healthful coffee breakfast/crumb cake

No mixer or added sugar.  The cake uses whole wheat, almond butter and a thick spicy oatmeal crumb!

Equipment:

9" cake/pie tin

parchment paper

bottom blade blender (I use vitamix), or you can use oatmeal flour

2 mixing spoons or forks

2 big mixing bowls

fork for mashing bananas

cooling rack

Ingredients:

CRUMB TOPPING

2 - 3 cups of oatmeal ground into flour

1/2 cup canola or light tasting oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp stevia 

The following spices are to your taste level, this is what I use

3-5 TBL ground cinnamon

1 TBL ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground white pepper

This is a very dense cake and batter that I will 
try adding aquafaba
this autumn, but wanted to post while I had the time

CAKE, preheat oven to 375

*  2 medium to large size very ripe bananas mashed very well

*  1/2 cup almond butter

*  1 tsp stevia

*  1/2 cup soy milk

*  1/2 tsp salt

*  1 1/2 tsp baking soda

*  2 cups whole wheat or 1/2 and 1/2 flour

*  1 TBL vinegar (white or cider)

Method  (wash hands)

Tear enough parchment to cover the cake/pie tin and press down or fold into tin

Mix topping ingredients together, adding the oil a little at a time until it sets up like moist sand, taste for spiciness, and set aside

Mix all cake ingredients except the vinegar, then add the vinegar last and pour into the parchment

Scatter the topping on top of the cake batter and somewhat press into batter (don't mix but lightly press) with your hands

Cook in 350-375 degree oven for around 45 minutes to 1 hour, test with a cake tester

You can lift out cake out of parchment and place on cooling rack and let COMPLETELY cool; otherwise, it will be gummy

non-dairy formulary cookbook

These pictures and creations deserve their own blog post.   My book is on the way:


http://thegentlechef.com/NonDairyFormularyGallery.php

vegan chocolate fudge

Equipment:
Large heavy bottom (or copper bottom) sauce pan
whisk
candy thermometer
wooden spoon
plate or cookie tray for storage
measuring cups

 Ingredients:
2 cups soy milk (regular fat content, not low fat)
1 and 1/3 cups of sugar (you can sometimes find wholesome sweeteners (vegan friendly listed) sugar in bulk at a pretty low price at discount food warehouses)
2 TBL vegan margarine or vegan butter
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1/4 cup of vegan chocolate chips (I use sunspire fair trade)

Method:

• Use vegan butter to cover bottom of storage plate, set aside
• Mix sugar, milk and salt in sauce pan until well combined, turn on burner to medium-low and keep stirring
• Add chocolate into mixture, use whisk to incorporate and make sure that the chocolate is melted and mixture starts bubbling
• Stir a little more, then turn heat down to low, add candy thermometer to side of sauce pan and stop stirring
• This mixture will bubble and take a while (10-25 minutes) to reach the softball stage or 238 - 240 degrees on the thermometer, (I always go a tad bit lower than the 240 degrees, if the mixture gets just a bit higher in temp the entire batch seizes up and becomes a rock hard brittle mess)
• Once the mixture reaches 238, turn heat off, remove sauce pan from stove and set aside
• Add the vanilla and vegan butter to the mixture, let cool down a little bit and start stirring until thick and looks like you can pour this mixture out on a plate and it will become fudge
• Finally, pour and spoon out onto buttered plate and let sit at room temp, cover and place in frig, or cut into bars and place in frig.

spicy chai garbanzo latte

This is a favorite everyday vegan comfort drink.  I did not post this recipe until today, because I thought that the soy milk I use (I buy organic in dry storage cases from costco warehouse) is too specific for the recipe.  I had tried almond milk, oat milk and coconut milk in this latte, but they seemed to separate and curdle the latte and also did not mesh well with the spices or make the drink creamy.

Well, the homemade easy garbanzo milk gets an A+.  It works and is very creamy and delicious.

Equipment:
Tea Pot, saucepan or microwave
blender for making garbanzo milk

You will think you are drinking a hot "milkshake"

Ingredients:
1 tazo organic chai tea bag, not the concentrate (or use a tea ball and make your own blend of teas and spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise, ginger and black pepper)
4 oz. of boiling hot water
4 oz. of garbanzo or soy milk
swirls of agave nectar to sweeten
cinnamon or nutmeg to sprinkle on top

Method:
Steep your tea bag in tea ready boiling water in the cup for around 5 minutes or so that it is very concentrated.
Add the garbanzo milk and sweetener of choice, stir and heat up again in microwave for 1 minute.
Top with cinnamon, nutmeg and enjoy!  (or refrigerate and enjoy on ice)

"milk" chocolate "buttercream" cups

If you are not into the expensive equipment (Santha Wet Grinder), labor intensive methods and long waiting periods to make real, non-waxy chocolate, I am posting this shortcut for those of us who long for a good, creamy, vegan white chocolate or “milk” chocolate.

