Category: Vegan Brunch

by betsy

Vegan Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnut-Pancakes

Yield: 8 pancakes

Nope, “doughnut-pancakes” is not a misprint.

I was inspired to make these scrumptious breakfast treats recently while watching “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.”  On the program, the chef made a nutmeg-flavored muffin batter and, when the muffins were baked, removed them from the tin, dipped them in butter, and rolled them in cinnamon-sugar.

My mind instantly translated them into my beloved pancakes, going a little easier on the butter and cinnamon-sugar.  I started with my go-to pancake batter, added lots of ground nutmeg for that distinctive cake doughnut taste, and then simply brushed the tops of each one with a little vegan butter and a generous sprinkling of natural sugar mixed with ground cinnamon.  They need no syrup, as the combination of the tender pancake, silky butter and crunchy topping are all any pancake- or doughnut-lover could ever want.

As they cooked, these doughnut-cakes filled the kitchen with a homey, heady aroma, very welcome on this gray, frigid day in March with sleet audibly pelting against the windows.

Topping:

1/4 cup natural sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2-4 tablespoons vegan butter (I actually like to use 4 tablespoons, as sometimes the pancakes will be more absorbent than others, and use any leftovers for another purpose)

Pancakes:

1/2 cup spelt or whole wheat flour (I am a new and devout fan of spelt flour)

1/2 cup self-rising flour

3 tablespoons natural sugar

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg (freshly ground, if possible)

1/2 teasopon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla would also be good–regular or lite)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

additional vegan butter and canola oil for frying

Preheat the oven to warm. Line a cookie sheet with waxed or parchment paper.  Make topping by mixing together sugar and cinnamon in a small cup.  Set aside.  In another small cup, melt butter for about 20 seconds in microwave, and set aside.  Make pancakes:  in a medium mixing bowl, place both flours, sugar, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda.  Make a well in the center and pour in soymilk and vanilla. Whisk together until well combined. In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, oil or a combination. (I like a combination: the oil reduces chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using a 1/4 cup measure, make pancakes, two at a time. Cook two-three minutes on the first side until you get a nice rise, a few bubbles appear around the edges, and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower heat to medium, especially for second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to lined baking sheet to brush the tops with butter and sprinkle generously with sugar mixture.  Translate to plates or a serving platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining butter or oil, pancake batter, butter and cinnamon-sugar.

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by betsy

Vegan Ginger-Spice Caramel Pecan Rolls

Yield: 8 large rolls

Okay, there is no way to justify this indulgence except to say that I had a powerful craving for some kind of sweet roll.  This irrepressible urge was precipitated, in part, by “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” on the Food Network.

It’s difficult to describe my attraction to that show because some of the food–much of the food–absolutely disgusts me; I sometimes have to turn away.  And the portion sizes are shameful.

Still, I do appreciate that all of the food is made from scratch, often from whole foods and fresh ingredients, sometimes based on family recipes and, when not, frequently very creative.  I find many of the combinations of ingredients  truly inspired.

So I love the challenge of veganizing some of the dishes that I see.  One of my favorite soups–a pot pie soup with pie crust croutons which will be in my new cookbook–was inspired by one I saw on “Triple D,” as was a new skillet chili–my latest obsession–which I will post soon.

The rolls that inspired these were kind of a sticky bun, but without the ginger (or, at least it wasn’t mentioned on the show).  However, I had just purchased a new bottle of ginger this morning and the aroma was so enchanting as I was “decanting” it into its jar that I decided to incorporate it into the rolls.

What I loved about the look of the inspiration rolls was how soft and pliable the dough was.  I often think sweet rolls are too dry and “bready.”  So I set about to create a rich, soft dough.  Since I couldn’t use eggs, I used all soymilk and no water–including replacing the moisture of an egg with an additional 1/4 cup of soymilk–plus I added both cinnamon and ginger to the dough itself, something that isn’t often done, but should be!  Then I repeated the cinnamon in the filling and the ginger in the caramel topping to tie it all together.

One trick to that delectable tenderness is to incorporate only enough flour to make the dough manageable.  The other is not to overbake the rolls.  Twenty minutes is perfect.

Finally, I wanted to be able to put these together fairly quickly so I used a quick or instant yeast.  For additional leavening, since I couldn’t use an egg, I added a little baking powder.  I think the results rock (and roll!) and I hope you agree!

Dough:

3/4 cup soymilk

1/4 cup vegan butter

3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1-.25 ounce package instant yeast

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup natural sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup soymilk

Filling:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup softened vegan butter

Ginger-Pecan Caramel:

1/2 cup vegan butter

3/4 cup packed brown suagar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 cup pecan pieces

To make dough, in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the first 3/4 cup soymilk to a simmer.  Add the butter and stir until melted.  Set aside.  Preheat the oven to warm or 170 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine just 2 1/4 cups of the flour, and all remaining dough ingredients.  Gradually stir in the remaining flour until fully incorporated and then knead the dough for about 5 minutes.  I knead it directly in the bowl, but you can do it on a work surface.  Use as little flour as possible to prevent sticking.  I actually like to use non-stick spray in the bowl.   Cover the bowl with a damp towel, place it in the oven, and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, begin filling by combining the brown sugar and cinnamon.  Make caramel by melting the butter and brown sugar together in a large oven-proof skillet (I like cast iron) over medium to medium-high heat.  Add the ginger and pecans and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat.

