desserts – Compassion is the Secret Ingredient

Vegan “Sour Cream” Scones

People always assume that because I have a food blog I must’ve be born with a God-given talent for cooking and baking. For most of my life however, I was actually seriously lacking in my culinary abilities and for that I blame my mom. #SorryMom

When I was growing up, my mom was like Sandra Lee -minus all the booze and tablescapes. (Oh but you know I was down for some tablescaping, girl.) When time allowed for a home cooked meal she would pull out the gravy mix, smack a can of biscuits against our apartment’s laminate counter, scramble up some eggs and pull a meal together the semi-homemade way. Very few things she made were ever from scratch but don’t get me wrong, they were still pretty tasty. Her recipes just really weren’t recipes though. There wasn’t much skill in what she was doing so there wasn’t much to be taught. Lacking proper skills and inspiration, I ended up just steering clear of the kitchen altogether -until I became an adult, that is.

Sometime in my early 20s, after spending way too many hours watching Food Network and Cooking Channel, I suddenly found myself quite enthralled with the idea of really learning how to cook and bake. I just couldn’t see myself not having such skills for the rest of my life so, one recipe at a time, I learned, and the very first recipe that I not only taught myself but actually mastered was a recipe for cream scones. It’s been a favorite of mine ever since.

Cream scones are just what their name implies -scones made using heavy cream for a rich, decadent flavor. They’re really good but they’re so not vegan. With the recipe being so near and dear to my heart though, of course it was destined to be veganized (and made healthier while I was at it) and that’s exactly what I just did. In this vegan version, which is just as rich and decadent as the original, I opted to use vegan “sour cream” in place of the heavy cream. The “sour cream” maintains the creamy, slightly tart flavor profile of the original while also giving the scones a good bit of moisture so that they’re not dry and crumbly. This recipe, just like the original, is a good base recipe should you want to add berries, fruit, nuts, chocolate, or whatever else to it -this time I added dried cherries.

It all gets started with you preparing some Ener-G egg replacer for use in a moment. You can also preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Next, in a large bowl, you’re going to combine the 2 flours with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

To the dry ingredients you will now add in the “sour cream,” “butter,” sugar, Ener-G, and vanilla. Using two forks or a pastry cutter, blend the ingredients together until just combined.

Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface -I love using a marble pastry board because it helps keep the “butter” cold which is important in pastries like this. Knead the dough a little to fully bring it together and incorporate any loose flour.

Now, remember how I said that I made this batch with dried cherries? If you’re adding anything like that to your scones then this step is for you. If not, you can skip this step.

Pat the dough out to about a half an inch thick then press in whatever additional elements you want. I would recommend that you add in no more than 1 cup total of additional goodies so plan accordingly if you’re adding multiple things. Once everything has been pressed in, fold the dough sheet over onto itself sealing in all of the goodness.

Add a little more flour to your surface to prevent sticking then form the dough into a flattened disk shape that is about an inch and a quarter to an inch and a half thick. Using a large knife, slice the dough in halves until you get 8 even triangular pieces. Gently pick up each piece and place it onto a large sheet pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Bake the scones in your preheated oven for 14 minutes.

When they’re done they’ll have lightly golden tops and medium golden bottoms.

Transfer your scones to a cooling rack to cool slightly before icing.

To make the icing, combine powdered sugar with coconut oil, water, and vanilla in a small bowl. Use a fork to drizzle the icing over the slightly cooled scones. (With the 4th being right around the corner, I chose to add star sprinkles to my scones before the icing set!)

Vegan 'Sour Cream' Scones

Servings: 8
Time: 35 minutes
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Credit: Compassion is the Secret Ingredient, http://www.citsiblog.com

Ingredients

Ener-G egg replacer for 2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour + more for board
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup vegan “sour cream”
8 tablespoons vegan “butter”
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla + an additional 1/8 teaspoon for icing
1 cup of berries, fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, etc. (optional)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1/2 tablespoon water

