self-frosting, peanut-butter-chocolate cupcakes.

You heard me: Self-frosting. Peanut butter. Chocolate. Cupcakes. Are you intrigued? These novel cupcakes come from the sweet imagination of Hannah Kaminsky and can be found in her awesome first book, My Sweet Vegan.

This collection of sweet treats has never steered me wrong. When my hubby was recently desirous of a baked treat, and I was not at all inclined to bake at that moment, I directed him to Hannah’s book. He soon settled on these cupcakes and whipped them up himself in no time at all. They are extremely tasty – or they were, I should say, in the very short time that they lasted. What I loved about them best is that they are not overly sweet – and so lovely and moist. They’re the perfect sweet snack. And if you love chocolate and peanut butter together as much as I do, and I DO, these are an absolute no-brainer.

But aside from the obvious, what makes these particular cupcakes so special? They frost themselves. Make them and you will see (and taste) the magic unfold.

We did have a slight mishap precipitated by turning our backs on the freshly baked cupcakes when the pups were around. Bad idea. So we had 4 between us and they had 8 between themselves. A tad unfair. The pups were delighted.

Thankfully, there’s not enough chocolate in these to have endangered their health -  and I was able to snap a few photos before they all disappeared. I’m missing these cupcakes quite a bit right now, as I type this up – I feel as though I did not get my just allotment. Sleep deprivation is getting in my way of baking some more right this second – and for me to say that, I know I must be tired.

persimmon blondies.

I have been given the honour of being made a test baker for Hannah Kaminsky as she works on recipes for her next cookbook.

Hannah runs the inspiring blog Bittersweet and is the author of that fabulous culinary tome, My Sweet Vegan. I have a great deal of respect for this talented baker and I jumped at the chance to help her work towards the release of what will undoubtedly be a smash hit book. First up: persimmon blondies.

I’m a pretty big fan of bars, especially brownies: I’m a true chocoholic. My only experience with blondies (other than the one I see in the mirror) is with the humdrum butterscotch type. Well these, my friends, are not your everyday blondies, no no – these blondies incorporate persimmons and a secret spicy ingredient that enhances the flavour brilliantly. I can say no more, but will tell you this much – the texture is beautiful and fudgey, the flavour is unique, and the blondies disappeared so quickly I almost didn’t get photos to share with you!

I’m so looking forward to the next test recipe – stay tuned for more tasty sneak peeks!

great opportunity to learn about the plight of farm animals.

Upon looking in my inbox last night I was greeted with a welcome email from Farm Sanctuary.  The letter was written by Gene Baur, President and co-founder of this amazing organization. Gene wrote a best-selling book not too long ago entitled, Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food. In the email Gene outlines that, in celebration of the book’s release in paperback, he is giving everyone the opportunity to get his book in e-book format for FREE.

Now I just read the email last night (Saturday) and the email, sent on Friday, states that the free offer is only good for one day – but I was still able to download the book for free last night and so I wanted to share the info with you in case the offer has been extended for a bit. It’s a great chance to read a great book, and a wonderful tool to share with others.

The email Gene sent is below with all the necessary links intact – good luck and enjoy!

This week we have witnessed a momentous victory for farm animals in the passage of Prop 2 in California , and YOU had everything to do with it!  More than 6.2 million people in the state voted YES on Prop 2. These people believed that farm animals deserve consideration and they voted their conscience.  If it weren’t for your support, Farm Sanctuary would not have been able to spread the word about the ongoing cruelties that farm animals suffer at the hands of an industry that has resisted any meaningful change for animals. This is a victory not only for animals, but it’s a victory for YOU. Your ongoing support has made all the difference for farm animals.

I’m writing you today to keep that momentum going! Many of you know that I wrote a book that was released earlier this year, entitled Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food. I wrote this book to be used as a tool for animal advocates, as it’s a great way to educate people about farm animal issues. I’ve spent a good portion of this year traveling to cities throughout the U.S. talking with people about how Farm Sanctuary came to be and why we work tirelessly on behalf of the animals we know and love.

I’m happy to report that this week, Farm Sanctuary was released in paperback and can be ordered online or found at a bookstore near you.

And, TODAY ONLY, you can also download Farm Sanctuary for free!  Please celebrate the paperback release with me by downloading the eBook at http://www.ebookstore.sony.com/. You can read the book without a Sony Reader; just download the reader software to your computer and you can read it there. More downloads mean more attention to farm animal issues!

Thank you for all you do for the animals and please join me as we keep this momentum going and educate millions more about the plight of farm animals!

Yours in compassion,
Gene Baur

President and Co-Founder
Farm Sanctuary

P.S. As always, 100 percent of the author’s proceeds will be donated to Farm Sanctuary . For reviews, book tour information, an overview of the book, my blog, and more… visit genebaur.org.

double chocolate cookies, oh yes.

Ok, that is how I invariably refer to these scrumptiously delicious chocolatey morsels – their proper moniker, however, Chocolate-Chocolate Chip-Walnut Cookies. They’re from Vegamonicon and they are, in a word, awesome.

I have made them too many times to count – they are one of my favourite vegan cookies so far.

These chocolate bits of awesomeness have just the right amount of chewiness. If you possess the immense will power required to not eat the entire batch the same day you make them, you will be rewarded the next day with an even better cookie. I like to purposely leave them out on the counter, uncovered. The next day the outside of the cookie has toughened just a bit while the inside remains chewy and wonderful – usually hubby and I eat them up while they’re still so warm they fall apart.

Can you tell I love these cookies? I am a big fan of the chocolate – not a secret. My husband loves the added nuts. These cookies whip up fast and easy, so all the better. Funnily enough, I’ve yet to actually put walnuts in the cookies. I never seem to have walnuts on hand. I’ve used pecans. I’ve used cashews. I’ve used pecans and cashews. I’ve yet to try them without nuts but I suspect they’ll be just as amazing with an extra dose of chocolate chips to make up the volume.

I ran out to the store today to buy cocoa, of which I was running dangerously low. We can’t have that.

If you haven’t tried making these yet, I recommend them without reservation – enjoy.

cookies, for sister.

I was in the mood for cookies the other day. Well, truth be told, I’m always in the mood for cookies. The other day I gave in. But which cookies to make? There were so many delectable possibilities from my sizable stack of vegan cookbooks to choose from. I started to flip through the pages of the mighty Veganomicon. Hmmm. Lots of tasty treats deserving of a test run in there. Then I spied it – near the back of that respected tome: Wheat-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies. Perfect.

My sister was recently diagnosed with gluten and dairy allergies – which means she has invariably been left out of even just tasting my sweet foray into vegan desserts of late. I knew I had to make these cookies for her. I would satisfy my craving with a good few, share some with hubby, and pass the rest on to my sis. Sounded like a plan.

Firstly, these cookies were incredibly easy to make. I mean easy. And fast. They came together in a veritable blink while I was barely paying attention as I chatted with hubby who was assembling a new wooden chair for the kitchen across the room.

More importantly, these cookies are delicious. I love how they kind of collapse down in the middle – crispy on the outside and super chewy on the inside. And the oat flour, used in lieu of wheat flour, gives the cookies an awesome flavour.

It was super hard to keep both myself and hubby from eating them all before I had a chance to snap a few pics and save some for my sister.

I will most definitely be making these again soon. Very soon.

peace, of cake.

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.

french toast, and a cake masterpiece.

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.

graham flour fig scones.

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.

ode to the black & white cookie.

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…

peanut butter bombs, vegan.

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.