Category Archive

After a lover’s spat I made this peace offering for hubby. Perfect excuse to take my new 6-inch baking pans for a tasty test spin.

For the cake, I made the Golden Vanilla recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World (by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero) and iced it with the very delish Thick Chocolate Fudgey Frostin’ - my favourite frosting in that awesome little book, so far. I used the full recipe (for 12 cupcakes) and it fit the two 6-inch pans perfectly.

I am willing to give peace a chance - especially when it tastes this good.

Well it’s that time again - Daring Bakers challenge! This is my second challenge as part of this illustrious group of intrepid bakers and again it was an exercise in culinary calisthenics. The June DB challenge is, cue music please…Danish Braid, an exercise in laminated dough. We were required to make at least one braid (the recipe makes enough dough for two) and allowed to use any filling we desired as long as it was homemade. The recipe provided included an apple filling which I opted to use in one of two braids. I did a raspberry and cream filling for the second. I also made some small danishes with the dough scraps left over after the braiding  process.

Though challenging, this was an incredibly rewarding experience. Working with dough in this way is something I’ve always wanted to try but never got around to - so many thanks to June’s DB hosts, Kelly of Sass & Veracity and co-conspirator Ben of What’s cooking? - you guys picked an awesome challenge. The day I finally got around to making the pastry we were having some truly wicked weather. One violent storm after another kept rolling through and all I could think was, please, don’t let us lose the power. Here we go.

Warning: extra super long post ahead.

My first reaction upon the challenge reveal, after clearing the rather large gulp in my throat, was excited anticipation tempered with a healthy dose of trepidation. I have never made laminated dough before. In fact, I have never really made dough at all. I mean, I’ve made cookie dough that you spoon onto baking sheets but never ever have I made dough that you roll out. And this is dough that gets kneaded and everything, and rolled out many times over. Trepidation aside I embarked on this unfamiliar doughy journey with gusto  and saw this opportunity as a chance to stretch my culinary skills - this is exactly why I joined the Daring Bakers after all.

First step, as a vegan baker, would be to study the given recipe (from Sherry Yard’s The Secrets of Baking) and technique extensively and make some decisions regarding the necessary substitutions. For this recipe I would be looking to replace the butter, whole milk, and eggs. I’m rarely concerned about replacing butter, especially in an application such as this one - Earth Balance is just so innately  buttery and it has never let me down. Replacing milk, again, rarely a big deal - and for this particular application I wasn’t concerned: full fat plain soy milk would be my substitution of choice. Eggs, as always, are tricky little buggers to replace in baking.

The trick with replacing eggs in baking is determining what role they play in that particular dessert. Eggs can be binders, softeners, and leavening agents. They also add liquid to a recipe. There is also the protein component of eggs to consider - proteins provide structure  as they are cooked. All these eggy elements needed to be carefully considered in order to choose an appropriate replacement. I had several possibilities to choose from: the trusty flax meal and water option, soy yogurt, soy sour cream, and tofu. The first thing the  science nerd in me did was compare the nutritional content of eggs with each of my replacement options, specifically looking at the fat-carb-protein ratios. I needed to replace two eggs for the dough. The recipe also called for an egg wash at the end which I could very easily replace with something I like much better - an apricot glaze which worked beautifully. But back to the two eggs to be replaced in the dough. I figured the best way to go would be to choose two different substitutes and thus cover more chemical bases. I decided on 1 Tbsp flax meal and 3 Tbsp water in place of one egg, and a 1/2 cup of plain soy yogurt in place of the second.

I recently learned that, due to their possible leavening role, it is advisable to increase one’s leavening agent by 1/4 tsp for each egg omitted. Okay, in the danish dough the leavening is yeast. I pondered increasing the amount for some time, going back and forth  between adding none, adding 1/4 tsp, and going all the way and adding a full 1/2 tsp extra. I wavered up until the very last second, spoon in hand over the bowl, before finally going for it and adding the full extra 1/2 tsp. This resulted in much comical panic as the day progressed, through the night and into the next day as I lay awake in my bed with visions of my dough bursting out of the fridge. I couldn’t wait to check on it the morning after its overnight rest to find that it was considerably fatter but thankfully still contained beneath the plastic wrap.

With the big substitution decisions made it was time to tackle the Danish beast.

One thing included amongst the instructions for this month’s challenge, which I found invaluable, was a link to a YouTube video demonstrating the technique for making Danish Pastry or laminated dough - the main difference in the video is that they did double turns throughout and we would be doing single turns for this exercise. Still, I found the video to be extremely helpful - there’s nothing like a good visual.

Also priceless, all the awesome support and friendly advice from my fellow Daring Bakers - what can I say except, what a great group. I am especially grateful to Sandra, of Le Pétrin, who generously posted tips for  those who would be baking non-dairy. One of her suggestions included adding a double turn after the final single turn. One need only look at the awe-inspiring photo of her incredible pastry layers to be seduced by this idea. I was definitely in. Thanks so much, Sandra!

Making the Danish Braid:

FYI, the pastry terms I was introduced to translate like so:

• laminated dough – layered dough created by sandwiching butter between layers of dough
• detrempe – ball of dough
• beurrage – butter block
• turn – each folding & rolling out of the dough produces a single turn in a 3-step process where the dough is folded in thirds like a  business letter (with each single turn creating 3 layers).

The recipe for making the Danish Braid is divided into three main parts:

• making the danish dough (consisting of the detrempe and the beurrage)
• making the filling(s)
• constructing the braid

When tackling this recipe it is advisable to keep the following in mind:

• Use well-chilled ingredients, including flour if your kitchen is above 70F (21C) - I chilled everything.
• Use long, continuous strokes to roll the dough, rather than short, jerky ones to ensure the butter block is distributed evenly.
• The 30-minute rest/cooling period for the dough between turns is crucial to re-chill the ‘butter’ and allow the gluten in the dough to  relax - this is not negotiable.
• Excess flour accumulated on the surface of the dough after turns should be brushed off so it doesn’t interfere with the rise and  toughen the dough.
• Know what temp your proofing environment is and proof the braid accordingly - refer to the proofing chart.

We were given the option to use a stand mixer or to work entirely by hand. Given that I am not the proud owner of such a sexy beast I was relegated to making the dough entirely by hand. And I’m so glad I did - it was so much fun. Okay, it wasn’t fun when, after I had sifted my dry ingredients onto the counter and made a fountain for my liquid ingredients, the liquid burst through the flour walls and made a bee-line for the counter’s edge. But I caught it in time. If only someone could have taken pictures of me at that moment -  those would have been sure to amuse. Note to self: make a fountain in a large bowl next time. But back to making the dough by hand - what an amazingly pleasant, cathartic experience. Dough feels good. Really good. I love working with dough. Why have I never worked with dough before? Working with dough is awesome. But I digress - this is how the braid making goes:

For the Danish Dough (Detrempe):

1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1/2 cup full fat plain soy milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp flax meal + 3 Tbsp water
1/2 cup plain soy yogurt
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp sea salt

For the butter block (Beurrage):

1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold Earth Balance (or other vegan buttery spread).
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Danish Dough (Detrempe):

• In a small bowl, combine flax meal and water and beat together with a fork. Set aside.
• Combine yeast and soy milk in a bowl with a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, orange juice,  flax mixture and soy yogurt and mix well.
• Sift flour and salt onto your working surface and make a fountain, ensuring that the walls are  thick and even.

• Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain and, using your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. Alternatively, you can do this in a bowl and then transfer to your working surface when everything is combined (which I plan to do next time round).

• When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. Mine was probably done after 6 minutes of kneading but I went for the 7th because it just felt so damn good. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour .

• Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then onto the beurrage (butter block).

Butter Block (Beurrage):

One of Sandra’s tips for working non-dairy was to skip the flour in the butter block (since most margarines are much harder than butter and the additional flour might make it harder to spread). I was fully prepared to do this until I evaluated my Earth Balance more closely. It is very butter-like and extremely soft - so I treated it like butter and kept the flour in.

• Combine Earth Balance and flour in a large bowl and beat on medium speed for 1 minute (I used a hand mixer). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat until smooth. Set aside at room temperature.
• After the detrempe has chilled in the fridge for 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and 1/4 inch thick. The dough cannot be thinner than 1/4 inch, the other dimensions may vary. If the dough is sticky dust it lightly with flour.
• I took a ruler and marked my rolled out dough rectangle at third points along the long side. The butter block is spread over the middle and right thirds, but not the first. I made sure to leave a tiny border of butter-free dough all around the perimeter of my buttered thirds. I wanted to ensure a tight dough seal to keep that butter in (I heard many a horror story from my fellow DB-ers regarding butter that persisted to burst out the edges as the dough was being rolled out during subsequent turns).

• The left (unbuttered) third is folded over the middle third. The right third is then folded over the middle - like folding a business letter. I pressed lightly around the sides to ensure that my beurrage was well sealed.

• The dough is then placed back on the lightly floured sheet, covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated for 30 minutes. The first turn is complete.
• This process is repeated three more times for a total of four turns.

After the fourth turn I refrigerated for a further 15 minutes and then did Sandra’s recommended double turn (also known as a full book turn).

• To do this, the dough is rolled out again to 18 x 13 x 1/4″. By this point I had become quite adept at rolling out a nice rectangle. This time, use a ruler to mark your rectangle at quarter marks along the long side. The first quarter is folded over the second to touch the centre line. The fourth quarter is folded back over the third to also touch the centre line, and thus meet the edge from the other side. The entire thing is then folded along the centre line and closed  like a book.

At this point, I cut the dough in half (one for each braid). Look at all those layers. The two halves then went back onto the sheet, wrapped in plastic wrap and into the fridge for an overnight rest (the dough must rest in the fridge for a minimum of 5 hours or overnight). This is the part where I panicked about that extra 1/2 teaspoon of yeast and lay awake wondering if my dough would burst out of the fridge.

The next morning I peaked inside the fridge - my dough was distinctly fatter but still contained. I made my fillings. They need to be used at room temperature and, for this reason, could (should) have been made in advance.

Apple Filling (makes enough for two braids):

4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 Tbsp Earth Balance (or other vegan buttery spread)

• Toss all ingredients except Earth Balance in a large bowl.
• Melt Earth Balance in a pan over medium heat until slightly golden in color, about 6 - 8 minutes.
• Add the apple mixture and sauté until apples are softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. Fuji apples will be caramelized but will retained their shape.
• Pour the cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before forming the braid. If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal, and refrigerate. They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer over the surface of the sheet. Any left over filling  can be used as a topping for ice cream or other desserts.

Raspberry and Cream Filling:

Raspberry:

10 oz .frozen raspberries
1 Tbsp sugar
pinch of cardamom
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 tsp cornstarch

• Combine all ingredients and cook, stirring until slightly thickened. Cool.

Cream:

1/2 container vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti, non-hydrogenated)
1 Tbsp vegan sour cream (I used Tofutti, non-hydrogenated)
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

• Blend everything in a food processor until smooth and creamy.

With the fillings done it was time to assemble the first braid.

When I rolled out the first half of dough into a rectangle, my dimensions were nowhere near as large as that which the recipe indicated they would be. I ensured that I had the requisite 1/4″ thickness and ended up with a rectangle somewhere along the lines of 13 1/2″ x 10 1/2″. At this point, the dough rectangle should be transferred to your parchment lined baking sheet for braid assembly. I managed to remember to do this for the first braid but forgot to do it for the second. Note the photo of the raspberry braid erroneously sitting directly on the counter, compared with the apple which is sitting properly on the baking pan. This meant that I had to transfer my nice neat braid from the counter to the baking sheet. This very easily could have been a disaster but the baking gods were smiling upon me that day and I was able to move it without destroying it. Don’t do this at home.

When the rolled out rectangle was transferred to the baking sheet I used the following method for making the braid: I used a ruler to mark third lines along the short side. I chose to visually divide my rectangle into thirds in order to ensure that my braid pieces were long enough to be firmly tucked in. One of the problems many of my fellow DB-ers ran into was having their braids burst open like spread ribcages during baking. I used a pizza cutter to make very light indents (being careful not to cut into the dough) up the third lines, dividing my rectangle into thirds. I then used the ruler to make marks along both sides at one-inch intervals for my braid strips and used the pizza cutter to cut them. I also cut my strips at a 45-degree angle, making them longer still. When cutting the strips, I recommend cutting from your third line outwards towards the edge of your dough, rather than inwards. If you drag the cutter inwards your dough rectangle will shrink. Trust me on this.

After the cuts are made you can spoon your filling down the centre. Don’t over fill and stay near the middle (I did an apple filling for the first braid and raspberry and cream for the second). Then it’s time to braid, one strip from one side alternating with one from the other, and so on and so on. My one caveat here is to ensure that your strips are long enough to reach over your filling and touch the  base on the opposite side. I also tucked each end under successive braid strips as I went along. It’s easier to visualize with the pictures.

After the braid is assembled it’s time for proofing. Spray some plastic wrap with cooking spray and lay over top of your assembled braid. We were provided with a chart to refer to for the proofing stage. Depending on the temperature of your environment, you proof the dough (allow it to rise) for the appropriate amount of time before baking. The recommendation is for a controlled 90-degree environment, but it can also be done at room temperature.

Proofing Chart:

I was able to get my oven to hover somewhere between 80F an 90F degrees by turning it on and off in bursts and staying nearby at all times to continually check the thermometer. I opted for 1-hour of proofing. I then had to remove the braid while I heated the oven to 400F which took another 15 minutes or so. While the oven was heating up I garnished my braid with sliced almonds and struesel.

With the oven heated to 400F, in went the braid. After ten minutes the braid was turned 180-degrees (so that the side that was facing  the back was now facing the front) and the oven temp reduced to 350F. The instructions were to bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. I only needed 15 minutes for this stage.

With the braid removed from the oven I got started on my apricot glaze ‘wash’. This was simply a matter of melting apricot jam over medium heat diluted with a small bit of water to reach the desired brushable consistency. The glaze was then brushed onto the warm braid to give it a lovely shine.

With the dough scraps that I had left from making the two braids, I made three impromptu danishes.

The day after baking I woke up with unbelievably aching feet and killer sore quads which I just found hilarious. I’d been standing for two days straight working on the dough, and during baking I’d been maniacally checking on the braids, literally watching them bake through the oven window - for both braids. I don’t know exactly how many squats this equaled but on the third day it felt like I’d done at least a thousand. I was exhausted in the end. It’s funny, looking back, at first I thought I’d be bored and impatient during all those 30-minute rests between dough turns but, in truth, I was happy to have them and sit down for a bit.