Directions

Prepare the Ener-G egg replacer, in accordance with the instructions on the packaging, for 2 eggs. Set aside. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and prepare a large sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 flours with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in the “sour cream,” “butter,” sugar, Ener-G prepared a moment ago, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Using two forks or a pastry cutter, blend the ingredients together until just combined.
Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a little to fully bring it together and incorporate any loose flour. If adding extra stuff like berries or nuts, pat the dough out to about a half an inch thick then press in whatever additional elements you want. Once everything has been pressed in, fold the dough sheet over onto itself sealing in all of the extras.
Lift up the dough and add a little more flour to surface to prevent sticking. Re-form the dough into a flattened disk shape that is about an inch and a quarter to an inch and a half thick. Using a large knife, slice the dough in halves until you get 8 even triangular pieces. Gently pick up each piece and place it onto the lined sheet pan. Bake the scones for 14 minutes. When done, let scones cool slightly before icing.
To make icing, combine powdered sugar with coconut oil, water, and 1/8 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl. Stir until smooth then use a fork to drizzle over the slightly cooled scones. Scones will keep fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Vegan Bourbon Whiskey Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Here’s the 1st of 2 declarative statements in this post: I hate pineapple upside-down cake.

Yeah, you read that right! My mom, on the other hand, loves it. It’s one of her favorite desserts so it was high time I set about making her a vegan version that would take the cake -pun intended! Now here’s the thing about my mom, it takes a lot for her to call something, “great,” or, “perfect,” but those were the exact words she used to describe this cake so you better believe it’s something to try -if you’re a fan of pineapple upside-down cake, I mean.

Ready for the 2nd declarative statement of this post? Here it is: I don’t drink alcohol -like ever.

While I’m not a drinker (by personal choice) I do like to cook and bake with certain adult beverages from time to time. I find that they can really help amplify flavor, and add complexity, when used in moderation. Now I say moderation not because you’re going to get your family and friends plastered if you use too much (the alcohol does actually cook out), but rather because people tend to not enjoy super boozy recipes. Too much alcohol, just like too much salt or any other ingredient, can ruin a recipe in a heartbeat.

“But, Heather,” you might be asking, “if you don’t drink then how do you even know what flavor you’re adding to your recipe in the 1st place?” It’s called Google, my friends. There are plenty of sites out there which help break down the flavor complexities of things like champagne, red wine, and bourbon whiskey. Some even go so far as to tell you which flavors pair well with the adult beverage you’re looking into. I also happen to be surrounded by people who absolutely are willing to take a swig of something and tell me all about it. Sounds a little sketchy, I know, but it all absolutely works and this lovely little cake is proof of that!

To get started, we need to whip up some egg replacer (my favorite, Ener-G) so that it’ll be ready for us to use in a minute. Normally I’d be telling you to follow the instructions on the box, which says to use warm water to hydrate the Ener-G, however this time we’re doing things a little differently -a little more badass, one might say. We’re hydrating the Ener-G with bourbon whiskey! Oh yeah, you can do that, and we just did. #MicDrop

Next, in a mixing bowl, the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) get whisked together until smooth. Then I add the almond milk, sugar, pineapple juice (stolen from our can of pineapple slices), egg substitute, and the vanilla, and stir to combine. Now set the cake batter aside for a moment to prepare the pan for it.

For this cake you’ll need a 10-inch round pan. Spray it generously with nonstick spray and then, while holding the pan upright, sprinkle a little flour around the edges of the pan. The goal here is to have the bottom of the pan greased and the sides both greased and floured to prevent the cake from sticking.

In the bottom of your prepared pan you’re going to pour in some melted vegan butter. Swirl it around the pan to make sure it sits evenly in the bottom then add in the brown sugar ensuring that it too is even across the pan. On top of that goodness, lay down the pineapple slices and, in the center of each, a maraschino cherry.

Now grab the batter we made earlier and gently pour that into the pan. Get your cake into a preheated oven and bake it for about 45 minutes.

You’ll know it’s done when the edges are pulling away from the sides of the pan and the top, soon to be bottom, is golden brown. Let the cake rest in the pan for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes has passed, it’s time to turn that bad boy out! My preferred method for doing this is to sandwich the cake pan in between to large sheet pans with the sheet pan the cake is about to be flipped onto lined in parchment paper. Pinching the sheet pans tightly together so that the cake pan cannot move in between them, give the whole thing a quick flip then carefully remove the top sheet pan and the cake pan to reveal your upside-down cake!

