November 12, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Chocolate Mars Cookies

Yield: approximately 36 cookies

In undgraduate school at USM in Hattiesburg, MS, I worked for Lewis and Carolyn Hitt at The Frame Market on Hardy Street. With aspirations of becoming a chef at one time, I was enrolled for about a year in my university’s hotel and restaurant administration program. So, while the topics of conversation at work ran the gamut–the Hitts were so bright, funny, compassionate and informed–they often included food.

One day, Lewis and Carolyn came to work with the most astonishing chocolate cookies that a friend of theirs had made. The cookies were deep, dark, rich and, best of all, chewy. Lewis, especially, took great pleasure the rest of the day in teasing me by saying that they couldn’t give me the recipe as it was their friend, Theresa Ball’s, “secret family recipe.”

Ultimately they did share the recipe which didn’t include eggs–hence the chewiness over cakiness–so all I had to do was replace the butter with vegan butter and the condensed milk with the substitute that I devised not so very long ago: Cream of Coconut. (To date, it has worked brilliantly in any vegan recipe calling for condensed milk by not noticeably changing the texture or flavor of the end result.) I also like to make these cookies with white whole wheat flour for a tiny “+” in the health-conscious column.

The original recipe calls only for chopped nuts as the “mix-in.” But I’ve made them with combinations of additional vegan semi-sweet, dark or white chocolate chips; Oreo pieces; and dried cranberries. It seems practically not to matter what quantity you add as long as they are well distributed and there is more dough than mix-ins.

So, Theresa, I hope I’m not divulging any family secrets. But if I am, I trust you will forgive me, as these cookie are too special to keep to oneself.

1/2 cup vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
12 ounces vegan chocolate chips
14 ounces Cream of Coconut (not coconut milk), or about 1 1/4 cups
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped nuts
1-1 1/2 cups unbleached white whole wheat flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)
1 cup chopped nuts
Optional: 1/2 to 1 cup of additional mix-ins such as more vegan chocolate chips, vegan white chocolate chips, Oreo Cookie pieces (they are vegan!), dried cranberries, or some combination

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a baking sheet(s) or line with Silpat. In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate chips together. Remove from heat and stir in Cream of Coconut until well combined. Cool mixture for a few minutes and then stir in remaining ingredients in the order listed, adding any optional mix-ins with, or in place of, the nuts. The dough should be somewhat stiff and usually requires the larger amount of flour. Using a small scoop, deposit equal-sized mounds of dough about two inches apart in offset rows. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until they have achieved the degree of “done-ness” you prefer. If using two baking sheets, rotate halfway through baking time. Cool for a few minutes on sheets and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

October 22, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Halloween Cake or Cupcakes (Vegan Chocolate Cake with Vegan Orange Buttercream Frosting)

Yield: 1-9×13″ cake or 24 cupcakes

This was a quickie I whipped up for the October pumpkin-painting meeting of the National Art Honor Society, fondly known as “Nozze,” which I sponsor at my school.

Though you wouldn’t necessarily know it from this photo, I actually have cake decorating experience. 🙂 But last Sunday night, before the meeting on Monday afternoon, I needed something sweet, vegan, black and orange, and ultra quick.

I simply adapted and doubled Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s and Terry Hope Romero’s recipe for Your Basic Chocolate Cupcakes, baked the batter in a sheet pan–even quicker than cupcakes, though cupcakes would be fine–and topped the cake with my go-to creamy vegan frosting dyed orange. A few brown-black sprinkles made for a festive presentation without a bit of fuss.

It must have been a hit, as there was scarcely a crumb left.

Happy Hallows Eve!

Batter:

2 cups chocolate or chocolate lite soy milk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 cups self-rising flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13″ cake pan. In a small, non-reactive bowl, whisk together chocolate soy milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle. In a large bowl, combine next four ingredients. Whisk or stir in oil, vanilla and almond extract until completely incorporated. Then stir or whisk in chocolate soy milk mixture just until it is also completely incorporated. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, but check at 25. When a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, the cake is done. Cool completely on a wire rack. Frost as desired. For a vegan Halloween cake, frost the cake as described below.