So after a few sleepless nights, some nightmares involving out of control dough bursting out of the fridge, some very sore feet and thighs, and almost losing the power several times during some wicked weather, it was done. I am so very pleased with the results. This is the best danish dough I have ever tasted - and I haven’t been baking vegan for very long at all. I remember what non-vegan danish tastes like, feels like, smells like. This danish rocks the house my friends. It is flaky yet tender. It is filled with layer upon layer of wondrous soft, flavourful dough. It is delicious. If it hadn’t taken me two days to make I would be making it again right now. Oh, how I long for one filled with some of those luscious peaches I picked up yesterday. Or apricots. Chocolate. Oh my, yes. I loved every second of this baking challenge and can’t wait to give it another go. I was exhausted yes, but also feel very satisfied with my efforts and the delicious results.

Best of all, there were several delicious days that followed, filled with tasty danish and coffee. Be sure to visit the awesome talent on the Daring Bakers Blogroll - click on the DB logo below to be taken there.

In my last post I wrote about my Mmm…Canada, savoury submission, Montreal Bagels. Today it’s all about the sweet things in life.

As I said in yesterday’s post, I received an invitation from Jasmine, The Cardamom Addict to take part in a blogging event that she is co-hosting with The Domestic Goddess called Mmm…Canada.

The Mmmm…Canada event is being held to coincide with Canada Day on July 1st. I am both a Canuck and a lover of food so there was no arm twisting required to get me to take part. The Cardamom Addict is handling all things savoury while The Domestic Goddess is looking after the sweet side of Canadian life. The idea behind the event is for a bunch of Canucks, and honourary Canucks, to present delectable submissions of either the sweet or savoury variety that are quintessentially Canadian. Given my love of food I decided to do both. Yesterday it was all about Montreal Bagels for my savoury submission. Today, it’s all about the sweet stuff: Nanaimo Bars.

The history that I remember about Nanaimo Bars is that they were the winning submission made by a Nanaimo (British Columbia) housewife in the 50’s, in response to a dessert bar contest. Or something along those lines. They are ubiquitous in Canada. There isn’t a single grocery store that doesn’t carry a mass-produced version - homemade is always best, of course. They are so popular in fact that I’d be surprised if mine were the only submission in this event. Nanaimo Bars are a three layer bar style dessert. The bottom layer is a chocolatey, nutty, coconut graham crumb base. This is topped with a vanilla custard-like buttercream layer. Finally, it is topped with a chocolate glaze layer. Voila, Nanaimo Bars.

Since I was really short on time, Nanaimo Bars were the perfect choice for this project. They are e-a-s-y to make, no baking required. All they need is a little chilling and before you know it you’re enjoying a diabolically sweet treat. And I mean diabolical. If you have a sweet tooth, this is your dream come true.

Warning: Nanaimo Bars are dangerous to have around. Resistance is futile.

Actually, I was rather cross with hubby yesterday. I had given him very specific instructions to take the entire batch of Nanaimo Bars to work with him for sharing. Imagine my chagrin when I opened the fridge and found them all there. Calling me. What ensued was a torturous exercise in temptation and will power. I was most displeased.

I found a recipe that had originally appeared in the Vancouver Sun newspaper and set about veganizing it. Nanaimo Bars are a cinch to veganize. Earth Balance (vegan buttery margarine) replaces butter, flax meal and water replace egg, plain soy milk replaces milk. This is my adapted recipe:

Nanaimo Bars:

Bottom layer

1/2 cup earth balance (or other vegan margarine)
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tbsp flax meal
3 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups crushed graham crackers or crumbs
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Middle layer

1/4 cup earth balance (or other vegan margarine)
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp vanilla custard powder *
3 tbsp plain soy milk

* easy to find in Canada but sometimes difficult to find in the U.S. - instant vanilla pudding powder can be substituted.

Top layer

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 tbsp earth balance (or other vegan margarine)

Assembly:

• To make bottom layer: Grease a 9-inch square cake pan. I lined the bottom with parchment that stuck out the top so I could lift everything out after - this makes cutting the bars easier (I didn’t want to scratch up my nice pan)
• In a small bowl, beat flax meal and water together until frothy, set aside.
• In a sauce pan over low heat, combine 1/2 cup earth balance, sugar, cocoa, and vanilla . Add flax mixture and stir constantly until mixture thickens.
• Add graham crackers crumbs, coconut, and chopped nuts, stirring to combine.
• Press the mixture into the greased pan.

• To make middle layer: In a large bowl, beat together 1/4 cup earth balance, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla custard powder, and soy milk until creamy.
• Spread custard mixture over graham cracker base in pan. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

• To make top layer: Melt semi-sweet chocolate and 1 tbsp earth balance. Pour over chilled bars and spread over top. Return to refrigerator to chill until firm (at least 1 hour).

• I recommend checking in on the squares after maybe ten minutes of this final chilling phase - or as soon as the chocolate topping begins to set a bit enough to score. While it’s still soft, score just the top chocolate layer with the lines you will cut along later. This way you will be able to cut the squares cleanly afterward when the chocolate is fully set, without cracking the tops (like I did).
• Serves 9-16, depending on how you divide them.

Here’s to wishing you a sweet Canada Day!

Since we’re a bit early, promise to check back on July 1st and click on the Mmm…Canada logo at the top of this post which will take you to The Domestic Goddess’ sweet Canadian roundup.

At the beginning of this month I received an invitation from Jasmine, The Cardamom Addict to take part in a blogging event that she was co-hosting with The Domestic Goddess: Mmm…Canada.

The Mmmm…Canada event is being held to coincide with Canada Day, July 1st, and being a proud Canuck, I jumped at the chance to participate. The Cardamom Addict would be taking submissions for savoury treats while The Domestic Goddess would be handling all things sweet. The name of the game is to present something either sweet or savoury that is quintessentially Canadian. I decided to do both.

First up, something savoury.

The first order of business was to brainstorm about Canadian cuisine, ruminate about all the good foods that I grew up with. I thought of a million and one delicious possibilities to be sure before finally deciding on the Montreal Bagel. With that decision made it was time to find the right recipe. With a little looking around online I found a very respectable recipe for the Montreal Bagel in the New York Times of all places. It was actually somewhat of an ode to the Montreal Bagel - the recipe is accompanied by a great article about the Montreal Bagel’s history.

There is a history of friendly (and not so friendly) competition between the New York Bagel and the Montreal Bagel. The Times article points out that a Montreal Bagel is essentially made like the New York bagels of old - they have a shared history, made in the tradition of the Old Country from whence their makers came before settling in the New World.

A Montreal Bagel is the kind of bagel I really love. It is soft and chewy on the inside, with a delightful hint of sweetness that makes it irresistible and downright difficult to stop at one - so it’s a good thing that they are traditionally made on the small side. Well, they’re smallish when compared to their usually swollen, often gargantuan modern day counterparts.

I recently discovered that I absolutely love working with dough, so I set about the task of making these bagels with glee. This was despite the fact that I had never made bagels, or anything remotely resembling bagels or their bread cousins, before. The first step would be to make the appropriate substitutions since I would be making a vegan version - flax meal with water plus plain soy yogurt in place of the eggs and, if not using honey, agave syrup. I also increased the yeast (I recently learned that it is advisable to increase your leavening agent when omitting eggs). My adapted recipe looks like this:

Montreal Bagels:

1 1/2 cups water, room temperature
2 packages + 1/2 tsp quick-rising, instant yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp flax meal
3 tbsp water
1/4 cup plain soy yogurt
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp agave syrup (or 1/2 cup honey)
5 cups bread flour, plus extra for dusting (all-purpose flour, alternatively)
3 quarts water for boiling (I filled my largest pot with 4-5 inches of water)
1/3 cup malted barley syrup (for the boiling water)
Sesame or poppy seeds for sprinkling on top.

