Eggnog cupcakes (vegan)

(Same cupcakes, but different post-production on Photoshop. I couldn’t decide which looked better, so I posted them both.)

I love a good vegan recipe, and even though I’m not vegan, I’m always interested in any dairy-free desserts. These were easy to make (mix wet and dry together), and tasted great. I’m a big fan of Silk Nog, and that’s what I used.

Eggnog Cupcakes (from Baking Bites)

1/4 cup dark rum or bourbon

1 cup soy eggnog

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

scant 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup sugar

1 1/3 cup AP flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Fill a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.

In a small bowl, mix together the rum, eggnog, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.

In a large bowl, mix together nutmeg, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Pour in rum mixture and whisk until just combined. Divide evenly into muffin tins (a 1/4 cup measure is good for this).

Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the cakes spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan for 3 – 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

1/4 cup soy margarine, softened

3 tablespoons soy eggnog

2 tablespoon rum

generous pinch of nutmeg

2+ cups confectioners’ sugar

Cream together margarine, eggnog, rum, nutmeg, and 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar. Add more sugar if needed to make frosting stiff but spreadable. Spread on cupcakes and garnish as desired.

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Plum cake

This cake will please you and whoever you serve it to. I used plums, but you could easily use another fruit of your choice – think nectarines, peaches, apples, pears. You basically mix wet and dry, then combine, top with fruit, bake. Couldn’t be easier. It’s moist, too, and somewhat addictive.

Plum cake (adapted from Gourmet Magazine)

1 cup AP flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick dairy-free margarine, soft

3/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon sugar, divided

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

2 plums, pitted and cut into 1/2″ thick wedges

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, with rack in the middle. Lightly grease a 9″ springform pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat margarine and 3/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in extracts. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined.

Spread batter evenly in pan, then scatter plums over top. Stir together nutmeg and remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar, and sprinkle over top. Bake until cake is golden-brown and top is firm but tender when lightly touched (cake will rise over fruit), 45 – 50 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove side of pan and cool.

 

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Easy peanut butter ice cream (nondairy)

This was my first time trying Mimic Creme, and I loved it. This was delicious, creamy, all things good. The chocolate chunks were the bonus!

Easy peanut butter ice cream (nondairy) from Couldn’t Be Parve, with my big thanks!

1 box (1 quart) sweetened Mimic Creme

1 – 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (I used 1 cup)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

5 ounces chocolate

Combine mimic creme, one cup peanut butter, and vanilla in the blender. Blend to combine. Chill mixture.

While mixture is chilling, make the peanut butter candy.

Line a small cookie sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Combine the peanut butter and powdered sugar and stir well to combine. (it may seem that there’s too much powdered sugar, but keep on stirring). Knead the mixture until smooth. Press the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet and flatten to 1/3″ thick.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave on low power. Spread half of the chocolate over the peanut butter mixture. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes, or until the chocolate is set. Flip the candy over and spread the remaining chocolate on the other side. Freeze for 10 minutes, or until set. Remove the candy from the freezer and chop into small pieces. Store in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to use.

Freeze the ice cream mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and fold in the candy. Freeze until firm, at least several hours.

For best texture remove it from the freezer and leave it at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

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Strawberry summer cake

Heavenly! This cake is very moist, very easy to make, and most delicious. It will remind you of summer in every scrumptious bite. Not only that, but it’s very pretty.

Strawberry summer cake (adapted from Smitten Kitchen, and made nondairy by me)

6 tablespoons margarine

1 1/2 cups AP flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

7/8 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10″ pie pan or 9″ deep-dish pie pan.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, bet margarine and 7/8 cup sugar until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg, almond milk, and vanilla until just combined. Add dry mixture gradually, mixing until just smooth.

Pour into prepared pie pan. Arrange strawberries, cut side down, on top of batter, as closely as possible in a single layer. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.

Bake cake for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake cake until golden brown and a tester comes out free of wet batter, about 50 – 60 minutes. (Gooey strawberries on the tester are a given). Let cool in the pan on a rack. Cut into wedges. Makes 8 – 10 servings.