Equipment:

Double Boiler or Microwave Oven

Big stainless steel mixing bowl

Mixer

Whisk

Sauce pan

Baking tray

Mini cupcake cups/wrappers

Ingredients and Methods for 1. Pudding   2. “Buttercream”

1.  Pudding:

*   1/2 cup of soy milk (or vegan milk of choice)

*   to taste...agave nectar or sweetener (remember, this has to be very, very sweet because you will be adding unsweetened fat)

*   1 or 2 tsp vanilla extract

*   1 level TBL of corn starch or potato starch

Heat the milk in sauce pan, add sweetener, vanilla and starch and whisk together on medium heat until the liquid thickens and forms pudding.  Take off heat, place pudding in stainless steel mixing bowl and let cool to room temperature.

1.  “Buttercream”

1/2 cup of vanilla pudding at room temperature

2 TBL of melted cocoa butter/ cacao, cooled, but not solidified  (if you do not have this, you can make the chocolate cups without, although this is highly recommended)

as needed...vegetable shortening (I use spectrum, organic vegetable shortening, non-hydrogenated) I say “as needed” because once the mixture whips up, you can stop using the shortening

1 TBL cocoa, or more the darker you want the chocolate cup 

Start whipping the pudding with the mixer and add the shortening, 1 heaping teaspoon at a time, until the mixture whips up into a “buttercream” frosting.  Add cocoa powder if you are making “milk” chocolate.  Add the cooled but melted cocoa butter last, and whip into the frosting.  Taste to make sure it has enough sweetener.  Use to frost cake, or, place spoon size dollops of the frosting into mini cupcake cups and place in freezer.  When “set” place in refrigerator in airtight bag on container. 

white chocolate "buttercream" cups

If you are not into the expensive equipment (Santha Wet Grinder), labor intensive methods and long waiting periods to make real, non-waxy chocolate, I am posting this shortcut for those of us who long for a good, creamy, vegan white chocolate or “milk” chocolate.

Equipment:

Double Boiler or Microwave Oven

Big stainless steel mixing bowl

Mixer

Whisk

Sauce pan

Baking tray

Mini cupcake cups/wrappers

Ingredients and Methods for

 1. Pudding   2. “Buttercream”

1.  Pudding:

*   1/2 cup of soy milk (or vegan milk of choice)

*   to taste...agave nectar or sweetener (remember, this has to be very, very sweet because you will be adding unsweetened fat)

*   1 or 2 tsp vanilla extract

*   1 level TBL of corn starch or potato starch

Heat the milk in sauce pan, add sweetener, vanilla and starch and whisk together on medium heat until the liquid thickens and forms pudding.  Take off heat, place pudding in stainless steel mixing bowl and let cool to room temperature.

1.  “Buttercream”

1/2 cup of vanilla pudding at room temperature

2 TBL of melted cocoa butter/ cacao, cooled, but not solidified  (if you do not have this, you can make the chocolate cups without, although this is highly recommended)

as needed...vegetable shortening (I use spectrum, organic vegetable shortening, non-hydrogenated) I say “as needed” because once the mixture whips up, you can stop using the shortening

1 TBL cocoa, if you are making “milk” chocolate cups

Start whipping the pudding with the mixer and add the shortening, 1 heaping teaspoon at a time, until the mixture whips up into a “buttercream” frosting.  Add cocoa powder if you are making “milk” chocolate.  Add the cooled but melted cocoa butter last, and whip into the frosting.  Taste to make sure it has enough sweetener.  Use to frost a cake, or, place spoon size dollops of the frosting into mini cupcake cups and place in freezer.  When “set” place in refrigerator in airtight bag on container. 

coconut sugar chocolate banana bread

Testing the healthier coconut sugar in my hawaiian chocolate banana bread, gets an A+++++.  I love this stuff, better than cane sugar, in my opinion.  Fluffs up lighter for a softer, moist cake.