• In a small bowl, add the flax meal and 3 tbsp water and beat together until frothy, set aside.
• In a large bowl, blend the water, yeast, sugar and salt together. Stir in the oil and the agave syrup (or honey if using), add in the flax mixture and mix well.
• Add the flour and mix with a big wooden spoon until the dough is too stiff to mix by hand. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead to form a soft, pliable dough - about 5 to 7 minutes. Add a small bit more flour as needed to prevent dough from getting too sticky (don’t add too much though - just what you need to handle the dough relatively cleanly).

• When the dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with seran wrap.
• Let the dough rest approximately 20 minutes. Punch it down and divide into 18 portions.
• Pour the water into a large pot, add 1/3 cup malted barley syrup to the water and heat until boiling. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer while preparing the bagels.
• Shape the dough portions into bagel-like rings by elongating each portion into an 8- to 10-inch coil that is about 3/4-inch thick. Fold the ends over each other and give them a pinch. Then using flattened fingers, roll the ring gently back and forth over the seal to join it well. This locks the ends together and prevents them from opening up when boiled. Let the bagels rest for 15 minutes on a non-stick surface - I used my lightly floured counter.

• Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Bring the water back to a boil and remove the lid. Have bowls of poppy seeds and sesame seeds nearby.

• When the water is boiling, using a slotted spoon, add three bagels to the water. As they rise to the surface, turn them over, and let them boil an additional minute before removing them and quickly dipping them in either bowl of the seeds. My bagels seemed to float immediately, so I let them cook for about 1-2 minutes before flipping them and cooking for an additional minute on the other side. Continue boiling and dipping the bagels in batches of three until all have been done.
• Arrange the boiled bagels on a baking sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper), and bake until they are medium brown, approximately 25 minutes. Be sure to keep and eye on them though, and check them often after the ten minute mark. When they’re done, remove them from the oven and place on cooling rack. Once cooled, the bagels can be placed in a plastic bag, sealed and frozen.
• Yield: 18 bagels. NOTE: If not using the dough immediately it should be refrigerated after it has been kneaded. The bagels can be cooked up to a day later. Allow the dough to return to room temperature before proceeding.

Apart from my vegan substitutions, my version also differs from the recipe I was following with respect to baking temperature. The version I was following called for a 450F oven and was very specific about putting the baking pan of bagels on the lowest possible rack of the oven. It also calls for a baking time of 25 minutes.

Well. Let me tell you something. With my first batch of bagels, and after only ten minutes in the oven under these conditions, there was a distinct odour of burn in the air. At first I thought that perhaps a crumb or two at the bottom of the oven might be the source. But a peak at the bagels revealed that the edge of one at the very corner was already dark brown. How odd, I thought. And after only 10 of 25 minutes. I removed the pan from the oven and was met with black-bottomed bagels. Bottom rack position, my hiney. So the oven temp was quickly reduced and the subsequent batches baked on the customary middle rack position. Success, finally.

Despite that initial odorous setback, the bagels turned out very nicely indeed. They were so yummy in fact that even the burnt bottomed ones would not go wasted - we cut the bottoms of those babies off and ate every last bit of them up. My husband took a few to work and shared some bites with his co-workers. He returned home with his fellows’ declarations that I ‘make good bread’ and (my personal favourite), ‘is there anything she can’t do.’

I’d say these worked out well. Happy (early) Canada Day!

Be sure to check back on July 1st and click on the Mmm…Canada picture at the top of the post so you can see the full roundup of Canadian savoury cuisine on the Cardamom Addict’s site.

Next up, Mmm…Canada, sweet edition.

The other day I wrote espousing the virtues of spinach smoothies. Well, I just made a new variation deserving of its very own little announcement.

This time I used organic vanilla soymilk instead of water, half a banana, and enough spinach to fill about half of the blender.

It. Is. Divine. It’s creamy yet light, subtly sweet, almost dessert like. And it’s the most delightful botanical, pastel green colour. It made a very refreshing accompaniment to my little fruit salad.

In short, I highly recommend it.

Spinach Smoothie #2:

1/2 cup vanilla soymilk
1/2 banana
Spinach - enough to loosely fill half the blender (leaf only, remove stems)
3 or 4 ice cubes

• Blend until completely smooth and enjoy.

I’ve been slaving over a hot oven in a sweltering kitchen, working on secret baking projects for what feels like forever - and yet my blog has remained rather quiet. Until those big baking reveals I thought I’d write about one of my new favourite things: spinach smoothies.

Now, if someone had suggested this flavour to me not to long ago I probably would have doubted its appeal. Actually, I happened on it quite by accident. I knew I wasn’t eating enough dark leafy greens. One day when making a shake I thought hey, why not throw some spinach in there and get my daily dose. It did the trick for Popeye, right. Well I was more than a little surprised to discover that spinach, my friends, is quite sweet in this form. I made another shake, this time filling the spinach to the very brim of the blender - testing the limits of what I thought I could handle.

Well it was smooth as smooth can be.

My favourite combo thus far is a whole lot of spinach and one banana. So simple. So sweet. So incredibly good for you. It just wakes me right up when I have one. Today I thought I’d share it with you.

Spinach Smoothie:

Spinach - fill the blender loosely, right up to the brim (start with less if you’re not feeling that brave)
one banana
4 or 5 ice cubes
1/2 cup or so of water

• Blend until smooth. Pour into a tall glass. Drink.

I also tried this with collard greens - but I cannot in good conscience recommend that.

Update: I made a lighter, sweeter variation of this, here.

Today’s breakfast is brought to you by, you guessed it, My Sweet Vegan - yes, I’m on a roll with this book. All the other cookbooks are probably feeling very lonely and left out just about now.

Ah, french toast. Breakfast foods most definitely comprise some of my favourite culinary delights - pancakes, crepes, waffles, and french toast are all held in very high esteem in this house and heart. When I first went vegan I wrote about how I went into mourning for these hallowed breakfast treats but soon realized that there was a new world of alternative ways to create them awaiting me. I have already made awesome pancakes and crepes galore with delicious success. Today would be my first foray into french toast. All I can say is it was about time, and yum.

There are probably a million and one ways to make french toast - it’s a personal thing. Depending on what you like, you’ll use different spices or different bread. You may completely soak your slices, or merely coat the surface, etc, etc. When I used to make french toast in the past, no two batches were ever the same. For my first vegan batch I thought I’d defer to the judgment of someone who clearly knows more than I do, which brings me to Hannah’s version in My Sweet Vegan. After all, I’ve made several things from her book with a 100% success rate so I had faith that this would be a good place to start in the world of vegan french toast.

The beautiful aroma that wafted up from the mixture as I was putting it together kind of made me want to drink it straight up, I kid you not. It was that good. A little patience, albeit difficult, and 15 minutes later I was eating a lovely batch of french toast. It would have been marvelous with maple syrup but I opted for a lighter presentation with a small bit of powdered sugar.

I’m on a powdered sugar kick lately.

