Almond Joy Dates are super quick, easy, and luscious bite-size bundles of joy and healthful decadence made by a dear friend, Sharon Lee Clohessy, for my birthday.
Simply sweeten plant-based cream cheese with natural sugar and coconut, tuck inside dates, and top with chopped chocolate-covered almonds. That’s it!
Serve on a platter, if you don’t devour them first, with alternating whole dates garnished with a few of the whole chocolate-covered almonds.
(A sequential installment from Kim Hastings, my photographer friend and, along with her vet husband, owner of Independence Veterinary Hospital, who decided on her own to cook her way through The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes Julie & Julia Style for her omnivorous family as a strategy for more healthy eating.)
[Betsy’s note: 360 degrees on an accurate thermometer is the correct temperature to which the sugar syrup should be brought. However, use your eyes and nose too in case your thermometer, like Kim’s, is not properly calibrated. You want it dark and deep amber, but obviously, not scorched.]
As I write about the events of tonight’s recipe and describe my most epic fail so far, I am sitting beside an open screen door in 40 degree weather trying to air out my kitchen – my eyes watering from the smoke and the smell of burnt sugar.
I chose Sweet and Savory Nut Brittle. I was so excited about this one because I love brittle anything. Everything started out great. I oiled the pans and measured the ingredients. I dug my candy thermometer out of the drawer and brought the sugar mixture to a boil. I was standing there holding the thermometer up for about two or three minutes before I realized it had a clip on the back – how handy!!
Now I have never in my life brought a candy past the hard ball stage so this was new for me. It seemed like a very long way to go to get to 360 degrees but I was patient. Apparently, however, 360 on my thermometer is the just-before-the-smoke-alarms-go -off-and-it-bursts-into-flames degrees. (I vaguely remember now that something went wrong with the thermometer last time I used it.)
The sugar mixture was now black but I thought “Well maybe this is how brittle is done or maybe it’s the balsamic vinegar – that’s black.” So I poured in the nuts and chili powder, stirred it and poured it on the baking sheet. I waited a little bit then pressed in the salt and then broke off a tiny piece to try. The burnt flavor was overwhelming, but being the optimistic person I am, I thought that maybe that goes away when it cools a little more. So I waited.
When it was cool enough to break, I got out the hammer and whacked it. It broke like glass and flew in different directions all over my kitchen. As I was picking it up, I tried a bigger piece and it was like scooping up a bite of ash out of my fireplace – awful!! I couldn’t eat it. I wouldn’t let my dog eat this fiasco. No literally! My dog was excitedly all over this one and I turned around and dug a piece of it out of her mouth. I was afraid of the potential carcinogens not to mention the sharp glass like shards cutting her mouth.
I was so disappointed (as was the dog!). I really think I should leave the candy making to someone with more experience in this field. I am positive this recipe tastes amazing when made by someone other than myself.
~Kim Hastings
Picking a favorite of my Vegan Valentine’s Recipes to post would be like picking a favorite dog. So, I want you to pick.
From a breakfast of Red Velvet Pancakes to Red Velvet Brownies for kids or a little savory “Heart Tart” for lunch or dinner–plus lots of sweets, including mints and truffles that are perfect little heart-felt gifts from your kitchen–I think you’ll find something here to love.
Just click on the links.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
~betsy
Clockwise from top-left:
Vegan Chocolate Truffles–created when I was disappointed with other recipes I found online.
Vegan Red Velvet Pancakes (THE BEST!)–I created these when I was dissatisfied with all of the recipes I could find online.
Vegan Red Velvet Brownies–VERy popular on One Green Planet and, again, created when I couldn’t find what I wanted after searching online.
Vegan Peppermint and Chocolate Patties–peppermint and chocolate, a marriage made in heaaven, so pretty layered in a ribbon-tied box.
Vegan Chocolate Heart Cakes–the apricot-hazelnut ganache filling is sophisticated, but simple, and the espresso-cream cheese frosting a sweet dream.
Vegan Cocoa-Dusted Chocolate Truffles–bittersweet bliss.
Vegan Savory Heart Tarts–they look fancy, but are so flavorful and easy with prepared puff pastry (center).
Yield: approximately 16 to 20 pralines
I grew up in Texas and Mississippi near New Orleans, so I know pralines. But I was just always a little intimidated to make them, as my mother, a talented cook, would lament how hers would “sugar.”