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Eggnog ice cream (dairy-free)

Smooth and creamy. Dreamy. LOVED this recipe from Couldn’t Be Parve – many thanks! Good any time of year.

Eggnog ice cream

3 cups almond milk (used Almond Breeze unsweetened original)

1 cup soy milk powder

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup sugar

pinch of salt

6 large egg yolks

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons dark rum

2 tablespoons brandy

1 tablespoon vanilla

In a medium saucepan, whisk together 2 cups of almond milk, soy milk powder, oil, sugar, and salt. Place the egg yolks into a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Place the remaining cup of almond milk in another medium bowl set over a bowl of ice water and set the strainer on top.

Slowly stream the warm mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly. Scrape the warmed yolk mixture back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan with the spatula while stirring. Cook until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer into the remaining almond milk. Stir in the nutmeg, rum, brandy, and vanilla. Stir over the ice bath until cool.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator and then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Makes approximately 1 quart.

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Chocolate almond butter hamentashen

 

 

Best. Hamentashen. Ever. Made these last week. The crust on these is amazing. The filling is fantastic (I used almond butter instead of peanut butter), and I will definitely be trying other fillings with this amazing recipe, too.

Chocolate almond butter hamentashen (from one of my favorite blogs, Couldn’t Be Parve)

filling:

6 tablespoons almond butter

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted margarine

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, cold

2 tablespoons AP flour

dough:

2 cups AP flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted margarine

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To make filling: Combine the almond butter and powdered sugar. Stir until well mixed. Set aside. Melt the margarine and chocolate over a double boiler, stirring frequently until smooth. Alternatively, melt in a microwave in a medium bowl at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. (this is what I did). Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring until fully incorporated before adding the other egg. Add the flour and stir with a spoon until the mixture is smooth and glossy, and the batter comes away from the side of the pan. Pinch off pea-sized pieces of the almond butter mixture and add to the chocolate batter. Repeat until the almond butter is used up. Stir the batter well to distribute the almond butter.

To make the dough: Thoroughly mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. On low speed add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Form the dough into 2 flat patties. Wrap and refrigerate the patties until firm enough to roll, preferably several hours or overnight.

To make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove one of the dough patties and let it sit until soft enough to roll, but still firm. Roll the dough between two pieces of waxed or parchment paper until it is 1/8″ thick. Cut out rounds using a 3″ round cookie cutter or the rim of a drinking glass, dipping the edges of the cutter in flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Repeat with the remaining disk and the scraps.

Place the cookies 1/2″ apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Scoop and place 1 level teaspoon of filling in the center of each cookie. Fold up the three sides of the cookie to make a triangle with the filling visible in the middle. Pinch the edges well to seal the corners.

Bake hamentashen until pale golden at the edges, about 12 minutes. Let sit for 2 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.

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Blood orange olive oil cake

I’ve had olive oil cookies before, when I visited Provence. They were surprisingly addictive. When I saw this recipe, I knew I could make a quick nondairy adaptation and have my cake and eat it too. Delicious.

Blood orange olive oil cake (from Smitten Kitchen blog)

margarine for greasing pan

6 blood oranges

1 cup sugar

scant 1/2 cup plain soy yogurt

3 large eggs

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

honey-blood orange compote, for serving (recipe below this one)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×5″ loaf pan. Grate zest from 2 oranges and place in a bowl with sugar. Using your fingers, rub ingredients together until orange zest is evenly distributed in sugar.

Supreme an orange: cut off bottom and top so fruit is exposed and orange can stand upright on a cutting board. Cut away peel and pith, following curve of fruit with your knife. Cut orange segments out of their connective membranes and let them fall into a bowl. Repeat with another orange. Break up segments with your fingers to about 1/4″ pieces.

Have third orange and squeeze juice into a measuring cup; you will have about 1/4 cup. Add soy yogurt to juice until you have 2/3 cup liquid altogether. Pour mixture into bowl with sugar and whisk well. Whisk in eggs and olive oil.

In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently stir dry ingredients into wet ones. Fold in pieces of orange segments. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake cake for 50-55 minutes, or until it is golden and a knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up. Serve with honey-bloog orange compote, if desired.