So I’m fairly green at the blogging thing and there are still many firsts being experienced along the way. I’ve come into contact with many interesting, talented, and creative people which is awesome. I joined the Daring Bakers which is forcing me to stretch my culinary muscle in the best creative way. I’ve come across my blog on the blogroll of some truly talented and accomplished bloggers which is an incredible honour and makes me smile huge and feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Well today I came across another first, and a great one at that. The culinary creative genius behind Speedbump Kitchen, and fellow Daring Baker, has done me the honour of using one of my recipes in the creation of what I can only describe as a cake masterpiece. We had both recently undertaken the Daring Baker challenge to make Opera Cake. When I saw the Speedbump Kitchen entry I just thought it was a thing of beauty - it was garnished with whimsical little marzipan bees, need I say more? Just gorgeous and incredibly inspiring. The creator of that marvelous cake visited my blog, came across my recent rustic coconut cake, and thought of incorporating it into an Opera cake for her adorable egg and dairy-sensitive kids.

Well that cake is made and all I can say is wow. And it has bees. So awesome. Well that’s it, my day is made. Look at the cake and bask in its glory.

By now I’ve dabbled with rice squares several times, each time with different results. I’ve changed up the nut butters and done them with or without chocolate. The critical variable for me (if a rice square can have a critical variable) has been the amount of brown rice syrup.

I am not a huge brown rice syrup fan. Okay, I am a fan in the sense that it is an all-natural sweetener, low GI, etc, all good things, yada yada yada. I am just not totally and completely in love with the taste straight up. This means that, for me, the syrup should never be the primary flavour in any given recipe. This is not a huge issue with the rice squares since the nut butter features strongly, particularly if peanut butter is used, but I digress - back to the rice syrup amount.

When I first tried my hand at making vegan rice squares I followed a recipe. I mis-transcribed the amount of brown rice syrup required and ended up making the squares using 3/4 cup instead of the 1-3/4 cups called for. At first I thought this was disastrous - my squares were a tad on the dry side and crumbled a bit when bitten into. I eventually remade the squares with the full 1-3/4 cups brown rice syrup. In a word, yuck. They were way too sweet and they didn’t stick together all that well at all.

So my initial error was actually a happy accident. I don’t like things too sweet so I immediately knew that the lesser amount of brown rice syrup was the way to go for me.

I recently remade the squares using 1 cup of brown rice syrup - more than enough. I would say that, based on your tastes, you could use either 3/4 cup or 1 cup. Using 1 cup will give you slightly softer, chewier, slightly sweeter results. Using 3/4 cup will give you crispier, not as sweet results.

The nut butter is completely interchangeable. Use whatever you love and have on hand. I’ve tried peanut, almond, and hazelnut so far. The hazelnut is particularly good with chocolate. I will soon give cashew and macadamia a whirl. You can make the squares with rice cereal alone or you can add extras in as you see fit.

For this batch I used organic crisped riced cereal, a 2:1 ratio of organic peanut to organic almond butter and a 1/2 cup of organic vegan chocolate chips. Instead of chocolate you could use carob, nuts or dried fruit. You can also increase the volume of these extras to a cup or more. Anything goes really. I’ve used almond slivers and rolled oats in the past with sweet results.

It’s a rice square free for all.

Crispy Rice Squares, version 37 (and counting):

• 1 box crispy brown rice cereal (regular sized box, approx. 7 cups)
• 3/4 cup or 1 cup brown rice syrup (more for softer, chewier - less for crispier)
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 cup nut butter (this batch is 2:1 ratio of peanut to almond)
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup something extra, e.g. chocolate chips, carob chips, nuts, oats, dried fruit, ad infinitum (this batch includes 1/2 cup chocolate chips)

1. lightly grease a 9x 13-inch pan or casserole dish with earth balance, oil, or cooking spray.
2. warm brown rice syrup and salt in skillet on medium heat until liquefied - stir in nut butter until combined, remove from heat.
3. place rice cereal in a large bowl - pour melted rice syrup and nut butter mixture over top.
4. use a large wooden spoon, or other firm utensil, and stir until combined.
5. if adding extras such as chocolate chips or nuts, add now to mixture and combine.
6. press mixture into prepared pan or dish and allow to cool approximately 1 hour.
7. cut into squares.

I was itching to make something sweet so I reached for my newest favourite cookbook, My Sweet Vegan, by Hannah Kaminsky. There are many, many things I’m longing to try in this fabulous tome of tasty treats - today I decided on the graham flour fig scones. Anything with the word graham in it has to be good.

I had never used graham flour before, or so I thought. I picked a bag up on a recent trip to my local organic market and set it aside until today. The description on the bag described the flour as similar to whole wheat, with a higher bran content. When I opened the bag the sweet aroma that hit me, in concert with the very coarse appearance of the flour, instantly told me that I have worked with this wonderful ingredient before. Just not on this side of the pond - but that is a story for another post.

Today is all about the scones.

The recipe is very straightforward to put together, as all in the book seem to be - I only wish it made more! I say this because they are exceedingly tasty and sure not to last very long at all in my house. The recipe yields four decent sized scones. I’m sure they’d be heavenly at breakfast, slightly toasted with a dab of Earth Balance buttery spread and some apricot jam - as if they’re going to last until breakfast.

Next time I’ll probably double the recipe and thus be more willing to share with others.

I decided to revisit the rustic coconut cake and try out that hunch I had to include either nutmeg or cardamom.

So I split my batter in two - I was happy to see that it splits very easily, no brainiac math required - and it fit quite nicely into two smaller 7-inch heart pans. The first time around I used a single 9-inch round.

I originally set out to determine which spice would make the tastier addition, nutmeg or cardamom - I wasn’t expecting to love both, but I did. I enjoyed both spicy additions so much that I could not declare a winner. I really love this cake - it’s a cinch to make and the flavour is simple but immensely satisfying. In truth, I have trouble keeping myself from eating too much of it (makes the best snack ever with a big cup of coffee). And it’s wonderful with just cinnamon too, so it really depends on personal taste more than anything else.

I’ve yet to try my savoury coconut cake experiment, but that would be next on the coconut to-do list.

Another spice variation I think would be grand is ginger, with some chopped candied ginger added to the mix. Mmmmm, that could be good indeed. Also, despite the fact that I’d categorize this cake as rustic, I think it would dress up quite nicely with a lovely coconut buttercream - it could even be made into a layer cake. Near future project idea.

I decorated with simple confectioner’s sugar again - don’t you just love powdered sugar? It’s so simple and pretty.

In my blogosphere travels I kept coming across various members of a mysterious group called the Daring Bakers and became increasingly intrigued with each blog entry perused. The Daring Bakers got their start in November 2006, founded by Lis of La Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice, and has since grown into a very large group as more cooks get into the kitchen. The idea behind DB is for everyone to bake the same recipe every month, keep it secret and post about it on the same day. You can see the full blogroll of the Daring Bakers here. I’m chuffed to say I have joined this highly esteemed, talented and friendly group and I’m especially happy to present my first DB challenge: Opera Cake.

I would also like to dedicate this month’s challenge to the Lance Armstrong Foundation LIVESTRONG initiative in the fight against cancer. This cause is very special to a DB member at the Winos and Foodies blog, and to all of us whose lives have been touched by cancer - we celebrate those who are fighting the good fight.

