August 15, 2013August 15, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Fresh Fig Cupcakes with Vegan Lemon-Brandy Buttercream Frosting

DSCN1847

Yield: 1 dozen cupcakes

These may possibly be the moistest cupcakes you will ever put in your mouth!

A pint of fresh figs from a local farm market that needed used fairly quickly resulted in these beautiful confections. The lemon in the buttercream frosting provides a subtle but bright contrast to the cinnamon-scented fig cupcakes, while the brandy flavoring (use real brandy if you have it–my husband forbids me, jokingly–sort of–to use his) accents their ripe, earthy fruitiness for the perfect summer wedding of flavors.

Vegan Fresh Fig Cupcakes

1 cup soymilk (unsweetened or plain)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (I have used rice wine vinegar in a pinch and it works just fine)

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (this is what I keep on-hand, but unbleached all purpose is fine)

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons natural sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup walnut oil or canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

18 to 20 small-medium fresh figs, stemmed, and pureed in a food processor

Vegan Lemon-Brandy Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)

Garnish: 12 fresh fig halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In a small cup or bowl, whisk together soymilk and vinegar to make a vegan “buttermilk.” When it curdles, whisk again and set the mixture aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the soymilk mixture, oil, and vanilla extract. Stir just until all ingredients are well combined and no lumps remain. Stir in the fig puree until completely combined. Fill muffin cups no more than 3/4 full and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack, and then remove cupcakes from tin. Place frosting in a pastry bag (mine came from the Dollar Tree!) fitted with a star-type tip, and pipe on top of cooled cupcakes in concentric circles, spiraling high. Top with a fresh fig half just before serving.

Vegan Lemon-Brandy Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup vegan butter

4 cups powdered sugar, divided

2 tablespoons soymilk (unsweetened or plain)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon brandy flavoring

Zest of 1/2 large lemon

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together shortening and vegan butter. With mixer on low, beat in half of powdered sugar and half of soymilk. Repeat. Beat in vanilla, brandy flavoring, and lemon zest, and then turn mixer to high and whip until creamy-fluffy.

August 10, 2013August 15, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Sour Cream-Raspberry Ice Cream with White Chocolate Chips

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA At your farm market this morning, be sure to pick up a pint of raspberries for this luscious treat that is super simple to prepare.

Made with Tofutti Better than Sour Cream, it boasts the perfect sweet-tart balance with a consistency I describe as (vegan) butter, wrapped in (vegan) cream, wrapped in silk!

Team Tofutti loved it so much, they posted the recipe on their site, and you can quickly access it by clicking HERE.

Happy Summer Saturday!

July 28, 2013July 28, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Chocolate-Plum Butter Mousse–A Transcendent Flavor Combination with Just 4 Ingredients!

Yield: 4 servings (easily doubles)

Honestly? You absolutely can’t believe how delicious the marriage of chocolate and the deep, fruity flavor of plums is in this quick and easy four-ingredient mousse (which can be served as a tart by spooning it into a pre-baked shell).

This is a four-seasons treat since it is made with plum butter instead of fresh plums. (Incidentally, fruit butters are misnomers, as they contain no dairy.) But, since it is mid-summer, you might garnish it with fresh plum slices along with the mint, whipped topping, and hazelnuts.

That is, if you don’t consume it all before it makes it into the glasses!

10 ounces vegan dark chocolate, melted (I used chocolate chips and melted them in two 1-minute increments in the microwave, whisking after each)

1/4 box extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry

1/2 cup vegan soy creamer (I used French Vanilla)

1/2 cup plum butter (I used Bauman’s brand–which may be ordered online–made in small batches in Pennsylvania Dutch country from only plums, sugar or white grape juice, lemons, oranges and cinnamon)

Optional garnish: your favorite vegan whipped topping and/or chopped nuts (I like hazelnuts for this dessert) + mint sprigs

In a food processor, combine all ingredients, processing until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. After about a minute, the mousse will be light and fluffy. After about another minute it will become somewhat denser and darker, yet still silken and fluffy. Choose our preference. Divide the mixture among 4 stemmed glasses or small ramekins and enjoy immediately or chill until serving time.

