March 27, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Bran Bud Pancakes with Vegan Golden Scotchy Raisin-Pecan Syrup

Yield: 8 pancakes

If you love starting your day with bran muffins or raisin-bran cereal–and I bet even if you don’t–you will be crazy for my take on these breakfast standards that is anything but. I cook up a full cup of bran buds inside pancakes that are whole grain- and fiber-filled, but won’t weigh you down. The raisins come into play in the warm syrup that I bathe them in. Don’t ask me why Scotch whiskey, golden raisins and pecans taste so good together, but they do and I’m just going with it. I hope you will too.

1/2 cup self-rising flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup bran buds (located in the cereal aisle of grocery stores)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsweetened soy milk (plain or vanilla soy milk would also be good–regular or lite)
optional: 1 tablespoon vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
Vegan butter and/or vegetable oil for frying
Vegan Scotch-Raisin Pecan Maple Syrup (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to warm. In a medium mixing bowl, place first 6 ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in soy milk. Stir together with a fork until well combined. For added richness, if desired, melt 1 tablespoon vegan butter in a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat and stir into pancake batter. In the same skillet, melt 1 additional tablespoon of the vegan butter, the 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 a couple of minutes on the first side until you see a few bubbles, get a nice rise 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. (While pancakes cook, make syrup.) When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a serving platter, keep warm in the preheated oven, and repeat with remaining butter and/or oil and pancake batter. Serve warm with syrup.

Vegan Golden Scotchy-Raisin Pecan Maple Syrup

1 tablespoon vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
1/4 cup pecan pieces
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons Scotch whiskey

In a small cast iron skillet over medium-high, melt butter. Add pecan pieces and saute, stirring occasionally, for a couple of minutes. Reduce heat if bubbling too fast. Add raisins and do the same. Add maple syrup and cook another couple of minutes. Turn off heat and stir in Scotch. Mine doesn’t flame up with the heat off, but be prepared for some flambe action just in case.

March 13, 2010October 29, 2012 by betsy

Vegan Oatmeal Pancakes with Dried Cranberries and Pecans

Yield: 8 pancakes

I love oatmeal cookies with dried cranberries and pecans and, in my never-ending quest for new pancake varieties, I thought the cookies would translate beautifully into pancakes. I think they are spectacular in a homespun way and hope you agree.

1 cup less 1 tablespoon unsweetened soy milk (plain or vanilla soy milk would also be good–regular or lite)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (white vinegar is fine too)

1/2 cup self-rising flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup oatmeal

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans (toast in a dry skillet for a few minutes over medium-high if desired)

Vegan butter and/or vegetable oil for frying

Garnish: a few dried cranberries and pecan halves per serving

Preheat oven to warm. In a small bowl, whisk together soy milk and vinegar to make vegan buttermilk. In a medium mixing bowl, place next 7 dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in soy buttermilk. Stir together with a fork until well combined. Stir in cranberries and chopped pecans. 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 a couple of minutes on the first side until you see a few bubbles, get a nice rise 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 in an oven preheated to low, and repeat with remaining butter and/or oil and pancake batter. Serve warm with real Maple Syrup garnished as desired with dried cranberries and pecan halves.

March 6, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Banana-Walnut Pancakes with Buttery Vegan Brown Sugar-Walnut Syrup

Yield: 8 pancakes

Almost custardy in consistency, these banana-walnut pancakes would probably be good unadorned, but the syrup is the perfect accompaniment.

1 cup unsweetened soy milk (plain or vanilla soy milk would also be good–regular or lite), less 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon apple cider or plain vinegar (I’ve used unseasoned rice vinegar in a pinch)
2 bananas, mashed
½ cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup self-rising flour (the latter will yield slightly taller and a couple more pancakes)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, your favorite similar spice blend or cinnamon
1/4 cup walnut pieces or chopped walnuts
Vegetable oil for frying
Buttery Vegan Brown Sugar-Walnut Syrup (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to warm. In a small bowl, whisk together soy milk and vinegar to make vegan buttermilk and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, mash bananas. Add next 7 ingredients to the bowl and whisk to partially combine. Whisk in vegan buttermilk until batter is smooth except for small lumps from the banana and walnuts. In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over slightly lower than medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. (Normally, I like to combine the oil with vegan butter, but the sugar content from the banana makes burning a greater likelihood.) Using a 1/4 cup measure, make pancakes, two at a time. Cook 2-3 minutes on the first side until you get a slight rise and a few bubbles appear. (Because of the bananas in the batter, I recommend cooking lower and slower than normal in order to cook the center without burning the exterior.) Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add oil to keep the 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 and pancake batter. Serve warm with Buttery Vegan Brown Sugar-Walnut Syrup.