Since I would be baking vegan, making the Opera cake would prove to be the biggest baking challenge I’ve encountered so far (as laden with eggs and dairy as it is). Though daunting, it was an incredible learning experience. I have never deconstructed a recipe to the extent that I picked this one apart, nor have I done so much research and study on everything from stabilizers to thickeners. I felt like a naughty little kid let loose in the kitchen and a mad scientist all at once. I learned a lot. I had a ton of fun. Above all, my unexpected success with this baking project has given me the confidence to experiment and create more in my vegan kitchen. If I had any lingering doubts about vegan baking being restricting before this challenge, after making this cake I knew once and for all that baking vegan is no restriction at all. It’s about taking a different route to the same destination - learning to work with what may be unfamiliar ingredients and using those ingredients in unconventional ways. So much of baking is science and chemistry and baking vegan is about finding appropriate alternatives that act in chemically similar ways to the ingredients you need to replace in a recipe, things like eggs, dairy, and gelatin.

Armed with my lucky purple spatula I set out to conquer this beast of a cake.

After setting an oven mitt on fire, much trial and error and a whole lot of quality ingredients down the drain, I came up with recipes that worked for each and every element of the Opera Cake: The joconde (cake layers), the buttercream (the only butter in my version comes from hazelnuts), a mousse layer, and a ganache or glaze. Much leeway was granted with respect to flavourings for this challenge, the only stipulation being that the flavours and colours of the cake remain light. That meant no chocolate or coffee, which are the traditional Opera Cake flavours and, coincidentally, my two favourite things. Damn. However, if you take the time to look through the DB blog roll, I’m sure you will be as amazed and inspired as I was by all the different flavour combinations the talented DB-ers came up with in order to work within this framework.

The original recipe called for an almond joconde. Since I was already changing up the entire recipe anyway (veganizing all elements of the cake) and I had hazelnut meal on hand, I chose to do a hazelnut joconde. To go with it, I opted for a complimentary hazelnut buttercream, a chestnut mousse layer and a rum caramel glaze. The cake was then garnished with a darker rum caramel and candied hazelnuts. Note to self: skinning hazelnuts bites.

I made this cake over a three day period. The mousse was first up because I knew it would need to chill overnight at the minimum. With that successfully made, on the second day I moved on to the Hazelnut buttercream and the cake. As the cake was cooling I set about making the rum glaze and went on to assembly.

The opera cake was supposed to have three cake layers but since I made my layers particularly thin I decided to go for a fourth layer and a higher cake. I trimmed my three baked layers into squares and used two of the cutoffs to form a fourth square. The remaining cake cutoff was used to make a miniature round opera cake which I made using a 3-inch round cookie cutter.

The first cake layer is laid down and brushed with rum syrup. This is followed by half the buttercream. Then the second cake layer is laid down and brushed with rum syrup, followed by half of the remaining buttercream (a quarter of the original amount). The third cake layer is applied, brushed with rum syrup and followed by the remaining buttercream (again, amounting to a quarter of the remaining buttercream). You could alternatively split the buttercream three ways but I was going for the 50-25-25 split to add visual interest. The fourth cake layer is laid on top, brushed with rum syrup and then the big sloppy mess of a cake is put into the fridge for an hour to chill and firm up a bit. Then it was time to apply the mousse. That done, back in the fridge it went for three hours to firm up. Then the rum glaze was applied and the cake was returned to the fridge where the very scary looking monster remained overnight.

The next day I drizzled some contrasting rum glaze on top and trimmed the edges of the cake with a hot (dry) knife. I garnished slices with candied hazelnuts. Did I mention that skinning hazelnuts bites? I think I did, but it bares repeating - and it’s done.

Verdict - much to my surprise and delight, everyone who tasted the cake loved it and it didn’t last long despite the fact that is was HUGE. I’m always critical of my own creations so it’s hard to give an unbiased assessment. As a whole, my personal take is that the cake was a tad on the sweet side. Ok, a lot on the sweet side. After looking at much of what my fellow DB-ers came up with, many of whom used lovely light flavour combinations of, for example, lemon and various fruits, I am inspired to take this in a lighter, less sweet direction next time around.

Light flavoured, this cake is not. It is sweet, it is decadent, and it is best in small doses.

Above all, I was thrilled with the chestnut mousse, which worked out for me on my first try. I am completely enamoured with agar and what it can do. The mousse was delicious on its own and what was left over after cake assembly disappeared very fast. My next favourite thing had to be the hazelnut buttercream. This was also delicious and I know it will shine on a simple cake or cupcakes, an assertion I intend to put to the test very soon. In concert with the other components here it was probably the biggest culprit in upping the sweetness quotient - in retrospect, adding that fourth cake layer and thus an extra layer of buttercream probably tipped the sweetness balance into excess.

The hazelnut joconde - this was the element that went through the most iterations (and what also became the source of a lot of expensive supplies thrown out as I experimented with different combinations of ingredients). Although the cake as a whole worked very well, I’m not completely sold on the joconde on its own - and that’s always the true test for me. It was ok but I know it can be better. The texture of the cake was fabulous which I’ll take as a small victory. So many vegan cakes are far too dense for my liking, whereas, at the very least I thought I managed to make something somewhat delicate and airy. I learned a lot about how to use flax meal and soy flour in place of eggs but I’d like to do a little more tweaking before nailing down a final recipe version. For now, I’ll consider the joconde a work in progress.

I wanted to join the Daring Bakers to challenge myself and set these feet down on a new path. I’m psyched to see what challenge comes next. I’ve only just begun and I’ve already met some great, like-minded people: an amazing thing, the value of which can’t be underestimated. I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me.

I originally had my recipes in the middle of this super long post but I’ve since moved them to the bottom here so they’re easier to peruse, enjoy.

~

Hazelnut Joconde:

2 tbsp flax meal
1/4 cup water
1 1/4 cup hazelnut flour/meal
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup soy flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
2 1/4 cups plain soy milk
1/4 cup canola oil (or other mild oil like safflower or vegetable)
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or distilled white vinegar)
1 tsp vanilla

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• In a small bowl, combine water and flax meal and beat with a fork until frothy - set aside.
• In another small bowl, combine soy milk and apple cider vinegar, whisk together and set aside.
• Add remaining dry ingredients to a medium bowl and delicately fold together until just combined.
• In a separate large bowl, place the soy milk mixture, oil, maple syrup and vanilla, and beat together until frothy.
• Return to flax mixture and agitate a bit before adding to wet mixture.
• Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture gradually in small amounts, mixing each time until just combined - do not over mix.
• Divide the batter between prepared pans (mine were lined with parchment paper on the bottom with the sides greased - I had enough batter to spread between 3 small 9.5″ x 13″ jelly roll pans. In order to achieve thin layers you need only JUST coat the bottom of the pan - you’ll need a spatula to drag the batter from one end to the other. Try to get the batter perfectly level from one corner to another or it will rise unevenly.
• Baking time will depend on your oven and the size of the pans you used - mine took about 20 mins, just check on them after 15 mins and lightly tap the top of one with your finger to see if it stays depressed or if it has some bounce. If it has a little bounce it’s ready - I also used a toothpick to check for doneness.
• When they’re done, put the pans on wire racks to cool - when I put my parchment in the pans, I left little tabs on each side sticking up so I could use them to lift the cake out of the pan on to the rack to cool completely. I would let them cool in the pans first for at least 20 - 30 minutes, then very carefully transfer to racks. You may need to run a knife around the cake first.
• Heads up - being so thin, the cake is super fragile and breaks very easily - handle with care. Flipping the layers over to remove the parchment paper is a bit tricky.