Vegan Bourbon Whiskey Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Servings: 1, 10-inch round cake, serving 6-8
Time: 60 minutes
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Credit: Compassion is the Secret Ingredient, http://www.citsiblog.com

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Ener-G egg substitute + 1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
1 1/2 cups flour + more for pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup pineapple juice (from can of pineapple slices)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
6 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
7 slices of pineapple (a 20-ounce can will provide more than enough slices and juice for this recipe)
7 maraschino cherries
Nonstick cooking spray for pan

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare egg substitute by combining Ener-G powder with bourbon whiskey. Stir well then set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour with baking powder and salt. Whisk until smooth then add in the almond milk, sugar, pineapple juice, egg substitute, and vanilla. Whisk to combine then set aside.
Prepare a 10-inch round pan by spraying it with nonstick spray then, while holding the pan upright, sprinkle a little flour around the inner edges to coat just the edges (not the bottom) lightly with flour. Shake out any excess flour.
Pour melted vegan butter into pan. Swirl it around in the bottom of the pan to ensure an even layer and then sprinkle in the brown sugar, by hand, also making sure that it is even across the bottom of the pan. Lay down a layer of pineapple slices (7 slices to be exact) in the bottom of the pan and then place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring. Gently pour cake batter into pan then bake for 45 minutes. The cake will be done when edges are pulling away from pan sides, cake top (soon to be the bottom) is golden brown, and a toothpick stuck halfway down into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let finished cake rest in pan for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn cake out being very careful as it will still be very hot. (Read in post about how I prefer to do this!) Cake will keep in an airtight container on counter for up to 3 days.

Vegan Irish Apple Cake

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner I wanted to do a post featuring something Irish made vegan! My main criteria? It could not, and absolutely would not, be colored any shade of green. #IPityTheFoodColoring

Of course my first thought was, “ERMAHGERD POTATOES!!!” A logical first thought but alas, I wanted something different. I wanted something that was Irish but that didn’t punch you in the face with its Irish-ness. I wanted something that would caress your cheek (whichever cheek you prefer to be caressed upon) and then whisper in your ear, “Iiirriissshhhhh.” Immediately my mind went to desserts and, thanks to a little search engine inspiration, I figured out exactly what I wanted to make -Irish Apple Cake, also known as Kerry Apple Cake.

The traditional versions of this beloved Irish treat aren’t that sweet and they usually feature apples alone as the star of the show. I mean, it’s called apple cake so what would you expect, right? But in my modern take I have 2 stars -the apples, of course, and walnuts which add crunch and a little bitterness to offset the tart apples. I also upped the sugar just a smidge but the cake isn’t cloyingly sweet by no means so you can still enjoy it for breakfast just like they sometimes do in Ireland! However and whenever you choose to enjoy it, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it -especially if you’re an apple lover like I am!

To get started, I went ahead and prepared some egg substitute for use a little later in the recipe. (By now I’m sure you know what my favorite egg substitute is in baking but, just in case you haven’t checked out any of my other recipes before, it’s Ener-G and I prepared it according to the instructions on the box for 2 eggs worth of substitute!)

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After I prepared my egg substitute I then prepared the walnuts by tossing them around with a little flour. We do this because nuts, and things like them that you add to cakes, tend to sink to the bottom of the cake if not coated in a little flour. Now, the batter for this cake is rather thick so I probably didn’t have to do this step but I thought better safe than sorry and it only took like 5 seconds to do! When all of your walnuts are nicely coated in a light layer of flour you’re just going to set them aside for a moment -we’ll come back for them soon, I promise!

Okay, time to make the cake batter!

First I mixed the wet ingredients, including the egg substitute I made earlier, together. And remember now, we count sugar as a wet ingredient in baking. After all of that was whisked to perfection, I added the dry ingredients and gave it all a good stir. The batter should be pretty thick and that’s exactly how we want it to be so don’t be tempted to add more liquid. Once the batter is made set it aside for a minute so that we can get the apples ready.

For the apples, you’ll wash them (obvi), then peel them and slice them thin (think 1/5th of an inch or a little over 1/8th of an inch). You’ll then core the slices and cut them into more bite size pieces. Lastly, you’re going to toss the bite size pieces in with a little flour -just like we did with the walnuts.

