mix. Scoop into the crust and bake for 50 minutes. Let it sit at room temperature for an hour to cool, then refrigerate overnight - I didn't try eating it after refrigerating, but Oh She Glows warns against eating before fully set.