~

Hazelnut Buttercream:

1 cup Earth Balance, room temperature (or other dairy-free, vegan buttery spread)
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp water
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp hazelnut butter

• Combine brown sugar and water and heat until sugar starts to dissolve - about one minute. Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, beat Earth Balance and confectioner’s sugar until light and creamy.
• Add brown sugar mixture and incorporate.
• Add hazelnut butter and incorporate.

~

Chestnut Mousse:

3 tbsp agar flakes
2 tbsp arrowroot
1 cup plain soy milk + 3 tbsp
3 tbsp dark rum
1/2 cup sweetened chestnut puree (mine was already sweetened with sugar and vanilla)
3 x 4.4oz individual Belsoy vanilla pudding cups (organic soy pudding)

• Place agar in saucepan with 1 cup soy milk and allow to soak for at least 15 minutes (no heat yet).
• In a very small bowl, add arrowroot and 3 tbsp soy milk and stir rapidly with a fork to get rid of any lumps - set aside.
• In food processor, add pudding cups, chestnut puree, and rum - process until smooth and creamy.
• After agar has been soaking for 15 minutes, cover saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir vigorously, cover again and set aside for 4 minutes. Return to stove and simmer over low heat, stirring continually for a further 4 minutes to allow agar to dissolve (there may be a few specks of agar undissolved).
• Go back to the bowl with the arrowroot and stir again with a fork - try to smash any stubborn lumps and use fork to lift out any remaining small lumps that refuse to dissolve. Add arrowroot mix to simmering agar and stir vigorously. Mixture will thicken immediately. As soon as you see bubbles start to break the surface remove from heat and do not stir anymore (allowing to boil too long or stirring once boiled will collapse your volume).
• Add agar-arrowroot mixture to chestnut mixture in food processor and pulse a few times until just combined.
• Transfer to bowl, cover with seran wrap and place in refridgerator to chill overnight.

~

Rum Glaze:

1/2 cup butter
1/8 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup dark rum

• Melt butter in saucepan.
• Stir in water, then sugar.
• Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and stir in rum.
• Allow to cool slightly.
• Pour and smooth over top of cake.

~

Rum Syrup:

1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp dark rum

• Stir everything together in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Use pastry brush to apply glaze to joconde layers.

~

Candied Hazelnuts:

Whole hazelnuts (skinning optional)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

• Bring water and sugar to a boil and add nuts.
• Simmer for 15 minutes, drain and let nuts dry on wax paper on a cooling rack.

I’ve been tinkering in the kitchen a lot lately - there’s been a whole lot of vegan experimenting going on.

This coconut cake is the most recent thing to come out of the oven. If there’s one thing I truly love, it’s coconut. Okay, truth be told, there are many flavours that I hold in high esteem, but coconut is definitely up there on the list with olives - now is not the time to discuss olives, I digress. I was happy with how this little cake turned out. It’s a delicious, if rustic, slice of hearty coconut goodness - and it’s dairy-free, egg-free, and 100% vegan. Who needs eggs when you have flax meal? I could make my own by grinding up flax seeds but I’m incredibly lazy. I like to buy my flax seeds already ground in a convenient bag and store it in the fridge for safekeeping.

I used cinnamon this time around but plan on trying nutmeg or cardamom on my next go. The cinnamon adds an extra note of sweetness, speaking of which - I could easily reduce the sugar and take this cake in a more savoury direction with some minor tweaking like omitting the cinnamon and adding something like sage. Gasp.

Here it is, fellow eaters and coconut lovers:

Rustic Coconut Cake

2 tbsp flax meal
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp water
2-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup sugar
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg or cardamom (optional)
1 cup plain soy milk
1/2 cup plain soy yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup earth balance, melted (or other vegan buttery spread)
powdered sugar

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Prepare a 9″ round baking pan - line bottom with parchment paper and grease and flour sides.
• In a small bowl mix flax meal and water and beat with a fork until frothy. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, measure flour, coconut, baking powder, sugar, and spices - fold gently until just combined.
• In a medium bowl, measure soy milk, soy yogurt, and vanilla. Take flax meal and water mixture and beat again slightly before adding to soy milk mixture. Whisk wet ingredients together until frothy.
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold gently, until just combined. Incorporate melted butter, folding until just combined - do not over mix.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake for 1 hr 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean and top bounces back when lightly depressed.
• Cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to rack to cool completely.
• Dust with powdered sugar.
• Eat.

The recipe splits very easily into a half portion if your preference is for a smaller cake (I used two 7-inch heart pans the second time around). I’ve tried adding nutmeg and cardamom, as well as using cinnamon alone, and each version was lovely. This cake achieves excellent loft, has a sweet, delicate flavour, and strikes a good textural balance between a cake and bread-like consistency - and there’s always that other measure of success: fast diminishing quantities.

Black & White cookies hold a special place in my heart. They take me back to my time in NY, arguably some of the happiest years ever spent. Countless times I’d pick up a giant example of this hallowed dessert from too many bakeries in each and every borough to list off here (not to mention street vendors). They are decadent - and they are big. Whatever sweet craving you’ve got - these babies will satisfy.

I was so happy, joyous really, to see a vegan recipe for the majestic Black & White included in Hannah Kaminsky’s My Sweet Vegan, which only just arrived at my house last week. I get to indulge in one of my all-time favourite treats and it’s dairy-free, egg free and vegan all the way baby. My initial indecision at which tasty treat to try first upon the book’s arrival, so overwhelmed was I by all the fabulous possibilities contained therein, caused my vote to be forfeit - hubby then cast the tiebreaker in favour of Peanut Butter Bombs. Those turned out really fantastic. I knew what my second foray into the book would have to be - the Black & White.

After getting the batter together I placed generous fluffy dollops on prepared baking sheets. They looked like ethereal little clouds before going into the oven.

I might have left them in a minute too long - ok I did leave them in too long - I was distracted by a cat, but I think they were none the worse for wear.

These were really fun to make. The taste of the batter, which I sampled repeatedly, immediately took me back to being four years old when I used to steal cake batter when my great grand mother wasn’t looking and then she’d chase me around the kitchen with a wooden spoon until I dove under the table for cover. I was safe there because she couldn’t bend too well. Sorry nägy.

Great tasting batter aside, the assembly is where the true fun comes in - all that painting of the two glazes, reminiscent of finger painting. Delightful.

One thing I quickly realized was that in using organic confectioner’s sugar I was not going to get a true snow white for the white side of my cookies, rather mine would be a slight cream - against the dark chocolate glaze they look white enough though.

I even broke out my coveted Endangered Species dark chocolate baking rounds, which I’d been hording for some time.

The chocolate is so darn tasty I was tempted to slather it all over the entire cookie but I resisted. Next time perhaps.

Worth noting is that, if you work slowly like myself, you may need to nuke the chocolate glaze for ten seconds to soften it up again or you may find it start to seize up on you. We want our cookies to have perfectly smooth little Black & White tuxes thank you very much.

Et voilà! - c’est magnifiqe. I love them - so sweet and decadent and, most importantly, delicious. I enjoyed more than one with an equally humongous mug of coffee - and we’re two for two.

Now what to try next…

I recently received my copy of Hannah Kaminsky’s first cookbook, My Sweet Vegan.

My goodness, this is one great book - I really can’t say enough good things about it. One thing I should admit to is the fact that I have an incredible weakness for books of all sorts, shapes and sizes. It’s somewhat of a sickness really. My latest obsession within the obsession is cookbooks, vegan cookbooks specifically. And I have acquired many of them - each having something awesome to offer in their own right.