Now it’s time to build our cake -no degree in cake building required!

In a prepared pan (sprayed, floured, and lined on the bottom with parchment paper) I add a thin layer of the cake batter. Don’t worry about spreading the thick batter out edge to edge, it will get pushed out as we add stuff to it. Speaking of adding stuff to it, we will then add half of our apples, pressing a little with each one to help spread the batter out, and then we will add half of our walnuts.

On top of that first layer of apples and walnuts you’re going to spoon on dollops of batter. Again, we’re not looking to completely cover the pan edge to edge, we’re just looking for moderate coverage. Add the next layer of apples and walnuts now -the remaining amounts of each. Be sure to once again be pressing on the apples as you lay them down so that they help spread the batter around a little. The final layer is the remaining cake batter dolloped and then gently spread/pressed around to ensure that the apples are all covered. Once the final layer is complete you may then put the cake into the oven.

When the cake is done, a toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean. Let that bad (Irish) boy cool completely then give him a nice dusting of powdered sugar and enjoy!

Vegan Irish Apple Cake

Servings: 8-10
Time: 75 minutes
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Credit: Compassion is the Secret Ingredient, http://www.citsiblog.com

Ingredients

Egg substitute for 2 eggs (I used Ener-G -it’s my favorite!)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick of vegan butter, softened
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour + 1/2 tablespoon for walnuts + 2 tablespoons for apples + extra for pan
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 granny smith (green) apples
Powdered sugar for dusting over finished cake

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9 inch round cake pan by greasing it, dusting it with flour, and then lining the bottom with parchment paper. Prepare egg substitute according to directions on packaging for 2 eggs if you haven’t done so already. In a separate small dish, prepare walnuts by coating them with 1/2 tablespoon of flour. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, vegan butter, almond milk, egg substitute, lemon juice, and vanilla. When combined, add 1 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Stir to incorporate dry ingredients. Batter should be thick and smooth. Set aside for a moment to prepare apples. To prepare apples, wash then peel the apples. Slice apples into thin slices, core the slices, then quarter the slices. In a small bowl, toss the apples with 2 tablespoons of flour to lightly coat them.
Grab your prepared pan and add in a thin layer of batter. Enough to coat most of the bottom but don’t feel the need to get it edge to edge. Layer in half of your apple pieces, pressing down on each as you add it so as to help push the batter around into a more even layer. Add half of your walnuts over top of the apples. Now add another layer of batter by spooning dollops of batter into the pan. Again, don’t worry about getting complete coverage because the batter will spread as you add the next layer of apples and walnuts. Add the final layer of apples and walnuts just as you did the first. Lastly, top the whole thing off with the remaining cake batter, dolloping it on and then carefully smoothing/pressing it out to ensure that all of the apples are covered.
Bake for 50 minutes. When done, a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean. Cool cake fully then dust with powdered sugar. Cake will keep on counter in an airtight container, or covered well, for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes & Strawberry “Buttercream” Frosting

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Happy Valentine’s Day! Well, Happy (almost) Valentine’s Day! (Or Galentine’s Day, or Singles Awareness Day, or whatever other name you have for February 14th!)

With the day o’ love coming up I decided to do a Valentine’s-inspired recipe this week. When I think of Valentine’s day, the first thing that comes to mind is that I’m single but, once I stop crying, the next thing, or rather things, that comes to mind are strawberries. Who doesn’t love a good fresh strawberry? I know I could eat them, and have eaten them, by the pint. Oh who am I kidding, I’ve eaten them by the pound before. #StrawberrySkank

So with strawberries in mind I decided to come up with a recipe for fresh and from scratch strawberry cupcakes with a strawberry “buttercream” frosting to go on top. Why did I take the time to let you know that they are not only fresh but also from scratch? Because 9 out of 10 strawberry cupcake/cake recipes you find out there are not fresh or from scratch. Most ask you to plop in some strawberry gelatin dessert mix and some just doctor up a box of strawberry cake mix -either way, no thank you. My recipe calls for real strawberries and that makes all the difference.

Oh look, here come some fresh, real strawberries right now…

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Beautiful, aren’t they?