Gotta love when a product has the "V" word on the front

Equipment:

• 8-9 inch non-stick cake pan, sprayed with oil, parchment placed on bottom, sprayed with oil again, then dusted with flour 
• mixer and mixing bowl
• sifter
• batter spatula

Ingredients:

3 medium size bananas, overripe and mashed

1/2 cup salad oil (canola or safflower or sunflower)

1 cup coconut sugar (or you can use regular cane)

1 1/4 cups of all purpose, unbleached, flour (sift into mixing bowl)

1/2 cup of fair trade cocoa (sift into mixing bowl)

1 TBL baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

3 TBL vegan milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Method...

Mix the bananas, oil and coconut sugar very well.  Sift the flour, a little at a time, into the mixing bowl and combine, then sift the cocoa and add.  Add the baking soda, salt, vanilla and vegan milk and mix well to a very thick cake batter.  Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and place in oven.  Check the cake every 15 minutes or so, eventually when the cake looks set-up, test the middle with a thin knife or cake tester.  When the tester comes our clean, the cake is done.  Let cake cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered.

This cake is delicious and moist without icing!

healthy baking supplies

I will follow with some baking/cooking experiments using these products.

Agave inulin and coconut sugar, great new (becoming available)  healthy baking additions

angel's chocolate truffles

Here is a link to our brilliant friends at Gentle World in Hawaii and New Zealand.  Angel has mastered a vegan truffle recipe with macadamia nuts and agave nectar.  Enjoy!!

Vegan Chocolate Truffles

chocolate chip cookies vegan

A fair trade and vegan chocolate choice

"I do not like the taste of baking powder or baking soda in cookies.  I wrote this recipe using yogurt as the alternative and a little egg replacer, which does have a sodium portion, but, in my opinion, not the bitter taste that the baking sodas and powders have.  These cookies are very chewy, soft and yummy."

Equipment;

spatula

big bookie sheet

big mixing bowl

little spoon to spoon out

oven

Ingredients:
6 oz. softened vegan margarine (I use earth balance or spectrum shortening which does not contain salt)
8 oz. sugar (I used Wholesome Sweeteners organic, fair trade sugar, which has vegan friendly listed on their label, and I buy in bulk to save $$)
1 TBL molasses
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 teaspoons of soy yogurt vanilla (approx. 3 oz.)
2 tsp egg replacer (I used Enter-G)
1 3/4 - 2 cups flour

 Method...Preheat oven to 350 degrees

• Combine margarine and sugar, molasses, vanilla and yogurt and blend very well.
• Add egg replacer and flour, a little at a time until incorporated (should be fluffy and set-up).  If you think the dough is too moist, and a little too easy to get the mixer through, add a little more flour until the dough is very well set up.
• Add chocolate chips and blend well into the dough, then spoon out teaspoon size cookies onto your tray and bake at 350 until a little brown around the outside
• Take the tray out of the oven and let the cookies rest before you attempt to place them on a counter or plate
• Take care in using a spatula to pick them up (they are very doughy until they completely cool, takes up to 5 hours)
• When they have cooled to room temperature, cover and enjoy

vegan pumpkin pie

Equipment:

9 inch vegan pie crust (I used graham cracker)

Mixer and Bowl

Oven

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin canned

8 oz. vegan cream cheese ( I used tofutti non-hydrogenated cream cheese)

1/2 cup sugar ( I used Wholesome Sweeteners organic, fair trade sugar, which has vegan friendly listed on their label, and I buy in bulk to save $$)

3 TBL flour

1 TBL pumpkin pie spice, or a “to taste” variety of cinnamon, nutmeg and ground clove

1/4 cup vegan milk

2 TBL margarine

3 tsp of EnterG egg replacer

Method...

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Beat creamcheese, margarine, sugar, flour, salt, spice and pumpkin, taste to make sure you like the sweetener level and spice

Beat in milk and egg replacer

Pour or spread into crust and bake 30-45 minutes, you will see this becoming somewhat dense in oven.  I turned the oven off and let it sit for around 10 minutes in the warm oven.

Take out of oven and let cool to about room temperature.

Place in the refrigerator and cool and chill completely before serving, as this pie will “set-up” when completely cold.

easy vegan cheesecake

*This is the SilkNog CheeseCake recipe on the side of the container.  I wanted to show everyone how I replaced the 2 eggs in the recipe, and produced this perfect, non-gummy, non-bean tasting vegan cheesecake. In the past, I have not liked the results of most vegan cheesecakes, but this one is delicious.*

Equipment:

9 inch vegan pie crust (I used graham cracker)

Mixer and Bowl

Oven

Ingredients:

16 oz. vegan cream cheese (I used tofutti non-hydrogenated cream cheese)

1/2 cup sugar (I used Wholesome Sweeteners organic, fair trade sugar, which has vegan friendly listed on their label, and I buy in bulk to save $$)

3 TBL flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

(you can add cinnamon and nutmeg, if you want a spice cheesecake, or....