That said, Hannah’s creation is the closest and most perfect representation of my culinary tastes that I have ever come across. My Sweet Vegan is truly a collection of unusual and amazing desserts. There’s a lot of chocolate. This is good. But there’s also pretty much each and every favourite thing I’ve ever eaten represented in perfect vegan form.

There’s Golden Glazed Donuts. I love donuts. There’s Graham Flour Fig Scones. I love figs. French Toast - breakfast is my favourite meal. There are 77 recipes in total - some of my favourites: Black Bottom Blondies, Whoopie Pies, Marshmallow Mud Cake, Mexican Chocolate Tart, Coconut Custard Pie, Orangettes (dark chocolate covered orange peel), and Root Beer Float Cupcakes - the latter being recently honoured as one of Vegan.com’s Top 10 Recipes, 2008.

My heart smiled with nostalgic glee when I came across Hannah’s inclusion of Pfefferneuse. I nearly wept with joy at spotting the Black & White cookies - those NY classics. Ah New York, how I miss you.

But the proof is in the pudding right? It’s one thing to look at pretty pictures - and they are pretty, snapped by Hannah herself - but it’s another to have a recipe that actually delivers the goods. Based on my first foray into Hannah’s baking world, I’m pretty confident you won’t be disappointed. You can imagine how difficult it was for me to choose which tasty morsel to try first. Ultimately, hubby had to choose for me and he put his vote in for Peanut Butter Bombs.

As I write this I’m enjoying several of them with a giant mug of coffee. A symphony of chocolate and peanut butter, these bombs do not disappoint. Hannah’s instructions are very straightforward and easy to understand, the book is beautifully laid out, and each recipe is accompanied by a fabulous photograph that shows you exactly what you are aiming for.

To quote hubby, ‘MMMMmmmmm.’

Be sure to check out Hannah’s blog, Bittersweet. Luckily for us, this vegan is as generous as she is talented and shares eloquently penned tips, recipes, and crafts on a regular basis.

Way back, all the way back to the beginning, there was a challenge. Guess what. I won (blush). My prized t-shirt arrived not too long ago. Thanks Jason - you are an inspiration.

Jason once described this shirt as his favourite veg garment during one of the always informative and witty TVPs (Toronto Vegetarian Podcast) and has now bestowed one upon me.

You can get your own here.

It reminds me of a funny and poignant blog post (at the fabulous veg blog Walking the Vegan Line) about a Texas bumper sticker - see the photo.

Recognition is sweet. Thanks again Jason.

Sometimes the simplest things are the best things.

I have been on a culinary quest of sorts lately - working like a mad scientist in the kitchen day in and day out, trying my hand at veganizing different recipes. I have met with some success and some failure in that regard. Much of what I’ve been tackling of late is complicated stuff - even a non-vegan would agree.

Sometimes you just need a simple culinary concoction to remind you of the sweet things in life.

I throw this dessert/snack together countless times in a week - each time it’s a bit different, depending on what the fridge has to yield that day. Sometimes it’s my breakfast, more often it’s a snack. It’s always a delight.

Without further adieu I present a vegan trifle or guiltless parfait if you will. All you need is fruit and the soy yogurt of your choice. Alternatively you could use almond pudding or vegan custard.

Slice the fruit of your choice and layer in a glass bowl, alternating your choice of fruits with layers of soy yogurt. You could also use a small glass or of course, a regular opaque bowl - glass simply allows for a feast that is as much for the eyes as it is for the palate. Today I used strawberries, blueberries, banana, and plain soy yogurt slightly sweetened with maple syrup. Yesterday I used strawberries and bananas alone with peach soy yogurt as their accompaniment. For a small touch of decadence you could drizzle chocolate over the top. I often sprinkle on some granola or or toasted coconut - or you could layer these into the mix as well. The possibilities are endless.

Whatever your choice of ingredients the result is a light, healthy, truly guiltless treat.

I’ve always enjoyed pudding. Since transitioning to a vegan diet, I hadn’t had any pudding - until yesterday.

Yesterday I set about hatching some kitchen experiments with pudding in mind. It goes without saying that I’ve always loved chocolate so this seemed like the logical flavour to go for.

I have tried many a vegan recipe for ‘cream’ topping, the pale, tofu-based sort, meant to approximate cool whip or whipped cream. I have always embarked on making these with great anticipation but, regretfully, have always been disappointed. It’s the tofu I think - it’s just not neutral enough of a base for me for such delicate flavours. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a big tofu fan - it just falls short in this area in the humble opinion of my palate. I have tried blanching the tofu to remove some of its inherent beaniness but I still find that subtle flavours are not adequate enough to supersede the tofu-ness.

So I was thinking something like tapioca might make a great pudding base, which could then be flavoured with chocolate or something else. Tapioca has its own flavour of course, lovely as it is - and I’ll take the taste of tapioca in my dessert over tofu any day. Tapioca was nowhere to be found in my pantry however so what to do in its stead? I had an awful lot of tofu in the fridge. Hmmm. I grabbed a package of silken tofu (drained) and blanched it for 5 minutes for good measure. After letting it cool I tossed it in the food processor.

Time to put the thinking cap on.

I had my heart set on chocolate. I had no actual chocolate on hand but I did have cocoa so out of the pantry it came. Normally I’d aim to sweeten this concoction with maple syrup or agave nectar - but fearing an expensive culinary failure I opted for plain old sugar (bone char free). A little pulse here, a dash of that there. Oh tofu, you still want to make your presence known. When I had made the mélange as chocolatey as it could possibly be I knew I still needed something more to add to the mix. What compliments chocolate and has a good strong flavour of its own?…my gaze wandered about the kitchen…aha, banana. I tossed my last banana into the processor with the chocolate tofu and blended until very smooth and creamy.

I turned the pudding into some glass bowls and tossed them into the fridge to cool. An hour later I had some decent chocolate pudding, who knew? Next time around I’ll try melting some actual chocolate in lieu of cocoa and try sweetening with maple syrup. I’m still determined to figure out how to make a delicately flavoured vegan cool whip.

I’ll get back to you with that one.

We expose ourselves to so many chemical nasties on a daily basis, whether it be in the food we eat, the water we drink or the air we breathe. We have created a toxic environment for ourselves.

The very least we can do is not compound the problem by slathering more chemical goo onto our fragile bodies. I’ve been making a gradual toiletry switch as I go through my bathroom shelves - out with the harsh chemical old and in with the safer, natural, cruelty-free organic new.

In the spirit of sharing I wanted to tell you about one of my new favourite product lines, Nature’s Gate Organics.

Nature’s Gate uses all natural herbs and botanicals in the creation of their extensive line of pH-balanced products. The company is as dedicated to being environmentally friendly and cruelty-free as it is to bringing the public a selection of quality, pure, natural, organic products.

Their handsome bottles have taken up residence in many of my shelves, from shampoo to lotions, but my favourite thing of all has to be that indispensable item I use on a daily basis, deodorant. It contains certified organic botanicals and is free of the parabens, propylene glycol, and aluminum chlorohydrate that plague commercial deodorants and put our health needlessly at risk.

It is also produced without animal testing, with no animal byproducts, and is certified vegan. It comes in several pleasing scents - my favourite is the Chamomile & Lemon Verbena.

And it’s effective. I smell great.