Note: For individual baked crustless tarts, divide mixture among 4 ramekins coated lightly with non-stick spray and bake in the center of oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until set, but still glossy. Check after 15 minutes, as tops should not be dry and starting to crack. Allow to cool before serving, or cover and place in refrigerator until serving time. Serve chilled. Garnish if desired.

July 27, 2013July 18, 2015 by betsy

Vegan Peachy Pink Lemonade Ice Cream

Yield: 1 1/2 quarts

Down here visiting my family in muggy Mississippi, all thoughts turn to ice cream. So I remembered that this was another new recipe that I hadn’t posted before I left home. If you come home from your farm market trip with fresh peaches, you are just two ingredients away from having all you need to make this beautiful treat!

This tart, refreshing ice cream is bridal peachy-pink and just as fresh and appealing. Made with just three simple ingredients, it is most delicious when peaches are at their peak of juicy and flavorful freshness.

2 large peaches, pitted, quartered, and cut into chunks (I leave the skin on for gorgeous color and nutrition)

1-12 ounce can frozen pink lemonade (I am not averse to the occasional ingestion of high fructose corn syrup but, if you are, look for an organic brand which will be HFC-free.)

2 cups vegan soy creamer (I used French vanilla, but if you use plain, add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)

In the bowl of a food processor, process peaches and frozen lemonade until smooth with no chunks of peach remaining. Transfer to a medium bowl and whisk in soy creamer. (If you try to blend all three ingredients together in most food processors, your cup will runneth over!) Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or until very cold. Freeze in an electric ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Because this custard isn’t terribly thick, I freeze it about 15 minutes longer than recommended, or about 45 minutes, and it is still the consistency of a thick milk shake. Though I could easily down the whole recipe like that, I resist and freeze it, covered, for several hours or overnight to stiffen-up to a scoopable consistency. Even frozen, it remains on the softer side, which I love. And, as you can tell from the photo, it still scoops beautifully.

July 26, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Basil-Blueberry and Lemon Curd Ice Cream (with Lemonade Cooler Option)

Yield: approximately 5 cups of ice cream

I have SO many recipes to post, but we had a dog drama with Huff the Dorito Dog on Wedensday (he is going to be fine), and yesterday, I was travelling to visit my family in MS. When I opened the fridge today, I saw TONS of fresh blueberries that my (85 year old) father and sister had picked at a good friend’s house, so I thought I would start with this refreshing treat!

This deliciously different ice cream was born of fresh blueberries from the farmer’s market, a healthy crop of basil growing in a pot just outside our door, and some of Bryanna Clark Grogan’s ingenious Vegan Lemon Curd leftover from a cookie baking session.

Complex, but not muddy in flavor, this ice cream epitomizes summer with the floral notes of the basil, the earthy sweetness of the blueberries and the subtle citrus undertones of the lemon curd. Not as tangy as a pure lemon ice cream, if it’s that tartness you seek, I highly recommend that you top the ice cream with a splash of lemonade for a refreshing and zippy cooler.

And, if you think the basil seems odd, feel free to leave it out, but I think it adds a very special quality. With or without the basil, please enjoy!

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (thickens witout crystallization)

1 cup unsweeteened soymilk

2 cups soy creamer

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup Bryanna’s Lemon Curd

1/3 cup natural sugar

Pinch sea salt

2-6 to 8 inch stems basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small cup or bowl, whisk together arrowroot powder and 1/4 cup soymilk. In a 1-quart saucepan, combine remaining 3/4 cup soymilk and soycreamer, and cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil. Remove it from the heat and immediately whisk in arrowroot cream causing the mixture to thicken considerably. Pour into a medium bowl, add stems of basil, cool the custard to room temperature and then remove basil, using your fingers to scrape off the custard clinging to the basil. Process blueberries, lemon curd, sugar, and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor until smooth; flecks of blueberry skin will remain. Whisk into custard, along with vanilla, cover, and chill for at least 3 hours. Freeze in an electric ice cream maker (mine is a Cuisinart) according to manufacturer’s directions. Serve immediately or freeze, covered, to allow ice cream to stiffen.