Frosting:

3 tablespoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Powdered sugar (start with approximately 3 cups)
Unsweetened soy milk (plain, vanilla or vanilla lite would be fine too) or soy creamer (start with approximately 2-3 tablespoons)
1/2-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 drops red food coloring
several drops yellow food coloring
Garnish: brown-black colored sprinkles

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together vegan butter and shortening. Add powdered sugar until a creamy-stiff mixture forms. Add soy milk a tablespoon at a time until a creamy consistency that holds soft peaks is reached (or until you achieve whatever consistency you prefer). Beat in food coloring until completely incorporated. Frost cake and garnish with a dusting of sprinkles.

Source: Slightly adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero

October 10, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Oatmeal Fudge Bars

Yield: 8-12 bars

This recipe has been a favorite since my graduate school roommate, Melinda (Harvey) Shallcross, shared it with me in the early 80s. (I went to graduate school right out of high school–not!) When I became vegan a few years ago, after being vegetarian for a long, long, time, I thought I’d eaten my last Oatmeal Fudge Bar, not so much because the dough had an egg in it–that’s easy to veganize–but because the filling contained condensed milk. However, you may recall that, not too long ago, I experimented with “old-school” 7-Layer Bars by substituting Cream of Coconut for the condensed milk and they were perfect.

In the mood to bake today and with a can of Cream of Coconut in the pantry, I started reviewing my mental recipe files for other favorites formerly made with condensed milk. When I got to these creamy-chewy wonders, I knew they were what I would whip up. Again, the Cream of Coconut was the answer; the bars were as good as I remembered. I promise you, they will be a big hit with whomever you choose to serve them to, including kids. They’re school lunchbox sensations.

Oatmeal Layer

1/2 cup vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (you may use part whole wheat flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (not necessary if your vegan butter is salted)
2 cups oats

Fudge Layer

6 ounces vegan semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (normally, I prefer dark chocolate, but semi-sweet seems to provide a better balance in this recipe)
1 tablespoon vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
1/3 cup Cream of Coconut (not coconut milk)
1/4 teaspoon salt (not necessary if your vegan butter is salted)

Oil a 9 x 9-inch metal baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make oatmeal layer: Cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high. Beat in vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, if using. Beat on low speed, just until combined. Stir in oats until well distributed. Remove one cup and set aside. Pat remainder into an even layer in prepared pan.

Make fudge layer: place all ingredients in small microwave safe bowl. Heat for about 20 seconds or until chocolate is melted and whisk until smooth. (You may heat the mixture in a small saucepan on the stove over medium heat if you prefer.) Pour over oatmeal layer and spread evenly. Sprinkle top with reserved oatmeal mixture. Bake 25 minutes or until surface is golden brown. Cool completely and cut into bars. Store leftovers tightly covered. You may refrigerate if you like.

Source: I veganized this recipe from Beth Young via Melinda Harvey Shallcross.

July 6, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Eagle Brand Seven-Layer Magic Cookie Bars

Yield: 24-36 squares

I sometimes crave this childhood favorite made from layers of graham cracker crumbs, pecans, chocolate chips and coconut. (The Eagle Brand original contains butterscotch morsels, but I didn’t have any vegan ones, so I just used chocolate chips making my bars six layers. If you live where there are Price Chopper grocery stores–I don’t–they are supposed to carry vegan butterscotch chips. I’ve even heard Food Lion mentioned–which we do have–but I haven’t checked it out.)

The only trouble is that the “glue” that holds the whole thing together is condensed milk. I’ve researched vegan substitutions, but none appeal. I’m not sure why it hit me, but I had almost a whole can of Cream of Coconut left over after using a tiny amount in another recipe and I wondered if it could be substituted for the condensed milk in this recipe since coconut is part of the flavor profile. Plus the consistency and sweetness are very similar, at least as I recall. So, I made the original recipe, substituting the Cream of Coconut, and I’m pleased to share the habit-forming results here. For better or worse (if you lack self-control!), this old standby is now certified vegan. If this is old news to you vegans out there, my apologies, as it was a break-through for me!

One note of caution about graham crackers: Honey Grahams, as the name implies, contain honey. But I was surprised to learn that the cheaper “store” brands of even the regular graham crackers contain dairy such as buttermilk. The plain name-brand graham crackers, though, are vegan.