The first step is to process the strawberries by hulling, halving, and then blending them up with some lemon juice until smooth and liquidy. My blender has an “extract” button which pulverizes whatever you put in there so I opted to use this feature with my strawberries to ensure that their tiny little seeds would not be floating around in my puree.

You will be using this puree in both the cupcakes and the frosting but you will have a little leftover to do something fun with or you know, you could just drink that leftover strawberry goodness right down, if you’re so inclined to do so. And I was.

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To get started on the cupcakes you’re going to whisk together the dry ingredients and then set them aside for a moment until they’re needed. (Pretty easy so far, right?!)

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Next you’re going to get the wet ingredients, including some of the strawberry puree, combined in a separate bowl.

One of the wet ingredients in this cupcake recipe is vegan strawberry yogurt. For this recipe I prefer a soy-based rather than nut-based yogurt and if your yogurt has bits of strawberries in it then you, like me, will have to scoop those out before you move on to the next step. We want out cupcakes to be light and lovely and not have little lumps in them so it’s important that you get those out. It’ll only take a minute, I promise.

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Once your wet ingredients are combined and the strawberry lumps from the yogurt have been removed, you can then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Should you desire a more pink-y cupcake you are more than welcome to add in a few drops of pink or red food coloring here but I personally wanted to keep my cupcakes au naturel.

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Fill your cupcake papers (12 to be precise) a smidge over halfway full then bake ’em for 20-25 minutes. When done, as with most cupcakes, a toothpick stuck in the center will come out clean.

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Transfer your little piggy pink beauties to a baking rack to cool completely before frosting.

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As for the frosting, it couldn’t be any easier to make a vegan “buttercream.” Simply combine the room temperature vegan butter, a little strawberry puree, vanilla, and salt in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment attached, or in a bowl and use a hand mixer. With the mixer on low you’re going to slowly add in the powdered sugar in parts. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, crank up the speed of the mixer and whip a little air into your frosting for just a few seconds until it is light and fluffy. Again, if you’d prefer a more pink-y color you can add in some food coloring but as with the cupcakes, I went for the natural color which is a very pale shade of peachy pink.

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After you’ve allowed your cupcakes to cool fully you can then frost them with your strawberry “buttercream” frosting and add any little special touch you want to them -I added some itty bitty heart sprinkles because after all, these are Valentine’s cupcakes.

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Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes & Strawberry 'Buttercream' Frosting

Servings: 12
Time: about 40 minutes plus time for the cupcakes to cool and then to frost them
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Credit: Compassion is the Secret Ingredient, http://www.citsiblog.com

Ingredients

For the puree:

About 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup strawberry puree
1 stick of vegan butter, melted
1/4 cup almond milk
3 tablespoons vegan strawberry yogurt (preferably soy-based)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Red or pink food coloring (optional)

For the frosting:

1 stick of vegan butter, room temperature
About 1/3 cup strawberry puree
1/4 tsp vanilla
A pinch of salt
Red or pink food coloring (optional)
About 3 1/3 cups of powdered sugar

Directions

For the puree:

Combine both ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and liquidy.

For the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a muffin/cupcake pan by lining 12 cups with cupcake papers.
In a medium or large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
In a separate bowl or large measuring cup mix the sugar, 1/2 cup of strawberry puree, melted vegan butter, almond milk, vegan strawberry yogurt, and vanilla together and stir to combine. If your strawberry yogurt has little bits of real strawberries in it then you’ll want to fish those out before you move on to the next step -we don’t want those in our cupcakes because they’ll make our cupcakes lumpy. If you desire a more pink-y cupcake you can add a couple drops of red or pink food coloring to the wet ingredients but this is completely optional.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake papers and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. When cupcakes are done, transfer them to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before frosting. Cupcakes will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days and because of the fresh fruit in both them and the frosting they should be kept in the fridge when not being served.

For the frosting:

Combine the vegan butter, about 1/3 cup strawberry puree, vanilla, and salt in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment attached, or in a bowl and use a hand mixer. If you desire a more pink-y frosting you can also add in a couple drops of red or pink food coloring but this is completely optional.
With the mixer on low slowly add in the powdered sugar in parts. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, crank up the speed of the mixer to whip a little air into the frosting. Be sure to not overwork the frosting -it should only take a few seconds of mixing on a higher speed to get the frosting light and fluffy.