It’s tricky because pralines are not smooth like caramel, but they are not crystalized either. If you have ever enjoyed a praline frosting on a cake or brownies, that’s the mouth-feel you want: smooth-ish, but with a hint of fine sand-like texture.
Yesterday pretty much house-bound in this East Coast snow storm and with company coming to make vegan tamales for dinner, I wanted something small but sweet and keeping with the Mexican theme. Missing my Mama on that gray, blustery, cold and snowy day, I decided to channel her candy-making prowess–she made mean English Butter Toffee even if pralines eluded her–and give it a whirl.
But, first, I did a little research to pick up a few tips, e.g. use a large pan, avoid skimping on the butter or doubling the recipe (as you can’t dip them fast enough before the mixture cools) and, most importantly, after removing the mixture from the heat, stir until the pan just begins to “talk” to you, meaning that there is a slightly “sandy” scraping sound to your wooden spoon as it strikes the sides of the pan. Then, waste no time spooning up the candy, as it will cool quickly from there on out.
Invited to friends’ home for dinner tonight and not wanting to show up empty-handed, I decided to make another batch this morning and get even closer to perfection. And I did. The trick I discovered is in the stirring phase once you remove the pan from the heat. Not only do you need to listen, but you need to look. The mixture will first turn a translucent amber color, like maple syrup. But as you continue to stir, it will begin to become almost imperceptibly more opaque. That moment of transition is the sweet spot, if you’ll pardon the pun, and the exact time at which you should begin to quickly spoon up the mounds, as the mixture will cool quickly from that point on and become more “sugary” than desirable. With a half batch of candy, the magic moment came at about the 2 to 3 minute mark.
Pralines are made from such simple ingredients that you are likely to have on hand what you need at any given moment. I happened to have on hand coconut sugar, so that’s what I used and loved the real south-of-the-border notes the undertones of coconut lent to the candy.
Regardless of the kind of sugar you use, remember, whatever streaks of praline goodness are left in the bottom of the pan belong to the cook alone.
2 1/4 cups cups coconut sugar or 1 1/2 cups natural sugar (I use demerera) + 3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy creamer or your favorite plain non-dairy milk
6 tablespoons vegan butter
2 teaspoons agave nectar or molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecan halves or pieces
Line a baking sheet with waxed paper, Silpat, or parchment paper. Attach a candy thermometerto the side of a 4-quart saucepan, but avoid letting the tip touch the bottom. Place all ingredients in the pan and set over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon as the mixture melts and then comes to a boil. Once boiling, stir continually until the thermometer registers 238 to 240 degrees, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and stir, stir, stir until you feel resistance, candy becomes slightly more opaque, and you hear a faint “sandy” sound of spoon against side of pan. Then, quickly, drop mixture by spoonfuls onto prepared pan. Cool completely. Serve, or wrap individually.
My adored late mother (sadly, she passed away on October 2), Sallie Gough, and I made this candy every Christmas, but it is indescribably buttery, silky, and crunchy any time of year…say, for a New Year’s Day party.
I made it this year for my annual Christmas, Channukah, Curry & Confections party–where it was a big hit (any leftover crumbles are divine over vegan ice cream)–and made a batch to leave with my father and sister before I left their home in Mississippi and returned to Virginia after Christmas.
1 pound butter/vegan butter
2 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
8 to 12 ounces vegan dark or semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup or so sliced, slivered or finely chopped almonds
Butter a cookie sheet with shallow sides and set aside. In a saucepan with a heavy bottom over medium heat, bring butter and sugar to a simmer, stirring frequently. Whisk together water and corn syrup in a small cup and stir into butter and sugar mixture.
Attach candy thermometer to side of saucepan without letting the tip touch the bottom, and continue to cook mixture until it turns a golden amber color and registers about 300 degrees on the thermometer. You may have to cook it to 350 degrees to achieve the desired color.
Pour immediately onto cookie sheet and spread evenly. Allow to cool completely. Melt chocolate and spread over toffee. Sprinkle with nuts and store in refrigerator until cold. Break into pieces and return to refrigerator, covered.
Yield: 2 dozen cookie balls
I am slowly working my way through a box of seven different candy bars from the good folks at Go Max Go Foods, makers of vegan candy bars that will remind you of some of your childhood non-vegan favorites, but are no mere knock-offs.