1/2 cup vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
1 1/2 cup vegan graham cracker crumbs
1 cup pecan pieces or coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
1-3.5 ounce can shredded coconut
1 1/4 cups Cream of Coconut (about 14 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter into a 9 x 13 inch pan and slide into the oven for a few minutes during the preheat to melt. Remove from oven and sprinkle crumbs over the butter in an even layer. Do the same with the pecans, followed by the chips and then the coconut. Pour the Cream of Coconut over the entire concoction; there should be enough to completely cover. Bake for 25 minutes and cool in pan for at least 15 minutes before cutting. Store any leftovers tightly covered.

May 11, 2009July 3, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Yield 16-18 Cookies

I call these my “$30 Cookies.” My mom, who lives in another state with my dad and sister, subscribes to Cook’s Illustrated magazine. We met in New Orleans last Christmas and, of course, we all brought along our favorite magazines for our hotel rooms. I found this recipe, cut it out, and promptly lost it, which is not like me, especially when it comes to food.

So, back home, I searched for it online. However, I could only access the Cook’s Illustrated site if I subscribed to their online publication for thirty bucks. I was so determined to obtain the recipe that I joined on the spot. I love the scientific method, but conversational tone, of Cook’s Illustrated. It’s like Alton Brown but without all the quirkiness (which I also like, albeit in limited doses). But I’ve not consulted the site for a single other recipe.

I made the cookies first by simply omitting the egg white, which is my typical approach to veganizing baked goods. The cookies are shaped into balls before baking and, in the magazine photo, they spread out to the perfect thickness in the oven. However, mine spread not at all. Hence, they were too thick in the center and required additional baking time, which dried them out. So, I decided that they needed about 1/4 cup more moisture, or slightly more than one egg white. But I didn’t want to use soy milk, as I definitely didn’t want them to turn out cakey. Then it occurred to me that maybe I should substitute ¼ cup of the butter with a fat that is liquid at room temperature—namely, canola oil—to encourage them to spread the ideal amount.

The consistency of the dough was definitely softer, even after chilling for the specified half hour, a very good sign. However, after about 4 minutes of baking, they still retained too much of their ball shape. Using my fingers (I have asbestos hands, but I recommend a spatula), I quickly opened the oven door and pressed gently on the top of each cookie to flatten them into about a ½-3/4” thick disk. After they had finished baking and cooling, I tried one and loved the results. I hope you will too. The sugar coating gives them a delightfully crunchy-crisp exterior, but they have a delectably soft interior.

8 tablespoons vegan butter, room temperature (I like Earth Balance)
4 tablespoons canola oil
1/3 cup natural sugar plus ½ cup for coating
1/3 cup packed brown sugar (you may substitute natural sugar for a total of 2/3 cup)
½ cup cane syrup, or dark corn syrup if you dare
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour (owr white whole wheat flour; one of my favorites)
3/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
4-4 1/2 ounces vegan semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips or chocolate cut into 1/2” pieces

Line two cookie sheets with Silpats or parchment paper and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, place butter, oil, 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Reserve remaining ½ cup sugar. At medium to medium-high speed, cream mixture until well-combined and fluffy. Add corn syrup and vanilla and beat just a few more seconds to combine, scraping bowl, as needed. Mixture may look slightly curdled, but don’t worry. Add remaining ingredients, except chocolate chips, and beat on low speed, scraping bowl as needed, just until combined. Add chips and beat on low just a few seconds to distribute. Cover dough well and chill for half an hour, but no longer. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a small scoop with a release lever, scoop out balls of dough about 1 ½” in diameter. Roll in reserved ½ cup of sugar and place a generous 2” apart on baking sheets. Place sheets in the oven on two racks as close to the center as possible. Bake for 4 minutes, open oven door and, using a spatula, flatten each cookie slightly to ½-3/4” thick. Close the oven door and continue baking for 2 more minutes. Reverse the positions of the baking sheets and cook for an additional 5 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cookies should be ever-so-slightly cracked, look a little moist and soft in the center, and be more set around the edges. Cool on baking sheets set on wire racks for 5 minutes. Then, using a spatula, transfer cookies to the racks and cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container.