Buttery Vegan Brown Sugar-Walnut Syrup:
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1/2 cup plain soy creamer
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup walnut pieces

In same skillet or a saucepan over medium high, melt vegan butter. Whisk in next three ingredients and cook, stirring frequently, until syrup thickens slightly. Add walnut pieces and cook, stirring, another 2-3 minutes. Serve warm.

March 1, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Graham Cracker Crumb Pancakes with Vegan Peanut Butter-Maple Syrup

Yield: 6 pancakes (8 if you use self-rising flour)

As my regular readers know, I am a fool for pancakes, especially those that capture my favorite taste sensations from one context and present them in the form of a stack of these delicious disks. In this case, my inspiration was a favorite childhood snack of peanut butter on graham crackers. The graham cracker flavor is subtle, but undeniable, and the texture exactly right: a tiny bit more toothsome than pancakes made only with flour, but still pleasantly cakey. And the Vegan Peanut Butter-Maple Syrup? All I can say is, “Look out!” It’s easy to ladle on too much and, if you do, it’d impossible not to eat it all.

½ cup whole wheat flour or self-rising flour (the latter will yield slightly taller and a couple more pancakes)
1/2 cup fine graham cracker crumbs (you may need to make your own to avoid honey)
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsweetened soy milk (plain or vanilla soy milk would also be good–regular or lite)
Vegan butter and/or vegetable oil for frying
Vegan Peanut Butter-Maple Syrup (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to warm. In a medium mixing bowl, place first 5 ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in soy milk. Stir together with a fork 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 a couple of minutes on the first side until you get a slight rise and the edges appear set. (These pancakes will not develop lots of bubbles, except around the edges, to indicate doneness.) 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 and pancake batter. Serve warm with Vegan Peanut Butter-Maple Syrup.

Vegan Peanut Butter-Maple Syrup:
4 tablespoon smooth or chunky peanut butter
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Whisk together and heat gently in microwave for a few seconds. Note: you can make as much syrup as you like; just whisk together equal parts of peanut butter and maple syrup.

February 10, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Red Velvet Pancakes–A New Vegan Valentine’s Breakfast Tradition

Yield: 8 pancakes

I love Red Velvet everything. Ever since childhood and the first taste of my Aunt Bessie’s signature cake of crimson layers swathed in fluffy white frosting with a Jackson Pollock-style drizzle of bittersweet chocolate, it has been my favorite. As beautiful as it is delicious, I chose it as the groom’s cake for Joe’s and my wedding, and I made an especially baroque one as the wedding cake for our good friends Donna and Art. Plus no one who saw “Steel Magnolias” could forget the Armadillo cake.

Over the years, I’ve created Red Velvet versions of anything I could think of from cookies to shortcakes. I even won a prize in a Better Homes & Gardens recipe contest with one version of the cookies.

Presuming I would create a menu and recipes for a romantic dinner for two for February’s “Veggie Table” column in the Virginian-Pilot, I immediately changed my mind when I learned that Valentine’s Day fell on a Sunday. Instead, I started thinking of family-friendly breakfasts, conceiving of and rejecting several ideas in favor of Red Velvet Pancakes. (But my Vegan “Sausage” and Red Bell Pepper Puff Pastry Heart Tarts would be a delicious savory accompaniment.)

First I conducted a little on-line research and, not surprisingly, there were a number of non-vegan iterations, including some from a couple of California restaurant that folks raved about, but none were right. Either they were pink, were too thin, or had an odd-looking texture. Quite honestly, only one that I found appealed: a very romantic and lovely photo with a recipe on someone’s blog, but they were not vegan. Still, it was the look I was after and I knew it could be done dairyless.

So, I turned to the go-to pancake formula that I developed, complete with some whole grain goodness, and then added the key Red Velvet ingredients. After a couple of adjustments, they were ready to cook and boy-oh-boy, can I just tell you: I ate all four from my photo shoot for breakfast. They are the exact shade of deep red that any self-respecting thing calling itself “Red Velvet” ought to be. And they have the characteristic flavor profile of a slight tanginess and an almost imperceptible, yet undeniable, hint of cocoa. Granted, there is more sugar in this recipe than in most of my pancakes, but it is needed to balance the tartness of the vegan “buttermilk” and the appealing bitterness of the cocoa powder.

I hope you and your loved ones, young or old, enjoy them just as much as I did. Happy Valentine’s Day!