Lemonade Cooler

For each serving, place 2 scoops of ice cream in a stemmed glass, pour about 1/3 to 1/2 cup lemonade over the top(I use a reduced calorie variety), garnish the side of the glass with a lemon slice, and serve with a straw and long-handled spoon.

May 18, 2013May 18, 2013 by betsy

SpryLiving.com Features The Blooming Platter’s Vegan Peaches-and-Cream Cupcakes with Peach Butter Whip Frosting as One of the “Best”!

Spry magazine is America’s largest health magazine, reaching 9 million readers via 600 newspaper partners across the US including the New York Daily News, Denver Post and LA Times.

As I was told when they contacted me, “Think Parade or USA Weekend with a health and wellness focus.” The focus is positive, inspirational messages covering nutrition, fitness and beauty.

A while back, they contacted me about including my Vegan Peaches-and-cream Cupcakes with Peach Butter Whip Frosting in “Spry Serves Up,” a feature of “best vegan cupcakes” on their companion website SpryLiving.com. It is”an extension of the print publication as well as a highly trafficked stand-alone health and wellness hub offering fresh daily content, an enormous healthy recipe database, health and wellness resources, inspiring stories and more. We currently have 7 million unique visitors (and growing) per month.”

I’m honored to be included in their list of “bests” and thrilled to be able to share the link with you where you will find not only my photo and recipe, but about 10 other vegan irresistables. I have my eye on the Champagne Cupcakes in particular. I have seen those made on Cupcake Wars and wondered if they really taste like Champagne, which I adore. And I pledge to find out…soon!

Thanks to writer Haley Marshall and to Spry magazine and SpryLiving.com for including The Blooming Platter in their line-up!

May 13, 2013May 13, 2013 by betsy

The Blooming Platter’s Vegan Single-Serving Microwave “Brownikins” (My Take on a Microwaved Brownie-in-a-Mug)

Yield: 1 serving

Okay, don’t even try to convince me that every once in a while you aren’t dying for a tiny taste of something sinful, and wish you could make a miniature little confection that is quick, easy, and not a killer in the calorie department.

Well, now you can!

NPR was where I first heard about these microwaved brownies-in-a-mug, so I certainly didn’t invent them. But I do think I have perfected a recipe that needed a little somethin’-somethin’. I heard the program weeks ago, but I was having a powerful craving last night, so I did a little internet research and gave it a whirl.

I inadvertently overcooked my brownie a little–it keeps cooking for a bit even after you remove it from the microwave–so go easy. But, even so, I wasn’t 100% sold, despite the fact that the recipe I tried had something like 5,000 “likes.”

I sent the recipe to my sister, Ginny, and she made one for our brownie-loving Papa, but he thought it was a little too rich in the chocolate department. So, back to my kitchen I went this evening, this time armed with some ideas for how to improve the brownie’s taste and texture, along with some So Delicious Almond Milk Ice Cream (vegan) and a fresh strawberry to perch on top.

YUM! A winner! All I needed was a name. My dear friend Sonya Harmon calls our “little” Great Dane (she’s smaller than her mate, Huff!) “Minnikins,” and I think that is the cutest name for our little gal. So, since these “mini” brownies are almost as cute, I thought they should be called “Brownikins.” Thank you, Sonya-kins!

Whatever you call them, you will love them!

And, by the way, you can certainly bake them in a mug as intended, but this recipe doesn’t begin to fill the mug, and I don’t like the brownie batter smeared on the sides after whisking the ingredients together. So, I whisk it up in a small cup and then transfer into a mini-ramekin (about 1/3 cup) for the cutest presentation ever with a melon ball size scoop of ice cream and baby strawberry. What’s one more mug to wash?