As if the flavors and textures alone weren’t enough to tempt, their commitment to ethical and non-GMO sourcing is the icing on the cake, er, the coating on the candy bar.
In this recipe, cookie dough and Jokerz candy bars “complete each other” like Batman and his nemesis for a wildly delicious double dose of peanuty, nougatey, chocolatey goodness.
2 Go Max Go “Jokerz” candy bars, sliced lengthwise and then across to create 12 pieces each
1/2 cup vegan butter
2 tablespoons crunchy “natural” peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup powdered sugar + 1/2 cup additional powdered sugar (for rolling)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (I use white whole wheat)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup mini vegan chocolate chips or 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Slice each candy bar lengthwise and then across to create 12 pieces each. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, peanut butter, and vanilla. Beat in 1/4 cup powdered sugar until fluffy. With mixer on low, mix in flour and sea salt followed by chocolate chips or peanuts. Shape generous tablespoons of dough around each candy bar piece to form a ball and place cookies about 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for approximately 8 minutes or until set and light golden brown, watching carefully during the last minute or two. Avoid over-baking or they will split open and the candy bar will ooze out. Cool for 5 minutes. Place remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a shallow bowl and roll each cookie in it to coat. Place cookies on wire rack to cool completely. Roll again in powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
Yield: 4 treats
If you think peanut butter cups are good, try peanut butter cups topped with layers of creamy vanilla ice cream and decadent chocolate ganache for a frozen peanut-topped treat.
If she’d had to chose, Cleopatra certainly would have chosen these over Mark Antony!
The Good Folks at Go Max Go Foods sent me a bounty of bars recently, so stay tuned for more creations and visit them on Facebook!
2 packages Go Max Go Cleo’s peanut butter cups (each package contains two cups) or the vegan peanut butter cup most readily available in your area.
1 pint vegan vanilla ice cream, softened and stirred until creamy
1/4 cup vegan soy or coconut creamer
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
Garnish: 4 large peanuts or 2 teaspoons chopped peanuts
Line 4 muffin tins with 4 muffin liners and place one Cleo’s peanut butter cup in the bottom of each. Top each with 1/4th of the ice cream, smoothing the tops. Freeze. Meanwhile, heat soy creamer to just before simmering on top of stove or in microwave. Whisk in chocolate chips until smooth. Cool to room temperature and top each ice cream treat with one-forth of the ganache, smoothing the tops. Garnish with one large peanu tor 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped peanuts. Refreeze for at least 2 hours. To serve, remove each treat from the muffin tin, which may require a knife to pop it loose. Peel off muffin liners and discard, serving on top of fresh liners, if desired. Allow to soften slightly before serving with a small sharp knife for the initial slice through the bottom.
I am SO sorry for being neglectful of my blog! The spring at most high schools, including in art departments, is especially busy. Plus, last weekend, I was honored to serve as a Council Chaperone for a favorite student (one of many, many) at our school’s amazing Leadership Workshop at Triple-R Ranch from Friday to Sunday. This week was the last of the quarter, so grades had to be posted by 2:30 p.m. yesterday, but we taught all day instead of having a “Teacher Records Day” because of our district’s Snow Day Make-Up plan. And I leave shortly to visit my family for a week. Whew!
But, I did want to post this recipe for Vegan Peeps for Easter–I hope it’s not too late–before I “hop” on a plane. With the few ingredients on hand, they go together quickly and would be fun to do with kids or a group of friends.
These birds travel nicely nested in a bowl, as I took them to some friends’ house for an Easter dinner last year.
We joke about them looking like Easter Toucans. 🙂
Happy Spring!
Each day this week, I am featuring 4 of my favorite Blooming Platter Valentine’s treats from the past and one brand new one which I’ll post about mid-week, as it may require a quick trip to the grocery store.
I am always surprised when someone says they don’t care for peppermint and chocolate together, as I think it is a divine marriage of flavors, perfect for Valentine’s Day.
If you agree, you will love my Vegan Peppermint and Chocolate Patties. I created these easy and beautiful treats in 2011 to share with our beloved IB and fine arts assistant principal.
I apologize that my photography wasn’t better way back then, two cameras ago, but I think you can get the delectable idea.