Source: Inspired by a Cook’s Illustrated recipe, published January 1, 2009

April 3, 2009February 8, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Chocolate Carrot Cake

Yield: 1-9×13″ sheet cake (see note if you prefer an 8-9″ layer cake)

Chocolate and carrots sound like a marriage made in, well, you know. But the combination in this cake is delicious, as the carrots make it even more moist, dense and beautifully textured. My good friend, Anne, used a recipe for chocolate carrot cake from Nora restaurant in D.C. for her wedding cake. Years later, for one of her “landmark” birthdays, she wanted that cake again, so she shared the recipe with me and I baked it for her. I have since veganized it by doubling the chocolate cupcake recipe in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and adding cinnamon and shredded carrots to the batter. All it needed was a little vegan cream cheese frosting to attain perfection.

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

March 29, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Chocolate Truffles

Yield: approximately 14 truffles

I am posting this recipe at the request of my good friend and realtor Jonell. She and her husband came to our Valentine’s Day dinner party this year from which I sent each couple home with a little box of homemade truffles. There is a funny story here but, don’t worry Jonell, your secret is safe with me!

6 tablespoons chocolate or lite chocolate soy milk
9 ounces vegan chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark, but dark is a little overpowering)
Optional: 1 ½ teaspoons liqueur
1/3-1/2 cup cocoa powder

In a small microwave safe bowl, heat soy milk in microwave for a minute or two. Whisk in chips until completely melted, adding optional liqueur toward the end. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Using a small scoop (about 1-inch in diameter) with a release lever, dip out balls of chocolate and place onto a waxed paper- or foil-lined plate or tray.

If firm enough to handle, roll in cocoa powder and place on serving tray or, preferably, place into individual candy papers (like cupcake liners, but much smaller) and then on a tray. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. If not firm enough to handle, cover and refrigerate for several more hours or overnight. Mixture may be a bit sticky, but once you drop the balls into the cocoa powder, they are simple to shape. You may also dip your fingers into cocoa powder to reduce stickiness.

Note: if the brand of chips you purchase is sold in 12 ounce bags, use ½ cup chocolate soy milk and 2 teaspoons of optional liqueur.

Source: Vegetarian Times Magazine (no author on my clipped recipe, but whoever you are, you’re a genius)

March 28, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Chocolate Mousse and More

In September 2008, I conducted an in-home vegan baking class under the auspices of The Virginian-Pilot. For the story, written by Denise Watson Batts and recipes listed below, access:

http://dev.hamptonroads.com/2008/09/vegan-baking-tips

Spiked Vegan Chocolate Mousse (which can be used as a pie filling in the crust listed below as pictured here)
Vegan Shortbread Crust
Oatmeal Dried Cranberry Cookies
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange-Cream Cheese Frosting
Banana and Chocolate Chip-Hazelnut Cookie Dough Brownies

Be forewarned: this chocolate mousse is dangerous whether served as a mousse or a pie. But its primary ingredients are tofu and chocolate soy milk so it is practically health food.

Thanks to my buddy Angela for noting that those avoiding white sugar can substitute raw sugar in a 1:1 ratio for baked goods.

Note: As a sideline, both my “student” and now good friend, Susan Kaplan, and I were appalled at the photograph of us that ran with the story. We both look old and haggard and I look a little angry to boot. For what it’s worth, I think my blog photo is a much more accurate representation and Susan is gorgeous. I even asked my editor who I had p—– off!

Photo Credit: Chris Tyree

March 26, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Birthday Cake from Patti Cakes

Speaking of dogs… My husband turned 50 in November. (No, silly, he’s not the dog.) I threw him a big movie-themed bash at Flex Gym (thanks again Bonnie and Al!). The star of the evening, besides the birthday boy, was most certainly our beloved canine, Huff, in edible form. Emily Patti of Patti Cakes is the southern mid-Atlantic’s answer to Ace of Cakes. They have nothing on her!

While gourmet vegan movie fare, courtesy of Cuisine & Co., comprised the main part of the meal, dessert took the shape of a 3-foot+ edible sculpture of one of our pack. If you’ve seen Steel Magnolias, don’t worry; the cake was not red velvet. It was rich chocolate layers with peanut butter filling, “buttercream” frosting and airbrushed fondant–ALL VEGAN.

Emily is as sweet and accommodating as she is talented. If you live in our area and are in the market for a beautiful wedding cake or an amazing novelty creation, I urge you to contact her. Check out her website; the photos speak for themselves.

Patti Cakes, Inc., Moyock, North Carolina, 252-435-2726, www.patticakesinc.net, epatti@mchsi.com.