Apple Pecan Upside Down Cake - Vegan

Winter came to Seattle before Fall left this year...everything is white outside and it is really beautiful! When it snows in Seattle it creates certain chaos and calmness. I feel sorry for the ones who got stuck in chaotic snow traffic last night and spent many hours trying to get back to home. I hope everyone gets to enjoy the calmness today. We are snowed in today and not planning on risking our lives to go somewhere, so I thought it was a good day to bake!

With the holiday season approaching, whether you are a vegan or not, I know you are looking forward to all the great food but dreading counting the calories and fat grams you are going to put into yourself... This is a healthier alternative to your typical holiday desserts and it is delicious!! No refined flower. No refined sugar. Only a good kind of fat from nuts... can it be true? 

What goes in your body:

• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 apple, diced into small pieces
• 1/3 cup non-dairy milk
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tbs baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup apple sauce
• 1/2 cup agave nector
• 1tbsp vanilla extract

You are going to:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Lightly grease a cake pan and lay pecans on the bottom of the pan, then make another layer with apples.
3. Pour non-dairy milk and maple syrup on top.
4. In a mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together ,add all the remaining wet ingredients and mix well to make batter.
5. Pour batter into the cake pan and bake 40-45 minutes or until the center of the cake is cooked.
6. Take it out from the oven and let it sit for 10-15 minutes to settle.
7. Cover the cake pan with a serving platter you want to use and flip it upside down!

Secrets from the chef:

• It is very unfortunate that we don't have any ice cream at home now and we can't go to the store to pick some up... this will certainly go well with ice cream!
• I used Almond milk as my non-dairy milk choice.

Bon appétit! 

Zesty Coconut Lime Wedding Cookies - Vegan

No, nobody was getting married... but these cookies looked so irresistibly delicious! That's why I like cookbooks (or blogs) with pictures. Those text-only recipes just don't do it for me. (Although they leave a little more room for me to be creative and they don't make me feel the frustration of "Oh no, my dish doesn't look anything like what's in the picture...!") Here's the lovely picture of 'Zesty Coconut Lime Wedding Cookies'. They don't look as pretty as the one from 'The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur' where I found the original recipe, but I'm quite happy with how they look and taste!

What goes in your body (about 2 dozen vegan cookies ) :

• 1 1/4 cups margarine
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 3/4 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 1/4 cups cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut for rolling and sprinkling
  
  Lime glaze:
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
  

You are going to:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Cream the margarine, powdered sugar, vanilla, coconut extract, lime juice, and lime zest in a large bowl until smooth.
3. Gradually add in the cornstarch and flour, beating after each addition, then stir in the coconut, kneading it in if necessary. (If the dough is crumbling, add a touch more lime juice or a splash of soy milk.)
4. Roll dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons each.
5. Pour the coconut into a small bowl, then roll each cookie in the coconut and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
6. Sprinkle the rest of the coconut on top of the cookies.
7. Bake cookies for about 15 minutes or until firm and the bottoms are golden brown.
8. Let sit on cookie tray for at least 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack or they will crumble when you transfer them.
   
   
   
9. To make the glaze, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until smooth.
10. When the cookies are almost completely cooled, dip each one in the glaze and let sit until the glaze dries. (Optional: Sprinkle a bit of green sugar on top of each cookie.)

 Secrets from the chef:

• I made mine into smaller, pop-in-your-mouth-size rolls since I was bringing them to a party where there were a lot of kids and adults. This would prevent the cookies from crumbling while taking a bite. (The recipe yielded about 40 cookies.)
• If you are making them larger, please be aware that you are going to need more coconuts flake and lime glaze because the total surface area to cover increases.
• I used 'nucoa' (no partially hydrogenated soybean oil) instead of margarine. 

Bon appétit!

 

Giant Bakery Style Double Chocolate Chip Cookies - Vegan

Have you ever heard chocolate chip cookies calling your name while giving your coffee order to the barista? Ever since I decided to go on an almost-vegan diet, their voices have gotten quieter and quieter. I just tell them that I'm a vegan (kind of true) and I can't eat them. It's empowering, but I still want some occasional chocolate chip cookies! Hence, the search for vegan chocolate chip cookie had begun. I found several recipes online but many of them had ingredients that I have never heard of, which means I'd have to go to a specialty store and they would probably be expensive. Then I found 'The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur'!!! Kelly Peloza, the creator of this recipe, explicitly says that "Making a batch of chocolate chip cookies shouldn’t involve running to five different health food stores searching for some elusive ingredient.” Yes, this is my kind of vegan baking! I found myself baking the following evening...

What goes in your body (8-10 giant vegan cookies ) :

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (for melting)
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup chocolate chip

You are going to:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Melt the chocolate chips with 1/3 cup of the soy milk in either a microwave or in a glass dish placed in a saucepan of boiling water (makeshift double-boiler).
3. Pour the melted chocolate and soy milk into a large bowl, then add the rest of the soy milk, oil, vanilla, sugar, and cornstarch.
4. Add in the flour (unsifted), cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Stir until thoroughly mixed, then add the chocolate chips. (Look at this rich chocolaty dough, and it's safe to eat!)
   
   

5. Using your hands, grab handfuls of cookie dough and flatten them out to a little thicker than a 1/2″ on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. 
6.  Bake for about 15 minutes (shorter if you made smaller cookies) or until the edges are very firm, and the centers look chewy and feel soft to the touch. Let them rest on the cookie sheet for a minute or so, then very carefully transfer to the cooling rack.

 Secrets from the chef:

• When purchasing chocolate chips, read the ingredients carefully as some of them contain milk. 
• Surprise your non-vegan friend with this yummy cookie! 

I can't wait for her book 'The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur: Over 140 Simply Delicious Recipes That Treat the Eyes and Taste Buds' to come out in November. Perfect time for a Christmas gift! (Hint, hint...)

Bon appétit!

Rosemary Focaccia - Vegan

I'm not much of a baker. I don't bake that often. It seems to much work for me. See, I don't want to spend more than 1/2 hour of my evening in the kitchen. I have so many other things I'd rather be doing. But this bread is so easy, even I can bake it. So can you!

What goes in your body (2 vegan servings):

• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 pack of active dry yeast
• A pinch of sugar
• 1 cup flour (plus dusting)
• 2 tbsp  olive oil (plus coating a dough)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-2 stems of fresh rosemary

You are going to:

1. Microwave water for 30 seconds in a microwavable bowl.
2. Sprinkle sugar and yeast over heated water and let it stand for 5 minutes.
3. Pour flour, olive oil, salt, rosemary and activated yeast into a large bowl and mix well using your hand.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Kneed on dusted surface till the dough becomes bouncy, 2-3 minutes.
5. Shape the dough and coat it with olive oil. Let it rise in a warm place in a bowl for 45 minutes or until it doubles it's size.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Shape the dough on baking sheet, cover and leave for another 15 minutes. Preheat the oven for 425F.
7. Bake for 15 minutes.

Secrets from the chef:

• Sprinkle a pinch of Kosher salt (or any coarse salt) before baking for more flavor.
• I usually serve it with extra virgin olive oil to dip. Flavored dipping oil seems to be a bit of overkill since this focaccia already has nice rosemary flavor.
• The one in the picture was made with white flour. (I was out of whole wheat flour.) When using whole wheat flour, it turns out more dense. Since I like my focaccia to be a little more fluffy, I usually cheat it by using white&wheat flour, half and half.

Bon appétit!