1 tablespoon canola oil or vegan butter melted

2 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour (I use white whole wheat)

2 tablespoons natural sugar

2 teaspoons cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon or less sea salt (I love that little crunch of salt with the sugar. You won’t need much if you use salted vegan butter, but don’t omit, as it is needed for flavor.)

Accompaniments: vegan ice cream, a fresh strawberry, plus optional vegan chocolate sauce and vegan whipped topping

In a small cup (microwave safe if you plan to cook the brownie in the cup), whisk together melted butter or oil, water, and vanilla. Then whisk in all remaining dry ingredients. Whisk until smooth. If desired, transfer to a ceramic mini-ramekin and cook in a microwave oven on full power for 45 seconds or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or ever-so-slightly moist. Let sit for a couple of minutes before garnishing and serving.

Photo Note: Sorry about the quality of the photo. I was so excited with my creation, that I just snapped it with my phone sitting on the kitchen counter at 8 p.m.: no waiting for optimum lighting conditions!

March 9, 2013November 12, 2023 by betsy

Spicy Vegan Gingerbread-Cola Bundt Cake with Cinnamon-Sour Cream Glaze

Yield: 1 bundt cake

As I said in the card that accompanied this cake when I dropped it off to Independence Veterinary Hospital, where we have taken our pets for MANY years, “Thank you for many years of setting my mind at ease and easing me through when the news was unsettling.”

I decided to make them a little token of appreciation following my frantic Facebook message to our vet’s wife, Kim, who manages the practice, in which I said, “Minnie just ate about 10 olive pits before I took them out to compost! Is she going to be okay?” The answer was, “She’ll be fine,” and led to a funny–and disgusting–exchange about what our dogs have gotten into.

According to the thank you note she wrote, “the guys”– make that our vet, Brian Hastings, and his vet tech, son and one of our beloved dog-sitters, Dusten Keith–were dubious about eating a vegan cake. The horror! But evidently, “they loved it too.”

And so will you! The complex caramel-y notes of the organic cola adds depth to the flavor while the carbonation does wonderful things to the texture. Enjoy!

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I use white whole wheat)

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon five spice powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup molasses

1 cup real maple syrup

1/2 cup unsweeted soymilk (plain would also be fine)

1/4 cup soy sour cream

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 cup canola oil (or other mild vegetable oil)

1 cup organic cola, such as Blue Sky Cola or China Cola (Stout beer is a tasty alternative to cola)

1 teaspoon baking soda

Cinnamon-Sour Cream Glaze (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, except baking soda, make a well in center, and add all wet ingredients, except cola. Whisk to completely combine. In a small bowl or cup, whisk soda into cola. It will fizz up. Quickly whisk into batter until completely incorporated. Transfer the batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack, and cool for about 15 minutes. Loosen around all edges with a knife, being careful not to slice into the cake. (I use a plastic knife, as my pan has a non-stick surface, but I still grease and flour it!) Place serving plate over the top of pan and invert the cake onto the plate. Let cool and then glaze if desired.

Cinnamon-Sour Cream Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon orange juice (preferably, fresh squeezed) + additional for thinning if necessary

1 tablespoon vegan sour cream

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon grated orange zest (optional)

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until very smooth. Thin with additional orange juice if necessary. Using a spoon, drizzle over cake. Garnish with a sprinkling of grated orange zest if desired.

January 30, 2013January 30, 2013 by betsy

Classic Vegan Gingerbread Cake

Yield: 1 9-inch bundt cake

I think I am obsessed with veganizing Cook’s Country/Cook’s Illustrated recipes!

My latest redux is their Classic Gingerbread Cake. And it is special!

It may well be the moistest and most deeply and complexly flavored cakes you will ever enjoy. I credit the Guinness Stout and the fresh grated ginger, among other things.

Find my recipe HERE at One Green Planet!