1 ½ cups unsweetened soy milk less 1 ½ tablespoons (plain or vanilla soy milk or lite soy milk would also be good)
1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
½ cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup self-rising flour
½-3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1-1 ounce bottle (2 tablespoons) red food coloring
Vegan butter and/or vegetable oil for frying
Vegan Sour Cream-Maple Syrup (recipe follows)
Optional Garnish: additional vegan sour cream, orange zest, vegan chocolate chips
Optional Sidecar: fresh or frozen thawed fruit

Preheat oven to warm. In a small bowl, whisk together soy milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle. In a medium mixing bowl, place next 6 ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in soy milk and food coloring. Stir together with a fork 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. Using a 1/3 cup measure, make pancakes, one at a time if using a skillet, as this batter tends to spread, but it rises nicely. Cook a couple of minutes on the first side until quite 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 vegan butter and pancake batter. Note: for smaller pancakes that allow you to cook two at a time in a skillet and more on a griddle, use a ¼ cup measure. Serve warm with Vegan Sour Cream-Maple Syrup, an extra dollop of vegan sour cream, and a garnish of a little orange zest and/or a very few vegan chocolate chips, along with a sidecar of fresh or frozen thawed fruit.

Vegan Sour Cream Maple Syrup:
4-6 tablespoon vegan sour cream
4-6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
a squirt of lemon juice (optional)

Whisk together and, if desired, heat gently in microwave for a few seconds. Note: you can make as much syrup as you like; just whisk together equal parts vegan sour cream and syrup and adjust lemon juice accordingly.

January 30, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate Pancakes with Warm Vegan Cinnamon-Orange-Kahlua-Pecan Syrup

Yield: 6-8 pancakes

Honestly, I had never eaten–never wanted to eat–chocolate pancakes until this morning. They seemed to smack of the worst kind of pancake house “Supersize Me” travesty. You know, the ones smothered in sickly sweet sauce and whipped cream: dessert thinly–or rather thickly–disguised as the most important meal of the day.

But, today, we awoke to a fluffy blanket of snow and had a fire going before 9:30 a.m. Joe and I built a house in the ‘burbs 10 years ago, but are tucked far back from the street on a forested dune along the banks of a salt marsh called Bennett Creek. (In many ways, it is the best of all worlds: Starbucks, Kroger and Home Depot are less than a mile away, and my husband and I both work a slow 10 minute drive away.)

Something about the whole scene made me crave not-too-sweet cinnamon-cocoa pancakes, especially since both of us had decided not to rush out. (In fact, we never left the house all day.) My go-to pancake batter happily accepted the additional ingredients to yield results that were scrumptious: perfectly balanced and appealingly subtle, yet with an appropriate depth of flavor.

I knew I didn’t want an ice cream-style topping, so I doctored up my favorite real maple syrup, first with cinnamon, then with a little Kahlua and some pecans. Feeling it needed a bit of brightness from winter citrus, I added just a hint of orange juice concentrate. The flavor was unusual–but not weird–and unusually good. Then, because of the deep color of the pancakes, I decided to sprinkle them with a dusting of powdered sugar. When I did, I thought it looked just like a dusting of snow, so I ran to the deck door and photographed them against our winter wonderland.

Gary Loewenthal in Northern VA posted a comment saying he made these, also on a snowy morning, and really enjoyed them–noting that they’re surprisingly not too sweet–substituting Cointreau for the Kahlua and garnishing with raspberries because that’s what he had. Doesn’t that sound delectable too?

Wherever you may be and regardless of your weather, you will want these unique pancakes for breakfast or brunch, if not today, then tomorrow for sure!

½ cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup self-rising flour

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

4 tablespoons granulated sugar, brown sugar or a combination

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk (plain or vanilla soy milk would also be good–regular or lite; I was out of soy milk, so I actually used 3/4 cup water mixed with 4 1/2 tablespoons of powdered soy milk–yum!)

1 tablespoon melted butter

pinch coarse sea or kosher salt

Vegan butter and/or vegetable oil for frying

Warm Vegan Cinnamon-Orange-Kahlua Maple Syrup (recipe follows)

Garnish: a dusting of sifted powdered sugar

Preheat oven to warm. In a medium mixing bowl, place first 7 ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in soy milk and tablespoon of melted butter. Stir together with a wooden spoon 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 a couple of minutes on the first side until you get a nice rise, 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 and/or oil and pancake batter. Serve warm with Warm Vegan Orange-Cinnamon-Kahlua Maple Syrup and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Warm Vegan Cinnamon-Orange-Kahlua-Pecan Maple Syrup:

1/2 cup real maple syrup

1 tablespoon Kahlua

1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate

1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch coarse sea or kosher salt

1/4 cup pecan pieces

Whisk together and heat gently in microwave for a few seconds.