Again, using as little flour, non-stick spray, or a combination as possible, roll out the dough into a 9 x 12-inch rectangle.  Spread evenly with the softened butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Beginning on one long side, roll it up fairly tightly and pinch the seam.  Lay the roll seam side down and, using a serrated knife, cut it into 8 equal pieces.  Place each piece, cut side down, on top of the caramel.  Position one in the center and surround it with the other 7.  They won’t touch until they have had a chance to rise.  Cover and place in the warm oven for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Remove the pan from the oven and preheat it to 375 degrees.  Bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.  For a thinner caramel, serve immediately.  For a thicker caramel, allow the rolls to cool slightly before serving.

Note: Lisa from Sweet as Sugar Cookies stopped by last week and invited me to her “Linky Party” to post a link to these Vegan Ginger-Spice Caramel Pecan Rolls.  Since I love a good party–especially one with tasty treats–it was my pleasure.  And I found that, though her website isn’t vegan, it boasts loads of ideas to indulge your sweetest fantasies, all just waiting to be veganized.

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by betsy

Vegan Rice Cakes with Fresh Plum and Sake-Maple Syrup

Yield: 8 pancakes

I love summer weekdays–I can indulge in a breakfast that, during the school year, I can only prepare on weekends. Some leftover brown rice from my Carrot-Coconut Milk Thai Soup and a gift of beautiful ruby-red fresh plums from a friend of a friend’s tree gave rise to this particular pancake iteration, a perfect melding of flavors, textures and colors. And you’ll swoon for the crisp buttery crust on the rice cakes. I wish I had another big stack facing me right now!









For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011

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by betsy

Vegan Whole Wheat-Cornmeal Silver Dollar Pancakes with Vegan Blackberry-Saki-Sage Sauce

Yield:16-18 silver dollar pancakes

Fresh blackberries at my favorite outdoor market and fresh sage flourishing in our garden were the inspiration for this deliciously different take on fruit-topped pancakes.

I love the flavor of sage in cornbread dressing eaten alongside cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving. So, when I was trying to think of an herb to infuse the blackberries with another layer of flavor, sage sounded like the way to go, as did pancakes with cornmeal. And they were!

I used both pineapple sage and regular sage, but the flavor of the former is so mild, that it’s not necessary. Saki added still another complementary layer of flavor and gave the sauce a nice texture when thickened with a little cornstarch.

Because the flavor of sage is fairly pronounced, I used half of what I had snipped in the sauce and half in the pancakes themselves, which created a nice harmony between the two.

Enjoy!

Make the sauce first and allow it to simmer while making pancakes:

Vegan Blackberry-Saki-Sage Sauce

approximately 1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup saki
16 sage leaves, rinsed, dried, and chiffonade (stack leaves, roll tightly, and cut extremely thinly; then cut cross-sections of rolls in half again to avoid stringy pieces of sage); reserve half for pancakes
optional: 8 pineapple sage leaves, rinsed, dried and chiffonade (prepared as above)
tiny pinch of coarse sea or kosher salt
2 teaspoon cornstarch whisked together with 2 teaspoons water

Gently mix all ingredients except cornstarch and water together in a medium saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium-high, and simmer gently while you make the pancakes. A couple of minutes before serving, stir in cornstarch and water slurry and allow to thicken.

Vegan Whole Wheat-Cornmeal Silver Dollar Pancakes

½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup cornmeal mix or self-rising cornmeal
6 tablespoons natural or brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla, lite or regular, would also be good
reserved sage leaf chiffonade
Vegan butter and/or vegetable oil for frying
Vegan Blackberry-Saki-Sage Sauce
Sprigs of fresh sage or pineapple sage

Preheat oven to warm. In a medium mixing bowl, place first 6 dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in soymilk. Whisk together until well combined. Stir in sage leaf chiffonade. In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, oil or a combination. (I like a combination: the oil reduces chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using a cookie scoop, make pancakes, six at a time. Cook a minute or so on the first side until lots of bubbles appear and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower heat to medium, especially for second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a serving platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining butter or oil and pancake batter. Serve with Vegan Blackberry-Saki-Sage Sauce spooned over the top and a sprig of fresh sage or pineapple sage.

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by betsy

Vegan Ginger-Ale Pancakes with Fresh Vegan Peach-Basil-Maple-Ale Chutney

Yield: 8 pancakes

As promised, here are my Vegan Giner-Ale Pancakes with a fresh peach topping. I raided my favorite outdoor market on Saturday, so I was all set to make these this morning. Believe it or not, I had pancakes for breakfast and dinner! In the morning, I tried the chutney uncooked and without the beer and in the evening I gently simmered it with the beer. I loved it both ways, but I think the flavors are better married in the cooked version and the beer adds a delicious layer of flavor. Plus, using beer in the topping means that you don’t have a partial bottle of flat beer leftover.