Vegan Double Chocolate Muffins

Coffeehouses across the nation serve up a multitude of muffins each day and, while they are all damn tasty, one muffin reins supreme in my mind -the double chocolate muffin. This chocolatey delight is pretty much a chocolate cupcake left naked. In other words, it’s a socially acceptable way to eat a cupcake for breakfast. (Should you need that kind of approval.) But alas, I just can’t find these beauties (made vegan) anywhere near me so I’ve had to resort to making my own.

My super easy version of this coffeehouse classic includes 2 very special ingredients: black beans and instant espresso.

Stay with me now. I swear, on the life of my stand mixer, that you can’t tell there are black beans in these muffins. So why even put them in there? Because they add a bunch of good stuff like iron, fiber, and protein, among other things. What about the espresso, why add that? The espresso amplifies the chocolate flavor, helps perk you up just a little, and adds a nice amount of bitterness to balance out the sweetness. These 2 ingredients make this recipe.

Whether for breakfast or for a snack, these deliciously decadent muffins are sure to satisfy your craving for chocolate while being a healthier alternative to traditional double chocolate muffins. And ladies, these are the best thing when you’re dealing with “girl flu.” #ChocolateAndIronForTheWinBitches

To begin with, I get the espresso powder doing its thing by mixing it with a some hot water. Then I set it aside until I’m ready for it.

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Next, I whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and then set that aside until I need it. Be sure to whisk like you mean it and break down any clumps of cocoa powder you may have, otherwise your muffins won’t come together as nicely in the end.

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Now it’s time to get the wet ingredients, including the black beans and the espresso mixture, combined. For this I like to use my blender to get them all nice and smooth. Blending will especially be useful in helping to break down the black beans so that they become “hidden” in your muffins. If you don’t have a blender you could try using an immersion blender (aka stick blender), if you have one of those, otherwise perhaps plan to borrow someones blender and in return give them some of your muffins. (There’s enough to share and sharing is caring after all.)

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Once you’ve achieved liquidy goodness with the wet ingredients, you’re going to add them into the dry ingredients and stir just a little to start combining the two parts. Then, toss in the chocolate chips and fold everything together until fully combined.

When fully combined, the batter will look heavenly. Seriously, if I could fill a bathtub with this mixture I would do it in a heartbeat. It’s so fluffy and luscious. I simply can’t stop looking at it. It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?

After you’ve regained your composure, you can scoop the batter into your lined muffin pan. Be generous in filing the cups up -I fill them 3/4 of the way up, sometimes just a smidge more than that. The muffins will rise but up, not out, so don’t worry about them expanding onto the top of the pan and getting stuck or burning.

Bake ’em for 15 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the tops are matte and firm to the touch. When they’re done, be sure to let them cool a little before serving.

Vegan Double Chocolate Muffins

Servings: about 16 muffins
Time: 35 minutes (55 minutes if you have to bake them in 2 batches)
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Credit: Compassion is the Secret Ingredient, http://www.citsiblog.com

Ingredients

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon hot water
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 (15-ounce) can of low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons oil
Substitute for 1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
About 3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a muffin pan by lining the cups.
In a small bowl, combine espresso powder with hot water. Stir to combine then set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour with cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk vigorously until no clumps remain then set aside.
In a blender, combine espresso mixture with the black beans, almond milk, sugar, oil, egg substitute, lemon juice, and vanilla until smooth. Once smooth, add the mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just a little to start combining them together. Add in the chocolate chips then fold everything together until completely combined.
Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each cup about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 15 minutes. When done, muffin tops will be matte and firm. Transfer muffins to cooling rack and let cool slightly before serving. Muffins will keep fresh on the counter in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Ah, chocolate chip cookies. The cookie which seems to be on everyone’s list was never really a favorite of mine -until I went vegan, that is. A couple months into going vegan I found myself craving baked good goodness. (Say that 10 times fast!) I ended up discovering a whole section in the dairy case at WF devoted to vegan (and some gluten free) cookie dough. Every time I bought one of these little tubs of yum I had every intention on baking up all of the dough, but it never failed that every raw bit of it ended up being scooped into my mouth by the spoonful. #NoShame

Eventually I managed to drop the spoon and let the oven do it’s thing long enough to have actual chocolate chip cookies, and that’s when I began to fall in love. However, me being the ever unsatisfied, tortured-artist-esque, slightly OCD perfectionist that I am, I had to figure out a way to do one of America’s favorite cookies my way. (Which is the better way. Most of the time.)