January 24, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Coconut Pancakes with Vegan Coconut Sour Cream-Maple Syrup

Yield: 8 pancakes

If you follow this blog, you know by now that I love the occasional stack of pancakes on weekend mornings, and that I also love to translate some of my favorite dessert cakes–carrot, red velvet, gingerbread, pineapple upside-down–into their breakfast cousins. These scrumptious coconut ones are my latest iteration. I’m so glad I had coconut left over from a curry dinner. The only thing better would be if my Papa were here to grate a fresh coconut for me!

Like many people, I am a fan of vegan cream cheese frosting on coconut cake, so I top the pancakes with a syrup into which I incorporate vegan sour cream and a hint of lemon juice in order to capture some of that irresistible tang in a form that is easy to blend.

½ cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup self-rising flour
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsweetened soy milk (plain or vanilla soy milk would also be good–regular or lite; I chose soy milk over coconut milk because of the former’s thicker body)
1/2 cup flaked coconut (fresh or packaged–sweetened or unsweetened)
Vegan butter and/or vegetable oil for frying
Vegan Coconut Sour Cream-Maple Syrup (recipe follows)
Optional Garnish: additional flaked coconut (fresh or packaged, sweetened or unsweetened, raw or toasted)

Preheat oven to warm. In a medium mixing bowl, place first 5 ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in soy milk. Stir together with a fork until well combined. Stir in coconut. 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 a couple of minutes on the first side until you get a nice rise and the edges appear set. (These pancakes will not develop many bubbles to indicate doneness.) 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 and pancake batter. Serve warm with Vegan Coconut Sour Cream-Maple Syrup and a sprinkling of coconut or toasted coconut if desired.

Vegan Coconut Sour Cream-Maple Syrup:
4 tablespoon vegan sour cream
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
4 tablespoons coconut or lite coconut milk (unsweetened, plain or vanilla soy milk would also be good–regular or lite)
4 tablespoons flaked coconut (fresh or packaged–sweetened or unsweetened
2 squirts of lemon juice (or to taste in order to bring out tang of vegan sour cream)

Whisk together and, if desired, heat gently in microwave for a few seconds. Note: you can make as much syrup as you like; just whisk together equal parts of first 4 ingredients and adjust lemon juice accordingly.

January 18, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Red Velvet Valentine’s Pancakes–A Teaser

With MLK Day off from school, I had some time for morning experimentation in the kitchen. For my February “Veggie Table” column in The Virginian-Pilot, I thought I would make a special Valentine’s Breakfast since the holiday falls on a Sunday. My aunt, Bessie Weed’s, red velvet cake has long inspired my love of Red Velvet everything causing me to transform her cake into cookies, shortcakes and, now, pancakes.

First I checked online and, not surprisingly, there were a number of non-vegan iterations, including some from a particular restaurant that folks raved about, but that were unappetizingly pink. Others were thin and otherwise not what I was after. Quite honestly, only one appealed: a very romantic and lovely photo with a recipe on someone’s blog, but they were not vegan. Still, it was the look I was after and I knew it could be done.

So, I turned to the go-to pancake formula that I developed and then added the key Red Velvet ingredients. After a couple of adjustments, they were ready to cook and boy-oh-boy, can I just tell you: I ate all four from my photo shoot for breakfast. I’m off to go walk and dance them off (I have a lesson today)!

They were so pretty that I had to post the photo and a brief enticement. As soon as The Virginian-Pilot publishes my February column, I will post the complete recipe. So stay tuned!

Happy MLK Day!

October 18, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Creamed Corn Cakes with Chives

Yield: 8 corn cakes

You’ll love these creamed corn cakes for their ease and their “buttery” richness. Chives take them right over the top by imparting a subtle onion-y flavor and adding appealing little flecks of green goodness.

1/2 cup self-rising cornmeal mix
1/2 cup self-rising flour
pinch garlic powder
1-15 ounce can creamed corn
about 1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk (plain would be good too, just a little sweeter)
1 tablespoon fresh snipped chives
2 scant tablespoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)

In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 scant tablespoon of the butter. Meanwhile, place first three ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in creamed corn, soy milk and melted butter. Sprinkle in chives. Stir together until well combined, but avoid over-mixing. Return skillet to heat and add about a half tablespoon of butter. When melted, swirl to coat pan. Using a 1/4 cup measure, make three corn cakes, spreading ever so slightly if needed just to flatten tops. Cook a couple of minutes on the first side or until just a few bubbles appear, you get a nice rise, and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Avoid overcrowding. This batter is fairly thick, but if corn cakes look like they are going to run together, just cook a couple at a time. Add butter to keep skillet greased as needed. If corn cakes are cooking too quickly, lower heat slightly. When cooked through, remove corn cakes to plates or a serving platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining butter and corn cake batter.