I added a small amount of lemon oil for my favorite lemony cheesecake)

3/4 cup SilkNog (dairy eggnog analogue)

they called for 2 eggs, this was my substitute...

2 TBL silken tofu and 3 tsp of EnterG egg replacer

Method...

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Beat creamcheese, sugar, flour, salt, tofu and spice or lemon

Beat in vanilla and silknog

Beat in egg replacer and pour into crust and bake 30-45 minutes, you will see this becoming somewhat dense in the oven and it will not brown on top.  I turned the oven off and let it sit for around 10 minutes in the warm oven.

Take out of oven and let cool to about room temperature.

Place in the refrigerator and cool and chill completely.

low fat coffee cake

Equipment:

cake server

cooling rack

half cake pan

parchment paper

oven

mixer and mixing bowl

Ingredients:

Spray oil for baking pan

6 oz. vanilla soy yogurt

2 oz. mashed / whipped tofu

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup soy milk

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 dash nutmeg

2 tsp baking powder

1 TBL vinegar

Ingredients for topping:

Pour over Icing:  2 TBL oat flour, 2 TBL ground cinnamon, 2 dashes ground cardamom, 2 dashes ground nutmeg or mace, 1 TBL light oil, 2 dashes of salt, (all of these ingredients, mixed together with liquid sweetener such as agave nectar or maple syrup)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Spray your baking pan, then cut out parchment for the bottom, place parchment in the pan, spray the top of the parchment, then flour the entire pan (you would not want this to stick) set aside

Place the yogurt, tofu, sugar and soy milk into the mixing bowl and combine well

Turn the mixer off, and add the flour, spices and baking powder, mix until combined, do not overmix

Before you place in the oven, add the vinegar and give one last mix, turn the batter out into the cake pan and bake at 375 for around 1/2 hour, 45 minutes or so.  Keep checking and test the middle of the cake before removing from oven

When the cake is done, slide a knife along the sides, then flip, gently, onto a cooling rack, let cool to room temperature.

Finally spread the liquid icing onto the cake and place in a cake rack in the frig (if you use plastic wrap, it will stick to the liquid icing.  You may want to use toothpicks to separate the plastic wrap if that is all that you have)

vegan peanut butter cups

Okay, this is full of calories, saturated fat and sweetener, consume in moderation (like, once a year or a special occasion).  That said, they are so much better than any peanut butter cup you have EVER had.

Equipment needed:

• Freezer, must be served from the freezer ( or they will be melty)
• Baking tray to put in the freezer for different stages of "freezing"
• Sauce pans to melt the chocolate and the peanut butter filling
• Spoons to spoon out
• around 9-12 cupcake wrappers
• 2 mixing bowls

Ingredients:  For the chocolate

• 2 heaping tablespoons of spectrum organic shortening (it is pressed palm fruit oil)
• -OR-  you can use refined (no coconut taste) coconut oil
• 2 heaping tablespoons of cocoa (fair trade is good)
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• to taste,  swirls of...agave nectar (that is how I make it), you can use powdered sugar, although you might have little white splotches of sugar in your chocolate

Ingredients:  For the Peanut Butter Filling

• 4 heaping tablespoons of creamy or crunchy peanut butter
• 3 heaping tablespoons of vegan margarine
• to taste, sweetener of choice (i used agave nectar again)
• to taste, salt

Method....

Chocolate, melt (don't melt it so its very, very hot) shortening so that there is a very little bit of the shortening in the pan, not fully melted, but not half melted...transfer to bowl

add, cocoa, vanilla, then sweetener of your choice, and stir very well, keep tasting for your sweetness level

Take a teaspoon and spoon out around 1 teaspoon to cover the bottom of each cupcake wrapper, until you have around 8 or 9 cupcake wrappers coated on the bottom

Place that bottom level of wrappers in freezer while you make the peanut butter filling

Set your chocolate aside

Peanut Butter Filling, melt margarine in saucepan (or microwave), take off stove, add peanut butter and melt on low with the margarine

Add the sweetener and salt, taste to your liking

Place mixture in bowl and refrigerated till its cooled down a little bit, but not hot

After cooling around 15-20 minutes, take your first level out of the freezer, then add a teaspoon of peanut butter filling on top of the frozen chocolate

NOW..you will see approx. how many you can make, if you don't have much filling and chocolate left over, use all of the filling on the 8 or 9 you have set up, if it seems like you have enough for a couple more, make them, then place the two levels in freezer again

Finally, after the peanut butter is set up and cool, heat your chocolate until you can pour with a spoon, then, use the teaspoon to do the top layer in the peanut butter cup. Let freeze for around 15-20 minutes

Enjoy!