First things first I knew that it had to be 100% vegan (obvi). I also knew that I wanted the recipe to be just like mom used to make -my mom, not yours. Then came the flash of brilliance -nuts. Pecans, to be precise. And that’s how my like-mom-used-to-make, 100% vegan, chocolate chip pecan cookies came to be. They’re simple, classic, and oh-so-good.

Whether you choose to shovel spoonfuls of raw dough in your mouth (no judgement), or manage to bake up the whole batch, is up to you. Either way, I’m sure you’ll love this recipe and I’m sure your non-vegan family and friends will love it too –mine do! Best of all, nobody would ever guess that they’re vegan (by look or taste) so if you feel the urge to drop the v-bomb on your unsuspecting audience just as they bite into your baked deliciousness you might get a, “No way!” And who doesn’t love that?

The first step is to combine the dry ingredients. Once combined, set them aside and get the wet ingredients combined.

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Getting the wet ingredients combined begins with creaming the vegan butter together with the 2 sugars. I used my stand mixer for this step but you could do this by hand if you wanted to.

Once you’ve achieved creamy glory you then can add in the vanilla and the egg substitute. For most of the baking I do I prefer to use Ener-G which gets mixed with water (see below). Follow the instructions on the box for the quantity your recipe (in this case, this recipe) calls for, and don’t worry if you’ve got some clumps -the mixer will work those out for you.

After all of your wet ingredients have been combined you can then add the dry to the wet. I add it a 1/2 cup at a time while my mixer is on it’s lowest speed. After all of the dry has been added in I then turn the mixer up a notch or two for just just a few seconds to make sure the dough is smooth and well combined.

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Now you can add in the chocolate chips and the pecans but be sure to fold those in together by hand so as to not overwork your dough. To transform the raw dough into cookies (should you wish to do that) I first use a 1″ cookie scoop to get a little dough.

Using a cookie scoop is not necessary (you could just use a spoon or two) but I highly recommend you use one. Using a cookie scoop helps to insure that all of your cookies are the same size so that they all bake up at the same time. And it’s not like cookie scoops are super expensive. And they’re fun to use. And they’re shiny. Okay, I’m done now, but seriously get yo’self one.

Plop your ball of dough out into the palm of your hand and then form it into a flattened disk.

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Place the disks on 2 parchment-lined cookie sheets (aka sheet pans), fairly close together but not touching. They will spread but only ever so slightly so you can pack them in pretty good. Bake ’em off and you’re almost done.

Once you’ve taken them out of the oven you must resist the urge to grab one right away. They need to rest for a bit (10-15 minutes) on the pan so that they don’t just fall apart in your hand -unless that’s what you’re going for, I mean. You do you, boo.

Once they’ve had a good rest you can then transfer them to an airtight container, where they’ll keep for about 3 days, or simply transfer them to your mouth while they’re still a little warm and melty.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Servings: about 40 (3-inch) cookies
Time: 50 minutes
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Credit: Compassion is the Secret Ingredient, http://www.citsiblog.com

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks of vegan butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
Substitute for 2 eggs (I used Ener-G!)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
3/4 cup pecans, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare 2 cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
In a stand mixer cream the butter together with the 2 sugars until smooth and creamy. About 1 minute on low-medium speed. Add in the egg replacer and vanilla and beat for 1 more minute to combine.
With mixer on lowest speed, add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, a 1/2 cup at a time. Allow each addition to work in a little before adding the next. When all of the dry mixture has been added turn the speed up 1 or 2 levels for just 1 minute more.
Remove bowl from stand mixer and by hand, fold in the chocolate chips and the pecans.
Using a 1″ (small) cookie scoop, scoop out a ball of dough into your hand then form it into a flattened disk shape. Place the disks onto your cookie sheets then bake for approximately 15 minutes. Cookies will still be a little soft and lightly golden-brown on the bottom when they’re done.
Let the cookies rest on the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring to an airtight container. Cookies will keep fresh for about 3 days when stored properly.