Fresh Vegan Peach-Basil-Maple-Ale Chutney

2 medium peaches, seeded and medium-finely diced (I leave the skin on for more color and nutrition)
1 cup “ale” (use your favorite ale or beer)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
8 large basil leaves, stacked, rolled, and very thinly sliced to make chiffonade
2 tablespoon natural sugar (or substitute an additional tablespoon of maple syrup)
4 tablespoons maple syrup

Stir together all ingredients in a small or medium saucepan and simmer over medium-high. uncovered, while you make the pancakes or until the juice has reduced.

 

Vegan Ginger-Ale Pancakes

½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup self-rising flour
2 tablespoons natural or brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger or to taste (or 2 to 3 teaspoons of fresh grated ginger)
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup “ale” (basically, the remainder of a 12 ounce bottle after using a cup in the chutney)
1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla, lite or regular, would also be good
Vegan butter and/or vegetable oil for frying
Fresh Vegan Peach-Basil-Maple-Ale Chutney
Sprigs of fresh basil

Preheat oven to warm. In a medium mixing bowl, place first 6 dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in ale and soymilk. Whisk together until well combined. In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, oil or a combination. (I like a combination: the oil reduces chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using a scant 1/4 cup measure, make pancakes, two at a time. Cook two to three minutes on the first side until you get a nice rise, a few bubbles appear, and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower heat to medium, especially for second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a serving platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining butter or oil and pancake batter. Serve each short stack with Fresh Vegan Peach-Basil-Maple-Ale Chutney spooned over the top and a sprig of fresh basil.

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by betsy

Vegan Lemon Verbena and Blueberry Pancakes

Yield: 8 pancakes

Just in time for your weekend breakfast is my latest pancake iteration…

I really did eat something besides pancakes last weekend. In fact, I have a delicious black bean salad to post soon and I would post my Vegan Lemon Verbena Meltaway cookies, only I forgot to photograph them before they were all eaten (we had a party Sunday night). I’ll make them again soon, though, as they were so perfect for summer and there is a lot of lemon verbena growing in our garden.

You could certainly substitute some lemon zest, but I wouldn’t know how much; just to taste I suppose. But lemon verbena imparts a little different taste. I think it’s a little earthier somehow and not as astringent (though there’s nothing wrong with a little astringency!).

So, if you can get hold of a lemon verbena plant, I would highly recommend it, as it has many tasty uses. This weekend alone, I made both hot and iced tea with it in addition to the cookies and these pancakes. Plus, I have all kinds of other things in mind, including salad dressings and savory dishes.

For now, though, back to the Vegan Lemon Verbena and Blueberry Pancakes:

For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011

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by betsy

Vegan Oatmeal Ginger-Ale Pancakes

Yield: 8 pancakes

I’m not a beer drinker, so a partial bottle of Heineken Lite leftover from last night’s beer-battered dill pickle slices was “burning a hole” in our fridge. It crossed my mind while making that batter that I bet the beer would make excellent pancakes. I love the way it fizzes and bubbles.

When I woke up this morning quite late and starved–I couldn’t sleep last night for several hours but finally nodded off at around 5 or so–I remembered the beer and decided to give it a try. Thinking of ginger beer, I decided to add some ground ginger to the batter and delicious “Ginger-Ale” pancakes were born.

Ginger and peaches seem made for each other, but peaches are not yet in season here. However, I did have some peach butter, a gift from my sister-in-law, Tina. So, I spread it between the pancakes and drizzled plain maple syrup over the top. Feeling that they needed just a little color, I crowned them with a small dollop of vegan sour cream and a fresh mint sprig from our garden. I loved the end result, especially for the cooler months. Come summer, I will definitely serve my new “Ginger-Ale” pancakes with diced fresh peaches.

Hopefully, with this nice long weekend–at least in the U.S.–you might have an opportunity to try them sooner rather than later. Happy Memorial Day!

½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup self-rising cornmeal mix
1/2 cup oatmeal + 8 teaspoons (optional)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2-1 teaspoon ground ginger (start with smaller amount and adjust if desired)
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 generous cup “ale” (I used Heineken Lite, but use your favorite)
Vegan butter and/or vegetable oil for frying
Peach Butter (or diced fresh peaches)
Maple Syrup
Garnish: small dollops of vegan sour cream and sprigs of fresh mint

Preheat oven to warm. In a medium mixing bowl, place first 7 dry ingredients, except for the 8 teaspoons of oatmeal. Make a well in the center and pour in ale. Whisk together until well combined. In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, oil or a combination. (I like a combination: the oil reduces chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using a 1/4 cup measure, make pancakes, two at a time. Cook two-three minutes on the first side until you get a nice rise, a few bubbles appear, and the edges appear set. (If desired, while they cook on the first side, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of oatmeal over the top for a little added texture.) Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower heat to medium, especially for second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a serving platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining butter or oil and pancake batter. Spread peach butter between 2 pancakes, drizzle with maple syrup and top each stack with vegan sour cream and mint sprigs if desired. If fresh peaches are in season, you may substitute fresh diced peaches for peach butter and/or spoon over the top after drizzling with maple syrup.

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