Honey-blood orange compote: Supreme 3 more blood oranges according to directions above. Drizzle in 1 – 2 teaspoons honey. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir gently.

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Crispy chewy almond cookies

These amazing little cookies require no flour, which makes them good for Passover. Or anytime.

Crispy chewy almond cookies (from KeepItSimpleFoods blog) – check out the nice instruction photos there

4 egg whites

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup almonds (ground)

1 tablespoon almond extract

1 pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pulse almonds in a food processor until coarse.

Toast almond bits on the stove top over low heat, until fragrant. This only takes a few minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine egg whites, powdered sugar, and almond extract. Whisk together briskly. Once cooled, add the almond bits. Combine and add a scant pinch of salt.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment and spoon the batter onto the paper. The batter will be very runny and rather unruly, so leave plenty of room between cookies and be gentle when sliding the cookie sheet into the oven.

Bake for approximately 13 minutes. The cookies turn a nice golden brown when done. They will also be fragile, and a little sticky, so be careful when removing from the parchment. Makes about a dozen cookies.

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Blackberry cake pudding

This recipe is really called Cherry cake pudding, but I could not find canned cherries in three different markets, believe it or not. So, if necessity is the mother of invention (yes, it was absolutely necessary to make this cake), then reward is its father. This cake rocked. And I will definitely try it again with cherries next time, if I can find them.

Blackberry cake pudding (from The Pioneer Woman, with nondairy modifications by me)

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons margarine, softened

1 whole egg

1 cup AP flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup almond milk

1 15-ounce can blackberries in syrup, drained, juice reserved

1/2 cups pecans, finely chopped

sauce:

1 cup juice from the blackberries (add water to make 1 cup if necessary)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon AP flour

1 tablespoon margarine

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

soy or rice whipped cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease a square 9×9″ baking dish.

Cream sugar and margarine. Add egg and mix well. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt, then add to mixing bowl alternately the almond milk. Add blackberries and chopped nuts and mix gently. Pour batter into greased pan and smooth out the surface. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown on the surface and no longer jiggly.

While cake is baking, make the sauce by combining blackberry juice, sugar, and flour in a small saucepan. Boil for 8 – 10 minutes, or until thick. Turn off heat and stir in 1 tablespoon margarine and vanilla extract.

Drizzle 1/3 of the sauce on the cake as soon as you remove it from the oven. Spread to distribute over the surface and wait ten minutes before serving, so the sauce will seep into the top of the cake a bit. Spoon out pieces of warm, sticky cake and top with soy or rice whipped cream. Spoon on extra sauce.

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Almond butter and jelly sandwich cookies

With my appreciation and a great big Shout-Out to Shoshana at Couldn’t Be Parve blog. These cookies rock. And so easy to make. I must admit, I was a disbeliever that you could actually make cookies without flour, but let the record show that this recipe is for real. I used crunchy almond butter instead of peanut butter, and a combo fruit jam of strawberry, blueberry, and pomegranate. These are fantastic. As Shoshana suggested, these would work great for Passover, and for all of my gluten-free friends, too.

Almond butter and jelly sandwich cookies

1 cup almond butter, plus additional for making the sandwiches

1 cup brown sugar (a combination of white and brown will work well too)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

filling:

almond butter

your favorite jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Combine all of the cookie ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Scoop out teaspoon sized balls of cookie dough and space them two inches apart on the cookie sheets. Using a fork dipped in sugar, gently press the cookies down. Rotate the fork and press again to make the classic peanut butter cookie pattern. The dough is quite sticky so it is important to keep re-sugaring the fork to keep it from sticking. Bake the cookies for 10 – 12 minutes, or until lightly set and browning around the edges (mine were actually done in 9 minutes!). The tops should still be light.

Remove pans from the oven and let cool for a couple of minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Turn half of the cookies over and spread the bottoms with a thin layer of almond butter. Top with a teaspoon of jam and spread almost to the edges of the cookie. Top with remaining cookies. Makes 12 or 13 sandwiches, depending how big you made your cookies (I only had 12, original recipe called for 13).

 

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